trueromance

Books On a Plane by Louise Fury

I am obsessed with romance novels. New or old, their often raunchy and glamorous covers call out to me from bookstore shelves, author websites and review blogs, until I am salivating and shivering in anticipation of making them mine. I gather the old ones with reckless abandon on an almost daily basis. As a result, my NYC apartment is covered with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, home to hundreds of romantic tales.
Every Tuesday, when the new books hit the shelves, I hit the pavement. Their uncreased spines call out to me like a siren’s song, the drive to hold their crisp new pages in my hands overwhelming all else. While many romance readers are filling their e-readers with digital books, I am filling my shopping basket to the brim with raunchy clinch covers at my local Borders branch at Manhattan’s Columbus Circle.
I will use any excuse to buy more romance novels than any one person can read. And three weeks ago, I got the best excuse in the book.
A long flight. One that lasts more than 24 hours.
Once every year or so, I travel from New York City to my hometown of Cape Town, South Africa, the land of overpriced books, limited Internet access and only a handful of bookstores. In preparation for the long trip, I did what I always do and made my way down to Borders on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. There I spent an hour gathering around 12 romance novels while savoring the smell of freshly ground coffee wafting through the neatly packed rows of books in the romance section.
When my basket was filled to the brim with scantily clad women and bare-chested men, I made my way to the yummy in-house restaurant, the oh-so-fabulous Dean and Deluca, where I pulled up a fancy metal chair, sipped on the best coffee in Manhattan and weeded through my basket, separating the books into two piles.
One pile for those I could leave behind and the other to be saved for another day. Like Sophie’s choice, I made impossible decisions, based on cover art, author photographs, Internet buzz and blogger reviews, until I had the perfect armful of books for my trip.
This last time, in preparation for our trip, I left Borders with a stash of romance novels worth their weight in gold. My favorites were:

Proof by Seduction by Courtney Milan.
The Moonlight Mistress by Victoria Janssen
Crimson & Steam by Liz Maverick
Hearts Blood by Gail Dayton
And one, not considered a romance by most, but is a delicious story nonetheless:
Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
I arrived at the airport, with way too many books in my handbag, eager to get reading. The check-in agent eyed my bursting-at-the-seams bag suspiciously.
“How much does that weigh,” she asked. “It looks heavy. You might want to check that!”
“Um, no really , it’s fine,” I said, clutching my bulging black purse closely to my chest.
“Really, Miss, you have two checked bags and a rolling carryon and I suspect your handbag could be characterized as more of a carryon than a purse. You might want to check that. ”
At the prospect of being separated from my romance stash, I got desperate.
“Please understand,” I begged, reaching into my bag and exposing a few of the covers to her young face.

“These are romance novels,” I said, as if that would explain it all.
She furrowed her brow. Then raised her eyebrows and rolled her lips.
“Which ones?” she whispered to me as if sharing a secret.
I pulled out one and held it up to her face as exhibit A.
She raised her eyebrows, grinned and said, “I like the cover.”
I pulled out another, this time something a little more scandalous.
“I haven’t read a romance novel in years!” she exclaimed, with barely contained excitement.
I breathed a sigh of relief. She was a romance reader, like me. We were simpatico. She understood what awaited me between those covers.
“Borders has a great romance blog,” I told her. “I am doing a posting for them in February. You should check it out.”
“I will,” she smiled, nodding enthusiastically as I repeated the blog’s address.
And just like that, ticket in hand, bulging bag of books tucked under my arm just waiting to be read, I boarded the plane with the excitement of a young girl on her first date. I got reading right away!
While the other passengers on the flight watched TV and snoozed, I escaped to Victorian England, the regency era and other fantastic times and places. I fell in and out of love with heroes and heroines set in worlds I can only dream to one day be able to create on my own, with words I hope to string together with as much poise as the romance writers of today.
I arrived in Cape Town just as I finished the sixth book, Hope Tarr’s recent Harlequin release, Twelve Nights and promptly handed the well-read stash over to my mother. I am determined to have converted her into a romance fanatic by the time I leave.
I was left with two books to read on the beach, not much when you have four weeks of sun, surf and limited Internet access. Then there’s the plane ride back, what’s a girl to do?
I leave Cape Town in less than two weeks and I think the time has finally come for me to get with the program and hop on the e-book bandwagon. This lover of romance novels is finally going to modernize her reading with an e-purchase from borders.com. I am not saying that I will be purchasing an e-reader. I am still too skeptical, but the idea of instant romance gratification from an e-store to my little two-pound laptop sounds dreamily inexpensive and risk-free.
And this time I won’t have to count on encountering a romance reader at check-in or bruise my shoulder hauling a bag full of books… not much reading is as light as a dozen e-files on a 10-inch computer. Just goes to show, with modern technology, you can never have too many romance novels in your handbag!

PINK HEART SOCIETY:

You define your blog as, A BLOGAZINE FOR LOVERS OF CATEGORY ROMANCE NOVELS!, why did you create a blog to review category only? Or predominantly?

The Romance genre gets a bad rap a lot of the time – mostly from people who have never read one. Category – or series – Romance seems particularly vulnerable to this kind of criticism and in 2006, the Pink Heart Society’s founder Trish Wylie came up with the idea that for every person who was a naysayer of the genre, there should be many more of us celebrating that we love Category.

When the blog went live in September of 06, the inaugural post of the blog formed an unofficial mission statement: If you are here then you are a loud, proud lover of category romance just like we are and you’re not afraid to say it to the world!!!

You’re a lover of hot heroes and lovable heroines, of having them thrown together in a situation you simply can’t see them finding a way out of, only to have them show you a thing or two about heroism, and hope, and truth, and love as they beat all odds to come together.

The Reviews part of the blog actually came long after the initial launch. Some of our active members started thinking it would be great to collect their reviews and PHS Reviews was born. The reviews blog was nominated for a review site award on Preditors and Editors just recently.

What do you like most about category romances vs mainstream?

Jenna: As a mom of three young kids, I like the shorter length. You can select category lines that focus on themes you know you’ll enjoy…I am a sucker for any kind of Cinderella story.

Donna: I agree with this 100%! I love the smaller commitment but a completely satisfying read. It’s a whole lotta happy in a small package.

Michelle: Category romance is great because it guarantees a focused page turning read. It is perfect for escaping into when time is short or I am stressed (for example waiting for the doctor or dentist). The books easily slip into my purse due to their size.

Do you find the storylines vary from category to single title mainstream?
The main difference is the promise. Each category line makes a specific promise to the reader and delivers on that promise. The happy endings are guaranteed and the read is a tight and page turning. Category offers fewer subplots than mainstream and so the focus is tighter. Category is all about creating a brand that the reader can trust to deliver a certain type of read.
Mainstream romance can spread a story out more, while category has to stay focused on the couple. For example, the Blaze line explores the hot romance and fiesty heroine you find in most contemporary single title, SuperRomance includes storylines and characters that would be at home in many traditional romances. The style and scope of the stories may be different, but the storylines are essentially the same – the characters finding their way to their happily ever after.

Do you find readers are reading more or less of category & why?

It seems that category is doing very well in the current economy, with numbers on the rise. Probably because it’s a low-risk read. You know what you’re going to get, from an intense Intrigue to a sweet Romance. They’re also very reasonably priced, which make it an easy luxury. The sales figures of category have more than held up over the last year. In fact, the category numbers started to do well a few months before the media started going on about the credit crunch. They sometimes talk about the lipstick scale. Similarly, in times of trouble, category does well. When things get tough, a little hope and happy endings are often just the escape that’s needed.

What are your favorite sub-genres?
Michelle: My favourite sub genre is historical. It is a single title read in a series wrapper. So the focus is firmly on the romance in a historical setting. They are rich, vivid and passionate reads and because the readers do trust the line, the editors are able to feature romances in different historical settings ranging from ancient Rome and the Viking era to the more traditional Regency/Victorian and the American West.
When I want to escape with contemporary, I read Romance or Presents. And lately I have discovered the Nocturne line and have been impressed with the world building they do.
Jenna: I don’t think you can go wrong with contemporary romance. Paranormal confuses me, suspense scares me.
Donna: I happen to be a mixture of Jenna and Michelle I think! I love contemporary (obviously, or I wouldn’t write it, lol). I read lots of series contemporary in any sensuality level. I don’t know if I could ever write it, but I absolutely love escaping into Historicals. Give me a good, rich, passionate historical and I’m in reader heaven.

Can you each tell us in one paragraph what got you reading romance & what was your first book?

Donna: My dad! Sounds odd but my mum had bought him a book called Vows by LaVyrle Spencer. I think he was a softie at heart and she knew he’d like the western setting. I read it when he was done and fell in love with her books. As a reader I never looked back.

I suppose it is a bit of symmetry that my first Category romance was a western – Hired By The Cowboy released in May of 2007.

Jenna: I discovered romance novels when I was ten and staying at with my grandparents. My grandmother had a Harlequin subscription, and there were shelves and shelves of books about the same thickness as the stories I was reading. She indulged me in Harlequin Romance (the sweet line) and I fell in love! Not with the romance, necessarily, but with all the options the women had. Before romance novels, I thought women grew up to be mothers, secretaries, or teachers. It expanded my horizons to think of photojournalism, medical research, or owning my own restaurant. I don’t know the names of those first dozen books, or the grocery sack full that I went home with. My first release was with the Mills and Boon Modern Heat line: Just One Spark.

Michelle: I started reading romance because the librarian at my school loved it and stocked it. My first romance was Mary Stewart’s Touch Not the Cat and my first category was something by Penny Jordan whom my librarian recommended. My first Category romance book was Gladiator’s Honor - a Roman Historical!

In one paragraph, can you tell us what book you would recommend all readers read this year?

Michelle: This is difficult as there are so many great upcoming books but the one I am really excited about is Jeannie Lin’s debut – Butterfly Swords which won the Golden Heart for Historical in 2009. Set in ancient China, it is a thrilling tale of swords, and breath taking romance in an unusual setting.

Jenna: The Pink Heart Society is doing a book club this year, taking suggestions from our readers as we select each month’s category line and theme. We’re opening up 2010 with a Presents release from India Grey, Powerful Italian, Penniless Housekeeper. New book club selections will be announced on the blog, and always available on our sidebar.

Donna: Jenna’s mentioned the book club, and I’m looking forward to reading all those selections. In February we’re reading a debut by Nikki Logan – Lights, Camera, Kiss the Boss… I’m really looking forward to it. It is hard to pick just one book to recommend – my TBR shelf is groaning and my flash drive isn’t doing much better. I have an eee pc that I read my e-books on but I see my husband getting gadget envy every time he sees an e-reader so I have my fingers crossed.

& would you each part with one sentence, words of wisdom for the romance reader so to speak?

Michelle: Category romance covers a broad spectrum and not every category romance is right for every mood, so read around and discover the series that really calls to you.
Donna: Keep an open mind, and don’t judge before you read - Category romance has many gems to discover.

Jenna: “Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can, impatient to restore everybody, not greatly in fault themselves, to tolerable comfort, and to have done with all the rest.” - Jane Austen (Mansfield Park)

We’d love for you to visit us at The Pink Heart Society and join in the fun! We post six days a week

Question for today’s blog: What Category Romance novel have you read lately? And what are some of the things you love about reading Category? Please comment below, we’d love to chat with you!

Links: The Pink Heart Society: www.pinkheartsociety.blogspot.com
The Pink Heart Society Reviews: www.pinkheartsocietyreviews.blogspot.com
The Editors:
Michelle Styles’ website: www.michellestyles.co.uk
Jenna Bayley-Burke’s website: www.jennabayleyburke.com
Donna Alward’s website: www.donnaalward.com

It’s back! I know we all had fun the last time we did a trivia post so thought it was about time we brought it back. Answer what you can & you may be chosen to receive an assortment of books — one winner today so good luck to all.

1- She writes books with heroes that are Poseidon Warriors?

2- She writes YA & Romance . . . she’s an Oklahoma girl?

3- This author offers scholarships for women, hint, she likes cowboys? Also, a an animal lover?

4- Residing in Michigan, this author writes successfully under two pen names: one is historical; the other for paranormal?

5- 42 of her books have debuted at #1?

6- This author was grew up in Wales?

7- This author was born in Sri Lanka & now lives in Australia?

8- Prior being a NYT Best Selling author she worked in Health Care in Boston? Chief of Staff no less!

9- She is a Shamanic witch considered an elder of the Pagan community?

10- She spent seven years in advertising, had a successful catering business, and managed a construction company before she decided writing books was more fun?

I think this is a pretty tough one so I may break down & give out more random prizes — let’s see how you do — Happy Romance!

Setting: Los Angeles, California and Malibu
Subgenre: contemporary romance
Hero: Michael Warner
Heroine: Rebecca O’Neill

One sentence summary: BUTTERFLY TATTOO is the story of three scarred people—a man with a complicated past, a little girl in mourning and a woman who is stronger than she knows—being healed by the power of love.

Scene you like most and would never cut: When Michael gets it right on, Andrea’s, his daughter’s, birthday and they have an important talk. Don’t want to say too much because of spoilers. But that scene in the studio commissary, for those who have read the book, is probably my favorite because of how far the characters have come and because of the breakthrough they share in it.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:
Rebecca wouldn’t do anything to attract undo attention. She was in the limelight while starring on a successful sitcom and that nearly ended in her death at the hands of a stalker. So not only is she leery of drawing too much notice, she’s self-conscious about her resultant facial scars. In fact, this is part of her growth arc. She begins to step out of the dark (which is where the book literally begins) and into the light again. She stops hiding, both literally and figuratively.

Your hero, is he a boxer or brief kind of guy:
A boxer guy, definitely. Although he wouldn’t say no to commando!

Ancillary character you had the most fun with: Oh, this one’s easy! Trevor, Rebecca’s best friend and assistant. He was the one who found her after she was stabbed, and he’s the one who’s held her together and also pushed her the hardest. Always gentle about it, Trevor is firm with Rebecca when he needs to be. The velvet hammer! But the thing that’s interesting about him, too, is that because he’s gay, he has his own take on Michael’s bisexuality and is distrustful of Michael’s intentions. So that adds an interesting complication to the friendship between Trevor and Rebecca as her relationship with Michael deepens.

Your heroine’s favorite hobby: She loves to cook and experiment in the kitchen. She’s also a fitness nut, and runs every day. Staying strong is important to her because she’s fought so hard to come back from her life-threatening injuries.

Your hero’s favorite hobby: Surfing! It’s the family’s biggest hobby and that definitely comes to include Rebecca after the book ends. She even enters a women’s amateur surfing contest one day.

What you think readers will like best about this book:
I hear from lots of people that it’s a multi-hanky read, but in the best possible way. So I think people will like the emotional journey they go on with these characters, wounded, broken people who find healing and love.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:
That would be King Leonidas in my Gods of Midnight series. But guess what? I’m writing that book, RED MORTAL, now!

What’s next: In May, I have a digital e-read from NAL/Signet called RED BLOODED, the story of a blinded Iraq war vet who hunts vampires. Then in June, RED DEMON comes out and I am so excited to share Ari’s story with all my readers. He’s one of my favorite heroes that I’ve ever written.

QUESTION FOR READERS: In BUTTERFLY TATTOO Rebecca tries surfing, even though she’s terrified. It’s a pivotal moment in her journey to finally overcome her attack and embrace life again. Have you ever tried something that you were tremendously afraid of doing? What did you feel like after tackling the fear?

A free copy of BUTTERFLY TATTOO will be given to a randomly-selected reader who answers the above question or who makes another comment related to BUTTERFLY TATTOO.

That’s right! Beginning Feb 2, Romance Buy 4 Get the 5th Free is happening in our Borders stores & www.borders.com so come on by & pick up your favorites including:

Hold on Tight by Stephanie Tyler

The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries

Nowhere to Run by Suzanne Brockmann

Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter

Down River by Karen Harper

Steamed by Katie Macalister

Ladies Prefer Rogues by Janet Chapman, et al

Archangel’s Kiss by Nalini Singh

Nauti Deceptions by Lora Leigh

Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter

Stop on by 2morrow & tell the, SueG sent you!

Until tomorrow - HAPPY ROMANCE!

Video’s brought to you by Reader’s Entertainment Group - CEO Sheila Clover English:

Circle of Seven Productions (aka COS Productions) created the Book Trailer market in 2002. Since then the company has been the leader of book trailer production in the US, winning several prestigious awards for both broadband and broadcast videos.

COS Productions is a specialty company. We do book video. We not only endeavor to create quality, entertaining book video, but we are constantly looking for innovative ways to bring in new readers. COS is about the publishing industry, not just about a book, a client or a video. If what we do brings in new readers the publishing industry will benefit. If the publishing industry benefits then we have more work. COS has a symbiotic relationship with the industry we serve which makes COS Productions a good investment on many levels.

Originally created by an aspiring author and an amateur production company, COS Productions has grown to encompass an entire network of experienced, professional productions partners. These partners have won awards, created commercials for high profile companies and created music videos for well known celebrities.

COS Productions is a great blend of the publishing industry and production industry. Our script writers are published or aspiring authors, our customer service providers are individuals with experience in the publishing industry and our production partners are trained to create video that inspires readers to buy books, yet entertains the public enough to create an atmosphere that says “Books are entertainment.”

Question for you, as a reader, do you enjoy viewing booktrailers? Do they help you in your purchasing decisions? What do you like about them & what don’t you like about them — comment below!

Happy Romance,
SueG

Don’t forget, Borders Buy 4 Romance titles & get 5th FREE starts today!