NEW Reading Challenge ~ Harlequin's 60 Connections!

 

With Spring fully upon us, and Summer just around the corner, I thought this might be a great time to branch out a bit.   This Reading Challenge is a take off on our very popular One Word or One Name Leads to Another mini-challenge.  I have a few new twists that I think you'll like. 

In honour of Harlequin's 60th Anniversary, I thought it might be fun to play Harlequin's 60 Connections.  Using the books you are reading and reviewing, I'd like you to connect them so that "one Harlequin leads to another".   

 

The Rules are simple, I hope! 

  1. This reading challenge begins May 7th and will run to Labour Day (Sept.7th) ~ You are welcome to join in at anytime before Sept 7th! 
  2. All books must be a Harlequin publication, current releases or out of print, and may be from series no longer published
  3. Books must be read / reviewed progressively though they need not be read one right after the other, so if you have other books you'd like to read in between that apply to other Challenges or personal pleasures, you may.
  4. You may make more than one connection to the previous book
  5. Regarding author and imprint/series ... only FOUR common connections may be made in a row .. so after four links of the same series or author connect on to a different series or different author ... you may return to that author or series after a book break in connection 
  6. Start with one book read and reviewed and now connect your following book in any of these ways
  • Title -- any word in the title not including those fillers like "the, to, of, in, and"  
  • Author name - can be first or last (if both, that's two connections)
  • Harlequin Imprint or Series (not a mini-series / theme within a series but can be a Continuity like Thoroughbred Legacies or Code Red)
  • Setting / location - can be City, County, State, Country, Planet, unique World
  • Hero or Heroine's first name ~  H = Hero  ~ h = heroine



How to Play
.....

 

(review May07)  Body Check by Elle Kennedy ~ Harlequin Blaze ~ H = Brody ~ h = Hayden ~ Chicago  U.S.A.

 

(review May08)  Baby Bling by Elle JAMES ~ Harlequin Intrigue ~ H = Jackson ~ h = Yasabel ~ Texas  U.S.A

--- two matches, Elle, U.S.A.

 

(review May09)  The Border Lord by Sophia JAMES ~ Harlequin Historical ~ H = Lachlan ~ h = Grace ~  England   

---  one match, James

 

(review May10)  Lord of the Legends by SUSAN Krinard ~ HQN ~ H = Arion ~ h = Maricah ~ England  

----  two matches, Lord, England

 

(review May11)  Count Maxime's Virgin by SUSAN Stephens ~ Harlequin Presents ~ H = Lucien ~ h = Tara ~  Italy  

--- one match, Susan

 

(review May12) The Ruthless Billionaire's Virgin by Susan Stephens ~ Harlequin Presents ~ H = Ethan ~ h = Savannah ~ Italy   

--- five matches, Virgin, Susan, Stephens, Harlequin Presents, Italy

 

 

As you can see from my examples above the number of connections you make can really add up.   I've given five books and they've made ten connections!   Use your imagination, and you'll be surprised how the connections fit together.  And as we're running this Challenge over the next four months, I hope I've given you all opportunites to continue to read for the monthly Challenges as well as your own personal reading goals.  

 

Now on to the fun stuff!   There WILL be prizes!   Yup Smile   I'm compiling a list of books and other goodies to chose from, that will be presented to every Challenger who makes their 60 Harlequin Connections.   AND there will be some nice surprises along the way for those that are willing to take this reading challenge on.   

 

How to Sign Up

  1. As you have done with your other mini-challenges, set up your own blog ~ Harlequin's 60 Connections Reading Challenge (your name)  ~ in the Body part of the blog you'll be recording your monthly counts 
  2. In the Tag Line of your blog please add this tag ---  Harlequin's 60 Connections
  3. Title the first "comment" spot of your blog ~ My May Harlequin Connections .... this is the spot in your blog that you will come back to via "edit" to fill in the books you've read for the Challenge and how they connect ... you may post the books in whatever format works for you, I do ask that you record  all the book information I have done above in my example ... and that you make it obvious what part(s) of the book is connected to the other 
  4. Title the second, third and fourth comments with My June Harlequin Connections /  My July Harlequin Connections /  My August Harlequin Connections
  5. Title the fifth comment ... My Harlequin Connections Finale! 
  6. Email me with the link to your blog (simply copy the URL and paste it in an email) include your snail mail address for those surprises that come along the way!  katherine.ehqnhost@gmail.com  Please put Harlequin's 60 Connections in the subject line
  7. Come back here and post the link to your blog and a note to say your email has been sent

You may use my blog for this Challenge as an example --- Harlequin's 60 Connections Reading Challenge (KatherineT)   

 

Be sure to add this discussion to your "Favourites" so you can find it again ... ask away if you have questions and check in often to see answers to questions by others .... I hope not to change any of the rules above (I hope I've thought of all the important stuff) however, depending on the questions asked I may have to!  Should that be the case, I will comment below that I have made a change and what that change is.

 

Here are the Harlequin's 60 Connections blogs ... if you're not on the list and have created your Connections blog, please let me know and I'll make sure you are added.

 

 

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Rule #3

Books must be read / reviewed progressively though they need not be read one right after the other, so if you have other books you'd like to read in between that apply to other Challenges or personal pleasures, you may.

 

This means you can not backtrack through your reads to make connections ....

for example:  I read a Presents on Sunday it connects to the Presents I read on Tuesday but on Monday I read a Desire that doesn't connect ... that's okay, you may make the connection to Tuesday's Presents  ... you have read and reviewed the books progressively

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Rule #5

Regarding author and imprint/series ... only FOUR common connections may be made in a row .. so after four links of the same series or author connect on to a different series or different author ... you may return to that author or series after a book break in connection 

I know many of you read your subscriptions as soon as they come in or you are reading author's backlists ... I don't want to deter you from doing that ... however, I'd like to encourage you to read other lines and other authors as well ... thus my four book rule

example ... my Desire subscription arrived and normally I'd read all six right away ... but I've decided to use Desire as my connection for this reading challenge so I'm reading four of them then connecting to another Harlequin ... I'll come back to Desires again when I find a way to connect them back in to my reading challenge   ....... or I may decide to read all six but only use four for my reading challenge, and I'm aware that I cannot backtrack to use the other two should I read them now

The four book rule applies only to author and Harlequin imprint/line  ... you may link to words in the title, locale, hero or heroine; as many times as you like as long as you switch to a different Harlequin line or author after four books

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Doing up the blog ....

The reason why I've asked you to create comments spots in your blog is that after 60 connections you can imagine how huge your original blog would be!   ... plus by separating out each month this helps to keep your progress on track and easy to see ... (who knows what may trigger a surprise to be sent out!)  ... also, by setting the comment spots right from the beginning it helps to keep your Reading Challenge entries paramount in your blog and all other spots there after free for community member comments and cheers :)

I DO want you to link the last May read to your first June read and so on ..... your Harlequin Connections must all connect no matter how you display them on your blog

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Sign me up!

I've sent in my email with my link and snail mail addy .... here's the link to my blog

http://community.eharlequin.com/content/harlequins-60-connections-readin...

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Harlequin's 60 Reading Challenge

An email has been sent. 

An email has been sent.  My blog entry is at: Harlequin's 60 Connections Reading Challenge (Jo)

I pretty much copied yours - except I had to Americanize the spelling. Tongue out

Jo

My blog: Books to the Rescue

Location?

What if the location is very specific like Houston, Texas can one or both be used or what if there is more than one location like the book reading now started in Edinburgh, Scotland then moved to London, England and back to Scotland. So can either Edinburgh, Scotland, London, England be used?

I emailed you and here is

I emailed you and here is my link: http://community.eharlequin.com/content/harlequins-60-connections-reading-challenge-nicole

 I'm going to give it a try. I think it's a pretty neat challenge.

I've emailed you...

and my blog is

http://community.eharlequin.com/content/harlequins-60-connections-reading-challenge-kalyko

 This is gonna be fun! Kiss

_______________________________________________________________
"No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading,
or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” ~ Confucius

~ Books, gotta love 'em

And a question...

Does the first book have to be read on the 7th or after?  It can't be from the beginning of the month? 

Looking forward to seeing what I can do!

_______________________________________________________________
"No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading,
or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” ~ Confucius

~ Books, gotta love 'em

Joining...

Here's my blog: Debbie's blog

Not sure I completely understand or will do even remotely well at this but....and my email was sent.

What about...

anthologies?  Or any multi-author book?

I'll give this a whirl...

I've never tried the one name leads to another games, but this sounds intriguing.  Are our 'points' tallied by the total number of connections we make?  Are we striving to make a minimum of 60 connections between now and Sept 7?  This sounds like a great way to but dents in the TBR!

 http://community.eharlequin.com/content/harlequins-60-connections-reading-challenge-lynne-rc#comment-171387

And I've just sent my email.

Lynne

I'm in

Answering questions .... locale

What if the location is very specific like Houston, Texas can one or both be used or what if there is more than one location like the book reading now started in Edinburgh, Scotland then moved to London, England and back to Scotland. So can either Edinburgh, Scotland, London, England be used?

 

Regarding locale ...

if the book setting is Edinburgh in book #1  but it's vague in book #2 as just Scotland .. make a note on book #1 that you are matching Scotland  (this is ONE connection)  

if the book is with jetsetters and is several locations ... pick the dominant location or if too difficult, pick ONE location ... 

only ONE locale can make a connection 

does that make sense?

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Answering questions ... start date

Does the first book have to be read on the 7th or after?  It can't be from the beginning of the month? 

this Challenge starts today, May 7th ... so it will be for books that your are reading as of today ... if someone starts this reading challenge later in the month they may go retro to do, May 7th

as there are surprises and prizes involved, I wanted to have every Challenger on the same footing  :)

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Answering questions ... anthologies

What about anthologies?  Or any multi-author book?

For anthologies or for the book reviews where you are grouping short stories .... as in our other monthly challenges, pick ONE of the stories to showcase ... so for an anthology/group of four short stories only ONE of the stories may be used in this reading challenge ...  each book connections can only have one title, one author, one series/imprint, one hero, one heroine, one locale

 

I'd like to draw to your attention ... mini-series or themes DO NOT count for connections .. so in the HPs The Greek Tycoons cannot be used as part of your connection .... in SDs The Hudson's of Beverly Hills cannot be used as part of your connection .... the ONLY time a series may apply is if it's published as a Continuity Collection .. ie Mediterranean Night, Thoroughbred Legacies, Crystal Creek  

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Answering questions ... tally

Are our 'points' tallied by the total number of connections we make?  Are we striving to make a minimum of 60 connections between now and Sept 7?

The reason why I've stretched this reading challenge out until Sept 7th is that not all community members have schedules that allow them to read 30 books in a month  ... so if a member can read even 6 or 7 books they have a good chance of making all 60 connections

there are no real points to award ... but you'll see as this month comes to an end there are certain milestones that will be rewarded ;)    ... 

as there are indeed surprise prizes, it is very important that we all play by the same rules 

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Question...

I have some Mills and Boon books that are Modern Romance Extra, Modern Extra,and Modern Heat.  Do these correlate or line up with any other lines?  Not sure how to count them.  They are all the same author but I'd like to work them in as imprints or match them up as imprints if possible.  Hope I'm making sense!

Count me in too

Continuity...

So Rogue Angel counts as part of the title but not as a continuity?  Sorry, I just know I'll have a thousand questions as I've never actually TRIED this challenge before!

H/h name

Is it only the first name that can be matched?

Katherine

You are messing with my mind as I now have to figure out how my books will fit three ways instead of two.  I usually review 10 books at once but will try to do  5 at a time. I can't promise to keep to this but I will try. I haven't set up my link yet. Just to let you know I have four books that I read prior to today and I read a great book today. I won't be reviewing them until the weekend as tomorrow is another travel day. I will set up my link on the weekend as well. Now I have to figure out what books link with each other. Since the book I read today was Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife With Sela as a Heroine and Vikar as a hero set in Norway I won't be able to link it in many ways. Oh well I am trying to read HH so that will have to be the link.

February 2009 Member of the Month

When I get a little money I buy books, and then if any is left I buy food and clothes..-- Erasmus
Cats can work out mathematically the exact place to sit that will cause the most inconvenience.--Pam Brown

I have some Mills and Boon books that are Modern Romance Extra, Modern Extra,and Modern Heat.  Do these correlate or line up with any other lines?  Not sure how to count them.  They are all the same author but I'd like to work them in as imprints or match them up as imprints if possible.

 

The Mills & Boon Moderns (Romances, Extras & Heat) are the UK version of Harlequin Presents ... so you may group them with our Harlequin Presents

 

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Answering questions ... Rogue Angel

So Rogue Angel counts as part of the title but not as a continuity?

This ones a tough one ... I certainly don't want the Rogue Angel to be used twice ... so for the purposes of this reading challenge, "Rogue Angel" will be the "series/imprint"  and NOT part of the title as I have allow for the monthly puzzles 

does that sound fair?

 

And Debbie .. ask away!  ;)    ... actually, I stepped up this reading challenge abit ... in the past when we did the "One word, One name leads to another"  it was titles and authors only ... here I'm giving other opportunities to "make connections"  .... and I think it will be really fun to see the creative ways you all connect the books!    

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Answering questions ... names

Is it only the first name that can be matched?

 

Yep ... that's what the rule above says  :)   .... first names only for hero and heroine

 

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Hey Kaelee :)

I know you're on the road alot, so post as best as you can when you can .... there's no rush to get your blog set up ... just be sure when you do that you post the URL here and you email me as well with the URL and your snail mail addy

 

Wow .. for the first day, I'm really pleased with the responses!  Smile

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Thanks!

I have a list I've started so I'll *hopefully* not read myself into a corner and get stuck!

Here's my link

Thanks to control c and control v I've copied Katherine's entry.

Harlequin"s 60 Connections Reading Challenge (Kaelee)

I have a couple of questions:

Does Ann match with Anne?

Does Sheikh match with Sheikh's?

Does the four clue limit apply to location also? I'm thinking England for May and United States of America for June. If you could switch from England to London England and then unite by London for a clue and then go back to England would that work?

PS I did this backwards as I've just sent off my email to Katherine saying I've joined the challenge. My brain is tired this morning.

February 2009 Member of the Month

When I get a little money I buy books, and then if any is left I buy food and clothes..-- Erasmus
Cats can work out mathematically the exact place to sit that will cause the most inconvenience.--Pam Brown

four limit

I think in Katherine's clarification post of rule #5 she states the the four book limit only applies to line/series and author. Plus locales aren't always given on back blurb so those can be a nice surprise match

heehee Kaelee I sent my first email to wrong email address

Question...

So would Jennifer Taylor connect with Tara Taylor Quinn?

Answering questions ... names etc.

Does Ann match with Anne?  Does Sheikh match with Sheikh's?

Yes .. this works for me for names or words that sound the same but are spelt differently ... and sure, singular to plural and vice versa, works as well

 

So would Jennifer Taylor connect with Tara Taylor Quinn?

Yes, Debbie .. this works ... the name connection can be first, middle, last or all 

 

Kaelee, Christa's correct ... I posted this above ... 

the four book rule applies only to author and Harlequin imprint/line ... you may link to words in the title, locale, hero or heroine; as many times as you like as long as you switch to a different Harlequin line or author after four books

 

okay .. I think I've answered all the quesitons  :)

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

One more question :-)

Would Everlasting Love as a series connect to Everlasting Love under the Superromance line?

Good one

Could Nocturne Bite be connected to Nocturne, Spice Brief to Spice?

Ansering questions ... series

Would Everlasting Love as a series connect to Everlasting Love under the Superromance line?

 

As "Everlasting Love" in the SuperRomances are a theme, and in light of Christa's question .. I think we'll say that the "Series / Imprint" connection has to be a direct one  ... SuperRomance to SuperRomance ... Everlasting Love to Everlasting Love

 

Could Nocturne Bite be connected to Nocturne, Spice Brief to Spice?

 

Christa,  same as above ..... Nocturne Bite to Nocturne Bite .... Spice to Spice  ... direct links please :)

 

I can't have the connections too easy!  

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

And...

what happens if we get stuck??? Surprised

read til unstuck

took me a while to figure this out but every book you read doesn't have to go into challenge like say the next 3 Harlequin books you read don't fit into connection challenge but the fourth one you read does, so connect #4. just you can't work in the other 3 later

Katherine- I hope it's ok to chime in. I got nothing better to do on this windy, on again off again trying to rain Saturday

Hmmm, taking the CHALLENGE

in the Reading Challenge pretty seriously eh, Katherine?  *Grin*  Wink

I can't have the connections too easy!  

_______________________________________________________________
"No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading,
or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” ~ Confucius

~ Books, gotta love 'em

Answering questions ... stuck!

what happens if we get stuck???

 

Well, this is quite easy!  ... there are three answers ... 1 > don't get stuck!  Tongue out      2>  on your list of already connected books, erase the last entry, or as many of the last entries as needed until you've gotten to a book you can connect  ... but remember we're reading progressively so you can't repost a book you've erased    Undecided   and there's   3>  as Christa said, read until you do get a match  Laughing

 

 

 
ROFL, Kathy ... yep!  Kiss

 

 

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Katherine

I know you have answered this question somewhere but I CAN'T FIND IT!! CrySorry didn't mean to scream but I'm frustrated at the moment Yell--- can I use a book in this challenge as well as the TBR miniseries challenge I am trying to finish up?????

December 2008 MEMBER of the MONTH!

A true teacher is a person who, at the end of the school day, still likes children!

Hey Ellen ...

oh don't be frustrated  

 

And YES absolutely!  ... if the book fits in other reading challenges great!  

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Frustrated

The frustration is not really with this challenge but with a lot of things piling up at the same time including a migraine headache that is threatening and old age catching up with me.CryI'll be fine in a couple of days.

December 2008 MEMBER of the MONTH!

A true teacher is a person who, at the end of the school day, still likes children!

Here's my Link--(I hope)

http://community.eharlequin.com/content/harlequins-60-connections-readin...

December 2008 MEMBER of the MONTH!

A true teacher is a person who, at the end of the school day, still likes children!

Thought about

playing but I think I'm stretched too thin right now until school is out. So I'll be watching the rest of you from the sidelines this time around. Sounds fun and interesting though so have fun.

Imprint question

Given that May is the featured Historical month, I've got at least 14 Historical books to read, and will probably read them before side tracking to any of the other imprints.

How specific is the link for the imprint - can I only connect 4 Harlequin Historicals, or can we be specific and go to the type of historical - ie Harlequin Historical Western?  Am I making sense?   Can I connect more than 4 historicals in a row, if no more than 4 are Westerns, or Regency, or Roman?

Thanks,

Lynne

Connecting question

I am reading Harlequin Historicals, so can I connect

Historical

Historical

Historical 

Historical

h name (it is a Historical - but I won;t use that connection so I can go back to Historicals

Then can I do 4 more Historicals? 

And can I use Joanna and Joanne to connect (author's name)? 

 

Tammy

June 2009 Member of the Month

question

not sure if asked and answered. Since we need to read a combination of 4 Undones/Briefs/Bites/minis to make a book and we are using one in the Masquade Ball puzzle, Do we have to use the same one here?

How specific is the link for the imprint - can I only connect 4 Harlequin Historicals, or can we be specific and go to the type of historical - ie Harlequin Historical Western?  Am I making sense?   Can I connect more than 4 historicals in a row, if no more than 4 are Westerns, or Regency, or Roman?

Lynne, the four book rule for imprint & author is there to shake up your reading and so that we don't rush to the finish line too quickly ... so the answer is no ... the time period within a Harlequin Historical does not make it unique enough to warrant it's own category ... so chose which HH's you use in your "connections" reading challenge for their ability to connection in as many ways as possible and be able to connect out of the imprint after the fourth book

 

h name (it is a Historical - but I won;t use that connection so I can go back to Historicals ... Then can I do 4 more Historicals?  

Tammy, as I answered Lynne ... after the fourth book I do want you to connect out of the imprint ... so chose your connections to their best advantage ... I know we're reading for the May mini-challenge, that's why I allow don't require every book you read to connect into this new reading challenge .... read as usual for the May challenge, but perhaps rearrange the order of reading to also fit where it can in the "connections" challenge... or perhaps you have a non-HH that will fit a letter in the May challenge .. a Love Inspired Historical also earns points for series ... as well as be that connection to take you away from HH and then back again  ..  that the long version of the answer ... short version, no please connect out of the HH imprint after the fourth book  

 

 

 

 

 

And can I use Joanna and Joanne to connect (author's name)?

 

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Answering questions ... minis etc

not sure if asked and answered. Since we need to read a combination of 4 Undones/Briefs/Bites/minis to make a book and we are using one in the Masquade Ball puzzle, Do we have to use the same one here?

No you don't ... if another mini / brief / bite etc in the grouping of your review fits in with the connections challenge, go for it ... you read it .. and it's your choice which of the stories you use for the challenges  

KatherineT-eHarlequin ~ Book Challenge Host
I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~ Quiet Canadians Blog

Question?

Is the old line Harlequin Regency Romance considered a different line than Harlequin Historicals? 

February 2009 Member of the Month

When I get a little money I buy books, and then if any is left I buy food and clothes..-- Erasmus
Cats can work out mathematically the exact place to sit that will cause the most inconvenience.--Pam Brown

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