Cool! Yes, we're very proud of our Marilyn, who sold her 17th story to the Trues just this past week. And her stories often come from things she's read on the Internet or friends that she knows. Reality is often stranger than fiction! Danniele www.writingplayground.com

I guess I'm too young to remember some of this stuff (I'm 20), but feeling a closeness with your Grandma we can all identify with (hopefully). I'm going out and buy my Grandma (she's a young 55) a copy of this magazine and put a big bow on it. I can't wait to see her face! (Of course, I plan to read it too)

Thanks Barbara--I have fond memories of my Grandma including romance magazines (no wonder she & Grandpa had 17 pregnancies!!), hundreds of decks of cards & Army "Al Capp" comic books (5 of her sons & 1 of her daughters served in the armed forces, out of 11 surviving children) so I know those wonderful times of family sleep-overs that yielded some fun adult secrets sometimes! It is so great to read & respond to your blog!

Wow! Just how cool is this? I remember my aunt having these magazines but I never read them. I read her movie magazines instead. When I sold my first story last year, I told my mom and she said she read them when she was a teenager during the war years. It's been fun and rewarding to write for them, and as we speak I'm brewing up another story to submit. Thanks for the shout out. I sent the URL to my editor. Oh... the cover on the right has one of my stories on it. I wrote "Love on the Slopes." Mariyn

I love writing for True Romance and enjoyed your article. My mother/grandmother never read anything like this, but every issue I get, my mother reads from front cover to back and shares them with all her friends. She's in her 80's and they all enjoy it! Hey, she has a 90-year-old boyfriend. Who says senior citizens don't need romance?!! Great article!

Barbara, thanks for the memories. When I was a little kid in the early 60's I had a neighbor who was a teen and she wanted to be a hairdresser. She and her friends loved to listen to the teen music and dance, so I would volunteer to be her victim and let her cut and fix my hair. I was 10 and wanted to hang with the big kids and learn all the dances. She had her room set up like a beauty parlor and yep complete with these magazines. It was the only time I got to read them (what my mom didn't know wouldn't hurt her) and I loved them almost as much as hanging out with the big kids, Great memories.

There was always a copy of True Romance in the waiting area where Mom worked. After school when I didn't want to take the bus I would go to Mom's work, wait and read a great story. This was a lot better than taking the city bus home.

Thanks for the tearjerker today. Being number 6 out of 9, I too also received alot of special time with Gram. I couldnt wait to read her stories and watch the Dean Martin show. I loved her words of wisdom like "dont crack your knuckles, no man will want to put a wedding ring on your finger" :) Thanks for the memories!

Thanks again Barb--your reminiscing about your Grandma was so poignant--your blogs are so wonderful!