Happy New Year!

Hope this post finds everyone well and curled up on the couch, recovering from last night's festivities. Here at the house of Germs, we are watching "The Honeymooners" and continuing to avoid cleaning up the post-Christmas mess. Everytime I try to start putting things away, I turn around and they're all back out again.

So over at Romancing The Blog, a brave columnist has decided to take on the the very original, never addressed topic of mean bloggers, with their nasty 'slash and burn' reviews. As usual, I was late to read this, and by the time I did, all that needed to be said had been said. This particular posting seemed particularly obnoxious. So I just need to say one more thing. Or two.

I discovered reader blogs by accident when I was looking for an author website. I was amazed to find intelligent, funny writing about something I loved, and that I was kind of embarrassed about loving. I didn't know anybody besides my mom who read romances, and nobody thought too much of them. Then I decided to give the blogging thing a try myself. I thought it was a way to exercise my writing muscles, and to get out my thoughts about the great and not so great. Because I do actually find romance novels fascinating on a number of levels. As I kept writing, I found that I really enjoyed it. And it was one of the few outlets that I have, as a mostly stay at home mother. Silly as it may sound, it was something that was just about me, about something I enjoy. It had nothing to do with family, home or dog. I really enjoyed reading other's interesting, funny, and yes, snarky thoughts on books and whatever else crossed their minds. And as I started to face some personal difficulties, the blogosphere was an easy escape for me.

So I raise a toast (of chamomile tea) to you, reader/reviewer bloggers, for sharing your thoughts and love of this genre, and inspiring me to do the same. Here's to a new year of memorable reading. I look forward to seeing what you all have to say!