In Today's Headlines - Romance Writers Weekly Blog Hop - #lovechatwrite

This week on the blog hop, we’ve been asked:

Do current events ever impact your stories? Give an example.

I think my answer to this is a “no.” But also “yes.”

I haven’t been inspired to write a story because of a current event. For example, I haven’t written anything set during COVID (or even mentioned it). But that doesn’t mean I am not influenced by what is going on in the world.

Trending topics such as inclusion have made me more conscious of including under-represented members of my community. They belong in my cast of characters because I have those people in my life, so they should be in my books, as well. I have characters with various ethnic backgrounds, use gender-neutral pronouns for a character, or have one use a mobility device. Not because I need that specific character to move the plot forward, but simple because I want a diverse range of people in my stories.

So, as I said. Current events don’t impact my stories. Except when they do.
 
Now hop over to Jill Haymaker for her take on this topic!

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Richly Deserved

More than twenty years ago, Claudia Aronson escaped an abusive marriage. She built a secure, stable life, and is now only weeks away from realizing a long-held dream—opening her own art gallery. But her well-ordered world is threatened by the compelling, abrasive man essential to bringing her new venture into the spotlight.

Artist Titus Wilcox is reclusive, nomadic, and passionate. His solitary, drifting habits have fed his creative soul, but played hell with his love life. Soon after he meets the statuesque, seemingly-serene Claudia, however, he feels a compulsion to paint a new reality—with her.

When an antique painting reveals mysterious documents concealed behind its frame, Titus and Claudia unite in a hunt for lost riches—a pursuit that takes them into the remote hills surrounding the fabled gold rush town of Barkerville.

(Claudia and Titus both 49)

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Return to Pine Meadows

Home is where the heart is and sometimes you don’t realize how strong your roots are. You’ll love this story of family, coming home, and maybe even finding romance with someone you’ve always considered to be more of an enemy than a friend-but things change. Join Kara as she returns to her small hometown in Montana to discover things aren’t always what they seem.