My husband squeezed my hand, told how I write inspirational romances and said he was proud of me. The conversation moved on.  I picked up my fork, ready to dig into my salad and listen to everyone else talk. Really, that's what I do best. But then I realized everyone was staring at me. "You write religious books?" one of the women asked. "About people in buggies?"  And then came the million-dollar question: "Why?"  Of all the answers brewing inside of me, only one came to mind; the one answer that still feels the best: It gives me joy and enriches my readers' lives.  Well, that's it in a nutshell, as one of my characters would say. I feel lucky to spend much of my days writing about people loving the Lord and falling in love at the same time.  I don't feel those two things are mutually exclusive. Being a Christian is part of who I am, just like me being left-handed. It would be impossible to park my faith on the sidelines, pulling it out only on Sundays when it's time for church.  I don't think I'm alone in this. Several articles have appeared lately in the media about the popularity of inspirational romances. The Wall Street Journal, Business Week and USA Today have noticed the popularity of inspirational fiction -- "bonnet romances" in particular. It's become one of the most profitable industries in publishing.  Since I'm a working writer, I'm glad of that. But in my heart, I also see the need for this genre. In today's society, it's hard not to be blindsided by swearing, violence or suggestive language. Things that used to be thought of as unmentionable are now on television and in movies, and of course, in books. There's a large market for entertainment that pushes the envelope. I certainly don't shield myself against all of this.
It was the kind of experience I couldn't make up. A few weeks ago, my husband and I were invited to a large dinner party.After we arrived, we were seated at a round table with four other couples.