I had some blog troubles yesterday, so I am late getting my post up. Sorry about that! But to make it up to you, I’m running a contest. 🙂 More on that in a minute…
I am so ready for some sunny days. This cold gray stuff is getting me down. We were in Gatlinburg for part of the weekend. Got to see Anna and Chris for a bit – they had brought their youth group from the church in Murfreesboro…
Charles took a few of them on a hike to Baskins Creek Falls… as you can see, it was almost completely frozen over. I really wanted to go… it is only 3 miles, but my hubby laid down the law and said “no”! My knee is lots better (post surgery), but I still have trouble on uneven ground, so I guess he’s right. Doesn’t mean I have to like it! 🙂
So here are the deets on today’s contest. There are no right or wrong answers… this is a poll. You may only give me your top answer for each question (even if you like both)… but if you want to elaborate, that would be great. All these questions are in relationship to romance novels – of course! I’ll leave the poll up until Sunday evening – I’ll draw a name from all the commenters around nine that evening EST, and I’ll post the winner on the loop. I’ll also try to tabulate the poll results and announce those.
Here are the questions you need to answer to be entered…
1) Historical or contemporary
2) Reality or fantasy
3) Serious or funny
4) Kids or no kids
5) 1st person or 3rd person
6) Explicit or tame
7) Series or stand alone
8) 350 pages or 500 pages
9) City setting or rural
10) Tortured hero or tortured heroine
The prize has three parts – a pink long sleeve “Kiss Me” t-shirt (size XL) from Old Navy – this is more like a real shirt, so it’s not huge. Next – a cute stretchable heart bracelet, and last but not least, a “Girl on the Go” mini travel kit.
There you have it! I know this will be hard for many of you, because you’ll want to say – well, it depends. 🙂 But for this poll to work, you can only give me you TOP answer.
I look forward to hearing from all of you!
Janice Maynard
Vamps and Scamps 
Hi, Janice! while you’re ready for sunny days, I want winter back! It’s been a wee bit chilly lately but also very sunny, I think the weather is PMSing, lol.
Ok! Poll time! 😀
1) Historical or contemporary – Contemporary. I like some historical, especially because of Highlanders – love them!
2) Reality or fantasy – Fantasy, I read for entertaintment, to take me AWAY from reality.
3) Serious or funny – Funny! I love humor.
4) Kids or no kids – No, thankyouverymuch! (eh, depends I guess)
5) 1st person or 3rd person – 3rd person. I have nothing against 1st POV but we don’t get to see another character’s thoughts and I don’t like that.
6) Explicit or tame – Do you even have to ask? Hehe! Ok, it depends on the scene. 😉
7) Series or stand alone – I love series! But sometimes I’m just “in the mood” for stand alones so I’m fine with either one.
8) 350 pages or 500 pages – Probably 350 pages, although honestly as long as the plot makes sense, there’s good character develops and just I’m liking the book overall, the size doesn’t matter (only when it comes to books! LOL sorry just had to say it..)
9) City setting or rural – I’m a city girl but again, it depends on the story.
10) Tortured hero or tortured heroine – Er, this is a hard one. Torture hero, because of the whole Alpha Male thing which I admit can be great but at the same time, I like tortured heroines a lot so.. yeah, I’m not sure. I’ll go with tortured heroines!
That was fun! 😀
Ugh! I made a few (thousands) grammar mistakes. This is what I get from answering the poll and wathing The Biggest Loser at the same time. I suck at multitasking!
Hi Janice
Sounds like you had a great time in Gatlinburg. I haven’t been there in years. It was beautiful. Interesting poll questions, well here’s my answers:
1) Historical or contemporary-either, I like all
2) Reality or fantasy-again, either, I will read just about anything.
3) Serious or funny-prefer humor
4) Kids or no kids-doesn’t matter
5) 1st person or 3rd person-3rd person
6) Explicit or tame-either as long as the story keeps my interest and flows well
7) Series or stand alone-either, though I am known to buy the complete series.
8) 350 pages or 500 pages-bring it on!!! Love to read so length isn’t a problem.
9) City setting or rural-either
10) Tortured hero or tortured heroine-depends on how tortured and if it makes the person seem like a jerk or not.
1) Historical or contemporary
Contemporary hands down. Although I am reading a historical now for a book club. Started out being a historical reader and moved to contemporary
2) Reality or fantasy
I’m not sure if you mean fantasy as in paranormal or fantasy as in looking the wildly rich. Right now I’m reading more reality type than fantasy.
3) Serious or funny
I love funny. Or some humor in the book.
4) Kids or no kids
Kids if they are more than just place holders. Want them to be part of the story.
5) 1st person or 3rd person
I prefer 3rd person although I’ve read some fantastic 1st person books.
6) Explicit or tame
Explicit. I’m beyond the tame age. 🙂
7) Series or stand alone
I love a series. I love seeing snippets of characters I’ve come to care from in earlier books.
8) 350 pages or 500 pages
500 pages if I have time. 🙂
9) City setting or rural
OH.. difficult. Rural if somewhere good. Out west. 🙂
10) Tortured hero or tortured heroine
Hmm.. tortured hero more than a tortured heroine.
A.
1) contemporary
2) fantasy
3) funny
4) Kids
5) 3rd person
6) Explicit
7) Series or stand alone (both)
8) 350 pages
9) City setting
10) Tortured hero
1) Historical or contemporary
Both. It really just depends on my mood. I haven’t read a really good Historical in a while.
2) Reality or fantasy
I like both. Again it depends on my mood.
3) Serious or funny
Funny. I don’t mind a little seriousness, but it needs to have the funny.
4) Kids or no kids
No kids unless it is in the Epilogue.
5) 1st person or 3rd person
3rd person is what I prefer, but if it is written well I’ll enjoy a 1st person novel
6) Explicit or tame
Again, it depends on my mood, but I’ve been enjoying Explicit recently. 🙂
7) Series or stand alone
I like series because I enjoy knowing what happens to the characters from the books, but sometimes it is hard to keep. up. So I guess my answer is both. 🙂
8) 350 pages or 500 pages
As long as the story is good it can be 350 or 500. Heck, it could even be 1000 if I’m really into it. 🙂
9) City setting or rural
This isn’t a big factor for me. I don’t care where the romance is happening as long as it’s happening.
10) Tortured hero or tortured heroine
I like the tortured hero because he can be so sexy!
Hi Janice – you’ve got a smart husband. Heal now, fun later!
1) Contemporary
2) Reality if you mean more like real life and not paranormal fantasy
3) Serious – but I equally like funny so that’s a tough one
4) no kids – I love kids but I read for the escape
5) 3rd person
6) Explicit
7) Series – love the continuity
8) 350 pages
9) rural – I’m just a country girl at heart
10) Tortured hero
1) Historical or contemporary: Contemporary
2) Reality or fantasy: Reality
3) Serious or funny: Funny
4) Kids or no kids: No Kids
5) 1st person or 3rd person: 3rd person (but I will read first person)
6) Explicit or tame: Explicit
7) Series or stand alone: stand alone
8) 350 pages or 500 pages: 350
9) City setting or rural: rural
10) Tortured hero or tortured heroine tortured hero
I LOVE Gatlinburg. I’m going there in March. It’s the annual trip for a workshop (clogging). We are hoping that the temps go up to the 70s while we are there (so far we’ve been lucky and only had cold weather/snow once that lasted for just a day–arrived on Thurs with snow and 30’s left on Sunday with sunny and lower 70s.) I’m a mountain girl at heart and would love to have a cabin near the Smokies.
Ok, lets try this again.
1) Historical or contemporary-Contemporary has a little more edge over historical for me.
2) Reality or fantasy-Reality
3) Serious or funny-funny
4) Kids or no kids-no kids
5) 1st person or 3rd person-3rd person
6) Explicit or tame-explicit
7) Series or stand alone-series
8) 350 pages or 500 pages-500-the more pages I get to read, the happier I am.
9) City setting or rural-rural
10) Tortured hero or tortured heroine-tortured hero
1)contemporary
2)fantasy have too much reality in real life
3) Serious or funny either depends on the story
4) Kids or no kids either as long as they have real parts and characters just not thrown in there to put in
5) 1st person or 3rd person really no preference. Doesn’t even register on my radar as long as the story is good.
6) Explicit
7) Series or stand alone love both
8) 500 pages the longer the better lol
9) City setting or rural either
10) Tortured hero or tortured heroine either or neither
lol looks like I have a theme going most stuff doesn’t matter as long as the story is good.
1) Contemporary
2) Reality
3) Funny
4) No kids
5) 3rd person
6) Explicit
7) Stand alone
8) 350 pages
9) City
10) Tortured hero
1) contemporary
2) reality
3) funny
4) no kids
5) 3rd person
6) explicit
7) stand alone
8) 350 pages
9) rural
10) tortured hero
1) Historical or contemporary = historical. Something about romance in a bygone era with courtship and chivalry that deeply appeals to me.
2) Reality or fantasy = reality. Fantasy requires a stretch of imagination that I perhaps don’t have.
3) Serious or funny = Funny. Laughter is the best medicine. A book that makes me laugh will sit in my bookshelf longer than any other.
4) Kids or no kids = No kids. Life’s complicated enough without them.
5) 1st person or 3rd person = 3rd person. 1st person doesn’t give a clearer picture, it’s too close to the character.
6) Explicit or tame = a happy balance would be my pick.
7) Series or stand alone = Stand alone. I can never remember to buy the next one and so feel frustrated thinking about what could be!
8) 350 pages or 500 pages – 500. I can savor a book more than way.
9) City setting or rural = City. Rural is something I’m unfamiliar with and really don’t get.
10) Tortured hero or tortured heroine = Heroine. I naturally identify with the female character more than the male.
1) contemporary, sometime need a light read
2) fantasy, love to get lost in an authors made up world
3) funny, love the lol comedies, refeshing
4) no kids
5) 1st person, like to feel like I’m in the book
6) Explicit , the hotter the better
7) Series , it’s fun to see previous characters popping in new books
8) 350 pages
9) City setting , more places to hide
10) Tortured hero
Hugs, Danette
1) Contemporary
2) Fantasy
3) Serious
4) No kids
5) 3rd person
6) Tame
7) Stand-alone
8) 350 pages
9) Rural
10) Tortured heroine
1, 8, and 10 were hard for me.
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9 I’m sure about.
1. contemporary but will read some historical
2. fantasy but reads reality too
3. not sure, probably a mix of both
4. prefer no kids
5. hmmm probably 1st but I am getting burnt out on it lately
6. explicit
7. series depending on author
8. hmm again depends on author some write better shorter probably longer though
9. setting doesn’t matter to me but most books I have read are in a city
10. tortured hero every time!
easiest one/top one was #6 and 10
1) contemporary
2) fantasy
3) funny
4) Kids
5) 1st person
6) Explicit
7) stand alone
8) 350 pages
9) City setting
10) Tortured hero
Hugssss
LindaH
1) contemporary
2) Reality
3) funny
4) no kids
5) 3rd person
6) Explicit
7) stand alone
8) 350 pages
9) rural
10) Tortured hero
1) contemporary
2) Reality
3) funny
4) No Kids- This one is hard, love books with kids also.
5) 3rd person
6) Explicit
7) Series
8) 350 pages
9) Rural
10) Tortured hero, nothing like a brooding man.
1. Historical
2. reality
3. serious
4. no kids
5. 3rd person
6. Explicit
7. Series
8. 350 pages
9. Either
10. Tortured hero
Hi Janice,
1) Contemporary
2) Reality
3) Both serious and funny
4) No kids
5) 3rd person
6) Explicit
7) Series
8) 350 pages
9) City setting
10) Tortured hero
1. Contemporary
2. Realistic
3. Serious
4. No Kids
5. 3rd Person
6. Tame
7. Stand Alone
8. 500 Pages
9. City
10. Tortured Hero
Great poll, Janice! Here are my answers:
1) Contemporary because it’s easier to get through the language for me
2) Reality because I can imagine myself as a part of the story
3) Serious– For romance, I find the serious ones are the ones I find myself reading multiple times
4) No kids
5) 3rd person definitely. I find myself really turned off (especially lately) by first person even when the premise of the boo
6) Tame
7) Series because it gives me a chance to really get to know the characters and to revisit them in future stories:)
8) 350 pages because these days I barely have time to read as it is and I can finish a 350-page book quicker.
9) City setting
10) Tortured Hero
argh, I cut off my answer to 5. It should say:
5) 3rd person definitely. I find myself really turned off (especially lately) by first person even when the premise of the book sounds really interesting to me.
1) contemporary
2) Reality
3) funny
4) no kids
5) 3rd person
6) Explicit
7) stand alone
8) 350 pages
9) rural
10) Tortured hero
1. Contemporary
2. fantasy
3. serious
4. NO KIDS!!
5. 3rd person
6. explicit
7. series
8. 350 pages
9. city
10. tortured hero
Wow, everyone likes a toturted hero!
1) Historical
2) Fantasy
3) Serious (only very few authors can really pull off humor)
4) No kids
5) 1st person
6) Tame
7) Series
8) 500 pages
9) City
10) Tortured heroine
But I found it difficult to decide on 1), 9) and 10).
1) contemporary
2) fantasy
3) funny
4) no kids
5) 1st person or 3rd person- both
6) Explicit
7) Series or stand alone- both
8) 350 pages
9) City setting or rural- both
10) Tortured hero
Several of you have posted answers that say – “either”, “both”, “it depends”… etc.
That’s fine for the purposes of commenting, but in order for me to tally the poll and in order for you to be entered for the prize, you HAVE to select only one answer in the beginning for each question…
If you have some numbers that did not give just ONE answer, please redo your list so I can count your choices and enter you for the prize!!
Thanks,
Janice 🙂
Just re post the whole list or is there a way to edit it.
Thanks!
Jambrea – There might be a way to edit, but I don’t know how – sorry. If you repost, I’ll just look at the last one!
Thanks,
Janice
1) Contemporary
2) Reality
3) Serious
4) No kids
5) 3rd person
6) Explicit
7) Stand alone
8) 350 pages
9) Rural
10) Tortured hero
Here are my answers when forced to choose only one. 🙂
1) contemporary
2) fantasy
3) Serious or funny
Funny. I don’t mind a little seriousness, but it needs to have the funny.
4) Kids or no kids
No kids
5) 3rd person
6) Explicit
7) Series
8) 350 pages
9) City setting
10) Tortured hero
Gotcha! Jambrea…
Thanks,
janice 🙂
1. contemporary
2. fantasy
3. Serious
4. no kids
5. 3rd person
6. Explicit
7. stand alone
8. 350 pages
9. City setting
10. Tortured hero
Thanks Janice. Oh, and can you say if By Appointment Only is also an anthology or a single title? Either way, looking forward to it!
1) contemporary
2) fantasy
3) funny
4) no kids
5) 1st person
6) Explicit
7) stand alone
8) 350 pages
9) rural
10) Tortured hero
1) Historical or contemporary
***Historical lately has been ones i’m reading. I hate to answer just one because I love to read a variety. And I go all over the place with what I read so that I don’t get burned out in a genre
2) Reality or fantasy
***I like the reality when it comes to like an intense romance suspense. I love those lately. I never realize how hard it was to answer these until I really thought about them.
3) Serious or funny
***Serious. I love a good intense read. I too will look for a funny read and it really helps my mood.
4) Kids or no kids
***No kids. I don’t care for them in a romance. I think the story is about the relationship. A family story would be in a woman’s fiction or something.
5) 1st person or 3rd person
***Mostly 3rd person. I’ve find that first person mostly in urban fantasy and those types of reads, rather that a historical romance or erotica romance.
6) Explicit or tame
***Explict. Love them very sensual. Love the tension as it builds through the stories.
7) Series or stand alone
***Both. I love a series because I don’t like to leave the characters, the theme, the setting with one book. I then again enjoy a stand alone so that I know that if I haven’t read the other before, I can start out with one I find instead of having to find the first in the series.
8) 350 pages or 500 pages
***Both 🙂 really I love a good huge read but too love my usual normal novel length.
9) City setting or rural
***Oh rural! I love cabin reads, too love ranch and cowboy settings.
10) Tortured hero or tortured heroine
***Definitely tortured hero! I think its because I want to e in love with the hero, LOL.
Here are my corrected answers. 🙂
1. Historical
2. reality
3. serious
4. no kids
5. 3rd person
6. Explicit
7. Series
8. 350 pages
9. City
10. Tortured hero
1) Contemporary.
2) Fantasy.
3) Funny!
4) No kids
5) 3rd person
6) Explicit
7) Series.
8) 350 pages
9) City.
10) Tortured heroine.
There you go! 🙂
Hey, ladies… if you’re on the Scamps loop you saw that I had the unexpected opportunity to come to New Orleans for Mardi Gras! I’m staying with my cousin and his wife, and they are showing me the town… 🙂
I wasn’t able to bring all my paperwork with me re this contest, so if you can hang on until Friday evening, I’ll announce the winner and also reveal the poll results.
Since I said Sunday evening was the cut-off, Wendy’s #40 comment will be the last entry. I’ll get my hubby to draw a winner on Friday.
And to answer Allison’s question, By Appointment Only is a single title. In the beginning, NAL wanted the three in one format… but now I think the market is shifting away from that and they want all single titles! And I am happy about that… BAO is a very hot book… I loved writing it…
Talk to you on Friday!
Thanks,
Janice M.
1) Historical or contemporary: hmm, contemporary
2) Reality or fantasy: fantasy, i live in reality. hehe
3) Serious or funny: funny! gotta love a comedy!
4) Kids or no kids: no kids
5) 1st person or 3rd person: 1st
6) Explicit or tame: hmm, tame
7) Series or stand alone: series. I always want more!
8) 350 pages or 500 pages: 500! i love to read!
9) City setting or rural: hmm, rural
10) Tortured hero or tortured heroine: ooh, torture the hero! hehe
thanks!
Katie