Say Hello to Romance. Romance Fiction.

During the recent economic recession, the publishing industry suffered - as most businesses and humans did. Generally, book sales were down, the inner workings - advances, buying new titles, promotion - all suffered.

The one exception? Romance. Yes, that's right. The ugly, red-headed step-child of publishing. If the step-child happens to be Warren Buffet.

Romance sells. Always has, always will. And with the plethora of genres, cross-genres, melded genres available? Selling better than ever. Because there is, literally, something for everyone.

I've been a proud romance reader all my life. Before the "romance revolution" of the late '70's, led by the Molly Picher of romance, Kathleen Woodiwiss, there were the gothics of Phyllis A. Whitney and Victoria Holt. There was the forerunner of today's varied regencies by Georgette Heyer. And Harlequin's been filling the romance cravings of readers the world over for decades.

The disparaging remarks - "porn", "trash", "beach reading", "bodice rippers" and the ever-present criticism of any work of fiction that it reads "like a romance" - hell, they don't bother me. Of course, I've never paid attention to what anyone thinks, anyway!

Cowboys, Lords, Vikings, Doctors, Lawyers, Vampires, Weres, Millionaires, Scots, Elves, Spies, Time-travelers, Jocks - there's nothing like a great hero to seduce a reader.

And our heroines? Feisty, fabulous, raven-haired, blue-eyed, voluptuous, statuesque, widows, orphans, businesswomen, waitresses, singers, moms and virgins, rich, poor, or lost in space - they never fail to satisfy.

The New York Times won't review romances (though they run the ads for the bestsellers). Publishers Weekly may deign to review a couple, nestled in amidst the "mass market", or "fiction", and those that are disguised as fantasy and science fiction. Despite the many queries as to why they don't have a romance section for reviews, though they have them for SF&F and mystery, the other genres that DON'T SELL AS WELL AS ROMANCE. But check out PW's bestseller lists! Romances run rampant throughout!

So what's the big problem? Just because something is popular doesn't make it low-rent. Just because women like romance (and we all know how unimportant women are to the scheme of things. . .) doesn't make it second class fiction.

If you like to read romance, if you like to write romance, and if you're just waiting for your chance to stand up to the next romance basher, wave your copy of The Flame and the Flower in his or her condescending face, and scream "I'm madder than hell and I'm not going to take it any more!", then welcome.

Have I got a blog for you!