Tough, arrogant alpha males have long held the limelight in romance novels, but in recent years, the genre has seen more heroines trade in their strappy sandals for sneakers and a sidearm. Nora Roberts revitalized her fan base with her newest creation, tough cop Eve Dallas, and veteran romance author Catherine Coulter reached new heights with her female-centered FBI thrillers. Even Helen Fielding, who gave "chick-lit" its wings, recently hatched a very un-Bridget—like heroine, who turns spy to save the world in Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination.
Are these bestselling authors ushering in the age of the alpha female, or is this merely a temporary case of girl-power fever?
Harlequin is betting big on the staying power of the kick-butt heroine. In July, the Ontario-based publisher, owned by Torstar, will launch Silhouette Bombshell, a line of contemporary action-adventure novels featuring savvy women who know how to nab the bad guys and, sometimes, the good guys, as well. Harlequin will release four Bombshell books a month, all written by different authors, some established series authors, like Carla Cassidy, and some who have had firsthand experience working in the military or law enforcement, like Lindsay McKenna and Justine Davis. The mass market books will be priced at $5.50—except for the titles being released in July, which will have a special price of $4.50.
"Our promise to the reader is that this will be the heroine's story," said Silhouette associate senior editor Natashya Wilson. "There will be a satisfying romantic subplot, but that's not the focus of the book." This is a departure for Harlequin, which is known for its more traditional romantic tales, though Wilson and senior product manager Laura Morris believe that the Bombshell books will attract a younger readership. (According to a study commissioned by the Romance Writers of America in 2003, the average romance reader is in her late 30s to early 40s).
"When we came up with the kick-ass women concept, it was really to get that 18—34-year-old reader," said Morris. "She's watching a lot of TV. We know she's watching Buffy [the Vampire Slayer] and Alias, and we're encouraging her to read by giving her a product that will fill her need for entertainment and excitement."
Morris headed the Harlequin "innovation team" that came up with the Bombshell concept in 2002. The team formulated the idea after noting the explosion of strong female characters in movies and TV and the success of mainstream authors like Patricia Cornwell, Janet Evanovich and Lisa Scottoline. "They're writing longer, more detailed books, but the tone and the characters' attitude is something that we wanted to see if we could recreate in a shorter book," Morris explained. What cemented the company's decision to develop the Bombshell line, however, was that a second team working in isolation from Morris's group came up with the same idea.
A New Trend in Women's Fiction?
Although the Bombshell books won't be positioned as romances, it may be tough to get mainstream readers and booksellers to embrace them, since Silhouette is all but synonymous with romance. Packaging is a key component in Harlequin's bid to entice readers outside the romance community. According to Wilson, "the Bombshell covers are very high concept and heroine focused. We use a lot of treated photography to make them realistic." To support the series, Harlequin will take ads in Glamour, Cosmo, People and Elle, among other publications. They're also arming booksellers with samplers and shelf-talkers, and will promote the new line heavily on www.silhouettebombshell.com, which allows readers to read free chapters while grooving to a techno beat.
Chris Keeslar, senior editor at Dorchester, knows firsthand how important packaging is. In February 2003, that romance publisher introduced B.L.I.S.S., a series of comic, espionage romances featuring James Bond—like heroines. Less than a year later, the series came to an abrupt end, having failed to turn a respectable profit. Keeslar thinks that the cover art, which was inspired by old James Bond movie posters, "went over the buyers' heads."
Dorchester has since embarked upon a new series featuring tough girls in the year 2176. The first title, The Legend of Banzai Maguire, debuted in April with a jacket treatment similar to that of the Bombshell books. Keeslar said the reception so far has been positive.
It still remains to be seen, however, whether the two publishers will succeed in seducing a younger readership with their high-stakes, estrogen-fueled adventures. Assistant manager Kathy Baker, who oversees the sizable romance section at her Waldenbooks in Hurst, Tex., told PW, "I think the younger reader will take to this, but the question is: will she be faithful?" For Lynda Bryan, store manager of Brentano's in Davenport, Iowa, the question of faithfulness is directly related to the quality of the books. The question of whether Silhouette Bombshell is on the cutting edge of a new trend in women's fiction is harder to answer. "[The trend] is there and it's growing," Bryan said. "I don't think it's red hot yet, but it has that potential."
Correction: Our May 24 Book News article misidentified Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kanter (Milkweed) as the winner of the QPB New Voices Award. In fact, it is a finalist.
