But despite all those things people tend to say about romance, reading it has made me a fundamentally better author, both in and out of the genre. These books are often escapist and fantastical, yes, but I have taken many important writing skills and themes away from them. Here are just a few.
Romance novels create a utopian relationship, critics often squawk. There aren’t any real men like this. Every reader or writer of the genre has heard the refrain in some way, shape or form and there’s a reason for that. It’s called sexism.
Romance has a problem with men. Make no mistake, this is a feminist issue and, like questions of diversity in age, race and sexual orientation, it needs to be addressed before romance can fully move forward as the progressive, open-minded genre it is.
I went to the summer book sale today. Should I have gone to the summer book sale? The answer is an unequivocal no. Filling a shopping bag with second-hand books for just $8 and a good cause is the kind of feels-so-good-because-it's-so-bad fantasy I write about in my romance novels. But I went, knowing I am a weak, and I returned with bounty.
This idea of the muse, of some catch-all messenger of creativity is delightful and fantastical. It’s also completely made up.
I sat down with author Sandra Tilley to talk writing, passion and her book, The Ghost and Mrs. Miller!
If you’re a fan of the all-immersive, totally obsessive, can’t stop reading books, here are all the reasons the Hard Ink series is right for you.
