THE ROM CON: Behind the Scenes
In my Author's Note, I mention that there were quite a few vintage magazine articles, listicles, and other dating resources I used as inspiration and research in the shaping of The Rom Con. Some of these throwback courtship tips are so entertaining, I thought they deserved their moment in the spotlight. Here they are, in all their retro glory.
"129 Ways to Get a Husband"
McCall's magazine, January 1958
View the original viral Facebook post here (and enjoy scrolling through the
thousands of comments)
Recipe for "Engagement Chicken"
Glamour magazine, January 2004 issue (online version here)
Fun fact: Several celebrity engagements are rumored to have been the result of Engagement Chicken, including John Krasinski & Emily Blunt, Prince Harry & Meghan Markle, and Howard Stern & Beth Ostrosky.
"Things to do with your hands that men like"
Cosmopolitan, January 1970 issue
(My personal favorite? "Frolic in his chest hairs.")
Gran's (imaginary) book I Do: Rules & Etiquette for the Military Wife was based on The Air Force Wife by Nancy Shea, which can be found on Amazon here. The same author also wrote The Navy Wife and The Army Wife.
Finally, I needed to share a fun - and slightly eerie - story about the cherry-print apron Cassidy wears in the Engagement Chicken scene. Early on while writing, I'd saved this image to a Pinterest board as inspiration for the vintage apron she finds in a consignment store. Once I finished writing, I decided to track down the apron so I could buy it for myself as a memento. When I finally located it, I learned it's actually called...the Betty apron (if you've read The Rom Con, you'll understand why this freaked me out!) There are truly no coincidences.
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You can shop the Betty apron (in lots of other cute patterns, too) on Amazon here.
