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Welcome to the Spring Fling Blog Hop happening March 20-23. For a full list of participants, visit Romance Blog Hops. There are over 100 blogs, so that means lots of great prizes at each stop so be sure to check them out!
Today, I've been thinking a lot about how I ended up as a romance author, meaning the books that influenced and inspired me to write. But more than that, these books inspired me to become a READER first. So, I've dug through my boxes of books that contain all of my keepers. Oh, I wish I had a room filled with shelves to display all these wonderful gems! I love to pull these books out and reminisce. It's like visiting old friends.
The first romance novel I ever read was The Romance of the Rose by Claire Delacroix. I bought it at the Hills Department store that was about a ten minute walk from my house. I can't remember exactly how old I was, somewhere between 12-15. It was after my mom died, which is one of the reasons I picked up this book.
My mother was an avid romance reader and I missed her so much. The only think I could thing of to be closer to her was to read a romance novel. It was something I'd seen her do for as long as I could remember. I used to tease her about the covers of the half-naked men and women (this was the '80s). She never hid the covers nor did she make any excuses for reading them. They were enjoyable stories. So enjoyable, she had a whole room devoted to her books. Yes, my mother had a library in our small four bedroom house. My father built the bookshelves and she filled them completely!
So, I wanted to share something with her since I missed her so much, but I never expected to become like her with my reading! I became addicted! Every week I'd check the store's shelves for more. But, it wasn't fast enough for me, so I subscribed to Harlequin Historicals to have the books delivered directly to my house. What a joy that was to receive that box of books each month! And so began my life as a romance reader. I love romance novels so much that now I write them!
And now, I can share my books with readers! If you're interested, you can find out more about my books here.
PRIZE:
I'm offering a
$10.00 Amazon Gift Certificate.
Just comment on this blog post to be eligible.
The winner will be picked at random.
Answer this:
What was the first romance novel you ever read?
Enter the Rafflecopter
to participate for one of the
GRAND PRIZES:
1 Kindle Fire (Donated by Blushing Books)
1 $75 Amazon (or B&N) Gift Card
1 $25 Starbucks Gift Card (Donated by Sue)
1 $25 Blushing Books Gift Card (Donated by Patty)
Sara-Kate's Spirit Natalie-Nicole Bates it was a very good book. josephhawkshaw@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteWow! I really have to think on that. I think my first romance was a story by Jude Deveraux.
ReplyDeleteDark.gypsy.princess@gmail.com
I sneak-read Judith Krantz's I'LL TAKE MANHATTAN when I was in grade school!
ReplyDeletevitajex(at)Aol(Dot)com
I think my first romance was Olivia and Jai by Rebecca Ryman.
ReplyDeleteLmackesy@gmail.com
I think it was The Flame and The Flower, it's been a LONG time. Momma read avidly too, though not the ones with half-nekkid men on the cover as she told me more than once, but never stopped me Thanks! steelestories@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteSounds like your mother was a real romanceaholic. The Witch of Blackbird Pond which I read from my 8th grade reading list was not a romance, but it had romance in it and I was hooked.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't neccessarily classify Rosemary Rogers' Sweet Savage Love as a romance; it was more of a Western pany-ripper lol. But after sneaking that form my mom's purse (I was 12) I got on board with Kathleen Woodiwiss. The Wolf and the Dove set me well on the path of historical romance reading.
ReplyDeleteilookfamous at yahoo dot com
My neighbor gave me her copy of Kathleen Woodiwiss's book SHANNA and iI stayed up all night reading it. I was in high school. That started me on reading other historical romances and my next book was by Bertrice Small-the O'Malley series. After that , I was hooked.
ReplyDeleteJWIsley(at)aol(dot)com
I think it was the wolf and the dove by Kathleen Woodiwiss. My Grandmother was the reader and she always let me read at her house. Thanks. Renee
ReplyDeleterameyer.nmb@gmail.com
I can't remember the title but it was by Penny Jordan I was about 16 and my neighbour gave me some romance books she didn't want any more.
ReplyDeleteShirleyAnn@speakman40.freeserve.co.uk
Wow I haven't a clue It has been a LONG time lol
ReplyDeleteIt was a Jude Devereaux book but I read all of hers in a row after that. So I can't recall which came first. :)
ReplyDeleteI used to read all the romance books I could get my hands on when I was younger. I lived on my own at 18, so I didn't spend much time with my parents then. :/
ReplyDeleteI can't remember the title or author of the first romance book I read but I know it was an cowboy harlequin book.
ReplyDeletehumhumbum AT yahoo DOT com
maybe pride and prejudice
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
It was the Twilight series.
ReplyDeletejustjanhvi at gmail dot com
I'm 59 this year I can't remember the first romance book. I do remember the first sexy books I read, the slavery books by Ashley Carter.
ReplyDeletep.winmill@hotmail.com
Maid to Measure by Roberta Leigh, from Harlequin romances series I think.
ReplyDeleteIt was a historical romance, but don't remember which :)
ReplyDeletealinutza4u2004[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]uk
Oh, wow. There's no way I could remember that far back (decades!), plus I used to read so many books in a week that I quit tracking titles. I do remember reading my fair share of Hqn Desires in 6th and 7th grades, though.
ReplyDeleteI don't really remember anymore, though I think it might have been Georgette Heyer's Venetia.
ReplyDeletejmcgaugh (at) semo (dot) edu
I can't remember the title of the book but it was by Penny Jordan and my neighbour gave it to me I must have been about 16.
ReplyDeleteShirleyAnn@speakman40.freeserve.co.uk
I don't remember the name of the book but I remember the author it was Jennifer Blake! Thanks for sharing !
ReplyDeleteamybowens34@yahoo.com
Oh dear, I can hardly remember! It was probably a Danielle Steele as that was my own mother's favorite, although it was just as likely a Mauve Binchy or Mary Higgins Clark because those were my grandmother's favorites and so my mother would read them as well. That is of course if we don't count the Sweet Valley High series...
ReplyDeleteProbably my favorite first romance reads that I remember best were Laverle Spencer, until I discovered Johanna Lindsey, for she forever stole my heart!
I'm not entering but wanted to stop by to say happy spring. :)
The very first romance novel I read was not in English and would fall under the inspirational romance category.
ReplyDeletebituin76 at hotmail dot com
I first romance novel I read was Twilight. It's a very common choice of all romance lovers. Nevertheless, I loved it. :)
ReplyDeleteladyunwritten[AT]gmail[DOT]com
The first one was Sharanna by Katherine Woodwiss. It's been so long ago,
ReplyDelete(1960) so please excuse the spelling. Also Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand which was a kind of romance.
laurellasky@yahoo.com
Star by Danielle Steel
ReplyDeletemagic5905 at embarqmail dot com
I can not remember it's been so many years and I have read 1000's of books sense then. I just no I love romances and I started reading them around 12 years old.
ReplyDeletesasluvbooks at yahoo.com
I've read sooo many books, I cant remember what my 1st romance book i've read was lol.
ReplyDeleteThank you for having this giveaway! I hope you have a great weekend! =)
Brandi
BLeigh1130 at yahoo dot com
The first romance book I ever read was Pride and Prejudice. It got me hooked on the genre.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the giveaway. Happy Spring!
I rember staying up all night reading flowers in the atic weather thats a romance I dont know but I read that book and have been hooked on reading ever scince!! I love your story. I was a bit older but still remember buying that book and sitting down to read it. It has stuck with me.
ReplyDeletethank u
badboatygirl@gmail.com
I think something by Nora Roberts.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win!
I don't remember...I was only 7...it was a Harlequin romance that I found in the cabin we were renting for the Summer.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the amazing giveaway!
elizabeth @ bookattict . com
I really can't recall! I know I read a lot of old Harlequins when I was really young..definitely Penny Jordan. Jackie Collins, VC Andrews..those are also possibilities!
ReplyDeletedreammie_angel at yahoo dot com
It was a Nora Roberts Romance..I don't remember exactly which one but i gobbled all of hers up and them moved onto new authors..
ReplyDeleteFroggy
froggarita@gmail.com
I'm afraid I don't remember. Pretty sure it was a Mills & Boon title, though, and a suspenseful read.
ReplyDeleteThank you, and have a happy spring. :)
My first was Savage Surrender by Natasha Peters. I HATED it! The book was terrible. And yet, i was hooked! After i read this one, i picked up a Johanna Lindsey book, LOVED it! I was hooked after that! Thank you! Happy Spring!
ReplyDeleteshadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
I don't remember the first romance novel that I read. :/
ReplyDeleteThe first one that I remember is probably a book by Sherrilyn Kenyon (one of her Dark Hunter series) and I was hooked after that! PNR, my first love!
It would have to had been one of the classics from the Bronte sisters, Austen, or the like. I was so big on classics way back when! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI can't remember my first romance novel. My cousins and I used to sneaked and read my grandmothers Harlequins.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting the giveaway. Fingers crossed to win.
skeeterlee63 [at] gmail.com
Thanks Tricia, just received my prize! So excited!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Felicity! :) Happy Reading!
DeleteThanks to everyone for participating in this blog hop! It was so much fun to find out which romance novels were first read. Thanks so much for sharing! :)
ReplyDelete