Rough times and the power of Romance

When Stephen Foster wrote the song, "Hard Times,"our spinning blue and green rock hadn't yet experienced the trauma of two global wars, an international Great Depression or the string of natural disasters related to climate change. One thing we know about humanity, though is that the tougher the times, the more good, strong people step up and shine.

Writing romance may seem a frivolous occupation, one that doesn't do to help with any of our local, national, or global crises. With respect, I disagree. Here's why. People need to smile. Most of our old happy ever after fairy tales go back to the dark ages, to the worst eras of the feudal system, or other times when everyday life has been frankly, horrible for the average peasant. (And face it, most writers qualify as peasants in a financial sense.)

But even the bravest and boldest of us need something to which we can aspire. We need to believe in the possibility that things can work out for the best. There are decades of demographic research proving that the worse the economy, the better for escapist, genre fictions, including mystery, fantasy, science fiction, and, most of all, romance.

Love is one of the most powerful forces for good in the universe. If I didn't believe that, I couldn't write romance. Love gives us hope, courage, strength and determination. Love makes us act when it would be easier to ignore whatever is in front of us. Love gives us purpose, and love is the best reward. Believing in that, holding on to it when times are bleak, is a gift. And that's the gift that we authors can help give our readers.

For a few hours, while immersed in one of our stories, the reader is transported to a world where good and right will win the day. Where love provides power and love is the ultimate goal. We make our readers smile. And that smile, that few hours of happy respite can help bolster their strength for another day, another mile, another fight.

In the romance field, we've all heard our work called trashy, unrealistic and over-simplified. Don't by into that. We're selling smiles. We're selling that sense of warmth that allows someone to go to sleep and dream of a world they want to live in. And if you think about it, that's not at all an insignificant job.

For you readers who deal with the same taunts over your choice of reading material, ask them this: is romance any less realistic than a detective who always solves the mystery, or spaceships that never lose an impossible fight? We all enjoy escapism now and again.We're just refueling our faith that humanity is worth the effort. Recharging our optimism.

Happily ever after doesn't always mean the world is perfect. Sometimes it just means we have someone by our side to face the worst. And that's still a powerful thing to believe in.