My first novel, Stanton Adore, followed Joshua Stanton and Natasha Marx, a couple I had first dreamt about when I was just 17. With a mix of trepidation and a lot of hope, I uploaded my book online. To my astonishment, people started buying it. Sales quickly gained momentum and my book garnered enough attention to attract an online publisher. Signing that contract validated my efforts and lifted our family out of financial despair. We sold the business and got ourselves back on track.

Now, some 10 years later, I’ve written 28 books and am in bookstores in the US, UK, Europe and Australia. I still pinch myself every day.

Romance transports us to worlds where love conquers all and happily-ever-afters are not just possible but promised.

T L SWAN

We all know sex sells, and my books certainly are spicy, but at their core they are traditional love stories with the happy endings everyone dreams of. Romance transports us to worlds where love conquers all and happily-ever-afters are not just possible but promised. In a world filled with chaos and uncertainty, romantic fiction offers a beautiful escape.

When people find out I’m a writer, they often say, “You’re an author, how amazing!” quickly followed by, “What do you write?”

“Romance.” I reply.

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Their face falls, and I watch it turn from interested to smug. “Oh, like Fifty Shades. So, you write porn.”

No dear readers, I don’t write porn…

I fake a smile and brush it off, like water off a duck’s back. I do this because I know that romance books hold the largest market share globally, accounting for a third of all fiction sales. I feel the reason for this is that at our core, we all crave connection and feeling and romantic fiction encompasses the full gamut of emotions – the thrill of a first kiss, the pain of heartbreak, the joy of a reunion. These stories hit home on a deeply personal level.

What I’m interested in is relationships and intimacy. It’s all about the emotional journey of my characters – their hopes, fears and desires. It captures what makes us human. And, yes, of course the spice – the sex scenes are obviously appealing to readers and I do write them to be as visual and graphic as I can.

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a writer is hearing from my readers about why they enjoy my books. Many of them have shared intimate, personal stories from their own lives and credit my books with saving their marriages.

Romance has a special place in our lives and on our bookshelves. Loving love is brave. And, as corny as it sounds, it’s true – love conquers all. It can even save you from financial ruin.

The Bonus (Arndell) by T L Swan is out now.

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