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| Beth Wiseman |
Happy Monday, readers! Annette here. An author's name is her brand, and an author's chosen genre builds readership, further identifying that brand. Most writers I know have interest in more than one genre, but what about all that hard-earned brand status? Award-winning author Beth Wiseman is here with advice for writers who'd like to branch into more than one genre. Read on!
Genre Hopping
by Beth Wiseman
Recently,
I stepped way out of the box for a new book.
The Promise isn’t like
anything I’ve written before. I guess
you could say I got my "big break" writing Amish fiction, and after several years
of exclusivity in that genre, I spread my wings and began writing non-Amish
contemporary stories based in small Texas towns near where I live. Need
You Now and The House that Love Built
were born from that effort. But with The Promise, my wingspan is even larger,
and I’m grateful that my editor had enough faith in me to take on something so
vastly different than what I’m used to. I
also recently completed my first non-Amish contemporary novella as part of the A Year of Weddings collection. I’m the “July Bride,” and it was great fun
partnering with eleven other authors.
But when
is it a safe career move to dabble in other genres? Will readers follow? Will new readers jump on board? These are questions that my editorial team
and I discussed at length in an effort to maintain my brand and also attract
those who aren’t necessarily fans of Amish fiction.
For me,
this is the best of all worlds. When I
write my Amish stories, it’s like visiting old friends. When I’m working on my Texas stories, it
feels familiar and I’m making new friends. With The Promise, it was a
whole new ballgame, taking my character to a dangerous place on the other side
of the world. Inspired by actual events,
The Promise is not typical of the
type of feel-good stories I normally write. But it’s still my voice.
Do
readers follow a genre or the voice of an author they like? I guess I’m counting on it being the
latter. That’s how it is for me. I would read the phone book if it were written
by one of my favorite authors.
So, what
about you? Which is more important—genre
or author?
Wishing
you all many blessings,
Beth Wiseman
~~~~~
Can she forgive the man who left her at the altar? Alyssa
Pennington dated Brendan Myers
for three years before she accepted his
proposal. For almost a year, Alyssa's friends and family helped her plan a
lovely wedding to take place in the church she'd grown up in. It was the
happiest day of her life when she walked down the aisle to be united with the
man of her dreams. But when Brendan left her at the altar, Alyssa was consumed
by humiliation, embarrassment, and a broken heart that wouldn't allow her to
trust anyone. Especially Brendan.
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| A July Bride by Beth Wiseman |
Brendan Myers knows he will spend the rest of his life
regretting what he did to Alyssa, the only woman he's ever loved. Without her,
his life is empty. In one fateful moment, he'd panicked, destroyed their
future, and ruined everything. Now he plans to win her back. But winning back
his bride might prove much more difficult than he can imagine. And even if he
does get her to the altar again, will she think turnabout is fair play?
~~~~~
Beth Wiseman is an award-winning and best-selling author who
is best known for her Amish novels, but she is now spreading her wings in other
genres as well. Her two latest releases—Need You
Now and The House that Love Built—are
non-Amish contemporaries set in small Texas towns, both of which have garnished
glowing reviews. However, her current project will take readers far away
from Amish Country and small Texas towns to a dangerous place on the other side
of the world. Inspired by a true story, Beth believes this is the book
she’s been working toward for a long time.
