Don't you LOVE ROMANCE?

How the Seekers write is the theme this birthday month in Seekerville. But before we can discuss the how, I want to know the why. And yes, there are giveaways today.

Why do you read and write romance?

(My very first computer in the 80's. Anyone out there remember the dot matrix printer?)

There are plenty of statistics on the RWA website. The romance genre is a 1.36 billion dollar industry and has not dropped much in spite of the economy. So obviously plenty of people love to read romance.

Again, why?

(Yep, thats me and dh at Wayfarer's Chapel in Palos Verdes, California, 1967 Ahhhh romance)

The statistics show that most readers of romance are in a relationship or have been involved with people in loving relationships such as parents, grandparents, friends, etc. So it isn't like they are searching out romance. They have it or know it.

Again why read and/or write romance?

(My Grandpa, one of the most romantic and loved filled men I knew holding me when born)

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

(Three generations of women who love romance, l-r grandma, me, mom. Does anyone want to admit to remembering days when you had to wear hat and gloves to go to town?)

You've probably guessed by now that I'm the oldest Seeker. Not even a boomer but a war baby. But as I wrote once in a book for teens, our body is like a space suit for planet earth. It gets worn out and older, but the person inside is still the young and romantic person. The person inside no matter what age is loving and thinking of romance--reading and writing romance. Yes, Julie, even the sensual romance.

Again why?

(Me with my 90 year old Dad who just went on a date last Friday night. Who says you're too old for romance?)

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

Can't argue that wonderful emotion we are all born with. LOVE. A gift from a loving God.

So no matter how old I get, that person inside of me still loves to immerse myself in romance. I want to dream about it, fantasize about it, read about it, watch it in movies, write about it and mostly LIVE it.

(Me and dh in Hawaii after the Maui Writer's Conference about 8 years ago. Now with this hunk in my life all these years is there any question about why I love romance?)

So there you have it. I have been blessed with a very romantic life. So I fit right in with the statistics of why.

Why do YOU love romance?

Okay Tina, I'll get to the topic. Now that you know why I love to write romance, I'll share a little about how I write romance. I have to admit I'm intimidated by the super neat offices of Janet, Myra and Debby. I barely even go in mine it is such a mess. LOL

But I can share my summer office.

Since we live in the desert we are backward snowbirds and "fly" away during the hot months to avoid the heat. We travel in our motorhome.



I put my computer and printer on the dash and sit in the passenger seat which makes that my summer office.

So my romantic dh points our motorhome toward the best view and says "Honey, here's your lakeside office, or here's your beach office, or here's your mountain office."

How romantic is that?

We've read about strategy from the best of the best, but to be honest, most of my writing happens when I'm walking. I think the activity of walking keeps my left brain occupied enough to allow the creative right brain to go at it.

Whether its hiking the desert,

the mountains at Lake Tahoe,

In the fall leaves back East

Or the park across the street from my house, I "write" the stories in my head. Then I crawl into that messy office and get it on paper.

You've seen how I get the romance. I get the plot ideas from news events, whatever is happening around me and from stories people share with me. My novel, PRICE OF VICTORY coming out with Avalon next year was inspired when the 1985 Coors Classic passed by my mom's house when she lived at Lake Tahoe.

So you've seen a glimpse of how I've been involved in romance over the years and how I've written over the years.

Please share your experiences. Tell us why YOU love romance.

To keep you hydrated, there is coffee (chocolate velvet of course), a selection of tea, hot chocolate, a variety of sodas, fresh juice and plenty of water.

To keep you energized, there is a breakfast buffet, lunch buffet and dinner buffet. For late night we have a dessert buffet. Now what's on the buffet table is up to your delightful imagination and hunger pangs.

Personally, I go salty with chorizo burritos for breakfast, a salad bar for lunch and for dinner I'll take steak and baked potatoes smothered with sour cream, sauteed mushrooms and bacon bits.

For your efforts, you'll be entered into a drawing for a ten page critique (please mention you want to be entered in that)

OR

you can be entered into two drawings for two surprise Seeker baskets.

Can you guess what year this was taken??? Get a load of that hair.

Thanks for joining us.