My Introduction to Romance

            I’m just a girl who was lucky enough to meet and marry that one perfect man who brings romance into my life every day. Some wonder why I feel the need to read romance when I experience romance every day, but the real reason is sometimes I just want to sit and be entertained by a story that makes you laugh, and makes you cry but when you close the book you know that everyone is following their dream of HEA.

            I wasn’t much of a reader through my school years, and then I read a lot on the job that the thought of reading a novel was almost painful. My sister-in-law introduced me romance novels in 1994 with novels by Diana Palmer (http://www.dianapalmer.com/) and Nora Roberts (http://www.noraroberts.com/). She is an avid reader, and I thought I had nothing to lose so why not. Well, needless to say I was sucked in right from the start. I couldn’t seem to get enough of the stories. Watching the stories begin with that first fluttering feeling when you meet Mr. Right on up to that HEA when everyone is in love.

            I knew those were not the only authors so off to the book store I went to see what I could find. Along came Lori Foster (http://lorifoster.com/) in 1996 when I found myself relating to the heroines and feeling like I was in the stories with every page I turned and then wait, there are mystery and suspense in the romance, who knew? Oh wait, there’s action, weapons, fighting from Cherry Adair (http://cherryadair.com/) and after that the heart pounding came in from any situation you can imagine, kidnapping, mugging, and murder that of course were solved by the last page so while I was anxious throughout the story, I did get that feel good when I closed the book.

            Well, in comes Roxanne St. Claire (http://www.roxannestclaire.com/) with Tropical Getaway and Ava and Dane, who are trying to solve a mystery while fight their attraction for each other. You know they succumbed eventually; it’s the path, they walked that was their adventure. I loved this book and was really sad when I had to read the last page. Oh, but it gets better; she wrote the Bullet Catchers series which gave me bodyguards, car chases, and gun fights, heart-pounding  action that was a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. I LOVED IT! The whole series, I couldn’t get enough of them; I read them so many times that I could recite my favorite passages. However, she didn’t stop there; she gives us the Guardian Angelinos series that offers stories written about beautiful settings, heart tugging romance, and constant action/adventure which up to this point they are cherished love stories (she still has more to write).

            I also discovered Dinah McCall and Sharon Sala not knowing they were the same person (http://www.sharonsalabooks.com/). What makes her books so great is the realistic feel of each place and each person she writes about. My favorite series is Diamond, Queen, and Lucky; I laughed and cried several times throughout that series but when I put them down I sighed each time and was sorry that the story had to end. Then, I read When You Call My Name, and I fell in love with Wyatt and Glory. I can pick up that book and start reading anywhere know exactly where I was in the story and read it right to the end. My all-time favorite book of hers is The Warrior with John Nightwalker and Alicia Ponte, and I love the mystery that surrounds these two while John is protecting Alicia from her father. If you’re intrigued, you should find the book and read it.

            Oh and let’s not forget the historical novels being written by fabulous authors like Delilah Marvelle (http://www.delilahmarvelle.com) who writes about scandalous items during historical times and oh boy; she does it well <whew> <sweaty brow>. The heroes are fan worthy, and the heroines are strong and capable of standing on their own. Then there were the other worlds created by authors like Nalini Singh (http://www.nalinisingh.com/) whose Psy-Changling series is intricate and detailed but not so much that it’s hard to follow, but so well thought through that the separate worlds do crossover at times. I’m fascinated by this series and the characters within, and the whole time I feel like I’m there when reading and when I close the book, that world fades and my world appears.

            These are not the only authors that I read or have read, but they are the most notable at this time. There is one romance writer who will remain anonymous until her book is published, and then you’ll find her as part of future postings (and you know who you are).

Stop back by again for future postings on romance.