My Harlequin Moment: Ellen Hartman

I love your mom making cliff notes so your dad could read your book.It sounds like you have wonderful parents.

I also shared Harlequins with my mother during a bad time in life. My Dad had a nervous breakdown when I was 11(1959). My Mom went to work, outside our home, for the first time in my life. She used to read Harlequin Romances, that was all there was at the time, taken out from our small town library. For some reason only adults could check them out. Come on sex was not in those early books. I used to read them at night even with the use of a flashlight until she caught me and told me not to sneak around and just read them if I wanted to. I have all Mary Burchell's and Betty Neels books from that time. My Mom went on to just love the Presents line when it came out and I spent many hours with a list of numbers trying to find all the books at used book stores and charity book sales. I was actually embarrassed to shop for them as they were such racy reads as my mom called them. Many years later I checked out large print romances for her from our library.

You know I loved your first book, Wanted Man, and that I have read it twice. I still have His Secret Past in my TBR. I am however reading King of the Wind and enjoying it. Thanks for reviewing it.

I can  comment on Jeannie Watt in your last list. I have just loved all 3 of her books and am looking forward to her 4th one. I loved the snake moment also.

Kathleen O'Brian's book is part of a five book series that I have kept. Will have to look it up.

Thanks for dropping by to comment. Seeing your name reminded me that I owed you an email which I just sent!

My mom used to get her romances from the library too. I wrote a short story after I got out of college all about what the librarians must have thought. Our hometown library used to keep the paperback romances in a small room by themselves. Oh the horror if they'd ever mixed with the real books! They don't do that anymore--romance is in the real room with the other books now.

We seem to have very similar reading tastes, huh? The Homecoming Baby is a really good book. I've read the series, but that one is my favorite. I think you can read out of order, pretty sure I did.

Cheers,

Ellen

Susan--I'm blushing...for your dad. He read the sex parts? And talked to you about them???

What a joy it must be to live an uptight-free life.

Thanks for stopping by!

Ellen

That's normal, then. Much better to mock than to speak honestly.

I CAN'T WAIT for your new book. Seriously.

Ellen 

Hi Holly,

Thank you.

My mom thanks you too. I think it bugs her that I've let my hair go gray since hers is still so bright and pretty.

Ellen

You have quite a collection of Harlequin moments there! I love the Cliff Notes, too. My Dad knows I write books, and I gave him a copy of my first Blaze, which I don't think he read, he's not a reader and he was 85 at the time, which would have made it difficult anyway, but he was happy regardless. He's still doing great on his own at near 90, but he does forget a lot (like every 5 minutes) so I figure if he did read one of my books, I could tell him it's not me, since I use a pseud. Is that bad? LOL The rest of my family does read them, though, which makes me feel good, that they enjoy them.

Love the picture of you and your mom, both looking happy. So glad you both have had your HEA, too. :)

Sam 

and can see my computer screen.

So many touching moments. Your dad read your book? How cool is that? My parents are both deceased and I haven't even let my MIL read any of my unpubbed stuff due to the um, (in a whisper- sex...)

Best line for me was when you told your agent/friend about the call from Laura: "It could be a new policy." Just like us all to think of any reason you weren't going to get good news.

Angel

I'm so tickled that you enjoyed Wanted Man. I'm also delighted to be your first "autographed copy." That's very cool. I'm noticing if you hang around the romance boards it's not hard to collect autographed books. I'm pretty thrilled with a few of the books I've won!

Here's to a growing collection!

Ellen 

Hi Deb--I can't wait to read your top 10 list.

It was hard whittling down to just the ones I chose. And there were more books I'd have liked to list. I love when I close a book and I have to wipe away a tear (or several) and then maybe I open it up again right away just to reread the ending. Harlequin. Gotta love it!

Ellen

P.S. I'm sure my mom would have issues with everyone looking at her and me calling her cute. But she is.

Angel--hugs to you. You have me crying again over here. We're trading tears all around the internet. I'm so glad I've been able to share this journey with my folks. They nurtured me with books when I was a kid. I love that we share them in this new way now.

You might be surprised by your mother-in-law if you do decided you'd like to share your work with her. I can't tell you how many of my relatives have read my books and the first book had quite a bit of sex. I felt weird but no one else did. (Except my dad. And he handled it very nicely. )

Best wishes to you!

Ellen

Hi!! Nice to see you around!!!

Laugh and cry at the same time--sounds like a Superromance.

Your dad sounds like a great guy. I'm sorry he's missing the new stage of your writing journey, but how sweet that you have memories of him and his writing and his support for you. Oh, I could really use a hug right about now. I'm getting all choked up thinking about all of our proud dads.

And your mom with her story about her friends! I'm making grabby hands here wishing I could read it. I love reading about that era--I think I'd have had a lot of fun at cocktail parties even if I did have to wear stockings and a girdle.

Thanks for sharing your memories and your folks with us.

Ellen

not a good image but a funny one. I can't believe you rode in an elevator full of pee. LOL

I loved reading your moments and especially loved how your mom and dad worked it out so he could read your book. Did he count how many paper clipped sections there were and tsk tsk tsked you?

Hi Kim!

Thanks for stopping by! My dad and I never, ever discussed the paper clips. That would have involved admitting they existed which might have reminded us why they were there and then we would have been red-faced and mute the rest of the day.

So no.

They were like a shield of invisibility around those pages.

Ellen

P.S. I think there were probably 4 paper clips.  

Hi Lyn,

Gosh, this has been a great day for reconnecting. So nice to see you!

Your mom sounds like a woman with a very good brain. I like that in a mom.

I write technical documentation in my day job. I can attest that while that is certainly meant to be non-fiction, it's not always true.

Thanks for stopping by and for sharing your memories,

Ellen

Okay so reading about your Harlequin moment(s) was definitely an Harlequin moment. One blog and you made me laugh and you made me cry, you made me reminisce and you made me remember why I simply cannot reduce Harlequin moments down to just one.

Thanks so much for your kind words. I'm going to hang onto them for those times when I'm feeling not so positive about stuff.

Everyone has been so generous and lovely today. What a great idea this Harlequin moment thing is!

Hugs,

Ellen 

I always have to double-check the spelling of your name. My college roomie was a Jodi. Trips me up.

I think I want to meet your DH!

It's so nice to share writing with your mom, isn't it? Mine is an early reveiwer of all my books.  I kind of wondered if you'd see the technical writing joke--I know there are a few of us floating around here!

Good luck with your submission!

Ellen 

Hi Pat--thanks for coming by! I like to tease my dad but I was thrilled he was able to read the book and enjoy himself. He and my mom have been together for a long time--I guess knowing how to help each other get comfortable with new things is one of the strengths of a long marriage.

Cheers,

Ellen

Hi Holly--like all great artists, we must follow our passion despite what family or the public might think. I'm thankful you had the artistic integrity to follow your muse, even if it meant writing about leg waxing.

Hee. People in their endless variation are so amazing. What bothers one...and so on!

Thanks for saying you like my gray hair. I'm much too lazy to maintain a coloring schedule, so natural is the path I must follow!

Cheers,

Ellen 

Ellen--I started going gray in my 20's too. You don't think it's the name, do you?

I was lucky to have my dad's example to look at. My whole family has red hair but all different shades. Mine was very close to my dad's. His turned a very nice, shiny silvery color so I thought if I let mine go that might be what I'd get. And here I am.

It's still red in the back on the bottom. I wonder how long that will stay? I don't teach school or even live with teenagers yet so I probably have a few years.

Cheers,

Ellen 

Heh. I'm guessing you know my younger son...4 more years until he's a teen.

I have a cousin Ellen--I'll check her roots next time we meet! 

Ellen 

do you know who is supposed to follow you on Blog Bash ll or did you do so many moments you get two days? LOL

Heh. I don't think I broke the Blog Bash. Hmmm.

I don't know where the next post is though, sorry!

Ellen 

I've had a grey streak since I was four (at the back) and it's gradually being made to feel less lonely by the streak at the front and the odd hair here and there that are determined to join up the two streaks (I'm in my 40s so they can take their time!)

Hugs

Sadhbh 

Ellen, I loved your HQ moments. Very cool. It sounds like you have a wonderful family (even if they don't like to talk openly about S-E-X). I grew up in a house where my mom would routinely embarass me in front of friends when she'd open the front door in her bra. Gotta love her. *rolls eyes* But seriously, your stories were poignant and very cool. I'm glad I wandered in.