It began innocently enough, an NBC News correspondent phones a woman who writes a blog about romance novels, requesting an interview to talk about why the novels have never been hotter. Leigh Court who writes the Fierce Romance blog wrote about her experience today, in a true, breathless, romance novelesque way:

I wanted to look and sound as professional as possible…
Out of the closet came the yellow suit that I knew would look good on camera…as I was getting dressed, I carefully practiced my answer in the bathroom mirror

Then it was off to the NBC News LA studios and an interview with Chris Jansing.

…my interview took place right in the newsroom, with people walking behind me, talking out loud, and even moving things But when the cameras started rolling, the most amazing thing happened. All the background noise seemed to disappear, and all I could hear was Chris asking the question I’d spent so long in front of my mirror answering.

But then… Chris kept talking. Kept asking me questions. I felt the blood rush out of my face as I tried to concentrate on what she was saying, while my brain was thinking — what? Wasn’t my answer good enough?

But Chris, you see, is an experienced reporter. By continuing to ask me questions I hadn’t prepared for, she forced me to relax enough to loosen up and just talk to her. Girl to girl. And ironically, that’s when I shared something I’ve always believed. “You know,” I told her, “if you’re stressed or depressed, the bottom line is – romance novels are a lot cheaper than therapy.”

Court was on air for all of :08 seconds. Here’s the story: