Tell us you want...what you really, really want...

If you had your choice which would you prefer Chelle?  I'm always open to suggestion.

Jayne 

Readers may also not feel they had anything to add to the discussion and feel hesitant about offering opinions or joining in on discussions.

I'm with Sadhbh - as a reader, I often enjoy the writer's conversations - lots to hear about what is going on with the line and I always have felt welcome to pop in with a question or comment about the line.

Cady

Thanks Penni ..... that is what I've observed as well ..... and how I have sometimes felt ...... as a person who doesn't write, I'm often reluctant to jump in on a conversation that revolves mostly around the submitted ms or about wip's ... though I love to read the discussions ..... Lucy Clark did a wonderful list of plots in the Rx Medical thread on the old boards .... that was so very interesting to read and made wonderful sense! ... so it would be grand to find a balance

When I first joined the boards some time after my first book came out--so probably in 2005--I thought readers would be more involved in the discussions. I was looking forward to that--a place where writers and readers meet to chat about books. I guess that's hard to do in any detail, though, because people don't want to ruin the plot for someone else. But I hate to think of readers feeling uncomfortable..

Caron

Hi guys,  thanks for your comments. One of the things that plagued me in the old community was the fact that there was a split between the blogs and message boards, and the lack of integration of some really interesting conversation happening in both areas of the site.  My hope with this new format is that we'll find it easier to navigate the system and find all that great content to share and talk about from both a readers and writers perspective.

Jayne.

I know you all are talking about reader/writer stuff. I'm kind of new to this whole posting on here and stuff. I currently had a subscription to "Superromance" & "Romantic Suspense" books. I had to cancel though because I didn't have enough money to keep it going.. But I turn 15 this year and I plan to get a job and restart it.

I think this said something about talking about series and books. I wanted to see if anyone can let me know for future reference about any books that are anything as intense as "The Long-Lost Father". I bought that book before I started my subscription that is how I found out about Harlequin. And I read that book over and over and it never seems to get old. I cry everytime. It really touches me, especially since I have many nephews and a niece of my own, and hearing about other children's disabilitys and talents always seem to amaze me. I was hoping someone could help me out. [:

Thanks [:

OK.  I'll bite.

A theme/setting I'd love to read about more and I have mentioned on some of the blogs in the past would be romances set in the world of ballroom dancing. I have scoured the net and bought all I can find, but there's not much out there folks, and with the popularity of Dancing With the Stars and other such shows, I think it would be a popular series. It could center around a studio, or a group of individuals who were going to competitions, etc.

Aren't you glad you asked?

I met my hubby contra-dancing and International Folk Dancing. Twenty-five years later and 3 daughters, but 2 who have interesting musical talents later, there are crafters and musicians that travel all around meeting up at various places throughout the year. I've often wandered around wondering just what kind of stories could come out of craft fairs and folk music festivals.

Nancy

I love Harlequin Presents books.  That is my favourite series, they are always intense and passionate.  Some of my favourite books ever are HPs that have humor woven into the story.  I really like Susan Napier's style, she combines humor and passion so wonderfully.  HPs can stray into becoming depressing sometimes though, with heroines betrayed and left to raise secret babies while their alpha males throw them out onto the streets and sleep their way through other women.  Could there be a HP miniseries that features humor?  It would be lovely to have one book a month that makes me laugh out loud as well as get my heart beating. 

Here's a few examples of books I've loved so much I re-read 'em...  because of the humor.

 Indecent Deception by Lynne Graham (HP 1740): the hero Blaize makes a crack about how if he was told the heroine Chrissy had cavorted with the whole rugby team, he would just ask her if she had enjoyed it.  His single-mindedness in getting her flat on her back is hilarious and adorable.

 War of Love by Carole Mortimer (HP 1727): the heroine's beauty (as displayed in a trampy bunny costume for work) gives the hero's leering uncle a heart attack... twice.  The hero chokes on the indignity of it all, before getting grabby and leering at her himself.  

The Sister Swap by Susan Napier (HP 1788): I spit out a mint during this one.  The heroine gets mistaken for a prostitute by the police... twice.  She also has a parade of muscular jocks coming and going from her apartment, groaning loudly while the hero listens from next door dying with jealousy (she's actually a physiotherapist at work).

Taken by her Greek Boss by Cathy Williams (HP 2711): The heroine is a fiesty spitfire.  The hero brings home her little sister, and she attacks him and takes his ego down a couple dozen pegs all while wearing frumpy pajamas.  He's furious and stupefied... and admires her.   Hilarious banter.

As usual... what I want, what I really really want... is to see Diana Palmer's books republished. And I *REALLY DO* want that. I'm sitting here wondering if I should place an order for used Diana Palmer books right now [but shipping is more than the cost of the books!]

I've also spent about $30+ today buying old Diana Palmer books. I know some are being re-released [and there are 3? new Diana Palmer books coming out before the end of 2008] -- but it's hard to know which ones.

I'd love to buy them from the harlequin site. And I know there are a lot of people trying to get her back list - some of her old books are selling for $60-$90+ (and yes, that's each)!! Yikes.

So that's what I want.

I would really like to see a sequel to The Marine's Baby, where the hero is Butch. I felt while reading that with all the pain that Butch went through. First having his half brother dying in the same place where he got injured and then losing his leg. Doesn't the guy deserve a hea too.

Shell

I'm dying to read some good romantic comedies. Let's have a whole line of them!

One that sticks with me is about an artist who takes part in research on pheremones and falls for the guy whose corporate portrait she's hired to paint. Can't remember the name, or author  but it was a gem.

Thanks for your tips Janet - I'll look them up

Paula

Through the magic of Google it seems the book you may be thinking of is  Irresistible? by Stephanie Bond.

Other good laugh books:

The Perfect Solution by Day Leclaire  which also involves Pherome research and has a wonderful scene in a theatre.

Once a cowboy  by Day Leclaire also is a lovely romantic comedy that had me laughing often.

DesertIslandBookworm,

I was just reading your posts on "Small Town Romance" (by the way, I'm a HUGE GLH fan and Crimsom Roses is one of my all time favorites!) and went to request you as my friend   when I saw this post.  I am almost done reading Cheryl Wyatt's second Love Inspired Novel, "A Soldier's Family".  It is really terrific (as was her first) and both main characters are Hispanic.  You'll have to tell me if you think it truely  has a Latina theme or not. 

Another inspirational series I would reccommend to you is by Marilynn Griffith.  It is called her Shades of Style series and the four books each have a heroine of a different ethnic group as the focus. They are all working together in a start-up clothing design business.  In order they are:  Pink, Jade, Tangerine and Turquoise.  Each book builds on the story of Chenille who is finally the heroine of the last book. I don't read alot of multi-cultural books but these really blew me away.

Comment made by readers of romances (which I've seen repeated on forums on several websites) is that romance fiction is sometimes a bit too formulaic, predictable, same-y.

I think some writers might need to broaden their horizons in looking for inspiration;  if everyone goes to the same well, it may eventually run dry!

I'd recommend exploring other, new fields that might get the imaginative juices flowing, wondering "what-if..."  I know fictional authors often make disclaimers that people and events in  their books are "entirely make-believe" (or whatever the legalese phrase is.  But SOME element of reality often serves a a spark to creativity!

See my earlier urging for Latina themes.  A few areas to sample might be popular (and MUCH better than English language court shows), CASO CERRADO (Case Closed) with Cuban-American judge Ana Maria Polo.   (See her bio on Wikipedia).  Program shows slice of life involving Latinos from many countries that is often touching, inspiring as well as entertaining.  Wish the "Best of Caso Cerrado" aired when she's on vacation were available on DVD.

Yesterday, one case (usually 3 in daily one hour show) reminded me of a classic telenovela (only with gender roles reversed) that I'm thinking of describing briefly on theme of caregiving on another board.  (P.S.  Many TV sets nowadays are able to get closed captioning, which includes English subtitles.  Check out your TV manual & menu).   

One of the morning shows today on NBC, CBS or ABC had clip of anchorman & author, the very attractive, intelligent Jorge Ramos from recent Presidential debates.  He has new book called GIFT OF TIME: Letters from a father that might inspire romance writers incorporating family themes.

BTW, Ramos makes middle-age look (frankly) very sexy (and I'm not the only female who thinks so!)  More mature characters in romances would be appreciated by those of us surfeited at times by barely twenty year old heroines and not much older heros.  Harlequin NEXT line sounds intriguing, tho I haven't read any yet.

Hope you'll pardon my rambling (maybe I should put this on a blog...but I'm not sure that way it would reach people who might be interested...

If possible, try to watch telenovelas that get praise from discriminating viewers.  Two most recent I enjoyed were by Colombian writer Julio Jimenez who seems to try to break the mold, turning standard themes on their heads, so to speak. (Colombian TV started hit series about Ugly Duckling heroines, BETTY LA FEA (Ugly Betty) etc. 

Julio Jimenez VIUDA DEL BLANCO (White Widow) and MADRE LUNA (Mother Moon) incorporate some of my romance wishlist (wish they were in book form too!)  Also lots of his own personal, intriguing visual symbolism, including meaningful colors and strong yet tenderly loving heroines.

My favorites include Zulma (nurse captured by an evil bandit Veneno/Poison) and Alejandra (single mother who raises  her two hunky sons by hardwork as rice farmer).  Both sons marry rich girls--gentle Dulce Elena seems sweet airhead, but is really perseptive & smart!  Simularly "village idiots"   Megateo and Elfo are charming lovable poor men who have fairytale endings.  Very different than typical "Anglo" stories, no?

I hesitate to toot my own horn and sound like I'm pimping my own books, but my upcoming release (July), HIS SON'S TEACHER, features a full-figured heroine. If you'd like to read an excerpt, please check out my website www.kaystockham.com. I loved writing Jenn because while she wants to lose weight at the start of the story, that's not what the story is about. She learns to accept herself as she is and to not focus on a number but on a healthy attitude of confidence. I hope you'll take a moment to check it out.

Kay

I have only been coming to this site for about 2 months.

I would like to be able to talk to writer's & other readers.

I am actually here to say HI & make friends since Harlequin books are my main pastime. I also want to say a heartfelt thankyou to all of the writer's/authors!

I am still trying to figure out how to easily navigate the eharlequin site myself. I usually email my favorite authors after I finish their books. I absolutely LOVE to get a reply from the author's!

But, I would love some dialog with other readers just like me. I have asked a few questions here at the site, but no replies?

Which leads me to ask - where is the best place to go & interact with writers & readers?

I have long wanted to know what books have middle aged women as their characters? I cannot find it by doing a search for "older women", middle aged women", or "grandmothers". I have tried. And, not as one of the extra characters, but as a main character! I absolutely love harlequin books & that is all I read, but I have yet only ever found 1 that I own which was about a "healthy" sized woman? And, that book stays on my shelf forever!

I had also wanted to know what books have a full figured or plus sized or just healthy type of woman as the main character?

And, while somebody may be open to answering my questions - where do we go to talk to writers? I have seen writers talking to each other, but I feel hesitant to post.

And, by the way, I am a disabled stuck at home grandma & I welcome anyone who wants to be friends! I am a harlequin book reading addict & I would love to have just 1 person to discuss books with - to actually have something in common! As it is, I am the only real reader in my extended large family, and they are not interested in my Harlequin books! Po' me!

Thanks much! Betsy

If you want to email me: betsybkendrick@cox.net

I also wanted to add here: TO YOU WRITER'S - PLEASE DO FEEL FREE TO "toot your own horn" as one of you said! Readers like me are out here many times searching for specific book types such as about full figured women or middle aged as I discussed above! So, now, I have already put Kay Stockham's new book that she posted about above in my cart! See? We need to hear from you & which books are what we are searching for.

Just wanted to say thanks Kay! I cannot wait to read His Son's Teacher now!

Betsy wrote:

Which leads me to ask - where is the best place to go & interact with writers & readers?

Well, I hang out in the forums that discuss the lines that I read. In my case, that's the SRS, HR and HMR forums. I also hang out in the Digital Media forum. Some forums break out the writing part of the line from the general part, but others don't. For example, HMR combines them, but SRS breaks them out. So, sometimes the authors in HMR get to discussing the craft and we readers tend to sit back. (As a matter of fact, I invite you over to the Rx For Love thread, just to see how varied we are in our topics there.) But the authors are very friendly and if you come in and change the topic of discussion, it usually gets picked up and discussed!

Betsy also asked: I have long wanted to know what books have middle aged women as
their characters? I cannot find it by doing a search for "older women",
middle aged women", or "grandmothers". I have tried. And, not as one of
the extra characters, but as a main character! I absolutely love
harlequin books & that is all I read, but I have yet only ever
found 1 that I own which was about a "healthy" sized woman? And, that
book stays on my shelf forever!

Have you tried searching for "older h" or "older heroine"? Of course, that's relative. In most H/S lines, and older heroine might be in her late '30s. Jessica Hart has written several HRs with heroines in their late '30s to mid '40s. Look for her stuff since '04.

Betsybk also wonders: I had also wanted to know what books have a full figured or plus sized or just healthy type of woman as the main character?

I'm not sure, but Lady D can help you there.

And, while somebody may be open to answering my questions - where do we
go to talk to writers? I have seen writers talking to each other, but I
feel hesitant to post.

Don't! The authors here are very friendly!

And, by the way, I am a disabled stuck at home grandma & I welcome
anyone who wants to be friends! I am a harlequin book reading addict
& I would love to have just 1 person to discuss books with . . .

LOL! Once people see you posting around the community, you'll have lots of friends! You won't know what to do! We really can't make ourselves stay quiet about our beloved books! (Can books BE beloved?)

Good luck,

Penn