Romance Readers & Publishers Weekly

I was pleasantly pleased to see the cover of Publishers Weekly for the week of November 19, 2007, features the romance genre. In an article entitled "Textually Promiscuous," Sarah J. Robbins discusses the genres and features quotations by readers, editors, bookstore owners, and romance scholars. I especially enjoyed the discussion on the blending of historical and paranormal elements in romances and Rose's quotation on writing was spot on: "“The editors acquired these authors on the quality of the writing and weren't concerned about the genre,” says Rose. “Which just goes to show that good writing wins out.”
You can check out the article here.

All About Romance: Top 100 Romances

The popular romance website, All About Romance, recently published their list of Top 100 Romances, which can be found here. Of course, critics will have a field day, and devoted romance readers will notice that popular authors, such as Jo Beverly, are missing from the list, though classics such as Bronte's Jane Eyre and Austen's Pride & Prejudice are represented. Still, it's useful for considering the novels that we have on our keeper's shelf. What makes a novel a keeper? After reading through the list, I plan to inspect my own shelf and consider what would appear on my list. And, I'd be curious to hear what other readers think about the novels/authors that do appear on the list. I've only read 25 of the books that are listed, and at my own estimate I've read about 400-500 romances in my life. To get you started, I've listed the top 10 books on the AAR list:

1	Lord of Scoundrels Loretta Chase European Historical 1995
2	Dreaming of You Lisa Kleypas European Historical 1994
3	Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen Classic Fiction 1813
4	Outlander Diana Gabaldon Time Travel 1991
5	Flowers From The Storm Laura Kinsale European Historical 1992
6	Slightly Dangerous Mary Balogh European Historical 2004
7	Devil In Winter Lisa Kleypas European Historical 2006
8	Bet Me Jennifer Crusie Contemporary 2004
9	Welcome to Temptation Jennifer Crusie Contemporary 2000
10	The Viscount Who Loved Me Julia Quinn European Historical 2000

Victoria Magazine is Back!

When I was a teenager, I eagerly awaited each new issue of Victoria Magazine. Every issue featured beautiful locales, wonderful recipes, and lovely layouts. As you can imagine, I was deeply disappointed when they stopped publishing the magazine, but I recently received the very first issue of the new Victoria Magazine. The magazine features home decor, recipes, collectibles, and more. If you visit the website, you'll find free recipes and tips on decorating your home.

If you're a writer, you may be interested in contributing an article, especially if you have an interest in antiques and history. Writers' guidelines can be found here.