But I’m not here to bore you with the details of my move or how many boxes I’ve unpacked.  I’m here to tell you about the sweet side benefit of moving: one night at Inn BoonsBoro in Maryland.

You may not know it, but Inn BoonsBoro was financed and dreamed up by romance superhero Nora Roberts.  It’s featured in a recent trilogy of hers, fittingly called the Inn BoonsBoro trilogy.  I happened to read them all, but imagine my surprise when it turned out that the inn featured didn’t only exist in our heads!  I found out via Washington Post article that not only did the Inn exist, many of the other shops mentioned in the trilogy did, too.  And, as it happened, it was right on the way from DC to Kentucky.  Brilliant!

It was a long day before we could get to the Inn, though.  Our movers arrived bright and early in the morning, and moved until early evening, during which time I discovered there was a cringe-inducing amount of dust in my apartment.  (Word to the wise: pack the Dustbuster LAST.)  So, come 7:00 PM, I was tired, a little emotionally wrung out, and very grimy.  My wonderful husband packed me into our full car and we were off.

We arrived in the picturesque town of Boonsboro about an hour later.  We checked into the Inn and were given a tour of the premises.  For those of you who haven’t read the books, each room is named after a famous literary couple, and the room is decorated accordingly.  Each room also has its own scent.  We stayed in Jane & Rochester from the classic Jane Eyre.  There was an enormous four-poster bed and a bathroom the size of my current bedroom.  Crazytown.

But before I could jump into bed, I realized I was starving.  My husband and I headed across the street for a pizza at Vesta, fictionally owned by the second book’s heroine.  I scarfed down a pineapple, ham and cinnamon pizza: a house special.  Then it was back to the Inn.  We picked up a DVD of Sabrina (the new version) in the library and went to our room.

My first order of business once back was a shower.  Did I mention how much dust I had encountered that day?  And ohmigod was that a shower.  There were about a gazillion jets and water everywhere.  I doubt I have ever been so thoroughly washed in my lifetime.
I donned the Inn’s bathrobe and climbed (literally – there was a step stool) into bed.  My husband had turned on the fireplace and the light danced around the room.  We slid Sabrina into the DVD player and I fell asleep quickly.

The next morning, I almost wanted to take another shower, but I refrained and headed to the breakfast-included part of our stay.  There was tasty French toast, bacon, and a melon I’d never heard of before: casaba.  It combines the best of honeydew and canteloupe, in my opinion.  Check it out.

A quick trip to the bookstore Turn the Page (fictionally owned by the first heroine in the series) and purchase of a new JD Robb (how could I resist?) completed our stay in BoonsBoro.  It was the perfect waystation to our new life in Kentucky.

So here’s my list of fun favorite things to do during the spring in my fair city.

1) Walk Rock Creek Park.

While everyone else is busy crowding each other to see the cherry blossoms on the Mall, take a stroll/run/bike ride down in Rock Creek Park.  You can see spring coming alive in its wooded banks, green starting to cover an old cemetery, and a rushing rivulet.  To me, it always seems cool down in Rock Creek Park.  And if you get hungry, take an exit near Georgetown and walk up for some refreshments before descending back into the cool stillness of the park below.

2) Visit the monuments at night.

When all those children are sleeping, go check out one of the most impressive of Washington’s assets.  Lit up, the monuments look even more impressive and beautiful than they do during the day.  And if you’re lucky enough to be there when the cherry trees are blooming, they will add an ethereal, ghostly quality to the whole experience.  I highly recommend it.

3) Check out the National Zoo.

Spring is a great time to walk the Zoo, which is always free.  The animals are more likely to be in their outside habitats.  And if you’re lucky, you can watch an orangutan pass over the walkway on the O-Line!  Here’s an insider tip for those entering and exiting via the Zoo’s main entrance on Connecticut Avenue.  The Zoo sits on a very long hill.  On your way in, stick to exhibits on the left side and avoid the Asia Trail, which winds its way on the right side of the zoo almost toward the base.  Then pick up the Asia Trail at the bottom and take it all the way back up the hill.  The climb is so much easier if you get to see fun animals like the Sloth Bear on the way back up!

4) Grab ice cream sandwiches at Sugar Magnolia.

Boy, are you ever in for a treat!  Near the Zoo in Cleveland Park, Sugar Magnolia is a side arm of nearby restaurant Ripple, but if you’re in town on Saturday and Sunday (hours: 12-5), be sure and check it out.  They have really tasty and innovative ice cream sandwiches.  You can try out the waffle cookie with maple bacon ice cream, coconut macaroon with coffee ice cream, or gingersnaps with pumpkin ice cream.  And don’t worry.  For the faint of heart among you, they have traditional chocolate cookie, vanilla ice cream options.  Make sure to go in with an open mind, though.  Flavors change often.

 5) Check out the Washington Nationals

Nothing says spring like the beginning of baseball season.  Wander over to Southeast DC to check out the team and the relatively new stadium.  With some of the best selection of food in a ballpark (including DC classics like Ben’s Chili Bowl),  you should come with an appetite.  Whether you’re root-root-rooting for the home team or you’re in town to cheer on the challengers, stick in your seats for the President’s Race in the middle of the fourth inning.  Choose your favorite from George, Abe, Tom (Jefferson), Teddy, and now Bill (Taft) and cheer him on!

Here’s the link.

We talked about the possibility of a new subgenre of cougar romances.  What do you think?  Could be fun!

Clearly, as my character Trip in The Booby Trap points out, there are stereotypes of feminists out there as man-hating women actively rebelling against the status quo by refusing to shave or wear bras.  But surely, educated women don’t feel they ought to be subject to these stereotypes just by identifying themselves as feminists?

A book I had as a child

My mother was a feminist.  She was a baby boomer and believed strongly in the revolutions in the sixties and seventies related to race, gender, and sexuality.  I recently found a picture of her as a young mother, with me, wearing an “ERA Now” t-shirt.  But my mother certainly didn’t adhere to the stereotype.  She wore bras.  She shaved.  She worked part-time or not at all while my sister and I were young and my dad brought home the bacon as a doctor.  And, as far as I know, she didn’t feel any less deserving of the title “feminist” because of that.

So, for me, being a feminist has never been a scary thing.  My mom taught me that I can do anything a man can do and vice versa.  She taught me that we define our own responsibilities, that we work out with our partners who does what.  Maybe that means that the woman stays home to take care of the children.  Just as likely, it could mean that the man does that.  She taught me that “feminism” isn’t about women being better than men; it’s about women being equal to men.

So my question to you is what does the term feminism mean to you?  Do you consider yourself a feminist?  If not, why not?  Is there a better term to define how you feel about the roles of women and men in our society?

1) Letter campaign

Pledge to spend the next year writing a letter or note every day or every week to your Valentine.  Love letters are a lost art, and a great way to express how you feel in an intimate way.  Make sure you sit down and put pen to paper.  As messy as your handwriting may be, it’s a piece of you that your loved one will cherish.  And who knows?  Your kids or grandkids may be reading those letters years from now and sighing over how romantic you were.

2) Story of our relationship

Did you start your relationship in the digital age?  If so, then search through your inbox and text messages for what got everything started and print them out for your loved one.  Design a cover.  If you’re feeling ambitious, you might even wander down to your local copy center and have them bind the book together!

3) Day for you

Can’t figure out what will make the man or woman of your dreams perfectly happy?  Then ask!  Design a day around what s/he loves to do.  Allow the person to choose all activities from the early morning to the late night.

4) Photo Album

It’s so easy to take pictures now that cell phones and cameras are one.  But do you find your pictures languishing on your phone or your computer?  Do you kind of sometimes forget they even exist?  I do!  Well, that stops right now.  Go down to your drugstore and print those babies up right away.  Buy a pretty album at a local store and put the pictures in.  If you’ve got time, add captions or favorite quotes so you and your Valentine can remember all the good times you’ve had together.  You can even leave a space open – fill it with a ticket to an event later in the year that you can attend together, where you can take more pictures to add to the album.

Hope you have a very happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

On Fortune’s Wheel by Cynthia Voigt

I don’t remember a whole lot about this book, except that there was a glancing mention of sex.  And I’m pretty sure I dog-eared the page.  Embarrassing, but true.  I do remember it’s an amazing adventure/fairy tale story that follows a firebrand of a girl (Birle) who goes after a thief in the night (Orien).  Surprise, surprise, Orien turns out to be a runaway lord.  Over the course of the story, they get sold into slavery, encounter an alchemist, and almost die about a gazillion times.  And of course, they fall in love.  I thought the whole book was amazing.  I should buy it again and see if it’s still so impressive.

The Wild Rose Inn Series by Jennifer Armstrong

Sometimes, when I look back on something I enjoyed as a child, my brain plays tricks on me.  For example, somehow I invented a whole part of 101 Dalmatians that didn’t exist in the original movie, and I was disappointed when I watched the film again and it wasn’t there.  So I was worried that this series of books might be another figment of my imagination.  Not so.  They’re out of print, but they exist!  Each book features a girl who works/lives at the Wild Rose Inn and her love story.  And each book takes place during a different time period, which I thought was so cool!  I remember one in particular, which research tells me was Ann of the Wild Rose Inn, about a fiery colonist seeking independence and a British sailor.

The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery

Yes, I had a love affair with LM Montgomery.  One of my favorite books of hers is the love story of Valancy Stirling and Barney Snaith.  They enter into a marriage of convenience after Valancy learns that she’s got only a certain amount of time to live.  Valancy grows happier in her independence, and her growth is as much a part of the novel as the romance.  And don’t worry, Lucy MM doesn’t deprive you of your HEA.

Do you have any gateway books?

Side note: I am in the process of moving my blog.  I should be able to transfer everything smoothly, but apologies if the site is down or you have any problems over the next week.  In the meantime, you can find me on Twitter @AnneBWalker or Facebook (facebook.com/AnneBrowningWalker).

Well, I’ve loved romance novels ever since I picked up my first one, Silver Springs by Carolyn Lampman.  But last weekend, I realized that, perhaps, I was destined (doomed?) to romance from the beginning.  And the reason why is not pretty.

I was out to dinner with some friends who have known me forever.  We started talking about those shows that we loved as children, and wondered how we ever lived life without the internet as a companion to our TV watching.  Now, as fans, we have so much more information at our fingertips.  You can find spoilers on almost anything if you just can’t stand the summer break between seasons.

Well, I’ve never yet succumbed to that.  I don’t look ahead to the end of the book, and I don’t spend so much time wondering what’s going to happen on my shows that I give in and allow myself a spoiler or two.  It’s just not me.

Except once.

I was more than a little obsessed with the show Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.  At the end of season two Clark proposes to Lois.  I could not handle the suspense, so I wrote an ending for them.  I was reminded of my stint as a fangirl over dinner last week.

Thankfully, I don’t have this, nor do I really remember what I wrote.  But looking back, I think I should have known that this was a sign that my urge to write a romance wouldn’t stay hidden forever.

And although these are partisan times, with strong emotions (mine included) attached to each one of these Presidents, I cannot help but admire the some of they way they have conducted their romantic affairs.

1) Barack and Michelle Obama

This couple, more than most others in history, seems to portray “modern romance.”  Both members are strong individuals within their own right, with strong opinions and solid career backgrounds.  And, if the press is to be believed, they have encountered some modern problems: who takes care of the kids and the house, whose career takes precedence. Yet, instead of overriding each other as we have seen other First Couples do, or allowing that strength to destroy their marriage, they have found a way to keep their family unit intact.  I hope the romance stays alive.

2) George and Laura Bush

Equally as divisive a figure as his successor, George W. Bush nevertheless seemed to share a solid romance with his wife, Laura.  And, perhaps even more than we knew, they were the White House version of James Carville and Mary Matalin, a husband-and-wife team on opposite ends of the political spectrum.  That cannot be an easy balance to maintain for either party.  Yet the Bushes managed it well enough for eight years, and they’re still going strong.  According to Curtis Sittenfeld (admirer of Laura Bush who went on to fictionalize her life story in American Wife) in a Salon article:

I think George and Laura Bush have one of the healthiest marriages I can imagine, that they genuinely enjoy each other’s company and are at their best together. He makes her laugh, and she calms him down and looks after him — according to Gerhart, when she leaves town, she calls one of his fraternity brothers to come stay at the White House so he won’t get lonely.

Well, that seems like a pretty great romance, if you ask me.

3) Ronald and Nancy Reagan

Their romance, like his stature, has almost become the stuff of legend at this point.  If you lived in Washington, DC, like I do, you’d know that Ronald Reagan has reached iconic status, and not just with Republicans.  But Ronald and Nancy’s love is one for the history books, too.  It proves that it’s possible to find true love even if your first marriage didn’t work out.  And despite the fact that I’m not sure I would be okay with the love of my life calling me “Mommie,” I would certainly be okay with his writing me something like this:

My request of you is—could you on this day whisper in her ear that someone loves her very much and more and more each day? Also tell her, this “Someone” would run down like a dollar clock without her so she must always stay where she is.”

Ronald and Nancy Reagan, later

From University of Texas

However, for me (and for many readers out there), book-to-movie adaptations have a difficult climb into respectability.  First, I’ve already met these characters and know what they look like and how they sound.  And despite all that forethought, casting agents rarely (okay never) come banging down my door to see which actor will fit best into my vision.  Second, movies don’t have the same amount of time that books do to tell a story.  Inevitably, one of my favorite scenes gets cut, shortened or robbed of its power because all the rest of the scenes around it were either cut or shortened.

Overall, this contributes to adaptations seeming to me either mediocre or downright terrible.  Today, however, I thought I’d celebrate a couple movies which have managed to move from bad to truly wonderful.  One I count as even better (gasp) than its print counterpart.

That movie is Bridget Jones’s Diary.

I have a confession to make about this one: I hadn’t read the book before I saw the movie.  I had no preconceived notions, no scenes that I loved, loved, loved.  I did go in with eternal, well shall we say “adoration” for Colin Firth playing the role of anyone named “Darcy.”  And the movie lived up to those expectations.  It was just so wonderful and endearing that I couldn’t help loving it.  There’s such a campy spirit to it that’s underlaid by something very real.  I fell in love with Mr. Darcy all over again.

Filled with all this love for the movie, I hied myself over to my local bookstore to pick up the book.  I made it through, but just barely.  The book lacked the same sense of fun that the move possessed in spades.  I was deprived of some of my HEA (happy ever after), and the writing style just didn’t work for me.  Oh well, there had to be one, right? (By the way, we’ll just not mention Edge of Reason here, and it’s for the best.)

The second movie that I love, unabashedly, is Anne of Avonlea.

It’s kind of pathetic.  I’ll admit it.  I read every single Anne of Green Gables book voraciously as a child.  This movie doesn’t closely resemble any of those books.  It pulls pieces from about four of them, instead of committing to a single one.  And I’ll never get over their never making a real, true Anne of the Island movie (my first introduction to romance novels there).  But somehow, this adaptation works.  It throws off all the bowlines and charges directly into the face of its critics.

The reason I think that it works is that it retains the essence of the characters I loved so much.  It didn’t try to give a faithful adaptation of each and every scene; rather, it created almost an alternate universe for the characters to inhabit.  And unlike author LM Montgomery, the movie gives Anne the published novel we so crave for her.  I can’t help but love that.

So do you agree or disagree?  Do you have movies you’d add to the list?

Also, on another note, the series on “Exploring Romance and the Modern Woman” over at USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog has continued.  Links to parts two and three:

Part Two

Part Three

Today, the first in a series of articles began running on Happy Ever After, USA Today’s romance blog.  They are all about Exploring Romance & The Modern Woman. I’m proud to say that I’ve been a contributor, answering some very thought-provoking questions from Serena Chase.

The question I answered in today’s article was:  Although those of us at HEA know better, many people still view romance fiction as “lesser literature.” How do you respond when you encounter that stigma?

I have some definite opinions, which you can read about in the article.  But what about you?  I’d love to hear your answer to this and any other question that’s posed during this series, which lasts all week.

Happy 2013, friends!