Shannon here: Amy R. Anguish shares how she mirrors her fictional happily ever afters with real life, plus a chance to win a signed copy of her latest Fairytale Retelling Contemporary Romance. Comment or answer the question in any post dated March 19th – 31st to enter the drawing for Amy’s book along with 3 other titles. Deadline: April 11th, 11:59 pm central time.
After The End
Have you ever wondered what happened to a character after you close the book? What happens AFTER their story ends for you? If it’s a romance, do they stay together forever? Do they ever fight? Ever scowl at the other for leaving a dirty dish in the sink? What about deciding on where to go on a date—is that a point of contention, or do they get along?
I don’t really wonder that much about characters after closing a book, but I do try to write my romances in such a way that you are left knowing my characters have a fighting chance at “’til death.”
This world we live in is crazy and confused. So many relationships end too soon. Is it because we misunderstand what “happily ever after” means? We think that once a couple gets together and seals it with a kiss, that’s it. The end of their story.
In reality, it’s only the beginning.
My husband and I have been married for almost twenty-two years now. We’ve definitely not had only
happy through these years. But you know what? I can’t imagine going through half of what we’ve overcome with anyone else? Just because our days weren’t only happy all the time doesn’t mean they weren’t good. Or that we didn’t grow and gain some good from the bad. We’re closer to each other and stronger in our relationship and our faith because of the hard things that marked our path.
A “happily ever after” doesn’t have to be all happy. It simply means you have someone to face the bad stuff with you. Someone to hold your hand in the hard times. To cry with. To be there. And that sounds happy to me.
My character Kari White in Fairest Inn All struggles with the idea of a happy ending. She lost her mom early in life and then her dad struggled with his grief. She thinks she doesn’t want to risk going through that. It definitely makes it hard for Royal Barrett to catch her eye … or her heart. But he knows the true meaning of “happily ever after.”
Reader Question: What about you? Do you imagine what happens to characters after a book ends? Do you believe in happy endings?
About Amy: Amy R Anguish grew up a preacher’s kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two. Amy has an English degree from Freed-Hardeman University that she intends to use to glorify God, and she wants her stories to show that while Christians face real struggles, it can still work out for good. Learn more & connect:
About the book – Fairest Inn All ( Book 2 Real-life Fairytales series):
A queen, seven uncles, and an apple tart—real life is no fairy tale.
Kari White never planned to rescue a historic inn—or risk her carefully guarded heart.
Summoned to coastal Georgia by seven uncles she barely knows, Kari arrives with one goal: fix the failing Apple Inn and leave. Upon arrival, Kari faces challenges including an aggressive developer closing in, deadlines looming, and the inn’s future hanging in the balance.
Royal Barrett believes some things are worth fighting for, especially the soul of his hometown. As the creator of the Fairest Inn All contest, he’s determined to protect Brunswick’s history from being erased. But when Kari and the Apple Inn land squarely in his path, Royal discovers that saving the past may require risking his own future.
Forced together by storms, impossible repair projects, and undeniable chemistry, Kari and Royal must confront the fears shaping their choices. Kari gave up on happily-ever-afters long ago, and trusting Royal could unravel everything she’s built. Yet leaving might mean losing the hope she never believed she deserved.
Fairest Inn All is a sweet small-town romance filled with heart, faith, and charm—a contemporary fairy tale retelling about legacy, belonging, and discovering that love can grow in the most unexpected places.
Can’t wait for the drawing? Interested in Amy’s other titles? Need extra books for gifts?
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Come back March 26th for Lynne Tagawa!
Sometimes I wonder what happens to the characters and hope there will be a sequel to find out. I do believe in happy endings.
Me too, Kelly. I think that’s one of the reasons I love epilogues too. 😉
Sometimes I do wonder about characters after the book ends, and sometimes I make up my own version of their happy ever after, yes I do believe happy endings.
I do wonder what happens to the characters after the book ends. I like happy endings.
Marilyn
I do sometimes wonder what happens with the characters and I always love happy endings!
I always like happy endings. Epilogues are nice too.
Yes, I do often wonder what happens to the characters. And, I definitely believe in happy endings.
Love Fairest Inn All! Amy has a such a beautiful way of writing and so many good quotes throughout the book!
I do imagine what happens after a book ends – sometimes more than what’s actually on the page. When a story is good, the characters feel real, and it’s hard to believe their lives just…stop. I like to think their stories keep unfolding in quieter ways: healing, growing, figuring things out beyond the “final chapter.”