February is known as a romantic month, the time to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your sweetie. But as a romance writer, I take the liberty to use this occasion to encourage people to learn more about the romance genre.
According to RWA (the Romance Writers of America), there are two main elements of a romance story: a romance is central to the plot, and it must have an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. In romance circles, we often call that a HEA (happily ever after) or HFN (happy for now). Outside of those two things, the sky’s the limit! Romances can be contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, you name it. And subgenres can be combined to create smaller niches. As you may know, I write young adult historical romance set in Alaska.
Thousands of readers find solace and joy in reading stories about couples who find their HEA. Why not enjoy one yourself?
Where to find that special romance book? The blog Romancing the Genres (https://romancingthegenres.blogspot.com) is a great place to start. (Disclosure: I post there once a month.) You can scroll through posts to get to know us and see what we write. You can also try searching online by the trope or subgenre that tickles your fancy. Enemies to lovers? Second chance romance? Shapeshifters? Rom-com? Romantic suspense? Yes! There’s something for everyone!
Another place to start? My local writing group AKRWA (Alaska chapter of Romance Writers of America). You can check out our author member bios at https://akrwa.com and see if one of us is your next favorite author. Plus, let me know if you’d be interested in joining us. We’re always open to romance writers, even if you don’t live in Alaska!
Whether you’re a longtime romance fan or just discovering the genre, go find a romance to read this month.