Comments on: 18 Really Awesome Things About the Romance Community

By: Lynne Connolly

Lynne Connolly — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:58:00 +0000

Being able to live half a world away and still to join in on the awesomeness that is romance.
Making bestest friends with people online, then meeting them and finding out they really are that lovely.
Writing books that are read worldwide, because they come out in e.

By: Corrine E. Lagacy

Corrine E. Lagacy — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:14:53 +0000

Not to sound too over-dramatic but romance basically saved my life - twice. Once when I was a depressed 16-year-old and I picked up a copy of Nora Roberts' Public Secrets and had my eyes opened to a world of love and hope. And once again when I was an unemployed 20-year-old needing a creative outlet and the lightbulb flashed that I could actually write this stuff. Even though I'm not published yet, the romance genre has given me something which makes me wake up each morning. In the community, I've made a lot of friends and received a lot of good recommendations, so much that my TBR shoebox is overflowing everywhere.

By: Angela

Angela — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:39:02 +0000

The romance genre not only renewed my love for reading, but the online community has given me a place to just veg out when procrastinating and when I’m supposed to be working. lol

By: Janine

Janine — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 03:35:15 +0000

Emerging from a pile of tax forms to finally read this post, wave and say, awesome post, Jane!

I really needed this one since I too have been getting burned out on scandals lately.

Okay, many others have said it, but it bears repeating. Friends. Reader friends, blogger friends, writer friends. Isn’t it great how love of books can bring people together? How enthusiasm for them can bring out the best side of our self? And how the people we share these experiences with can lead us to more books we love, repeating this cycle over and over?

I think it’s great, anyway.

I’m also grateful, as always, for the books themselves. There’s nothing better than that feeling of starting a new book and falling into it completely.

By: Kaitlin

Kaitlin — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:18:49 +0000

You know, this entry was really needed! There’s too much drama & sometimes we just need to remember the light-hearted, fun stuff!

I’d say the best things for me are the community “spirit” and the camaraderie of the romance community. I’ve met some awesome people via blogs & eharlequin. Without them, I’d honestly feel like a total loser. :P It’s so nice to know that there are so many other people out there who are basically just like me! :D

By: carolyn Jean

carolyn Jean — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:26:49 +0000

What a great idea for a post. I think it exemplifies part of what I love about this whole world full of wonderful books and really cool women and men – it’s going through problems and coming out better, and caring about things and each other.

By: Sarah Frantz

Sarah Frantz — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:13:30 +0000

Ooh, we got mentioned! Maybe we should actually update our blog. 8-0

By: Nalini Singh

Nalini Singh — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:26:03 +0000

I third, fourth, fifth, the people and the fun.

By: Jana Oliver

Jana Oliver — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:50:34 +0000

Lego Porn. Now I’ve seen it all. *reaches for the closest bottle of single malt*

I second Robin’s assessment that the “crappy stuff is easier to take when there's a community of people willing to talk about it, commiserate, appeal for change, or just create some real awareness. So in a way it's all good, even when it's not.”

Stuff always hits the fan. Friends tell you to duck. Or at least help you clean up the mess afterward.

By: Bev Stephans

Bev Stephans — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 21:44:58 +0000

I am so thankful for blogs like Dear Author. I have found some wonderful new authors that I might have overlooked. I have become enraged over plagiarism, smiled at funny cats, disgusted with Amazon’s reviewing policies and enlightened in so many ways.

Keep up the good work.

By: (JÄn)

(JÄn) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:23:54 +0000

Yeah, I didn’t mention it because Tokyo Babylon is only m/m in the least connotation of what that means. It’s more of an unrequited attraction for another’s power, at least until the end and later in other series. Ilona, the story is about an evil man who worms his way in between a brother and sister because he’s hungry for the power the brother holds. But in the end, the love of the brother and sister prevails. It’s very moving and angst-ridden and melodramatic *and* fashion conscious LOL – you know, teenage girl material.

I need to go re-read it. ;D

By: Liviania

Liviania — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:33:48 +0000

Ilona, if she likes XXXholic then she would probably like Tokyo Babylon by the same authors (and it's complete in English).

Great suggestions, but I thought I might add a warning that Tokyo Babylon is m/m. (It’s also the gateway drug to the unfinished X/1999. I do recommend the X anime – TV series, not the OVA.)

What I love most about the romance community?

It’s ability to laugh at itself. Other genres often take themselves to seriously.

By: SB Sarah

SB Sarah — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:14:46 +0000

Jane! Jane is awesome with side order of awesome and extra sauce! And the fact that the internet is so big we can do our things in our own autonomous worlds so similarly and yet be so different. Or something like that. Y’all is awesome.

So, yeah, Jane et all Jayniajiajanetjehosephats are the awesome.

(OMG can I join your ranks and instead of Jarah be “Jehosephat,” please?)

Ok, all these late nights have made me punchy.

By: K. Z. Snow

K. Z. Snow — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:40:28 +0000

And what’s more uplifting than discovering that sex and romance are possible at any time, under any circumstances, with any creature, in any dimension? Yeah, baby, take me away!

By: CJ England

CJ England — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:38:58 +0000

I’ve been in the industry for over two years, but I just discovered blog world. (Call me slow) That has been very helpful to me. I’ve gotten to know new authors and readers, plus the information received made me, as Jaci mentioned, feel less isolated.

I’m glad for all of it. Thanks!

By: Robin

Robin — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:29:15 +0000

You know, even the crappy stuff is easier to take when there’s a community of people willing to talk about it, commiserate, appeal for change, or just create some real awareness. So in a way it’s all good, even when it’s not.

By: Mad

Mad — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:58:56 +0000

I have to say it’s the friends…I consider some of my BFF ladies that I met online when I first came on in 1999 and even though we haven’t met face to face, I truly think of them as some of my best friends. We’ve been through a lot in the last few years.

By: CC

CC — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:40:19 +0000

the sharing and the fun and the sense of belonging-

I love author fan groups and how they can morph from people who enjoy a single author to a wonderful supportive, often international, group of friends

will write for wine is my favorite podcast, I love how Lani and Sam discuss the process of writing, but there are so many out there that deal with romance and books that my TBR pile will never disappear

By: Wendy

Wendy — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:35:31 +0000

Being converted. I “rediscovered” the genre thanks to the online community (which in those days was TRR, AAR and Mrs. Giggles!) back in 1999 and was immediately hooked. Once my obsession grew, it was through the online community that I hooked up with other readers who shared the same passion for the genre that I did. Until I “met” many online readers, and later reader bloggers in person, there was no one within my personal sphere (family or friends) that read and loved the genre as much as I do. And dang, a librarian NEEDS to talk about books like a fish needs to swim. Y’all have kept me from climbing the walls.

By: Shannon C.

Shannon C. — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:34:10 +0000

I don’t really have anything new to add here. I love that I’ve met such wonderful people since I started hanging out on these blogs, and that Jane, SB Sarah and Sybil are completely approachable. I love the recs for new books and have found new authors to glom thanks to reader recommendations. I, too, love ebooks, and I think we’re going to see some huge leaps forward in that direction once the dust settles.

I find the industry stuff fascinating, too. I’m an aspiring writer who really needs a good shove in the having discipline department, but at least I know how to research publishers when the time comes that I do have a submission.