When the Class of 2004 graduates later this spring, many will go on to careers in investment banking, law and medicine. Not very many, however, will aspire to become romance novelists, following the lead of Nancy Herkness '79, author of "A Bridge to Love."
"The romance genre is certainly the Rodney Dangerfield of the literary world," she joked.
"A Bridge to Love" is Herkness' first published romance novel. She established her writing foundation during her time at Princeton, writing poetry in a style she described as "collegiate."
However, poetry provided a training ground for her future career as a writer in the romance genre.
"A Bridge To Love" focuses on questions she began to ask herself about her suburban life.
"What if all the securing props were taken away? What if my husband died, my money dwindled and one of my best friends betrayed me? How would I rebuild from there while raising two young children? Would I ever be able to trust someone enough to fall in love again?" Herkness said she asked herself while writing her novel.
"A Bridge To Love" thus tells a story with which Herkness can identify.
When growing up she was never particularly fond of fiction. However, her grandmother was an avid fan of Georgette Heyer's "Regency" romance novels and passed copies along to her granddaughter.
The romance genre appealed to Herkness because of "their happy endings. Romance is the genre of optimism and that's why I like it," Herkness said.
The foundations of "A Bridge to Love" actually began roughly 25 years ago while Herkness was still an undergraduate.
"My Princeton experience was intense and exhilarating. Rubbing minds with some of the most brilliant thinkers in their fields thrilled me," she said.
In particular, Herkness said the creative writing program was instrumental in preparing her to write professionally.
"The experience I had in the creative writing program prepared me for all the slings and arrows of the publishing world. I got over being shy about sharing my work," she said. "Working with a broad spectrum of extraordinary instructors demonstrated the differences in readers' tastes and perceptions."
Herkness never expected to make her living as a writer. Writing did not become her profession until she had worked as a systems analyst and shoe buyer following graduation.
"Writing was never my chosen career path, mostly because I wanted to be able to pay my bills and I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to do that by writing," she said. "I have, however, written all my life, whether it was for recreational or business purposes. Writers write. They can't help themselves."
"A Bridge to Love" is currently being sold at all major book stores. Her second novel, "Shower of Stars," will be published next July, and she already has a third novel in the works. She lives in Glen Ridge, N.J.
Herkness is looking forward to attending her 25th Princeton reunion this spring.
"I am horrified to confess that this will be my 25th reunion, and while I cannot believe I'm that old, I don't want to miss celebrating with my equally old friends," Herkness said jokingly.
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