I had to write a new author bio this week. I really hate writing these things. I’m never one to really talk about myself. Great listener, bad talker. I struggled through it and ended up with a pretty decent one, or at least I’m telling myself that.
While I pulled my hair out over it, I took a trip down memory lane to sixth grade.
Why this time?
This was the school year I discovered romance. What book was it, you ask?
It was a series actually.
Sweet Valley High.
Anyone else read these?
While Elizabeth and Jessica’s antics were fun to read, it was Elizabeth and Todd’s off-again, on-again relationship that kept me coming back for more.
I had no idea that getting into these books would become the first stepping stones to one day writing romance novels.
Thinking about this series for the first time in years, had me thinking about other things that brought a smile to my face and made me chuckle.
The biggest one was hiding my romance novels from my dad, who was anti-anti romance. Under my pillow, under my mattress, wherever I thought he wouldn’t find them.
Unfortunately, I sucked at hiding them or he was a genius at sniffing them out. He found them almost every time. It was like a game. Can I finish this book without my dad finding it? I remember reading in front of a window and as soon as his car pulled into the driveway, I’d race to my room and shove the book it under something.
Then there was my mom, a woman who devoured romance as much as I did and feed my romance addiction. Secretly, mind you. When my dad found them, she never knew anything about them and had NO idea how in the world I kept getting them. Thanks Mom. But I never ratted her out in fear that she’d stop slipping me new books.
Then there was my classmate who sat next to me in 10th grade math. Before the bell rang each day, she’d snatch my book off my desk and then flip to the sex scenes. She teased me mercilessly over heaving bosom, and all the other purple prose that was included in the early 90’s romances, especially where pirates were concerned.
What started it all for you?
Esme
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I started with mysteries and sci-fi. They usually had a romance subplot and I always wished the romance had had a bigger part. Guess that should have told me something. I bought a bag of category romances at a household sale soon after I got married. Then I was hooked. I've been feeding my addiction ever since.
I loved Sweet Valley High too! But I think it was Clan of the Cave Bear that got me hooked on romance. I know. Yikes.
I read them all in school. I loved that series, first books that I was obsessed with. I have been finding them over the past 7 years and have almost all the books and the extra books. I am still missing a few. I have found them at Goodwill, yard sales, and used bookstores. I am collecting them and hopefully my daughter will love them also. She is 10 years old. I'll give her a couple more years and then introduce her to this series. Hopefully she will love as much as I do.
christinebails@yahoo.com