Do you ever wonder where authors get their ideas? Whether it is my own life, the lives of those around me, or other forms of story, art, and musice — we find inspiration in lots of places!
For my recent CCR release The One Who Promised Forever, it was really heavily inspired by real life events.
In the book, Rebecca and Nathan have been married for 9 (almost 10) years. They have 3 little boys and Nathan leaves, moving out and declaring the marriage over. The story that follows is them trying to determine if there is anything left to save in the ashes of their marrage, struggling with their own insecurities, and trying to coparent while unsure of their own status.
When I created Rebecca and Nathan (as side characters several books earlier), the Lord had already laid it on my heart to write a redeemed marriage story. It was in a season where I was seeing a lot of brokenness in marriages around me within the church.
Men leaving their families out-of-the-blue.
Wives struggling with identity and purpose and feeling trapped in their life.
Spouses abusing their power and striking at the vulnerabilities of their partner, physically and emotionally.
It was breaking my heart, and I knew it was breaking God’s heart, too.
Some of those real-life stories ended up with marriages healed. Too many didn’t.
I wanted to write a story where God worked in the hearts of two sinful people and brought them back together in unity with Him and each other.
I’m still not sure I did the story justice. There are so many layers to a marriage relationship. So many tiny interactions that can have ripples we don’t recognize until they have combined into waves that threaten to capsize us. I struggled with the characters and their pride and stubbornness. I struggled with feelings of inadequacy that I was even equipped to tell a story of a broken marriage being made whole.
One of the most common typos I had in this manuscript was that I *kept* writing that Rebecca and Nathan had been married for 13 years instead of 9 — because that’s how long my husband and I have been together. It was clearly VERY easy for me to put myself in Rebecca’s shoes.
Writing this book has made me even more grateful for the way my husband extends grace and patience over and over where I fail… My editor wrote a note with the edited manuscript and said “I hope this doesn’t come too much from personal experience.” I’m happy to reassure her (and you, in case you’re worried) that while I put a lot of myself into the story, it is mostly the result of taking my existing circumstances (3 little boys!) and exaggerating small feelings into big crises and my worst fears into fictional reality.
I had so much fun taking the interactions of our family and turning them into scenes from the book. Things like the chaos of getting everyone ready for church or trying to watch a toddler during their older sibling’s soccer practice.
I had never written a “married romance” before, and I don’t usually prefer reading them. I’m here for all the swoony first kisses and will-they-won’t-they tension… So, of course I tried to give a glimpse of those moments as well. In fact, since the story features flashbacks, I even show Nathan’s original proposal (and borrowed almost exactly from the day my husband asked me!).
So, as you can see, this story was heavily influenced by real life. From the inspiration to write a redeemed marriage, to the characters and their life with three young boys, and specific scenes and conversations. In fact, that has been one of the most common themes of readers reviews. Readers said the story and characters in The One Who Promised Forever felt incredibly realistic, and while the story wasn’t light and fluffy, it left them with a feeling of hope and a satisfying happy ending!
Do you enjoy reading romance between characters who are already married? Which ones do you recommend?
Tara Grace Ericson lives in Missouri with her husband and two sons. She studied engineering and worked as an engineer for many years before embracing her creative side to become a full-time author. She loves cooking, crocheting, and reading books by the dozen. Her writing partner is usually her black lab - Ruby - and a good cup of coffee or tea. She loves a good “happily ever after” with an engaging love story. That’s why Tara focuses on writing clean contemporary romance, with an emphasis on Christian faith and living.
I have not seen too many romance novels with already married characters, except family sagas. I would like reading them! But maybe the ones with already married characters are not genre romance, but women fiction? Anyway, they are interesting, life never stops at marriage.
I don’t think i’ve read many romances with married characters, apart from marriage of convenience stories which are different as they are still showing a couple falling in love for the first time. I haven’t read ‘The One Who Promised Forever’, but I will definitely add it to my TBR list, it sounds really intriguing to read about characters working to rebuild an existing relationship.
I think most romances are escapism and it does us good to realize we are here to serve each other through the good times and the bad and not just for the warm fuzzies.
P.S. Not to say I don’t still like romances! ;)
I appreciate the courage it took to step out of what you like – the swoony first kisses – what a great phrase and into this more challenging. Happy that you had a firm marriage foundation to support you whilst doing it. I don’t recall seeing many married couple stories so it’s great that you are reflecting this in fiction. Who knows how many people will read it and it might be just what they need to hear for their marriage. Thanks for the really interesting post. :)
thank you for posting today. yes I enjoy reading secondary characters who get their spotlight. I love to read how they learn to hold things together, especially with the help of Jesus. I am glad you have a strong marriage that holds things together and that you can write and share about how to maybe help others. a true blessings from Jesus.
I enjoy them so much, I actually have two married romances coming out this year. I’m with you and am so saddened by all the brokenness around us, especially in marriages and families. So glad I am not the only one wanting to redeem those things, even if it’s only through fiction.
I do like reading stories where a couple is already married. Karen Kingsbury has quite a few books with married couples and what they’re going though (not just the Baxter ones), and I’ve read some others, too.
Yes, I like reading stories that have married couples in them.
I do enjoy reading books about people being married. Thanks so much for sharing. God bless you.
I like this type of book because it’s real. I have had friends have issues in a marriage and the need to work to stay together. I have also got friends who have a failed marriage due to a few things you mentioned. Two of my best friends have ended leaving due to psychologic abuse with included financial abuse. One only realised after a workshop at the school on spotting bullying and abuse and said jokingly if this is mental abuse then I am being abused. She thought she made a joke but it made her think and realise how controlling her ex was. The other left after her husband started doing the same to her daughter.
I did read a book in a Barbour Novella set I forget the title but I know it was Autumn something. there was a couple returning after dropping there youngest at college and the empty nesters found they were drifting apart. I don’t remember all the info now but they did get back together stronger than ever.