Hi, guys!
If you’ve been around books for long, you know that certain genres carry reputations. Hell, if you haven’t been around books for long, you probably still know that.
And I think I can safely say that romance probably gets more trash talk than any other genre.
There are a lot of people that like to say that romance is silly, or that those who write it are immature or just sad and lonely. I even heard a crime writer say that “romance is written by and for idiots.” (Of course, this was right before he launched into a tirade about crime fiction being the best that literature has to offer, which is clearly a matter of opinion.)
But when it comes to all the stigmas surrounding romance in literature, I call bullshit.
Yeah, sure, some romance books fit the stereotypes (throbbing members and heaving bosoms and all). But not all.
And romance is an important aspect of any fictional world.
There are a few reasons that I put romance into almost all of my books, even the darkest ones.
Yeah, there’s the obvious need to balance the darker aspects of a book with something more positive.
And yes, I genuinely enjoy writing that tension, that aching slow burn. It’s one of my favorite parts of writing and reading.
But I also write it because… romance is part of life.
Humans, by nature, are not solitary animals. The vast majority of humans crave companionship, even the most introverted among us.
Even in war zones, people want someone there. Even when their life is falling apart around them, people want someone to turn to, someone to help them through.
Perhaps even more so than when things are going well.
Love is a part of life. It’s part of our world.
Excluding it from books out of some bullshit elitist attitude doesn’t make your book better.
Honestly, including some aspect of it, even as a subplot for a side character, makes the world more realistic.
With very few exceptions, people do not desire a life alone.
We crave love. We crave acceptance. We crave companionship.
So almost every book I’ve written to date includes romance. And I expect the same to be true of the books I have yet to write.
Which brings us around to my books.
As you know, A Heart of Salt & Silver is available for pre-order. I FINALLY got the technical issues sorted with the hardback, so all three formats are waiting for you.
So, if you’re looking for a book with demons and magic, werewolves and witches, vampires and gods, love and gore, you can preorder your copy at: mybook.to/AHeartOfSaltAndSilver
It releases on November 3rd of this year, and I can’t freaking wait.
As for The Regonia Chronicles, I’m breaking the shit out of my characters in this one. Well, one character in particular, at the moment. Some are actually getting a break. But this one is having a very rough time.
Let’s just say book one leaves off on one hell of a cliffhanger. And the cleanup at the beginning of book two takes some time. This character arc fucking plummets.
I think me-writing-a-series is a dangerous thing for my characters. It’s that much longer for their lives to fall apart.
But anyway, I’m gonna keep on trucking.
And you should, too.
Keep reading. Keep writing.
Later.