Heading To The Burgh!

Heading off to the BURGH...aka Pittsburgh, my hometown.

I have a girl's weekend planned with my mom and sister, which hopefully will include watching Pitch Perfect and checking out the spring flower show at Phipps.

My Kindle is fully loaded with...

The Pirate's Secret Baby by Darlene Marshall

Second Chances by PJ Fiala

Bewitching by Jill Barnett

The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand

That should keep me busy!

Hope everyone has a great weekend,
Penny

The Four Seasons Of A Romance Author

There are four seasons in New England...

Spring

Summer

Fall

 

Winter

There are, however, four very different seasons for the romance author. At least as reflected by social media activity on Twitter and Facebook...

1. BEGGING FOR VOTES SEASON

 

Forget about book release promotion. The biggest spam-happy, I'm-begging-you-please, all-in-good-fun season of the year is BEGGING FOR VOTES SEASON.

Too bad the winner doesn't get a tiara.

2. TAKING PICTURES WITH HALF-NAKED GUYS SEASON

Coz nothing says "conference" quite like flexing, greasy abdominal muscles!

Yee haw!

The only conference I have attended for comparison was a turfgrass convention. I saw plenty of butt-cracks, but no 6-pack abs. Oh well.

3. PREPARATION FOR NATIONAL CONFERENCE SEASON

(aka SHOE SHOPPING)

As far as I can tell from Twitter and Facebook, the bulk of stress around this event concerns purchasing appropriate footwear, and social anxiety--aka, talking to people.

4. RITA ANXIETY SEASON

RITA anxiety season involves three parts: 

1. book submission

2. reading contest entries by other authors

3. waiting for the finalist announcements

The finalists are a huge surprise every year!

RITA ANXIETY SEASON is a short-term condition that can usually be successfully treated 

with copious amounts of wine.

It's fun to be a romance author 365 days a year!

Happy Monday,

Penny

How 'Bout Them Apples?

GIVEAWAY, REVIEWS, INTERVIEW!

Go to Swept Away By Romance for an awesome giveaway that includes APPLES SHOULD BE RED, apple lip balm and soap. I also got two fabulous reviews by Dorsey and Karla. My favorite quote:

"62 is the new bad boy."

Yes, yes it is!

And for an extra added bonus, there is an interview that includes a photo of me from college, some new abbreviations for geriatric love stories, and the word "ballsy."

Have fun.


More kick-ass reviews and quotes for APPLES....

"Hilarious and sweet, a delightfully romantic gem of a story." -- Laura Florand, Bestsellling Author of The Chocolate Series

"Gutsy, funny, and bold, APPLES SHOULD BE RED is a delight." -- Theresa Weir, NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author

Dear Author: "[APPLES SHOULD BE RED] puts the comic back into romance and the romantic back into comedy. It is absolutely precious."

New York Journal of Books: "A romance between a 59-year-old prissy heroine and a 62-year-old grouchy hero should not be sexy...Wrong. Dead wrong."

Romance Novel News: "Tom and Bev's courtship is an absolute delight."

Babbling About Books: "Penny Watson proves that romance is alive, well and sexy after fifty-five."

Lurv A La Mode: "...a healthy dose of snort-worthy laughter...Watson has a uniquely clever and amusing voice..."

Truth, Beauty, Freedom and Books: "Despite the unconventional set-up, APPLES SHOULD BE RED is actually very traditional in its promotion of community, family, love, and second chances."

Have a great day!
Penny

99 Cent Sale: Yee Haw!

Trying a little experiment!

APPLES SHOULD BE RED is now on sale for 99 cents.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo


Have a great weekend!
Penny

Is Anybody Listening?

Statistics from the national RWA....


6% of romance readers are between the ages of 14-17.

9% of romance readers are between the ages of 18-24.

40% of romance readers are between the ages of 35-54.

If you tack on the 55-64 age bracket, you get...

51% of romance readers are between the ages of 35-64.


So, only 9% of romance readers are 18-24, and yet the "New Adult" category is the hot new trend. What does this mean? Why is NA so hot, why are publishers pushing younger characters and teen angst (YA) when the majority of romance readers are more mature?

Do mature readers want to read about teens and young adults dealing with coming-of-age issues? I asked some friends why older women would want to read about this age group, and they replied "they're nostalgic" "they want to recapture their youth" "for entertainment."

Since I have teens, the last thing I want to read about is teen angst.

I'm living teen angst right now, thank you very much.

And...the very last thing I want to read about is teenagers having sex. *Penny faints*

But I wonder if this is really what mature readers want. Since I recently published my novella APPLES SHOULD BE RED, I've been receiving emails, Twitter messages, and Facebook posts from readers who are thrilled to see a romance with older characters--late 50s, early 60s. The overriding sentiment is "thank you so much for showing that more mature women are capable of love and lust and happy endings" and "I wish this would start a trend and more books with characters in this age group would become available." I've seen discussions on reader message boards expressing this same sentiment.

I, personally, would love to see more books with mature characters who have been around the bend a few times. It seems like a lot of readers feel the same way--readers who make up the majority of the romance-purchasing population.

Is anybody listening?

I sure hope so.

All my best,
Penny

Inspiration From Around The Globe

Shen Yun

INSPIRATION FROM AROUND THE GLOBE!

1. CHINA: Shen Yun, a fabulous show with Chinese music, dance, acrobatics, history....I highly recommend!

Gorgeous!

2. HOLLYWOOD: The 2014 Oscars, Bette Midler

Proof you're never too old to rock the red carpet!

 

 She's 69, people! 69! Amazing!

3. GREECE: The Greek's Forced Bride by Michelle Reid

My obsession with Harlequin Presents continues. This book manages to pack in a crazy ex-wife, bitchy sister, horrible parents, asshole ex-fiancee, stolen funds, humiliating newspaper headlines, and even a drink getting flung into the hero's face. So exciting!

Greece: A land of love and alpha tycoons!

4. CANADA: Louise Penny's new Gamache book coming August 2014!

THE LONG WAY HOME....Here's the book blurb!

SQUEEEEEEEE!

Louise Penny!

5. SCOTLAND: Super Top Seekret New Project

My new WIP...Bet you can't figure out what it's about!

Hint: It might involve haggis!

 Haggis with potato mash

I hope you enjoyed this quick tour around the world and are now inspired for the day!

Ciao, bambini!

Penelope