There was a time when most romance novels featured elements of extravagance. Millionaires, princes, and CEOs were the most common romantic hero. They had lots of money and weren’t afraid to use it to get what they wanted and that usually involved the heroine. If you were searching for a romance where a regular guy looked for love, you were out of luck. Publishers didn’t believe everyday heroes would sell so those books were written with much less frequency. It took awhile, but readers started voicing their displeasure with wealthy, alpha heroes. They tired of reading stories where no one worried about paying the bills and were finding it harder and harder to suspend disbelief that there were so many gorgeous, powerful, wealthy men…under thirty. In real life, female readers were kicking asses and taking names. They were struggling with the ordinary and finding ways to make it work. They wanted to see that same strength, that same realism in their beloved genre. I understand because I was looking for representation, too. I’d been reading romance novels since I was eleven years old and a common theme had emerged. Book after book contained some variation of the hero waxing poetic…

We all have our favorite types of men we like to read about, the ones in the books we put in our keeper pile and go back to when we need a pick-me-up. The ones we daydream about from time to time. So, I thought it might be fun to explore who we might find between the covers of our favorite romance books (or under the covers as the case may be). The CEO: This guy could be a detective or a doctor. He’s capable and confident, and often stubborn and controlling. He gets annoyed by any change to his plans and is thrown off balance when he meets someone he can’t figure out. The Bad Boy: Brooding and tight-lipped, he isn’t one to talk your ear off. He keeps his feelings locked up tight because something in his past has hurt him, bad. Maybe he’s a mechanic or a criminal, but he’s seductive all the same. The Guy Next Door: Funny and cute, this one makes you laugh. You feel like you can be yourself around him. He looks out for you, and knows just what you like. He gets under your skin, until you don’t know what you’d…

Jill Shalvis’s latest release, ONCE IN A LIFETIME, is available today. To whet your appetite and stir your curiosity, here’s a little something about ONCE IN A LIFETIME so you can catch up with us. Because it’s a great read you do not want to miss. SOMETIMES WRONG IS OH-SO-RIGHT After a wrenching loss, Ben McDaniel tried to escape his grief by working in dangerous, war-torn places like Africa and the Middle East. Now he’s back in his hometown and face-to-face with Aubrey Wellington, the hot-as-hell woman who is trouble with a capital T. Family and friends insist she’s not the one to ease his pain, but Aubrey sparks an intense desire that gives Ben hope for the future. Determined to right the wrongs of her past, Aubrey is working hard to make amends. But by far, the toughest challenge to her plan is sexy, brooding Ben – even though he has absolutely no idea what she’s done . . . Can this unlikely couple defy the odds and win over the little town of Lucky Harbor? So now you know the characters it’s time to find out a buring question. So we asked Jill, In your opinion, what is…

My debut novel IN BLOOM was an accident. When I started writing it I wasn’t trying to write a book; I was trying to save my job. I never set out to be a writer—I was always a reader, but writing my own stories never occurred to me. No, I wanted to be a fashion designer, and that was the path I followed after college, landing a position as an assistant designer for a new dress line being started by Diane Samandi, an established lingerie designer. We were just beginning to have some success—selling to stores like Anthropologie, Barney’s, and Nordstrom—when the economy collapsed. The dress line went under and the lingerie line merged with a larger company. I was given a lingerie design position at the new firm, but it soon became apparent that my design skills weren’t congruent with their more technical systems, and it was suggested that I try something else entirely, like starting the ecommerce website for In Bloom Intimates. Building an online business from scratch was completely new to me and I tried to learn the ins and outs of SEO, PPC and Facebook fans, but again, I couldn’t quite meet expectations. The numbers weren’t…

How do you put fashion and murder together? Well, like all things fashion, it’s about the styling. 🙂 I have an addiction to fashion blogs. Tom and Lorenzo. Go Fug Yourself. Fashion Grail. Urban Darling. They’re perfect to go with the first cup of coffee that makes the world such a tolerable place. So when I was coming up with an idea for a new series, placing it in the fashion world of the fictional Harbor City seemed like the perfect fit. Overblown egos? Check. Dog-eat-dog ambition? Check. Back stabbing? Check. High stakes? Check. Fabulousness? Check. The fashion world really is tailor made for romantic suspense. (See what I did there? Tailor made. I crack myself up. Why aren’t you laughing? *slinks away*) I spent a lot of nights watching fashion documentaries. I highly recommend The September Issue, if you only watch one of the fashion-related documentaries on Netflix. Then there was the shopping. Oh, the horror. It was just awful. Spending all that time shopping high-end stores online, lusting after Victoria Beckham designs, strolling the displays at Jimmy Choo and Neiman Marcus. You just feel really bad for me, don’t you? See, I knew you were sweet people. 🙂…

February is the month for lovers! It’s a great time to read a romance and wallow in the happily-ever-after plot line. I’m especially fond of this February as my son got married on February 8th! Here’s the happy couple (The surfer on the left is the Best Man!). They live in Hawaii but were married in Philadelphia. Crazy kids–leaving all that sun and heat for snow and cold! According to my calendar, it’s “National Wedding Month” and I’m sure lots of couples tied the knot this month along with my son and his lovely bride. My son and his new wife are a great pair, and I know they will be happy together! As a romance author, that’s one of the things I strive for in all my books . . . putting together the perfect couple. On the surface, it may look like the couple will NEVER get together, but underneath, they always share core values, and when they finally solve their problems, they deserve the happily-ever-after moments I plan for them. My latest historical romance, LORD OF SWORDS, is an example of a couple who seem as if they’ll never have a chance to be together. Lady Joia…

~~ MEN ~~ I have to say (sadly) it’s been a long time since I’ve truly celebrated Valentine’s Day. For the last few years, the holiday has always fallen on the first day of or during my children’s school break. We’re usually leaving on vacation or headed somewhere for the week, so my husband stopped sending flowers. Now … this is sad for more reason than not receiving flowers. I had to train him to send the flowers in the first place and now the habit has been broken. What? Did I really say I had to TRAIN my man to send me a Valentine’s gift? Yes! Ladies, not all men are born or raised knowing what to do on Valentine’s Day. Not all men are like the picture perfect specimens we write and read about in our books. What!? Blasphemy, I know. But true. Come on, admit it. Our men (if we have one in our lives) aren’t always perfect. Isn’t that partially what the appeal of Romance Novels are all about? The good news (for some of us) is that many men can be taught to behave in certain ways. I know it always shocked me that even…

It’s official. On February 3rd, 2014 amazon.com announced that San Antonio, Texas is the most romantic city in the US. According to the site, the annual sales of romance and relationship books, romantic movies, and love music as well as (cough, cough) adult toys purchased by the people of San Antonio last year rated at the top in the nation. Why is this important? One, because the Romance Writers of America’s 2014 National conference will be held in the Alamo City in July. Two, because I call this city my home and I’m thrilled to find that people are figuring out just how cool we are. Three, ended up being total irony because the day after the announcement was made, I, along with two of my fellow San Antonio Romance Authors (Sasha Summers and Laurie Olerich) appeared on a local morning show called, San Antonio Living. Now understand, we three arrived with great plans to pimp our books and talk about the group book signing we had following Saturday. We didn’t anticipate that we would be asked to give advice for viewers about their relationships. Gasp! This had sudden fame or total disaster written all over it. As they geared…

Sometimes you just know something is meant to be, and that’s the way things went with writing STEAL ME, COWBOY. It was just meant to be.”>STEAL ME COWBOY. Exhibit one–I wrote an unrelated novella this summer, my first, and liked it so much, I wanted to write another novella. I live in Charlotte, as in North Carolina, and was on my way to pick up a pizza when I got the idea to write a story set out west, specifically Montana.  At that very moment, a black Volvo pulled along beside me with Montana plates, and I thought okay, that’s weird. Especially, since in my twenty-one years of living here, I’ve NEVER seen a car with a Montana tag. Exhibit two came at a cocktail party where I met the amazing and wonderful Jane Porter. She told me about her fabulous new publishing company, the Tule Publishing Group, and suggested I write a novella for her imprint, Montana Born Books. Jane knew my first novel, THE WISDOM OF HAIR, was about a hairstylist, so she suggested I write a story about a sassy SC hairstylist who goes to Montana. I don’t know Jack about Montana, but the great thing about…

Community Correspondent, the Cape Crier by Wanda Boyle Author’s Note: Cape Willington, Maine, serves as the setting and background for the Candy Holliday Murder Mystery Series. The scenic coastal village is home to blueberry farmer Candy Holliday and her father, Henry “Doc” Holiday, who run Blueberry Acres—and often work together to solve local mysteries. In this exclusive excerpt, we get an update on local news from Community Correspondent Wanda Boyle. Hello, Capers! Summer is soon upon us, and so is strawberry-picking season! And you know what that means . . . strawberry shortcake! Events and activities are heating up, and the town is BUZZING! So, what’s new in Cape Willington, Maine? A lot! Here’s the latest: I suppose you’ve heard those rumors about the impending sale of Crawford’s Berry Farm, located west of Cape Willington out past Blueberry Acres? No? Well, from what I’ve been told, it’s a juicy story indeed, with talk of a sweetened deal and hush-hush backroom glad-handing. We’ve heard it on good authority that a formal offer has been made for the charming coastal property, with local real estate agent Lydia St. Graves handling the deal. (What could possibly go wrong?) Details are sketchy, but owner…