THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 9, 1996 TAG: 9602080139
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARK YOUNG, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
If you want to learn more about heavy breathing and literary bodice ripping, be at the Central Library this weekend.
That's when a crowd of romance novel fans are expected to gather for the two-day program ``Romance Between the Covers,'' which features 14 professional romance writers.
A workshop for budding romance novelists trying to get published, entitled ``Never Take Your Clothes Off With A Gun In Your Hand'' will be hosted by Mandalyn Kaye, author of ``The Promise.'' Joining her to give presentations, mingle with the participants and sign copies of their books will be other hot names in the romance novel business such as Leanne Banks, Patt Bucheister, Eileen Charbonneau, Christina Cordaire, Christine Dorsey, Leigh Greenwood, Wendy Haley (aka Wendy Garrett), Jacqueline Marten, Cathy Maxwell, Elizabeth Ann Michaels (aka Elizabeth Sherwood), Bonnie Pega, Lisa Samson and Judith Yates.
Others on the agenda include Bill Ruehlmann, Virginia Wesleyan associate professor and newspaper columnist, who will give a critique of the genre at 10 a.m. Saturday, and Carolyn Barkley, Central librarian, talking on ``The Romancing of Scotland'' and including a discussion of Mel Gibson's recent cinematic effort, ``Braveheart'' at 2:10 p.m. Also, drawings will be held at 11:45 a.m., and 3 and 4 p.m. Saturday for numerous prizes donated by romance publishers.
On Sunday, a book signing with the authors will begin in the library's gallery area at 1 p.m. A romantic tea with the authors and Kate McNulty from Johnson and Wales College of Culinary Arts will continue until 4.
The idea for ``Romance Between the Covers'' goes back to a letter written by Virginia Beach resident Cari Long to a publication called The Romantic Times. Long lamented the absence of a romance enthusiasts' reader's club in the area. Reference Librarian Denise Walker saw the letter. Knowing the extent of the popularity of romance novels, she saw that the library could help. ``This is just one of the things we're doing to try to provide better customer service,'' she said.
An entire committee of library staffers, chaired by Walker, worked on the project. Members held frequent meetings and even put out a quarterly newsletter to interested authors. Several members attended a Virginia Romance Writers Convention last year to make contacts and plans for this event. Their goal to have five authors attend quickly snowballed to the current total. MEMO: ``Romance Between the Covers'' will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday
and Sunday. To register, call 431-3071 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. today.
Participation is limited to 250.
by CNB