In case you missed the latest episode of my YouTube show, Story Behind the Story, it was another lively, interactive reader and author discussion. This time we talked about romance featuring older protagonists. Particularly the female protagonists which have always tended to skew much younger in romance, even though the average age of readers is 35-39.
Authors Karen Booth, Suzette D Harrison, Sheryl Lister, and reader Lisa Salvary joined me for the livestream discussion.
Representation is everything. That includes seeing female characters who, like us, are older than the typical 20-something romance heroine and have been through a few things.
Karen, Suzette, Sheryl, and I write characters who are typically in their thirties and up. Karen co-founded the group Seasoned Romance with author Maggie Wells (who coined the term). Lisa Salvary founded and runs a Facebook group called Romance in Her Prime.
Watch the show, embedded below to hear:
- Why we and many of the readers who joined us enjoy reading about couples in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond.
- Find out what a publisher once told Karen Booth when she tried to pitch a story to them with an older heroine.
- Hear why some of the readers and authors who joined us in the chat prefer to read/write more mature characters.
- Get lots of recommendations of #GrownFolksRomance.
- Add your voice to the debate about the best term for romance featuring older character (or whether it requires a term at all).
Watch the replay of the show below and get in on the conversation by leaving a comment. You’ll get lots of #GrownFolksRomance, #GrownAndSexy or #SeasonedRomance book recs from the show and the live chat.
Facebook Groups for Readers Who Enjoy Romance Featuring Older Couples
Check out both the Seasoned Romance and Romance in Her Prime Facebook groups. You’ll get ongoing recommendations, connect with fellow readers of #SeasonedRomance, and discover the authors who are writing them.
Want More #GrownFolksRomance Recs?
Can’t get enough #GrownAndSexyRomance? Or maybe you prefer your romances Seasoned but Sweet. Either way, you’ll find more recs of romances featuring older characters in the conversations below. Click the logo in the embedded tweet. Click the day or date beneath my name on the Facebook post. You’ll be taken to the respective original posts. There you can review the wide-ranging recommendations from fellow readers and authors.
Happy reading!
