It's Not That I Don't Like HEAs...

...but they are a bit obvious.
We all grew up with fairy tales where the Good eventually gains the upper hand over the Bad.

The prince rescues his princess (tick); the big bad wolf is killed (tick); the witch dies (tick).
You know them all.

I cannot remember at what point I got drawn to the non-HEA endings. I think it might have been one or two of Stephen King's books.

I remember the thrill of reading my first non-HEA ending. When the good guy turned bad and eventually died.

I fondly remember the many open endings that don't tell you how things will pan out - other than "there isn't much hope, Dude..." How irresistible!

I love good open endings. They fire up my imagination and make the book go further, far beyond the last page.
That's how stories develop inside my head. My heart welcomes a happy ending - my brain yawns at the thought.
Somebody has to catch the curveballs life keeps throwing!
While it is possible for some characters to have their HEA, others can not. Call it cosmic balance, statistic distribution, the Universe's yearning to increase its entropy... Who knows? It is what it is. I love tension, drama, and the way my characters fight for their sanity and strife for happiness. Hope against hope.

Some characters go through the mill. Fear, doubt, burning, unrequited love, pain. So. Much. Pain!

My characters walk a fine line. They are curious and courageous; sometimes they are smart - sometimes they are outright bonkers. They change. Their experiences change them. They evolve and struggle to adapt.

Some get a HEA - some don't. For some, a HEA comes from a completely unexpected direction. Sometimes they win - sometimes they lose. And sometimes it is just a Happy-For-Now - a brief respite.
Some might have been kicked to the ground, but while they are down, opportunities present. Nothing is over before it is over.
And even after 'The End' life might still throw yet another curveball.