Tropes make the world of romance go ’round. They’re the core of category
romances, but they appear elsewhere, too. They’re comforting—you know what sort
of story you’ll be reading—but they can be surprising, if the author decides to
play with them.
In m/m romance, Kelly and I have some favourite tropes we love to read. Here are
just a few!
Fated Mates
Jenn: I love this trope, as long as it’s not paired with insta-love.
Insta-lust, that’s okay. But I find this setup the most satisfying when both
characters have to really struggle to discover why fate paired the two of them
together. It’s a great setup for conflict and sexual tension.
Kelly: I like this one too, though I don’t read a lot of paranormal,
which seems to be where you find most fated pairings. What I really like is when
the pairing doesn’t seem as if it’s the best thing for both heroes. So they have
to approach the situation with comments like, “Seriously? It’s you?” If a writer
can resolve that conflict and make the relationship work, I’m there.
Friends to Lovers
Kelly: This is my favourite trope, and that could have something to do
with the fact my first boyfriend (and love) was someone I grew up with. D’aww, I
know. Best part? We’re still friends today, even though we’re married to other
people. Our story didn’t work out, but I do love the dynamic of a friendship
deepening into something more, and the struggles that go along with that. The
question of what something more will do to the foundation of that friendship.
Jenn: Friends to lovers stories are often this really warm, gentle sort
of story. Not always, of course, but usually there’s a comfort level involved
between the characters that just makes me so happy. I love it.
Gay for You/Out for You
Jenn: This is one of my favourite m/m tropes because the journey to self-
discovery can happen in so many ways. It also upholds the primary thought behind
romance, that love is so powerful it can outweigh societal pressure and the lies
we might tell ourselves to keep ourselves safe. Done well, this trope can be the
driver for an incredible story.
Kelly: Acknowledging your sexuality might be fluid is a significant
thing! Allowing it, embracing it… there are few life changes more profound.
Doing this for someone you love? There’s a reason “Gay for You” is so popular.
My favourite stories have characters that are already questioning, though. I
like the idea of a guy overcoming his own prejudice for love before having to
worry about what anyone else thinks.
Cowboy
Jenn: There’s just something about a guy who’s outdoors all day, with
muscles hewn from physical, daily work, and a cowboy hat. Not to mention a
drawl. The entire image just works for me. Not only that, but in an m/m romance,
there’s a whole conflict that’s tied into the cowboy’s identity, that question
of manliness and perception—can a gay or bisexual guy really be a man’s man
cowboy? The answer is always HELL YES, but getting there is often an emotional
and incredible ride.
Kelly: Hats, denim-clad butts, a rolling gait, strategic streaks of dirt,
the smell of grass, sweat and cow manure… What, that doesn’t do it for you?
Cowboys are something like first responders and military men. It’s what an
author does with the guys in these masculine roles that makes the story, though.
Prince and Pauper
Kelly: Some of my favourite romances involve Hollywood stars and their
not-so famous lovers. I love the questions such a relationship will raise,
particularly in male/male romance, where the star might be trying to hide his
sexuality. A neat twist would be if the opposite were true, eh? If the unknown
preferred not to be linked with someone who was not only out and proud, but
famous. There are so many other built-in conflicts: the disparity in wages,
lifestyle, friends, location and values.
Jenn: Everyone has a rags-to-riches fantasy, and this trope plays on
that. The conflict inherent between a prince (or Hollywood star, or rock star,
or high-profile businessman/billionaire) and a pauper (or college student, or
waiter, or rent boy) is just a wonderful thing to explore in a story. Bringing
two people from such disparate origins to a happily-ever-after ending is so
satisfying.
Other favourite tropes of ours include law enforcement, second-chance romance,
scars and arranged marriage/marriage of convenience. What are some of your
favourites?
Bio
Jenn and Kelly met in 2009 through a mutual infatuation with a man who wasn’t
real. After all but crashing the video game’s forums with daily dissection of
their obsession, they started writing together, discovered they really liked
writing together and began plotting stories in worlds of their own creation.
The CHAOS STATION series aren’t the first books they’ve written together, and
they’re pretty sure they won’t be the last. As long as their so-called
smartphones keep making autocorrects that trigger brainstorming sessions,
they’ll have enough character ideas and plots to keep them writing for years to
come.
Giveaway
Jenn and Kelly are giving away the first two books in the Chaos
Station series, CHAOS STATION and LONELY SHORE, and a $10 gift card to your favorite
online bookseller.
Signing up for their newsletter gives access to their free Chaos Station story,
“Graduation”.
Terms: Two prizes. Rafflecopter Giveaway runs from 12:00 AM EST 10/05/2015 to
12:00 AM EST 10/09/2015. Giveaway is open internationally. Gift card value is US
dollars. Winners will be contacted via email. If a winner already has one or
both of the books, gift card value will be increased to $15 USD.
Follow the Tour
10/5 Purple Rose Teahouse
10/6 Joyfully Jay
10/7 Prism Book Alliance
10/8 Fresh Fiction
10/9 The Novel Approach
If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly Jensen will not be prepared, despite
having read over a hundred stories of the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her
precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive.
It's what bibliophiles do.
Born in Australia and raised everywhere else, Kelly now lives in Pennsylvania
with her husband, daughter and herd of four cats. After disproving the theory
that water only spins counter-clockwise around drains north of the equator, she
turned her attention to more productive pursuits such as reading, writing,
writing about reading and writing stories of her own. She also enjoys
volunteering at her local library, playing video games and holds a brown belt in
Kiryoku, a martial art combining Shotokan, Aikido and Tang Soo Do. Her family is
not intimidated by her.
Website | Facebook |
Twitter | Goodreads | Tumblr
Jenn Burke has always been drawn to weird and wonderful stories,
particularly those juxtaposed with our normal, boring world. Her love of the
written word prompted her to get a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from
the University of Ottawa, and she’s spent the years since working in corporate
and web communications—and dreaming up weird and wonderful stories of her own.
A self-confessed geek, Jenn loves spending time in the worlds of video games,
surfing her favorite websites, reading all the romance novels she can get her
hands on, and accumulating an impressive collection of nerdy t-shirts. She
currently lives outside of Ottawa, Ontario, with her husband, two kids, and her
writing helper, Alenko the husky.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blog
Zander Anatolius has been revived from the fatal effects of the super-soldier
program, but now he has to face his estranged family and tell a story few would
believe. With his lover and the crew of the Chaos at his side, Zander returns
home to a media frenzy, threats from the military and pressure to join the
family business.
Felix Ingesson still struggles with the horror of believing Zander dead. And no
matter how strong their emotional connection is, Felix feels out of place in the
glittery world of Zander's rich family. His lover would be better off without a
broken, low-class ship's engineer holding him back.
When the crew receives word that another of Zander's former teammates needs
rescue, Felix travels with the Chaos… setting Zander free. But when Zander is
arrested for treason, the men realize they need each other as much as ever—not
only to survive, but to make their lives worth living.
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