Please enjoy this guest post from Katheryn Lane.
Make sure to check out her books and feel free to contact her via Facebook and Twitter.
Happy Ever After Endings by Katheryn Lane
I recently read a wonderful romance novel, Broken Wings by Dawn Torrens, in which
the heroine, Angelina, falls in love with a soldier, Joshua, who’s about to be
deployed to Afghanistan in the Army’s bomb disposal unit. Before he leaves,
about two-thirds of the way through the book, she says that Joshua has ‘given
her wings’, as he makes her feel that she can do practically anything. This
phrase had my heart sink! The title, ‘Broken Wings’ implied that Joshua would
break Angelina’s heart. Would he die in Afghanistan? Would he return to her
alive? Frantic to know the answer, I fervently read through the remaining third
of the book to find out. While I was reading, I desperately hoped that he would
survive and they would have a happy-ever-after ending. I won’t give away the
ending, but I will say that it’s a great read!
Later, when I finished, I thought about why I was so
keen on having a positive ending. No one likes the idea of people dying in a
war, but these were fictional characters. Why was it so important to me that
Joshua came back to Angelina? Most romances (including the ones I write) finish
with a happy-ever-after ending (HEA for short), but why? I guess that in a good
novel (or series of novels), the reader starts to feel strongly attached to the
hero and heroine. During the course of the book/series, the reader follows
their story as they meet and overcome the various conflicts that stand in their
way. Despite the fact that some of these problems seem insurmountable (for
example in my novel The Desert Sheikh, the sheikh takes a second wife!)
the couple eventually manage to resolve their problems and sort things out.
This does not mean that everything is perfect, but the reader is left with the
feeling that the hero and heroine will be reunited and they will remain
together.
Sadly, real life is not always like this. All too
often couples are not able to overcome the obstacles that everyday life throws
up; some problems just cannot be resolved and the only solution is to split up,
or not even get together in the first place. Because real life is full of
countless examples of devastating loss and its consequences, not just for the
couple, but for their family and friends as well, I think many readers like to
escape to a world where long lasting happiness can be found and true love does
find a way. When I read a romance I like to have a strong emotional journey
with the couple; I like to share their passion and their heartache, and even
shed a few tears along the way. However, I also like to know that at the end I
will finish the book emotionally satisfied and relieved that everything has
been sorted out. A reviewer has compared my books to an emotional rollercoaster
and I think reading romance can be a bit like a fairground ride: lots of
gut-wrenching ups and downs during the journey, but you know you’re going to
get to the end safe and sound, even if you are a little bit shaken up.
About Katheryn
Lane
I'm a wife, teacher, author and mother
of two boisterous boys, so most of my days are taken up with finding lost
school shoes, getting stuck in traffic and wondering why I always join the
queue that doesn't move in the supermarket. However, I try to forget these
daily problems (and the fact that I burnt the toast again this morning) by
losing myself in a good book and writing novels that give readers a break from
everyday life.
Open one of my books and escape on an
adventure to an exotic location, because it's easier to buy a book than it is
to book an air ticket.
Have a break, read a book!
To find out more about me, you can:
Visit my blog: http://Katheryn-Lane.blogspot.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/KatherynLane
Visit my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/KatherynLane.Author
See my inspiration on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/KatherynLane
Visit my Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/KatherynLane
Visit my blog: http://Katheryn-Lane.blogspot.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/KatherynLane
Visit my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/KatherynLane.Author
See my inspiration on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/KatherynLane
Visit my Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/KatherynLane
Now available on Amazon The Sheikh's Beloved, The Desert Sheikh , The Royal Sheikh and Her Latin Lover
Connect with me at:
http://katheryn-lane.blogspot.
http://twitter.com/
http://www.facebook.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/
Connect with me at:
http://katheryn-lane.blogspot.
http://twitter.com/
http://www.facebook.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/
