Reader Interview: Màili

We have a nice line-up of forthcoming reader interviews and to shut a certain person up, I'm putting mine in today. This way, the Sunday line-up won't be messed up. I mentioned a lot of authors, so I'm not putting in any links. Thanks. My battered book journals and I live in Worcestershire, England, UK, and my blog: McVane, e.g. you're here. :D When you were a child, what did you usually read? My stepfather is a great believer in getting children to read books from an early age. My siblings and I had to read two books per week [We get to read a book of our choice and a book of his choice] and compile 'book reports' on Sunday after a visit to church. [I suspect it was a way to stop us getting into mischief, generally being pint-sized anarchists.] Since we didn't have a TV, the curfew [in from the outside at 7pm sharp] and we were miles from schoolfriends, we didn't mind. This is probably why I remember books from those days more than what I read in my adult life. He chose classics for us - Charles Dickens's Bleak House, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, William Golding's Lord of the Flies, Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters [it completely went over my head], D.H. Lawrence's The Boy From the Bush, and Susan Hill's I Am the King of Castle, Tov Jansson's Moonmins series, Wilfred Owen, William Blake [Tiger, Tiger left a huge impression on me], for instance - while we went for pure YA books, especially those that involve blood, gory, mystery, adventure, and [for me] romance. Books I remember most: Jane Gardam's A Long Way from Verona, Deborah Hautzig's Hey Dollface, K.M. Peyton's the Flambards series, Penelope Lively's A Step in Time, Nina Bawden's Carrie's War, Aidan Chambers's Dance on My Grave, Robert Cormier's I Am the Cheese, Robert O'Brien's Z for Zachiarch, Farrukh Dhondy's East End at Your Feet [this was from my stepfather's selection - a rare hit] and loads of Roald Dahl's books. My favourite authors were Lois Lowry, S.E. Hinton, Rosa Guy, Judy Blume, Margaret Mahy, Jan Mark, Anne Fine, and Liz Berry. I read a lot of romances as well: Johanna Lindsey, Dinah Dean, Catherine Coulter, Penelope Neri, Janet Dailey, Natasha Peters, Lynda Trent, and Jude Deveraux. I'd read every Zebra Hologram historical I could get my mitts on - Martha Hix, Jo Goodman, etc. The only survivor of this 'oh, wow! sex! sex! sex!' period is Rene Garrod's Her Heart's Embrace, an American western historical romance that remains a good old friend today. As a romance reader, what do you usually read? It would be easier to list what I don't usually go for: traditional Regency romances, any stories that involve a child abduction, time travel, French setting historicals, traditional gothic romances, and - surprise, surprise - Scottish historical romances. I'd read them, though, but only when they are recommended. Apart from romance novels, what do you usually read? Just about anything. I'm heavily drawn to a sub-genre of metafiction, e.g. using fictional characters from other novels as main characters in the same novel. Examples: Jasper Fforde's series, Alan Moore's graphic novel series League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Kim Newman's Anno Dracula, and so on. I'm also heavily drawn to 'cult' fiction [e.g. Thom Jones, Gerald Kersh, Frank Miller, Ann Quinn, Jim Carroll, James Hoggs, Nikolai Gogal, Gavin Lambert, Gary Indiana], neo-Victorian novels [or rather, historical steampunk novels], and religious thrillers. I truly love contemporary quest/'treasure hunt' thrillers and literary puzzle adventures. A well-known example would be Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, but my old favourite is Katherine Neville's The Eight. I generally enjoy books by Iain Pears, Tim Powers [espec. The Anubis Gates], Emma Bull, Jane Jensen [I love her games more than her books, though], Charles Palliser, Maria McCann, Neal Stephenson, Alexandra Potter, and many more. I'd read anything, really. :) The only current series I faithfully follow is Sujata Massey's Rei Shimura series. Oh, I'm also very much into Japanese and Chinese novels, but I have a weakness for any that takes place in Hong Kong because I lived there for about two years. Name top five ten favourite romance authors if any.

• Theresa Weir
• Sandra Canfield/Karen Keast
• Megan Chance
• Michelle Jerott/Michele Albert
• Anne Stuart
• Katherine O'Neal
• Laura Kinsale
• Gayle Feyrer/Taylor Chase
• Marilyn Pappano
• Kathleen Korbel

Do you have any weaknesses for certain themes, storylines, settings or such in romances? If so, what are they? I adore Australian-setting historical romances [and novels], character-driven romances and adventure romances. I also adore scholar heroes, archaeology [Indiana Jones!], action heroines, romantic capers [example: Peter O'Toole and Audrey Hepburn in How to Steal a Million], and plain jane heroines [because I'm a plain jane :)]. A dry sense of humour gets me, too. Every time. What are your pet hates with romance novels? Any that blatantly endorse sexual double standards, jingoistic sentiments [one of reasons why I loathe Scottish historical romances] and hypocrisy. When discussing romance novels and/or the Romance genre with fellow readers, which issues interest you most? Book covers, and readers' likes and dislikes. If an influential romance editor asked you for an opinion on the Romance genre, what would you say? Sort out book covers, please. Apart from that, I have nothing to say. Seriously, I don't! :D Name up to five romance novels that left you lasting impressions.

1. Come Be My Love - Diana Brown
This is my very first 'proper' romance novel. Alexandra is an immature gutter for punishment, and the hero is a selfish bastard, but it was a proper romance. Ironically it was my stepfather who got me this book. This was when Judy Piatkus gave away books to publicise her then newly founded publishing company. He brought some home and gave all to me because I was the eldest. Hur hur!
2. After Innocence - Brenda Joyce Opening chapter: the heroine does some painting outside, next to the sea, and down below she spots a couple getting naughty. She doesn't know whether to hop away or not, but she stays. The hero finally spots her and does he stop doing what he's doing? Nope. *shock* :D As a kid, it was an eye opener. And what's more - the heroine has a limp, a result from a childhood incident. I have read Johanna Lindsey, and most Zebra Hologram historicals - all have foot-stamping, handspannable waists, tiny, tiny but perfect heroines, which thoroughly bored me. This one? It was different - the Gilded age, imperfect heroine, Beta hero, and the like. That said, I can't stand this book today - a lengthy separation between the h/h, a weird and unresolved sub-plot involvingher parents, and such, but I do remember After Innocence with affection for leaving an impact on me.
3. Sea Fire - Karen Robards I thoroughly hated this book. It was the first book that I destroyed. At 14 I was taught that it was 'wrong' to treat books with disrespect, but it horrified me so much that I destroyed it, tearing pages into pieces. This left a deep impression on me.
4. The Light Fantastic - Peggy Nicholson It's solely responsible for making me addicted to 'quest' adventure stories. I can't remember much about this book now [I'm still looking for a copy], but IIRC, the h/h go on a treasure hunt across the US. It wowed me enough to clamour for more, hence my weakness that lasts to this day.
5. The Shadow and the Star – Laura Kinsale I have mixed feelings toward this one. It's a perfect romance novel with many imperfections, which I thoroughly enjoyed. In a way it reminds meof LaVyrle Spencer's November of the Heart, which I also enjoyed. I can't quite put a finger on what makes TS&TS a compelling read. I tried Kinsale's Flowers From the Storm and thoroughly disliked it, mostly because of the ending. I do have a very soft spot for her other books Midsummer Moon and For My Lady's Heart.

What was the last romance novel you bought? Kathleen Nance's Jigsaw. Haven't read it yet. Be good, be bad & be safe.