Hello everyone!

[[deleted user]]

Hi. :) After reading through the posts, I feel like I'm probably in the definite minority as a young single twenty-something guy in this group. But honestly, if I can be perfectly frank with you all, I like love stories just as much as any woman. In fact, ha ha, I totally got my man-card taken away after I watched the five hour version of Pride and Prejudice and liked it. Still haven't earned it back yet... oh well. :)

I always thought I'd publish an epic swashbuckling fantasy as my first book, but it turns out, I wrote and published a sweet YA love story for my debut. WHAT THE HECK? I haven't told too many people about it, but I figure I might as well let everyone know that I REALLY don't get to have my man card back, ha ha ha ha...

So here it is, in the Goodreads link at the bottom. It involves a boy and a girl, ballroom dance, and a friendship that goes deeper than any amount of unrequited love can mess up.

Thanks for reading my post. I've been a Goodreads lurker for a while, and I thought it was time I piped up!

The Last Lesson: A Novel in Fragments

[Lynne]

Hi there, Joseph!

[Abigail]

Hi, Joseph, I loved your intro! It takes a true manly man to ’fess up to being a softie. My sweetie is another such; and you’ll find more on these threads.

[Danielle]

There are more men out there writing sweet romances than you may realize. Of course, Nicholas Sparks always comes to mind, but his books aren't all essentially "clean." I have a good friend, a very sweet, respectful author friend by the name of Larry Hammeersley. He writes sweet modern Historicals. Hang in there. You are not alone!

[[deleted user]]

Aloha, Joseph - Good for you to write a sweet YA romance. Readers need to see that men can, and do, understand good clean romance! Kudos.

[[deleted user]]

Abigail wrote: "Hi, Joseph, I loved your intro! It takes a true manly man to ’fess up to being a softie. My sweetie is another such; and you’ll find more on these threads."

Aw, shucks. :) Thanks for that. I really am a softie, this is true. But I enjoy it. :)

[[deleted user]]

Danielle wrote: "There are more men out there writing sweet romances than you may realize. Of course, Nicholas Sparks always comes to mind, but his books aren't all essentially "clean." I have a good friend, a very..."

I will look up your friend. My mother reads more in the romance genre than I do, and she is always looking for stuff that isn't dirty. I have been told that my writing is a bit like Nicholas Sparks, if Nicholas wrote books for teens and they were squeaky clean.

[[deleted user]]

Jackie wrote: "Aloha, Joseph - Good for you to write a sweet YA romance. Readers need to see that men can, and do, understand good clean romance! Kudos."

Aloha, Jackie! Yes, I agree! Men get labeled a lot as not understanding the softer side of life. In fact, I've been in writer's groups where my ability to write a convincing woman was casually dismissed simply because I'm male... before they'd even read my work! It's kind of funny, really. :) Thanks for the vote of support!

[[deleted user]]

Lynne wrote: "Hi there, Joseph!"

Right back at you! ;)

[Sharon]

We have men in our local chapte of Romance Writers of America, so you are not the only male writer of romance novels. But I must admit that few write sweet romance.

[Ramla Zareen]

Hi, I just joined this group today and though I initiated my own "Hello everyone, really happy to be here! :-)" discussion thread, but felt like greeting everyone individually too! 

Well, looking forward to great recommendations and wonderful friendships :-)

Thanks and Happy Reading! :-)
--Ramla Zareen