was a record year for romance novels in the uk as sales hit £69.1 million pounds according to nielsen bookscan'sn 2024 — that's according to circana, a consumer analytics firm. welljoining me now from arizona is debbie maycumber, a new york times bestselling author and one of today's most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. congratulations. to be an author in today's digital world really is an achievement. welcome to the problem. what are the key factors or key characters of a successful romance book? t characters of a successful romance book?— characters of a successful romance book? i think that everybody _ romance book? i think that everybody is _ romance book? i think that everybody is looking - romance book? i think that everybody is looking for - romance book? i think that l everybody is looking for love and we are all in need of being loved, feeling loved and giving loved, feeling loved and giving love and so just that factor alone is what attracts and people are looking for something with a happy ending. you know, the world is a messy place