Between Your Sheets & Giveaway $25 Borders GC! What makes stories come alive for you as a reader?
by sue on Apr.15, 2010, under Book Chat
What makes stories come alive for you as a reader? Tell us and win. Details below.
April showers are falling. May flowers are coming. June brides are glowing. And you can be sure that in the midst of it all there will be stories told and stories to tell. Stories are a part of our lives that will always be. The elements of them are varied and change from culture to culture. There are many different parts that make up the whole of what becomes story. Some of those parts are the characters the author creates. Some are the conflicts and the crises the characters face. Some of those elements take readers to another place while some elements make readers see the world around them in a new and different way. But there are two elements about the story that are the same. They are born from the heart of a writer and reach into the hearts of readers.
From the heart is also how BetweenYourSheets.com came into being and is the driving force behind our multiple genre site, NovelsAlive.TV launching April 26, 2010!
Our story began several years ago with a few author friends who were frustrated with advertising cost and weren’t going to be able to get information about their books to readers. So we banded together to do just that through newsletters, group ads, and promoting books at conferences. Then we found that our authors wanted to branch out into the world beyond romance and we saw a need for a site that not only focuses on different things that bring stories alive, but also honors individuals (like great authors), companies (like COS Productions), and other websites (like Borders True Romance and the Romance Dish) who make stories come alive for readers.
So we’d like to have your thoughts and opinions on what brings stories to life for you? What makes them sing in your heart and echo in your mind as you walk through the day? Did Stephanie Myers’ Twilight Series become more real to you before you saw the movies of Twilight and New Moon? What about J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series or Ian Fleming’s James Bond.
Does reading author blogs about their trials and tribulations in writing a book make their books more real to you? Does seeing book videos bring a story alive in your mind? Email your answers to contest@betweenyoursheets.com and you’ll be entered to win a $25 Borders Gift Certificate.
The Contest will run from April 15th through the 22st. So from our hearts to yours, celebrate stories and share your favorites with your friends!
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- Reader Blogger, Ryann & Giveaway ($$ value!) Hello, fellow romance readers – I have a confession to make. Well, two confessions. Ok, maybe three. Or, four. Well, let’s just see how it goes. First, I am in the midst of a reading slump. Does that ever happen to you? I have this urge to read a really...
- Guest Author, Carly Phillips & $25 Borders EGC Giveaway! KISS ME IF YOU CAN by Carly Phillips Setting: NYC Subgenre: Contemporary Hero: Sam Cooper “Coop” Heroine: Lexie Davis One sentence summary: What do you get when you bring together one free spirited traveler, a settled city dweller, an off the wall grandmother and her cast of friends and...
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- This weeks winners . . . Congrats! Congratulations winners! Please email SueG with your address so we can send you your prize - sgrimsha@bordersgroupinc.com. Sunday - RomCon winner (s)- JenX; Pam Keener; Carrie Monday - Lisa G; Myranda; Beth Tuesday - Michelle S; Ellen H; Donna S Wednesday - Remember to visit Kimber’s site for giveaway...
17 Comments for this entry
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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
Shape-shifter Dev Peltier thought he knew it all. But one night when a Dark-Hunter, who is also an official member of the Dogs of War, sashays into his bar, he realizes he might have met his match. But as old enemies and new move into New Orleans, Samia realizes that Dev just might be the only hope she and mankind have to save the world.
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July 28th, 2010 on 10:43 am
Stories come to life in my head, and actually get screwed up when I watch a movie that’s been made of it. It always seems to fall flat of what I pictured. So now I refuse to see a movie if I have read the book or visa versa. I have never read the Harry Potter books for that reason. I may after all the movies are out, but not before.
For me its all about the funny things characters say or the way they act and interact with each other. Also chemistry, can’t forget that.
April 17th, 2010 on 10:33 pm
I love some suspense in my books. That is what keeps me reading.
Rosie G.
April 17th, 2010 on 1:43 pm
What bring a book to life for me… realistic characters who are flawed, emotionally and/or physically.
April 16th, 2010 on 3:11 pm
I love reading the blogs and reviews. It definitely influences what I read.
April 16th, 2010 on 2:12 pm
Thank you! I sent my contest entry. For me, the two most important things in a work of fiction are well-developed characters and an interesting, detailed story line. I appreciate the whole book experience, from the front cover to the back cover, and everything in-between!
April 16th, 2010 on 10:50 am
I have two things that make a novel a keeper for me:
If the characters work for me, even if nothing much happnes I just love the book and come back to spend more time with the.
But, I also fall in love with some stories, even if the characters that populate them are not the deepest. An example of this for me is Agatha Christie. I just love spending time lost in one of her puzzles, even though they are enacted oftentimes by cliche charactes from central casting.
April 16th, 2010 on 1:11 am
It’s really about the writing and the story for me. I have to be able to enjoy the writing style of the author as much as the story otherwise it’s a book that, although amazing, doesn’t make me follow/stalk the author until the next release.
April 15th, 2010 on 10:34 pm
Great question! For me, it’s based on how it’s written; the way it flows, the humor and plot.
April 15th, 2010 on 7:54 pm
I’m with Quilt Lady. A hero I can fall in love with (after gritting my teeth and glowering at him for awhile) always brings me back for more. I like to read “interviews” of the hero. Making those strong and silent types answer “if you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?” questions makes me laugh.
April 15th, 2010 on 5:26 pm
Characters that make me laugh, cry and fall in love. I’m really enjoying the replies. Keep them coming!
~Deb
April 15th, 2010 on 3:39 pm
It is the characters that draw me into to a story. I love it when they come alive.
April 15th, 2010 on 3:22 pm
The characters are key. They have to be believable and behave in a consistent manner (even if the consistent trait is inconsistency). The plot has to be somewhat believable as well, even a paranormal. And if the story takes place in an alternate universe or other world, the “science” of that other world/universe has to be consistent, too. Nothing takes me out of a story as quickly as a WTF reaction to the story or the character.
April 15th, 2010 on 1:53 pm
As an author hosted by Between Your Sheets, I have to say I love the site and what it offers for everyone!
What brings a book alive to me are definitely the characters first, setting second. I want a juicy conflict, lots of sparks, but at the core, two good people who have to overcome their own conflicts to find themselves and love. Setting isn’t just the town, it’s feeling like you’re right there in the room or woods or wherever. Just a few details can make a big difference.
April 15th, 2010 on 12:49 pm
When I’m reading a book, compelling characters are what draws me in. Sure, I want an interesting plot and setting, too. But what really does it for me is the characters. I want to care about what happens to them. I want their presence to make a difference.
Many authors are auto-reads for me, and when I find a new author, I will typically make my way through her/his backlist. How do I find new authors? Mostly, recommendations—word of mouth and blogs like these. Recommendations of authors I respect means a lot to me. I never watch book trailers. Titles and cover art sometimes turn me off of a book, but seldom convince me to read it.
April 15th, 2010 on 12:16 pm
Like I mentioned over at the site listed, strong believable characters and a good storyline with some humor if possible keeps me hooked.
Pat L.
April 15th, 2010 on 12:15 pm
I entered the contest. Great question. Love the Blog Heading. Between the Sheets - indeed. Very appropriate. LOL.
Pat L.
April 15th, 2010 on 10:56 am
A fabulous hero is what brings a book to life for me! They must have flaws though!