Greetings! We’ve got Susan Fox (aka Susan Lyons et al) visiting with us today! She’s been a guest at ALBTALBS before, so without further ado… Susan!!!!!!

I Need the Emotion!

I read fairly widely – suspense, women’s fiction, mysteries, and of course romance. Romance is my “go to” read, the genre I most often turn to. I got to thinking about why that is. And it’s because, for me, romance is all about the emotion.

I like to shed a few tears (the good kind!) when I read a book. I like to laugh. Mostly, I like to care. I need to care about the heroine and hero and be invested in their story, to be rooting for them as they struggle toward their happy ending.

That’s why, when I write romance, it’s all about the characters and the emotion. I write what are referred to as character-driven stories as compared to plot-driven. Of course almost any novel will have character elements and plot elements, but the balance varies. In my books, the plots are inextricably intertwined with the characters and their emotions – their fears, their passions, their hopes.

My fifth Caribou Crossing Romance, Love Me Tender, is that kind of story. It’s about Dave’s fear of loving again, after losing the love of his life to cancer. And about Cassidy’s fear—one she won’t even acknowledge to herself—that she’ll never find a love or a home. It’s a deep-rooted fear that has turned her into a free-spirited drifter.

The book is also about their passion for each other, and how a casual fling can turn into something so much more – especially when Cassidy’s life-changing medical diagnosis throws both their lives into turmoil.

It’s also about their hopes – that maybe they do both have the courage to move beyond their pasts and to face an uncertain future, side by side, with love in their hearts.

And yes, of course in the end the story is all about love. That’s the emotional end note of a romance novel, the joy of the “happily ever after,” the prize that the heroine and hero have been striving toward – and that we, the readers, have been rooting for. It’s about the tears of joy we all shed when we believe that these two special people have bound their lives together in love.

That’s my take on romance, and that’s why I read and write it. I’m interested in your views. When do you choose a romance novel as the next book on your reading list? What appeals to you in your favorite romances? How do you feel as you’re reading a good romance, and how do you feel when you finish one?

Author Bio: International bestselling author Susan Fox, who also writes as Savanna Fox and Susan Lyons, writes “emotionally compelling, sexy contemporary romance” (Publishers Weekly). She’s multi-published in short stories, novellas, and novels. Her books have been translated into French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and German. Many are available as audio books.

She is published by Kensington Zebra, Brava and Aphrodisia, Berkley Heat and Harlequin Spice Briefs. In addition, she has ventured into self-publishing.

Susan is a Pacific Northwester with homes in Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. She has degrees in law and psychology, and has had a variety of careers, including perennial student, computer consultant, and legal editor. Fiction writer is by far her favorite, giving her an outlet to demonstrate her belief in the power of love, friendship, and a sense of humor. Visit her at her website and Facebook.

So? Remember, these are Susan’s questions

When do you choose a romance novel as the next book on your reading list? What appeals to you in your favorite romances? How do you feel as you’re reading a good romance, and how do you feel when you finish one?

What are your answers? 😀