What makes a romance novel endearing -- and enduring? We asked the experts, romance novelists themselves, to tell us which romances are their all-time favorites. Their answers reflect the vast universe of romance storytelling.

Jayne Ann Krentz (aka, Amanda Quick), author of Flash (Pocket Books), says of The Sheik by E.M. Hull, "[it was] the first romance novel I ever read and it blew me away. I discovered it one night while babysitting at the age of 13 and it changed my life!"

Harlequin American author Pamela Browning says, "Okay, so I'm joining the legions who name Gone with the Wind, and fiddle dee dee, I'm not apologizing. Rhett loved Scarlett. But why? She was conniving and self-serving in the extreme. That's why I kept reading -- to learn why Rhett loved her. One word: spirit."

Regency author Jo Beverley (Forbidden Magic, Topaz), chooses Checkmate by Dorothy Dunnett, because of "the taut balance of intense attraction and overwhelming separating forces that work for me, along with the fact that there are virtually no misunderstandings. The problems are real."

Series author Judith Bowen's choice confirms today's series authors may well be tomorrow's superstars: Chance Meetings by Vanessa James, penname Sally Beauman, "was different, it had wonderful characters and lots of suprises, and possibly the best opening line of a romance -- of a certain type -- ever: 'I have it all worked out . . . It's perfectly simple. All I need is a man -- a rich man.'"

The Windflower by Tom and Sharon Curtis (originally written under the pseduonym Laura London) is the choice of Mary Spencer. "The storyline is unique and holds the reader fascinated, the characters are totally fresh and well-drawn, even a bit daring, and the dialogue is some of the best -- certainly the wittiest -- I've ever encountered."

Movie novelizations also become "keepers." Jennifer Dunne selects Heaven Can Wait because "Everything works out for those who believe. Even death cannot separate true lovers, and no matter how many times I read it, I still cry at the ending."

Jane Toombs chooses Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte because "she incorporates romance, intrigue, danger, seemingly hopeless love and redemption into the story, plus a dark, brooding hero with a secret, matched with a heroine who loves him above all, yet remains true to her own convictions."

BET Arabesque author Lynn Emery's choice is The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kay. "A sweeping historical novel set in 19th-century India. The hero loves intensely, though not always wisely. I have never forgotten the passionate way the hero loved, and the equally passionate unrequited love of the woman he ignored for years."

Virginia Brown sums up what makes all romance so beloved in describing her own favorite, Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers. "It has everything: love that endures all, impeccable research, and a sweeping story that immerses the reader so completely it is as if the characters are really alive."

According to Romance Writers of America President JoAnn Ferguson, romance novels generate $1 billion in annual sales, 55% of all mass market books sold. Why do people read romance? "Because they are books with positive, cheerful story lines -- although they may be dark and horrible in places -- with the promise of two wonderful people falling in love and living happily ever after," notes Ferguson.

Julie Kistler, President of Novelists, Inc., a writers' group for all genres, adds, "I used to think it was kind of insulting when I heard the suggestion that people read popular fiction -- and especially romances -- as an escape from real life. But given the state of the world today . . . I've decided there is no higher calling than to give readers a world where amazing concepts like love and joy and hope are alive and well, where women are valued and respected, where everything turns out beautifully in the end."

Sandy Huseby writes from her homes in Fargo, North Dakota, and Nevis, Minnesota.