When the following popped up in my inbox, it resonated with me as a writer. Romance novels, no matter the subgenre, must have all the feels. Sometimes love huts. Sometimes love heals. Sometimes hearts are so full, we have to cry to relieve the pressure. And sometimes, hearts are so heavy we cry because the burden is so great we feel we might buckle beneath the load. Creating characters who feel that much and putting them into situations where they will feel that much is the challenge. A lot of people disparage the Romance genre, including those of us who write it and our readers. They think anyone can throw words on a page, add some kissing, and voila! One Romance hot off the presses. It doesn’t work that way. I would counter with “Anyone can write a Thriller/Mystery/SciFi/Fantasy/Western, Take a good guy, pit ’em against bad guys and blow up stufy/add clues/add technology/add magic/add horses.” Boom. One fiction book hot off the presses. The difference is, those of us who write Romance understand this message from the Universe:
Do you know why happy tears taste the same as sad tears, Silver?
Because all tears come from the ocean of love.
Your nautical wheeler,
The Universe
©www.tut.comP.S. Ahoy, Silver, love ahead… and hey, nice dinghy.
Today, my tears are mixed. We got the biopsy report back on Jake. The tumor was cancerous. It has come long medical name that ends in “carcinoma.” It’s agressive and goes for the lymph glands and then the lungs. The vet hopes that by amputing his tail several inches above the growth that maybe we got lucky and cut it off at the pass. So far, none of his other lymph glands are showing signs of tumors. The vet offered chest X-rays but if there were signs there, we’d be offered chemo. He’s eleven. That’s OLD for a giant breed dog. The chemo could be worse than the disease. It’s a terrible position. I won’t even think about the cost. I couldn’t sell enough books to pay for it. After a full range of tears, we’ve decided to just wait and see. We know the signs to look for and trust me, we’ll be checking for them daily. For now, we will love Jake and give him his best life for as long as he is with us. I pray it will be many more years, but if not, I’ll look back on this bit of knowledge from the Universe. And I will taste both the sweet and the bitter of my tears.
Silver James 
I’m tasting those salty tears with you. I have been praying so hard that Jake would be okay. I will continue to pray hard that you caught it before it spread. I offer you a huge virtual hug. 🤗💗
Thanks, Vik. We’re remaining hopeful and taking it one day at time. He’s getting extra pets and love (not that he lacked for either before). He goes with me. He gets his pup cups. He gets his jerky treats. He gets ear rubs and belly rubs, and just because rubs. ❤