One of my children asked me recently if I’d ever given a book I’d reviewed an A+. I said I hadn’t. He then asked if I thought I ever would. I said yes, that in fact,…
One message I kept hearing during this summer’s RWA conference was that publishers were finally ready to look at books that are different. Not every publisher was saying it, mind you, but I heard it a…
You know, the veil between publishing and authors and readers is pretty much kaput these days. And, frankly, I kind of miss it. I miss the days when I didn’t know anything about authors and just…
They’re like bad relatives. You can’t avoid sleazy Uncle Bob or foul-mouthed Cousin Betty, because Uncle Bob married to Aunt Emily (the loveliest auntie in the world), and Cousin Betty is sister to Cousin Mark (who’s…
I’m willing to go a few rounds with anyone who criticizes romance novels. Usually they haven’t read any, and have no basis for their criticism that they’re all the same, or they’re female porn, or – well, whatever….
Romance readers have enjoyed Anne Stuart’s books for years with many of her titles sitting on countless DIK shelves. My own list of Stuart DIKs includes A Rose at Midnight, The Devil’s Waltz, and Ritual Sins. …
I’ve been thinking lately about what is it about some writers that make their books magical for readers in ways that others aren’t. First, a confession: I read contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormals, but historical…
The formula: Boy meets girl; girl meets boy. They fall in love. A complication or two, or a misunderstanding or two separate them. The complication or the misunderstanding is cleared up. They live HEA. That about…
One of the best things about the holidays is that we all give in to indulgence of our Guilty Pleasures for weeks at time. Much chocolate and champagne consumption ensues – at least for this holiday-er….
When I submitted my entries for the 2007 Top 100 Romance Poll, my exposure to romance novels was still fairly limited. But in the past three years my reading has expanded in both breadth and depth,…