Escape into Romance

Introduction One of the most enjoyable and fun things about putting together a collection is working within a theme. Sometimes I know what it is before I choose the stories. In this case, I had all them together before I realized what the theme would be. Besides the obvious spark and thrill and joy of a romance collection, of course! As it turns out, each of the stories in this collection are part of other fictional worlds I love writing and playing in. A Blizzard in Pink takes place in Estonoa, a thinly veiled version of my lovely hometown of St. Paul, Virginia. Estonoa has been host to Earworms and sinner moths so far, so a sweet romance with a rather peculiar blizzard may be a welcome change of pace to the residents. Soul Deep ventures to St. Louis, Missouri, in the depths of winter. I spent most of my teen years there, so I knew exactly what these characters were going through. They turn up again in Hand Me Downs, the first book in my Soul Travelers fantasy series. One of my favorite fictional towns is Lightning Gap, Virginia. It’s not like my hometown or any other town in Appalachia (that I know of). The Lightning Festival is the second romance short set there after The Heart Is the Strongest, to go with Protecting Her Own, a romantic suspense novel. I plan to return there for all manner of adventures! Morning Glory travels south to Atlanta, Georgia, one of my favorite cities and our home for a decade. Many details came from a job of mine right on Peachtree Street, and dear friends. Sadly, the fabulous bakery was not across the street. This story ties into my mystery short story series featuring Andre at the reception desk, starting with The Sound of Murder. Odds are extremely high these characters will reappear in future tales. To bring this collection to a close, When the Fog Clears returns to Estonoa. Part of the town casts forward into the future after a challenging time falls into the past. Very much like the lives of the two characters. I hope you enjoy these stories of the spark and excitement of new love. Besides passing through several of my fictional worlds, these stories and characters explore more than one stage of life and relationships. From the scary and exhilarating days of college and young love, through figuring out how to manage the challenges of young adult life, through the cusp of middle age. Meeting for the first time or reconnecting after many years apart. Walking with hope, no matter what pain or disappointment they may carry. The characters in Escape into Romance take that risk, that chance of finding true happiness. I hope you enjoy taking that journey with them as much as I enjoyed writing these sweet stories. To learn more about me and find other short stories, along with novellas, novels, and collections, visit www.karikilgore.com. You’ll find more romance at www.karikilgore.com/Romance. For more Appalachian stories, visit www.karikilgore.com/TalesfromAppalachia. If you want to keep up with what I’m doing next, get free stories, read exclusive content not available anywhere else, and see adorable pet photos, pay a visit to The Confidential Adventure Club at www.confidentialadventureclub.com. And last but certainly not least, thank you for your support of me and my writing. It means the world to me and keeps me coming back to tell the next tale.