Now that I'm a published romance author, with two books accepted and hard at work on the third, there seem to be a few misconceptions I need to clear up. Mostly, these are misconceptions of acquaintances, neighbors, and various assorted other folk. List style because it's easier:

1. No, I am not rich. No, my husband won't be retiring from his job. No, we aren't moving to a mansion. I know Castle (on ABC) is fun, and that he's a wealthy writer type following the PI around, and I know that Stephanie Meyer and J.K. Rowling probably never have to lift a hand to do dishes again a day in their lives. My reality is a bit different.

2. Okay, now go to the bookstore and tell me what you see. I'll wait……..yes, TONS of books. Do you know who any of those authors are, or do you just know Meyer, Rowling, and Stephen King? Most writers are not wealthy. Please drop this misconception NOW.

3. Yes, I write romance. No, this does not mean I wear a feather boa, or crank up the whips and chains when I want to do a little research. I have written romantic suspense too — do you think I researched murders by committing them?

4. I love my husband. I am not thinking about trading him in on a cabana boy, no matter how much I might joke about it.

5. I am not famous.

6. Yes, I have a literary agent. No, I can't ask her to read your work just because you know my second cousin.

7. Same goes for my editor. I'll tell you what I know, I'll tell you how I got to this point, but I can't give you the secret handshake because there isn't one. Or, if there is, nobody bothered to tell me.

Why do people believe these things? Wish I knew. And I'm sure I'll have to deal with a few more misconceptions as time goes by…..

What misconceptions have you encountered as a writer? Or even as a reader of romance novels? You know the ones — those books are fluff, that's not literature, how can you read that junk, etc… And what would YOU tell those clueless folks if you could?