Dear Author: Romance Novel Reviews, Industry News, and Commentary

frauke
Posts by frauke

Jaiku
Posts by Jaiku

Jaili
Posts by Jaili

ジェーン(Jān)
reads any genre as long as the books aren't depressing. Her preferred reads these days are in manga format and come from all manga genres, but she especially likes romance, doubly so when there are beautiful men involved. With each other. Her favorites among currently-running English-translated manga series include NANA, Ze, Ouran High School Host Club, Junjou Romantica, Blood Alone, Vampire Knight, Skip Beat, Silver Diamond and anything by the holy triumvirate of BL: Ayano Yamane, Kazuma Kodaka and Youka Nitta, including any scribbles they might do on the backs of napkins. Posts by ジェーン(Jān)

Jane
is a long time romance reader whose passion is, you guessed it, reading. She's currently loving contemporary authors like Sarah Mayberry and Kristan Higgins but her first love will always be the historical. Some of her old time favorites are Amanda Quick and Johanna Lindsey and some of the new favorites are Sherry Thomas, Joanna Bourne and Claudia Dain. Posts by Jane

Janet
isn't sure if she's an average Romance reader, or even an average reader, but a reader she is, enjoying everything from literary fiction to philosophy to history to poetry. Historical Romance was her first love within the genre, but she's fickle and easily seduced by the promise of a good read. She approaches every book with the same hope: that she will be filled from the inside out with something awesome that she didnʼt know, didnʼt think about, or didnʼt feel until that moment. And she's always looking for the next mind-blowing read, so feel free to share any suggestions! Posts by Janet

Janine
loves character-driven books written in lyrical prose. Attention to pacing is also important to her. Her favorite novel in the romance genre is Patricia Gaffney's fabulous To Have and to Hold. She also adores books by Laura Kinsale, Judith Ivory, and Sharon Shinn, among others. She'll read any genre of romance, as well as a smattering of fantasy, YA, mystery, chick lit, science fiction and short stories, but is most drawn to historical romance. Janine is now trying to write a romance herself, and finds that doing this well is one of the most challenging things she has ever attempted. She may or may not be biased, judge for yourself, but she genuinely thinks that her critique partners, Sherry Thomas, Meredith Duran, and Bettie Sharpe, are incredibly talented, and having them as friends is an embarrassment of riches. Posts by Janine

Jayne
Another long time reader who read romance novels in her teens, then took a long break then started back again about 10 years ago. She enjoys historical romance/fiction best, likes contemporaries, action- adventure and mysteries, will read suspense if there's no TSTL characters and is currently easing back into paranormals. Posts by Jayne

Jennie
has been an avid if often frustrated romance reader for the past 15 years. In that time she's read a lot of good romances, a few great ones, and, unfortunately, a whole lot of dreck. Many of her favorite authors (Ivory, Kinsale, Gaffney, Williamson, Ibbotson) have moved onto other genres or produce new books only rarely, so she's had to expand her horizons a bit. Newer authors she enjoys include Julie Ann Long, Megan Hart and J.R. Ward, and she eagerly anticipates each new Sookie Stackhouse novel. Strong prose and characterization go a long way with her, though if they are combined with an unusual plot or setting, all the better. When she's not reading romance she can usually be found reading historical non-fiction. Posts by Jennie

Jia
is an avid reader who loves fantasy and young adult novels. She's currently burned out on urban fantasy and paranormals, but she'll always have a soft spot for traditional fantasy and she's branching out into manga. Her favorite authors are Michelle West, Jacqueline Carey, and Rob Thurman, although she did enjoy Joe Abercrombie's latest so don't go thinking she's prejudiced against male authors or anything. Jia's on the hunt for fantasy novels with diverse casts and multicultural settings. Email her with recommendations! Posts by Jia

Joonigrrl
can usually be found hunched over her ebook reader or lurking in the romance and sci-fi/fantasy sections of her local bookstores. She discovered her love of fantasy at a young age, reading everything from Piers Anthony to Robert Aspirin and C.S. Lewis. At the age of 12, she picked up a little book called The Thorn Birds, and after crying for five days straight, decided that she liked the romantic elements, but needed a happier ending. Her first tentative visits to the romance section brought her to such favorites as Linda Howard and Judith McNaught where her love of the romance book was born. She then turned to Brenda Joyce, Lisa Kleypas, J.D. Robb, Anne Stuart, and as the years passed, many more. She currently prefers paranormal romance, urban fantasy, traditional fantasy, historical and the occasional YA. Posts by Joonigrrl

Joan/SarahF
is a literary critic, a college professor, and an avid reader of romance--and is thrilled that these are no longer mutually exclusive. Her official specialization is Romantic-era British women novelists, especially Jane Austen, but she has recently joined the exciting re-visioning of academic criticism of popular romance fiction. Sarah is a contributor to the academic blog about romance, Teach Me Tonight, the winner of the 2008-2009 RWA Academic Research Grant, and in the process of founding the International Association of the Study of Popular Romance (IASPR) and the Journal of Popular Romance Studies (JPRS). Currently, Sarah pretty much only reads BDSM romance, gay male romance, Suzanne Brockmann, J.R. Ward, and Kresley Cole, although she hopes to be able to beat her TBR pile into submission when she has time to think. Sarah teaches at Fayetteville State University, NC. Posts by Joan/SarahF

SB Sarah
Posts by SB Sarah