trueromance

But First — the history of BLACK FRIDAY:

So where did the term ‘Black Friday’ come from? History has shown many ‘Black’ days, most with dire consequences. Black Tuesday refers to the 1929 stock market crash. Black Friday in January 1939 refers to Australia’s day of horrible and devastating fires. In September 1869 the U.S. underwent a great financial crisis and termed the day Black Friday. Historically Black Fridays have never been good events.

In 1975 the shopping craze that followed Thanksgiving turned into Black Friday, in reference to the hectic crowds and horrendous traffic. Despite a slipping economy shoppers still came out in full force that year and caused several newspapers to call the day ‘Black Friday’, and thus the tradition began.

I hope you enjoyed shopping today! Stop by our Borders stores for Great Savings & shop online at www.borders.com
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now, special Guest Blogger, Christine Flynn:

Why I Love Romance

As a student, I was completely wrapped up in the study of psychology. I just couldn’t get enough information about people or why they act the way they do. As a friend, I love hearing about the situations my friends get into. If they have a story about their long lost cousin who had a friend who had a sister… Well, you get the idea. Call it curiosity or nosiness! I love hearing about the things people do. I think it’s this love of people that has brought me to the love of romance in my novels. Is there anything more human than falling in love? I’m not so sure there is. As I’ve contemplated on it, it’s come to me that my love of romance has evolved as I’ve grown older.

Before I share with you the drive behind my romance obsession, I need to tell you that my books don’t necessarily require a pure romance-driven plot. Give me a guy and a girl and a forever type of love and I’m hooked. Whether you’re talking Tom Clancy, James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Kristan Higgins, or Elizabeth Hoyt, I want my hero and heroine to get their happily ever after. So what is it that makes ME love romance?

Here are my Top four reasons:

1. People. It’s all about people. Like I said, I love people. I love their idiosyncrasies. I love figuring out what makes them do the things they do. I love the hows, the whys, and the mystery of it all. I love the hero’s crazy aunt and the heroine’s murderous ex-boyfriend. I want to know what their thoughts, hopes, and dreams are. I need to know what they’re up to.

2. Adventure. There is always an adventure to be had within the story itself. As much as I strive to experience so much in my life, there is no way that I can do it all. The books I read provide me with all of the adventure I can take. For some that may mean reading books based in the wild jungles of Africa or in the big city. For me, that can mean books about going back home, settling down in a new town, or living the happily ever after with the high school sweetheart.

3. Community. I read for the community feeling, too. Years ago, this meant connecting with a co-worker that I normally would have nothing in common with. With a shared love of romance, we could pass on books, share our thoughts on them, and swoon over heroes together. Now it means chatting over Twitter and Facebook with people from all over the world. We chat about our favorites, persuade each other to take the jump into genres we would never have read before, and complain about the plots that should never have been hatched. It’s about connection, common interests, and community.

4. The “Take-Me-Away-Calgon” feeling. Finally, no one can minimize the stress-busting abilities of a "Happily Ever After" ending (HEA). While it may make you smile with tears running down your face, the HEA will let you forget, for some brief span of time, the bills that need to be paid, the gifts that must be bought, the house that needs some serious cleaning, and the work that will never be finished. Romance and the HEA are my drugs of choice.

Question of the Day:

What is your reason for reading books in the romance genre? Do you feel the connection with other romance readers or do you keep reading a solitary pursuit? Are they purely for relaxation or do you get an adrenaline rush from the adventure of it all?

Chris Flynn - Assistant Editor

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Twitter - ChristineFlynn