Guest Blogger, Debra Vodden
by sue on Mar.10, 2010, under Book Chat
My Borders Romance Group
I am very lucky that the Borders I shop at has a wonderful Romance Reader Group. This is a group of about 20 ladies and we are growing. I have been a part of this group for over 8 years. We meet once a month and just talk romance books. When we talk book, we talk books. We talk about what we liked, what we didn’t like. Why did the author do that and what really turns us off of a book. We even went to San Francisco when RWA was there. A whole bus load of us went up and came back with a bus loadof autographed books.
We all have a few pet peeves that we don’t like. Some of them are, if the hero is unfaithful to the heroine after they met. He can do anything he wants before they get together, but once they meet. He better stay faithful to her. Then you have the heroine that is just to stupid to live. You just want to shot her and it can really ruin a book for you. The other biggie is modern language in a historical. I know that one really upsets people. Or the cover does not match the hero or heroine. Here you are reading a book and the cover shows a blond with flowing hair, but in the book she has flowing black hair.
Another big plus in our group is we get ARC’s to read. That is Advanced Reader Copy. This has opened my eyes up to so many new authors and genres. I never read shifter books until I got a ARC for one. After that I was hooked. I love Lora Leigh, Shelly Laurenston, Terry Spear, Nalini Singh. I have found new authors this way. Authors I never would of picked up if I hadn’t gotten the ARC, Anna Campbell, Deb Stover, Nina Bruhns just to name a few. Well also get ARC”S of up coming releases. Brenda Novak, Robyn Carr, Madeline Hunter, you can’t miss her new series, they are outstanding! An ARC is great because it can really open up your eyes to new and old authors.
We are even lucky to have a few authors in our group. Bella Andre, Jasmine Haynes, Mardi Ballou, and Shelly, who has three pen names, Shelly Bates/Shelly Adina/Shannon Hollis . It’s fun to have them because they do tell us some interesting things. It is also nice to know what some of them go through with there books. It’s nice to hear what makes them write, where they get there ideas, and all important when the next book is out.
We have had authors that will come and talk about their new books and then sign them for us. Brenda Novak came and talked about her Last Stand series and the new series that will be out this year. Veronica Wolff and Monica McCarty have come by. Jenny Anderson, who is a member of the group just had her first book published. We have also had Jami Alden, Anne Mallory, Crystal Jordan and others come by.
Because of this group I have met some wonderful ladies, I have read some great books. I have gotten others to read good books, like The Madness Of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley. They have gotten me to read books out of my comfort zone like Immortal Sins by Amanda Ashley, I don’t really like vampire books, but this one was Ok.
If you are not lucky and don’t have a group like this around. The next best thing I found has been the Romantic Times web site. It has a wonderful message board and we talk books all day long. It has a bunch of different boards that you can go to. You have a board for your favorites, readers roundtable, book sleuth, a general board and you also have a spoiler one. If you have a question about any book you can post it here and it will be answered. I have met allot of nice ladies here also. Mater of fact I have one lady that we will send books back and forth to each other, thanks Danielle!
Last I would like to wish my mom a Happy belated Birthday. When I first did this post it was to run on her Birthday, but we got bumped!!
Do any of you have a Romance group in your area? What are some of your pet peeves in a book? Do you have someone who encouraged you to read?
Related posts:
- Guest Reader Blogger, Danielle Yockman Reader, Danielle Yockman: With the holidays just past I still have boxes on the brain. So much effort goes into figuring out how to fit all the gifts into the available boxes. And heaven help you if you have a really odd shaped gift! All that focus on boxes got...
- Guest Reader Blogger, Katrina Crew & Giveaway ($$ Value!) What have romance novels taught you? I transferred to UCLA to study English lit when I was 21. I’d transferred from a tiny school, and I was totally intimidated by all the smart people around me. In my very first class—English lit from the Anglo-Saxons to Chaucer— I slumped...
- Gr8t recipes from Virginia our reader blogger . . .ROMCON Giveaway! Let me just start by saying, we all read a whole bunch, & we know that because we’re always here chatting & MUCH thanks for that! But what else do you enjoy doing, what are some of your favorite hobbies? Note below & enjoy some of Virginia’s awesome recipes! Easy...
- Guest Blogger, Sheila English: When The Ladies Get Together When The Ladies Get Together - Sheila English It’s that time again! Romantic Time! The convention is well underway in Columbus, OH and there are a lot of people here! A lot of authors! A lot of ladies! I love the spirit of the people who attend this event....
- Reader Blogger, Kristi! My first adult romance was a Danielle Steel. In 6th grade. My teacher was flabbergasted. My friends were confused. I was happily in love. The odd thing here is that everyone reading this right now is thinking of their first book that they started at a similar age. I’m not...
40 Comments for this entry
1 Trackback or Pingback for this entry
-
Make Use Of Pics For Best Effect With Your Websites
March 10th, 2010 on 10:13 pm[...] Guest Blogger, Debra Vodden | trueromance [...]
Leave a Reply
About Sue & Borders True Romance Blog
Sue G - Borders True Romance Host - Borders Romance Buyer, reads romance. For her JOB. No, really. You can email Sue at sgrimshaw at bordersgroupinc dot com.
Borders True Romance Blog is a community, developed for you, the romance reader, to find out more about the books you love; the authors who write them & where to buy them :) Borders.com
Previously published as Wishes No Matter How Fast You Run. . .The newborn baby boy is beautiful, perfect, and hers for the asking. All Kate Summers has to do is agree to one condition--she must disappear from Boston and never breathe a word about the adoption to anyone. Or How Far You Go. . .Fifteen years later, Kate has built a good life for herself and her son, Jon, in Hopewell, Oregon. Still, she is haunted by the fear that he will somehow be taken away. Then Daegan O'Rourke arrives in town and strikes up a friendship with her and Jon. But Daegan has his own past to hide--one with shocking ties to hers. A Killer Will Always Find You. . .Someone is watching Kate, watching her son, and is willing to go to any lengths to claim him. And the one man Kate is tempted to trust has dangerous secrets that could change her world forever. Soon the past Kate thought she could outrun will explode, unearthing a legacy of lies and treachery, and a fury powerful enough to kill. . .
Friend Feed
March 20th, 2010 on 11:18 am
I use blogbot to make EASY blogs
March 19th, 2010 on 7:39 am
hello great website yea nice job our review website will soon be adding reviews on blogs and add them to our blogs as the top best 1000 blogs to visit we also do reviews on Customer Reviews all types of reviews we will get back to you
March 14th, 2010 on 3:30 pm
Oh, I wish our local Borders had a romance readers group! I should ask next time I am there.
I agree with several of the pet peeves listed - plus the one that bothers me the most: The Hidden Pregnancy. Couple gets together and then they break-up and when she realizes she is pregnant she doesn’t tell him…until they meet years later. That is my least favorite storyline of all and rarely will I pick-up or finish a book that includes it.
Interesting comments here!
-Ryann
March 12th, 2010 on 8:14 am
There are no reading groups here. I also work almost 40 hours each week so my free time is limited and I prefer to read. I’ve been reading since grade school. Loved to visit our school library and later on, the city library. I discovered romance books while on vacation. Someone left a LaVyrle Spencer book at the pool. I also read the novels in Good Housekeeping magazine. Almost 25 years later, I haven’t stopped reading.
Books that repeat information over and over. I’m not stupid. I got it the first time. Books that are too short, the print is large and it’s barely 160 pages. Books are expensive. I want to feel like I got something worthwhile for my money.
I also dislike when the cover has nothing to do with the story or displays characteristics that don’t match the characters. Example: I just read a book that had two cats in it and the book had a dog on the cover! (The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Cruise).
Other deal breakers for me: excessive violence either verbal or physical or unnecessary violence.
March 11th, 2010 on 12:10 pm
My pet peeves are the same as yours. In fact, I just finished a new book in a series by a famous author. The hero is described as “loving once and forever” but when they temporarily split up, he immediately starts sleeping with a different woman every night. Good thing that happened at the very end or I probably wouldn’t have finished it. This author has been writing since the 1980s so I guess she still has some of that “Old Skool” sensibility (thanks for the term, Smart Bitches). But I wish she hadn’t done that.
My Mom encouraged me to read and I started before grade school. I was reading her adult novels when I was 7 and she’s also the person who got me to read romance novels. So I have a lot to thank her for!
No readers group that I wouldn’t have time for anyway. But I do check out various blogs and comment on them so it serves the same purpose for me.
March 11th, 2010 on 12:31 am
I think there may be a book group that meets at my local library, but I don’t know if the members read romances. They don’t sound as fun as yours.
Heroines who are too stupid to live are on the top of my list as well. Characters with misunderstandings who miss out on discussing their issues over and over annoy me, too. Just stay put and talk it out already!
My mother taught me to read although I was not a willing student, but I did end up reading a lot on my own after (the library was my babysitter at times) so it was all good.
March 10th, 2010 on 9:16 pm
Debra, your groups sounds like fun and made up of very serious romance readers.
My pet peeve is when either the hero or heroine uses another person to make the other jealous. It is dishonest, hurtful and a no way to form trust with someone you care about.
March 11th, 2010 on 1:03 am
Sue, are group is fun. We are very lucky and have a good time. I look forward to our meetings every month.
March 10th, 2010 on 7:04 pm
Hi, Debra! Great blog! I don’t know what we’d do without our group and all the recommendations. That’s how I create my reading list! And of course, there’s Ellen, our wonderful group leader (thanks for all those ARCs)!
Happy belated birthday to your mom, Debra, and I hope she’s doing well.
March 11th, 2010 on 1:05 am
Hi Jasmine, thanks for dropping by!! Your right about Ellen, we would be lost without her!!
March 10th, 2010 on 6:50 pm
I’m so jealous of your book group! We have a Borders in Adelaide (South Australia) but there’s only one in the whole state and I don’t know if there’s a book group or anything. Your book group sounds awesome especially with the authors who are in it and the guest speakers you get.
My current pet peeve is bad copy editing in ebooks. I’ve just finished reading Jo Beverley’s Lord Wraybourne’s Betrothed and it had a number of examples where half a sentence was repeated in the middle of the next sentence - it took me a while to work out that it was an error at first - I just couldn’t get it to make sense - but the later ones were more obvious because they had incomplete words starting them off. I have a feeling that the print books didn’t have those errors…
March 10th, 2010 on 6:40 pm
I am not aware either if there are any romance book groups in my area.
I cannot abide cheating either and it really bugs me when the author goes to the trouble to describe hair color of the characters or the hero with a hairy chest and lo and behold and hairless chest and the wrong hair color.
This glaring error I mentioned on several different sites: the back blurb mentioned the hero having a boy when in actuality he had a girl (or vice versa - it was so long ago - but you get my point- and I kept waiting for that child to die and the opposite sex to be born. Just awful.
Pat L.
March 10th, 2010 on 6:44 pm
Don’t you think those kind of errors have improved? & that they are fewer than years past? or am I being too optimistic?
March 10th, 2010 on 3:39 pm
I don’t know of any book groups in my area! I guess my sister is who started me to reading, and now its the other way around. I take her books and encourage her to read them. She say she doesn’t have time but she still reads them. There is nothing like setting down to a good book. I would rather do that then watch TV
March 10th, 2010 on 6:45 pm
Too bad we don’t live closer — I need a book group too! Anybody in MI want to start a book group? I could supply the books
March 10th, 2010 on 3:35 pm
I live in a rural area, so no book groups.
My biggest peeve is TSTL heroines.
My parents encouraged me to read.
March 10th, 2010 on 6:46 pm
LOL — there are a few still out there however, less than a few years ago . . .
March 10th, 2010 on 2:38 pm
Debra,
What a wonderful post! Thank you! As an author, it’s so interesting to get an inside peek at the workings of a book club and your pet peeves. Like others have mentioned, I don’t enjoy books whose conflict could be settled by a simple conversation. I try to write heroes and heroines who, while good people, have some fundamental conflict with each other that they must work through. To me, it makes the characters feel more real, and allows the reader to participate more fully in the story because she can empathize with both sides of the disagreement.
March 10th, 2010 on 4:37 pm
Susan, my Mom is a huge fan, and everybody in the group knows that when one of your books come up, they go home with her. She was so please to meet you and get your autograph when you were at RWA in San Francisco. Because of this group you have become one of her auto buys.
March 10th, 2010 on 6:48 pm
Yes my dear, you definitely have the conflict down — I believe that is why you are so successful! Chasing Perfect on sale 4/27! Congrats!
March 10th, 2010 on 2:26 pm
Your group sounds wonderful. Such fun to share with others.
March 10th, 2010 on 1:46 pm
Hi Debra!! Great post! Wow, how I love your romance group–I always have such a blast. Everyone’s smart and funny, and no holds barred. If you ladies were just a teensy bit closer, you know I’d be there every single month.
My biggest pet peeve is when there’s a simple misunderstanding that goes on forever, when all the couple would have to do is have a conversation.
Hope to see you all soon!
March 10th, 2010 on 4:39 pm
HI Veronica! We love it when you come and wish you could come more often.
March 10th, 2010 on 1:44 pm
Debra, great post. I wish I could convince my book club to read romance but I have to sneak it in! I agree wholeheartedly about the RT website. It is the next best thing.
March 10th, 2010 on 1:25 pm
Debra -
Wonderful blog. I am so jealous of your reading group, I wish I lived closer to take part in it. To my knowledge there are no romance bookclubs in my area. That’s why the online chat boards are so much fun to participate in.
Gypsy
March 10th, 2010 on 12:38 pm
Hi Debra,
Great post. You described the group so well and I love all the author mentions. Since I started coming to the group last fall, I’ve read many new-to-me authors. It’s always fascinating to hear what people like.
Isn’t it great to share the simple pleasure of reading?
Best wishes,
Nia
March 10th, 2010 on 4:40 pm
Nia, I bet your TBR pile has gotten allot bigger! I know mine has.
March 10th, 2010 on 10:10 am
Hi Debra! You are so lucky to have Ellen — her insight & enthusiasm is valuable to our company & I for one adore her
A good English teacher got me interested in reading, however, what made me voracious is when I started reading romance!
March 10th, 2010 on 10:45 am
Aww, thanks, Sue! I’m so glad I said “yes” when my long-ago manager asked if I wanted to become a romance expert. It’s been so much fun and it’s been so great working with someone who loves romance as much as I do
I don’t like: cheating, conflicts that could be solved with a bit of communication, and too many exclamation points. I also hate it when a supposedly dead spouse shows up to get in the way of the H/H.
My dad was a big reader in his youth and started reading to me and my sister before we could walk. We got library cards when we were in early grammar school and IIRC, went every two weeks to check out books. Now I probably read about 100 books a year.
Great post, Debra!
March 10th, 2010 on 11:08 am
Thanks Sue, I had fun writing this. All I can tell you is if Ellen ever leaves Borders I will follow her. Because of her and our group I have read so many different books that I never would of picked up. I look forward to our meetings.
March 10th, 2010 on 10:03 am
I am also not aware of any romance reading groups in my area. I read blogs to catch up on whats new and also to find new to me authors.
I absolutely hate when a book just ends which leaves the reader to just guess what comes next. I recently read a book called Commencement and was almost mad at myself for investing my time in the book. I don’t want to ruin the ending for those who read it but for me it was bummer.
Great blog post!
Love & Hugs,
Pam
March 10th, 2010 on 9:56 am
There’s a terrific Readers Group at our Beaverton Borders, led by Marcy Dodge. (She’s amazing!) But I don’t participate. A couple of years ago, a reader told me that while she enjoyed having a guest author once in a while, having a published author in the group made her and her friends hold back on their comments with each other. I know that’s not true for all readers (so totally not true LOL), but it stuck with me.
Infidelity is my biggest hot button. Well, that and when an author turns over the happy ending in one book in a later one. Especially when doing so requires rewriting a former hero or heroine as a jerk. Death I can handle - barely - the flip of a previously heroic character? Not so much.
I started reading at age 4 and can’t really tell you if anyone shared their love of reading with me so much as the two women I admired most as a child, my mom and oldest sister, were readers. I just know I have ALWAYS loved to read.
March 10th, 2010 on 10:47 am
Holding back comments in our group is never a problem :).
Loved Moon Craving, can’t wait for the next one!
March 11th, 2010 on 12:57 am
Smooches! Thanks, Ellen.
March 10th, 2010 on 11:13 am
Lucy, none of the ladies in our group holds anything back with the authors who vist or the ones that our part of the group. I feel having them in the group is a great help. We can ask question and they are more then willing to answer them about what is happening. They have also been able to tell us what is going on with other authors.
I know I miss them when they are not there. We have a allot of fun in this group. It’s to bad that person felt that way, she doesn’t know what she is missing.
March 11th, 2010 on 12:58 am
I so hear you, and I should clarify ‘cuz after re-reading my post, I realized it sounded like the reader was from the Beaverton group. She wasn’t.
I’m sure those ladies don’t hold back either. LOL
March 10th, 2010 on 6:30 am
As far as I know we have no “romance” bookclub in our area either. My pet peeve in books — sorry I do not care for the “Cougar” storyline or the h/h who jumps to their own conclusion when they either overhead or see something. Thank you, Debra to!
March 10th, 2010 on 4:34 am
I just read my post and noticed that the last paragraph isn’t right. When I first wrote this it was to be on 2-23-10, which was my mom’s b-day, and I was bumped for Danielle Steel. So the original post should of said:
Last is I want to wish my mom a very Happy Birthday today. With out her love and encouragement I don’t think I would be reader I am today. She never laughed or gave me a hard time at the books I read. I know she has raised an eyebrow a few times, but never said a thing. So thanks Mom!! Happy Birthday!
It is from my mom that I got my love of reading. So again Thanks Mom!
March 10th, 2010 on 3:27 am
Lovely post, Debra! I always get jealous when I read about romance reading groups. I found found anything like that in London. That’s the main reason I read blogs - to see what’s coming out and chat with other readers and writers.
My big pet peeve is when authors have bad grammar or misuse words. That’s because I’m a web editor and former English teacher, so it just reminds me of work. It makes me want to break out my red pen and send the book back to the publishers to fix the mistakes they let slip through.
March 10th, 2010 on 2:11 am
I’m not aware of any romance groups in my area…as for pet peeves…you’ve hit the nail on the head on some of the worst offenses…the cover not portraying the characters properly…I really have a hard time with adultery as well…it’s one thing if it’s a menage story or something consensual but cheating on one’s spouse/partner is hard to for me read about…Other biggies…when the heroine is talked down by the hero as if she’s like 2 years old and has no intelligence whatsoever…*grrr*
My 2nd Gr. teacher Ms. Gro was the inspiration behind my love of reading. She showed me a world of imagination that I was drawn to and have enjoyed ever since.