Pairing Two Things That Most People Love, Romance and Chocolate

A penny for your thoughts; an infamous cliché that is often used in modern day terms to elicit one’s thoughts, accurately describes literally, the flourishing career of New York Times' Best Selling Author Eloisa James.

This innovative author has made quite the name for herself and has proven her credibility as a romance novelist. From honorable mentions in People Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly and Library Journal, to her all-star reviews as a USA Today’s Best Selling Author, James has showcased her ability to succeed in a competitive literary arena by simply writing about what she knows.

When asked how she has attained so much success, James said, “I take what I’ve learned in life and incorporate them into my work.” By taking her own personal experiences and turning them into an intoxicating plotline, James has proven a successful business model for an award-winning writing career. 

Last week, the author came to to a modest crowd of 50 admirers for a lecture on romance novels and their implications in shaping our cultural values and societal views.

The lecture was titled “romance and chocolate” and was part of a month long series (at the library) celebrating romance novelist such as herself, that personify much of the paths to self-discovery in books like Eat, Pray, Love.

James candidly spoke about many things, from her commitment to her family, to her full-time job as a college professor, and even her annual summers spent in Italy, but she placed the greatest emphasis on her writing process.

“I grew up with no TVs in the house, [and] did not have [much] electronic stimulation, so [I] wrote books.” Each summer James and her family would write plays and have local neighborhood friends attend.

James said that she knew two things as a child, “writing and HarperCollins.”  Because she saw her father write short stories, and her mother write non-fictional works, she decided to follow in their footsteps and become a writer.

“Each book,” James said, “has come out of something in my heart.” Because writing is a cathartic process, the end result is to create something that captivates readers and sustains their attention, and the only way to do so is to write about what you know.

James incorporates so much innovation into each body of work, and somehow still manages to have fun. She also emphasizes the importance of historical context in each story, because she believes it adds depth and complexity.

Melissa Rice, of Frankfort, said she's been reading romantic novels by James for about two years.

Orland Park resident Margaret Gorden said, “I really enjoy historical romances,” especially romantic works by James. Gorden said she feels that because James’ literary novels are so introspective, they provide an immense amount of historical framework, which adds life and depth to each story.

Kristin Torpy, of Chicago, said that although she is not a romantic novel enthusiast, she still very much so admires James and her creative works because, “of her credentials.” James studied at both Harvard University and Oxford, and currently teaches Shakespeare to undergraduate and graduate students at Fordham University in New York City.

Torpy said, “I lover her writing process, and how she explained it.” According to her, ‘it’s interesting.” Hearing about [that], and not knowing where each literary work will end up, “was the most exciting part of the night.”

With a full-time career, two children, a husband, and a full household to run, James said that she writes when she has the time. “I don’t have a set time or schedule during the day when I sit down to write, so I write when I can.”
 
In fact, James says that she writes for just “about five minutes [each] day.” Although that may not seem like a lot of time to devote to her craft, she assured her listeners that when you collective add all that you’ve written in the span of 30 days, then you really have something [special].   

James has written over 20 books, and she said her upcoming romantic novel will be fun and upbeat remake to the nostalgic classic The Princess and the Pea.