You Write Romance! Why?
by It’s been six months since my debut novel hit bookshelves and I’ve run out of fingers and toes trying to count the number of times someone has posed this question to me.
My response has been and will continue to be the same. Why not?
I love romance! Plain and simple. Based on the 2006 report from Simba Information, revenue from romance fiction was estimated at 1.37 billion dollars. With the exception of religion/inspirational books, romance fiction outsold every market category with a whopping twenty-six percent. So, there are a lot of authors and readers who love my addiction to the genre, too.
Romance first captivated my attention when I was a junior in college. As a matter of fact, I flunked an organic chemistry mid-term after staying up the entire night reading my first romance novel, The Flame and the Flower by the late Kathleen Woodiwiss.
That night, I knew then and there, I was hooked on romance for life, but not necessarily as a writer. Twenty-five years came and I was content to be an avid reader. Then I tossed my hat in the literary ring in August 2003, after fifteen years as a technical writer. There was no doubt whatsoever that the final product would be categorized as a romance.
Simply because I love romance doesn’t mean everyone does and that’s okay. A romance novel has the same characteristics as any other novel, except it centers on the love between two people, and provides an optimistic ending. The read is fresh, smart, and diverse.
Regardless of the genre an author pens, I’m willing to bet they write for the passion and sheer enjoyment of telling a good story, period. Frankly, that’s the way it should be.
Will I ever consider writing in another genre? Absolutely! As long it offers the same zeal, if not more than romance, I’m game!
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