A history of romance

I was involved in a really interesting conversation recently. We were talking about the changes in the romance genre since we've been reading, and someone mentioned Betty Neels. You could have knocked me over with a feather when another writer about the same age as me asked "Betty Who?" Betty was one of Mills and Boon's most prolific authors with a career spanning over thirty years and hundreds of novels. Betty's nursing heroines and doctor heros probably steered my career choice towards working in hospitals, and her chaste heroines were perfect for my early teen years.

It got me to thinking - my romance reading habit now spans three decades. I always thought I had no real brain for history, but looking back I've stored away a lot of romance history. Who was writing what, and when? Amazing, when you consider how many romances I've read over the years.

My all time favourite Mills and Boon author was Brisbane author Lynsey Stevens, Carol Mortimer came in a close second during the eighties and I couldn't go past Johanna Lindsey and Kathleen Woodiwiss for historicals in the nineties. I spent a couple of hours on the internet after that conversation and saw plenty of original covers I remembered, complete with the latest fashion and hair.

So thinking back to your early reading days, which authors were on your must buy list?

What are you doing?

This past weekend was spent out at our "block of dirt" out in the bush, where we are working hard to clear the fences after years of neglect by the previous owners. Usually its a pretty solitary work environment, but this time we had supervisors.

Plenty of supervisors.

All asking the same question. What are you doing?

Next door's cattle discovered us and a procession of interested faces stared at us from over the fence. First the teenagers, who got bored really quickly and moved on. Then came the meaty looking bull (I kept dreaming of roast...), followed by a very contented looking cow and tiny calf.

Once they discovered we were no threat, Mr Bull took watch while the calf fed and then both mum and calf lay down. Then two more calves appeared out of the scrub. They were a bit older, and obviously motherless. Mrs Cow checked her calf, then said "come on, there's room for a few more" and seconds later she had them both lying down and was grooming them. Mr Bull kept watch for danger, never taking his eyes off us, letting the rest of them nap or chew their cuds.

Fascinating watching, and immediately I was thinking of romance plots. She's a real earth mother, with plenty of love to give. He's less trusting and always on the lookout, perhaps ex-military. There are two motherless children to protect. The possibilities kept me thinking all day as I cut, cleared and hauled.

We didn't have the camera with us, otherwise I'd have given you a glimpse of the "cattle" family as I like to think of them. But this photo shows exactly the scrutiny we've been under.