Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Summer of Love Blog Hop! Jaime and Claire: Real Romance

Welcome to the Summer of Love Blog Hop!

GRAND PRIZES

(6) $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Cards

Comment with your name and email to be entered into the Grand Prize drawing. Comments without name and email will not be counted. Commenting on each and every stop will increase your chances of winning.
Winners for the (6) Grand Prizes will be drawn and announced on THE ROMANCE TROUPE blog by June 10th.



I can’t deny I feel a twinge of envy at the colorful, creative and brutal world of Game of Thrones. I would love to have written such an epic. Maybe someday I will.

But for me, the romance writer, something is missing. We call it happily ever after. I want Game of Thrones to end. I want the pain to end. Death may be great drama but it sucks if that is all that ever happens. The best people die. The worst people get to sit on the Iron Throne.

Now let’s compare GOT to Outlander. Outlander has the same epic feel though it is grounded in actual history. Well, except for that time travel stuff.

Outlander is also full of pain, but it is the kind of pain that encourages us to believe in love and the power of love between two people.

GOT falters because in Westero’s there is no romance. I’m talking big picture romance here. Jaime and Cersei aren’t romantic. In spite of our stomach churning dislike of their relationship, what is the first thing we all KNOW – that it is doomed. They are doomed. What’s the fun in that?

For me, one thing that could have redeemed GOT would have been a singular relationship that endured. It didn’t have to be a romantic love, it only needed to be an enduring one. Hell, it could have been Littlefinger and Catelyn Stark.

So back to Outlander. I’m already salivating over the series. But this month we have a new book coming from Diana Gabaldon: Written In My Heart’s Own Blood.

I’m ready for the enduring romance Jaime and Claire have provided to fans. They have suffered immeasurably but they continue to endure. Romance – the times, the feeling, the grandeur – drip from every word Gabaldon has written. Yes, we get the sex and the love.

But we also get the sure knowledge that Jaime and Claire will live on. We know the series will end but we already see them walking hand in hand toward their eternal sunset. We care about them. We love them.

In GOT, my happily ever after rests with Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons. I fear George R. R. Martin doesn’t really care what I think and will probably kill the dragons one at a time, just as he is doing to the direwolves. In case you haven’t guessed, I haven’t yet read GOT but I’ve read every letter of Outlander and I’m starting the series over.

I’m not going to stop watching GOT. But come August, nothing is going to matter except Jaime and Claire.


Drums of Autumn is sitting on my bed stand right now. Jaime is holding Claire’s hand. And they will face the future together. They won’t have to worry that a fickle writer is going to betray their happily ever after.

And for those who comment on my blog, you'll be eligible for a chance to win a digital copy of my next book Age of Innocence, out soon from Ellora's Cave.

24 comments:

Jen B-Yale said...

LOVE Jaime and Claire and cannot WAIT for the series to start in August!!!! (But then you knew that about me already...lol) I'm in the middle of my re-read...about a quarter of the way through The Fiery Cross, and actually enjoying it more now than I did the first time I read it.

Anonymous said...

LOVE LOVE LOVE Game of Thrones!! I have yet to read the books, though. I still want to. I will never get over Ned dying, and if he kills my BF Jon Snow, I might have to hurt someone. ;)

Great post!!
~Angela Christina Archer
history(at)angelachristinaarcher(dot)com

Eliza Lloyd said...

Oh man, I was frosted (get the Winter is coming reference) when they killed Ned and by that little snot-nosed brat's order. Yes, I love Jon Snow too!

lisamarie said...

lisamarie romero.... lisamarie.romero@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Loved your blog post, especially the couple's picture (it has an unique touch of passion).

ladyunwritten[AT]gmail[DOT]com

Veronika said...

I haven't read Game of Thrones yet, but I will because i"ve heard it's amazing!
VeronikaDream
verusbognar (at) gmail (dot) com

Liza O'Connor said...

I have read GOT and I don't think I shall now because I need a balanced world where both love and angst exist, and I want an HEA or at least 'for now' and I like funny stuff to happen to relieve the awful stuff.

Liza O'Connor
Liza2write@yahoo.com

and I hate incomprehensible captchas.

Anonymous said...

I like happily ever after, too!
Kelly Thompson
kellberry@sbcglobal.net

Anne said...

I haven't read Game of Thrones (or watch the show) nor The Outlander series. Now that I know they're full of angst I'll probably stay away.

Thanks for participating.
Anne M.
acm05atjuno.com

Videoclimber said...

I love Game of Thrones!
Tia Dalley
videoclimber AT yahoo DOT com

H.B. said...

I love GOT! So many interesting things going on all at once.

H.B.
humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com

Unknown said...

Deborah Close
dcpooh55 (at) cox (dot) net

I've never watched Game of Thrones, I have all of the Outlander series books, I just bought them, because I just met Diana at Arizona Dreaming

Forget the Housework, I'm Reading... said...

Thanks for the chance and sharing!

Tobi
forgethousework@gmail.com

magic5905 said...

Joy F
magic5905 at embarqmail dot com

bn100 said...

Haven't read either book

L
bn100candg@hotmail.com

Unknown said...

I completely agree with you on GoT. I want so bad for some characters to get their HEA but I honestly don't think it will happen. It is so much death, lol. I am always shocked on who goes next.
Outlander is a favorite series, it is such a beautiful series.

Stephanie Fredrick
fsteph55(at)yahoo(dot)com

Stacey Smith said...

wish I could watch Game of Trones people keep talking about it I keep filling like i'm missing something great.
Stacey A Smith
sasluvbooks at yahoo dot com

Jen Barnard said...

I'm not familiar with either series, but I agree that there needs to be a couple that stays together through all the bad stuff.
Jen Barnard
jen dot barnard at btinternet dot com

Unknown said...

I've read the GOT books but not watched the tv series.

Thanks for the amazing giveaway!
Elizabeth Hyatt
elizabeth @ bookattict . com

Unknown said...

I have not read Games of Throne or the Outlander series although I did have that one on my TBR list. Will be curious to see how it plays out on TV. Thanks for the giveaway. Wanda Craighead
wcraig5432@yahoo.com

Brandi said...

I havent read or watched(cuz i dont have the channel) GoT... ive heard alot about it though. I do like stories with HEA in them, so i dont know how i'd do with GoT lol... it might drive me nuts lol.

Thank you for the giveaway!

I hope you have a great week!! =)

Brandi
BLeigh1130 at yahoo dot com

BookLady said...

Love the Outlander series! Thanks for the great giveaway.
bhometchko(at)hotmail(dot)com

Alisha Sienkiel said...

Thanks for the giveaway!
Alisha Sienkiel
sienkiel1821 at yahoo dot com

Eliza Lloyd said...

Congratulations Deborah Close for winning an ebook of Age of Innocence. And thanks for touring with Summer of Love Blog Hop. I'll be in touch! Eliza