Samhain Publishing

Yesterday, a report by the New York Times said romance books are selling like hot cakes even though there’s a recession. That’s not new news to us, is it? LOL Even though I’m an author, I still love to read. I just don’t get to read that much, something I wish things were different.

The article in the NY Times got me to thinking about why it is people read romance. In the article, it was pointed out that people want to read about happy endings during tough times. I totally agree. But I think it goes a little deeper than that. I believe romance readers understand there’s more to these great books than just that happy ending. It’s escapism. Reading has always been a form of escapism, just like the movies during the Great Depression. The difference is that with a book, you can keep going back without paying for those extra visits. grin

Another point about romance books is that they’re fantasies brought to life in our heads. More importantly, these fantasies deal with themes that are important to most, if not all, readers of romance. Themes like female empowerment, overcoming odds that seem insurmountable, feeding our psychological need for fantasy play in our heads, living vicariously through characters and enjoying actions we don’t subscribe to in reality, the theme of spiritual faith and many other ideas and explorations of love.

For example, a reader who loves vampire romances knows vampires aren’t real (okay, I’ll concede that there might actually be vampires in existence). However, there’s something incredibly sexy about someone nibbling at your neck, particularly if he’s an alpha hero. Then there’s that whole blood exchange. That’s total intimacy when you think about it.

Or what about ghosts and a 2DIE4 alpha hero who you want to see brought to his knees, or better yet, be the one who does the bringing down. evil grin

Fantasies, psychologists will tell you, are important to human beings. They’re necessary for good mental health. They promote healthy sex lives, they help us play out scenarios and work through problems, and best of all, fantasies are fun and they leave us feeling good.

Romance books do this in spades, and I love that I can write fantasy for my readers, while exploring the whole facet of that initial development of a relationship, the fireworks that go hand-in-hand with that first attraction and that incredible dance that comes when two people are trying to figure out what the hell is going on between them. It just appeals to this half-Italian woman’s soul I tell you!

See, just writing this blog has proven to me that romance is a spirit lifter. I was really depressed on the way home tonight. I was stressing about my writing, wondering where to find time to promo, how to pay for Oldest’s college tuition, what to do when it’s time to let her go, how many people are coming for her graduation party, preparing that DVD movie for the party, where to get money to pay for a trip I have to take for my books, wondering if my editor will like, let alone love, my newest book, wishing I could write full-time instead of working a full-time job, WOW!!! I really was thinking all of that on the way home, and DAMN! I write just a few paragraphs about my favorite topic and I’m perky again.

SEE, reading romance DOES make you feel better! So Bravo to the NY Times for noting that romance kicks butt. But then we knew it all along, didn’t we!

Monica writes historical and paranormal erotic romance. Dangerous, her current print release, earned 4.5 stars from Romantic Times BOOKreviews and was a 2009 EPPIE finalist. Monica’s June print release is Mirage, which was a Romantic Times BOOKreviews Top Pick (4.5 Stars), a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award nominee, a 2009 EPPIE winner for best historical erotic romance, and is a book that Sylvia Day calls “scorching.” For excerpts and a FREE download, visit Monica’s website at www.monicaburns.com