We write take-no-prisoners, risk-it-all romance (Because We Can)

This week, I’ve been a guest on Nicky Well’s CentreStage with an interview of one of my main characters. Rebecca, just like Nicky’s character Sophie, takes a chance on love. The women’s stories seem very different at first sight: After all, Sophie’s man is a rock star, and Rebecca falls for a younger woman.

Still, I feel like there’s a common theme, beyond gender. The questions raised are universal: How far would you go for love? In the end, will you choose the confines of your comfort zone, or the freedom of being who you are, regardless of conventions and opposition?

It amuses me whenever I hear that some calls a romance novel unrealistic. By definition, fiction is unrealistic. It’s not meant to be a documentary. What it always does is evoke emotions one way or another. Love is an archetypal theme, and fictional characters and their stories can reflect a lot about our own hopes and fears regarding the subject.

If Rebecca and Sophie met in real life, they’d have a lot to talk about.