I Believe in Love

by Christina Cole

Romance today — in fiction — seems to be fast-paced and dangerous, with sex leaping off every page — the hotter, the better. There are not just “couples” involved, but threesomes and more. The romance genre is no longer confined to the “boy-meets-girl” variety of love story. Boys meet boys, girls meet girls…and angels, devils, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and “shifters” abound.

All of which is great — for those who like that sort of thing.

But where does this leave writers like me who are more interested in love than lust? Is there a place in romantic fiction for old-fashioned values and traditions?

I belive there is, and this is why I choose to write historical romances. My stories are rooted in America and in the ideals we cherish. My characters are searching for something beyond themselves — independence, equality, the opportunity to become all they aspire to be, the chance to achieve their dreams.

For a long time, I questioned my place in the romance-writing community. Were readers really intersted in stories about love and its power to change our lives? Or were they merely looking for one more quick romp in the bedroom? Did readers still care about virtues and values, or were they searching for ways to escape from reality and routine? Would I find any romance readers who shared my belief that happiness comes from appreciating even the most ordinary moments of life?

The men in my stories are not super-heroes. They’re very ordinary men who work hard, play hard, and hope to get a break now and then. The women I write about have dreams, just as we all do. They also have doubts, disappointment, and moments of despair. But above it all, they have a determination to make the most of life, to do what they believe is right, and to make their world a better place.

Although I was often told that readers no longer cared about moral issues, personal sacrifice, or lessons to be learned in life, I kept on writing stories that focused on right versus wrong, stories that forced my characters to make difficult choices, stories that helped my characters grow and change.

I was told that readers craved danger, suspense, and “alpha” heroes — dominant, demanding men who live every moment on the edge. Readers wanted exotic, not ordinary. Readers wanted stalkers, serial killers, and dead bodies littering the story. They wanted cold-blooded assassins, time-bombs threatening to go off at any minute, and complex, complicated plots of espionage — with lots of hot sex thrown in for good measure, of course.

Some readers, I was told, just wanted the sex.

But sex alone wasn’t enough. They wanted bondage and domination. Bring out the whips, the chains, the handcuffs.

They didn’t want love. They just wanted a good spanking.

I want more.

I want to give my readers not momentary pleasures that quickly fade away, but stories of real people and real love. I want to share my old-fashioned belief that love makes life better, that love makes us better.

And so, I write old-fashioned romances, stories in which characters reach out, take risks with their hearts, and find pleasure in love-making. I write stories that bring hope, stories that bring happiness.

Yes, I’m pleased to know, there are still readers who appreciate true love stories.

I’m glad, because I believe in love.

About Christina:

Christina Cole’s old-fashioned historical romances have touched the hearts of readers throughout the world. Her latest, Not the Marrying Kind, was released in January by Secret Cravings Publishing, and is the first in “The Sunset Series” — stories of life and love in the fictional town of Sunset, Colorado. The second book in the series, Keeping Faith, is scheduled for release in July.

For more information on Christina and her books, please visit Christina Cole Romance. To learn more about “The Sunset Series”, check out her blog, Riding Into the Sunset — Stepping Back in Time.

Not The Marrying Kind
by Christina Cole

Kat Phillips is not the marrying kind. She can’t cook, keep house, or sew a stitch. When her father takes sick and decides to sell the Rocking P ranch, Kat must either follow his wishes and marry the lackluster minister in town or find a husband for herself.

Joshua Barron comes to the Colorado Territory to make a new start. Nothing means more to him than freedom. He arrives at the cabin where he’ll be staying with his reclusive, crazy-as-a-coot cousin, and realizes Cody desperately needs a wife. His thoughts go at once to the long-legged redhead he met in the foothills.

When Kat realizes the handsome stranger is looking for a wife, she’s determined to prove she’s got all the skills required to please a man…even if she has to lie to do it. She has no idea that Joshua is involved in a few lies of his own.

Available:

Amazon / B&N / AllRomance / Secret Cravings Publishing