the ask@AAR: How do you get your news?
I do not watch and never have watched the news on TV. I’ve never watched 60 Minutes, The Daily Show, or the nightly news. This isn’t because I think it’s evil but rather because it’s not…
the ask@AAR: Do you read self-help books?
Peeps–I’ve been a bit blue lately. I’m on crutches for six weeks–months after that with a cane–due to a soft tissue hip repair. Covid continues to threaten so many things. I have a neighbor who is…
the ask@AAR: What do you think about the current state of marketing in romance?
There is chatter in Romancelandia about Helen Hoang’s The Heart Principle. Where her first two books were romances, this novel–and I haven’t read it so I’m just repeating what I’ve heard–is more women’s fiction. Readers, at…
the ask@AAR: What love stories DO NOT stand the test of time?
Reader Kris recently commented that when she reread Lisa Kleypas’ Dreaming of You it DID NOT hold up at all. She wrote: From Sarah saying NO to Derek not listening and the portrayal of the villainess,…
the ask@AAR: Another side in the endless kerfuffle about accuracy in historical romance.
This week on Twitter, a famous historical romance author made the point that there are good reasons authors of historical romance break with convention. She argued authors do so not because they’re lazy or stupid but…
the ask@AAR: Do you believe in destiny?
I’ve just finished reading Pachinko which I loved. It’s a multigenerational tale of Koreans living in Japan during the 20th and 21st centuries. One of the themes the novel explores is whether or not your nationality/race/ancestors…
The ask@AAR: What’s your favorite WWII novel?
I am on my yearly week long vacation with my extended family of 21 and almost all the women in the group are reading books set in or around WWII. My daughter and I are reading…
the ask@AAR: What stories make you ugly cry?
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve spent the last year listening to the Harry Potter books. I am currently at the end of book six, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and have just sobbed my way…
the ask@AAR: Is there too much sex in romance for you?
My daughter has a romance book club–this makes me so happy–and the next book they’re discussing is Anne Calhoun’s Uncommon Passion. After reading it, she said she liked it but she was distracted by all the…
the ask@AAR: Who are the best parents in romance? Why?
Peeps–my kids are driving me just a little bit nuts. Two of my adult children are temporarily living with us in our three bedroom condo–and one of them has an extremely energetic dog. And while both…