kristaphillips It never fails to amaze me how on February 1st, my thoughts turn to romance. I know, I know, really the only day of the month dedicated to luuuuuv is Valentine’s day, but just like December = Christmas, February = Romance for me.
In honor of this, ALL my posts this month, in some way, shape or form, will have something to do with romance, love, sweethearts, kisses (*grin*) or the affection of the heart.
For all you non-romantics making a bee-line to the little x at the top right-hand corner of the screen, don’t be afraid. Let your inner romantic out!
Discussion: Since I’m a romance writer, I thought it’d be fun to kick off Romance Month by sharing our FAVORITE romance novel. (If you can’t pick one, you can do a quick top ten, or better yet, what was the last romance novel you read?)
Mine? Oh, goodness, this is HARD! There are so many good ones! Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is very close if not at the top though.
The last romance novel I read? A Passion Denied by Julie Lessman, before that Stealing Adda by Tamara Leigh.
Your turn!
Sigh…romance is in the air! I just finished The Husband Tree by Mary Connealy and it was Excellent! So witty, so funny, so many great kisses. 😉 Of course Julie Lessman writes fabulous romance. I love all her books. I also like the secular writer Lynn Kurland. She writes medieval/time travel with a closed bedroom door…but with tons of romance and kisses…sigh. I love LOVE.
Can't wait for the rest of your posts!
Oh, how FUN, Krista!!! My favorite romance novel of all time is Gone With the Wind, of course, closely followed by Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. The last book I read? Janet Dean's The Substitute Bride — WONDERFUL!!
And thanks to Sherrinda for her sweet comment and to you, Krista, for reading APD!!
Hugs,
Julie
So, I'm not a romantic. :0) Hope that doesn't disappoint you. But no worries–I'll never dive for the 'x'. :0)
My favorite romance book… will be featured on my blog next week. :0) It's a GREAT one!
Mark of the Lion books 1 and 2 are hands down my favorite romance novels!!
I'm excited about thise posts, Krista!
On a different note, I think I heard somewhere that they are making Redeeming Love intoa movie!!
Katie, ME TOO!!! SO excited about it… I think it'll be a while before it's out though 🙁
You did hear that she has a new book coming out in March right?!?! It's the first of a 2-book EPIC series… SO SO SO excited about it!
The first two books of MOTL were AWESOME and rank right up there for me. I like the 1st half of the 3rd one too.. but then it slowed up a bit for me. (once they got married… ha! how horrible is that!)
Julie, you're books are wonderful:-) Waiting anxiously for the next!
Sherrinda, thanks for the awesome recommendation! I'm on vacation today and headed for the bookstore… this COULD be a dangerous thing!
Mary Connealy's Calico Canyon ranks right up there for me as a favorite.
The most recent romance I read was Where No Roads Go by Essie Summers. 🙂
Oh, Krista! You asked a tough question today! It's too hard for me to pick one or ten, since I have so many fav's now! So, I'll have to remain politically correct, or writerly correct, or whatever you call it, and say that I have just a ton of authors I love!
I loved Redeeming Love. I would definitely put it on my list of favorites.
Hmmm, I don't think I've read a romance novel since I gave up the trashy kind a long time ago. 🙂 I was crazy about Janette Oke when I was a teenager though!
Btw, KP, I sent an email to you at work with #3's name, but you aren't there today! Oh well…
Nah, I'll tell you. His name is Simon. 🙂
Wow, that is tough!! I might have to agree with Julie about Gone With The Wind!!
Valerie… you know me better than to think I can go a whole day not checking my work e-mail… vacation or not! *sigh* I even replied to you!
Oh, honey, we need to correct your non-romance reading habits. There are a ton of good NON-trashy romances out there!
E-mail me your address. A slew of them will be in the mail to you within the week!
My favorite romance novel, the one I can read over and over and over and never get tired of it, is Jane Austen's Persuasion.
My favorite contemporary romance series has to be Dee Henderson's O'Malley series. Hmmm…It's been awhile since I've read those. I need to pull them out and read them again!
I love romance month:) I love Julie Garwood's books, Jane Austen's Emma, and The Notebook and many of Sparks stuff.
My classic faves are Mark of the Lion series by F Rivers and Cry No More by Linda Howard.
I'm loving all these comments that are giving me new authors to read!
Krista,
I like your idea of romance month. That's catchy and it fits your writing aspirations, too.
I do like River's Redeeming Love, too, and I loved Liz Curtis Higgs' trilogy set in Scotland. And there are so many other good ones…:)
Happy reading,
Karen
I am in the process of "Maggie Rose" by Sharlene MacLauren. It's shaping up nicely! :O)
Hi Krista –
It's impossible for me to choose only one. Some of my favorite romance authors: Julie Lessman, Julie Klassen, Tamera Alexander, Cathy Marie Hake, Tamara Leigh, Linore Rose Burkard, Kim Vogel Sawyer, and many others.
With the Winter Olympics starting, my mind goes to figure skating before romance. If Beloved was alive, the story would be different.
Blessings,
Susan 🙂
Hmm, I don't read a lot of straight up romance. Maybe Jane Austen's, Persuasion?
Definitely my Julie, and I liked A Passion Denied best! We are actually leading a fiction tract at a writing conference this summer. Should it be titled Spanning Passion Secrets?
Patti