
Posted August 09, 2010 to Digital, Media Appearances, Print
Deirdre Donahue is one of my favorite USA Today reporters. Whenever she covers any subject tangentially related to romance, I know she’s going to do a fair job, and not just slam the genre out of hand. She’s a romance fan herself, and her articles about the genre have always made me happy – especially when she includes me in them!
Today, she’s published an article about the surge in popularity of Amish-set romance: :
“It’s a huge, huge, huge trend,” says romance blogger Sarah Wendell, co-author of Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels….
And that low-tech lifestyle creates a small-town atmosphere, which has deep appeal for readers who may find Wi-Fi-only connections emotionally isolating. “Even within your own neighborhood, you feel alone,” says Jane Little of the influential romance blog Dear Author. In an Amish inspirational, “we’re all one big family,” she says.
“Here you have this agrarian society that is closed to outsiders right in the middle of the Northeast,” says Wendell. “It’s both historical and contemporary.”
I reviewed an Amish-set book a few months ago, Cindy Woodsmall’s The Hope of Refuge, and gave it a C. The themes were fascinating but the religious revelations came far, far too easy.
I don’t think the Amish fascination will decline any time soon, though it eventually will. As complex and connected yet distant as our lives are now, revisiting that type of simplicity in fiction is a curious and compulsive indulgence for many readers.
Tags: pop culture, usa today

Posted August 05, 2010 to Digital, Media Appearances
I’m over at SheKnows.com giving a hot pile of summer reading – all romance, of course. If you’re looking for something to read, how about 5 Sizzlin Romance Reads for Summer Digital books, print books, historical books, contemporary – they’re all in there.
Romance is often dismissed as mindless dreck with predictable plots, but really, the best of romance is far from mindless and silly. Each of these books — and many others — feature savvy, sharp women, and stories that won’t let go of you.
So they are perfect for a hot, sunny day when you want to relax and escape for a few hours to find your own happily ever after.
Tags: awesomesauce, sheknows

Posted August 04, 2010 to Digital, Media Appearances
How in the name of hot reading did I forget to link this here?! What on earth was I doing, reading books?!!
I created a hot summer reading list for Salon.com, including books from paranormal, contemporary, and historical authors.
Even if you’re not at the beach or anywhere near sandy relaxation, a great romance novel can provide the perfect escape from everyday stress. The best part of romance fiction is that happy endings are guaranteed. While the perfect tan requires careful sunscreen, enjoying a romance requires only two things: a belief that everyone deserves a happily-ever-after, and the ability to ignore anyone who sniffs at your choice of reading material. A good romance novel is like the perfect day at the beach: wonderful and restorative from start to finish.
The best part, though, are the comments, like this one from Matt: “A friend of mine buys romance books and leaves them around for her teen-age son to pick up. She thinks that the books contain some good role models for the kid, who like many, is growing up with a single parent who hasn’t had a lot of luck in real life romance. I think he probably likes the sexy parts, but if he can learn anything about mutual respect and how not to smother his girlfriends with demands and jealousy, I’m all for it. From what I’ve seen of the new romance novels the female leads are not the weak Cinderella types, either – a lot of them may be insecure but they get their acts together by the end of the books. (Yep, I’m a reader, too – although the pink & rose bodice-ripper covers have to be hidden when I commute to work.)”
And also, this comment from Dabney rocks my socks: “this article, up front and center, about romance novels made me realize that the site still is capable of greatness.” Dabney and Matt, drinks are on me.
Tags: awesomesauce, salon