What is Fantasy Romance?

Happy Holidays! I hope everybody is spending a lot of time with their friends and families during this time of year. Buy a book to read in the New Year J Nothing like starting a post with something corny.

Today I’m posting about Fantasy Romance.  Or more accurately, I’m musing about it. Mostly because I write it, but also because I often wonder if I made up the genre. Ha! I know other people write it and have been writing it for many, many years (Even if it wasn't exactly called Fantasy Romance, it follows the same principles). I’ve seen it listed as fantasy romance all sorts of places. I don’t really think I started it since that would give myself way too much credit. But I still see posts from people of influence who don't recognize it. 

I wonder what it means to people when they see it. I’ll tell you what I think fantasy romance is. I think fantasy romance is a story that takes place in an alternate realm. It really doesn’t matter what happens in that realm as long as people want to read about it. Don’t allow me to hold you back. But in my realms, there’s usually magic, usually some super powers, and a whole lot of conflict. There’s also romance, which is where the second half of this name comes from. There is a happily ever after. That’s what being a romance means.

I know there’s a movement of people I’ve seen around the web who want romance novels not to end happily anymore, but I really hope it doesn’t trend widespread. I like my happy endings! I only read happy endings. If I wanted to watch non-happy endings, I’d watch the news, and would have never switched my aspiration to romance writer from first female President of the United States of America. My senior quote said if I failed at politics, I could always write a book about my failed experience. No lie. I just got over my soap box much sooner than expected, so my few quarters in college as a Political Science Major don’t make much of a tale. That’s just a nice side revelation. Lol. My point is that the romance, no matter how impossible it seems, will work out.

Fantasy by itself doesn’t guarantee a happy ending. I don’t think Romantic Fantasy guarantees a happy ending either. I like to give people a guarantee.

That’s my promise that comes with the label fantasy romance. You’ll be swept away into a world full of mystique. Leave your cell phones at the door, ladies and gentleman, because there’s no Twitter in fantasy romance. I heard your gasp of outrage. But to my way of thinking, fantasy romance is a nice place to escape the technology that we all sincerely appreciate because it makes our lives easier, but to be honest overwhelms me sometimes.

I defined my version of the genre. What do you think?