February 17, 2010

Women write romance novels for women, right? Like this passage from a new book:

"My heart seems to stop beating. My hands tingle. I stare in disbelief for several seconds. Someone bumps me as they pass, jump-starting my heart. I can feel the blood flowing in my ears. My breathing is shallow as if i have seen a ghost. I wish I had."

The author of the above, though, is Charlotttesville resident Brent Pye. The passage is from his recently released book, The Man Who Loved May.

He's a man writing romance in a genre dominated by women.

"I just had an idea, a story in my head, that fit the romance genre," Pye said. "It was a love story with conflict and a happy ending. So I wrote the story, and i wasn't going to worry about the genre."

Pye's new book is not only unique because it's written by a man. It's also set in Charlottesville, and you'll recognizes many of the places where the characters interact.

"Every scene is where you would know it," Pye said. "It's on the Downtown Mall, it's at Barracks Road Shopping Center. It's on West Main Street. Sugar Hollow Reservoir."

You can buy the book on amazon.com or order it from Barnes & Noble.

"Since I wrote it from the guy's point of view, obviously I worked on my observations and my experiences over the years," Pye said. "I think maybe it may be more what women can learn from men, more so than men from women. But I would say for men, it's a safe book to read."

So consider reading books like these a learning experience. Get good enough at the words of romance, and you can do what Brent did -- write your own love story.