“And they lived happily ever after” is the classic once-upon-a-time tale. I became a fan of romance novels for many reasons including the sensual portrayals, the blend of historical facts with fiction, strong heroes and heroines, and the happily ever after endings.

However, when I began writing my romance stories, I wasn’t sure how to get to that happily ever after until I got to know the characters, their conflicts, the different elements being used including the paranormal or the historical or a mix of both. As a writer I found myself on the journey along with the hero and heroine in finding their “happily ever after”, and at the end I generally felt the “ah” moment as well as a little sadness like bidding good friends farewell after spending some time together. If you’re a writer, I think you’ll understand. If you’re a reader, I think you’ll understand too. I’ve indulged in books where I could not put them down, and when they ended I sat clutching the book awhile and felt that sense of satisfaction too.

In my latest book, A Dance Out of Time, I got to know my heroine Georgina Claythorne, the teenage ghost hunter, a little more and wanted her to not only deal with the haunting of her family’s bed and breakfast in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, a shore town which I’ve come to know and love, but I wanted Georgina to feel that “happy ever after” if only for the time until another story. It takes work, struggle for the characters and the writer, but it is satisfying!

Happy readings!