Recently
on Facebook, a fellow author asked friends to name the first romance
they ever read. It was a fun discussion, triggering a wide range of
responses and shared memories. But for some, the memories weren't so
distinct.
Some
could remember the author, but not the title. A few could remember
the plot, but nothing else. And a few others admitted that the first
romance they read, they didn't like.
So, the
real question might be, “What book made you fall in love with
romance?”
I dipped
into romance one toe at a time. First, there were the teen “malt
shop” romances – which fellow Montlake author Roni Denholtz
reminded me of – written by an author named Rosamond Du Jardin. (If
I may add, these books were at my junior high library, and dated back
at least a little
before my time.) They were funny and delightful.
Then
there were the gothic romances, starting with a series books by
Marilyn Ross based on the Dark
Shadows
soap opera. From there I discovered a lady named Virginia Coffman,
whom I count as a favorite to this day. Her gothics were laced with
humor and charming, roguish heroes.
When one of my school friends started
reading the old Emilie Loring novels, then Harlequin Romances, of
course I had to try a few. Bu they didn't really spark me – and
some of those earlier Harlequin heroes could be, well, really
chauvinistic jerks. One notable exception: a lovely writer named Lucy
Gillen, who wrote lighthearted stories with – guess what –
humorous, roguish heroes.
Eventually
I “grew up” and moved on. I didn't pick up another romance until,
many years later, a friend gave me a copy of Nora Roberts' The
MacGregor Brides. Three
cousins. Three linked novelllas. Three happily-ever-afters. And I
started to see what I'd been missing. These heroes weren't
chauvinistic jerks. They were likable men, and – I think this is
key – the stories included the man's point of view. I've found one
of my favorite things about a romance is watching the hero fall in
love with the heroine.
Next thing I knew, I jumped into a tub
of romance novels. And in a very short time, I knew I wanted to write
one – which meant reading a ton more of them. Research, you
know.
There's
a little bit of wish fulfillment in every good romance. We get to
experience that falling-in-love moment, over and over again, without
ever cheating on our husbands. In
fact, studies suggest that romance reader have happier-than-average
love lives.
A
lot of you reading this are undoubtedly romance fans. Do you remember
the book, or the author, that turned you into one?
"We get to experience that falling-in-love moment, over and over again" - very true and we get to write about it, that very magical moment when we just know...
ReplyDeleteNice post, Sierra. You captured the essence of what a good romance does: lets the reader experience that falling-in-love moment and, of course, the satisfying happily-ever-after ending.
ReplyDeleteOoh, my first foray into romance was Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare. I was...eleven? twelve?...at the time. From there I found my older sister's copy of The Flame and the Flower (I'm older than I look) and I was hooked. Forty years and thousands of books later, I still sigh with contentment every time a couple gets their Happily Ever After!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, ladies! You know, somehow I completely missed "The Flame and the Flower" back in the day -- I know that one was a touchstone for many readers!
ReplyDelete