How My Own HEA Inspired My Writing
Leo Tolstoy is famous for saying, “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” I think the same thing is true when it comes to most happily ever afters; boy meets girl, boy gets girl, a misunderstanding happens, boy loses girl and then boy and girl reunite. But while every story seems the same and has what appears to be the same ending, some falling-in-love stories have to deal with unique pain and sadness before reaching that happy end.
I wish I could say that my story of falling in love was blissfully happy like everyone else’s. In some ways it was unique from the start—my husband was leaving to serve a mission for our church and I met him at the training center he studied at before he left. I worked in the kitchen serving dessert (proving that a way to a man’s heart being through his stomach is not all the far off). He was friends with one of my coworkers, and we started chatting. He asked if I would write to him once he reached the Philippines. I told him I would.
And I did. We wrote for the two years while he was gone. It was very Jane Austen-esque; although the content of our letters was friendly and sweet rather than romantic. He finished his mission and came home to the same city where I was going to college. I decided to look him up (this was in the days before cell phones and social media, so we had to go about our quasi-stalking in person).
I found his home (*cough* mansion *cough*) and when I went to the door, two of his friends were there setting up a surprise welcome home party for him. They invited me to come. I went to the party and chatted with my husband for about ten minutes before deciding to leave. I’m the world’s biggest introvert and don’t enjoy get-togethers or making small talk and didn’t know anyone else there. I left him my number. He walked me to the door and he didn’t realize who I was until I drove away (he has a terrible memory, particularly when it comes to faces and he’d forgotten mine!).
He called a few days later and asked me out. The night before our first date, he called me to chat and we talked for hours. Like, stayed up all night and talked into the early hours of the morning. Honestly, I hadn’t really seen a romantic future for us. But after that phone call…I could hardly wait to see him again.
The next night we went to his house and “watched” movies (by which I mean we made out a lot and movies were playing in the background). We kept dating, becoming more serious, until we were exclusive.
And I wish I could say that it was all unicorn sparkles and puppy dog hearts. He made me unbelievably happy (still does!). I fell in love with him slowly—I knew he was the one for me when I realized how comfortable I felt around him, like he was already a member of my family. I always wanted to be with him. Saying goodnight was the worst part of my day.
But his family didn’t want us to get married. His wealthy parents decided early on that I wasn’t good enough for him and did everything in their power to keep us apart. My husband’s a self-admitted mama’s boy, and this was a really difficult thing for him, to defy them and keep dating me.
It’s hard for me to explain what living through this was like—it was sort of like being a character in a soap opera or telenovela where the villain is continually plotting to destroy your relationship. Something outlandish happened on a daily basis. Bribes were offered. It was so cartoonish and over the top and it was absolutely soul-crushing, both for me and my husband. In a time of our lives when everything should have been idyllic and perfect and wonderful, we were constantly beset by threats and manipulations.
But we loved each other. We overcame every obstacle thrown in our path. I’d like to tell you that things eventually got better with the in-laws, but they never did. So, my husband and I have created our own family and our own happiness. We were forged in fire and are stronger for it.
And my relationship with him does inspire me and the novels I write. Every hero has trace characteristics of my husband, who is handsome, smart, generous, kind, hilarious, and everything I could have asked for.
The hero of my latest release, ROOMMAID, has taught himself how to program apps for phones, which is based on my husband doing the exact same thing. He and I have always used humor to deal with the trials in our lives, something my heroes and heroines do. So much of how we love each other is reflected in my books.
I also know how hard it is when you come to the “boy loses girl” part of the story. It was excruciatingly painful in my life and I’ll never forget what I had to go through and how much more I value him now because I had to fight fiercely for our happily ever after. It means my characters will go through the heartache, but they will always come out triumphant on the other side. Love will conquer all.
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Sariah Wilson is the author of ROOMMAID (October 1, 2020; Montlake). Her passionate belief in true love and happily-ever-afters has also inspired several bestselling romance series, including End of the Line (THE FRIEND ZONE, JUST A BOYFRIEND); Lovestruck (#STARSTRUCK, #MOONSTRUCK, #AWESTRUCK); Ugly Stepsisters (THE UGLY STEPSISTER STRIKES BACK; PROMPOSAL), Royals of Monterra (ROYAL DATE, ROYAL CHASE, ROYAL GAMES, ROYAL DESIGN), and many standalone novels. You can connect with her online at www.sariahwilson.com
From bestselling author Sariah Wilson comes a charming romance about living your life one dream at a time.
Madison Huntington is determined to live her dreams. That means getting out from under her family’s wealth and influence by saying no to the family business, her allowance, and her home. But on a teacher’s salary, the real world comes as a rude awakening—especially when she wakes up every morning on a colleague’s couch. To get a place of her own (without cockroaches, mold, or crime scene tape), Madison accepts a position as a roommaid. In exchange for free room and board, all she needs to do is keep her busy roommate’s penthouse clean and his dog company. So what if she’s never washed a dish in her life. She can figure this out, right?
Madison is pretty confident she can fake it well enough that Tyler Roth will never know the difference. The finance whiz is rich and privileged and navigates the same social circles as her parents—but to him she’s just a teacher in need of an apartment. He’s everything Madison has run from, but his kindhearted nature, stomach-fluttering smile, and unexpected insecurities only make her want to get closer. And Tyler is warming to the move.
Rewarding job. Perfect guy. Great future. With everything so right, what could go wrong? Madison is about to find out.
Category: On Writing
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