Some people say, disdain dripping from their lips, that romance is written to a formula. All genre fiction, mystery, romance, sci-fi, etc., requires certain elements specific to that genre—else it would be something else. It’s really a matter of reader expectation. Imagine a story that has an alluring sleuth, a dead body, red herrings galore, and a cunning murderer. In the end, the sleuth can’t figure out who the murderer is, and the murderer gets away. That may be a very good book—but it’s NOT a murder mystery. Now, imagine a story with a woman in a pickle, a handsome and moral hero, a conflict between them that is resolved, then the hero dies in a car wreck. That may be a great story—but it’s not a romance. The romance reader is going to be very disappointed.
The elements of a romance novel are: a moral heroine who the reader cares about, a moral hero, a conflict that comes between them, resolution of the conflict, and commitment to each other—the Happily Ever After ending.
I write romantic suspense for the ‘marvelously mature.’ Not exactly the traditional romance. My heroes and heroines have seen more than a few seasons change. Some readers have told me that they love my stories, but they don’t like the HEA ending. That HEA is unrealistic.
Well, of course it is—if you believe that HEA means forever frolicking through the tulips and never another problem you will meet. That’s certainly not what my heroines believe. They’re old enough to know better. Each one knows that her ‘private summers’ will get worse before they go away completely. She knows that at least one of her parents, or her hero’s parents, will probably require care that they will find mentally or financially difficult to give. She knows that melding two families, sometimes including grown kids, grandkids, and ex-inlaws, will bring challenges. But she also knows that she doesn’t have to kiss any more frogs because she has found the man who will stand strong by her side and support her through whatever life throws their way. That’s what Happily Ever After is all about. Now what could be wrong with that?
Evelyn
So do you believe in happily ever after or is it just for the romance novels? Leave your thoughts below and be entered to win a book from Evelyn!
About the author
EVELYN PALFREY
P O Box 142495
Austin, TX 78714-2495
evelyn@evelynpalfrey.com
Evelyn Palfrey is a native Texan and a lawyer who writes romantic suspense for the ‘marvelously mature’–because romance is just as sweet with a little gray at the temple. She is the author of four novels, Three Perfect Men, The Price of Passion, Dangerous Dilemmas and Everything In Its Place. Her novels deal with issues that are common to the middle passage of life, and reflect her 25 years practice of criminal and family law—and her love of RV travel.
Evelyn began writing fiction in 1995, driven by the realization that although many romance readers were like her—at middle age and starting a new phase of life—they weren’t represented as romance heroines. Three Perfect Men was born as the first book of a trilogy about three women who had been college roommates in the ‘60’s. The Price of Passion, a novel about marriage and betrayal, followed the next year. Her sister’s remark about the absence of full-figured women as romance heroines propelled her to write Dangerous Dilemmas. Her fourth novel, Everything In Its Place, grew out of recognition that many women who thought they had finished raising children, are now raising grandchildren.
Her next venture is a story in the anthology, Cougar Tales, with Sandra Kitt and Laura Parker.
Evelyn’s novels have been on the Essence Magazine bestseller list, the BookSense ’76 list, and have been Black Expressions selections. The Price of Passion was awarded Best Multicultural Book by Romantic Times Magazine.
Evelyn’s story, “The Lady at the Bus Stop”, was published in Chicken Soup for the African-American Soul, and her story, “Mama’s Hands”, was published in Chicken Soup for the African-American Woman’s Soul. She has also been a contributor to Black Issues Book Review.
Evelyn was nominated for a Career Achievement Award by Romantic Times. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Austin Public Library Foundation, Travis County Lawyer Referral Service, Austin Community Radio, Inc., Texas Municipal Courts Education Center, and the State Bar of Texas. She is currently on the Board of the Writers League of Texas and is active with Austin Romance Writers of America.
Vist Evelyn online
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/evelynpalfrey/
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/EvelynPalfrey
About the book – click cover to purchase e-book
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Against Her Better Judgment by Evelyn Palfrey
Judge Beverly Polk scoffs at the news that a prisoner has put a contract out on her. Private Investigator, Devon Carter, claims to be hired by an anonymous client to protect her. Judge Polk resents and resists his protection, even as he infiltrates her home, her life, and even her heart.
Ms. Ev… you are a FANTASTIC story teller and I do believe in Happily Ever After – at any age. It’s all what you put in it and get out of it that counts….
Sending Luv and Hugs to ya
Renee…. these are Fantastic
Well I thought I was the first one! LOL Thanks Cilla! I’ve so enjoyed this tour and I really appreciate your daily support!
Big hugs!
Well for once during this tour, I’m going to be the first one to log in and post a comment! LOL I definitely believe in happily ever after, even if it’s I’m not something I’m personally living. Hence the title of this site, a hopeful romantic! LOL But I totally agree with your assessment of happily ever after. You summed it up quite nicely.
Thanks for being a part of this tour Evelyn, as a featured author and supporting the other authors. I appreciate it more than words can say. Much love to you!
Hi Ev:
Stopping by to show some love.
Great post and I love your description of ‘happily ever after.”
As one of those who has reached that ‘marvelously mature’ stage in life, I couldn’t agree more!!
Take good care:)
Great post! I’m a firm believer in Happily Ever After, especially the real-life way you describe it:
“But she also knows that she doesn’t have to kiss any more frogs because she has found the man who will stand strong by her side and support her through whatever life throws their way. That’s what Happily Ever After is all about.”
I think more of us need to start believing in Happily Ever After and believing we deserve it. I bet a lot of things would change in male/female relationships if we all believed Happily Ever After was a real attainable thing.
Amen Gwyneth!
Great words of wisdom, Ms E. I always think because some people can’t find that HEA that does not mean that others haven’t. I’ve met some couples that seem to be pretty happy even with a few bumps here and there and I’m sure they believe they will be happy ever after.
Renee, it’s been great reading these post from the authors.
Lareeta, I’m glad you’re enjoying it! Thanks for checking in each day of this tour.
I believe in Happily Ever After. Happily Ever After doesn’t mean life will not come with its set of challenges and mishaps but overall you can find happiness.
Hi Ms. Ev,
I really enjoyed this post. I totally believe in Happily Ever After. With so much craziness going on in the world why would someone want anything else in a romance? Why would you want to read about the heroine falling in love to have the hero die? Too depressing. After reading a romance I want to close the book with a nice happy, warm and fuzzy felling. I once had someone tell me that romance novels don’t always have to end with a happy ending. I was like, “Say WHAT?” LOL I want my happy ending
Romance books are what made me continue to believe in happily ever after even when I didn’t see it a lot in my own life. I wanted to believe there was this great guy out there for me. I kissed a couple of frogs until my hero showed up. Too bad I didn’t realize when we first met at 14 that he was the one. I would have saved me a lot of heartache and tears.
I know now those trials made me into the best woman I can be who is now living happily ever after.
Congrats LaShaunda.
After reading tons and tons of romance and actually getting to chat with the authors and other women like me. I truely believe in happliy ever after!!! I’m patiently waiting for mine!!
And I’m going to check out ur books.
I promise you won’t be sorry Nechelle. Evelyn’s books are the BOMB!
I believe in the happily ever after and it does exist in real life. To me it goes along with positive thinking and if you do not have positive thoughts, you will not see or expereince the happily ever after.
And thanks for writing stories about and for the “marvelously mature”.
I most defintiely believe in happily ever afters *bg*
Even if I hadn’t just recently found the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, I’d still believe in happily ever afters… because, what’s life without hope
I believe in HEA, but it takes a lot of work from both parties.
Yes it does Estella, yes it does.
Hello Ms. Evelyn;
I believe in HEA regardless of age. And you are right, it’s the reader’s interpretation of what HEA means for them. For me it’s, this is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, through good times and bad, forever and ever…..
Thanks e’rebody for chiming in. I wish I could have responded to each one all day long, but they had me tied up and locked down in a conference all the ding-dong day. My day job is in the criminal justice system. Not many HEA there=:( The conference was on Human Trafficking. By legal definition, this is not smuggling, but more akin to slavery. It is jaw-dropping shocking what is going on just in my little ol’ town. And I’m sure it’s even worse in the really big cities where anonymnity is easily attained. All of us ‘hopeful romantics’ are more blessed than we know, that we can read the beautiful stories that the writers here and elsewhere give us, that we can observe others who have found their HEA, that some of us have found ours, that those of us who haven’t yet found ours can believe the HEA is possible for us, and that we can have the hope that Ali spoke of.
Ev, who stumbled through the door, grasping for her copy of Captured by Bevely Jenkins, and counting her blessings
Thank you Evelyn for being a part of this tour! And no apologies necessary. Yes, we are definitely blessed.
Evelyn,
Sounds like the drippings for a novel
Ms Ev,
First let me say I enjoyed Cougar Tales you three ladies really raised thebar on “Cougarsa”.
Yes, Yes, Yes, I do belive in HEA it come in all forms not just in romance. When you see you child become a real man that’s a HEA. When a live one is in remission from any type of cancer that’s a HEA. When you wake up and say good morning, thank you for another day that’s a HEA. Look around you HEA are everywhere.
Thanks. I feel so honored to be in the company of fantastic writers like Sandra Kitt and Laura Castoro.
And amen!
ev
Amen Toni, Amen!
I believe in happily ever after. It means different things to different people…Loved your story on Cougar Tales!
Thank God for romance books and their HEA’s. Life in this day and age is very challenging for most of us. Sitting down with a romance book is my “Calgon take me away” moment. I see enough reality every day. These books give me hope. And even though it’s my expectation that there will be an HEA, each author has their own unique approach to that end, which keeps things very interesting.
Bravo Evelyn! Since I am marvelously mature and still believe in romance, I definitely love your novels (as you well know) because they are realistic and have the type of HEA that is in line with our age’s experiences. Great post.
Don’t know how much more I can say I love, love, love, EP’s books for the marvelously mature. Anxiously waiting on her next full length novel, but in the meantime, I’ll have to check out Cougar Tales. As far as HEA (boy meets girl, they fall in love and live HEA), love reading them in romance novels even though it doesn’t happen enough in real life.. That’s why I love Evelyn’s HEA, they’re realistic.