How do we get there?
Every story takes a reader on a journey. In emotional romance, there are questions that must be answered along the way. What is holding two people back from love? What do they stand to lose by being together? What is going to make them a solid pairing? I’m constantly exploring my character’s pasts, digging deep into their psyches, and letting them go through the hard stuff in order for them to find their happily ever after. Why? I thrive on writing and reading romance stories that feel as real as possible. Finding love in the real world isn’t easy, so why should it be easy in books?
My characters are who they are for reasons that aren’t always obvious. Perhaps there’s a secret they fear will be revealed if they get too close to someone. Maybe they’ve been burned in the past and have yet to trust again. Or (and this one is my favorite), possibly they’re focused on finding or developing their dream career—and until they do—aren’t ready to open themselves up to love. Love is, after all, both the best and worst kind of distraction. To truly love another means loving oneself first. Which brings me to my favorite genre.
I write a lot of New Adult (NA) romance, which is a romance set between the ages of 18-30. For me, the emotional connection is so much stronger between those ages. When innocence is at risk, mistakes are made, and futures are altered. Everything is so intense, which is why I feel like I have a responsibility to my readers to write about realistic love in all its ugly and beautiful forms. For this, character growth is essential.
When two people finally give in to their deepest desires in books, the happily ever after (HEA) is all the more worthwhile. I’m obsessed with the slow burn of it all. It might even hurt a little along the way. The point is, you’re going to feel it. You’re going to lose sleep. You might even break a few Kindles along the way. #SorryNotSorry
I’m a hardcore angst lover, can you tell?
“We read romance because we believe in a love we all deserve to have. A love that endures life’s greatest tests. A love that spans centuries and galaxies and ripples in time.” The Trouble With Gravity, K.K. Allen