“Romance has the power to heal hearts. It did mine.”
“ I'm inspired to write about couples who bravely challenge beliefs that prevent them from having a loving relationship. They share a journey that conquers self-doubt but brings awareness of past mistakes. Each never gives up and works hard to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to find happiness in love.”
This is the opening paragraph to my website. Personal experience inspires my writing. I had a dream that I would one day be in a loving relationship where I felt respected and cherished. It wasn’t an easy journey, but I did find it While I held the belief that it was possible, I wasn’t certain it would happen. I wanted to make sure I gave it every chance though, so I didn’t give up. That belief came from reading romance.
The characters in a romance novel find themselves in circumstances that change them. I understood that if I didn’t change I wouldn’t be able to have a different kind of relationship from the ones in the past. So I read and had counseling. I examined my role in past relationships, what worked what didn’t. I also worked on self-beliefs and my deservedness to have love.
I examined what I carried in my heart that prevented me from having what I wanted. I began to address old fear and insecurity and started to date. I kept going even after rejection and disappointment. Eventually, I found a courageous man who had wanted to work with me to make a relationship that would nurture us both.
I don’t think I would have done that if I hadn’t been an avid reader of romance. The couples in romance novels are often not realistic in that they are rich or fabulously talented. That’s a lovely fantasy, what isn’t is the real-life misconceptions they have about love and what gifts it has for them. When they work together to try and be a couple, they come up against these barriers
Romance novel couples don’t give up. They might get knocked down, but they get up again. This rang true to me. Not giving up, having another go and doing better next time pays off. I think being a romance reader helped me to get up after disappointment and try again. Keep going when things didn’t work out the first or even the fifth time.
Every time I close another romance novel and have that happily ever afterglow, it feels like another dream has come true. Every time I finish another story that I’ve written with a happy ending I get that feeling also. I think the struggle involved in making the dream come true makes it all the more special. The smiles on our faces tell you, we went through a lot to find each other and now we have, we appreciate what we have all the more.
Dora Bramden is a Romance Author, and Lifestyle Blogger
You can read more about books and find her blog her website www.dorabramden.com
