The heroine was a woman who had not entered the church after her rumspringa which created serious tension with members of her family, who were baptised into the church.

“Serious tension” doesn’t really cover that situation. If an Amish teen chooses not to join the church after rumspringa she is shunned. That means that the entire community, including her family, is forbidden to have any communication or contact with her.

I think it is possible for an author to deal sensitively with Amish characters but I don’t think popularity in a romance trope has ever lead to that– look what it has done to vampires, governesses and members of the British nobility.

Also, many of the people who write and read Noble Savage romances are attracted to certain aspects of Native culture. That doesn’t make the trope less insulting to Indians.

I can see how someone who doesn’t understand the basics of the Christian faith might find it a snarky subject. But I think anyone who has ever studied the teachings of Jesus might see a connection between some of Jesus’ teachings and the way the Amish practice their Christianity.

Anyway, I find it hard to believe a VP for a Fortune 500 company–admittedly, it’s near the bottom of the ranking–has a base salary of only $150k/a. Even if she’s a junior VP, that’s positively anemic.

And Amish romances? Gives me one of those vaguely squicky “noble savage” vibes, too. But makes me really really really want to see the kind of cover snark over at Smart Bitches the subgenre begs for.

Female pilots too many in SF? No more than there are too many female drivers in contemporaries. Or female horsewomen in historicals. It’s just a way to get around. And one would hope that in the future, we aren’t so gender-constricted. Men aren’t the only ones entitled to have a bad feeling about something.

I loved the article about the poor women who’s only living off of $300,000. I especially liked the contridictions, like “Whatever fantasies the underclass may have of the good life — of small dogs in purses and Dolce and Gabbana — are not on display here,” followed by sentences like “she ditches her Volvo SUV for her Pontiac Solstice convertible and heads for a party in the Hamptons.” Or her coming down to her prepared breakfast in her Armani suit. So there’s no Dolce and Gabbana, but there is Armani. Yeah, there are no displays of the good life there at all.

My family survived off less than 10% of what this woman is, so I can’t even imagine how you can spend that much money in a year. Of course, I still drive my 1995 Geo Metro, so that might be part of it. I imagine it’s pretty tough. Maybe I should send her some of our classic recipes like Ramen Casserole for her nanny chef so she can afford the $200 for her colorist? It must be awful to not have perfectly dyed hair.

I guess from a lifestyle standpoint the Amish are really “safe.” Your characters aren’t going to play cards or go to R-rated movies.

I’m not even going to comment on the NYT and Post articles because thinking about that much stupidity and self-involvement at one time gives me a migraine.

EXACTLY! Mon dieu, if I get any more frustrated over this review, my head, it’s going to be all explodey. As I said over at Heather’s Galaxy Express, it burns my toast that women pilots would *have* to be a cliché convention. It can’t be, you know, plausible to have that many women pilots. Mfft.

@Shilow “Just loved her tone…if you’re not a size two, you’re a moo-moo wearing cow. Bite me. Please.” Shilow, madame, would you marry me?

And I’m not even going to touch the Amish thing. I think I’m having a Witness moment.

LOL, before my local Waldenbooks closed, I’d occasionally peruse the Inspy section and every other book seemed to be about the Amish. I was never inspired to try a single one of them.

Because that’s how you squeak by on 300K/yr – by shafting people who are probably only making 50K/yr.

2. Washington Post, what you couldn’t find a man who doesn’t understand what a budget is? Of course not, it’s women who spend spend spend. And live off money that men have earned (child support).

3. How else are you supposed to get around space?! Is a woman that driving a car a plot device? “Here big strong Captain Man, I own the ship and all but could you please drive? You’re just so much better at it than little ol’ me. And could you teach me to parallel park? I’m just no good at it. teehehe”

Whatever happened to Melissa Scott? She wrote some great space opera.

Although I did get a chuckle right there in the end, about her son’s stinky shirt and the woman of the house and the maid looked at each other and was thinking about the other, well why in the hell didn’t you wash it!

That woman makes more in child support than I make in salary. I’m speechless.

You know, I can think all sorts of people who’d just love to ’squeak by’ on $300k a year. Hell, I would love to ’squeak by’ on that. Maybe she should really try to rough it…see what it would be like to be one of the millions who have to get by on under $50k. Even $75k.

And I have no sympathy for someone making $300K a year and not being able to live on it. Just goes to show you that money and brains don’t equal common sense.

And the Kell Sabin books are probably my favorite Linda Howard books. I have two-in-one editions of Midnight Rainbow/Diamond Bay and Heartbreaker/White Lies and no, I don’t loan them out. I wonder if she’ll ever return to those characters or maybe their offspring. I would loved to have read about Nick McKenzie but without Wolf and Mary it just wouldn’t be a McKenzie book.