Assignment 6: #3

Part I:
Choose 3 subgenres that are new to you

Historical Romance
Pioneer Family Westerns
Urban Christian Fiction

Part II: 
Historical Romance Authors and Titles
 
Joanna Wayne Trumped up Charges
Johannes Lindsey One Heart to Win
Terri Brisbin  At The Highlander's Mercy (April 2013), MacLerie Series

Keyword Search on Google:  Historical+Romance

For the historical romance authors, I checked out romanceaddict91.wordpress.com blog to see what people are looking for from their beloved authors.  The other website I checked was www.historicalromancewriters.com.  I always recommend trying the author websites to get a feel for the types of books the author enjoys writing.   It appears people are looking for romances with strong links to place and time, such as France in the early 18th century.  The book by Brisbin takes place in Scotland and the themes of family ties and relationships are very important.  It looks like readers want a conclusion for many of the series that have not yet been completed by the author.  The long lost love theme and nobility seemed to be very popular with the 2012-2013 books.  The hallmark and appeal for historical romance are plot driven and can be either fast paced or leisurely paced.  All of these novels have a strong sense of place and there is always a love affair, several that leave you hanging until the next in the series. 

Part II:  Pioneer Family Westerns Authors and Titles
Al and JoAnna Lacy A Line in the Sand
Elmer Kelton Many a River
Celia Hayes Adelsverein Series

Keyword Search in Google:  pioneer+western+novels

I checked the following site for for westerns, www.historicalnovels.info/Old-West-Novels.html, and found several titles that would fit the bill for subgenres of Westerns noted above.   I also found lindahubalek.com to be helpful with understanding writers of pioneer western fiction.  It seems many Pioneer Western titles embody the "western" appeal for readers-places west of the Mississippi, accurate historical context with attention to details, rough/tough male and female characters, heros, good vs. evil, romance, christian values and fighting for a cause. 

Part II:  Urban Christian Fiction
Rhonda Bowen One Way or Another
Tyora Moody When Memories Fade (#2/Victory Gospel Series)
Vanessa Miller Forsaken

Keyword Search in Google:  urban+christian+fiction

At www.blackchristianfiction.com there was a link to Cecilia Dowdy's christian fiction blog that I felt was very well done and informative, although not specific to urban christian fiction.  Urban Christian Fiction is characterized by raw and gritty characters full of honesty and drama.  There is often a protagonist who struggles with some wrong he or she has committed and seeks redemption.