Why Write a Romance Set in Hell?

Why write about the border of Texas and Mexico when a romance set on the Left Bank of Paris is a much easier sell? It’s a good question. With me, the questions run even deeper. Why write a book? A romance–really? My friends have dubbed me the Reluctant Romantic.

A thousand times, I’ve thought back to those first few sentences and wondered what compelled me to write Zapata. Part of the answer is easy. I had a project there. The same task that I assigned to my protagonist, Avery. Someone was stealing my client’s oil, and one of the site employees had disappeared, reputed to have been murdered.

So why didn’t Zapatabecome a thriller? Maybe because a fairytale is necessary to negate the harsh effects of reality. Or perhaps love derived from hardship feels like the grand prize to me. I still don’t have a single answer. What I do know is that I’ve grown attached to the rugged landscape and its people. It’s the kind of place that gets its hooks into you and doesn’t let go.