CHRISTIAN ROMANCES: LIGHT, NOT HEAT.

Byline: Betty Beard Arizona Republic

``Yes,'' she laughed, the joy bubbling up within her. ``Yes!''

``Oh, Kathleen,'' he managed just before he reached her.

With shining eyes and overflowing hearts, they threw their arms around each other and joyfully laughed and cried together ...

No, Kathleen and Donnigan didn't just fall in love, and they're definitely not about to, you know, do something that might cause her to have a baby.They're already married, and they've just embraced a greater joy: the knowledge that they share a love of God.

They are characters in a 1993 Janette Oke novel, ``A Bride for Donnigan,'' that is part of a small but growing niche of fiction known as Christian or inspirational romance. Oke is like a Danielle Steel of the field.

You'll rarely find nudity, swearing or references to sex and booze in these books. Characters fall in love and don't have sex or children until they get married. And they usually pray and discuss their beliefs in God, conveying a low-key evangelical message.

``The most they will do is kiss before they are married,'' said Theresa Meyers, an author of historical romances and member of Romance Writers of America.

Romance books with religious overtones or Christian fiction books are not new, but these books are different because they're designed to appeal primarily to evangelical Protestants, said Phyllis Tickle, religion editor for Publishers Weekly.

But others buy them, too, said Shirley Ann DeTienne, who manages the books and Bible department at Berean Christian Stores in Phoenix.

``Christian fiction was an answer not just to Christians but anyone who wanted to receive a good novel and not worry about what is in it.''

Publishers issue author's guidelines to make sure the books are G-rated. For example, Barbour and Co., an Ohio publisher that publishes the Heartsong Presents line of romance books discourages words such as ``heck'' or ``darn'' that are euphemisms for swear words.

Oke started writing Christian romance novels in 1979 with ``Love Comes Softly.'' That book, now approaching 1 million in sales, became the first in a series, and Oke has just published her 34th book. But there are many other popular authors, such as Francine Rivers and Bodie Thoene.

Although written for adults, her books are also popular with teens.

``The first romance I ever read was a Janette Oke,'' Meyers said.

Meyers was reared in a Christian household, and that's the only romance she was allowed to read as a preteen. Later she graduated to Victoria Holt, but she still reads Oke books.

Tickle estimated that Christian romance books probably don't make up more than about 5 percent of all fiction but said they represent a strong and steady niche.

``Sales certainly have been on and off, but not seriously off,'' she said.

Sales slumped in the late 1980s, picked up in 1992 and 1993, slumped again and have been back into two-digit growth in the past 10 months, Tickle said.

She brushes off criticism that these books won't rank among literary greats.

``Sure, it's light entertainment. And, no, it's not stimulating literature. But it is a form of escapism that is comforting to a great number of people. It is truly wrong to criticize or condemn something that is doing what it's designed to do.''

Christian romance books are usually not set in contemporary times but in the 1800s or earlier, often in the American West or Europe, because that's what readers wanted. Stricter morals also were more widely accepted in those days.

However, there is a growing interest in Christian romances set in modern times, in line with the mostly contemporary secular romances.

For example, Bethany House Publishers of Minneapolis, a leading publisher of religious fiction, will introduce in August a Portraits series of Christian contemporary romance with thriller or murder-mystery plots.

The series will include a book called ``Masquerade,'' by B.J. Hoff. It tells of a journalist who returns to her home in Alabama to investigate a cult and starts falling for the mysterious sheriff.

The writer's guidelines call for non-formulaic, unique themes with characters 25 to 40 years old ``whose spiritual growth and development are an integral part of the story. ... The romance angle should be neither the sole focus nor the driving force of the story. ... (The book should) include solid Christian teaching without preaching, delicately woven into the story.''

At the same time as the market for Christian romance grows, secular romances generally have become less steamy, Meyers said.

``People call romance books `bodice rippers.' But very little of that is written anymore. Readers got to the point where they didn't want a rape scene, although that might have been historically accurate. So writers stopped writing it,'' Meyers said.

Patricia Knoll, a Safford author of contemporary romances, writes stories in which the hero and heroine don't go to bed.

``If they kiss three times in a book, that's a hot one for me,'' Knoll said.

Meyers said, ``A lot of people characterize romance as trashy books. But in all romance, it is required that, Number 1, there be a monogamous relationship, a story of one man and woman who come to love and build a lasting relationship. These are values you hope to find in any relationship, Christian or not.

``Readers will not accept just a frivolous love scene thrown in. They care about their characters. And if it's not realistic to them, they will put the book down and buy something else. We write for the readers.''