Additional Writings

An Essay by Christy Reece

The written word is a powerful tool. By evoking strong emotions and memories that can stay with you forever, words can change hearts, minds and lives. I believe the romance genre accomplishes this better than any other. Romance inspires, enlightens and entertains, allowing readers to fall in love with characters as the characters fall in love with each other.

Romance not only stirs emotions of today, but can also bring back memories of yesterday. All those firsts that help you remember what it was like to fall in love. That first eye contact across a crowded room . . . that zing of attraction was unlike anything you'd ever felt before. In an instant, you knew something special was about to happen. The first kiss, first touch. The first time you heard his deep, masculine chuckle; the first time you saw her beautiful smile. All of those wonderful remembrances can be renewed and relived with each romance.

Writing is a passion for me; being a published author in the genre I love is a dream come true. Growing up in a household of women, we shared a multitude of things and one of those is the love of reading. My mother introduced me to reading at an early age and I devoured every book that came my way. I was in my early teens when I read my first romance. Instantly, I was drawn into a world filled with drama, passion and the rich fulfillment of finding that perfect love. The moment I closed the book, I was hooked.

Though I've read and enjoyed various genres through the years, romance kept calling me back. I love the optimism...the indomitable shared hope that there will be a better day. Each story has its own journey, but in the end, I am assured, there will be happiness. As the characters develop through the pages, fall in love, make mistakes and sometimes go through horrific circumstances, they experience a self-discovery and often find out they're much stronger and capable than they thought. And despite everything they've gone through, there's hope for the future because of their love for one another. Are tears shed along the way? Sometimes. But there's also laughter, joy and every other emotion that encompasses the human condition. There is triumph and hope; there is a happy ending. My goal is to entertain my readers. I want them to close my book with a smile on their face, uplifted and energized.

Romance novels empower and embolden. They make us realize the endless possibilities of life and whatever tragedies occur, we can overcome. Yes, romance novels are fictional, but at their core, they are grounded in reality. Love might not conquer all but can strengthen and help us to overcome and endure and look to a brighter tomorrow.