The Super Authors blog is having an official kick-off week starting June 1, but since the space is here and we’re all here…it seemed like a prime opportunity for a little word game!
Do you remember the games Nini posted on eHQ last December where we guessed the retitled holiday songs? Example: Embellish Interior Passageways = Deck the Halls.
Jeannie Watt and I adapted that game by running the titles of the 2009 Supers (January-May) through the Obfuscation Machine. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to decipher the real titles. Post guesses in the comments. (Just to clarify: You can guess at one or two--I didn't expect anyone would want to attempt the whole list.)
Jeannie and I will each choose a name from the comments to win a book. I’m giving away The Boyfriend’s Back, and Jeannie is giving away The Cowboy’s Redemption. (Both of them are on the list--there's a clue!) Edited to add: Kay Stockham and Deb Salonen are both giving away books, too!
Here they are, the New 2009 Super Titles in all their incomprehensible glory. Have at ‘em.
Hint: You can find title lists at the romance wiki. I also posted the real title list in the third comment below.
- Stances, Actions, Or Endeavors Undertaken As A Result Of Or In Direct Relation To An Emotional Attachment
- An Act Deemed To Be Inappropriate Or Wrong Perpetrated By A Heretofore Unfamiliar Individual
- A Factual Or Investigatory Exploration Into The Particularities And Networks Observed Among Individuals Descended From A Common Ancestor
- A Person Once Linked Romantically With Another (but Not Betrothed) Completes A Homecoming Journey
- A Diminutive Human Endeavors To Resolve A Difficult Or Possibly Dangerous Situation
- A Written Or Oral Record Of Events Creating A Barrier
- A Missive For The French Diminutive Of The Latinate Form Of Hannah
- Transgressions Against Accepted Moral Custom Enacted By A Heterogametic Individual Whose Normal Abilities Surpass Those Of His Peers
- A Party Bound In Troth Is Accessible Anew
- Post-infant Pre-adolescent Recreational Activity
- A Representative Of The Female Gender Could Not Consign an Adult Homo Sapien To Oblivion
- Maternal Being Soon to Exist
- One Of A Number Who May Resemble Or Appear Similar To a Female Individual
- A Child in the First Stage of Life in Her Upper Extremities
- A Fault Resulting From Defective Judgment, Deficient Knowledge, Or Carelessness, Committed By One Of The Feminine Gender
- Her Favored Companion's Male Gendered Sibling
- A Bovine Collector Loses The Fetters Of Shame
- Reproductions Of Me And Those Close To Me
- Structure Used As A Domicile, Most Often By Humans, Invested By Concealed Facts
- Having an Inherent Sense of Paternal Responsibility
- A Person Of The Male Persuasion Vocalizes A Short Form Of Her Occupational Title
- Arcanum Harbored By A Member Of The Fair Sex
- A Defective Period Prior to the Present
- Progenitor (Masculine) In Stupefaction
- French Form of a Name Meaning Wisdom's Clandestine Matter
- To Infinity And Beyond Accompanied By Relations
- Traditional Bonding Rituals Observed Among Genetically Linked Humans
- From Solstice To Equinox In Proximity To A Collection Of Matter Changed From Solid To Liquid
- Domiciled In Familiar Environs After Years Away
- A Peerless Reproduction Of A Childbearing Female
Have Fun!!
Ellen and Jeannie
www.ellenhartman.com
Blog: www.romancenovelsblog.blogspot.com
Unexpected Family Superromance October 2010
Plan B: Boyfriend Superromance December 2009
Header Promotion













Another example
I thought I'd post another example.
1. Stances, Actions, Or Endeavors Undertaken As A Result Of Or In Direct Relation To An Emotional Attachment
The Things We Do for Love
Ellen
www.ellenhartman.com
Blog: www.romancenovelsblog.blogspot.com
Unexpected Family Superromance October 2010
Plan B: Boyfriend Superromance December 2009
Brain Cramp
Wow. Not enough coffee in the world to try this one. You two totally outdid yourselves on this one. There's something's baby...one up there is about a rancher...or a cowboy. Other than that, I can't wrap my brain around this one right now, but am anxious to see how other's figure this out.
Rae
Real Titles
Here are the real titles (not in the right order, though):
A Cowboy's Redemption
A Forever Family
A Kid To The Rescue
A Letter For Annie
A Man She Couldn't Forget
A Natural Father
A Not-So-Perfect Past
Baby In Her Arms
Child's Play
Daddy By Surprise
He Calls Her Doc
Her Best Friend's Brother
Home At Last
Mother To Be
Picture-Perfect Mom
Pictures Of Us
Someone Like Her
Sophie's Secret
Summer At The Lake
The Boyfriend's Back
The Groom Came Back
The Hero's Sin
The House Of Secrets
The Mistake She Made
The Secret She Kept
The Story Between Them
The Stranger's Sin
The Things We Do For Love
Weddings In The Family
What Family Means
www.ellenhartman.com
Blog: www.romancenovelsblog.blogspot.com
Unexpected Family Superromance October 2010
Plan B: Boyfriend Superromance December 2009
Hints
Here are two hints:
#16 is one of Kay Stockham's Tulanes of Tenessee books.
#30 is a May book.
Ellen
www.ellenhartman.com
Blog: www.romancenovelsblog.blogspot.com
Unexpected Family Superromance October 2010
Plan B: Boyfriend Superromance December 2009
I got the last one
I think. Why...it could be on store shelves at this very minute, right?
Ellen, I have to hope this amazing list is a product of your being denied your usual TV fix last night. Otherwise, you and Jeanne are too darn smart.
Deb
FINDING THEIR SON - 4 stars!
blog: http://debrasalonen.com/wwwbookclub/
www.debrasalonen.com
Hee
Deb--we posted at the same time and about the same book!
Partly TV deprivation. Partly I forgot my book and had nothing to do during lunch at work yesterday. Jeannie did hers on the school bus while taking her track team to a meet.
Ellen
www.ellenhartman.com
Blog: www.romancenovelsblog.blogspot.com
Unexpected Family Superromance October 2010
Plan B: Boyfriend Superromance December 2009
OMG
You guys KILL me! LOL I read through the first four and got a migraine. LOL I did find my release tho. Hehe! I'll toss in a book to a winner, too. (I'm out of storage space. Ack!) So whomever wins the game, gets a copy of the title listed above.
Ladies, you rock. It's too early in the day for this (it might be too early ALL day for this LOL) but you rock!
Kay
Kay Stockham
Simon Says Mommy, Harlequin Superromance, Sep 09
She's the One, Harlequin Superromance, Mar 10
Check out my contests at www.kaystockham.com
Friend me on Facebook, follow on Twitter!
#24
I'll include a copy in the prize package. Male progenitors being my thing and all....
And, seriouisly, do we really have a book called "Daddy Shouts, 'Mommy'?" That sounds like it belongs in a different line.
Deb
FINDING THEIR SON - 4 stars!
blog: http://debrasalonen.com/wwwbookclub/
www.debrasalonen.com
Thanks Kay
Hi Kay--you could have guessed at a couple...come back, the migraine's not that bad?
Thanks for tossing another prize in the pot. We'll give it to a random commenter if that's okay. I'm hoping folks will just post their guesses for one or two titles--I didn't imagine anyone would want to sift through the entire list!
Thanks for adding to the fun!
Ellen
P.S. Deb--AGAIN! This simul-posting is getting freaky! Thanks for the prize offer! I'm not stupefied to see you chipping in!
www.ellenhartman.com
Blog: www.romancenovelsblog.blogspot.com
Unexpected Family Superromance October 2010
Plan B: Boyfriend Superromance December 2009
#17
A Cowboy's Redemption
December 2008 MEMBER of the MONTH!
A true teacher is a person who, at the end of the school day, still likes children!
#19
The House of Secrets
December 2008 MEMBER of the MONTH!
A true teacher is a person who, at the end of the school day, still likes children!
#12
Mother to Be
December 2008 MEMBER of the MONTH!
A true teacher is a person who, at the end of the school day, still likes children!
21
A Person Of The Male Persuasion Vocalizes A Short Form Of Her Occupational Title- He Calls Her Doc(??)
Christa ~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008-2009 Challenge Blog
My Shelfari Page
Yay!
Four answers, all correct! Yay, we finally have players...and they're good at this game!
I'm heading out of town for most of the weekend. I hope we'll get through these so I can start giving out prizes when I get back!
Thanks for playing!
Ellen
www.ellenhartman.com
Blog: www.romancenovelsblog.blogspot.com
Unexpected Family Superromance October 2010
Plan B: Boyfriend Superromance December 2009
#######
#14 - Baby In Her Arms
#16 - Her Best Friend's Brother
#9 - The Groom Came Back
#2 - The Stranger's Sin
December 2008 MEMBER of the MONTH!
A true teacher is a person who, at the end of the school day, still likes children!
10
Post-infant Pre-adolescent Recreational Activity- Child's Play
Christa ~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008-2009 Challenge Blog
My Shelfari Page
#5 #4
#5 A Kid to the Rescue
#4 The Boyfriend's Back
December 2008 MEMBER of the MONTH!
A true teacher is a person who, at the end of the school day, still likes children!
Hee
I was especially fond of:
#2 An Act Deemed To Be Inappropriate Or Wrong Perpetrated By A Heretofore Unfamiliar Individual
Ellen
www.ellenhartman.com
Blog: www.romancenovelsblog.blogspot.com
Unexpected Family Superromance October 2010
Plan B: Boyfriend Superromance December 2009
23
A Defective Period Prior to the Present- A Not-So-Perfect Past
Christa ~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008-2009 Challenge Blog
My Shelfari Page
Quitting Now
I really guess I better not guess any more since I already have the books to be given as prizes and I don't want to deprive any one of excellent reads.
December 2008 MEMBER of the MONTH!
A true teacher is a person who, at the end of the school day, still likes children!
Hey All--Finally chiming in
Hey All--Finally chiming in to say I'm glad you are enjoying the game. And it looks like we have some books to give away. I find Ellen's titles much more difficult than mine, which I did on the bus going to a track meet. Some of Ellen's have me a thinking.
Jeannie
Always a Temp ~ April 2010
Cowboy Comes Back ~ July 2009
A Cowboy's Redemption ~ February 2009
http://www.jeanniewatt.com
titles
Great puzzles
4. A Person Once Linked Romantically With Another (but Not Betrothed)Completes A Homecoming Journey---Home At Last 5. A Diminutive Human Endeavors To Resolve A Difficult Or Possibly
Dangerous Situation--- A Kid To The Rescue
26 and 20 and 18 and 15
To Infinity And Beyond Accompanied By Relations=A Forever Family (?)
Having an Inherent Sense of Paternal Responsibility= A Natural Father (?)
Reproductions Of Me And Those Close To Me= Pictures of Us (?)
A Fault Resulting From Defective Judgment, Deficient Knowledge, Or Carelessness, Committed By One Of The Feminine Gender= The Mistake She Made (?)
Christa ~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008-2009 Challenge Blog
My Shelfari Page
Wow--good players
I'm impressed. Christa and Ellen Too, you rock.
Deb
FINDING THEIR SON - 4 stars!
blog: http://debrasalonen.com/wwwbookclub/
www.debrasalonen.com
LOL!
Jodie sent me an email to come and peek! Loved seeing my name...makes me realize i'll be an author soon (fingers crossed) and will have to get used to seeing my name!
Nini :)
"Earth laughs in flowers"...........Ralph Waldo Emerson
2008 Participating author in Pass the Plot
2009 Participating author in Write a Date with Destiny
THese are really
THese are really brain-scramblers...
I believe #30 is Picture Perfect Mom
I think #29 is Home at Last and Ellen Too had # 4 correct with The Boyfriend's Back
Member of the Month
August 2009
#28 is Summer at the
#28 is Summer at the Lake...
#27 Weddings in teh Family
Member of the Month
August 2009
#25 is Sophie's Secret
#25 is Sophie's Secret
Member of the Month
August 2009
#24 is Daddy By Surprise
#24 is Daddy By Surprise
Member of the Month
August 2009
#22 The secret she kept I
#22 The secret she kept
I think we now have all the answers from 21 to 30, so I'll stop and give someone else a chance
This was fun even though it is a brain scrambler!
Member of the Month
August 2009
my guesses
I have guesses for them all but I don't want the fun to end for everyone so I will just build on Papya's theory that 21-30 are figured out and give a few extras to the list.
15. The Mistake She Made
16. Her Best Friend's Brother
17. A Cowboy's Redemption
18. Pictures of Us
19. The House Of Secrets
20. A Natural Father
21. He Calls Her Doc
22. The Secret She Kept
23. A Not-So-Perfect Past
24. Daddy by Surprise
25. Sophie's Secret
26. A forever Family
27. Weddings in the Family
28. Summer at the Lake
29. Home at Last
30. Picture-Perfect Mom
Harlequin Historicals My Space ,
Facebook,, Good Reads, and Shelfari
I think I've got them all,
I think I've got them all, but I won't post them so other's have a chance to guess. This was fun even though it is a brain scrambler!
Member of the Month
August 2009
Scrambled brains!
Hi!
I had to go out of town for a little bit, but I'm back and you've solved all the puzzles! Yay!
I had such fun with the song puzzles (Hi, Nini!), I couldn't resist trying the game. I got about nine titles written and then realized if I did them all myself, my brain would be permanently fried so I enlisted Jeannie's help! I had a good time with the bad titles, though, so I hope we'll get to play again. (I'm much better writing confusing titles than I am writing useful ones.)
Thanks to everyone who played along!
Ellen
www.ellenhartman.com
Blog: www.romancenovelsblog.blogspot.com
Unexpected Family Superromance October 2010
Plan B: Boyfriend Superromance December 2009
Guess
12. Mother To Be by Tany Michaels
5. Kid to the Rescue by Susan Gable
well done!!!
I'm really impressed--by the de-scramblers AND the scramblers. Fun game. Thanks to all for playing.
I, too, was out of town for a few days, so I missed some of the fun. But it looks like all the titles were solved.
Thanks for doing this, Ellen and Jeannie.
Deb
FINDING THEIR SON - 4 stars!
blog: http://debrasalonen.com/wwwbookclub/
www.debrasalonen.com
I know its done but wanted to play anyway.
Networks Observed Among Individuals Descended From A Common Ancestor- What Family Means
Heterogametic Individual Whose Normal Abilities Surpass Those Of His
Peers - The Hero's Sin
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So impressed
I'm so impressed at the way people guessed these. I got worried that it was too hard but now I'm thinking it wasn't hard enough.
Next time Jeannie and I are setting the Obfuscation dial on DOUBLE!
Ellen
P.S. I only thought it was hard because with the holiday songs game Nini posted, we were sort of familiar with the titles already. For this one, I think most of us would have had to look the titles up to get them right.
www.ellenhartman.com
Blog: www.romancenovelsblog.blogspot.com
Unexpected Family Superromance October 2010
Plan B: Boyfriend Superromance December 2009
Ellen, it made it easier
Ellen, it made it easier since you gave us the titles! Then all we had to do was decipher :)
Member of the Month
August 2009
Book Winners
On Monday this week, I posted the names of folks who won books here: Winners post. I haven't heard from everyone, though. If the winners want to claim their prizes, send me an email!
Thanks,
Ellen
www.ellenhartman.com
Blog: www.romancenovelsblog.blogspot.com
Unexpected Family Superromance October 2010
Plan B: Boyfriend Superromance December 2009