18 January 2007

Friday Discussion Question

In the "About The Hinterlands" section of her website, our girl Karen Mercury rhetorically wonders about the romantic potential of her novel's premise. Human sacrifices? Graveyards? Benin City???

I see a distinct lack of swashbuckling in books -- perhaps the Regency/Austen style setting does not lend itself to high action -- and I'm not alone. Just read the first paragraph of this review by Jayne of Dear Author. An unusual setting helps define the potential for action and romance in a novel. By my taste, Karen's premise is certainly not out of bounds, romantically speaking, and offers a refreshing alternative to tea time and pistols at dawn. (I'll get around to reading it sometime this year -- promise!)

So, our Friday Discussion Question is: what makes a great romantic setting? Why do some places fire up your imagination and others leave you cold?