These are a couple of sweet romance Titles from the “Harlequin Presents” romance series. We all owe a big thank you to Wal-Mart for keeping these titles in stock!
The Mediterranean Billionaire’s Secret Baby
Claiming His Pregnant Wife (who knew being pregnant was this sexy?)
Aristides’ Convenient Wife
The Desert King’s Virgin Bride
Innocent on Her Wedding Night
Willingly Bedded: Forcibly Wedded (I’m not making this up)
The Brazilian Boss’s Innocent Mistress
The Greek Billionaire’s Baby Revenge
I have nothing else to say. It’s too easy, and it’s too depressing
Showing posts with label Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romance. Show all posts
Friday, February 22, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
My Dirty LIttle Secret
Ok, so I’m confessing something here that is truly embarrassing…I buy for the Romance section of my library. I know, I know, I already know that I’m perpetuating all kinds of unhealthy relationship expectations and facilitating down right crap, but it’s my job. In fact, It’s one of (if not the) largest circulating collections at the library, so when they asked me to buy for it I was really flattered. I should tell you that when they asked me if I would buy for it they said “Now, you don’t have to read them… but would you buy for romance? Funny. It’s also funny to note that Romance is the highest circulating collection… in
One of the perks of buying for Romance is that I get to see ALL KINDS of ridiculous things aimed at Romance Readers and Romance Writer hopefuls (as most romance readers are). I mean really, sometimes I am horrified, sometimes outraged, and others I just can’t stop laughing. My favorite most recent one was when I came across an article on how to write better “love” scenes in your books without being cheesy or pornographic. The Irony! They always call them “love” scenes…and then fill the book with casual sex…Anyway, that’s a rant for another day. I usually give Max and earful when I get home about what new psychological conundrum I’ve discovered in the Romance World, but maybe if I post them here his ears can get a break and more people can share in my disgust, I mean laughter, I mean rage…
Yucky Romance Writer Quote of the Day
"In essence, I want to feel smart, not actually be smart."
Quoth a young Romance Writer/Romance Agent. She is referencing the type of reading she likes to do that will "teach her something...but not really"
She goes on to say "Take Grisham’s books, for example. Specifically, THE FIRM. That was an incredibly easy book to read, but he never spoke down to the reader. Grisham made people feel smart. As if they were “in the know.” A door was opened, and it was very welcoming. We could feel smart about lawyer stuff without having to have gone through any of that time consuming and headache inducing law school business." you know...learning something for real.
Snarky Snark Snark, I know. I'm all about easy access books, but not for the purpose of making someone "feel smart" but not have to actually deal with that pesky burden of learning something and actually "be(ing) smart". Awesome.
Oh my land. I just read this in the same article. Is this the height of stupidity?
"Often what makes me feel smart when reading is when I’m given tiny little pieces of insider language. {fair enough says brooke...go on } I don’t even need to understand the word or words, oddly enough, but if well-written and I get the meaning from the context, I feel smarter because I could actually use those words-I-don’t-understand in a sentence! {oh no she didn't} I could make other people feel dumb for not knowing those words! YeeHaaa! (Oh, sorry, did I type that last bit out loud?)" Yuck Yuck Yuck and double Yuck. It's an awful combination of vanity and idiotness - yes, that's a word.
Quoth a young Romance Writer/Romance Agent. She is referencing the type of reading she likes to do that will "teach her something...but not really"
She goes on to say "Take Grisham’s books, for example. Specifically, THE FIRM. That was an incredibly easy book to read, but he never spoke down to the reader. Grisham made people feel smart. As if they were “in the know.” A door was opened, and it was very welcoming. We could feel smart about lawyer stuff without having to have gone through any of that time consuming and headache inducing law school business." you know...learning something for real.
Snarky Snark Snark, I know. I'm all about easy access books, but not for the purpose of making someone "feel smart" but not have to actually deal with that pesky burden of learning something and actually "be(ing) smart". Awesome.
Oh my land. I just read this in the same article. Is this the height of stupidity?
"Often what makes me feel smart when reading is when I’m given tiny little pieces of insider language. {fair enough says brooke...go on } I don’t even need to understand the word or words, oddly enough, but if well-written and I get the meaning from the context, I feel smarter because I could actually use those words-I-don’t-understand in a sentence! {oh no she didn't} I could make other people feel dumb for not knowing those words! YeeHaaa! (Oh, sorry, did I type that last bit out loud?)" Yuck Yuck Yuck and double Yuck. It's an awful combination of vanity and idiotness - yes, that's a word.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
It Peaveth Me
Ok, I was reading the "mailbag" in a book review magazine today and I read something that is uber irksome to me. After complaining for a while about the latest book in her favorite series taking forever to come out, Lillian DeMeritte of Silver Spring, MD writes
"I wish there was something publishers could do to encourage their authors to put limits on the amount of time between books written within a series. It's one thing to allow time to create suspense, but to leave your readers hanging by fingernails, teeth and toenails is a bit much."
I don't know at what point readers think authors become their own personal dancing monkeys, but this kind of attitude drives me crazy. I guess it happens with all "artists", like when music fans are ticked about a band's new album that "isn't like the real them at all" (... but who else could it be?). But it happens a lot in this particular genre.
ok, I'll spill it. It was a romance book review book catalog I was reading and the kicker about this letter was that the responding editor thought it was a perfectly reasonable complaint. If you don't know, the Romance world is a fascinating, if disturbing place. I don't mind saying that it is almost entirely devoid of artistic, organic endeavors. And maybe that's fine, I don't want to be too snotty. The Romance industry is completely based on marketing, and economics drives EVERYTHING about it; plot, character, length, quantity...quality. I'm not saying that's bad, ok, I think it is, but good for them for turning a buck if they can stomach it.
I guess my main point is what a shame it is when readers think they ought to have complete control over writers, and what an even bigger shame it is in the Romance world when they do! Is my idealism showing?
"I wish there was something publishers could do to encourage their authors to put limits on the amount of time between books written within a series. It's one thing to allow time to create suspense, but to leave your readers hanging by fingernails, teeth and toenails is a bit much."
I don't know at what point readers think authors become their own personal dancing monkeys, but this kind of attitude drives me crazy. I guess it happens with all "artists", like when music fans are ticked about a band's new album that "isn't like the real them at all" (... but who else could it be?). But it happens a lot in this particular genre.
ok, I'll spill it. It was a romance book review book catalog I was reading and the kicker about this letter was that the responding editor thought it was a perfectly reasonable complaint. If you don't know, the Romance world is a fascinating, if disturbing place. I don't mind saying that it is almost entirely devoid of artistic, organic endeavors. And maybe that's fine, I don't want to be too snotty. The Romance industry is completely based on marketing, and economics drives EVERYTHING about it; plot, character, length, quantity...quality. I'm not saying that's bad, ok, I think it is, but good for them for turning a buck if they can stomach it.
I guess my main point is what a shame it is when readers think they ought to have complete control over writers, and what an even bigger shame it is in the Romance world when they do! Is my idealism showing?
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