Romance: Such a simple word that is often misunderstood and misused. Yes, misused.

The Phantom of the Opera is not a romance. Casablanca is not a romance. And goodness, Romeo and Juliet is most definitely not a romance. Believe it or not, those are dramas with romantic elements. In a romance, the struggle between individuals ends with unconditional love. A true romance has a happy ending—always. Surprise: that’s not attainable if the main characters are dead.

Well…actually, that’s not true. Because the story doesn’t need to end simply because people die. Welcome to the paranormal subgenre. It’s one of many. There are historical romances, which can be quite educational. Religious/spiritual romances focus on the spiritual journey of the individuals while they fall in love. Romantic comedies are my favorite. Laughter makes my soul sing, and though my stories fall under the contemporary romance umbrella, they do have some comedic moments.

Romantic suspense, which involves solving some mystery, is one of the more popular genres, and is commonly read by men. Yes, it’s true. Some men read romance. Though most wouldn’t dare to admit it (be sure to add some disgust and eye roll when you read the word romance, ugh!), those that do can defend their reading choice by stating that they’re reading for the mystery portion. Obviously, they just skim over the lovey-dovey areas. And the sexy scenes. Riiiiight.

Though the majority of romance books have some graphic descriptions of sex, not all do. Some only have hints of physical love, while leaving the rest to the reader’s imagination. That is not the case for my stories. My first story, Colonial Offer, is a very sensual book, with a lot of descriptive sex. It’s not erotica, though. That is a genre in itself, with the majority of the story revolving around the physical pleasures.

My stories are intended to give the reader an escape from reality. They’re the kind that would fall under the category of chick-flick, with some push and pull between the characters, while always ending with the happily-ever-after every true romance has. That’s what I love. And if you’re like me, you’ll enjoy my stories.

Happy reading!

Lena has been writing since high school–though that first story will remain in the dark corners of her closet to protect everyone. After all, she writes romance, not horror. Just kidding! It’s not really that bad, but her idea of romance and love has certainly changed through time, not to mention her writing skills.

Find out more by visiting her website.

Hope to see you on Saturday, December 1 at the Rhode Island Author Expo!