So, Valentine’s Day may have come and gone, but I’m still feeling the romance, on the page at least. Yesterday, I received a box of a dozen classic romance paperbacks from Avon Books because I entered a Facebook contest on a whim — and won! Then I went to send a thank-you this a.m. and found that Avon was sponsoring a LiveStream chat with a handful of romance authors at a virtual booksigning at Turn the Page bookstore in Maryland.
What fun! Romance readers from around the world — yes, world — were asking questions right and left of Nora Roberts, Jeaniean Frost, Pamela Palmer, Mary Burton, Grace Burrowes and Stephanie Dray. Who’s your favorite character? How do you get inside a villain’s head? Do you have a playlist when you write? What do you to do for relaxation? Who are your favorite writers? Do you have an e-reader?
Avon’s Pamela Spengler-Jaffee did a fine job at moderating the answers, which were as different as the authors and their romance subgenres — contemporary, historical, paranormal, suspense, mythological. You can watch/listen to the discussion http://avonromance.com/romancelive (I’m tuned in again as I write.)
Surprise! The writers read to relax. “We’re all story junkies.” So some also watch TV series and movies. But they also do yoga, bake, play with pets, garden.
What comes through in everybody’s answers is an enduring love of books, writing and romance, from classics (Jane Eyre) to YA (Wicked, Lovely) to all-time favorites Mary Stewart and Georgette Heyer. (My favorites, too). “It’s all about passion,” someone pointed out.
If you’re looking for your next romance to read, I recommend you listen in. You’ll not only want to read the books by these authors, but the books they like. I’m a long-time Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb fan, and I’ve read several books by other panel members, with the exception of newcomer Burrowes. Nice to know, she has embarked on an eight-book series.
Be sure to stick around for the near-end discussion about the popularity of romance. It’s a once, future and present thing, the writers all agree, because romance never goes out of style. Says Burrowes: “As long as people need happily-ever-afters, as long as we need dreams to come true. . .romance will have its charms.”
Indeed. Isn’t it love-erly?
On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever 
The Jane Eyre books is my favorite from Charlotte Bronte. Villette and Shiley are must-read from her as well. 🙂
Surfing the waves of the web I am pleasantly stranded in this beautiful blog.
I write under the pseudonym of Josè Pascal (a descendant of the great Colonel Aureliano Buendía).
I invite you to visit my italian writing blog http://parolesemplici.wordpress.com/mytinbox/. I define this blog “In parole Semplici” as a “virtuacultural tin” box where they are guarded thoughts, memories, images, sounds, and simple stories. ”
If you want to participate and to have more informations send me a letter to inparolesempli@gmail.com
Good life and I hope to soon
Josè