Last month, we went contemporary with Sandra Kitt’s Close Encounters. Kitt’s tale of an interracial love affair that blooms between a divorced cop and a newly single professor has an undeniable emotional core; Close Encounters bravely addresses the reality of racial and class conflict while remaining, at its heart, a love story.
Our Retro Readers provided a wealth of insight into this month’s pick. Ruth admitted that she wasn’t such a huge fan of contemporaries but found Close Encounters to be “a real eye-opener,” noting that “the romance itself is absolutely beautifully written” and confessing that the book “has partially restored my faith in contemporaries.” Rosee concurred, adding that the story was “handled with grace and finesse . . . a story to please fans of many genres.” Julie noted the complexity of the novel, arguing that it is a “romantic suspense, crime novel, a love story and a family drama all rolled into one.”
As an added bonus, Sandra joined us this month in a discussion thread hosted on our Goodreads page. From November 20 to 22, Sandra answered reader questions ranging from specifics on Close Encounters to her process as a writer. Full of tips and insight, Sandra advises would-be writers to “pay attention to, and believe in, your own voice. Write the story that you feel passionate about, and don’t worry about writing to a trend. And, don’t be afraid to take a risk and write about difficult subjects. Be honest, and don’t take the easy way out.” Check back in on our discussion thread for more pearls of wisdom from Sandra.
Check out these reviews and our ongoing discussion over in our Retro Reads Goodreads group; feel free to join the conversation and add your own topics!
This month’s pick is from our dear colleague Carly. She works primarily with literary fiction and recommended Cynthia Freeman’s Come Pour the Wine as an ideal choice for Retro Reads. So we are broadening our horizons and are enjoying the more literary side of romance—we hope you will, too!
Read more about the selections here and stay tuned to our blog, Facebook, and Twitter throughout the month for updates from our Retro Readers.