Reader Interview: Kristie J.

Kristie J. is from Southwestern Ontario, Canada, and has a blog: Ramblings on Romance, etc. When you were a child, what did you usually read? Well, as a future romance reader in training, I loved fairy tales. I loved them and read them all until ... My grandmother had a very old book of fairy tales – the true stories. Boy, they didn’t call them the Brothers Grimm for nothing. Did you know for example the “real” ending for The Little Mermaid? ***spoiler starts**** She did save the prince and fall in love with him. She gave up her mermaidhood in order to become human, but they took away her beautiful voice (they had to have been men), so she couldn’t tell the prince she was the one who saved his life. He married the princess he thought saved him and the little mermaid died of a broken heart and became waves on the ocean. ***spoiler ends**** Then there were the Freddy the Pig books. This was my introduction to series books. Freddy was a talking pig who saw himself as a writer and a detective. Man I loved that pig. I think as a young girl, I even had a bit of a crush on him. But he was from the country and I was a city girl. It was quite a shock years later when I read Animal Farm by George Orwell, expecting the same kind of tranquil farm life. I was also a big fan of Dr. Suess. That’s where I learned the power of humour in literature (ha). And of course Nancy Drew. But I read them more to see if Ned Nickerson would ever kiss Nancy Drew than for the mystery. I don’t think he ever did. Years and years later, I read something somewhere that I thought was hilarious. Apparently, in this writer's view, Ned was gay. I suppose that’s why he and Nancy never got beyond solving mysteries. As a romance reader, what do you usually read? Anything! I started off reading mainly historical with the occasional Nora Roberts thrown in. Then my universe grew to include westerns. I had such a hoot with them, I began adding to my reading repertoire. Now I’m game to try anything at least once. Apart from romance novels, what do you usually read? Well, do newspapers count? I’m strictly a romance girl these days. In my misspent youth, I read every kind of book there was, but now with all the different sub-genres available and since I enjoy romance books so much and I have so many yet to read, why not just stick with what I enjoy? The last non-romance book I read was a John Grisham about a year ago. Name top five favourite romance authors if any.

• I think Linda Howard is “da bomb”
• I haven’t read a Liz Carlyle I didn’t like (and I’ve read them all)
• JD Robb has managed to keep me coming back for more even 20 books down the line, although I don’t read Nora Roberts any more
• Candace Proctor writes wonderful books although she hasn’t been heard from for a while. I really miss her.
• Patricia Veryan’s older books. They brought me back to romance and I still have a special love for them.

Do you have any weaknesses for certain themes, storylines, settings or such in romances? If so, what are they? Well, I really like older women, younger men books. Must be my inner cougar wanting out. I LOVED Laura Leone’s Fallen From Grace and Suddenly You is my next favourite Kleypas book after Dreaming of You. I also seem to like stories where the hero wrongfully or unjustly imprisoned. (scratching head and wondering why – must be all that pent-up desire waiting to be released) The Rainbow Season – Lisa Gregory Jackson Rule – Dinah McCall One Summer – Karen Robards Long Way Home – Janis Reams Hudson Morning Glory - LaVyrle Spencer All are on my keeper list. What are your pet hates with romance novels?

1. My pet hate is definitely stupidity in the heroine. If the hero is stupid, as long as he’s not cruel, I can write him off as a big dufus, but I’m very unforgiving with stupid women (such as Meg from Brockmann’s The Defiant Hero). Not fair I know. Why should I hold women to a higher standard then men? I don’t know the answer, I just do.
2. Adultery in contemporaries is a big bugaboo with me. I had real issues with Bittersweet by LaVyrle Spencer for example. It’s also keeping me from reading The Goddess of Kitchen Avenue. In the right context it’s not a problem in historicals and I’m not one who rants on message boards but I don’t care for it in contemps.
3. This is mostly a historical issue, but when the hero/heroine hate, hate, mistrust, dislike, hate each other. This type of book goes to the UBS sooner than you can say Jumpin’ Jack Flash.
4. Long separations between our hero/heroine. I mean what is the point if they spend a majority of the book away from each other.

When you buy romance novels, how do you make your selection? Mainly three ways. Buzz on the Internet. Not so much a review but other opinions in addition to the review. New and mid-list authors. I’ve had such wonderful success this past year with new, new-to-me authors I’m keeping it up. And finally the shallow part of me WILL judge a book by its cover. If I like the cover, I’m a lot more likely to give it a try. When discussing romance novels and/or the Romance genre with fellow readers, which issues interest you most? All my fellow readers are on the ‘net, and the issues that I enjoy them most are “good reads” and the every-day life of a romance reader. You know, what do you do when you have a book with one of “those” covers. You're standing in line and the next available cashier is a young very hunky guy. What do you do? You know that kind of thing. (If I have the nerve to go through him, I’ll usually say something like, “My sister has been looking for this book for so long and it’s her birthday next week.” I doubt they buy that, though.) If an influential romance editor asked you for an opinion on the Romance genre, what would you say? The main problem I see with romance books today is in the historical genre, so my answer would be location, location, location. I want to see more books set outside Regency England. Why not more in Canada, eh? Australia, Europe or the US? It’s a whole big world out there, editors, and people fall in love all over it. I simply DO NOT understand this tunnel vision they seem to have with England. I don’t mind the virginal heroine, but I also want experienced and mature heroines – now that I’m one myself, that is. Name up to five romance novels that left you lasting impressions.

1. the In Death series - J.D. Robb
This may be cheating, but I’m lumping all the In Death books together. And what I find so fascinating about them and keeps me coming back, is the growth of Eve Dallas as a woman.
2. After the Night - Linda Howard Besides having some of the best rocking good sex scenes I’ve read J, I love that Faith Devlin managed to rise about her background. She was the daughter of the town drunk and the town whore, yet she managed to overcome it and start her own business. She risked coming back to the town she had been thrown out of and she stood up to a very Alpha Gray.
3. Whispers of Heaven - Candice Proctor Although this was definitely a romance, what really touched me about this book was the growth of Jessie, the heroine. She literally gives all for love. I tout this book whenever I get a chance more than any other book I’ve read.
4. One Summer - Karen Robards The mystery wasn’t that great but I loved the story of Rachel (older woman)and Johnny (falsely imprisoned)- two of my favourite themes.
5. Dreaming of You – Lisa Kleypas Derek Craven. Need I say more?

What was the last romance novel you bought? Funny you should ask that. I was blog hopping long one bright and sunny day when I came across Wendy’s blog of her first F book. I made a mental note to avoid it like the plague. It sounded dreadful. I was in Walmart on the weekend and saw what looked like a very interesting book. The cover appealed to the shallowness in me, it was a new author and it sounded “different”. Later on, when I took it out of the bag and noticed the publisher was TOR, to quote Han Solo: “Chewie, I have a bad feeling about this.” Sure enough, my mental note wasn’t enough. (I’m going to have to start using pen and paper from now on. Old age and dying brain cells suck.) It was the book I planned NOT to get. So I’m going to do something I have never done before. Take it back to the store for a refund. The book? Windwalker by Natasha Mostert. Now had your question been what was the second last romance novel you bought, my answer would be much different so I’ll just pretend that’s what you really meant Lips that Touch Mine by Wendy Lindstrom. I read it and LOVED it. Thanks, Kristie J. :) Be good, be bad & be safe.