Breaking into the Contemporary Romance Scene: My Journey of Crafting a Gritty Love Story

How it all started

On March 13, 2020, the Virginia state governor made an announcement that changed many of our lives. I was a high school special education teacher at the time and loved every minute of my job, even the difficult ones. With our two school-aged children sitting next to us, my wife and I watched the governor announce that Virginia schools would close for two weeks due to the pandemic. I was in tears. I knew that day would change our lives; to what extent, I didn't know, but I was sure that teaching would never be the same for me.

Since I was a special education teacher in a rural county, a lot of special attention had to be paid to my case students. Specifically, to their needs in continuing their education, with the lack of internet, home resources, and overall knowledge of how to advocate for themselves.

Teaching quickly became overwhelming, as did everything else, come to think of it. The world was in a state of panic, and I felt helpless to make a difference. It's then that I found my true ability to relax into a good book.

The Spark

Before the pandemic, I was a recreational reader, reading all different types of books I could get my hands on. During the pandemic, while consuming multiple books a week, I stumbled across romance of all kinds: dark, contemporary, historical, fantasy, supernatural, suspense, and inspirational. You name it; I read it. It was about a year later that I realized I hadn't come across many books that focused on people my age who were married and going through tough times. I also noticed that most books with military references didn't dig into the hard stuff. It's around that time that I heard a country song called "We Don't Fight Anymore" by Carly Pearce and Chris Stapleton. I immediately thought, That's it! That is the premise of the book I'm going to write. From there, everything snowballed.

Honest Characters

During my time in the military and working with service members and veterans, I have met some amazing people. I have also encountered some who were less so. No matter the person, though, I always learned something from them and tried channeling those true characteristics into my creative world. Everything I wrote in this story has some truth to it, allowing these characters to exist off the page in their love, pain, and hopefulness. I wanted to write about real life and use my personal experiences to bring a realistic but inspiring world to the reader.

What to Expect

This debut novel, Keep Fighting, is a standout because it’s not just a romance—it’s a story of survival, resilience, and the everyday heroism of choosing to keep going. It offers readers catharsis, representation, and hope, all wrapped in a gripping, emotionally honest narrative.

I am so excited to share this story because it’s one born from a place of deep authenticity, hope, and a desire to connect with readers who may see themselves in its pages.