I’m a Fool for Romance

I am proud to state for the record that I am a romance writer. (In case anyone was wondering.) But before I was a writer, I was a romance reader. Still am.

Anyone who’s ever read my blog knows I cut my teeth on “white cover” Harlequins. Janet Daily…Charlotte Lamb. Then Silhouette Romance came along with their pretty purple border. For the Love of God and The Wildcatter’s Woman. And Kismet…don’t forget Kismet. I would to share them with my mommaw (for those of you in the city, that’s country-Southern for grandmother). I practically devoured those books, reading at least one a night on school days. This adoration for amour started at the tender age of twelve. And I have loved them ever since.

So in honor of the Fool For Romance Contest, I’m gonna give you the top ten reasons why I’m a Fool for Romance—and why I read it.

#10—Eye candy. Romance novels have the best covers, hands down. Not that other covers aren’t great. They serve their purpose. They represent the book, pull the reader to them as they sit waiting on the shelf. But those pecs! (And I shrug, even though there’s no one around.) I Love Fabio. I love hunky guys, and I love hunky guys on the covers of my reading material. Thank you, romance cover artists, for giving me a fab ab to look at every time I pick up a book.

#9—Travel package. I can go to around the world and not even leave the house. I can go to Montana in a winter snow storm, the beach, a castle, or even to another world. The romance genre is so vast, I can go back in time to the world of knights, the Old West, or even the time of Regents. I can go forward in time, or into a magical world of someone else’s imagination. Or even a little of both. The places are as limitless as the sky.

#8—Fringe benefits. I can fall in love every day of the week and still stay happily married. I don’t say this lightly. I love my husband. And I’m glad he’s mine. I have only been in love (for real) once in my life—and that’s been with him. With a romance novel, I get to experience falling in love every time I open one.

#7—Favorable Comparative Analysis. Romance novels, like life, don’t go off without a hitch. Things happen. Heroines get pregnant, couples wake up accidentally married, stranded in a snow storm, excluded from (and included in) the will. But it’s safe to say that usually the heroine’s in more trouble than me. And her conservative husband is yelling that life with her is like living with I Love Lucy and…No, wait. That’s me. Oh well…

#6—Somebody else has to take care of the twins. Or triplets. Or more. I love babies They are amazing, wonderful creatures. But my time of mid-night feedings and burp rags is over. Sometimes I’m sad about that, sometimes not. A romance novel can give me a “baby fix” without the trouble/cost/weight-gain of actually having another baby. Or two. Or three.

#5—Monogamous relationships. When I open a romance novel, I know a lot of things can happen. I also know the hero and heroine are going to be exclusive. There are some racier romances out there—erotica and such—with a little more, ah…variation…but for the most part, mainstream romances can boast of monogamous relationships…one guy, one girl. I may be a bit old-fashioned, but that’s just the way I think it should be.

#4—Murder, Magic, and Laughs. Along with falling in love, raising kids, and going to other worlds, romances offer a great deal of backdrops. Intrigue, paranormal, and comedy. And sometimes a combination of all three and more. I love (and write) romantic comedies, but I’ve been known to read historical, time travels (oh, I looovvveee time travels), mysteries, vampire, wizards, and…well, you get the picture.

#3—Love always wins. Always. Love is the ultimate fault changin’, do-goodin’, makin’-up-for-lost-time, forgivin’ element there is. And romance novels are full of it!

#2—Cowboys, deputy sheriffs, and billionaires. I have nothing more to say about this. Except sheikhs, princes, and CEOs. <g>

And the #1 reason why I read romance is…

Satisfaction Guaranteed. Guaranteed. I don’t know about you, but I don’t get many of these in my life. I got a warranty with the microwave, but that’s about it. A romance promises a happy ending. If it doesn’t end with the reader satisfied (and the couple happy), it’s not a romance. The end. Danielle Steele…not romance. Nicholas Sparks…not romance. Dan Brown…well, duh. Romances end Happy Ever After. And that’s why I read them. If I want to be depressed, I’ll go watch the news.

When in doubt about a book’s true genre, it usually says on the spine. Look for the ones marked ‘romance’. And the aisle where those are located…well, that’s where you’ll find me!

Happy Reading!

PS—don’t forget to leave me a comment. Tell me why you love romance—or whatever your preferred reading material may be. I’m giving away a basket of goodies as well as a chance to win a Kindle!