Pretty As A Picture

As most of you know, in addition to this blog, I participate in a couple of writing related group blogs. One of them is the Casablanca Authors blog (just click on the title of this blog post to go there).

In the past week, we've been making a few changes to our blog format. Hey, it's January -- new year, time for change, renewal, and revitalization! One of the changes we CasaBabes decided to make was to put our photos on the sidebar.

I'll confess that I was not in favor of this change. I'd like to claim the reason is because I value my privacy, which I do, but the truth is I'm SCARED. People judge others by their looks all the time, I'm afraid.

Will readers be disappointed if I don't look like their idea of a romance writer?!?! What exactly DOES a romance writer look like?

Hey, I know what I look like, and there's NOT any resemblance to my beautiful, young heroines. Nor do I look like the media cliches of romance writers. I'm not glamorous, with perfect hair and make-up and I do not own a pink feathered peignoir. That's why, in the days before I had a book cover to post on my profile, I used this picture of my grand-niece Jilly. Yes, it's silly but still adorable, and not unlike yours truly when I was a little kid.

I did go along with the majority on the Casablanca blog and my picture is now on the sidebar. It's the same photo I use on Romance Bandits and my website, so it's not like I've been a recluse that nobody has seen before. And maybe I'm worrying for nothing.

Does anybody even look at author's photos? (I'll admit that I do!) Do YOU? Do you care what your favorite author actually looks like?