Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Writing Medical Themed Contemporary Romance by Lynne Marshall

There has always been fascination with nurses in mass market fiction, because it is predominantly a female profession – though that is changing more each year.

In the 1940’s Cherry Ames was a central character in a running series of hospital based mysteries. These books encouraged girls to become nurses to help with the war effort.

In 1958 there was a series called Candy Stripers – aimed at influencing teenage girls to become hospital candy stripers as an entryway into the medical profession.

It has also been said that the wife of a former Canadian fur trader turned paperback publisher, along with a Canadian editor, discovered a surprise in the local public library. There was a large assortment of decent well-written medical romances published by a long-established London firm. They promptly wrote to them, asking if they might acquire Canadian reprint rights for “light romances dealing with doctors and nurses” soon bringing doctor-nurse stories to North America.
There is a well-known story that in the 1960s, medical romance author Ivy Ferrari was as famous as The Beatles. Her daughter Lillie wrote a fan letter to George Harrison and received a reply from his mother asking, “Are you by any chance related to a writer called Ivy Ferrari, who writes doctor-and-nurse romances?” George’s mother was a huge fan.
Doctor and Nurse Stories are what fuel many current TV dramas such as Grey’s Anatomy. They were the heart of one of the longest running soap operas in U.S. TV, General Hospital, and will continue to appeal to women readers as long as we keep writing them!
Medical Romance has come a long way from Dime Store novels in the 1960-1970s, and since Ivy Ferrari wrote Doctor/Nurse stories. These days the heroine is just as likely to be a doctor as the hero. Right on! I love to write RN protagonists, and after being a registered nurse for twenty-six years, I think you can understand why.
AN INDISCRETION, is my March 2012 Wild Rose Press, Champagne Line e-book which
features strong medical elements. I take a rich girl trying to prove she’s like everyone else by becoming a hardworking RN, and match her with a Hispanic-American doctor who has pulled himself up by his own bootstraps. To mix in a bit of conflict, they share some history—they were once teenage partners in her debutante cotillion classes. Even then the sparks flew, though they didn’t know what to do about it.
When Paul Valverde overstepped his position by asking the rich daughter of his mother’s employer to the school prom, he was summarily punished by Carrington Hanover’s vengeful father.
Flash forward fifteen years—Paul is a successful doctor and Carrington finds herself working for him.
I hope you’ll continue along with the wonderful tradition of doctor-nurse stories and consider An Indiscretion for your reading pleasure!

Do you enjoy medical drama? What is your favorite medical TV show?

19 comments:

Mona Risk said...

Congratulations Lynne on your new release. As a fan of your medical romances, I can't wait to read this one. What a gorgeous cover.

Mona Risk said...

Congratulations Lynne on your new release. As a fan of your medical romances, I can't wait to read this one. What a gorgeous cover.

Mona Risk said...

Congratulations Lynne on your new release. As a fan of your medical romances, I can't wait to read this one. What a gorgeous cover.

Lynne Marshall said...

Hi Mona!
I'm so glad you found the blog, and I hope you enjoy my "little different" romance with medical elements!

Thanks for reading and commenting. I was feeling very alone.
Lynne

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

Thanks for sharing some facts I didn't know about the history of doctor/nurse romance themes. Wishing you great success with this eBook.

Calisa Rhose said...

Hi Lynne. I finally allowed myself some internet time. Love this article and I think this book will be a big hit. I remember my first romances I read as a preteen were medicals and inspired me to want to become a nurse. I didn't, but my interest in medicine never went completely away, either. I did a lot of animal doctoring on family pets over the years, maybe as a result. Nah- I played vet long before I discovered romances. lol

Lynne Marshall said...

Hi Vonnie!
Well, I wanted to mention the medical elements part, but this book is much bigger than that - there's dancing the tango, shopping in Beverly Hills, romance on a rooftop -- did I mention it is spicier than my previous book with Wild Rose Press?

:) thanks for reading and commenting.

Lynne Marshall said...

Calisa - I have heard more people say they cut their teeth for romance with medical romances. In fact, I know of a few young women who did go on to become doctors or attend medical school. I'm not saying the books did it, but you never know what influences folks.

Thanks for commenting - Ms. Vet!

Jerrie Alexander said...

Lynne, congratulations on the release of your new book. I love your cover! I enjoyed learning some of the history you shared.

Lynne Marshall said...

Hi Jerrie!

Thanks for your support. I love my book cover, too! Not the one at the top of the blog (LOL - I did that for some fun and to show how far the genre has come) but the beautiful blue eyes looking over the surgical mask at the bottom of the blog. Yeah, Wild Rose Press makes good covers!

Thanks for commenting. :)

Nancy Jardine Author said...

Confession time! I used to babysit as a teenager and was prone to fast-reading the 'Mills and Boon' books my neighbour got through her bookclub-some of them medical romances. As a fourteen year old it was never quite acknowledged that I was reading them, but fortunately I could get the 3yr old to bed, and usually had at least 3 hours before the parents came back-just enough time to finish!

Joya said...

Great post, Lynne. I grew up watching General Hospital and loved the medical backdrop. These days, I am a Grey's Anatomy fan. Congrats on your books and best wishes for lots more success. :)

Lynne Marshall said...

Nancy! Great confession. I love it. And to think I used to sneak listening to Bob Dylan albums when I babysat, once the kids were put to bed.

I've heard many of category readers started out reading them because of a mother or aunt or something.

Cute story - and thanks so much for sharing it!

Lynne Marshall said...

Joya! Congratulations to you for being the first responder who answered my shout out question! LOL.

My mother watched General Hospital, I followed one whole summer, and was sad when a few year ago they finally shut down production.

Must confess to having only watched an episode or two of Grey's Anatomy - but it is certainly a huge successful show!

Thanks so much for reading and commenting.

Nona Raines said...

Hi Lynne, such an interesting history of the medical romance genre. Your book sounds like a lot of fun. I love the idea of the rich girl buckling down and proving herself through a profession that helps others.

I loved General Hospital back in the Luke and Laura days--would rush home from school to watch! There was also the soap "The Doctors"--does anyone remember that one? Oh, and of course there was Marcus Welby, MD! LOL, I am totally dating myself with these references. Much success with your book!

Lynne Marshall said...

Hi Nona!
I'm so glad you made it by to read the blog, and that you found it interesting.

I know of all those shows you speak! My all time favorite doctor show on TV was St. Elsewhere - do you remember that? Denzel Washington got his start there. :)

Thanks so much for commenting.

Roni said...

Great blog Lynne, congratulations on the release!

Rhonda

Lynne Marshall said...

Thank you for reading Roni/Rhonda!

I'm glad you enjoyed the blog. Will take all good wishes on my latest release - thanks!

Christine Bush said...

Can't wait to read this! My first two books were medical/nurse romances. I've written a lot of heroines, but have a deep love for those nurse stories, and am sure I will love yours! Best, Christine, fellow TWRP author (Cindy's Prince)