Blog Tour Stop- Maria V Snyder- Night Study

I am such a huge fan of Maria V Snyder's books, so I feel very honoured to have my blog as a tour stop. For today's stop Maria has written up 5 points to help with writing a convincing romance within your books. If you've ever read any of Maria's books you'll know the advice will be great because her romances are swoon-worthy. 

After the tips, you can read my review of Night Study, or rather read my gushy ramblings about my love for this book. 

You can purchase Night Study from Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Night-Study-Soulfinders-Maria-Snyder/dp/0778318753 and Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/night-study/maria-v-snyder/9781848454484

What advice would you give to any aspiring writers who want to write a book with a good romance at the heart of it?

While my novels are primarily fantasy and science fiction, I invariably have romance in all my books.  I can’t help it as I enjoy writing about two characters who eventually fall in love.  Here are a few tips I found helpful in writing a good romance:

11)      Avoid insta-love:  Relationships take time to develop.  Yes, there might be an immediate attraction, but that’s always based on a first impression.  When characters have time to get to know each other and have interacted in various situations, then, when they do fall in love, it’s a natural progression.

22)      It’s a partnership: The best romantic couples have this in common.  They compliment each other—one’s strengths balance the other’s weaknesses and vice versa.  They work together to solve problems and have equal say in decisions.  They respect each other and while one might rescue the other in one situation, it’s equally as likely that their positions will be reversed during another situation.

33)      Nobody is perfect:  Let me repeat this: Nobody is perfect.  Everyone makes mistakes.  They do and say things when angry and upset.  They make poor choices and do stupid things—sometimes for what they think is the right reason. This should not doom them, but show they are human and forgive them.

44)      Tension:  Good romances have lots of tension.  Sexual tension, of course, but also a clash of personality traits.  You’ve heard the old adage: opposites attract and that’s great to keep the sparks flying in relationships and make it interesting for the readers.

55)      Humour:  In my opinion, this is the most important aspect of any relationship.  It shows the lighter side of your couple’s personalities and gives them a break from all that tension. 

Review

Maria V Snyder's books never disappoint. Never. Night Study is no different.
I had high expectations for Night Study and Maria surpassed them all.

Night Study is Maria's 8th book set in the lands of Sitia and Ixia. Does this mean the story's are starting to feel repetitive or dragged out? Not at all. Night Study is filled with as many twists, turns and surprises as her other books, and is written in Maria's addictive writing style.

The romance in Night Study feels so authentic. Valek and Yelena have now been together for many years but their relationship is still so exciting to read. Often in books, the initial chase and tension between a couple grabs the reader but after they get together interest can wane, but Valek and Yelena's relationship is so refreshing and they're still facing so many obstacles together, their latest being a baby. They're addictive to read.

After the events of Night Study it feels like its going to be an excruciating wait for the next book in the series. I MUST KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. 

Which blog is up next? Check who is next on the stop and look at where the tour has already stopped: