Who knew back in late 2019, when RTG drafted blog themes for each month, that September 2020 would most need this theme of HOPE. Every January, I go through the monthly themes for the new year and jot down notes on what I might discuss in my blog.
My note for
September 2020 was:
Why writing romance is my contribution to the
world of hope in a world gone crazy!
Who knew the world
would get substantially crazier than it was when I drafted my theme in late 2019?!?
As I write this draft in August, there are so many things going on in our world. Still the devastation from the pandemic, all over the world, but truly out-of-control in the United States of America. We have warming climate and oceans, that have already birthed a tropical storm that wreaked havoc as far north as Maine and into Canada. And as I write this, California is in flames, Iowa just had another devastating storm, and it is not yet fall. Businesses, schools, public services, and governments are all in trouble, and all that trickles down to each of us, just trying to manage the day-to-day. And today I edit, and will note it was 101 in Denver, CO over the weekend and today it is 32 and snowing. Craziness.
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| Color and Flowers Give Me HOPE! |
Now that I have
totally depressed you, I’ll let you in on a little secret.
My brain is pretty
much mush at this point. And although I LOVE writing, especially romance, it
has been a gigantic struggle to put optimistic words on a page. But this is my
job. And as I said, I love this job. I know that when people read romance,
whether my book or others, they can escape for a bit. And, they know, at the
end, there will be a happily-ever-after.
I have read a TON
of books since January. Okay, I read a ton anyway, but this year I believe I
have read at least a ton and a half, perhaps, two tons.
I admit, the
genres I lean toward are the ones with a fairy tale quality. By that I
don’t mean magical (although those stories are fun to read,) but ones that
uplift my spirit and bring me hope. I do tend to steer away from books, even
when I know there will be a happy ending, that might have some heavy topics, or
villains that might be too true to real life. But that is just me.
Caveat: I have
many author friends who do write thrillers and stories with more serious tones,
and I do read those books, because I believe in supporting my friends. Right
now, many of those books are on my Kindle. And, they will be read, but some
might not be read right now.
The field of
romance is so wonderful because of the many genres, from thriller, medical,
sci-fi, historical, rom-com, western, sweet, inspirational, hot, and on-and-on.
The characters also run the gamut of representing people from every walk of
life, every color and religion and sexual persuasion, and those from magical,
fantastical, made-up worlds, and… Again, the variety of romances go on and on.
My advice to you, when things get tough, and hope seems hard to come by, find a book and get lost in the fiction of your choice—especially ones that are uplifting.
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| A new release in production. I hope to release this Rhode Island steamy novella in late fall. |
And I will make a
promise to get back to crafting those uplifting stories that I love to write.
Because I think in some small way, what I do, and what all romance writers do,
is offer HOPE.
WHAT ARE YOU
READING NOW?
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| A new fall cover, for my very first book and book one of the Starlight Grille series. |
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| ~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~ |
Delsora
Lowe writes small town sweet romances and contemporary westerns from the
mountains of Colorado to the shores of Maine.
Author of the Starlight Grille series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, Lowe has also authored short romances for Woman’s World magazine. Her new novella, The Love Left Behind, will release in late fall.
Social
Media Links:
Author website: www.delsoralowe.com
Author FaceBook page: fb.me/delsoraloweauthor
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe
Clip Art:
Butterfly HOPE: https://www.kindpng.com/imgv/hbRxRxo_fantastic-hope-clipart-butterfly-clip-art-at-clker/#gal_fantastic-hope-clipart-butterfly-clip-art-at-clker-hope-clipart-hd-png_hbRxRxo_4104920.png
Romance Hand Holding Heart: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1623683
Love Heart: http://clipart-library.com/hope-heart-cliparts.html
12 comments:
Lovely thoughts, Delsora. The universal message of hope found in romance is what drew me to reading the genre, and it's what inspires me to write.
I completely agree. Hope is why I write romance and why I read it. And even though it's hard to dredge up enough hope to put words on the page, we keep doing it, as much for ourselves as our readers. Wishing you serenity, health, happiness and hope!
Excellent post, Delsora. The fairy tale ending is why I started reading romance and then writing it. Remembering that theme of hope will keep me on track with the WIP. Thanks! And I love the new covers, look forward to the new novella.
Definitely! Hope has always been needed, but is needed more than ever these days. Thanks for sharing.
I've said that same first sentence myself! Who knew how desperately we as a country, world and planet would need Hope. Sarah and I usually are working on the themes for the next year at this time of year but we're running a bit late! Fires, smoke where I live, rains and flooding on the other side of the country...lots of things to distract! Underneath the drama and trauma, to survive and perhaps at some point thrive, hope that things can be better and taking action to bring that hope into our reality keeps us going.
Are you changing all your covers on the Starlight Grill series?
Luanna and Jennifer - as authors of romance, we all have the opportunity to give hope. Now to find our own hope to infuse into our writing. Seems hard these days. But head down, and writing, brings hope to the forefront, for sure. And the reason I read both your books.
I agree, Susan. The fairy tale endings make it all worth it. I know, half the time, when I read your books, I am holding my breath (Susan writes GREAT suspense.) But I also know the hope and fairy tale ending always happens :-)
Anna - thanks for stopping by. Yes, hope is needed now more than ever. It's a good thing you are in the hope business, in so many ways.
Judith - yes, hope has to be at the top of our list these days.
I probably will not do new covers for books 2 and 3. I wrote book one with no intention of writing anymore in the series, so my cover seemed to not fit as well with the other covers in showcasing the season. The other two do depict their seasons - Christmas and Valentine's Day. But who knows what the future will bring :-)
Great post!!!
It's great to think that books can lift you up and take you away to a faraway place and make you forget that we are living in a crazy world right now. I totally agree.
Thanks for what you do to make our lives more enjoyable.
I agree that the romance genre is one of hope and always will be. After all the requirement of a happily-ever-after ending makes it hope fulfilled. I too have questioned my ability to write my planned romances because they do deal with heavy topics. The final one in my series deals with cancer and I have put it off all year, unable to approach the topic when so much death and illness are around us.
For me, if I don't have god control of my own hope it is difficult for me to write a story of hope--especially to get through the tougher parts of the story. I've faced a lot of tough times in my life, but it seems this year has been much more of an existential crisis where finding my personal level of control to make things better has been difficult.
As my mother says: "This too shall pass, and you will find your center again."
I write in many genres with romance being a thread in most of them. Whether I write a suspense, a fantasy, or SF I always ended on hope and often happiness. My characters may go through hell to get there, but I can't leave them without hope. And in all my books, except one, I've left them with not only hope but happiness.
That one book did get resolved in the final book of the trilogy, but based on fan reaction I will never write an ending without at least a happy for now resolution or positively signaling she's not giving up. My heroine saved the world but lost her love (so she thought). Hope for the world but sadness for the heroine. Mistake? Fantasy can bring anyone back to life. :)
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