Want to know why I write romance? Because I stink at mysteries. That’s the honest answer. Shattered Crystal, my police procedural, with all the procedures based on Law and Order episodes, turned out to be unrealistic. Go figure. My second attempt, a cozy mystery, remains unfinished in a drawer.
I never wanted to be a romance writer because, for some reason, I always thought it was trite, and to a certain extent, yeah, it is. It’s fluff. But I’ve come to realize it’s not irrelevant.
The God-given need for a heart connection transcends time and cultural differences. The scruffy guy whose palms sweat the instant he sees her is having the same reaction as his forefathers. The young lady in Indiana who is counting the moments until she can see him again shares an anticipation experienced by young ladies all over the globe.
Romance is in virtually every story. Pick one. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom has a romantic element in it. Even in “Space: the final frontier,” Star Trek‘s Capt. Kirk could find someone attractive.
Whenever boy meets girl–the girl–his step is lighter, his chest is puffed a bit fuller, his heart is elated, and his tongue is often tied in intricate knots that makes talking nigh unto impossible.
When girl meets the boy, she’s friskier than a Friesian filly in spring flowers. Her step, too, is lighter, her heart full. When he stutters words of love through this tangled tongue, all she hears is poetry. Her mind takes her down the aisle in a gown she has dreamed about since Cinderella lived “happily ever after.”
Love affects every aspect of life. The worst possible work day can turn golden with the realization that when it’s over, someone who loves you is waiting. The best possible work day holds only a short celebration when you have no one to share it with. Once love has been experienced, the loss of it changes you forever. Loneliness has never felt more lonely.
The triumph and tragedy of love make for great stories. Love’s progression from romantic to mature makes for inspirational stories.
And the silly things that can happen when boy meets girl make for heartwarming stories. Like Give the Lady a Ride.
Some of the reader comments I received after Ride‘s debut last year let me know that love stories aren’t just fluff–they touch people. They give those who are searching for love something to dream about, and those who have found it something to remember. Tragic love stories can hit home–“I’ve been there,” or “Please, don’t let that happen to us.”
Love matters. Love counts. Love stories are worth writing.
And Give the Lady a Ride was fun to write!
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CONTEST REMINDER!
This is Day 1 of the 29-day Horsin’ Around Giveaway!
If you want to enter, follow the directions in “Horsin’ Around — Giveaway!” and leave a comment with the correct answer on this post. Today’s post and Wednesday’s post here on 777 Peppermint Place are contest posts, and Thursday, I’ll post the link to an interview on The Queen City Quill, which is also a contest post.
This coming Saturday, $30 in coupons will be given away, so leave your comments this week!
Several years into it, and this blog still refuses to be categorized. It's eclectic and includes everything from writing posts to snippets from my ordinary life. 
Linda W. Yezak 
Patricia Talbert is the one like a Friesian filly. You have some interesting thoughts on romance here.
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Patricia Talbert can be the subject of a great love story too, kind of frisky and able to Give the Lady a Ride.
Have a blessed day.
Heather
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Patricia Talbert!
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I think it’s great that you found what you write best and have put your full effort into it. Just like in a business, you have to narrow down you skills sets and then refine them exceptionally!
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Definitely Patricia Talbert.
And I like romancein stories – kinda need more to the story than JUST the romance, though. And I can’t write a mystery either 😉
Have a great day.
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Great points about romance today, Linda. Even horror/mayhem and zombie genres all include a bit of romance. I appreciated hearing this on Valentine’s week. 🙂
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I, like you, think of romance in the same terms! Maybe that’s why I like the story you wove around PATRICIA TALBERT so much!
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I’m with you, Linda. I’ve only written one mystery, because a mystery is a *lot* of work. I was fortunate in that the story flowed during the first draft, and then I made sure the mystery elements were all added when I edited. And guess what: there’s a love story that’s central to the plot. I don’t like to read romances, so I certainly didn’t intend to write one. But…
Every thriller I write has a love thread that’s intrinsic to the story. I think that, even in intense stories, we need that element of love. After all, the greatest book ever written is a love story….”For God so loved the world….”
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Figured it out quickly didn’t ya?! So happy to see everyone here! Good luck, everyone!!!
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Ditto Patricia Talbert. It is fitting that your first giveaway would be like a Friesian, classy and showy.
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Yeah, that’s what I thought too. I wish I’d found a good pic of a palomino, but . . . oh, well!
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As you well know, I’m not a romance author and not really a romance reader either. But after all the heavy-duty classics and spec-fic I’ve been reading lately, a good fluffy romance sounds delicious. Guess I need to dig out Give the Lady and Ride and revisit some of my favorite characters!
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Patricia Talbert…what a beauty. angadair@nwcable.net
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Patricia Talbert was searching for love though I don’t think she knew quite how much she desired it.
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Depends on the romance. For me, as long as it has some realism in it and some good conversation I can really get into a romance. Exception would be the author uses a really good sense of humor which makes up for character deficiencies.
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Patricia Talbert
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Patricia Talbert…I loved her conflicted personality…reminds me of me!!!
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I am slowly catching up on my on line reading, and so just coming to this. You are so right, Linda. Love touches every aspect of our lives. And sometimes, it is really nice to read/hear a story where you know the guy gets the girl and the girl gets the guy. Life is so unpredictable it is nice to step into a world of a predictable “happy ever after” ending. How they ultimately get each other is what keeps the reader turning the pages….
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