Booking Through Thursday 4/19/12

Today is Booking Through Thursday. Each week a question related to reading is posted and bloggers answer on Thursdays. Click the link above to participate!


This week's question:


What are your literary “pet peeves”?

I love this question! Everyone has a pet peeve, but I never thought of them in terms of literature. But, of course I have some. I would say that I hate it when people assume I am not a "real" reader or writer because I read and write romance. Romance is a real genre, people!

When I was 13, I picked up my first Harlequin Superromance novel in Krogers supermarket. I can't even remember the title, but the author was Dawn Stewardson. I thought, "What the heck." I had never been introduced to the romance genre and usually just read what was assigned at school. But, this book rocked my world and turned my reading life around. How can that not be real literature? If it changes someone's life.... it is!

This was one of the first Superromance books I read and loved as a teenager.

And by the way, since I'm ranting, just because I write romance, doesn't mean I'm not a real writer. It is just as hard as any other type of writing. We still have to build our characters, build romantic suspense or tension and have those inner and outer conflicts. I am proud to be a romance author and know I work hard!

So, why don't you go and pick up a good romance book and enjoy the reading. It was damn hard writing! (Nathaniel Hawthorne)