Knights in Shining Armor by Stacy Hoff

The fact Valentine’s Day was just here got me thinking about romance. Actually, as a romance writer, I pretty much think about romance all the time. But why? What is about romance that always seems so fresh and new, even if the story is old?

How old? Colleges still have English students read “The Knight’s Tale,” (in original Middle English, “The Knightes Tale”) the first story in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. In fact, when I was a student in college, I read this. Today’s romantic stories are a lot less “courtly” and a whole lot hotter, but the theme of longing and desire remain the same.

Below is a picture of two of my college text books, which I still cherish today.

While our technology may have changed over hundreds of years, the “wiring” of a human being has not. Our hearts function exactly the same way as they did during Medieval times. We still yearn for the euphoric feeling we get when we find a person who makes us feel loved, valued and desired. It is as powerful an emotion to an eighteen year old as it is to someone who is eighty.

There is still the same desire to be protected. To have a modern day “knight in shining armor” willing to swoop down and save us, no matter how dire our circumstances or what personal cost. It’s a romantic notion intrinsic in us to this day. Don’t believe me? Look at all the billionaire and military hero books that are currently on the market. These books cater to the very same basic human need Chaucer fulfilled long ago.

The military hero/protector/knight in shining armor is a trope that I, a published author of several romance novels, have utilized. My “Desire” series (DESIRE IN THE EVERGLADES, and the sequel DESIRE IN THE ARCTIC) is based upon this concept. And why not? I love a good damsel in distress, with a man willing to risk his life to save her. It’s fun to put my modern twists (and the characters’ modern sensibilities) into a “knight in shining armor” tale. It’s my modern spin on a story theme as old as Geoffrey Chaucer.

Even in 2016 our romantic hearts are forever hopeful. We want love for ourselves, our family, friends and our neighbors. It makes sense we want happy endings for our favorite characters. So why not say loud and proud—I read romance books, and I love the “happily ever after.”

Bring on the knights in shining armor!

What are your thoughts about romance books? Who is your favorite “knight in shining armor” character?

Top picture taken by Stacy Hoff in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Medieval wing, New York City.  All photos Copyright Stacy Hoff 2016. All rights reserved.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS FOR STACY HOFF:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorStacyHoff

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/authorStacyHoff

Web: http://www.stacyhoff.com

DESIRE IN THE ARCTIC by Stacy Hoff (a new release!):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AMUVJKW?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B01AMUVJKW&linkCode=xm2&tag=stacyhoffcom-20

AMAZON LINK FOR DESIRE IN THE EVERGLADES by Stacy Hoff:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NFSMCYG?creativeASIN=B00NFSMCYG&linkCode=w00&linkId=6PCZIZBWKBWUSNHI&ref_=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til&tag=stacyhoffcom-20

AMAZON LINK FOR SEASON OF LOVE (Box set with Stacy Hoff):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X3ZAR3E?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B00X3ZAR3E&linkCode=xm2&tag=stacyhoffcom-20

AMAZON LINK FOR LAWFULLY YOURS by Stacy Hoff:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U7U2WCC?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B00U7U2WCC&linkCode=xm2&tag=stacyhoffcom-20

AMAZON LINK FOR HOT SEDUCTION (box set with Stacy Hoff):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014RQX8GU?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B014RQX8GU&linkCode=xm2&tag=stacyhoffcom-20

Filed under: A writer's life, Heroines, historical romance, medieval, romance, romantic., Stacy Hoff, Valentine's Day