Prologue Prohibition? #MFRWauthor

by | Mar 28, 2019 | Uncategorized | 4 comments

What a cruddy week. What should’ve been a fun weekend trip to visit friends and family was flattened by a massive snot bomb. At first, I thought it was just spring allergies. Then I prayed it was just spring allergies. Alas, the pollen gods paid no heed to my pleas. It’s a nasty, phlegmy, chest-rattling, brain-numbing, energy-zapping cold. Ugh.

Fortunately, this week’s question from the MFRW blog hop doesn’t require much brainpower. Marketing for Romance Writers offers resources to help us promote our books, plus a fun weekly blog hop. Join in here! http://mfrw52week.blogspot.com/

Prologues: yea or nay?

As a reader, I couldn’t care less. For at least the first few chapters, I’ll read what’s put before me. A well-written prologue doesn’t bother me. For some genres, such as time-travel, a prologue might contribute valuable insight.

As a writer, I’ve heard the prohibitions: editors hate prologues, ditto publishers, ditto readers. As a romance writer, I haven’t yet felt the need to preface a story with a prologue. Pretty sure I’ve read some second-chance romances that start with a long-ago breakup, then jump ahead to the present day. Does it matter if that breakup scene is labelled a prologue or chapter one? Not to me.

On to happier news:

Publishing news!

Today I got my next book cover, and I love it! I’ll wait to share until I have a release date, but Runaway Love Story is in the birth canal! (I’m just full of icky body references today.) Second book in the Book Nirvana series, this steamy contemporary romance features a couple who both love to run (of course) and whose romance goes viral on social media just as they break up. I look forward to sharing more news soon!

By the way, I expect final galleys any day now, and am looking for ARC reviews. If steamy-but-not-kinky contemporary romance lights your fire, please drop me a note at sadira (at) sadirastone (dot) com.

Until next time, I wish you happy, healthy writing.

Subscribe to my quarterly newsletter and get a steamy freebie: A Peek Behind the Red Door–Historical Erotica that Inspired the Book Nirvana Series.

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4 Comments

  1. storimom2
    storimom2 on March 29, 2019 at 5:56 am

    Congrats on the pending release!!!! Looking forward to seeing the shiny new cover art:)

  2. Cathy Brockman
    Cathy Brockman on March 29, 2019 at 9:24 am

    So sorry you are sick. Hope you feel better soon. and congratulations on the release

  3. Susan Swiderski
    Susan Swiderski on March 29, 2019 at 10:55 am

    I wrote a post about prologues some years ago. Called it “To Pre or Not to Pre.” (I thought I was sooooo clever. HA!) Bottom line, I agree with you. If it serves a reasonable purpose, I’m all for one, but if it’s a lazy way out of working background information into the story, not so much.

    Your new book sounds awesome! Can’t wait!

    Get well soon, kiddo.

  4. Kate Hill (@katehillromance)
    Kate Hill (@katehillromance) on March 30, 2019 at 6:02 am

    First, I hope you feel better! I agree, it doesn’t matter much to me if the first part of a book is called the prologue or chapter one. I’m going to read it either way. Good luck with the upcoming release! Looking forward to seeing the cover!