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Male romance writer argues 'love is a universal em
12 January 2009
People love reading about romance and relationships and the success of Mills and Boon is testament to that fact with a book sold every three seconds in the UK.
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The Daily Mail has reported on an increase in sales caused by what it sees as women "taking refuge from the credit crunch in a world of beating hearts and happy endings".
A writer who you may not expect to see writing for Mills and Boon, however, is Roger Sanderson, the publisher's only male author who is a 70-year-old grandfather.
Mr Sanderson clearly still has what it takes to write romantic fiction as writing under the pseudonym Gill Sanderson - his wife's name - he has sold over three million novels in 26 countries.
When he explained why he is so successful, Mr Sanderson said: "People are always asking how a man like me can get into a woman's psyche, but love is a universal emotion. If they've been in love, then most men can empathise with what a woman is feeling."
He clearly enjoys writing romantic fiction but admits that "other men look at me in utter disbelief when I mention what I do".
The retired college lecturer said that writing about love "makes [him] feel good" especially when he has just come to the end of "another lovely happy ending".
This is clearly romantic fantasy, however, and Mills and Boon dictate that the stories must adhere to very strict guidelines.
While pre-marital sex is now a regular occurrence in the novels, there is to be no reference to one-night stands "unless it leads to marriage".
There are also some rather unrealistic criteria set when it comes to the hero and heroine of these romantic tales. While he has to be "tall, handsome and fit" with a good head of hair, she must be attractive, "ideally very attractive", Mr Sanderson explained.
It seems that the publishers are keen to expand their repertoire of roman
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