Tell it like it is

Every couple has their own unique How We Met story.  I enjoy asking people about theirs.  They're usually sweet, sometimes amusing, and occasionally surprising.  It's easy to see that in fiction, the potentials are limitless.

I prefer to write character driven contemporary romances because there are so many situations that can complicate our quest for love.  I like my characters to have a history with former lovers or spouses.  They might be divorced, widowed, or just holding out for the right someone when they're introduced.

Contemporaries allow more flexibility with the main couple's ages too, particularly the heroines.  Either or both might have children that could potentially prove to be an obstacle to the blending of the two households.  I like that my heroes and heroines have already experienced love, even fleetingly, and want to find it again.  It's so optimistic. 

My goal is to make that emotional connection between my hero and heroine early and see how they weather the complications they'll face.  I want my characters to feel genuine, be people you could know or be friends with.  They're not going to be running from a serial killer or desperately searching for an antivirus with less than two hours to save the world.  Those kinds of stories are enjoyable but we're asked to suspend reality to make it work.  But reality in and of itself can be compelling if it drives the story where we want it to go, with speed bumps along the way.

What I'm doing is making an introduction, inviting the reader to experience a love story through the eyes of two people not very different from themselves.  It's a modest undertaking to be sure but one filled with hope and possibilities in the real world.