THE HYBRID GENRE; A DELICATE BALANCE
By Claudia Riess I love a good mystery, have a passion for art and am an incurable romantic. Why not combine the three? The hybrid genre does have its challenges, but dealing with them can be as satisfying a part of the creative process as any other, from character-building to plot-mapping. In my most recent novels, characterized by my publisher, Level Best Books, as an “art history mystery series,” Erika Shawn, art magazine editor, and Harrison Wheatley, art history professor, are amateur sleuths with a dynamic romantic relationship. One way I deal with the balancing act of mystery and romance in this series is deciding that the principal driving force is mystery and sticking to it. T...