Hi PJ! Thanks so much for joining the Book Obsessed Chicks for our CHEERLEADERS FOR ROMANCE SPOTLIGHT. I picked you because you are everything romance! Your enthusiasm is infectious and I love watching you promote what you love!
Thank you so much, Kim. I’m honored
to be chosen.
Please tell us a bit about yourself…
I’m a retired banker, widowed, and currently
living in North Carolina with my 80-pound lap dog. I run the Romance Dish blog,
an upbeat, positive site where we review books, interview authors, have a lot
of fun giveaways, and share our love of romance.
When did you fall in love with the romance genre?
I was 13 when I grew bored with the
children’s department at my public library. I snuck into the “adult” section
one day, discovered Victoria Holt, and never looked back.
What made you decide to help spread the word about romance?
I’ve always been an advocate for
romance but didn’t do anything formally until nine years ago when I was asked
to review books for a now-defunct website. When that website closed in 2009, three
friends and I decided to create The Romance Dish. My friends have all gone on
to other endeavors but I’m still happily running the blog. The hope, joy,
intelligence, and happy endings found in romance novels bring me reading
pleasure and have helped me through some of the most difficult times of my
life. My hope is that by spreading the word about the books I’ve enjoyed, I might
bring the joy of reading romance into someone else’s life.
Who are your favorite authors?
It’s a long list and I know I’m sure
to forget someone so I’ll apologize for that in advance. Some of my favorites
are: Julie Anne Long, Mary Jo Putney, Anne Gracie, Robyn Carr, Anna Campbell,
Eloisa James, Patience Griffin, Vanessa Kelly, Jill Shalvis, Joanna Bourne,
Christina Dodd, Jennifer McQuiston, Sarah MacLean, Elizabeth Michels, Lisa
Kleypas, Rose Lerner, Julia Quinn, Sabrina Jeffries, Monica McCarty, Katharine
Ashe, Debbie Mason, Tessa Dare, Roxanne St. Claire, Manda Collins, Valerie
Bowman, Kaki Warner, Terri Osburn, Virginia Kantra, Eva Leigh, Carey Baldwin, Elizabeth
Hoyt, Cathy Maxwell, Miranda Neville, Kristan Higgins, Kate Meader, Emily
March, RaeAnne Thayne, Jesse Hayworth, Karen Hawkins, Julie James, and Paula
Quinn. To name a few.
Do you have any advice for others who want to be romance
cheerleaders?
Do it! With all the social media
platforms available to us today, there really is no reason for anyone to not be
a cheerleader for the romances they love. My advice would be, if you enjoy a
book, post about it on Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Goodreads, Pinterest…wherever
you hang out online and feel comfortable posting. It doesn’t have to be a
lengthy post discussing the pros and cons of the story. Sometimes, “Wow! This
book is awesome. It kept me reading until 2 AM!” is all you need. Photos are
important in social media so it’s a good idea to include one with your Facebook
of Pinterest post. And don’t give away spoilers (important to those of us who
may not have yet read the book).
What new books have you been shouting out about lately?
Oh, some good ones! There’s The Study of Seduction, a historical
romance by Sabrina Jeffries that I think is one of the best she’s ever written.
The Infamous Heir by Elizabeth
Michels is a terrific historical romance redemption story that takes her
writing to a new level. Barefoot with a
Bad Boy by Roxanne St. Claire, a contemporary, second-chance love story
that I’ve waited years to read, exceeded my every expectation. Barefoot with a Bad Boy is the third
book in St. Claire’s Barefoot Bay Undercover trilogy. I strongly recommend
reading the three books in order. The
Untamed Earl, a May 3rd historical by Valerie Bowman that
continues her Playful Brides series has my heart singing with joy. And The Saints of the Lost and Found by T.M.
Causey isn’t a romance but has romantic elements and a hopeful ending. It’s a
stunning contemporary suspense novel with paranormal elements that grabbed me from
the first page and refused to let go. It was almost 3 AM before I turned the
final page.
I’m also very excited about some
debut books coming out in the next few months. There’s Hold Your Breath, an April 5th romantic suspense by Katie Ruggle; How the Duke Was Won, an April 26th
historical romance by Lenora Bell, and Hot
in Hellcat Canyon, Julie Anne Long’s May 31st contemporary
romance debut.
What do you do when you’re not shouting out about great
books?
I’m an enthusiastic traveler and
photographer. I love getting creative in the kitchen and especially making handcrafted
chocolates. I’m a life-long football fan and a dedicated soccer and dance
cheerleader for the young people in my life. My dog and I do a lot of exploring
on our long walks along my city’s greenway. And, of course, I’m always reading
new books to shout about!
Are you a conference attendee? Which ones?
I’ve attended the RWA national
conference and Georgia Romance Writers’ Moonlight and Magnolias conference for
the past several years. Most of my 2016 schedule is still up in the air but I
am registered to attend the inaugural Historical Romance Retreat in Spokane,
Washington in September. I love the opportunity to meet and mingle with authors
and other readers at conferences and I always come home having learned
something new.
What does your family think about your love of romance?
Since I’ve had my nose in a romance
book for most of my life, I’d guess they’ve pretty much grown used to it.
Your Top 10 in Romance….
My top 10 favorite romances are very
fluid. Some titles remain constant but others come and go depending on when I’m
asked. So, with that being said, here are my top 10 favorite romances…today.
Saving Grace by Julie Garwood
Sweet Madness by Heather Snow
A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare
Three Weeks With Lady X by Eloisa
James
To Scotland With Love by Patience
Griffin
The Legend of Lyon Redmond by Julie
Anne Long
Open Country by Kaki Warner
Barefoot With a Bad Boy by Roxanne
St. Claire
The Autumn Bride by Anne Gracie
Virgin River by Robyn Carr
What a wonderful interview with one of the nicest people in the Romance industry! Congratulations, PJ in being so honored!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Suz! I have a lot of respect for Kim so to be chosen by her is indeed an honor.
DeleteThanks for the interview! I love a lot of the same authors & books as you, PJ! I also wish I were going on HRR. I was talking to Kim about it & I realized it's just not in the budget. :( Hope you have fun!
ReplyDeleteSharlene, the good news about HRR is that if this year's first conference is a success, the organizers plan to hold one every two years and move it around the country so that it's more accessible to all readers! :)
DeleteThat was a nice interview. it turns out that you and I have a lot of authors in common. As soon as I saw that you loved Open Country by Kaki Warner I knew it. I love historicals and will also be attending the HRR later this year. I hope our paths cross while we are there.
ReplyDeleteEileen, isn't Kaki Warner wonderful? Open Country was my introduction to her writing and it only took that one book to hook me for good.
DeleteI'm happy to hear you'll be attending HRR. Let's make a point to meet!