Now That You Mention It @KristanHiggins

LUCY BURDETTE: I'm so happy when one of my automatic-read authors have a new release--and these week, I've had two! Kristan Higgins is one of those, and her eighteenth book, a romantic comedy called NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT, will be out on December 26th. And I'm delighted to welcome her to JRW today!

Kristan please tell us a bit about the new book--I'm thinking all of our readers w ill want to hear the story about where the bad boyfriend comes from...

KRISTAN HIGGINS: Will you accept pure imagination as my answer? No?

Here’s the thing about Bobby Byrne, the not-hero and delightfully crappy boyfriend in NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT. He’s a drama-feeder. Some men are great in a crisis, and when the crisis fades, so does their affection. The thrill of being a white knight isn’t as thrilling once you have to unsaddle the horse and shovel out the stall, if you will. Bobby is also a guy who hedges his bets; starts scoping out new women before he breaks up with his current boo; gives mixed messages about what he wants in a relationship; hints that he made a big mistake dumping you, then doesn’t return your phone calls.

And yes, I dated that guy, more or less. Like me, Nora finds a much more stable, dependable guy who likes her with or without drama, because he just likes her. Exactly as she is, to quote Mark Darcy. Le sigh.

LUCY: I think mystery writers run into the same problem that romance writers do—getting our books taken seriously. Have you figured out what to say to people who wonder when you're going to start writing "literature"?

KRISTAN: I love a good romance novels, but the idea that they’re less than books from other genres is ridiculous. Finding a kind, respectful, loving partner is one of the strongest urges we have as humans. Why are books about that dismissed? And why are mysteries? Because smart people solve crimes or figure out the answers to complicated situations? Is that a bad thing somehow?

I tend to find that people who dismiss our genres either haven’t read them or are simply rather joyless and boring. When someone asks, “When are you going to write a real book, Kristan?” I answer with a question of my own: “Have you read my books? What’s fake about them?”

LUCY: After two series, your last few books, including next week's release, have been stand-alones. Can you tell us a bit about that transition and the pros and cons of writing each? And what can we look forward to in the future?

KRISTAN: Writing women’s fiction is harder, I think. The nice thing about a romance, especially a romance as part of a series, is that the characters and setting are familiar, and you know how the book will end—the couple will overcome their personal issues and find the love they’ve earned. The transition to a genre that’s a little weightier was a natural step for me. I wanted to write about more than the couple, their witty banter and sexy time (though don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with those elements!). My work was drifting in that direction, and my publisher was all for it. So I write what I consider romantic women’s fiction. There’s a satisfying love story, but there are a lot more things going on as well. Family secrets, personal heartache, job and relationship troubles, things that happened in the past that still nip at your heels.

My next book is in the hopper, and it tackles a really emotional issue: body image and self-acceptance. It’s about three friends who met at weight loss camp as teenagers. Seventeen years later, one of them dies suddenly, and a list they made as kids resurfaces, reminding them what they thought life would be like as adults. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT will be out next summer.

Thank you for having me at Jungle Red with all you fabulous people! It’s an honor! Oh, and one more thing: preorders of NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT support St. Jude Children’s Hospital, a cause near and dear to my heart. You can find ordering links at my website. 

LUCY: Any questions or comments for Kristan, reds? Theories about why crime fiction and romance are considered less important, even though they sell like mad?