We are just a little over a month away from the official arrival of autumn, but the heat and humidity are at their peak here in the South.
School has just started back and as I sit and watch my neighborhood pool a lot less crowded during the day, it picks back up in the evening for anyone seeking to cool off.
It reminds me of those fun summer pool parties and vacation days at the beach. Remember the movie Grease? Danny and Sandy met at the beach and had their summer teen romance in the beginning of the film. There was no pretense between them. They merely fell in love with each other as they were and not the images they went on to portray in order to be accepted by their friends. Kind of makes one wonder how much outside influences shape our expectations in romance, doesn’t it?
As a preteen, I longed for that special boy to come along and sweep me off my feet with magical moments of holding hands and stealing sweet kisses. In middle school, I inhaled tales of romances from Silhouette First Love and Sweet Valley High. Remember those?
While I never had my own summer romance or met anyone on vacation, it’s fun to write about longings from experiences never formed but always wished upon.
Have you ever had a summer romance? Did it blossom into more?
My husband and I technically met ten years ago during the summer but we didn’t have our first date until the following December. Even so, our summers together have always been special and romantic. We have had our share of beach vacations that always include a walk in the sand with the ocean or gulf sweeping across our toes.
I love writing about romance because of the hope of finding true love that blooms into a long lasting force that doesn’t bow or break when the wind blows. New love is a wonderful time of learning about someone. Knowing you can lean on and trust your love long after the newness has worn off is like a ship returning to its harbor that is always there waiting with outstretched arms.
It’s fun to explore my characters’ thoughts and emotions as they discover new love. They are all broken or flawed in some way – aren’t we all? To find that person that can love and see past all the imperfections to the heart inside is love and romance at its core.
Why do you write romance?
Sophie
Sophie Leigh Fox 