Boundaries and Edges and Romance

Today I’m on Maryann Miller’s blog talking about crossing boundaries with fiction genres and issues. Please come by and say hello:

http://its-not-all-gravy.blogspot.com/2009/11/pushing-boundaries-with-trauma-and.html

A Note: I realize there are some of you reading the tour posts who are unable to comment due to Blogger and WordPress restrictions. Thank you for coming by and reading! If you’d like, my website guestbook is completely open for comments so you can leave your thoughts there, or just say hello.

I read this quote today in the Nanowrimo forum, and thought it was too perfect not to share:

I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.
~~ Kurt Vonnegut

I never would have thought myself an edge-seeker when I was young. I like familiar and comfortable to the point that every time I move, I’m thrown for a good six months or more. However, I’ve come to realize over the years, especially in the past few, that I am an edge-seeker, a boundary pusher. Never mind it makes me incredibly nervous to push boundaries; I continue to do so, anyway. At times, I’ve considered stepping back toward the middle, and do that at times in order to regroup, but before I know it, I’m right back there on the edge.

Why else would a twenty-one-year-old who had never been anywhere without her family suddenly jump up and move out of the country with a brand new soldier husband heading to Germany? One she met over the phone, by the way, and then drove with a friend eighteen hours to meet him. Yes, true story.

It wasn’t in my plans, that’s for sure. My plans were to finish my bachelor’s, move on to my master’s, get going in the psychology field, and THEN marry and think about having kids. Nice plan.

Yes well, the reality turned out to be nice, also. Scary – at many times, it has been very frightening, indeed – but nice. And what I’ve seen since jumping that edge could fill a book itself. Possibly some day it will.

Today, my husband and I have been married 22 years. Last year, I hit the point I was married half my life. This year, it’s his turn. That 21 and 22 year old couple who jumped with no more than love and determination and strength to face the unknown (let’s face it, every marriage is an unknown) walked through a lot of fires in the name of love and romance to get to that comfortably burning smolder that now and then bursts into huge flames. Now though, the flames are truly warm and comforting instead of just fiery.

This must be why I write the way I do, blending edgy mainstream issues into romance. I like the edge. And I’m a romantic at heart. Finally, I’m in my comfort zone and I would love to share it widely.

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If you’re following my tour, here are the last of the dates:

Nov 23 – Sandy James: http://www.sandy-james.com/stable

Nov 25 – Lizzie Starr: http://starrwords.blogspot.com/

Nov 27 – CRR {Release Day!} http://classicromancerevival.com/blog/

Nov 29 – Steph Burkhart  http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/

Dec 1 – The Pen Muse http://www.thepenmuse.com

All dates will be permanently linked on the novel’s website:
http://www.lkhunsaker.com/OffTheMoon/main.htm
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My next NEWSLETTER will be out Monday, November 23rd!  It will include details for my online RELEASE PARTY!  Subscribe on my website or here on the blog, linked to the right. Win a signed copy of Off The Moon, plus Vicki Blankenship’s newest CD, signed by Vicky, Blue Flame Trance!

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