The Women’s Fiction Mystique – Guest Post by Amy Sue Nathan

Welcome to Writers’ Uni-Verse-City (or WUVC for short because every university has an acronym), a place where writers/bloggers can meet to discuss the craft of writing in the Internet age. WUVC will involve independent research, setting a curriculum and hopefully finding other participants (like you – readers/bloggers/writers) to: chip in, give tips, suggest books and other materials for study, teach me the ways of the warrior writer, and offer to guest post here at Uni-Verse-City (contact: annotationseditorial@gmail.com).

Today I’m excited to welcome Amy Sue Nathan as part of the Literary Genres Blog Series. Today she’ll be giving us some insight into the Women’s Fiction genre and how it greets readers and writers with open arms/multiple possibilities.

Readers don’t seem to give much thought to literary genres.  They read books they are attracted to, compelled by, interested in – even angry about. Readers, unlike writers, don’t usually pick up a book and wonder, “Is this literary fiction or is it up-market fiction, meaning, of course, that it combines the best of literary and commercial fiction?”  Readers rarely ponder the percentages. “It’s 50/50 mystery and literary, so no, that won’t work for me. Or, “It’s 90% commercial fiction and 10% romance. Perfect.”

But as writers we have to know, or at least guess, where our writing fits. And when it comes to writing fiction for women – which can be ingeniously referred to as Women’s Fiction (I know, I know, I have a way with words) the lines are even more blurred. Is it literary? And what makes it so? Is it commercial? Oh, gods of trends-past, are there shoes and is it Chick Lit? Is it Hen Lit and does that mean the characters live on a farm? If it’s straight-up romance, we pretty much know…or so we think.

Trying to pinpoint the ingredients for women’s fiction is like reciting a writer’s literary tongue twisting nightmare: How much romance can appear in women’s fiction before women’s fiction becomes romance? Can a hero be a hero if he doesn’t save anyone? If someone is saved can be it women’s fiction? And this goes for paranormal elements, literary elements, history, mystery…heck, throw in a zombie or two. The answer is like the old Tootsie Pop commercial about how many licks it takes to get to the center. The world may never know.

What I do know about women’s fiction after almost a year of blogging about women’s fiction is that if someone says they’re writing women’s fiction, you really can’t say that they’re not. A publisher can say it. An agent can say it. Even a reader can say it. But one writer to another? Nope. Like a microcosm of life in general, writing women’s fiction is open to interpretation. I may read a book that has more romance elements than I like for that moment in my reading time. If the dude is the driving force, to me, it might be romantic women’s fiction or women’s fiction with romantic elements (pick a category, any category) and straddle that line. If the main point of the book is for the woman to improve herself, her situation, her life, her relationships and the focus is on internal growth of self, if the most important part of the book is not about moving toward romance, then that to me, is women’s fiction.

As Jael McHenry so eloquently wrote in the first guest post on Women’s Fiction Writers, “…’women’s fiction’ is a broad umbrella, and personally, I find it a really comfortable umbrella to park myself under.”

I’ve interviewed over forty women’s fiction authors since March 2011. They all have different views on what makes women’s fiction but one thing is clear: it’s a genre without strict boundaries and with open arms. It’s a genre that allows and encourages stories about women where women flourish and shine in work, in life, in family, in friendships and even in love. Most authors I’ve talked to do agree that women’s fiction is about a women’s journey of self…and that story can be told with poignancy, heart, and humor – in any combination. It’s the story that makes the reader connect not only to the characters, but also to herself.

Do men read women’s fiction? Sure they do. They also write it. Writing what women want to read is nothing to be ashamed of. I read a great Tweet the other day about how the best act of feminism is writing what women want to read. I wish I remember who wrote it or tweeted it or retweeted it, but I don’t. I do know that it made me smile. After all, what’s so bad about writing about women for women? After all, I am both — a writer and a reader.

The best and most consistent advice authors have given my blog readers over the past year is to read widely. What does that mean? It means don’t just read what you write. Don’t just read women writers writing fiction about women. Reading a variety of genres unlatches areas of your writing brain. It’s like taking a new road to get to a place you’ve been a hundred times. You see it from a new angle. You can learn plenty about writing women’s fiction reading a memoir or a romance novel or a mystery or fantasy. Read what you like of course, but try new things. You may like them too.

The term Women’s Fiction sends some writers into a tizzy because there’s no category men’s fiction. I don’t care about that. I read what I want to read – and I write the stories that inspire me. Both usually – but not always — happen to be about women.

There’s really very little mystery, at all.

Amy Sue Nathan’s debut novel, THE GLASS WIVES, will be published by St. Martin’s Press in 2013. Her short stories and essays have been published in Grey Sparrow Journal, Rose and Thorn Journal, The Stone Hobo, Hospital Drive Journal, Scribblers on the Roof, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times online, the Washington Post online, Chicago Parent and in regional print publications nationwide. In 2011 Amy launched Women’s Fiction Writers, a blog dedicated to the authors, business and craft of women’s fiction. An East Coast expat near Chicago, Amy is the mom of a son in college, a daughter in high school and two rambunctious, rescued dogs. She can be reached through her website: amysuenathan.com or at womensfictionwriters at gmail dot com.

What’s your favorite women’s fiction sub-genre to read or write? Do you have any questions about this genre?

Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic – A mountain city for rest and relaxation

Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad in English, but I like the Czech name better), is famous for its hot springs, with a dozen main springs, about 300 smaller springs and its warm Teplá River, which runs through the center of the city. Karlovy Vary, which translated means “Charles’ Bath” was named after Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, who founded the city in 1370. In the 18th century with visitors including Tsar Peter the Great, Emperor Franz Josef I, Beethoven, Tolstoy, and Marx, it became a popular tourist destination and its easy to see why this was their chosen escape.

The city really feels private nestled between the mountains with few people walking on the sidewalks. Its quiet and the sound of the rolling river itself heals the soul. The air untainted by machines and cars, as the city center is for pedestrians and horse-pulled carriages, is refreshing and makes you want to take deep breaths the whole time.

You will see lots of people walking around drinking out of what looks like a coffee mug with a built in glass straw coming out of the side. Don’t worry they haven’t lost it. They drink spring water directly from the many fountains places throughout the cities because it has natural healing properties.

After drinking all that water, you can get a wafer, either one or multiple in a box. Coming in different flavors to absorb some of the water in your stomach. They look kind of like pancakes, big and round, but taste more like rice cakes.

The main attraction in Karvoly Vary is the “waters” and getting healing treatments from the natural mineral springs. There are specific treatments, thermal baths and/or drinking cures, for several types of diseases and other health issues. There is also the option for relaxation spa treatments. If you want to go all out and get a proper spa package, you’ll need to save up for this trip. If you go on a family vacation with children and don’t want to splurge too much, you can go to the Open Air Thermal Pool and swim in the cool water with a great view of the city day or night and enjoy the crisp mountain air. It can get busy so if you want more relaxation and private time, you may prefer the smaller spas.

Ever seen the movie The Last Holiday with Queen Latifah? A movie where she goes on a holiday to stay in the Gand Hotel Pupp, eat fine meals, get spa treatments and even try some extreme sports. Well, the Grand Hotel Pupp really exists and having a cocktail or glass of wine in the restaurant in the evening is a must. There is often music and the atmosphere itself is entertaining.

Take the “Diana” tram (aka funicular) that goes up the mountain. It’s quite relaxing for those afraid of heights because you stay on the ground rather and following the train tracks rather than be suspended on a wire in a gondola. When you reach the top, you can climb the Diana Lookout Tower to gaze upon the surrounding views of the trees and Karlovy Vary settled between the mountains below. It can be windy up there so hold on to the railings.

Taking a break in the mountain-top restaurant is a must. I can’t recommend more the soup. It’s the most delicious soup I’ve ever had and it comes in a gigantic bread bowl with a lid. It’s perfect for warming up after enduring the wind and can build up your strength if you’ve been partaking in spa treatments. A glass of red wine doesn’t hurt either.

Atop the mountain there is also an animal pen with goats, friendly ponies, and you might even see a few peacocks walking about.

Diana's Tower at the top

The Czech Republic is well known for its glass art. Glass manufacturer Moser Glass is located in Karlovy Vary. There is a street that is shops only, most of them jewelry stores. This city is home to the most beautiful and unique jewelry I’ve ever seen and makes for superb window shopping. It’s easy for a lady to spend hours peering at the jewels that come in so many different designs that its more akin to art. You can find extensive selections and designs in amber, jade, sapphires, diamonds, rubies and my personal favorite amethyst.

For a smaller mountain town, Karlovy Vary is a true escape. You feel like you’ve arrived a secret place and even though it suffered during the 19th century, it still feels like a town for the rich. It has everything from grand hotels, restaurants, shopping, and of course the spa treatments, but there are also great natural surroundings that can be taken advantage of for a variety of activities. Its a perfect place to travel for a true getaway.

What’s your favorite destination for a relaxing holiday?

Thoughts on Pinterest and Row80 check in

So we’re half way through A Round of Words in 80 Days Writing Challenge and thankfully I made my weekly word count goal, just surpassing the 5,000 mark. I only wrote three evenings this week though so it still feels like I slacked off. I came down with a cold on Thursday so I sort of have an excuse unlike usual, but it seems to be that I can easily commit to writing three nights a week on my WIP, spending Saturdays and Sundays writing blog posts and then I have Friday and one other day of the week off. I’m not sure if that’s too much time off, but for now it seems to be working so that I don’t put myself under too much pressure. I do keep up with reading craft books and fiction books on my nights off though.

So far, I’m still on schedule for finishing my novel by the end of this round of ROW80. The blogging genre series is going well, this week Marcia Richards let us know how to put the “story” in Historical Fiction.

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One of my other goals this round was to keep up with social media. I’ve been doing well with blogging so far, but I tend to fall by the wayside when it comes to Twitter (not enough retweeting) and Facebook. There’s also Triberr which is still new to me and I really have to dedicate some time to learn the lingo and find my way around there. AND I’ve also been considering Pinterest. Its another platform that I would probably end up spending a lot of time on because I know I would find loads of pictures to re-post and I like pretty things and being creative. My only question is: does Pinterest give too much information about you to strangers?

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If you think about it, if someone follows you on Twitter, reads your blog, is perhaps friends with you on Facebook, checks out your Linkedin profile and then sees a whole social network dedicated to things you like from pets, home decor, food, travel destinations and whatever else, then what does that make your life? An open e-book. Basically they could write your whole biography just by looking at the information you willingly provide. A bit scary I think, which is why I’m hesitant to join Pinterest because pictures are worth thousands of words.

Have you joined Pinterest? What are your thoughts? How many social media platforms is too much?

Book Review: The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes

The Brightest Star in the Sky written by Marian Keyes is the author’s favorite book of her own she’s written to date.

Keyes uses the omnipresent tense to take the reader into the lives of the multiple inhabitants of four different flats in an apartment building on 66 Start Street in Dublin, Ireland.

In the top floor flat lives music exec Katie. She spends her days fighting off has-been rock stars and wondering how much cheesecake you’d need to eat yourself to death.

Below her, a pair of muscular Poles share with a streetwise cabbie named Lydia who has a sharp tongue, an even sharper brain but some unexpected soft spots.

On the first floor is Fionn – the gardener who prefers the company of parsnips to people. But he looks like a fairy-tale prince and when he’s offered his own television show, he’s suddenly thrust into the limelight.

And at the bottom of the house live Matt and Maeve, who are Very Much In Love and who stave off despair by doing random acts of kindness.

 But a mysterious visitor has just landed at 66 Star Street and big changes are on the way. Old secrets are working their way to the surface, bringing love, tragedy and an unexpected optimism. And life will be different for everyone…

With very short two to six-page chapters, this book is fast-paced. Switching floors and people, Keyes gives us a glimpse into the lives of each of these very different characters. I found that for the majority of the story, I wasn’t exactly sure what it was about. At the beginning and near the end, the reader is introduced to the narrator who tends to take a step back throughout the middle of the story and becomes a fly on the wall. You see how the character’s lives change throughout the book, but I found myself wondering why? Why are we following these characters and who or what is the narrator and what is his or her role? 

The story was interesting, there are many events that happen individually to each character who are all very different and as life goes on, the characters start to become involved in each other’s lives. In the end they all come together, the narrator comes back in, and the reason why we’ve been following them is revealed.

I was surprised how the story grew darker and darker towards the end. Keyes’ books are always comedies written about a very serious topic, but this book is even darker than “This Charming Man” which had me unsettled. This story was even more serious and there was less comedy throughout compared to her earlier works.

It’s a great read, but if you don’t like to be shocked or saddened when reading a Chick Lit novel, this one might not be for you. It does make you remember not to take your life for granted and the story sure resonates afterward.

Historical fiction has it all – A guest post by Marcia Richards

Welcome to Writers’ Uni-Verse-City (or WUVC for short because every university has an acronym), a place where writers/bloggers can meet to discuss the craft of writing in the Internet age. WUVC will involve independent research, setting a curriculum and hopefully finding other participants (like you – readers/bloggers/writers) to: chip in, give tips, suggest books and other materials for study, teach me the ways of the warrior writer, and offer to guest post here at Uni-Verse-City (contact: annotationseditorial@gmail.com).

I’m pleased to welcome Marcia Richards to WUVC as part of the Literary Genres Blog Series. Today she’ll be giving us a lesson about the Historical Fiction genre and why there’s more to it than something you’d learn in history class.

When someone mentions historical fiction to a reader, their first reaction is often, “That boring stuff isn’t for me.”

It has slipped from it’s light grip on popularity steadily over the last few decades, while the mystery/thriller/suspense and romance categories’ popularity exploded. Good news! Historical fiction sales are now on the rise. And why not? Historical fiction has it all.

How is that possible, you say? I’ll begin at the beginning.

Writing historical fiction

The expression ‘historical fiction’ sounds as though it’s a contradiction in terms. History is a factual account of the past and fiction is a story created from a writer’s imagination. So this genre is a blend of the two. It may seem as though writing about an authentic time period, place or person would limit your creativity in such a story.

“Just the facts, Ma’am.” said Dragnet’s Sgt. Joe Friday. Well that’s just not the case.

A writer chooses a time period that grabs at their attention. There may be specific historical events or an historical figure within that time period that intrigues the writer. The writer may also have a penchant for mystery or romance, and that will become part of the story as well. No writer ever chooses historical fiction because they think it’s easy to write.

The creative mind will peruse the landscape of the chosen location and will imagine it more dreary or more beautiful; war torn or blessed with bright sun and verdant hills. Delve into the factual background of a person of history and then embellish his life with fictional characters or events. Or choose an event like the Crusades, a world war or famine to provide your characters with endless scenarios. These are the artistic playthings of an historical fiction writer.

Authentic people, places and time periods should remain true to history, but that leaves much room for your imagination to play – creating a fictional event in the life of an authentic person of history or creating a fictional character embroiled in a true historical conflict.

For example, Christine Blevins’ The Turning of Anne Merrick, just out this month and on my TBR list, is “a tale of love and espionage”. A young woman deeply involved in the Revolutionary War finds love with a man who shares her Patriot cause. In this book, the battles and military figures are authentic. Anne Merrick, her love interest and their story is fictional.

Imagine this…a story in the voice of Joan of Arc’s dearest childhood friend, Thomas, who is with her when Joan sees the visions of saints in her father’s field and knows Joan’s destiny. Maybe at 16, Thomas and Joan fall in love before she goes off to ride with the French army. Does Thomas follow her into battle? Does he stay behind and not see her again until the day she’s to be burned at the stake? Does he try to save her or is he prevented from getting too close? Creating a fictional character like Thomas in the life of an actual person of history is one way to write historical fiction.

The writer will choose to what extent the place and time period impact the story or whether those elements are the focus of the story. If the setting and time period act only as a backdrop to the characters, slightly less research may be needed than a story such as Blevin’s where the setting and time period are a major force.

However deeply a writer delves into historical research, it’s important to remember that having a 1920s burlesque dancer receive a call on her cell phone just wouldn’t fit. Manner of speech, dress, work, and personal behaviors need to be authentic for the time period, so as not to take the reader out of the story when she realizes you haven’t done your homework.

Historical fiction brings the particular time period to life for the reader, (unlike the boring history books we read in high school, memorizing dates of wars and names of military officers) and leaves the reader feeling as if she learned something about that person or era while she was falling in love with the characters.

Historical sub-genres

Like most other genres of fiction, historical fiction is a versatile medium. The sub-genres include:

• Middle Ages
• Regency
• Early humans and prehistoric
• Ancient Rome
• Nautical history
• Chinese history
• Historical realism, fantasy, mystery, thriller, crime, science fiction, romance, paranormal
• Alternate or speculative history
• Young adult historical fiction
• Christian historical fiction
• Military historical fiction
• America West historical fiction

There is almost always overlap in categorizing historical writing. For example, the Regency era novels, most often set in England, will include romance, mystery or military elements. The World War II era novels, usually set in Europe or America, will often carry a romantic or a military theme.

With thousands of years of history and as many authentic people and events from which to choose, the writer is limited only by her imagination in creating an entertaining journey back in time. Historical fiction has it all!

Have you written Historical Fiction? What did you love about it? If you haven’t tried it, what’s holding you back?

Marcia Richards is a veteran blogger and author of Marcia Richards’ Blog…Sexy. Smart. From The Heart. Marcia writes about SSS (strong, smart, sexy) women, history, and the path to realizing your dreams. She has a historical trilogy and a collection of short historical stories in progress. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing with the grandkids or her husband, traveling or turning old furniture into works of art. She believes there is always something new to learn and time to play.

You can also find Marcia on Twitter and Facebook.

See the schedule of the upcoming guest posts and genres, in this post.

Alicante, Spain: A city full of perks and quirks

When it starts to feel like winter will never end and I pass people on the sidewalks wearing heavy coats, toques (in non-Canadian English, this means fuzzy warm hats) and boots, I start to wish for a little escape.

Oh how I would like to vacate the grey skies of Brussels for a nice break in the sun. How about Alicante, Spain? It’s not like the well-known coastal cities of Valencia or Barcelona, but its still pretty and warm this time of year and it has lots of character.

One great benefits of visiting Alicante, besides the warmer weather and fewer tourists (in the off-season at least), it’s quite affordable. You can splurge on a nice meal in a restaurant and not worry about breaking the bank. You can have a three-course meal (appetizer, main course and dessert) with wine for a reasonable price. I really enjoyed all the meals I had in Alicante, even breakfast on the patio in January! They just know how to do it right.

One thing’s for sure, the Spanish do love their pork. Other travelers told me that if you ever go to Spain and in any way even hint that you don’t like pork, it could be a catastrophe. So if you don’t like it just smile and say something along the lines of, “ohhh, I just ate pork yesterday, today I’m craving some fish.” You can’t go wrong with fish either. Being a coastal city, it comes in abundance.

Pork hanging from the ceiling of a restaurant

There is a long boardwalk dotted with patio tables along the 900m beach, Playa del Postiguet. You have a few options, you can enjoy sitting down right on the beach, being protected by glass walls from the wind and get a great view of the action and the sea. If you don’t like the chance that perhaps a few grains of sand could slip between your toes while sitting down for a refreshing drink, you can find many restaurants along the pedestrian only marble sidewalk lines with palm trees behind the road. You can still see the sea, but the atmosphere is akin to a real restaurant.

Seaside cafe

On the pedestrian-only boulevard, there are wooden huts full of gifts from scarves, sunglasses, jewelry and Alicante-adorned souvenirs. You can get an ice cream and easily spend a few hours walking up and down this boulevard. There are also green areas with grass and trees where people walk their dogs. It was surprising to see an orange tree in full blume in January, but of course the oranges weren’t in season to eat.

One of the must-see landmarks is the Bullring, Plaza de Toros de Murcia, one of the oldest in Spain being originally built in 1849. Unfortunately it was closed when I was there, but then again maybe I was lucky because I don’t know if I could stomach watching bullfighting. It would be interesting to view the empty ring though. Though I did catch a glimpse of the bronze bull statue outside of the huge ring.

There are many activities at your disposal in Alicante. You can try your hand at some water sports, if you’re there in the summer, might be a bit chilly in the winter months. I visited in January and there was not one person swimming or lounging on the beach. Its still pleasant enough to wear lighter clothes during the daylight hours, but after dark, your better off with a sweater and maybe a jacket. You can also go boating to enjoy the sea and take a 60minute boat ride over to the Island of Tabarca, which was used in the 1700s by Carlos III, King of Spain as a military lookout for pirates who used the island to attack Costa Blanca.

Alicante has no less than six beaches to choose from and the most renowned, San Juan is 7 kilometers long and is a short tram ride away. Although, one disadvantage of visiting a smaller city is that there is no metro (underground). The only options for transport are taking the bus or a taxi and be forewarned the taxi drivers drive fast – I’m talking at least 130kms/h with a trunk full of bags in the dark with no street lamps. Yeah, the ride from the airport might be scary if arriving very late or early in the morning. Actually, all of the people seemed to drive fast, so be careful to cross the street only when the unusually skinny stickman turns green. If your hotel is the city center, you should have no troubles walking everywhere, but if you choose to get a beautiful apartment-style hotel on the outskirts of Alicante, you will spend a lot of time waiting for the bus, which is always late and never runs on schedule or you can take your chances with a taxi.

Playa del Postiguet

There are two places in the city that you must see when in Alicante. The Old Quarter, El Barrio, on the way up to Mount Benacantil, which isn’t too high to climb.

The houses stand out against the cream-coloured rock in royal blues, fire engine reds and canary yellows. The neighborhood is charming with the potted flowers in front of each house and with the numbers painted blue on white tiles. The courtyards have trees and benches to sit on to enjoy the shade. It is so welcoming that you’ll want to live there after taking about three steps into the neighborhood. Cats laid on the stoop sunbathing and looking lazily at the passersby. People were enjoying themselves at a small café drinking and chatting spiritedly and laughing. These people know how to enjoy life.

Old Quarter

It’s ok if you are afraid of heights because at the top of the mountain there is a big open area with picnic tables to sit at to enjoy the view from a good distance away from the cliff’s edge. Even in January you can find flowers opened up to the sun and the fountains running adding even more ambiance to the location.

One of the most entertaining things I saw while a top the mountain was a rap video being shot on the rooftop of a building. I can see why they choose the spot because it has the amazing backdrop of the beautiful houses, the beach, sun and sea.

One of the places to be at night is the harbor. The boats sitting quietly on the still water and the lights in the many bars and restaurants are so inviting that it’s hard to choose which one to stay at. There is also a casino at the end of the harbor. This harbor is the best place to be at sunset.

As I was only there for the weekend, I didn’t get to explore and see everything Alicante has to offer, but I would like to go back again in the summertime to really get the full experience.

On Cheating, Cupcakes and Chick Lit

This week I was disappointed in my word count, with only 3,700 words out of my 5,000-word goal right after I had so much gusto last weekend to write two chapters a week to finish this massive WIP. Ok so I wrote 1.5 chapters, but I felt like “cheating” or being tricky (like Jenny Hansen said this week) and counting my blogs towards my word count, which would put me well over 5,000. However, I plan on writing today even though I normally take Sundays for blogging only. I have two to three blogs to write so hopefully there will be enough time to write on the WIP later. Might be interesting to write in the daylight since I’m used to writing in the dark after work. If anyone’s up for a sprint later, send me a tweet. I got lots of words planned for today #row80.

The Genres Blogging Series is going great. Thanks to Barbara McDowell who posted about Horror on Wednesday, which generated a rather lively discussion in the comments section. Did you know Horror has “disappeared” as a section in bookstores? Its funny how labels, even genre labels, immediately make associations in our minds and that we can be so stubborn not to give something a chance because it carries a specific label. I can’t imagine what Romance and “Click Lit” writers go through.

Merrily's Atelier Sucré - YUM

Yesterday, I went to a great café in Brussels, Merrily’s Atelier Sucré. It was the cutest shop with walls painted pink and purple, a glass case with any array of deliciously colorful cupcakes on display. I had a hazelnut flavored cupcake and a cappuccino. I met some lady bloggers in Brussels, most of them native English speakers, which in itself was a big treat. It was great meeting these bloggers because they have so many useful tips and it makes a big difference to be able to talk in-person, rather than over social media, to a group who has the same interests as you. I’ll be setting up a blogroll in the sidebar this week with these lovely ladies’ interesting and useful blogs. Since I have writing on the agenda today, I will resist doing it now.

I finished a fiction book yesterday – review coming on a Friday near you (if I write it today, then this Friday). It’s a “Chick Lit” novel, but it had such a dark ending that it still has left me a little disturbed. Of course there was a glimmer of hope at the end, but it has me all out of sorts. I think I need another cupcake.

Have you ever read a book in your preferred genre that surprised you? Or pushed the boundaries of that genre?

Hope everyone has a great week and eats lots of chocolate/sweets on Tuesday.

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