The nicest thing happened to me this week – and I needed it for so many reasons, but more on that later. My phone rang late one afternoon and it was my cousin and oldest friend. We have been friends since she was born. MJ was the only attendant at my wedding and I was her maid-of-honor. It was a long time ago, long enough that now she has two gorgeous and very grown up children. Anyway, we go way back.
MJ is a very busy woman. She is executive director of a busy non-profit, takes care of aging parents, spends time with her fabulous family and has more friends than anyone I know. She is engaged in her community, speaks at conferences and travels to fabulous places. Seriously, I have no idea where she finds the time. But she does.
She also finds time to read, and is often a source of future reads that I share with my book club and others. What she doesn’t do is read romance novels.
OK, back to the nice thing that happened. MJ, being the wonderful and supportive friend that she is, bought a copy of my latest novel, “Bedeviled”, and took it with her on vacation to Mexico. Upon her return from days of sunshine and margaritas, she called me just to say she loved the book. She said she couldn’t put it down. She loved the added suspense and needed to keep reading to find out what happened to the characters.
Can you imagine how great that made me feel? A non-romance reader called to say she loved my romance. How much more can an author want in life? Sure she had to explain why she was reading a romance to her friends, but she bucked their skepticism, read it, loved it and told me so. What a great friend.
Take a Test Drive
Her call got me thinking about all the people who might like a romance if they read one. If you define yourself as a non-romance reader, you don’t get a chance to learn how they have changed. Romance is a little like Buick, you know, the car with a reputation for being stodgy while it was busy reinventing itself as something more contemporary and hip. Today’s romance novels aren’t your parent’s romances,
Romances may be inhabited by vampires, shifters, Dukes or Navy SEALs. In other words, there is something for everyone. While some of these might seem like your predictable ‘Buick’, you need to take a new look, a new test drive. Don’t let that bodice-ripper cover fool you, these stories are compelling, the characters are three dimensional and yeah, the love stories are hot!
So I would guess there is a romance novel that would capture your imagination – if you give it a chance. Perhaps my books are your thing– sexy. contemporary stories set against the backdrop of Chicago’s elite society.. Or maybe you have a taste for a sweet Regency romance, a gothic page-turner, or a paranormal series.
You will relate to these strong female characters, juggling careers and children, divorce and ex-husbands, and of course vampires, murder and mayhem. Like I said – something for everyone.
Are you a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse “True Blood“ series? They are stories full of romance in a Louisiana dripping with bayous and creole influence. How about “Outlander”? Wow, I am loving the romance as I work through that series. But talk about mayhem? They contain time-travel, savage Scottish wars, medical challenges, political intrigues, and of course, really good romance.
You Really Can Please all the People All the Time
Take a journey with a romance author. One in three books sold today is a romance, maybe because in addition to great characters, compelling stories and imagination they are guaranteed to offer a happy ending. Romance novels all end happily.
Who doesn’t like the satisfaction of a happy ending, that good feeling when things turn out the way we want them to? In a world where lots of people are struggling with financial woes, depression, a flu-infected family, or if you are me, the death of a very beloved cat that must be euthanized, a happy ending might be exactly what you need.
Trust me. Dive in. Take that test read. Start with any of the romances I have introduced on my Romance Madness blog, or start with my Beguiling Bachelor Series. No time for a series? There are novellas for readers with less time. Give romance a try. Try a few, perhaps something contemporary, then something paranormal or suspenseful. I promise, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. You’ll discover authors you love, you will devour everything they write. You will make friends with novels, be sad when they end. You’ll thank me.
Time to Share
Want to share your favorite romance novel? Suggest it in the comments below. Help a friend, or a friend to be, take the plunge. Let them thank you too.
Hi,
It was fun meeting you a few weeks back while looking at apartment. Enjoying your blog thanks!
I would like to send to you a copy of my short story My Animal Lives. It is a brief view of the animal instincts we take on to get us through our different life stages. Thought it might be of interest to M.
[…] stoked my simmering anger and frustration. I have written blogs about this before. It is a sore subject with me. I take exception to the attitude that many people […]