Hi friends!
Welcome to Read-A-Romance Month 2016!
If you’re a new visitor to RARM, I hope you’ll come back every day in August to read all the wonderful pro-romance posts this year. Check out the full calendar here. You can also find links to the last three years’ posts from the boxes in the sidebar, and if you’d like, you can follow RARM on Facebook. Enjoy August!
#LoveRomance
The Best Thing About Romance . . .
The readers.
They are true Book Lovers. They don’t just love to read, they devour books. They care about the writers, 
support them, and lay in wait for the next book. In fact it is these characteristics that eventually led them to the Romance genre—they just needed more good books to read.
Many bookstores, especially the Independent ones, do not understand the Romance Reader. They assume that like Mystery, Literary Fiction, and Nonfiction readers, the Romance Reader will stay close to her favored genre. Their margins on a paperback novel are not that large when compared to a trade paperback or a hardcover book. They do not believe they will make money stocking Romance because there is so little profit to them for commercial paperbacks.
They are wrong.
The Romance Reader is a promiscuous reader. She is always on the search for the next great read whether she finds it in Romance, Mystery, Nonfiction, or Historical Fiction. She values books. She tracks them down. But what she won’t do is go into a store that doesn’t carry Romance because—why? If a bookseller isn’t going to stock all of what she wants to read, well then, she will go to a bookstore that does. There are plenty of them: big box stores or the Internet or retailers who carry Romance novels where she runs other errands. It is no surprise that one of the country’s largest general retailers is also one of the largest booksellers.
In fact, I’ve never entered a store with a group of Romance readers and left without each of packing at least 
one bag of books. We buy for ourselves, for the children in our lives, and for our significant others.
Plus, we have a grand time doing it.
And those booksellers who we trust to carry what we like to read are very happy we came.
Cathy recommends:
Lorraine Heath lorraineheath.com (at Amazon) THE EARL TAKES ALL
Sonali Dev sonalidev.com (at Amazon) THE BOLLYWOOD BRIDE
Alyssa Cole alyssacole.com (at Amazon) LET IT SHINE
Questions for the Author:
Tell us about a moment in your life when you felt romance surrounding you.
The day after my first child was born. My husband visited the hospital over lunch from work. He held out daughter and in that moment, I knew life could never be more complete, or I could never be more in love.
Tell us about someone special in your life (other than your partner) with whom you share romance.
I share romances with my daughters. Just as I expect it is my duty to introduce my kids to good rock, I want them to read the books I love as well. I owe it to them. Both girls are Romance readers. I tried to get my son to read one . . . not much luck with that.
Do you have a place in the world or a sound that you equate with romance?
Yes, the sound of waves in the Caribbean night. And a big sky covered with stars. Heaven. Just heaven.
Who is your (or a) favorite romantic couple?
I don’t think I have one. Let’s face it, being romantic all the time is a chore. However, I’ve met many people who share a wonderful friendship—and that is far better than “being” romantic. I love witnessing small courtesies and kindnesses between couples.
Tell us about your dream date.
My dream date is anything that involves cooking and laughter. I enjoy taking dates to my favorite studio cooking classes. I can learn a lot about a man by the way he stir fries.
Cathy is generously giving away one title (winner’s choice of her available titles) to a US friend and one to an international reader.
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below or on the *Facebook post you’ll find here (or both – Share the Love!) ;o) by 11:59 pm PST August 22, 2016. Good luck! (You’re free to enter if you can accept either of those platforms.)
(*You don’t have to like the FB page, but we do recommend it. It’s easier to contact you if you win. Also consider joining the Read-A-Romance Book Club page, where we discuss romance of all kinds and will have drawings and events throughout the year.)
#LoveRomance #HappyReading
Cathy Maxwell is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty historical romance novels. She never minds spending hours in front of her computer pondering the question, “Why do people fall in love?” To her, it remains the great mystery of life and the secret to happiness.
To discover more about Cathy and her books, visit www.cathymaxwell.com
Learn more:
Facebook | Twitter
Buy Cathy’s books:
*Please note that the Amazon button, most cover images and many text links connect to a Read-A-Romance Month affiliate portal. Thanks so much for your help & support!
The post Cathy Maxwell – Romance Readers, Happy Readers appeared first on Read-A-Romance Month.