Why do I write romance?

The short answer is – because I’ve always written romance. Well, almost always. My first stories were school, pony and theatre stories. I ‘graduated’ to romance when I was about thirteen. Very chaste romance to start with, I must admit. I still remember my first ‘romance’ story which was called ‘Blind Date’. My friends thought it was wonderful, of course.

I continued to write romance stories during my teens, just for myself and my friends, until three years at University diverted my writing efforts to essay and thesis writing.

Fast forward about three years – and I’m married and have a baby girl. I’ve given up teaching and my days are filled with ‘baby-talk’ and with meaningful discussions about potty-training and other scintillating baby-related subjects with other young mums.

In the evenings, I started writing romance again – pure escapism on my part. I was writing solely for myself as I began to revise and expand a story I’d written in my teens.  At the same time, I was also devouring Mills and Boon romances from the local library and eventually I decided my story was as good as (if not better!) than some of those I was reading. I bought a second-hand upright typewriter and laboriously typed out my handwritten story, then parcelled it up and sent it to Mills and Boon.

And it was accepted. How lucky was that? First book accepted by first publisher! It was due for release on the same day as my second daughter was due (she was early, the book came later) - somewhere, I have a photo of book and baby daughter lying together on a rug in the garden.  I can't find it, so here's the book cover instead, which I loved.

Three other novels followed, plus several short stories were published – all romances of course.

And now, after a long gap, necessitated by ‘real life’, I’ve come back to writing – and of course it’s romance again. Maybe it’s because I still believe in the HEA ending (even though I’m now divorced and - I hasten to add - happily single). Maybe it’s because I like falling in love with my heroes? Or maybe because it’s simply because I AM a romance writer. I didn’t choose the genre, it chose me.