First, a word about the romance genre.
As those of us who writeโand readโromance know, romance is often the underdog of fiction.
Literary types in particular often look down on it.
How sad for them.
For romance has the power to sweep us away on a magical journey where heroes and heroines
triumph against daunting odds. It uplifts, encourages and fills us with hope. Itโs the stuff of
inspiration.
Iโm proud to write itโfor these reasons:
1. I love happy endings. Who doesnโt? Thatโs what our hearts and souls yearn for, and when it
comes to the dating game, the romance genreโby definitionโoffers a guaranteed happily
ever after. Romance novels are comfort food for the heart because we know that no matter
how bad things get, the hero and heroine will end up together. Going along with them on their
journey as they grapple with all the challenges that come their way makes for a compellingโ
and sometimes enlighteningโride. I read a cynical article once that denigrated the genre as
nothing more than a fairy tale with no basis in reality, and you know what? I felt sorry for the
woman who wrote it. Because once we stop believing in the possibility of happy endings, life is
pretty darn depressing.
2. I like to uplift women, and romance novels give me the chance to do that. My heroines are
smart and theyโre strong. They fight for what they believe in and they donโt compromise their
principles. Theyโre the kind of women any of us would be proud to call friends. Like Jeannette
Mason, my heroine in Driftwood Bay, they are often grappling with tragic pasts and uncertain
futuresโbut they face their difficulties with grace, strength, courage, and fortitude. Thatโs
encouragingโand inspiring.
3. The best romance novels are stories of honor, endurance in the face of obstacles, integrity,
commitment and fidelityโand we need more examples of those in todayโs world.
4. Romance novels have a unique opportunity to demonstrate the tremendous power of love to
transform lives. And not just romantic love. Love in many forms plays a key role in all my
novelsโbetween the hero and heroine, certainly, but also between parents and children,
siblings and friends. In Driftwood Bay, the hero is trying to connect with the five-year-old girl
who is now in his charge. Members of a refugee family from Syria are trying to adapt to their
new country. The father in that family has lost touch with his young daughter and must learn
how to mend the rift. A father and mother are at odds. Love plays a role in all of these
secondary stories and permeates every page of the bookโas it should permeate every page
of our lives.
5. Finally, I write romance novels because of something Charles Dickens said: โA nation
without fancy, without some romance, never did, never can, never will, hold a great place
under the sun.โ So Iโm doing my small part, through my novels, to help keep America great! :-)
Bottom line, while we live in a difficult age, people of honor, principle, character, and integrity
do exist. Youโll find them in the pages of my books.
I hope youโll stop by Driftwood Bay and meet a few.
Hope Harbor
After tragedy robs her of everyone she loves, Jeannette Mason retreats to the tiny Oregon
seaside town of Hope Harbor to create a new life. Vowing to avoid emotional attachments, she
focuses on running her lavender farm and tea-room--until a new neighbor with a destructive
dog and a forlorn little girl invades her turf. But she needn't worry. Dr. Logan West is too busy
coping with an unexpected family, a radical lifestyle change, and an unruly pup to have any
interest in his aloof and disagreeable neighbor.
Yet when both Jeanette and Logan find themselves pulled into the life of a tattered Christian
family fleeing persecution in war-torn Syria, might they discover that love sometimes comes
calling when it's least expected?
Bestselling and award-winning author Irene Hannon invites readers back to the charming
seaside town of Hope Harbor, where they are sure to find peace, healing, and a
secondย chance at happiness.
Inspirational Romance | Romance Contemporary [Revell, On Sale: April
2, 2019, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800728816 / eISBN: 9781493416509]
Irene Hannon is the bestselling author of more than fifty novels, including One Perfect Spring
and Hope Harbor, as well as the Private Justice and Men of Valor series. Her books have been
honored with three coveted RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, a Carol Award,
two Reviewersโ Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine, a Retailersโ Choice Award,
two Booksellersโ Best Awards, and a National Readersโ Choice Award.
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