This blog is for those 18 and older.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Guest Author: Donna Faz - Why I Write Romance Novels


I can’t tell you how many times over the course of my 20-plus year career as a published romance author I have been asked, “When are you going to write a real book? You know, a [insert genre of choice, such as mystery, family saga, historical, thriller, horror, western, etc].” So I’d like to take this opportunity to tell readers why I write romance novels.

I suffered a lot of tragedy while I was growing up, the worst of which was losing my mother just as I was entering my teens. I felt as though I went from 13 to 35 overnight, and when my friends were off having fun, I was cooking and cleaning and helping my little brother with his homework. Romance novels were an escape for me. The Wolf and the Dove, The Far Pavilions, Whitney My Love, Rebecca, The Thorne Birds…if the book featured one man and one woman falling in love, I read it! Romance novels offered me hope for a happy future filled with love (hokey, yes, but I was young). As a young wife and mother, I discovered Silhouette Romance Novels. These books were short and sweet and uplifting. Each and every story put a smile on my face, and the happily-ever-after endings always boosted my spirits. Are romance novels real? No. Does every relationship end in HEA? Of course not. But if I wanted doom and gloom, I’d watch the evening news.

As an author, I can’t think of a better way to use my talent than to bring pure enjoyment to my readers. I tell people that I write cotton candy for the mind. Think about that. When you were a kid and you put a small cloud of that wispy confection on your tongue, what did you do? You smiled. And maybe you even laughed. That’s the reaction I’m going for with my short, upbeat stories. That’s why I write romance novels. So if you’re looking to get lost for a few hours in a fun, cheery story, I hope you’ll try one of my books.
~ ~ ~
Donna is a bestselling, award-winning author of over 30 novels that have sold over 3.6 million copies worldwide. You can find her on the web at www.DonnaFasano.com, or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DonnaFasanoAuthor, or on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/DonnaFaz. Her books are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, Sony, and Apple iBooks.
~  ~  ~
For a chance to win one of Donna's lovely books, leave a comment for her :-)

Posted by at
Labels: , , ,

11 comments:

  1. LyndeeJune 9, 2012 at 3:53 PM

    Hi Donna,
    Great example - the cotton candy of our youth. I'm with you. Reading is a great escape and in my world, time is scarce. That's why I prefer upbeat books, although Thornbirds is one of my favorites and that ending is bittersweet. Those characters really stick with me.

    You've written and sold a lot of books! How long does it take you to write a book, and is there a particular topic or setting that is your favorite?

    ReplyDelete
  2. bn100June 9, 2012 at 6:45 PM

    Thanks for sharing your story. I like the cover.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Donna FasanoJune 9, 2012 at 8:46 PM

    Lyndee, my first book took 18 months to write. Once I gained a little confidence, I was able to whittle that down to about 4 months.

    Regarding my favorite topic...well that would be new love. I enjoy creating ordinary characters who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances.

    bn100, thank you for the compliments on my cover. I hired artist Heather McGrath and I'm pleased with the result. I described my opening scene to her and she nailed it on the first try.

    ReplyDelete
  4. MarieJune 9, 2012 at 10:08 PM

    Donna,
    I, too, am a sucker for falling in love and happily ever afters and I so understand romance novels helping you to escape some of the realities of your young life (I did the same and those novels truly were life savers)! All those books you mentioned...they were wonderful (still are) and your cotton candy analogy made me smile.

    Thank you for sharing with us, Donna!

    Marie

    ReplyDelete
  5. Alexis WalkerJune 10, 2012 at 7:46 AM

    Donna, I'm with you. If I wanted reality I could look down the street. I want the happy ending, a reaffirmation that love will conquer. As for the news, I find once a week is plenty :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Barbara White DailleJune 10, 2012 at 11:56 AM

    Donna - love the cotton candy analogy. Let's hear it for sweet romance!

    Books make great escapes. And no, HEAs don't always happen in real life, but the books show us what's possible. And as you said, give people hope.

    Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Donna FasanoJune 10, 2012 at 4:26 PM

    Thanks, everyone! Your comments have put a huge smile on my face today.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dawn KundaJune 10, 2012 at 9:58 PM

    Hi Donna!
    I love how you're able to put your reason for writing romance into words and obviously have a genuine "love" for it!
    Since you've been a successful author through so many stories, do you ever consider writing a different romance genre or length of story, or have you found your home and want to stay?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Catherine LeeJune 11, 2012 at 9:17 PM

    LOVE the cover on Nanny & the Professor. I, too, admit to the guilty pleasure of The Thorn Birds--the TV miniseries version, not the book. I swooned for Father Ralph.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Donna FasanoJune 11, 2012 at 10:46 PM

    Hi, Dawn,

    When I wrote for my NYC publisher, I was kept in a pretty tight box. My editors wanted sweet romance novels and nothing else. Since diving into the self-publishing pool, I've found I really like the water! lol I can see myself writing all sorts of stories in many different genres. My writing world has opened up.

    Catherine, thank you for the compliments on my cover. I'm very happy with Heather's work.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Bette ReadJune 18, 2012 at 11:32 PM

    This sounds like fun. I've always loved cotton candy. Looking forward to the book. I'll never write but I will always read... Thanks for the fun.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)