Author RC Bonitz, http://www.rcbonitz.com, author of terrific romance stories is my guest partner today. RC, we call him Bob of course, is a colleague. We are members of the prestigious organization, Romance Writers of America. The acronym for the local chapter here in Connecticut is CTRWA. I love Bob’s writing, and thought you would too. It is my pleasure to give up my usual slot in my blogging roster to make room for Bob.
Thank you for hosting me today, Gail. I have a little bit of a twist to present today – two men on the subject of Romance novels.
It’s not often you find two guys who admit to liking romance novels. It’s even more unusual when they know what they’re talking about. I’m RC Bonitz, author of A BLANKET FOR HER HEART, A LITTLE BIT OF BLACKMAIL, and soon to be released A LITTLE BIT OF BABY. All of my books are old-fashioned sweet love stories, though A BLANKET FOR HER HEART isn’t your typical romance novel. 
Here’s a brief excerpt from the book:
She had a knot in her stomach as she started breakfast. Nerves and excitement, no doubt about that. Paul was coming again and he’d be there with her in a couple of hours, without his daughter, and no Molly either.
Her friend had offered to come, “to smooth things out.” Molly had made her promise to call when he was coming, but she hadn’t.
She did buy a new jumper, yellow, and was wearing it without a blouse or tee shirt. She tried a bra without the straps, and then abandoned that idea, convinced it wouldn’t stay in place. An ordinary bra wouldn’t do; the straps would show. Then again, the arm would best be hidden in long sleeves. Bravado, courage, whatever the reason, bra and sleeves were forsaken in favor of the jumper alone.
Normally, her clothing was chosen for comfort. Not this time. The jumper had turned out to be a pinch small, but she studied it in the mirror fifteen ways from Sunday and decided it would be fine.
She couldn’t believe she was doing this. A man she did not need, but here she was, acting like a schoolgirl. Sure, he was a very nice man and she liked him, but that seemed a poor reason to fuss when you’d lived alone so many years.
As the knot in her stomach twisted tighter reality hit. She was all dressed up to seduce him!
Okay, back to the blog. I hope you liked that little excerpt. I got into a discussion a while ago with Paul, the guy who runs The Book Swap, a used book store on Route 1 in Guilford, CT. Paul and his wife bought the store seven years ago. He can be found most days offering commentary on books and authors, or kidding with his customers about any topic in the air at the moment. If you walk in on him when the shop is quiet you’ll probably find him beside the register reading a book. I asked him about romance novels the first time I met him.
“We got ’em. Half the store is romance novels,” he said. “What are you looking for?” At that point I didn’t have a favorite author, so I said, “Who do you recommend?”
He groaned. That’s one thing about Paul- he lets you know what he’s thinking. “You want comedy? Suspense? Mystery? Category? We’ve got Janet Evanovitch, Suzanne Brockman, Jennifer Crusie, Debbie Macomber, Robyn Carr. Those are just some of the big names.”
My friend Kristan Higgins’ first book had been out about six months, so I asked about her. “Not her, not yet,” he said. “You still gotta buy her new. Give it about three or four months and we’ll have some of her books.” (He has them now!)
I picked up a Debbie Macomber book. “She writes lots of little stories in one story,” Paul said. “Do you read them?” I asked. “Romances? Yeah, thousands of them.” “Why?” “Customers want recommendations. I gotta know my stock.”
“Do you like them?” I asked. He grinned. “Do you?”
“I write them.”
“No kidding. Got any books out?”
At that point I hadn’t been published yet, so I told him that.
“Hey, when you get there bring me some copies. If I like your book I’ll sell some for you,” he said.
A BLANKET FOR HER HEART and A LITTLE BIT OF BLACKMAIL are now on his shelves and selling.
“Who’s your favorite author?” I asked.
“Robyn Carr.”
“Why?”
“I like her stories. She writes pretty clean too.”
“Clean?”
“I don’t go for that erotic stuff. I like the ones with good stories behind them.”
“Oh, me too. That’s what I write.”
“Good, cause I don’t sell the graphic stuff.”
“Do you read paranormals?”
“You mean the sci-fi kind? Some. I’m not into vampires and such though. I like the good old-fashioned sci-fi kinds of stories. Tolkien, you know?”
“That’s not romance.”
“I know. I read all kinds of books.”
“So, give me this again – why do you like romance?”
Paul grinned. “I like those happy endings.”
I’ve become one of his regulars now, dropping in to shoot the breeze and see what’s going on. It’s always a pleasure. I like contemporary romance and romantic comedies, but he always has a new author to tell me about.
“Bob, that was fun. Thank you for visiting.”
“Thanks for hosting me today, Gail. I had a ball.”
Visit his website: http://www.rcbonitz.com
Reading the excerpt, were you stymied when it ended? Did you want it to tell more? Are you curious about his atypical book?
You can buy Bob’s books at AMAZON and Barnes&Noble.
Well, Thursday’s coming to an end and it’s been a good day. Thanks for having me today Gail. I’ve enjoyed it. Hope Tom likes the book! Bob
Bob, I just want you to know that there is at least one other guy who likes romance novels – me, Gail’s husband. Can’t say that I can write them, though. I am just starting one of your books, but I am glad to hear that you are selling. I enjoyed your interview with the bookstore owner. I think there is another used book shop near us, in Monroe. Maybe I should go in! But I prefer Kindle books these days.
Hi Tom, nice to hear from you. I hope you like the book. My next ones coming out in Sept. I’m told- the sequel to A LITTLE BIT OF BLACKMAIL. cheers. Bob
Sounds like a great store, Bob! And very nice to hear your books are doing well there!
Thanks Kristan- he actually sells them! I was there one day and he made a big thing that the woman was lucky enough to be there when I was and could get a signed copy. He’s a lot of fun.
I so want to go meet Paul at the bookstore!!!!!!! If I am ever in Guilford, I will stop in.
Great interviews…both of them!
I liked your writing style, Bob. Nice and crisp and meaningful.
Thanks Katy. He’s a great guy and the store is a typical old fashioned used book store- stacks and stacks of books and he can tell you where they all are. Nora has her own entire rack near the register.
Thanks Jillian. Does your crit partner know he’s not alone? And Paula- Hi- that s a great idea about Paul. He’ll love it if I can put him in a story! I’m working on a sequel to A LITTLE BIT OF BABY- maybe I can find a way to fit him in! Thanks. Bob
R.C. and Paul, I like hearing about men who read and write romance novels. Best wishes to both of you for great sales! I consider myself fortunate to have a male critique partner/ RWA chapter mate and value his work and feedback.
Gail, thanks for sharing. Tell your friend, Kristan Higgins, I adore her humor. I’m a sucker for a hilarious dinner scene. That may be why Marguerite survives teas and dinner parties with her wit and creative use of clotted cream.
-Jillian
Hi Jillian, thanks for visiting. Bob is fun to do business with. If you are ever this way, come on over. CTRWA has their meetings second Saturday of the month from September to May. They are a fantastic group of authors. You would melt right in.
Great guest spot, RC. I loved your “interview” with the book store owner. He sounds like quite a character. The question is, will you write him into one of your books? Congrats on getting your books “on the shelves”!
Paula, aren’t you the clever one? Great idea to write Paul into one of Bob’s books.