State of Romance: Striking up the band for D.C. romance

On this day in 1880, John Philip Sousa became the director of the United States Marine Corps Band, the oldest of the military bands. During his tenure, Sousa composed the military marches The Liberty Bell, The Washington Post and Stars and Stripes Forever. Born in Washington, D.C., Sousa added his own touches to the Romantic Era. Our nation's capital serves as backdrop for a wide variety of romance novels.

If paranormals whet your appetite, check out Heather Graham's Night of the Vampires, Lora Leigh's Lion's Heat and Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Goes to Washington.

Perhaps you prefer romantic suspense — how about Marie Force's Fatal Justice, Cindy Gerard's Feel the Heat, ML Buchman's The Night Is Mine, Karen Harlow's Enemy Lover, Marliss Melton's The Protector, Suzanne Brockmann's The Defiant Hero, Laura Kaye's Heart of Darkness and Krista Hall's Broken Places.

For love and laughter, Janet Evanovich's The Rocky Road to Romance, Christina Skye's A Home by the Sea and Tracy March's The Practice Proposal hit the spot.

Cozy mystery fans will enjoy Julie Hyzy's White House Chef Mysteries, Dorothy St. James' White House Gardener Mysteries and Ellen Byerrum's Crime of Fashion series.

Add to the list of romances set in Washington, D.C., using hashtag #stateofromance on Twitter.

Next week we visit Kentucky, the Blue Grass State.

Kim Lowe is an Air Force veteran, Air Force spouse and romance book blogger at SOS Aloha. You can reach her at sos.aloha@yahoo.com.