A Formula for Romance… Novels
Critics of romance novels often cite a long list of problems with the books and one of the most frequently used is that the books are formulaic. Some authors embrace that idea and give a guide…
When Romance Mirrors Your Own Romance
A few years ago, my husband gave me an anniversary card that looked something like the picture on the left. “Look!,” he wrote inside. “They found one of our wedding pictures!” It was a joke, of…
Sisters…Nailed It!
Every romance needs a hero and heroine, but sometimes a secondary relationship is so striking, so interesting, that it almost steals the show. Pride and Prejudice is, of course, about Elizabeth and Darcy. But it’s about Elizabeth and…
Love as a Bridge
Do you believe in the power of love to reconcile what is opposite or different? I do. Not without reservations: Some positions are opposed too far to be overcome easily, for example a union between an…
Authors | Characters | Elizabeth AAR | Heroes | Heroines | Relationships
Sequel-itis: Where Do You Stand?
In her recent review of A Lady by Midnight by Tessa Dare, Sarah of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, mentioned something that caught my attention. A certain group of supporting characters who arrive in the heroine’s village,…
Characters | Heroines | LinnieGayl AAR | Polls | Reading | Relationships
2012 Reading Year So Far: Chick List and Women’s Fiction
Last week we featured a sneak peek at 2012 debut authors. This time, I’m taking an early look at Chick Lit and Women’s Fiction for 2012, a category that at times has been a bit of…
The Big “I”
I don’t remember much from Psych 101, but I do remember Sternberg’s Triangle of Love. Sternberg sees Intimacy, Passion, and Commitment as the three corners of love. Pick any one or two components and you have…
Propose RIGHT!
“Will you marry me? You would be well advised to say no.” These are the words Edmond uses to propose to Mary in Mary Balogh’s The Notorious Rake. I first read it well over a decade…
In the Company of Women
This weekend I’m going to be at a retreat. And, believe me when I say, I could definitely use it. My destination is In the Company of Writers, a retreat sponsored by the Washington chapter of…
Public Declarations of Love – Modern Style
For my generation, there is a very public way to declare a serious relationship. It’s not a class ring or letter jacket. The question “Have you been pinned?” died long ago. Today, the question is, “Is…