Why Romance?

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day. A day of roses and romance and restaurants and all things that celebrate the wonder and glory of love...(cue violins, followed by gagging)

I have an admission. Despite my best efforts my husband and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day. He thinks it's ridiculously commercialised, and can't really see the logic in paying a premium for roses and restaurant meals which would be priced normally a day later or before. (I mean, come on...really? That happens?)

That doesn't mean he doesn't love me; he just doesn't like societal expectations that say a man's love for a woman is proved by how many red roses he gives her. Um, how about his love being proved in the 14 hour days of sweat and pain as he labours to earn money to put food on the table for the wife and kids living 8 hours away? How about the love proved when a couple chooses to stay together after tragedy, when they practice forgiveness as they battle with selfishness and pride? Not glamorous enough? Not romantic enough?

Maybe I'm a trifle cynical, and for the record I do think relationships are worth investing in with nice meals out and special times away (so if you're celebrating Valentine's Day today I hope you have a wonderful time!). But sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the fantasy element of what a loving relationship looks like (hello Facebook boasts posts), and we can mix up the hard yards of love with the fantasy elements of romance.

I recently asked readers on my Facebook page why they read romance books. Answers ranged from wanting 'to live vicariously through the story' and 'gives hope that this could be a reality' to liking novels 'that make you think and encourage you to make changes in your own life' and 'reminds us what true love is and shows how powerful godly relationships are.'

I know it's easy to get swept into the fantasy element of romance novels - as a historical romance author that's (partly) what I aim to do! But I think the challenge as a romance writer is to balance the fantasy with aspects of reality, the grit of personal and emotional challenges, so that what we present our readers is not an impossible dream, but something that gives a healthy approach to loving others in this day and age.

After all, eventually the roses wither, the chocolates are eaten, the memories of that meal out (with dozens of other couples) fade. But the relationships built on faith and trust and forgiveness and self-sacrifice and God - the marriages that last 40, 50 years - these are the real love stories, built on principles that can't be bought, that sing a louder song to this world and celebrate the wonders of love in a lasting way.

Over to you: Have you read a romance novel that challenged you to make changes in your life?

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband she has pastored a church for ten years, and worked as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher. 

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her Regency novels include The Elusive Miss Ellison, The Captivating Lady Charlotte, The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, and Winning Miss Winthrop, all available from Amazon, Book Depository, Koorong, etc

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Book Review: The Pounamu Prophecy by Cindy Williams

Blurb: Since she watched her village burn to the ground, Mere's life has been anything but dull. Now as an older woman she has come to stay with Helene and James to finish writing her life story - a tale of injustice, revenge and reconciliation.

But Helene and James have their own problems. After five years together, their marriage has become dull, predictable, boring ... and it starts to unravel.

Weaving fiction with the traumatic history of the Ngati Whatua tribe of Auckland, the Pounamu Prophecy sweeps from the sultry heat of Australia to the verdant shores of New Zealand.





My review

This story begins on two fronts: a traumatic event in the life of six-year-old Mere in Okahu Bay, Auckland, New Zealand in 1951, and a modern day couple struggling with the challenges of marriage, in Brisbane, Australia. Both stories are woven through the book at a pace that keeps the reader turning the pages.

James and Helene's story is a romance with a difference. It's about a couple who are past the first bloom of love and trying to keep a marriage alive with the pressures of careers and modern opportunities and temptations. It has all the ups and downs of any romantic story and it's not as predictable as some romances are. Both characters are complex and well written. I was annoyed with both at times but also found them endearing in their own ways.

The story of the young New Zealand girl, Mere, which takes the reader through to her old age, is a gripping historical saga. The events which are the focus of her story are not ones I knew about and so I was both intrigued and saddened by the unfolding tale of injustice, the strength of character of the tribal people and the lessons that were to be learned about community, respect and appreciating cultural differences. The character of Mere is a completely engaging and lovable one. It was easy as a reader to become very attached to her, as a young child and also as a woman in senior years. The wisdom and spirituality that is shared through her character is moving and challenging.

If I have any criticism of this story it would be that I would have liked more about Mere's story and a little less detail about Helene and James's journey, as engaging as it was. But that would be a personal preference for the historical over the romantic aspects of a novel.

Overall I found this story compelling. I'm not surprised it was a finalist in this year's Caleb award for fiction and look forward to reading other stories by Cindy Williams.
Carol Preston

Carol writes historical novels based on her family ancestry in Australia from the First Fleet. They include the Turning the Tide series; Mary’s Guardian, Charlotte’s Angel, Tangled Secrets and Truly Free. Two of her earlier novels, Suzannah’s Gold and Rebecca’s Dream, were re-released by EBP.  Next of Kin was released last year by Rhiza Press and the sequel, Beyond the Fight, was released this April. You can see more about Carol and her novels on her website, her Amazon author page or FB author page.

www.carolpreston.com.au

www.amazon.com/author/carolpreston

www.facebook.com/writingtoreach