Lori Sizemore

On changes in the romance genre:

The relationships had also modernized: by the 1990s, it was rare to see a book which featured a man raping his future wife.

via Romance novel – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Yeah, thank goodness those crazy men finally came to their senses.  In the NINETIES.  What the?

I get that this still happens in books.  Not books I read, but, it happens.  I get that some people enjoy this… forced intimacy.  But, damn it, who the hell marries someone who respects and loves them so little they just commit a crime against them?  Who else do they fall in love with?  Their stalkers?  Do they boil a bunny for Valentine’s Day?  How sweet.

Turn your picture into a romance novel cover. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, anniversary, wedding gift or just for that special person you’ve been dating. If you’ve ever dreamed of being on the cover of a Harlequin Romance Novel, this is as close as you’re likely to get.

via Use your picture to make a romance novel cover!.

I haven’t used this yet, so I don’t know how the results look.  (I don’t mind my pic so much, but I’m hesitant to star my poor husband on a romance cover).  I’d love to see it, if you give it a go.

Okay, this isn’t a well-researched, in-depth look at love or romance or…well, anything.  I’m writing, give me a break.  You don’t tell the muse, “Not now, honey.  I’m busy writing this blog.”  You can totally tell your husband that, but not your muse.  That chick is vindictive and might not show up again for six months.  *I know*.

So, for your enjoyment, a very extensive list of endearments for your sweetheart.

I’d love to have this book. (Makes a note to add to Amazon wishlist).  I’ve been reading the bitches for a couple of years now and I love them.  They’re funny “like damn and whoa,” they have awesome commenters, they call their readers the bitchery, and they’ve got something to say.  We shouldn’t be ashamed of loving our romances.  Hold those Fabio covers up proudly and proclaim to the world, “Yes, I am a smart bitch and I freaking love trashy novels!”

Found: A video made by assorted pubbed romance authors endorsing the greatness of their book (above).

I think that I’ve outgrown pop quizzes.  They were all about doing something fun and delving into different aspects of romance, but they were more flash than substance.  Also, while completely random and silly, they were still personal, in that they were about me.  And why do you care if I kiss like a woman or what movie my love life is like?

So, from now on, Saturdays will be the day that I discuss romance.  Sometimes it’ll be something one could incorporate into their writing, or it might be inappropriately amusing, or it might be kind of touching, or… you know what?  We’ll just see where it goes, mmkay?

Up first:  How to Love on Wikihow.  Seriously?  People need directions?  The Idiot’s Guide to Being in Love?  On an unrelated note, I saw the book below, recently–don’t ask why, I had a very good reason, okay?–and it’s pretty freaking funny.  Unintentionally.  Which makes it funnier, still.

Not advocating the writing of such, but I found this Erotic Thesaurus – A Guide to Purple-Prose for the Literary Artist.

Apparently, there seems to be a link between creativity and…well, madness.  A show of hands, please, from anyone who is surprised.  Anyone?  Didn’t think so.

Here’s the link for the article.  Research was done by U of T (no clue) and Harvard.

This discovery, I think, is about as shocking as finding out the wheel is round.  Do you know any sane writers?  If you do, they’re faking it.  Trust me.