Oh, when I was 14 I was also reading (and re-reading, and re-reading) the collected works of Saki, the Flashman novels, and a lot of SF (including RAH and so on). I very pointedly Did Not Read Romances.

Ooh, Flashman! Yum.

I forgot the entire Poldark saga, which I devoured at that age. Ross&Demelza 4ever!!!1!!!

sigh ... y'all are making me feel OLD. Most of those books weren't even around when I was 14. (Me? lots of classic SF, old school mysteries ... can't remember what else).

Would die. Would babble and sputter for 5 minutes first, and then die.

Then she'd probably ask if you wanted to go outside for a smoke, then buy you a martini in the bar. Because seriously, that's just how Nora is.

There's a second-hand bookstore in Silver Spring that specializes in romances and they have a special section for local authors that's mostly Nora Roberts. From everything I've seen and heard, she's nice and a class act (did you hear about her offering matching funds for the ferrets?).

Yep-- I was in on that. She also had bought an old building in her neck of the Maryland woods with the intent of turning it into a B&B-- saving the building since it was of 18th century vintage. And something like two weeks before it was going to open, it caught fire. At that point, she could've easily cut her losses and run, but she's apparently rebuilding the place because she can't bear the thought of the remains being torn down.

She's very much a straight shooter-- with Nora, seriously, what you see is what you get.

I have read Nora since I read my mom's "Irish Thoroughbred" (I know Plei has horsey issues with...) and have always read and really enjoyed a huge amount of her novels.

Reading her on SBTN has just upped the total-Nora love; she's just really, really cool and nice and no-shit, and my god, how can anyone write that much?

One of the things I SO enjoy about the internet is how it can connect you, even superficially (but also profoundly), with people you never, never, NEVER would have contact with without it.

I realize this is not an earthshakingly new realization, but I think it's so interesting. I grew up a phone and letter-girl, went to college as computers-as-communication-tool were coming in, and now, there's a whole generation who has never been unable to instantly contact whoever they want, via text or net. There are con's, I know, but IMO, it's almost all win.

Nora is a seriously cool woman. Not even an ounce of bullshit there.

Dude. Even before the Internets, it was NOT THAT HARD to figure out the various horse racing CC & Rs and procedures. IT WAS NOT.

There is NO excuse for that book. NONE.

Wow. Yep. Still angry with the thing. HA!

Hee.