I love a good romance story. Real or fictional

I’ve been reading romance for years, decades. It’s best if you don’t ask how many….

I have boxes full of my ‘keepers,’ romance stories that I’ve read and keep in case I ever want to read them again. As you can guess, I tend to like Scottish historicals, time-travel adventures, fairies, elves and wizards. Some of my favorite authors are: Janet Chapman, Melissa Mayhue, Monica McCarty and Karen Marie Moning. I know because I just looked in one of my keeper boxes. These women are my heroes. They’ve done great things. They’ve written romance stories that people (mostly women) want to read. I should be so lucky.

I’ve always enjoyed good loving and sweet romance. When I meet a new couple for the first time I like to ask them how they met. Lots of people have really good stories. In future blogs maybe I’ll share a few. I like watching couples interact.  NO, not like THAT, I mean in public. I take notice of how a couple interacts with each other in public, like in restaurants, on public transportation or even just walking down the street. Body language speaks if we just listen. We hear it with our eyes.

Many years ago when my marriage was coming to an end (yes folks, I have been married and divorced! It was hard but I did survive, thank you very much) I was accused of being too romantic, that I was looking for romantic love, not the stuff of real life. Darn right I was. But here’s the catch, at least for me, I believe that romantic love is the stuff of real life. It’s been my real life for the last five years and still going strong. And let me tell you, I have no plans on giving up on my romantic love life.

After finding the romantic love of my life it was easier for me to write romance. Now I know what it feels like and it just seems natural. I really like a good romance story. I really believe in the value of two people falling in love. It’s what we’re all looking for, that happily ever after. It make our world a better place.

I believe romance stories aren’t just about kiss-face and boy meet girl (or vice-verse). It’s about the personal transformation that only relationships can provide. Its about the lives that are affected by these two people. A good and right relationship can change the whole direction of a person’s life in incredibly positive ways.

That’s why I write romance. There’s enough violence, and sadness, and pain in the world. I don’t need to add to the trash heap with my writing. I want to show the world love, and all the joy that love can bring. I’m a hopeful romantic and proud of it.

BTW, I have read stories about vampires or werewolves and I know I don’t like them. I don’t like violence. I don’t do violence. I don’t write about violence. Really, isn’t there enough ‘real’ violence in the world without  making up stories about it. Please….. Well, go ahead and write what you want, just don’t expect me to read it. Or if I do, it won’t go in my keeper box.

Have you read any good romance lately?? Try Return In Time. I hear it has a happy ending.

Enjoy always,  T