Christy Award-winning novelist believes romance is an ‘essential’ genre for believers

Some may think the term “Christian romance” is an oxymoron. Not at all. While for some, the word romance conjures steamy covers and pages filled with less than edifying prose, committed readers know that that stereotype is a gross misrepresentation of the genre. As a writer of Christian romance, I can assure readers and retailers alike that this genre is not only appropriate, but also essential—and it’s important that Christian retail stores “buy in” and support the category.

In brick-and-mortar or online stores, a great percentage of books that sell fall into this category because they have the relational elements readers want. That does not mean all romance novels follow a single formula, however. Considering only the categories that fit the Christian market, there are historical, Amish, dystopian, comedic, legal, medical and suspense—to name a few. Each category brings different aspects to the experience that attract readers with various interests and preferences. That said, the core of the romance genre is the relationship between the characters.

Whether it is falling in love, rekindling love or restoring love—what every Christian reader of romance wants and expects are a man and a woman whose love story will be the driving force of the fiction experience. In great works like Gone With the Wind, with its sweeping scope of the Old South and the Civil War, the most burning (forgive the pun) issue was not Atlanta, as in the great cinematic event, but whether Rhett and Scarlett could ever find happiness. For most women and a surprisingly high number of men who read this genre, the relationship of the characters is the foundation around which the plot and setting and theme occur. In this way, the love story is the avenue for everything else the author wants to convey. 

‘MAKE IT MESSY’

Unlike secular versions, Christian romance novels include faith elements. With other writers, I have discussed what part faith plays in our novels and to what degree it is, or should be, included. For some, if the expressions of Christianity, i.e. prayer, church attendance and discussion of beliefs were taken out, the story would not stand. In others, the story provides a clean reading experience with no overt Christian lingo or practices that might offend non-believers while offering a wholesome alternative to less edifying reads. Both serve a purpose intended by the author and appreciated by the reader.

In between those two, or maybe on the edge of both, I like to make it messy. Life happens in relationship. In my writing, I find it important to incorporate the grit of living a Christian life in a fallen world. For some characters, there may be a yearning for meaning. For others, life events have made it hard to believe in or trust a God that lets bad things happen. Some characters might be embittered or afraid, or are my personal favorite—the rogues. What makes a reader want to journey with these people? The love story. Even if both characters are damaged, as so many in our real world are, they find hope in opening themselves to each other and to God. 

‘INVOLVE ALL ELEMENTS’

The beauty of the Christian romance is that we have the freedom to involve all elements of the human experience. The emotional element—with all those great feelings that get tweaked and tugged—engages the readers’ own sympathetic responses. Readers tell me they laughed and cried, cheered and raged, and even found themselves praying for the characters because the story evoked such a powerful response. They went without sleep, left the house messy and read straight through to the end because they felt so much for the characters that applied to their own lives. 

In the stories Jesus told, he engaged the crowd by triggering their emotions, often by shocking their foundations, but always by touching something personal to them. In a similar way, a Christian romance can impart a message of hope and healing between the characters that translates to the reader. It can present a call to perseverance for those in difficult circumstances, to forgiveness for the wounded or to trust and belief that God is essential. All these things can penetrate by the engagement of the emotions in a way that a didactic lesson might fall short.

The second part of our human experience is physical—yes, Christian characters are flesh and blood. They experience temptation and desire. They feel the pleasure of touch and the joy—and angst—of attraction. God built us to delight in each other. Portraying that realistically in a Christian romance lends credibility to all the other aspects. In the words of one reviewer: “Heitzmann is one of the best at depicting sexual attraction between characters in Christian fiction—and the women are as capable of passion as the men” (FaithfulReader.com).

The spiritual aspect threaded through and underlying the other elements is the third and pivotal reason that Christian romance is sought by readers. A character’s relationship with God, even if it is adversarial, brings a depth to the love story that secular novels lack. Within the context of the male and female characters seeking and finding love for each other, there can be spiritual impediments or connections that either threaten or enhance that process. Readers often tell me that going through this process with the characters brought them to a better understanding of the impact of faith in their own relationships. 

‘ATTACH TO AN AUTHOR’

In creating the fabric for my stories, I include subplot relationships that readers want featured in new novels. This brings up another element in Christian romantic fiction that is the potential for sequels or series. As retailers know, one book that leads to another is a good thing, though I think it is important to remember that readers really want the continuum available. 

Whether in historical or current time, Christian romance deals with real-life aspects of relationship that lend themselves to book club discussions. 

One consideration for bookstores is to encourage these discussions on their websites or through in-store handouts. When readers attach to an author, book or series, there is a great potential for continuous relationship between the author, the retailer and the reader.

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