Want to write for Harlequin?

For those of you who don't know who or what Harlequin is, here is a little blurb about the company on their website: "Harlequin is one of the world's leading publishers of books for women. The Toronto-based company publishes more than 110 titles a month in 34 languages in 110 international markets on six continents. These books are written by over 1,300 talented authors worldwide, offering women a broad range of reading from bestseller fiction to romance, from young adult novels to nonfiction, from African-American novels to inspirational romance, and more. With half of its books sold overseas and a tremendous 95% outside Canada—it is both the country's most successful publisher and one of its most international businesses."

Harlequin publishes many of the popular and best-selling books each year. I have read quite a few books from this publisher, and each book has been unique and a thrilling page-turner. I definitely recommend reading a book published by Harlequin.

 Here is a quick list of 10  authors that have been published at Harlequin: Nora Roberts, Debbie Macomber, Gena Showalter, Silvia Day, Megan Hart, Elizabeth Goddard, Jeaniene Frost, Heather Graham, Cynthia Cooke, and Sharon Ashwood

Earlier this week I was poking around on their website and found a link called Write for Us. I had no idea they took submissions from writers and even had a list of guidelines for the many sub genres of romance they publish. So, if any of you are looking for a chance to get creative and submit a novel to a well-known publisher, click on the link above!

The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

For those of you who are Nicholas Sparks fans, did you know that his book The Best of Me is becoming a  movie? The movie is to be released in theaters on October 17th, 2014. So, if you're wanting to plan a date for this weekend, definitely go see this movie! It will bring you to tears, just as many of his books do. 

Picture taken from Amazon.com

Synopsis:  "Everyone wanted to believe that endless love was possible. She'd believed in it once, too, back when she was eighteen."

In the spring of 1984, high school students Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole fell deeply, irrevocably in love. Though they were from opposite sides of the tracks, their love for one another seemed to defy the realities of life in the small town of Oriental, North Carolina. But as the summer of their senior year came to a close, unforeseen events would tear the young couple apart, setting them on radically divergent paths.

Now, twenty-five years later, Amanda and Dawson are summoned back to Oriental for the funeral of Tuck Hostetler, the mentor who once gave shelter to their high school romance. Neither has lived the life they imagined . . . and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever changed their lives. As Amanda and Dawson carry out the instructions Tuck left behind for them, they realize that everything they thought they knew -- about Tuck, about themselves, and about the dreams they held dear -- was not as it seemed. Forced to confront painful memories, the two former lovers will discover undeniable truths about the choices they have made. And in the course of a single, searing weekend, they will ask of the living, and the dead: Can love truly rewrite the past?

The Lords of the Underworld Series by Gena Showalter

If you're wanting to read a romance series that has a mixture of creative fantasy, greek mythology, and a hint of darkness, then you will love The Lords of the Underworld Series by Gena Showalter. 

I have read all of the published books of this series. The Lords of the Underworld Series has almost anything you can imagine: humans, immortal warriors, angels, harpies, demons, gods, goddesses, and so much more. This series is known for its grip on its audience. The novels instantly pull you from what you're doing and place you in a new world where anything is possible. It keeps you on your toes and makes you crave more!

"Long ago, twelve immortal warriors-each more dangerously seductive than the last--stole and opened Pandora's Box, unleashing the evil from within. Now they carry that evil within themselves. Violence, Pain, Death, Disease, Disaster, Misery, Doubt, Promiscuity, Defeat, Lies, Secrets, and Wrath. When a powerful enemy returns, they will travel the world in search of a sacred relic of the gods--one that threatens to destroy them all."-Gena Showalter (from her official website)

Photo originally by Aznballer on her blog
(link to: http://bookreviewbuddy.blogspot.com)
Photo edited by me.

The next book in the series The Darkest Touch will be released November 25th, 2014. 

Photo from Gena Showalter's
Official Website

THE GLOVES ARE OFF...

From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter comes the long-awaited story of Torin, the most dangerous Lord of the Underworld yet….

Fierce immortal warrior. Host to the demon of Disease. Torin’s every touch causes sickness and death—and a worldwide plague. Carnal pleasure is utterly forbidden, and though he has always overcome temptation with an iron will, his control is about to shatter.

She is Keeleycael. The Red Queen. When the powerful beauty with shocking vulnerabilities escapes from a centuries-long imprisonment, the desire that simmers between her and Torin is scorching. His touch could mean the end for her, but resisting her is the hardest battle he’s ever fought—and the only battle he fears he can’t win.

Guilty Pleasures: A PBS Documentary

This intriguing documentary about Harlequin Mills & Boon romance novels really emphasizes the idea that romance novels are a way for women, and even men to fulfill the fantasy of true love and escape from the lives they currently live. 

However, in this documentary, each of the people interviewed realize the boundaries between fantasy and reality. They may be obsessed with romance novels, but instead of trying to form their lives around a fantasy, they explore elements of the fantasy they desire with their partners.

I thought it was interesting to see how much romance novels touched people around the world. Overall, this was an insightful documentary.


"Five heroes, four Continents, one dream of true love. Because real life begins where Harlequin novels end..."

Photo of the DVD cover.
Ownership goes to the creators of Guilty Pleasures.

Every four seconds a Harlequin Mills & Boon romance novel is sold somewhere in the world. 

In India, the books give Shumita hope that her straying husband will return.

In Japan, housewife Hiroko yearns to make fantasy reality with her handsome ballroom dancing teacher. 

And in the UK, mother-of-three Shirly rifles through the books for ideas on how to keep her marriage spicy.

But it's not only the female readers who dream of a perfect romance. New York model Stephen has been on over 200 Mills & Boon covers, but can't find his true love.

While romance novelist Gill Sanderson is in fact a pensioner called Roger, writing from a caravan in the North of England.

Guilty pleasures explores our universal struggle to reconcile inner fantasy with the tragicomic truths of real-life relationships.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

I wanted to share this wonderful short animated film with all of you for the reason that it inspires me as both a reader and writer.

Stories are an important part of our lives and always have been whether it be through telling someone a story or words written on a page. They bring us knowledge and enable us to mature in many ways.

I feel as if this animated film is saying that reading a book brings a new light to the world we live in. Reading gives us a chance not only to learn, but to find an escape in a world that comforts us and expand the lengths of our imagination.

I hope you all enjoy this animation! Let me know what you think.

Does it make you remember a certain book or a story told to you by your parents or anyone else?

Does it make you remember that innocent imagination you had as a child?

Not Your Typical Teenage Romance Novel

As part of my training as a Shelving Assistant at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, I attended a School Library Journal Summerteen online conference with a few popular authors that were guest speakers.

Within the Romance Panel of this program, I learned about a new author named Leslye Walton that brought an interesting perspective into the romance novel genre for Teens. Leslye said that Teens should be exposed to other types of love such as family, friendship, and even discovering the love for something you are passionate about in order to mature and understand the world better. I think that this is an important outlook on educating teens while at the same time entertaining them and engaging them in fiction material.

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender consists of more than romantic love.

Copied from Amazon.com
Cover Design by Matt Roeser

Magical realism, lyrical prose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga. 

Foolish love appears to be the Roux family birthright, an ominous forecast for its most recent progeny, Ava Lavender. Ava-in all other ways a normal girl-is born with the wings of a bird. In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, sixteen-year old Ava ventures into the wider world, ill-prepared for what she might discover and naive to the twisted motives of others. Others like the pious Nathaniel Sorrows, who mistakes Ava for an angel and whose obsession with her grows until the night of the summer solstice celebration. That night, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air, and Ava's quest and her family's saga build to a devastating crescendo. First-time author Leslye Walton has constructed a layered and unforgettable mythology of what it means to be born with hearts that are tragically, exquisitely human.