Why

It seems whenever I start to wonder if writing is really what I want to do,what I should be spending my time on, something happens to remind me WHY I want to write, and why I want to write romance and fantasy in particular.

I often pick up used books at library book stores, and through Paperback Swap online.
When I opened a romance to read the other day, a small card fell out. It was for a local neurosurgeon and on the back was written in a firm hand "Surgery Nov. 17th, a.m. CT scan".
It was a quick snapshot into the reading choice of someone with lots to worry about.

Romance and fantasy (and mystery and science fiction, and...) paperbacks have gotten me through some hard days and weeks in my life.
When I read something that lifted me out of myself, that sometimes gave me hope or just a few hours of peace I would close the book and think "I want to write like that."
Books of all sorts have been my constant companions since I learned to read 41 years ago.
I want to write stories that give the readers a tingle, or a few laughs, or tears, or all three.

I feel as if I have been learning my craft for decades, and will keep learning as long as I breathe.
Like my other favorite things (herbalism, artful creation, loving my husband) there is never an end to exploring, only new vistas layered on the familiar paths.