IMHO: It is IMHO’s great pleasure to welcome
Kerrelyn Sparks to the Romance Roundup Gift Basket party as we get closer to Valentine’s Day and the gift basket giveaway.
Kerrelyn’s first paranormal romance,
How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire, zoomed out of the bat cave so fast it became Borders bestselling debut romance of 2005. Each book in the
Love at Stake series has become a
USAToday bestseller. The fourth book,
The Undead Next Door, the one Kerrelyn will be putting in our gift basket, landed on the
New York Times bestseller list.
All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire hit the
New York Times bestseller list at number 12, the
USAToday list at 41, and the Borders bestselling romance list at number 2! Books six and seven of the
Love at Stake series will release this spring--
Secret Life of a Vampire on March 31 and
Forbidden Nights with a Vampire on April 28.
When she's not busy living the vida vampire, Kerrelyn resides in the Greater Houston area with her husband, children, and a house full of garlic. So far, there are no vampires in her family. Werewolves are another matter entirely.
Today, Kerrelyn shows what romance means to her by telling us why she writes romance in the first place. Welcome, Kerrelyn!
KS: Thanks for inviting me to talk about what romance means to me, TJ!
Romance celebrates life and the possibility for us all to experience happy endings. I believe it is this unfailing hope that makes the Romance genre so popular. Romance fiction sells more than any other fiction category. Our forefathers said it best when they declared we all have to right to the pursuit of happiness. It’s a universal need and one that Romance addresses in a positive fashion.
That’s the generic response, but to delve deeper—
1. I write Romance because I love to read it. I grew up on it. It’s brought me a lot of joy over the years. I have traveled to many different places and time periods. I have learned about history and different customs and fashions. My imagination was fed by it and encouraged to blossom.
2. I write Romance because I love to write. I need to write. If I don’t write for a few days, I can become a real grouch. This can be verified by my family. At least now, I’m paid to spend much of my time in another world. Before, I was flaky for free. This can also be verified by my family.
3. I love honorable characters. If a book or a movie doesn’t provide me with a character I can respect, admire and cheer for, forget it!! Romances, in general, give us honorable characters we can love, characters with enough integrity to face their challenges and courage to fight the odds. In turn, they inspire us to respect ourselves and never give up. For dreams do come true. I know that every time I see my name on a book cover.
4. I love strong heroines--women who take an active role in their own destiny, not content to leave their happiness in the control of anyone else. Today’s Romances show heroines on an equal footing with the hero, heroines in charge of their life, making their own choices. These are women I would be proud to introduce my daughter to.
5. I love the process of falling in love. What other human experience compares to the exhilaration and exasperation of finding your true mate? Whom we choose to marry is one of our most important decisions, and we all want a happy ending. Some complain that because of the happy ending, Romances are all alike! But the end product is not the point. It’s the journey that is so intriguing. It’s the process that starts with a secretive glance and hesitant first touch, the tiny steps that lead to total trust, intimacy, and the sacred commitment to grow old together—this is the journey that Romance celebrates.
Why do you love Romance?
IMHO: Thanks, Kerrelyn, for reinforcing the reasons romance is my favorite type of read. How about the rest of you? Be sure to share with Kerrelyn why you love romance, because remember, by commenting on at least two guest bloggers’ posts, you’ll be eligible to win the BIG BASKET OF LOOOOVE containing ten different autographed books, including Kerrelyn’s book
The Undead Next Door. To read excerpts of her books, watch book trailers, play vampire games, or join the forum, visit Kerrelyn at www.kerrelynsparks.com.
And be sure to come back next Saturday, January 31, to meet our next guest blogger, Golden Heart nominee and Dorchester debut author
Trish Albright, author of
Siren’s Song, a sea-faring romantic adventure. Stay tuned!
TJB
