I love reading about people. And I love the unlimited imagination that goes into creating characters that are solely an author’s own. Happy endings are also heartwarming. Anything else is just frustrating for the reader, in my experience.

What subgenre(s) of romance do you write?

I write contemporary romance and romantica, which is erotica with a strong erotic element.

The romance genre offers a unique perspective on human nature. So much of what is published is heart-wrenching or terrifying. Accounts of life in a war zone, surviving a natural disaster, and battling cancer are wonderful stories, but they come off as heroic or otherworldly. Romance offers a story that the reader can feel an emotional connection with in the same way. However, it also moves beyond that connection and creates an environment where the reader can relate to what is going on in a heroine’s life.

Readers want to be dragged into a story. The best stories are rapid page turners that you hesitate to put down for a second. A plot that is sensible is also very important. Fantasy is good, but it must be steeped in reality.

If a novel is a great story first and a romance second, it definitely rates a place on my keeper shelf. Intriguing characters whose strength leap from the page are also very important. 

Anything by Suzanne Brockmann, Emma Holly, and Mary Janice Davidson goes automatically onto my keeper shelf. These authors create characters that pull you into the story, no matter what else may be going on around you. I also have all of Katie MacAlister’s adult works. I admire her prolific style and her ability to write fluidly across several genres. My three top keepers are Strange Attractions by Emma Holly, Gone Too Far by Suzanne Brockmann, and The Royal Treatment by Mary Janice Davidson.