I’m sitting at a bar in the lobby of the hotel hosting the business conference that I’m at and these two men turn and ask, “What do you do?”
Now sometimes I like to pause here…
… not really for dramatic effect but because I get mixed reactions from a lot of guys when I tell them that I write romance novels.
More often than not, eyebrows raised, and they get this look on their face like a kid who just ordered $400 worth of toys on their mom’s Amazon account.
You see, many men seem to be under the impression that writing romance novels means I am somehow in the porn industry.
[*weary sigh*]
Luckily these two seemed more intrigued than [Word like snarky/ looked down upon], and started asking me questions about how I got into that.
Why do I write romance?
It’s not only for the sex scenes (although I do enjoy writing those)…
… I write romance because I believe that the relationship with our significant other is the most impactful, intense, meaningful relationship that most of us will ever experience with another human being.
And that level of connection is worth exploring.
It should be. It MUST be!
Relationships are one of the few things that force us to expand and grow into something more than what we were alone.
I don’t know of any situation that has tested me more than my intimate one.
How can other people NOT get that?! How can they still look at romance and think its just fluffy nonsense?
(… okay, deep breaths… let me get back on track here…)
Isn’t love and passion and that excited feeling you get in the pit of your stomach the stuff that life is all about?
Don’t we all dream of experiencing all-consuming, passionate, hypnotic love?
… And all the messy, dark little corners that come with it?
That is what romance novels are all about. That is why I love reading them, and why I have to write them.
It isn’t just about hot guys and fading scenes off into the fireplace (yeah… I don’t do that that last part)
True romance is the Champagne of life, and I want to spend my days steeped in it.
So raise all the eyebrows you want, naysayers.
I will always be writing and reading about romance.