I mentioned Monday on my
personal blog that my older son and his wife were married on Valentine’s
Day. It was a joyful wedding, loving and romantic. No big fancy affair, just
the bride and groom, my husband and myself, the bride’s best friend, and a
judge happy to officiate, followed by a wedding breakfast at a local hotel.
Afterwards the bride and groom had to take a long drive so that my son could
represent in court a couple accused of white collar crime. This love story is
one of many worldwide.
Love stories have always
been an important part of history and literature. Cleopatra and Mark Anthony.
Cleopatra and Julius Caesar (Cleopatra did get around). As Shakespeare said,
“she was a woman of infinite variety.” Then there is the story of Napoleon and
Josephine, another passionate love affair. In the Bible, we also find some of
the world’s greatest and unforgettable love stories. What can be more romantic
than the story of Ruth or Solomon and the Queen of Sheba? And there is the
story of Esther which is celebrated on Purim.
A
lot of the world’s most famous, classical love stories, of course, did not end
happily: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Helen of Troy and Paris, Lancelot,
Arthur and Guinevere (a triangle). These are tragedies.
Some of the literary
characters I consider unforgettable are those of the Bronte sisters:
Healthcliff and Catherine, the tormented lovers in Emily’s Wuthering Heights Charlotte
Thomas Hardy wrote a number of tragic love
stories as well. For
something lighter, I prefer Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth
and Darcy are memorable. I’ve read and reread that novel numerous times. My own
romances have happy endings as well since I prefer them.
Love quite literally makes the world go
round. My favorite Valentine’s Day gift
would be a new romance novel. Candy makes me fat. Flowers wilt and die
too soon. But a great romance can be read and reread and enjoyed.
If
you’re of a mind to read some sensual historical fiction, I suggest a look at
my contest-winning Georgian romance THE CHEVALIER, set in the Scottish
Highlands and available in all e-book formats.
Then there’s TEA LEAVES AND
TAROT CARDS, a Regency romance recommended by Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick,
also now published in all e-book formats: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JFHMXWW
If you enjoy romantic short
stories, consider my collection BEYOND THE BO TREE, a book that combines
romance, mystery, fantasy and the paranormal:
For teenage girls and their
mothers to share, THE DEVIL AND DANNA WEBSTER is a clean read romance also available
in all e-book formats.
Kobo
store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-devil-and-danna-webster
and
itunes
If you’re a fan of romantic
suspense, take a look at DEATH LEGACY available in all e-book formats. To read
a free partial of that novel, go to:
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Can you think of any romances
you would recommend to readers? What sort of romance fiction do you
particularly enjoy reading?
14 comments:
Enjoyed the post. Love stories do seem to be at the heart of many of the great myths, enduring novels, and archetypal stories of the world.
Hi, Karen,
Thanks for dropping by and commenting. I limited my observations to literature and history. However, so many movies, plays, operas and ballet have romance themes as well.
Lovely blog, Jacquie (sorry for the pun). I used to write historical romances, because I like it when love conquers all, but they all had humorous undertones (sometimes overtones). Can't seem to help myself. I also enjoy mysteries with a romantic element.
Hi, Alice,
Personally, I love historical romance with humorous undertones and try to include some in each of my novels as well.
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As a person you should know what are your priorities and goals so that it is easier for you to determine and decide when is the time to give up or go on.
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Hi, Joy,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I'll certainly read your article as well.
What an enjoyable post. Thanks for sharing.
Every classical author you mentioned is on my own FAVE list! In contemp romance, I like a little mystery or suspense to round out the love angle(s). Another wonderful post!
Hi, Carole,
Glad you enjoyed the post!
Hi, Susan,
I too like to balance classical and contemporary romance. Romantic suspense is difficult to write but is done well, it's my favorite.
I'm a huge fan of the happy ending, but a satisfying ending is okay, too. Romance makes a great story.
Hi, Bonnie,
The romances I enjoy reading have happy endings. The ones I write do as well. This is because the world we live has so many unhappy things happening that I feel I want to read fiction that makes me feel good and write it as well.
Thanks to the writer of this article. I appreciate your effort in making this informational blogs. I know it's not easy to do this but you have done a really great job. Congrats. I'm pretty sure your readers enjoying it a lots.
Rica
www.imarksweb.org
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