Trends are a normal part of the publishing cycle, and the market (in this case, the readers) creates a demand, which is readily met by the publishing industry. When a reader enjoys a book, they naturally seek out more of the same, so more of the same is published, which perpetuates the cycle. Self-publishing has allowed even more of what’s popular to hit the marketplace at lightning speed.

1. A little more emphasis on the heroine. It takes two people to fall in love, and if all the attention is placed on the hero, the heroine can end up looking like a mere backdrop for the man, or worse, like a giant Mary Sue who doesn’t have an opinion of her own. I like book boyfriends as much as the next girl, but I also need a story. Show me a smart, handsome hero with a complete character arc, a man who grows and changes, a man who is not a giant douchebag, and I will come along willingly for the ride.  
2. Beautiful writing. I will be the first to admit that On the Island’s prose is quite simple. It was the first book I ever wrote and I was still learning and trying to find my way. With Covet I tried to challenge myself by making my sentences a bit more lyrical, with some added heft. It’s a skill I will be working on for as long as I write. As a reader I will always choose story over craft because it takes more than lovely sentences to keep me engaged in a book, but I do think that it’s important to aspire to both. And without sounding like I’m standing on a soapbox (but excuse me for a moment while I climb up), why are books still being published without even a minimum level of editing? I receive book recommendation on a daily basis, and if the title and synopsis interest me I’ll download the sample. But I often stop reading after the first chapter because the editing is so mind-bogglingly bad. There are many readers out there who don’t care, because for them story trumps everything, but I can’t stick with a book that has so many typos and errors in the first chapter that I’m editing it in my head as I read. There are too many well-written books out there. So why not tell the best story you can, with words that can hold their own?
3. Characters who aren’t quite so damaged. I feel like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo sort of set the stage for this way back when, and it’s still continuing. I’m all for flawed characters, and heroes and heroines who don’t always do the right thing. Fiction is all about conflict, right? But now I feel like it’s a race to have a character with the most horrifying backstory, which I think is supposed to make me root for them but mostly makes me wonder how they’re able to function without a therapist on speed-dial.
4. Plot twists. I love it when something happens that I did not expect. I would love a big old OMGWTF along the lines of Gone Girl. You guys? I did not see those twists coming.
5. Adult characters. It’s not that I don’t like younger characters (T.J. Callahan, anyone?), but I’m dying to sink my teeth into an epic romance with characters who are at least in their thirties, with the wisdom and life experience that accompanies that age group.
6. Fast-paced commercial novels like The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown or anything by John Grisham. Stories that appeal to the masses and generate lots of talk around the water cooler.

1. A little more emphasis on the heroine. It takes two people to fall in love, and if all the attention is placed on the hero, the heroine can end up looking like a mere backdrop for the man, or worse, like a giant Mary Sue who doesn’t have an opinion of her own. I like book boyfriends as much as the next girl, but I also need a story. Show me a smart, handsome hero with a complete character arc, a man who grows and changes, a man who is not a giant douchebag, and I will come along willingly for the ride.
2. Beautiful writing. I will be the first to admit that On the Island’s prose is quite simple. It was the first book I ever wrote and I was still learning and trying to find my way. With Covet I tried to challenge myself by making my sentences a bit more lyrical, with some added heft. It’s a skill I will be working on for as long as I write. As a reader I will always choose story over craft because it takes more than lovely sentences to keep me engaged in a book, but I do think that it’s important to aspire to both. And without sounding like I’m standing on a soapbox (but excuse me for a moment while I climb up), why are books still being published without even a minimum level of editing? I receive book recommendation on a daily basis, and if the title and synopsis interest me I’ll download the sample. But I often stop reading after the first chapter because the editing is so mind-bogglingly bad. There are many readers out there who don’t care, because for them story trumps everything, but I can’t stick with a book that has so many typos and errors in the first chapter that I’m editing it in my head as I read. There are too many well-written books out there. So why not tell the best story you can, with words that can hold their own?
3. Characters who aren’t quite so damaged. I feel like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo sort of set the stage for this way back when, and it’s still continuing. I’m all for flawed characters, and heroes and heroines who don’t always do the right thing. Fiction is all about conflict, right? But now I feel like it’s a race to have a character with the most horrifying backstory, which I think is supposed to make me root for them but mostly makes me wonder how they’re able to function without a therapist on speed-dial.
4. Plot twists. I love it when something happens that I did not expect. I would love a big old OMGWTF along the lines of Gone Girl. You guys? I did not see those twists coming.
5. Adult characters. It’s not that I don’t like younger characters (T.J. Callahan, anyone?), but I’m dying to sink my teeth into an epic romance with characters who are at least in their thirties, with the wisdom and life experience that accompanies that age group.
6. Fast-paced commercial novels like The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown or anything by John Grisham. Stories that appeal to the masses and generate lots of talk around the water cooler.