I have finally discovered a sub-genre of fiction that gives me a knee-jerk of revulsion. Vampire romance novels.

I had no idea such things existed. I foolishly assumed vampire novels lived in the horror genre, and didn't go wandering through other sections. Plei derived much amusement from pointing out vampire romance novels (all shelved in the overwhelmingly pink romance section at B&N), then watching me wince at 1) the awful, awful cover art, and 2) the equally dreadful back-cover blurbs.

I'm assuming there has to be one or two decently-written ones in the world. But wow, I couldn't tell that from the books I saw today. I'm going to sit over here and clutch my copies of Dracula, The Delicate Dependancy, Anno Dracula, and Lost Souls while I rock back and forth.

Oh, there's lots of them, Jilli. It's quite the trend, these days.

Oh, there's lots of them, Jilli. It's quite the trend, these days.

But are any of them at all worth reading? None of the ones I gingerly looked at seemed like it.

Oh, I don't read them, because they're not my thing. It grieves me as a romance writer to say this, but IMO most romances that attempt to cross over into horror or fantasy are weak, weak, weak. The fantastical elements usually are paint-by-numbers and not well thought out. IMHO, anyway. And I've read some really good time travel romances--it's when you throw in the vampires or mystical powers or ancient gods that all the wheels seem to come off.

Me, I'm just doing my humble best to try to write historical romances that are also good, solid, well-researched historical fiction.

Have I skipped too much to offer that the Sharon Lee/Steve Miller Liaden stories are cross-overs (SF/Romance) that work?

Probably.

Will anyone examine how a testosterone-poisoned male such as myself could be lured into the historical/romance market in a similar way?

There is always hope.

I've read a few that mix fantasy or SF with romance that work (but not the Liaden ones, so I'll have to check those out), but I'd agree with Susan that it's not an easy mix. The vampire ones scared me off a bit, so no advice there.

I think Bujold's Vorkosigan SF books have a romantic element (especially the last one, which I seem to remember was dedicated to some Romance authors). I think they work. Bujold had a short story in a collection that was built around authors combining SF/Fantasy and Romantic fiction. Vampiric romances? I don't believe I've read any that were marketed as such. I guess you could play up the star-crossed lovers aspect.

The only vampire ones I've liked are the southern gothic ones and they are horror/romance/mystery.

Admittedly I've only read a couple.

However, I did read a good fantasy from Luna -- it was based on celtic myths/fairy tales and nicely done. Sadly the first part of two.

I think Bujold's Vorkosigan SF books have a romantic element (especially the last one, which I seem to remember was dedicated to some Romance authors). I think they work.

A Civil Campaign was most definitely a romance novel in a sci-fi universe. I'm sad to say I don't remember much of Diplomatic Immunity -- it's the only one in the series that's ever disappointed me.

Barryar and Free Falling (not technically a Vorkosigan novel, but in the same universe) would probably count too. (Assuming Barryar is the one I think it is -- the one where Miles' parents get together.)

The funny part is, I always found the romantic elements interspersed in the Vorkosigan novels to be the least realistic parts of them. (Okay, some of the Mark sections beat them out, but Mark is only in a couple of novels.) It's all a little too perfect and a little too neat, you know? The rape is narrowly averted; attractions between protagonists are never not reciprocated; nobody ever has screaming fights over stupid things like the toilet seat.

At least the tactical parts of the novels are always predicated on "What can go wrong now??" but all the sexual parts seem to be asking what else can go right. A Civil Campaign was particularly egregious in pairing off anybody who had both first and last names.