Week 6

Assignment 1


During week one, I chose StreetFiction.org as my genre resource. I have been checking it every once in a while. This website is not very user friendly, in my opinion. The layout is confusing and the posts are not dated, so I do not truly know how timely these updates are. Here is what I do like: a comprehensive list of authors who write in this genre (although, each author page is different. Some have interviews, others have books written by the author). I would prefer something with concise lists (upcoming, new releases, top authors, best sellers, etc.).

Assignment 3

Here are a few subgenres I learned about from this fiction genre flowchart.

1. Main genre: Urban Fiction
Subgenre: Borough Warfare

Examples of this genre include Street Pharm by Allison Van Diepen, The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah, and Gutter by K'wan. This genre frequently have plots based on "turf wars" betweens gangs/drug dealers.

2. Main genre: Mystery
Subgenre: Pet Investigators

Spencer Quinn (Chet and Bernie Mysteries), Carol Nelson Douglas (Midnight Louie Mysteries) and Eric Garcia (Vincent Rubio Mysteries) all write books with crime-solving anthropomorphic characters.

3. Main genre: Romance
Subgenre: Paranormal Romance

Popular authors for this subgenre include J.R. Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood series), Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress series), and Kresley Cole (Immortals After Dark series). This genre is characterized by a romance between a human and fantastical creatures like vampires, werewolves, and even ghosts.

Genre Mashups:

The Pepper Martin series by Casey Daniels is a 3-way mashup of paranormal, cozy mytery, and chick-lit. The female lead is the daughter of a disgraced millionaire and a freak accident at the graveyard where she is now working her first job has resulted in her focusing more on seeking revenge for the mob boss that now possesses her body.

Piercing the Darkness by Frank E. Peretti is a Christian Thriller/Mystery mashup (Novelist categorizes it as Christian Suspense, so I guess that is the official subgenre). After being caught in the middle of some strange events, Sally Roe is fleeing from her life. She turns to her religion to overcome her life challenges.