Reader interview: Angie

Angie, a stay-at-home mom and a former psychiatric Occupational Therapist, lives in Maryland, USA, and has a blog, Brianna's Mommy When you were a child, what did you usually read? I read everything I could get my hands on. I think I walked around with a book in one hand. At breakfast, I'd read the back of the cereal box since I wasn't allowed to have a book at the table. I think I always loved romance, suspense, and fantasy. I was a big fan of Nancy Drew, but I really loved Trixie Belden. And for those who read Trixie, I always wanted to be her, not Honey. I read a lot of the normal kid things: Judy Blume, Madeline L’Engle and many of the classics like Little Women, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Johnny Tremain as well as others. My love of fantasy started with a book called Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews-Edwards. My fascination with mysteries, I believe started with The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. I was a precocious child, though, and started reading my mom’s romance novels in the 4th grade. And that included books by Sidney Sheldon, Judith Krantz, and Jackie Collins. Books such as If Tomorrow Never Comes that I probably had no business reading at that age and definitely wouldn’t want my daughter reading when she gets to the same stage. But at the time, I inhaled everything I could get my hands on and I don’t think it warped me too terribly much. Apart from romance novels, what do you usually read? Mystery, fantasy, science fiction. I don't read a lot of "women's fiction" or chick-lit but will if the book strikes my interest. I also read a ton of magazines of every type - parenting, cooking, news, sports, fashion and even men's magazines. The one thing I don't read a lot of is non-fiction or biographies. The only exception is the occasional true-crime book I'll read like Helter Skelter (which I actually read when I was a teen) or Mindhunter. And right now I'm reading Jenna Jameson's autobiography, How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale. And as a romance reader? I used to read a ton of historicals, but in the past five years, my tastes have changed and I read more fantasy/paranormal, contemp, and romantic suspense. Name top five favourite romance authors if any.

• J.D. Robb She is one of the few authors who has managed to hold my interest in a long running series.
• Julie Garwood (stop cringing Maili) I love those older historicals she wrote. I'm not that crazy about her romantic suspense and wish she'd write just one more historical (and then another and another...)
• Dara Joy I like her books despite some of the world-building issues. I’m the type of reader that can (sometimes) look beyond that.
• Karen Marie Moning Her books are easy to recommend to people because they fall into several different genres, they’re fun, and well-written
• Jayne Ann Krentz In all her incarnations. If I go simply by sheer volume of books by one author on my bookshelf, she and Nora Roberts look like my favorite authors. I don’t think that’s true, but I had to mention it.

Do you have any weaknesses for certain themes, storylines, settings or such in romances? If so, what are they? Yes, I love when the hero does the heroine wrong in some way, by doubting her usually, and has to grovel. I LOVE an alpha male having to grovel. But it can’t be just an “I’m sorry, I love you grovel” it has to be an on his knees, several pages of torturing him grovel. And if the heroine’s life is in danger- she’s horribly ill, gets shot, kidnapped, or otherwise incurs life-threatening bodily harm- and this makes the hero suddenly realize what an ass he’s been, so much the better. I tell you, I’m sick. What are your pet hates with romance novels? Like a lot of others, I don’t like secret baby plots. I’m not actually big on babies/children in my books at all. There are exceptions but rare. I also don’t much care for the “second chance” plot where a couple who has previously married and divorced reunite. Maybe it’s because I’m divorced and would rather be staked naked on an ant hill than even contemplate ever having to live with him again, but I have a hard time buying into this theme. And I also really dislike the Big MisUnderstanding (which seems at odds with my love of a good grovel but no one said I had to be consistent) and I usually end up wanting to bitch-slap the hero/heroine involved in the Big Mis. I mean, generally all it takes is one question- Is that guy I saw you with your lover? No, it’s my brother, dumbass. Of course, then the book would be over, but that would be just fine with me. Maybe it’s because I think communication is so important and a big foundation for any good relationship that makes me hate that theme so! When discussing romance novels and/or the romance genre with fellow readers, which issues interest you most? You know, I just enjoy discussing book reviews and authors, upcoming books and general things involved in reading. It’s nice to have a community of bloggers to visit to get reviews and opinions from because you learn who has similar tastes and who you can trust. Plus, I hear about books that I normally wouldn’t know about. And, of course, I always love to follow the drama du jour. I’m not ashamed to admit it, LOL. The one other thing that I love talking about when discussing romance, is the value they have to society. So many people refute their appeal, declaring them “trash” or “smut”, but I think those people have also never read a romance novel. I have a story of being in the sixth grade and visiting the seventh grade classes in prep for transition to junior high. While sitting in their history class during our visit, I was the only student who knew the answer to a historical question. Where did I learn it? From reading romance. I think romance readers are probably very knowledgeable in regards to general trivia, facts, and history in comparison to others. I also argue their value when it comes to simply appealing to the average reader and encouraging literacy. If an influential romance editor asked you for an opinion on the romance genre, what would you say? I would love to have an articulate, stunning response to this question that impresses everyone with my insight into the industry but that is just not ever going to happen. I have nothing. Clearly, I’m no Smart Bitch. Name up to five romance novels that left you lasting impressions. This is really difficult because all of my books are still packed in boxes, so I’m going from memory, which is bad because I have mommy brain. And I’m sifting through, trying to think of romances, not books from other genres that I love a ridiculous amount.

• Naked in Death - J.D. Robb The first In Death book and still my favorite, I adore Eve and Roarke, their relationship with each other and with the secondary characters. It’s been the only series that has kept my love through many books, unlike many that usually veer in a direction I hate.
• Beyond the Highland Mist - Karen Marie Moning It combined two genres that I love – Scottish historicals (there goes Maili cringing again) and time travel/paranormal. The whole series is fabulous and this is the first book.
• Elizabeth’s Wolf - Lora Leigh An erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave and a wonderful example of how erotic romance can be emotionally powerful.
• The Secret - Julie Garwood I just love this book, I could have picked several of Julie Garwood’s but this is probably the most re-read. Something about these Garwood books- I love the relationships, the writing, the stories. I don’t care what anyone says about them, they’re comfort reads!
• The Richard and Rose novels - Lynne Connolly This is a bit of a strange choice, because there are other books that I re-read and love more, but I thoroughly enjoyed all of these books and recommend them frequently. What’s interesting about them is that they were first published by a very small epub and Lynne pulled them. They’re not currently available but will be next year from another pub. They are historical romances following Richard and Rose, have fabulous attention to detail and characterization, and also have wonderful secondary characters. (And in case anyone is wondering, I don’t know Lynne personally so have no reason to plug them other than I think they’re great books.)

Note to Maili: it really sucked choosing only five. But I’m not going to cheat. I was tempted, but I didn’t! I do know that I’m going to kick myself in the middle of the night when I wake up and think of five other books I love just as much! Note to Angie: I know it sucked, but look on the bright side, you're the first reader who's managed to meet the five-only challenge. Congratulations, mite! What do you think of romance novel covers in general? I was never someone who felt like I had to hide what I was reading and rarely thought about the covers, mostly because I was used to the clinch covers and thought they were all pretty horrible. But it seems as though publishers are attempting to change the perception of romance through some of their covers. As we've seen on your blog, the covers are younger, hipper, more mysterious, and eye-catching in a completely different way. I think that's cool. And yes, I do judge a book by its cover and I will look twice at a book whose cover intrigues me. I'm shallow that way. But I still love my man-titty covers because sometimes they're just plain fun! Do you have any favourite romance covers? If so, which are they? I have a horrible memory for this type of thing, so this is a hard question for me to answer. Unless it's something I've seen recently, it doesn't stick with me. I do agree with people who say that e-book/erotic romance covers can be pretty horrible sometimes but I saw one recently that I would love to see on a print cover. It's Out of the Darkness by Jaci Burton at Ellora's Cave. Other than that one, I can't think of a particular title, but I do love the newer covers that have a darker edge to them, more of an abstract feel, suspenseful and romantic and mysterious. I wonder if that made any sense at all? Name top five favourite romantic films.

• Grease Is there anyone who doesn't love this movie? I wanted to BE Sandy. Olivia Newton-John was my idol for a good many years. Good girl turned bad. Happens to the best of us.
• Top Gun I can still remember watching this movie with my parents and blushing through Tom and Kelly's love making. And as a side bonus to the romance, men in uniform. Yummy.
• Save the Last Dance This movie, with tones of West Side Story, is just... feel good. And it has good hip-hop music. And Sean Patrick Thomas ain't too hard on the eyes either!
• Dirty Dancing I was in sixth grade when this movie was released and what young girl didn't have love in her heart for Patrick Swayze when he said "Nobody puts Baby in the corner." *swoon* Add in great music and sexy dance scenes and my heart still thumps double time when I watch!
• Romancing The Stone This movie makes me laugh and I love the portrayal of the romance author (Kathleen Turner) as the heroine and Michael Douglas as the less than perfect, but oh-so perfect hero. It was fun, it had a HEA, AND it had a sequel (I love romance sequels)

What was the last romance novel you bought? The last one I bought? Ummm, I got Cast in Shadows by Michelle Sagara in the mail from Luna. I loved it. I’m not sure, though, if it counts as a romance, it’s more fantasy. So, other than that, I also bought Carved in Stone by Vickie Taylor and How to Marry a Millionare Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks. I haven’t read the first yet and I didn’t care for the Kerrelyn Sparks book as I explained on my blog. It wasn’t to my taste although I know other people enjoyed it very much. That happens! Those are the last I bought - now, if you’d asked me the last I got, that would be different because I’ve gotten quite a few in trade and a wonderful friend sent me a box of books she got at RWA. My TBR pile(s) are toppling over. Thanks, Angie. :)