From the Archive: The Magic of Romance

I’m a huge reader. I think you have to be in order to write. When other girls went to the mall to buy clothes in high school, I headed straight for the bookstore. There is no greater feeling than picking up a book and sinking into the story, to be transported to a different world. By far my favorite world to escape to is romance. It has been since the first time I picked up a Nora Roberts book when I was twelve. My tastes have varied over the years, from contemporary to historical to erotica to paranormal, but through it all, the one constant has been the heart of the story.

There’s something truly magical about romance. It’s a world where anything is possible. Vikings, rakes, and pirates all reign supreme as they take their worlds by storm. At least until that moment when they find the one woman they can’t live without and do whatever they must to keep her safe and happy. The stories are full of heartbreak, adventure, and triumph. But no matter how dark the future looks for the hero and heroine, one this is always assured…there is a happily ever after on the horizon.

There’s a lesson in that for all of us. Never give up hope. Sure, our characters will give up at the darkest of times. They’ll wail at Fate or resign themselves to “inevitable” hardship. But they always win in the end. For us as readers, it’s uplifting. It makes us believe that if we try hard enough and keep trudging forward, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It gives us a reason to believe in love. And a way to fall in love again. That is the magic of romance. When we pick up a story we’re able to fall in love over and over again.

A good book causes us to run the gambit of emotions. We’ll sigh as the hero sweeps the heroine into his embrace and hurt right along with the characters. That’s what I want my readers to experience. And when the story is finished, I want them to feel uplifted, to believe that love is out there for everyone.

I was once asked what I want my readers to feel when reading my stories. I want my readers to get the bubbly feeling in their stomach when they watch my characters interact. I want them to fall in love. Because that’s exactly how my favorite authors make me feel.