#ReaderOfTheMonth: Kathy Hamilton
We're delighted to welcome our May #ReaderOfTheMonth - to the PHS: Kathy Hamilton, The Female Scriblerian!
Where in the world are you?
I was born in London and raised in Sunderland (North East England) but I recently moved to Belfast after a brief pit-stop in Edinburgh so I am slowly but surely taking over the entire British Isles! I am really enjoying Belfast though, it’s an amazing city, so I think I will stay here a little while.
Do you have a day job?
Yes! I work in marketing for a software company that focuses on data security and data management. It’s about as far away from what I thought I’d be doing as possible, but I enjoy trying to find a way to make it interesting.
How long have you been reading romance?
I have always loved romance, my first foray into the genre was A Little Love Song by Michelle Magorian, which I read (and re-read a million times) when I was 11. That started the addiction, but romance fiction has always been around me. My mother, grandmother and even great-grandmother are avid readers of Mills & Boon so it’s almost a family tradition at this point!
What is your favourite theme?
I enjoy the ‘slow realisation’ style. When I think of most of my favourites they usually involve a heroine and hero who, for whatever reason, don’t see what’s right in front of them. It’s particularly popular in Historical Romance so that’s probably why I gravitate towards that.
What kind of story would you like to see written?
I’m going to apologise for my terrible memory for titles, but I remember reading a story (maybe a M&B Modern Tempted) where the female heroine was rich and successful and it was the hero that wasn’t. I think he was a gardener. I really enjoyed the subversion of that stereotype and reading about how they worked through all the issues associated with a female bread winner. It’s not something I have seen much of and I’d like to.
How many books do you read in a week/month/year?
It really depends. I tend to go through phases where I don’t do anything but read. Then I will get through four or five romances in a week, say. But after that I will not read anything at all for a while. I probably read between 100 to 150 books a year based on that pattern. I wish I was a little more consistent.
What book would you recommend to our readers?
Other than Friday’s Child by Georgette Heyer, I don’t have specific books to recommend. I like to base my recommendations on what people like to read. However, I have a few authors I will always suggest as a starting point: Virginia Heath, Sarah Morgan, Liz Fielding and Julia Quinn.
Which books are an auto buy for you?
Anything by the authors I mentioned above! Luckily they keep me well stocked.
If your house was on fire which book would you save?
My bruised and battered copy of Friday’s Child. It’s been with me through a lot and I couldn’t leave it behind.
And what are you reading now?
I just finished Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte and I’m about to start A Warriner To Protect Her by Virginia Heath.
Do you qualify for reader of the month? Would you like to nominate someone for the position? Just let us know in the comments or on Social Media or email us on the contact page!
