She would have had a prologue from her POV, and then the heroine would have found her dead in Chapter One.

Ah, well.

But that's the bitch. Nice people die. Of course, I once wrote a drabble crossing "The Princess Bride" and "A Year On The Killing Streets" because, you know, Adena's killer gets away. So of course, I wrote "God, Simon, what did you show me this thing for?"
And had dear old Uncle Dave say "You like the realism right?"
And I say "Yes."
"Well, that's the price you pay then."

And "Tell me Pellegrini shoots him. Bang."
"No, Tom Pellegrini is a good cop...he respects the law too much to do that.
"Well, that sucks."
"Being a good cop sucks...I think we spend a little too much time together.
So I'm too sick to notice that problem.

I just filled out the online entry form for the Golden Heart. I don't have to mail the entry for another few months--it just has to be at the RWA office by 12/2--but this commits me to sending my entry or wasting the fee, which ought to keep me on track for editing.

Deb! Matty Groves is on it's way to me already! I am surprised as I didn't think it was coming out 'til October.

So of course, I wrote "God, Simon, what did you show me this thing for?"
And had dear old Uncle Dave say "You like the realism right?"
And I say "Yes."
"Well, that's the price you pay then."

I think you can't do that in a romance, though; historicist detail notwitstanding, romances are not big on the random beatdowns of life, you know? I don't think I've ever read a romance where at the end, the two characters just realize they aren't very alike, and break up amicably, and move on. Much less one where the female lead is hit by a garbage truck ten pages from the end, and dies.

I suppose it could happen, but I bet a lot of the audience would protest that it wasn't a romance. (That is to say, I find both propositions, as well as realism overall, interesting, but the general/loyal readership of Harlequin, probably not what they're in the mood for when they pick up that paperback.)

And can I spare an Amen for whoever coined the phrase "the random beatdowns of life"? It expresses so efficiently a complete worldview.

It expresses so efficiently a complete worldview.

It really does.

would you be completely turned off if the victim was a nice older woman (actually a children's book author) whom everyone in town loved?

I wouldn't, though I see what Susan is saying if the murder is late in the book -- it's that feeling of letdown you get when a character you really like leaves a TV show. But other than that, I agree that the victim being nice adds interest.

I briefly dated a guy in college who was doing his best at being eccentric, part of which included wearing tailored suits as often as he could get away with it. He paired them with oxblood Doc Martens, and it made me wibble at 19.

He paired them with oxblood Doc Martens, and it made me wibble at 19.

I remember when Paula Coles was backing up Peter Gabriel; she wore an Armani ankle-length dress and Docs. She looked AMAZING.

Oh, Nutty, I totally meant that for the "Nice litle old lady gets capped anyway," conversation. I may be a little crazy, but not completely. I specifically thought about murder mysteries. Was it not supposed to be one? Were we thinking more of a Crusie thing with a murder as a plot element, but not really about murders? Because those people are always a little...tarnished, in some way...yeah.

It's All in the Follow Through

Bright lights glared off stainless steel and ceramic tiles, making it hard to see things happening around me. But I could feel them. After 13 hours of labor, rubbery hands smoothed cleanser on my belly to finish shaving it. It might have been 80 º in the operating room, but my beached-whale body shivered at the exposure. Deliriously, I wondered as they pulled crosspieces out from the table to strap my arms to if this was what being crucified felt like? I voiced my thoughts out loud, “There is no joy in Mudville, tonight; the Mighty Casey has struck out.”