You read...what?

Inevitability, it happened again. Someone asked what I was reading...so I told them. I'm not ashamed to read romance-- although I find it ironic that no one ever seems to ask what I'm reading when it's not a romance.
And, inevitably, when they turn their nose up and respond with a snooty "oh" I can't stop myself from asking what they are currently reading. Nine times out of ten they say they aren't much of a reader.

So, my follow up question is always, then why do you scorn this genre that I'm reading?  The most recent answer was, "Those books bring no literary value to the table." Do you really only enjoy books that are literary heavy hitters? I don't. Most of the time I have to slog my way through them and trudge my way to every turn of the page. I'll keep my non-literary valued book, thankyouverymuch.

But, here's the thing. I don't care what you read. If you want to read engine manuals, more power to you. Do you get a kick out of historical biographies? Great. True crime? Give me a recommendation. Really, anything and everything in between is up for grab. If it gets to you, lets you forget about your troubles for a few minutes and brings a smile to your face, then by all that's holy, read whatever you want.

There are no rules saying what you have to enjoy. There are no rules saying someone else can't enjoy something completely different. Romance, as a whole, is a very misunderstood genre. And whether it's because it's primarily written by women for women, or if it's just that same trope we use to beat each other up in the mommy wars, very few people seem to really try to understand why millions of women (and men) read it. And enjoy it. And some of them, *gasp* aren't ashamed of it.

I primarily enjoy reading romance. It's my thing. I'm not ashamed. But, again, I don't care what you read. Reading, any type of reading, is sexy. Embrace it.

Sports and Romance

As I was jumping up and down, screaming, watching the big game yesterday I started wondering about those guys on the field. My twitter feed was blowing up about how good looking some of the players are.
And I agree. Some of the players are very good looking. Some of them, however, look like they've met a brick wall with their face a few too many times.

But, I appear to be one of those rare female sports fans that actually loves the game. I can spot penalties and call the down before the refs make their decision--which is fun during live games...it's something of a party trick depending on who is around me.

Then I started wondering why some of these women were watching the game if they were obviously not enjoying it. Is it just for the commercials? (I so so disappointed in the commercials this year.) Is it because it's the socially acceptable thing to do?

And why do these same women (I assume) not hesitate to pick up a romance novel that contains a sports hero? What is it about these guys that make them romantic figures? There are books that cover pretty much any sport at every heat level a reader could desire.

Except, basketball. Maybe there are some hidden titles out there that I couldn't find, but where's the basketball love??  That's sort of a rhetorical question, because out of all the sports I love...I just don't get basket ball. I blame the fact that I'm only 5 feet tall for that. Scrappy doesn't work in that game of giants.

So, what do you think? What's the appeal for the sports stories that fly off the shelves? 

And did you watch the game? Are you pleased with the outcome?

Confessions of a very un-romantic Romance novelist

I admit it. I'm not a romantic.

I'd love to be more romantic, but it's just not a big part of who I am. I'm finally coming to accept this part of myself. Embrace what I'm not, just as much as what I am. And, more than anything, thank my lucky stars that my hubby doesn't seem to mind that I don't remember anniversaries-even my own. I will think of something romantic that I'd like to do with my Hubby, but I inevitably forget about it before I can put the plan into motion. More often than not, he's the one planning our date nights and weekends away.

Flower petals strewn about make me think of the clean up.

Big gorgeous houses make me shudder with thoughts of dusting them. Frilly, fussy designs make me turn the other way. Give me a beach to walk down, hand in hand with my man, and I'm a happy girl. A roaring fireplace on a cold night makes me swoon.

Or maybe it's not that I'm unromantic, but that I can enjoy the simple things. Flowers for no reason? Yes please! That thrills me. A clean house? I'm all verklempt. A simple bubble bath when I've had a rough day? Of course! My favorite coffee surprise? I'll follow you anyway.

Maybe I am a bit of a romantic--just not in the traditional sense.

How about you? Do you have a romantic nature?

Worldbuilding; Not just for SciFi or Paranormal books

I've been thinking a lot about worldbuilding lately. According to wikipedia: Worldbuilding is the process of constructing an imaginary world, sometimes associated with a whole fictional universe.^[1] (Click on the link for the full wikidefinition).

I love being so wrapped up in a book, in the world that the author has created that I lose myself for that brief moment in time. There are no dishes that need to be done. No children to feed, no laundry to fold. All I want to do is curl up in that little bubble and read.

In romance, we most often see worldbuiling in paranormal works: Karen Marie Moning's Fever world is Dublin, after the walls separating Faery and the Human realm collapse. Donna Grant's Warriors live in a Scotland, after a dark druid (she has another term for it in her books) releases the "Warriors" in a group of Scotsmen. JR Ward, Lara Adrian....the list goes on and on of very recognizable worldbuilding.

But what about the other genres? Certainly every book/story/series develops a world to some degree, but they aren't always as recognizable as those in the paranormals. Pamela Clare's I-Team is set in Denver and follows a group of top notch journalists in dangerous stories and events. Tara Janzen's Steele Street is also set in Denver, but it's a very different Denver than the I-Team.

Why is that? The setting is the same...mostly. The locals that are mentioned are the same, sometimes even described similarly.

The short answer that I've been able to come up with is: Character. The characters respond to their surroundings in a certain way. The way that they respond makes the world take on certain characteristics, which lay the foundation for the world to be built. This doesn't have to be a city, like my example, it can be anything. A homelife. A workplace. Whatever their environment is, the characters are reacting to it and building their own world.
Our jobs as authors, is to suck the readers into these worlds with us.





What about you? What are some of your favorite worlds? Or do you have any tips on worldbuilding?