My Twitter feed has been full of an interesting phenomenon lately. It’s a recurring phenomenon.
It’s the dismissal of romance novels as a genre and romance writers as “real writers.” We’ve all
been there. The fabulous Beverly Jenkins tweeted that someone asked her why she needed to go
to a writing conference since she wrote romance. Despite the fact that romance is a billion dollar
industry and accounts for over a third of the entire fiction market, our readers and fellow writers
are maligned because romance novels are “trashy” or our covers are silly. Best selling romance
writers are asked if they are using the genre as a stepping stone to “real writing.”
Seeing all these tweets and the wonderful responses, made me think about why I love this genre
so much. I read my first Harlequin Presents when I was twelve. My mother had a monthly
subscription and the small white paperbacks were lined up on a bookshelf. I was a voracious
reader, but hadn’t thought to read one of those books until my older cousin came to visit one
summer and suggested it. My first romance was Penny Wentworth’s Judas Kiss and my first
book boyfriend was Beric Dane. Not long after that my best friend’s mother loaned me a copy of
Kathleen Woodiwiss’s Wolf and the Dove. I often spent free periods at school in the reading room
of the library with a book. Victoria Holt, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Julie Garwood and Jude
Devereaux, to name a few, helped me escape my more painful teenage moments. Kathleen
Woodiwiss was responsible for my first detention when one of my teachers caught me reading in
class.
It’s the dismissal of romance novels as a genre and romance writers as “real writers.” We’ve all
been there. The fabulous Beverly Jenkins tweeted that someone asked her why she needed to go
to a writing conference since she wrote romance. Despite the fact that romance is a billion dollar
industry and accounts for over a third of the entire fiction market, our readers and fellow writers
are maligned because romance novels are “trashy” or our covers are silly. Best selling romance
writers are asked if they are using the genre as a stepping stone to “real writing.”
Seeing all these tweets and the wonderful responses, made me think about why I love this genre
so much. I read my first Harlequin Presents when I was twelve. My mother had a monthly
subscription and the small white paperbacks were lined up on a bookshelf. I was a voracious
reader, but hadn’t thought to read one of those books until my older cousin came to visit one
summer and suggested it. My first romance was Penny Wentworth’s Judas Kiss and my first
book boyfriend was Beric Dane. Not long after that my best friend’s mother loaned me a copy of
Kathleen Woodiwiss’s Wolf and the Dove. I often spent free periods at school in the reading room
of the library with a book. Victoria Holt, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Julie Garwood and Jude
Devereaux, to name a few, helped me escape my more painful teenage moments. Kathleen
Woodiwiss was responsible for my first detention when one of my teachers caught me reading in
class.
I was hooked. Romance became my genre of choice.
Decades later, that’s still true. I read anything and everything that interests me, but my
bookshelves are filled with more romance novels than any other genre. As I read all the tweets
from other writers and readers talking about why they love romance, it made me think about why
I do.
Damon Suede says “romance is the literature of hope.” He’s right. The truly beautiful thing about
romance novels is that readers know that however difficult the ride, the characters will have a
happy ending. In a world where that is never a certainty, being able to escape to a place where
happiness is always at the end of the road is a gift. I read romance because no matter how many
tears I shed as the characters find their way, they always find happiness.
I writer romance because my characters are so real to me. I can’t imagine telling a story where
these crazy wonderful people don’t find their happily own ever after. My contemporary series,
Gridiron Knights (***cough***coming in January 2018***cough***) is filled with troubled,
imperfect people who all have wounds they are trying to overcome. I love that I can get to know
these crazy, wonderful characters and give them all happiness and love.
Life is short and we all have pain and challenges on the journey. I am grateful that this wonderful
genre thrives and I am blessed to be a writer among such talented company. I hope everyone who
loves romance wears their membership in this wonderful group proudly as the badge of honor it
is. We are lovers of romance and happily ever after. We are dreamers who carry hope in our
hearts. We are devoted to our fellow readers and the writers we love. Long live romance.
I’d love to hear why you love romance. Feel free to check out my webpage or E-mail me at www.elizabethspaur.com/ or tweet me at @spaurromance.com.
Decades later, that’s still true. I read anything and everything that interests me, but my
bookshelves are filled with more romance novels than any other genre. As I read all the tweets
from other writers and readers talking about why they love romance, it made me think about why
I do.
Damon Suede says “romance is the literature of hope.” He’s right. The truly beautiful thing about
romance novels is that readers know that however difficult the ride, the characters will have a
happy ending. In a world where that is never a certainty, being able to escape to a place where
happiness is always at the end of the road is a gift. I read romance because no matter how many
tears I shed as the characters find their way, they always find happiness.
I writer romance because my characters are so real to me. I can’t imagine telling a story where
these crazy wonderful people don’t find their happily own ever after. My contemporary series,
Gridiron Knights (***cough***coming in January 2018***cough***) is filled with troubled,
imperfect people who all have wounds they are trying to overcome. I love that I can get to know
these crazy, wonderful characters and give them all happiness and love.
Life is short and we all have pain and challenges on the journey. I am grateful that this wonderful
genre thrives and I am blessed to be a writer among such talented company. I hope everyone who
loves romance wears their membership in this wonderful group proudly as the badge of honor it
is. We are lovers of romance and happily ever after. We are dreamers who carry hope in our
hearts. We are devoted to our fellow readers and the writers we love. Long live romance.
I’d love to hear why you love romance. Feel free to check out my webpage or E-mail me at www.elizabethspaur.com/ or tweet me at @spaurromance.com.