Pets make everything better. So is it any wonder that many romance novels include a furry, four-footed sidekick in the plot? Authors can showcase the softer side of a hero or heroine who might initially comes across as cold or emotionally distant by incorporating a dog/cat into the love story (as seen with gruff Jack […]
Olivia Dade is a self-proclaimed nerd and book lover and her professional resume includes a master’s in American history, a job bringing that history to life in Colonial Williamsburg (costume included!), and experience working as a high school teacher and librarian (yay!). Dade credits stumbling across her mother’s secret stash of pirate-intensive romances as the […]
In 2015, Lee & Low released its first Diversity Baseline Survey (DBS), which collected concrete data on the diversity of the publishing workforce. DBS was inspired by surveys being conducted within the technology industry, specifically by the work of a software engineer named Tracy Chou, who wondered why her industry, one so closely tied to […]
It might only be September, but for romance readers it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas—or Hanukkah! Every year the number of holiday romance titles with which publishers gift readers increases exponentially, and 2019 is no exception. The good news is that with such a bounty of choices, there truly is a holiday […]
Goddess of the Hunt, the first romance novel by Tessa Dare, a New York Times best-selling and RITA award-winning author, was published in 2009. Now one decade, five series, and 24 books later, Dare is still enchanting readers with her signature literary mix of love, laughter, and happily ever afters. A book lover from early […]
We’ve all had a couple weeks to digest Taylor Swift’s latest album, Lover. And with Booklist‘s focus on romance this month—as of yesterday, the September 15 Spotlight on Romance is live on www.booklistonline.com!—I figured, what better time than now to explore TSwift’s most romantic album through the lens of romance novels? Sure, there are some […]
RWA Golden Heart winner and RITA-nominated Lenora Bell was inspired to begin writing romance fiction after reading an article by Eloisa James in 2005. When she’s not working on her latest historical romance, Bell tries to curb her collector’s cravings for vintage clothes, purses, and costume jewelry. A third-generation Alaskan who grew up in a […]
Rising romance star Minerva Spencer launched her writing career with the publication of Dangerous, the first installment in The Outcasts, her Regency-set historical trilogy, in 2018. Dangerous would go on to earn a spot on Booklist’s Top 10 Debut Romances: 2018. And it was was soon followed by Barbarous, which was chosen as one of […]
With The Lady is Daring, the latest sparkling installment in Megan Frampton’s Duke’s Daughters series—out earlier this week—the always- reliable historical romance writer delivers another happy literary marriage of red-hot sensuality and deliciously dry wit. We spoke to Frampton about writing witty characters, Latin phrases, and Clark Gable. JOHN CHARLES: Who is Megan Frampton? […]
Food has the ability to engage at least four of our basic senses, five if you count the sound of popcorn popping or the sizzle of a hot steak. Is it really surprising that food is often an important ingredient in romance fiction? Couple that sensory appeal with just how steamy things can get in […]