This week: What attracts you to a Romance Novel? Edited by: StephBee  
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“Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” – Mother Theresa
“Love is always bestowed as a gift -freely, willingly, and without expectation. We don’t love to be loved; we love to love.” – Leo Buscaglia
“Autumn has caught us in our summer wear.” – Phillip Larkin
September is a busy month for sure. The children are back in school, and it’s the start of Autumn. This year the fall equinox lands on Wednesday, 22 SEP 2021. Equinox is taken from the latin, “Equal” and “Night” for Equal Night, where the day and night time are about the same length. The closest Moon to the equinox is known as the Harvest Moon as it gives the farmers a little bit extra light at night to harvest. This year’s Harvest Moon is on 20 SEP. Autumn always brings in cooler weather and my favorite part of the year – leaf peeping! The best areas for leaf peeping are up the northern part of the U.S. and in New England. I’d love to share your love of leaf peeping in my next newsletter. Send in your favorite photographs of the leaves as they are changing and I’ll feature them in my next newsletter.
September is also National Preparedness Month, National Cat Month, National Hispanic Month and National Square Dancing month. While I haven’t square danced since the 6th grade (am I dating myself?), I remember I always enjoyed it. Do you like square dancing.
Let me know what are some your favorites when it comes to Hispanic heritage. Food, Characters, and music.
What do you do to be ready in an emergency? The BSA teaches the 10 essentials. Here is California there are plenty of resources to refer to when it comes to earthquakes. What do you swear by works for you when it comes to preparedness?
This newsletter I thought I’d discuss those “things” that attract us to buy a romance novel, be it a print copy or an ebook. Just recently, one of my friends revealed they were dealing with Covid and I like to send my friends care packages when I find out they are facing this challenge. I used to get care packages when I was stationed overseas in Germany and I LOVED them. If anything, I didn’t really appreciate them as much as I do now. One of the things that resonated with me though was this: How much receiving a care package cheered me up! I suppose I may be a tad naïve, but the thought of a package someone put together to cheer me up meant a lot as far as putting me in a positive mindset. So, one of the things I put in this care package was a paperback romance novel. The cover was attractive, and I figured that since all romance novel have a happy ending, it would definitely help to cheer someone up. Now, I don’t know if this friend reads romance or not, so I based my pick on the attractiveness of the cover and the premise that all romance novels have a happy ending. Anyway, it got to me to thinking – why do readers pick the romance novels that they do? So, today I thought I’d explore that question(which I suppose kinda ties in with how you market a romance novel). Do you pick out the novel? Because you like the author? The title? The Blurb? The cover? You know it’s going to be a happy ending? The subgenre – you love reading contemporary, historical, or paranormal? Before you read further, take my poll and see where you land, and then see if you change your criteria.
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| ASIN: 1945043032 |
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Amazon's Price: $ 13.94
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What’s the first thing you see when you see a romance novel? The title! That said, a title should never be dull. I’d pick “Gone with the Wind” over “The Planation” any day of the week. Titles should be easy to remember and be appropriate to the story. It should capture the imagination and creativity of the story within. I enjoy titles with a hidden meaning as that makes me “think” as a reader.
The next eye opener is the visual cover. What attracts you to a cover? The couple? The setting? You want the cover to set the mood or tone for the story within. You want it to suggest, without being suggestive. The best covers have a couple or a person situated in the setting of the book. I like the covers that picture the hero and heroine so you have an idea of what they look like when you start to read.
Okay, I’m intrigued but I’m not hooked to buy – not yet. So turn the book around and read the blurb. The blurb is a short description of the story in the novel. They are usually around 150-200 words that sum up the story. They are meant to suck the potential reader in and buy. A blurb should highlight the main characters and set up the primary conflict. It should establish the stakes involved for the characters and then leave the reader hanging so they want to buy the book and find out how the characters handled their challenges.
The appeal of the author. One of my favorite authors I like to read is Shana Galen. She writes historical romances which I enjoy. Her style is lighthearted and easy to read. Her characters are well developed. Another popular author I have enjoyed is Jullian Hunter and Lisa Kleypas and I’m inclined to buy their books because I typically like their characters, the setting of the book, and how they land the ending. That’s like a secondary factor to me, though. However, I usually pick up stories from author’s I’ve read previously and enjoyed.
The ending. You can always count on a romance novel or story to have a happy ending. It’s about meeting life’s challenges and then getting rewarding. That “hopism” usually leaves the reader feeling positive which imbues to tackle their own challenges with hope.
I’d love to hear your thoughts when it comes to what appeals to you. Write in and share!
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FEEDBACK FROM MY ROMANCE/LOVE NL DATED: 11 AUG 2021:
Elisa: Snowman Stik  "What makes the Eiffel Tower romantic anyway?"
I've asked that question (and its sibling "What makes Paris romantic?") for years. I still don't have an answer. Then again, I have atypical tastes. I think DC is a much better setting for romance, but I am also a giant nerd. Heck, even various alleyways in Minneapolis strike me as more romantic than Paris. Maybe I just associate romance with counterintuitive locations.
On that note I shall begin plotting a trip to...Nova Scotia!
. I love the answer! For me, perhaps Paris and the Eiffel Tower are the “typical” answers. Finding romance in the counterintuitive locations speaks more the realism of romance and not the escapism. Let me know how you love Nova Scotia.
Monty  Thank you for the News Letter and I think there is no one most romantic place for me unless it is home.
Home is the best place for romance!
StephBee is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. Her story, "Journey of the Heart" is avail on Amazon as an embook. Can James, a stranger, help Rachel save her winery in the aftermath of World War II?
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| ASIN: 1542722411 |
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Amazon's Price: $ 12.99
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Romance/Love: September 08, 2021 Issue [#10970]
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