Story Stew University

Blending Romance and Suspense: Putting Suspense Into Your Romance Novel and Romance Into Your Mystery

These days, anything goes! Novelists can mix the best parts of multiple genres--especially romance and suspense. Readers love the combination. Even so, they have expectations about how much of each they’ll find in a story, depending on the genre they’ve picked up to read.

Currently, Linda O. Johnston writes mysteries and paranormal romance. Her mysteries always have a romantic interest. Her romances always contain suspense. In this online class, she will share her secrets with you, including the “rules” for the different genres, and how they can be sidestepped or broken.


$30.00

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Instructor: Linda O. Johnston’s first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the year. Since then, Linda has published more short stories, plus sixteen romance novels, including romantic suspense for Harlequin Intrigue, and paranormal romance for Silhouette Nocturne. Her current Nocturnes include a series featuring members of Alpha Force, a covert military unit of shapeshifters. In addition, Linda writes the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter, mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime. Kendra is a lawyer who lives in the Hollywood Hills with her tri-color Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Lexie. Linda is also a lawyer who lives in the Hollywood Hills with her tri-color Cavalier, Lexie--as well as her husband and their younger Cavalier, Mystie, the nutcase. However, unlike Kendra, Linda has never lost her law license temporarily and become a pet sitter, nor is Linda a murder magnet. Linda is also writing a spin-off mystery series about Lauren Vancouver, Pet Rescuer.


Affiliations
Romance Writers of America, including the Orange County Chapter and Los Angeles Romance Authors
Mystery Writers of America, including the Southern California Chapter
Sisters in Crime, including the Southern California Chapter
International Thriller Writers