When my first child, a son, was born, I decided to stay home
with my precious baby, but I soon found that I needed more than childcare and
housework to thrive. So, I decided to write a book. And not just any book, a romance.
My mother-in-law advised me that I should be stimulating her
precious grandbaby instead of neglecting him by writing a romance novel.
Five years later Silhouette Books published my first
contemporary romance, Wild Lady (Men of the West
Bk 1), which I have recently acquired the rights to and have updated for
modern readers. I updated as well, The Fairy Tale
Girl (Men of the West Bk 1).
Why romance? Why did I spend my life spinning tales about love
while my husband, a doctor, did much more serious work that included saving lives?
My girlfriends told me I should write something worthwhile. I said like what? They
suggested, “We have a terrible problem with obesity and diabetes in our
community. Why don’t you write something that would help those people?” But I
don’t have diabetes, and I’m not an expert in the field, and I had no idea how
to help them.
In a world filled with all sorts of pressing problems…
female oppression… immigrants fleeing lawless societies…I write love stories for
adult women. Many people criticize this genre as being silly and shallow and
formulaic, but I feel the hunger for love in the human heart is far from
shallow. Indeed, it’s a universal need.
Love elevates one’s sense of worth. It is positive emotion
that can bring out the best in human beings. Often longer lasting solutions to
problems can be found through love, inspiration, negotiation, compromise,
cooperation, nurture, education, and empathy rather than by the use of force. Not
that individuals don’t have to stand up for what they believe when attacked.
Because they do. We call that tough love.
The best romance novels are about women who solve problems
and grow, about women who prove their worth to their heroes, who by the end of the
books, come to see them as equal if not superior partners.
Women, who read romances, are juggling careers, marriages,
elderly relatives and children. They live in a stressful, constantly changing
world. What better thing to read than positive stories that recharge their souls
and fill with them with courage. I am proud of what I write and the women I write
for.
p.s. My mother-in-law would be proud, too, if she were alive
and could see how happy and successful her grandson is despite his iffy start caged
in a playpen at his mother’s feet while she penned those sexy love scenes.
