Happily ever after…?

One thing that always made me want to read romance novels was the sweet, happy endings. Almost always the hero and heroine managed to overcome a number of obstacles or inconveniences and by the last chapter….they were  destined to live happily ever after. I still prefer writing and reading these books, but I have noticed at times not all romances end with the beloved pair staying happily in love.

Sometimes the book is a retrospective of the romance, perhaps spanning years leading up to the untimely death of one of the main characters or perhaps by book’s end the pair are no longer in love…leading to another book that examines the next phase of one character’s life. Yes, I want my characters to stay together and forever be living their happily ever after. But sometimes, while being written, a character’s evolution may lead in different directions. I know of writers who plot and have the storyline completely thought out when beginning to write while others let their characters lead them during the actual writing of the novel….and perhaps they aren’t led to that always and forever ending…but most romance novels do end in everlasting love.

I also love that today’s romance novels cover a wide spectrum of genres and ideals. Modern, contemporary novels or historical novels featuring the rich, the royal, the secretaries, the housekeepers, the firefighters, the policewomen, the destitute and women from all walks of life as well as others featuring vampires, werewolves or zombies are now all included in the romance category of writing. As evidenced by television series, many are attracted to these paranormal or supernatural romances and they have an unusually large following. In looking over my online writing friends’ published books, I find a very, very vast array of writing tastes.

So, what about happily ever after? I write what I love….and I love the sweet, loving endings of all the books I’ve grown up reading. Judith McNaught. Rosemary Rogers. Victoria Holt. Even the fairy tales like Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. (Hmmm, some of my fairy tales did have a bit of magic or fairy dust thrown in!) I think I’ll aim to give my readers as well as my heroes and heroines a happily ever after……very much like the books that influenced me.

KW