​I love so many types of romance novels that I didn’t believe I had a favorite romance trope. There are too many to choose from including: Friends to Lovers, Soul Mate/Fated Love, Second Chance at Love/Reunited Lovers, Love Triangle, Sexy Billionaire, Secret Baby, Enemies to Lovers, Fake Romance/Marriage of Convenience, Sassy Heroine, Opposites Attract, Forbidden Love, etc.
 
To make things more complicated, most authors—including myself—use two or more tropes in one book!

Since I was asked to choose one, I have to admit that my all-time, favorite trope is Forbidden Love aka Star-Crossed Lovers. I have a lot of reasons for my choice, but they all stem back to one book: Wuthering Heights.

When I found that book in High School, I read it in one sitting. I remember sitting on the couch, during a snow storm, with a cup of hot chocolate. It’s hard to explain the emotional and physical changes I went through while reading that book. But I do know that when I sat down I was a fifteen-year-old girl. When I got up, I was a young woman. Wuthering Heights showed me that books could carry far more emotions in a far more satisfying manner than I’d ever realized.

I then went on to find other books with that same type of emotional resonance, and came up with a too-short list. Not long after that, with the help of a friendly librarian, I discovered Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss. While that was more of an enemies-to-friends/marriage-of-convenience book, it became a full-blown Star-Crossed Lovers story at the black moment. That was my first true romance novel and from that moment I was hooked.
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What is it about this trope that draws me close every time I write a new book?

​Every day I see or hear something that makes me think “What if…?” and asking those questions leads me to an idea for a scene, description, or even an entire book! I’m blessed to be working with a young man with Asperger’s who dreams of publishing a book. His creativity and excitement inspire me greatly. When I’m writing, I’m transported to a different time or place and get to live vicariously through my characters. How can I not be inspired when I can be anyone, anywhere, at any time?

Like most of us who read or write romance, Valentine’s Day holds a special place in my heart. There have been those holidays when I spent them with a significant other, and some where I spent the day watching my children open candy hearts or going out to dinner with family to celebrate love. I always enjoy a day filled with the joy of romance, and there are some books and films that encompass that joy for me more than others.

So, what 5 books and movies are on my must-have list for Valentine’s Day?
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1. The Princess Bride. I’m a huge fan, and I find nothing quite as romantic as Princess Buttercup’s mysterious beau saying “As you wish” throughout the film. With hilarious characters, a damsel in distress, and quirky enemies… Well, I won’t ruin it for you. But if you’ve never seen it, you are missing something very, very special.
2. A reread of A Gentle Feuding by Johanna Lindsey. It’s the very first romance book I read more than thirty years ago. Lindsey’s historical romance got my heart beating with enemies becoming lovers and introduced me to the genre with a love that’s never faded.
3. If I’m in a paranormal frame of mind, I’ll read something from either Shelly Laurenston, Thea Harrison, or Ilona Andrews. All three authors have written well-developed paranormal romances that never disappoint. But since I actually reread my favorite authors throughout the year, I don’t have one specific go-to book from any of them. They all bring joy!
4. When I want a good cry with my Valentine’s Day, Nora Roberts’ Chesapeake Bay Saga, starting with Sea Swept, is ideal. Adopted siblings who come home when their father dies, only to find rumors and a young boy left behind while they heal old wounds and find love, is just magical.  
5. And finally, what Valentine’s Day would be complete without Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown? It’s a classic and always fun, and I’m a Snoopy fan for life.

 
Thanks for letting me share some fun books and movies to celebrate Valentine’s Day. 

Here’s 4 ways being a professional bellydancer prepares you to be a romance author:

1. You’re used to performing in front of large crowds of people
Sure, when you write a book you’re not technically standing in front of an audience, but if you plan to publish that book, you might as well be. In time, that book will reach readers and that’s when the performance really begins. Every time I sit down to write a new book in my Seven Range Shifter series, where the sexy heroes are cowboys by day, wolf shifters by night, I try to keep that performance aspect (aka what my readers would love to see in mind). It’s that mentality of performing for your audience of readers that helped create some of my favorite moments in my newest release, book 3 in the Seven Range Shifter series, Wicked Cowboy Wolf. Like an adorable teacup pig by the name of Tucker who I just know readers are going to love (and who, by the way, is real and owned by my mother).

2. You’ve learned to accept criticism with grace.
Not everyone is going to love your books, the same way everyone is not going to love every dance you do, every costume you wear, every prop you add to your performance, every song you choose—and you learn that that’s okay. Your books (or your performance art) shouldn’t be for everyone. You find your audience. Not everyone will love the idea of cowboy wolves or paranormal romance with a western twist, though I certainly do, but if you’re the type of reader who loves dark, sexy paranormal romances ala JR Ward with a hint of occasional witty banter, and you don’t mind a western twist being thrown in, you might love my cowboy wolves too ;-)

3. You know how to be devoted to constantly bettering your craft.
I strive for every book to be better than my last, just like a performer is constantly working to maintain, hone, and perfect dance skills. I used to spend hours practicing certain moves for my bellydance performances, now its hours perfecting my craft and writing skills via workshops, podcasts, tutorials, etc.

4. You’re used to people looking down on or not approving of what you do.
Just as we romance readers have all heard that our genre is little more than bodice-ripping guilty pleasures (newsflash: it’s not- it’s smart, feminist fiction written by, for, and about women), bellydancers hear all the time that they are little more than glorified strippers (newsflash: they’re not, it’s a legitimate dance form deep rooted in Middle Eastern culture, and legitimate dancers keep their clothes on at all times). Haters might hate, no matter whether you’re a romance author or a bellydancer, but we here at Romance Reads know that when you can find your own personal happily-ever-after, whether it be in the pages of a steamy romance novel like Wicked Cowboy Wolf, or on the performance stage at Ali Baba House of Kabobs, you deserve that little bit of happiness for yourself.
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Dance on and read on, Romancelandia!
Xoxo
Kait

Hi, I’m Teri Anne Stanley, and I’m addicted to soup.

Is there anything better on a frigid winter day than hot homemade soup? Is there anything worse than waiting for homemade soup to be…soup?
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I’ve found a compromise between less-than-satisfying stuff from a can and takes-all-day stuff with a ton of chopping and waiting. This still takes an hour or so for the flavors to meld, but you don’t have to wait foreverrrrrr, and it’s seriously easy to prep. 

​Spicy (or not) Sausage Vegetable Soup
2 pounds of spicy breakfast sausage (or the regular mild kind, if you prefer)
1 big can of V-8
2 cans of beef broth
3-4 12 oz bags of frozen vegetables…whatever you prefer. I usually use a bag of mixed corn, peas, green beans, carrots, and then a couple of bags of other stuff…more green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, some other mixtures…
Bay leaf
Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
Get a big ol’ soup pot out and fire up the stove.

Start with the sausage—break it into bit-sized bits as it cooks.

Dump in the whole danged can of V-8 (get another can if you plan to drink Bloody Marys while the soup gets going).

Add the broth, bay leaf, a splash or two of Worcestershire sauce, and the veggies.
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Cook on medium heat until it begins to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 45-60 minutes (although, of course, it never gets worse if it cooks longer). If it’s too thick, you can always add more broth—and if you want to add more veggies, go right ahead!