Have you ever driven a standard car, shifted incorrectly, and gotten that grinding, gritty sound that shouts your mistake? That’s more or less the reaction I received when I told friends and family I had written a romance novel. “Aren’t you a writer of educational curricula and articles on literacy?” several protested. Some, too shocked to speak, just stared as if I had sprouted a second head. Others asked, “How did you ever get this idea?” They left out the word asinine, but it resonated anyway.
So why did I decide to write romance? The answer is simple. I am fascinated by the cornerstones of love, those building blocks that create the connection between two people, two people unafraid to expose their insecurities, conquer their fears, and fight for second chances. I write romance because I want readers to escape into and find inspiration from people who rise from pulverized pasts with the courage and perseverance to start new. Romance writing means creating characters who self-examine while pursuing aspirations they feel unworthy of achieving. It is the explicit exploration of sensuality and sexuality and what attracts one person to another. Writing romance is like painting with a palette of colors that reflect the vitality of life, because without the give and take of love, vibrancy ceases.
Happy reading!