Born in Texas, New York Times best-selling author Carolyn Brown currently lives with her husband in a small town in Oklahoma, the state where she was raised. In other words, she’s a dyed -in-the-wool Westerner, a status reflected in the vividly rendered settings of her humorous and heartfelt contemporary love stories, historical romances, historical novels, and […]
Regina Scott knew she was destined to become a writer the minute she finished her first story, “Mummies at the Lake,” in the third grade. She put that dream on hold in order to pursue more financially secure jobs—preschool teacher, day-care professional, and communications specialist among them. Later, when she realized that the only thing she […]
In 2014, Sonali Dev won the American Library Association’s award for best romance. Since then, she continues to craft excellent stories about love, family, and healing. In her latest novel, A Distant Heart, a rare immunodeficiency confines young Kimi to her mansion, where she befriends her window washer, Rahul. Later, the sociopathic leader of a black-market organ […]
Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending a theatrical in honor of Miss Jane Austen’s 242nd year of birth. In loft on Chicago’s Broadway Street, a troupe of women paid their respects to Miss Austen—exemplary authoress of the Regency era—by fabricating a satirical, gently mocking tale of social mores and romance. . . all […]
In this episode of the Oral History Podcast, we revisit two of our favorite romance tropes and discuss some books that feature them in enjoyable ways. Tell us what you think: feedback AT theoralhistorypodcast DOT com click to subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher SHOW NOTES Our Current Reads Carrie Himself, by Jess Kidd Inside […]
The Romance Writers of America (RWA) have announced the 2017 winners of the RITA Awards, honoring works of outstanding romance fiction. Named after the first president of the RWA, Rita Clay Estrada, the awards were given to the following titles: Best First Book Once and For All: An American Valor Novel, by Cheryl Etchison Contemporary Romance: Long […]
When the doctors removed a tumor from Flora Banks’ brain at the age of 10, she also lost her ability to form new memories. Now, at 17, one memory sticks out—kissing Drake. The trailer for The One Memory of Flora Banks (Philomel) follows Flora as she traverses a tundra, determined to find Drake in Norway […]
An intimate dinner for two at an off-the-beaten path Tuscan ristorante. A moonlight stroll along the Left Bank of the Seine. Watching the sun come up over the savanna. Letting the gentle breeze caress your cheek while standing on a warm beach in the Caribbean. It all sounds wonderfully romantic, doesn’t it? That is, until […]
Fairy tales and myths have always been a popular source of inspiration. From television shows like Once Upon a Time and Grimm to movies like Enchanted, Tangled, and the latest adaptation of Cinderella, there’s something about the core elements of these stories that allows them to be easily updated or transformed. Romance novels in particular share […]
The Erotic Review, an English website “committed to giving sex a good name,” recently announced its intent to introduce an award for good sex in fiction, called the Good Sex in Fiction Award, to combat The Literary Review’s annual Bad Sex in Fiction Awards. At a festival hosted by The Times of London, Erotic Review publisher Lisa Moylett, along with UK journalist Mariella Frostrup, […]
Encouraging Middle-Schoolers to Choose Books
There’s been a lot of discussion among the librarians I know about what to do with middle-schoolers: they just don’t seem to read as much as they used to. I know that here in Chicago, we have a unique perspective on this situation, since our schools run K–8. In my former school system in Maryland […]
Getting Started with the Global Read Aloud
The 2017 Global Read Aloud kicked off yesterday, and I’m here to help. Author and educator Pernille Ripp founded the program as a way to connect students and teachers from different locales around the topics of books. (Think One Book One School or One Book One City, but on a global scale.) Each year, Ripp […]
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: Practice Recognizing Fake News
Cindy: There have been a number of YA fiction books with the title “Two Truths and a Lie,” but we’ve found a creative, informational book for middle-grade students that reinforces evaluating information for truth. Fake news, anyone? Two Truths and a Lie: It’s Alive (2017) by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson is the first […]
Encouraging Middle-Schoolers to Choose Books
There’s been a lot of discussion among the librarians I know about what to do with middle-schoolers: they just don’t seem to read as much as they used to. I know that here in Chicago, we have a unique perspective on this situation, since our schools run K–8. In my former school system in Maryland […]
Getting Started with the Global Read Aloud
The 2017 Global Read Aloud kicked off yesterday, and I’m here to help. Author and educator Pernille Ripp founded the program as a way to connect students and teachers from different locales around the topics of books. (Think One Book One School or One Book One City, but on a global scale.) Each year, Ripp […]
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE: Practice Recognizing Fake News
Cindy: There have been a number of YA fiction books with the title “Two Truths and a Lie,” but we’ve found a creative, informational book for middle-grade students that reinforces evaluating information for truth. Fake news, anyone? Two Truths and a Lie: It’s Alive (2017) by Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson is the first […]
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