36 Responses to “A Little Something New”

1. Fantasy / Time Travel / Paranormal / Medieval / Historical / Erotica … I guess you might say I like a verity of romance. I collect a lot of different ones, then choose what I will read next. I like to switch, not stay on the same type of romance all the time. This way I can collect a whole series from one author before I start to read the story. When an author writes a book and she has 3 or 4 books in the series I like to read them all one right after the other. Unless I happen to get into one of her new series. Then I can’t wait for the next book to come out.

   by Tammy G. on June 20th, 2006 at 7:11 am
   
   

2. They have, and they haven’t, but I think it’s for a few valid reasons. One: I have been a huge fan of Judith McNaught & Suzanne Brockmann for years, but neither writes more than one book ayear, if that, so that means I’ve had to broaden my tastes.

   Lori Foster is a staple. She still writes wonderful comtemporary stories with lots of family elements. Now I’ve added LuAnn McLane, Janice Maynard, and Dianne Castell to that list.

   I find I still really enjoy historicals, but Judith has changed to Lisa Kleypas, and for romantic suspense, no one has captured my attention as completely as Brockmann, but I really enjoy JD RObb’s In Death series and Lucy Monroe’s mercenary books. Speaking of Lucy, I used to read Harlequin Presents years ago, and then stopped. Lucy lured me back to them LOL.

   I also find I really enjoy humor in my romances, and Erin McCarthy, Karen Kelley, and MaryJanice Davidson fit the bill. And the more erotic stories from Ellora’s Cave, such as authors Shiloh Walker and Lora Leigh. I like the steamier, sexy stories because they are really hot (!) yet are still romances in my book - there is a HEA in the sense that the h/h end up together at the end.

   So yeah, they have changed. But still they stay the same - if that makes sense LOL.

   by Stacy ~ on June 20th, 2006 at 7:12 am
   
   

3. When I first started reading romance, I fell in love with historicals and wouldn’t venture away from those. I would search out every medieval story I could find. I tried a few contemporaries and I didn’t like them. Eventually, having read so many along with a push from friends, I went back to contemporaries and got hooked on those. Maybe the first ones I read weren’t good or it just wasn’t something that interested me at the time.

   I’m a relatively new reader of paranormal romance. Some I’ve read were really good and some were so far out there that I couldn’t understand the world that was created.

   by KimW on June 20th, 2006 at 7:13 am
   
   

4. Hi, my favorites are contemporaries. I love comedic (Susan Donovan, Lori Foster) , suspense (Metsy Hingle), touching elements with romance like Catherine Anderson or Kathleen Korbel’s A Rose for Maggie, or just plain romance with none of the above elements.

   I am always trying new authors (found a good one - HelenKay something or other - she is very good).

   I first started with Susan Brown and when I finished all of hers had to find others; started next with Debbie Macomber and went on from there. I like to mix up the types for variety.

   You always give away such generous prizes. Thank you.

   by Pat on June 20th, 2006 at 7:51 am
   
   

5. I first started with Historicals, the typical authors: Julie Garwood, Johanna Lindsey and Jude Deveraux.

   Then I started to read English originals and I added Paranormals/Futuristics/ Fantasy to my list.

   A friend of mine nagged me to try out Suz Brockmann’s Tall Dark and Dangerous series, but I wasn’t sure if I would like straight Contemporaries and eventually I gave in and I got hooked.

   The newest addition (okay not so new anymore) are Erotic Romances.

   I love to change the genre after I finished a book, because otherwise it can get boring when you just read one specific genre.

   by Danny on June 20th, 2006 at 8:14 am
   
   

6. I have always been a big fan of historicals and contemporaries. In the last few years, I have been reading more paranormals and have started reading some chick lit.
   I really haven’t changed my choices but have added more.

   by Crystal B. on June 20th, 2006 at 8:27 am
   
   

7. I try to read a little bit of everything(romance, suspense, historicals,paranormals, comtemp’s) but I havn’t read any of those 5 books yet:D

   by Kathleen on June 20th, 2006 at 8:29 am
   
   

8. I too started with the authors you named along with : Nora Roberts, Elizabeth Lowell, Heather Graham and Sandra Brown.
   I’ve added several others: Kat Martin, Jill Shalvis, Alison Kent, Lori Foster, Suzanne McMinn just to name a afew.
   Ive always liked the Sil/Harl romances..
   Recently I’ve tried a couple paranormals: Lori Handeland’s ” Hunters Moon” and Sherilyn Kenyon’s “Night Pleasures”. I’m also going to read Kerilyn Spark’s “How to Marry a Millionaire”. I’d love to try more!

   by Laurie on June 20th, 2006 at 9:21 am
   
   

9. I think it is interesting that so many people start out reading historicals then broaden out. I did the same. I started eith historicals ans then discovered paranormal romance. Before i read romances I read fantasy and sci-fi but I readlized my favorite books were the ones that had some romance in them. So I tried out historicals, because I did not know any other genre because historicals were what my mother read. Then i found paranormal romances and fell in love (I love angela knight, laurell k hamilton, moning, handeland, feehan, kenyon, gena showalter) I also read some historicals and a lot of contemps for variety and I have found some authors that i love in those genres. (ie. Lori Foster, Suzanne Brockmann, stella cameron, jane ann krentz, elizabeth lowell, susan donovan)

   by Kris on June 20th, 2006 at 9:39 am
   
   

10. I started with the Zebra Historicals… I liked ‘em thick and with lotsa sex, and my experience with contemporary was mostly of the Danielle Steel and Judith Krantz variety, and they just weren’t romantic enough for me.. Then I moved into categories and went through a serious romantic suspense period… Now, I try and broaden my horizons and read a little bit of everything. Oddly enough, tho I never would have thought it, I’m moving more and more into paranormal. I think I’ve found a couple of really good authors who have done such a good job of pulling me into their worlds (Michelle Rowen, MJD, LKH, Lynsay Sands)… and I like the humour part. But it is very interesting to see the span my tastes have taken over the years, (which is vastly apparent on my overstuffed bookshelves )

    by Lara Rose on June 20th, 2006 at 9:52 am
    
    

11. When I started reading romances, I read mostly series romances such as Harlequin Intrigues and the old Silhouette Shadows. I’ve always liked romances with danger and suspense mixed in. My reading preferences have changed in which I read a lot more mystery series now. A lot of Berkley Prime Crime and Signet novels.
    I also read more mainstream romantic suspense and several contemporary novels. When I’m in the mood, a good paranormal romance is one of my favorites as well.

    by Sandra M. on June 20th, 2006 at 10:07 am
    
    

12. When I couldn’t read books in English I read mostly historicals and contemporaries in my own mother tongue, but ever since I’ve been able to read an entire book without the dictionary in another hand I’ve read mainly Harlequin Intrigues. I still like historicals and contemporaries and I’ve also started to read Fantasy, Time Travel and Paranormal romances.

    by Minna on June 20th, 2006 at 10:26 am
    
    

13. I pretty much started with historicals and that was mostly what I read. Then a friend loaned me a JAK contemporary. That changed the rules completely! I loved her quirky characters, so I started looking for humor in my romances. Then I tried
    Anne Rice…not romance by any means, but it moved me into the paranormal genre.
    Then I discovered that my favorite romance writers were branching out into
    suspense! I felt like I had hit the jackpot! Now I read just about anything in any genre, but paranormals are still one of my favorites…even if it has just a hint of “otherworldliness” I love it! I am addicted to Sherrilyn Kenyon, MJD, Kim Harrison, and Laurel K. Hamilton (Merry not Anita!)…just to name a few.

    by Angie on June 20th, 2006 at 10:39 am
    
    

14. I don’t think my tastes have changed, because for me to keep a book the characterization, dialogue, plotting… in short, the author’s voice, still has to drag me into the story and not let go until it’s done. What *has* changed over time is my bookbuying budget.

    At the time and place I started reading romance, category contemporary was what I could afford and so it was what I read. When that changed, my reading horizons widened. I could afford to look for favorite authors’ backlists, often finding that why, they wrote in other genres and for other imprints, and through them finding new favorite authors whose backlists I needed to check out and… and I now read from a wide variety of subgenres.

    Of course, all things are cyclical and I’m back to the small bookbuying budget but oh well!

    by azteclady on June 20th, 2006 at 10:39 am
    
    

15. When i first started reading romances I started with Harleuin and Silhouette romances as a preteen. I eventually became a huge fan of Diana Palmers and Julie Garwoods books. I still dig into some of Diana Palmer’s books. I have a few on my TBR pile right now. However, since Julie Garwood got away from her Scottish historicals I have been gradually getting away from reading her books. As I have gotten older I have taken the time to try more new authors. The addition of more paranormals and the Luna line have added to the variety in the books I read. It is great, although rather expensive, to be able to try new authors all the time. it is great feeling when I am able to add what I consider gems such as Christine Feehan, Gena Showalter, Robin Owens, Catherine Asaro, Anne Kelleher, etc. as must buys to your list. I love having a variety to choose from in the market and look forward to seeing new authors come out with some original new plots.

    by Cherie Japp on June 20th, 2006 at 10:46 am
    
    

16. Sadly, I have all except the Kerrelyn Sparks book! And I didn’t buy it because I didn’t really like the first book.

    My reading tastes have changed. When I first started reading romance, I sorta read on the fringe. I stayed away from the big names, because it was almost like that would be admitting that I really was a romance reader. So I read almost exclusively historical romances. And…almost all of those were Avons. But that’s where I found Julia Quinn and fell in love with the Bridgertons!

    It took me a very long time to read contemporary romance. It was historicals, then SF romance and paranormals. But I’m branching out. And even starting to read some of the “big” names. Read an Amanda Quick last week and I’m almost done with Mackenzie’s Mountain, my very first Linda Howard.

    by Nicole on June 20th, 2006 at 11:36 am
    
    

17. I lke rom. suspense and suspense and do like trying new authors. It is always a nice surprise to find a new author.

    by Karen on June 20th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
    
    

18. I have found my tastes changing too. I started with historical romances and read only them for years (still love them), but about a year or so ago, I began to read more contemporary romances and other genres. I have even begun to read paranormal and more erotic stories. I will read pretty much any genre of romance now as long as the story is interesting.

    by Jennifer Y. on June 20th, 2006 at 1:13 pm
    
    

19. When I started reading romances, it was historical romances. I read them for a couple of years. Then, I started reading mysteries. I found out the ones I enjoyed reading most were romantic suspense. Within in the last couple of years, I have started reading all kinds of genres. Romanctic suspense, contemporaries, paranormals, fantasy, and some sci-fi’s. Every once in a while, I will read historical romance. I usually read one genre and then the next book go on to another genre.

    by Amy S. on June 20th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
    
    

20. I read a variety of different types of romances. What I am most interested in is the story. Give me a good plot and characters and I am happy. If I read I book that I enjoyed then I am going to look for that author and it doesn’t matter what type of romance they have written.

    by Maureen on June 20th, 2006 at 2:03 pm
    
    

21. Actually, when I found paras, I soon stopped reading anything but paras–within the romance genre. I do pick up the odd romantic suspense or contemp, but usually I stick to para/SFF romance.

    I love love love Lilith Saintcrow.

    by May on June 20th, 2006 at 2:58 pm
    
    

22. my taste has not changed i read only contemp novels , romantic suspense and series books. i can’t get into paranormal or historcal.:roll:

    by KIM H on June 20th, 2006 at 3:30 pm
    
    

23. I started out reading romance books as a teenager. Over the years(many of them) I progressed to romantic suspense an now to paranormal romances. I think the sameness of the romance books led me to to the suspense and ditto the suspense to the paranormal.

    by Estella Kissell on June 20th, 2006 at 3:48 pm
    
    

24. I think it’s fun to read all different types of books!!! So I have not experienced changes in the types of books I read since it changes all the time:D.

    by Patricia on June 20th, 2006 at 10:28 pm
    
    

25. I started with the gothics. I read Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney and Mary Stewart. Then I moved on to the historicals. I read Kathleen Woodweiss, Rosemary Rodgers, Nora Roberts, Julie Garwood and many more. After that I got into romantic suspense. I read a lot of those but continue to read historicals too. I’ve only read a few paranormals and even less with vampires. I guess that is a genre that I should try reading more often.

    by Carol on June 21st, 2006 at 8:14 am
    
    

26. When I first stared reading I read romance, autobiographies, woman’s fiction, chick lit, thrillers and many more. My tastes have changed and romance is what I read now on a regular basis. I typically read contemporary romance. I haven’t read a lot in the paranormal genre. I have some titles written on my list to buy on a future trip to the bookstore.

    by Karen G on June 21st, 2006 at 9:10 am
    
    

27. I used to read only historical romance but now I’m reading contemps, paranormals, suspense and even inspirationals. No matter the genre, what makes an outstanding romance for me is a flowing, engaging author voice, a strong emotional connection/chemistry between the protagonists, well fleshed out characters and witty dialogue that blend seamlessly with the narrative.

    by Jenny on June 21st, 2006 at 11:54 am
    
    

28. I like to try new authors and new types of books from time to time. Thanks for offering these books. Havent read vamps yet.

    by Helen Mac on June 21st, 2006 at 9:24 pm
    
    

29. I havent tried vamps yet either. Like to try different books - biographies, romance, suspense, general fiction, courtroom stuff, etc.

    by Joanne V. on June 24th, 2006 at 2:18 pm
    
    

30. Hi HelenKay!

    My reading preferences are not changing, so much as they are expanding. I still love contemporary romance, historical romance, mainstream fiction, and suspense. Lately, I have added more paranormal romance and chick lit. I have not stopped reading any of the genres and subgenres that I have always loved. I just keep finding new genres that adore as well. You know, variety, spice of life, and all that. In other words, my “to buy list” will soon be as thick as WAR AND PEACE lol.

    by Zara on June 25th, 2006 at 4:22 am
    
    

31. I like all types of books, am willing to try almost anything if it is recommended or if it looks good.

    by Maria on June 25th, 2006 at 10:43 am
    
    

32. I have always read a bit of every genre. This has not changed. I just want a good book to read.

    by Little Lamb Lost on June 25th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
    
    

33. I am partial to contemporaries and that has not changed. Also enjoy a good western historical. I will try something different it has been recommended.

    by Helen L. on June 25th, 2006 at 7:47 pm
    
    

34. I am sooooo late. I could blame my deadline or the gather-the-animals-and-head-to-the-Ark rain we’ve experienced lately…or I could admit I forgot. Yeah, it’s that last one. Sorry.

    The winner of the paranormal pack is - Estella Kissell (comment #23). YAY! Email me at helenkay@helenkaydimon.com with your mailing information.

    by HelenKay on July 2nd, 2006 at 10:17 am
    
    

35. wtg estella

    by kim h on July 2nd, 2006 at 5:24 pm
    
    

36. Congrats, Estella!

    by Carol on July 2nd, 2006 at 6:31 pm