Barb, I hear ya! I used to whisper when I first started reading romance but these days I shout it out. It's SO true that we are much more happy than the average person not reading romance. I look around me and all I see are people weighed down with attitude and stubborness. I'm free and I smile a lot because I am so content with where I am in life. I think romance books have played a huge roll towards me being who I am today. They give us knowledge and empowerment. They bring hope and keep us upbeat. I give people secret smiles when they think they are better than me because I only read romance. I'm loud. I'm proud. Romance is definitely spelt with 7 letters. :D Rika ~ www.bookadesign.com

I agree. Romance readers are some of the nicest people. I read a lot. I’m always looking for a new author. When I go to the library, I ask people for suggestions. A lot of times a kind romance reader will walk me right to the bookshelf to find the book she’s recommended. I’ve found some good friends as well as good reads just by asking at the library.

Good for you!! When I quit practicing law to write full time, I can't tell you the number of my attorney colleagues who asked me when I was going to write a "real" book!! With such condescension, too. Now a few years later, when things are going well, suddenly those same people are asking "so how can I write a romance?" When I talk to groups that include people like those you mention, I always ask "Which romance novel have you read recently?" If "none" is the answer, I suggest a title and say "get back to me once you've tried this." Hopefully, I'm making some converts! www.AlyssaDay.com

Not only are romance readers nice people, so are romance authors. I was a reviewer before I started writing and I had such a wonderful experience dealing with the authors. It just made me want to join the group. I hate the "trashy romance" comments and will look at the commenter, look at the book and, if it's an author I know, I'll say "I know that person and she's certainly not trashy." If I don't know the author, I'll borrow a line from Linda Howard and say "It's only trashy if you have a trashy mind." When my granddaughter is old enough, I plan to start her on romances. She can spend a week with me in the summer and we'll read romance together (only hers will initially be less steamy than Grammy's ).

I love this post because it reminds me what happened when our local book club read my first book in the Wolf Tales series. It was chosen only because I'm a local author. Wolf Tales has very explicit hot relationships among members of the pack--same gender lovemaking, group lovemaking, etc. I don't pull any punches, and since this is a very conservative community, I was really surprised when they picked my book. I was asked to come speak to the members once they'd all read it, and the room was packed--a mixed crowd of men and women. The first question totally threw me--the woman was literally bouncing in her seat with her arm in the air when I called on her: "How do you know what a wolf male organ looks like?" Once I quit laughing, all I could say was, "Well, you can Google anything..." It was a fun evening, the discussion surprisingly animated and the rest of the questions well thought out--and I've got a lot of new readers here in the mountains!

This makes me so angry! It's discrimination against women -- if women like it, if we read it for pleasure (as opposed to self improvement), it must be worth less. This is true of cozy mysteries, too -- they're considered less literary than hard-boiled , even though they may have more realistic people & relationships in the place of stereotypical "tough guys and gals."

I love Alyssa's comment about wolf organs! And, yes, I get similar comments because I write cozies with cats in them -- when am I going to write a "real" book? And I'd like to start a counter-rumor/trend. I deeply, deeply suspect that many of those people who say they only read "good books," don't read at all! (Though, in all fairness, they may support authors by BUYING books.) Romance, cozies, etc. are real books that real people read. And "real" is a four-letter word! Harumph! (getting off high horse now.) -Clea www.cleasimon.com

Rarely does anyone disparage me to my face for writing romance, but I do run into some misunderstandings. Like, people say, "Oh, those little Harlequins." I explain that no, I don't happen to write for Harlequin, that there are many publishers who publish romance, and that, by the way, those little Harlequins now range from sweet romances to urban fantasy to women's fiction to romantic suspense to Christian inspirational to extremely hot, and so on, and so on. When I point out that over half of commercial paperback sales are romance, people begin to pay attention. Yes, lots and lots of people read and love romance. There are also lots of book clubs that read romance - and authors can obtain lists and send them promotional material (if anyone wants more info on this, email me at susan@susanlyons.ca). Including discussion questions. My books are hot romances but they also have lots of issues, and it's hard to cram all the discussion questions onto one double-sided sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper because I could just keep on going. And yes, when I put together promotional material for librarians, I always include discussion questions. I also make those questions downloadable in PDF format from my website. It's all about education and we, as romance writers and readers, are responsible for letting the world know how great - and varied, and popular - our genre is. Thanks to Barbara for helping us with that! www.susanlyons.ca

oops -sorry, loved Alyssa's AND Kate's comments. (a sign that I need to settle down and finish my latte)

This is such a timely and great post! I think many people have no idea that romance has evolved and is well researched, well written and great fun! I hear comments all the time about romance and "real books" as though they are not the same thing. I was invited to talk on a radio show last week and the other guest on the show was author Christine Feehan. The poor guy didn't stand a chance! ROFL!! If you have the time and want a good laugh you've got to check out this interview- www.blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?show_id=42733 When it starts you'll hear him say he doesn't read romance. But by the time it was over he was very pro-romance and even emailed later to ask for a copy of Christine's book! It's really a matter of educating people. Kudos to everyone who has the courage to speak up! And I so agree with the whole thing about Clubs of doom and gloom books. If I want doom and gloom...I'll balance my check book. Thanks! LOL

Yay for you, Barbara! My ex used to crack jokes about the romances I'd written for the now-defunct Bantam Loveswept line everytime we were in a group of new people. Such a cutup at parties, he was. I did mention he was my ex, didn't I? Faye ps: Kate, I laugh every time I hear you tell your book club story - great response.

Faye, I am so lucky with my spouse--he respects what I do and even hands out my bookmarks to his motorcycle buddies! He's got all their wives reading my Wolf Tales and said he's beginning to get thank you notes!!! I actually blogged about the poor man myself today, at theaphrodisiaauthors.blogspot.com

I enjoy a good romance. There are so many out there. I agree romance readers are some of the nicest peolpe. They are always willing to share and recomend good books.

Let's see...I teach literature, therefore if I'm going to write a book, it should be about Great Mysteries of Life, full of heavy symbolism and rich metaphors. It should probably be dark and depressing. Otherwise, it's not a Real Book. Ick. I hate literature snobs.

I read a lot of the authors talked about in this blog and I guess I have trouble thinking of them in terms of straight romance. I read thrillers, paranormals, mysteries and a bunch of other stuff, but I love the romantic component. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I love romance and I'm proud of it. Feeling good is a priority for me and I love flashing the covers of the books to get people's reactions. Most get a good look at it and then check to see my face. I give them a big smile and yep, they smile back. Worth the price of a book.

If not for romance novels I would never read. My aunt bought me my first book when I was 16 and I fell in love with it. I have now gotten my sister and friend hooked. They both told me that hated reading until then. Everyone has their own tastes and I for one am a hopeless romantic and proud of it:) My husband has even gone to the bookstore and bought them for me. He knows how much I love them.

When I went to the library to find a local writer's critique group, I was surprised that there was only two, in a college based town. One wasn't friendly in the least, the other, I was the only consistent romance writer there. They didn't look down at me, but it was unnerving at times. I have to agree, the writing community is one of the friendliest I've ever been involved with. And supportive. Why wouldn't someone want to be involved in that?

Book clubs need to lighten up! Romance is the means by which we tell others that they are noticed and cherished. That's why romance readers are such nice people! They have been schooled in "niceness" by reading romance books! Book clubs could talk about how one person made the other feel important in a romance novel. Maybe that would make THEM nicer people.

I agree that book clubs need to lighten up. That's why I specifically joined a book club where the theme is "book and a movie." We exclusively read books that have been made into movies...across a wide variety of genres and if we do a serious book one month, we do a light and breezy one the next month. Last month's book was The Nanny Diaries (we're still working on figuring out this month), although we've read Lolita, Chocolat, The Princess Bride, and The Color Purple this year as well. Why read if you can't enjoy yourself? I spend all day reading cases (another attorney here), so when I read at night for fun, I want to escape. It doesn't mean my choice of reading doesn't have merit. It jsut means I'm a happier person in the long run.

I write hot sci-fi and futuristics. I have as much high-tech gadgets and governmental intrigue as I do love scenes. It does upset me when people assume that because it's romance it has no substance to it. I think often they have more. And when someone says to my face that "I don't like romance" I answer..."That's too bad. Do you not like it in your own life either?" Most of them will look at me rather shocked, lips flapping and full of denial. Then I explain that love and romance are essential to the human condition. Without it in a book, you're only telling half the story.

I love all these responses and plan to use them. I love mysteries and suspense stories, but the romance seems to complete the experience. I read to escape the sometimes sadness that seeps into our lives. I need the romance and yes, I'm proud of it.

This is interesting to me because for many a year I did not read romances as a general rule and I did not view myself as writing them either. I wrote mysteries and suspense and I will admit that I was a little disdainful of romance as a genre in general. Then in January I started reading romances for the 100 book challenge on eharlequin and I very quickly realized that not only was my perception of romances incorrect but I myself had been writing romances for years without seeing them as such. What a surprise. For a little while it was a strange transition for me but I joined RWA and openly read romances in public. I'm a changed woman and not any stupider for it. The sad thing is that I sometimes hear things from even fellow romance writers that devalue their contributions. I actually had the president of an RWA branch tell me in an offhand manner that they could never see me writing straight out romance because I was just too smart for that. Ouch. And by the way I HATE literary novels. They make me want to escape from them by doing something more fun, like burning my inner thighs with cigarettes.

Yay, Barbara! I've been a romance reader my whole life and it's because of that very reason, I prefer to be happy, to read about people who succeed in their lives, not boring doom and gloom. And if either the hero or the heroine dies in the end, look out, that book will go flying across the room! (Hated Message in a Bottle for that very reason.)

I tried for a year to start a romance book club at the library I work at. But a lot of patrons stuck up their nose at it because it was "romance" or "smut" or whatever other terms they used. It was very frustrating. Especially when patrons did and do check out lots of romance novels. They just don't want to admit it!

Wow, there's a lot of snobbery in this thread. I didn't realize that the fact that I don't read romance novels means that I'm not a nice person, that I only like gloomy, boring books, and that I don't want romance in my life. It's true that people who don't read romances have no right to judge you. But it's also true that, if you don't read literary novels, you have no right to judge the people who do. To each her own.

Julie, you are absolutely correct that no one has the right to judge anyone by what they read. I read a variety of books and I guess my point was that one shouldn't have to be embarrassed or feel they have to hide the fact that they love romance. Literary or not, most books do offer some romance and I, personally, am a happier person because of it. This blog is for everyone to have a voice and I'm glad you took the time to comment. Please do so again and leave the name of whatever you're reading. I'll bet someone who stops by here has either read it or plans to. I have quite a few friends that wouldn't read what I like, but, other than that fault , they are the nicest people in the world. So, come back again and help add balance to this group. I like to think all nice people read this blog. :) If there's anything else you'd like to talk about, my e-mail is barbaravey@yahoo.com

This article and commentary has provided me with so much joy and laughter. If it weren't for all you "courageous" women who are "discriminated" against deciding to take a stand against all those book snobs in the world I would not have laughed as hard as I did today!