I’ve taken a bit of a break from writing romance to a) edit b)work on a screenplay c) work on a sci fi novel d) look for paying work e) have a life f) all of the above.

That doesn’t mean that I have stopped thinking about romance. Yeah, I know. Valentine’s is in the rearview mirror. We have zika and Isis and Trump to worry about. That’s why we need romance. The worst the world gets, the more we need a safe place. A Happy Ever After. (FYI-I write more HFN–Happy for Now– but still.)

I came across this video about romance readers and thought I’d share. There are so many myths about romance readers–dried up spinsters with a trillion cats come to mind. (Why is it always cats? Dog owners can be dried up too!)

But with so many romance novels being released every day, it’s tough for a new author to get noticed.  That’s why bloggers are the best. They are honest. (Often painfully so.) They are passionate. ( I wish I could channel that passion sometimes when I run out of inspiration.) They are often better writers than the writers they are critiquing. So if you love something, say something. Post a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Talk about your new book boyfriend on Facebook or Twitter. Play “This is my Sven” on Instagram!

The Hollywood Reporter has a new pre-Oscar list of the best movie quotes of all time. Yes, there are a bunch of gaps and yes, you will argue about the placement and omissions. But check out the top two—-“Here’s looking at you kid,”  from Casablanca and “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn,” from Gone With The Wind. Romance quotes from half a century ago and they still resonate.  That’s why I write. That’s why I read romances. To tug at heart strings, to cry an honest errant tear. To feel.