I love your cover, and very happy to have you here today. :)

Great story about the bookstore, and it sounds to me like you handled it just right. I bet that dad may buy your book for himself or his wife anyway. :) I would. And I am an old Trixie Belden fan, too -- Nancy Drew was a given, but I actually liked Trixie more. I think it's why I am so hooked, still, on mystery and suspense. I also was a 70s TV detective show addict, LOL.

I can't remember the childhood romance that hooked me, though I started reading them around 12 years old, and read voraciously. All Harlequins. :) But then I didn't read romance for more than a decade, and went back to it in my 30s, and Nora was definitely my reader hook (I can't remember any one, just all of them), and my inspiration for writing, along with Cara Summers, a Blaze author whom I also taught with at the time here in Syracuse. I remember being so stunned to know a real romance author, right in my own teaching department, and then it really kicked in that I could try this. So... my reading and writing kind of all mingled together. :)

Sam

Dont know if it really is considered a romance book, but Sandra Brown's Exclusive. It hooked me to all her other books and had to get my hands on all of her holder romances.

...but Tai Pan and Shogun and all those old James Clavell novels. Also Hawaii, Alaska, etc--all the old Michener novels. I didn't read a romance until Susan Elizabeth Phillips, First Lady. Still my favorite romance novel of all time.

It's fascinating how those old novels read at a *magical* age make an impact. I remember those books better than books I read last week.

Hi Tracy. I have been reading romance novels since I was a preteen. The romances that hooked me on romance were Harlequin Presents by Penny Jordan, Carol Mortimer and Ann Mather.

In my late teens, she used to check out all the Harlequin Presents from the bookmobile. She'd finish one a day. I used to read them after her.

I started with Harlequins (or in my case, Mills & Boon). Since I read my first one 38 years ago, I'm afraid I no longer remember the title but I do remember that her name was Eleanor and his was Kenneth. She was hired as a secretary for his father while all of them were on a cruise.

I can even picture the cover in my mind but I can't pull up the title or author.

Then I went to college and put away romances. Fast forward to my forties and someone gave me a copy of Ransom by Julie Garwood. Oh. My. G-d. I couldn't, and still can't, get enough of romance since then. And, upon further reading, Ransom isn't even the best of Garwood's books but it is the one that hooked me.

And there's been no looking back since then!

ani

Hi Tracy!

Nice to see you here today. :-)

My mom and I shared the Signet Regencies. I have a set of Mary Balogh books that I treasure.

I contend that my first romances were the Black Stallion books, though. They had the strong silent hero and the conflict, etc. Actually, after I graduated from the Black Stallion, I read a lot of Louis L'Amour and Max Brand westerns. It's a very small step from them to romance.

I've always read so much and so much romance, that's it's impossible to really remember the hooker that got me in for good. I'm guessing VC Andrews doesn't really count, but she's why I started reading (cough, and writing) sagas and series. She doomed me. Oh, one that I don't care what anyone says, it's a romance...Dean Koontz "Whispers". That was a romance to ME and an awesome book to boot.

But, er, wow, thinking back no wonder I scared people with my reading choices. Koontz usually isn't a good idea for a pre-teen, lol.

Dee
(who totally would have snuck your book anyway.)

I've been reading for a long time, and I have a terrible memory. This is just to say that I don't remember which romance first hooked me--I know I started with stuff like Sweet Valley High and Silhouette First Love. And a geometry classmate lent me a grown-up romance in high school, and that was a new world ;) I did take a bit of a break in college, but stumbled across Jennifer Crusie's Tell Me Lies at the library and I was hooked all over again. I've collected most of the rest of her books since--very re-readable stories :)

I recall two books that hooked me on reading romance many years ago; both passed on to me by my sister. The first was Shanna by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss and the second, a romantic fantasty novel, House of Scorpio by Pat Wallace. Very different novels but I loved them both at the time. I tried to re-read Shanna a few years ago but didn't have the patience so I guess my tastes have changed. Still, I'm so glad I picked them up when I did.

Tracy, when I was teaching elementary school, I always read-aloud to my second graders, Judy Blume's Tales of a Fourth-Grade Nothing. One day one of these little girls in my class showed up with Judy Blume's Forever. (The story of a teenage girl losing her virginity for those not familiar with it.) I grabbed the book from her, and penned a note to her mom, telling her I hope she didn't think I was overstepping my bounds as a teacher, but that she really MIGHT want to read the book herself before she let her daughter read it.

The mother was flabbergasted, having assumed that if it said Judy Blume on the cover, it was a "kids" book. She thanked me. I'm sure the mother of that young girl would thank you, too.

Susan Gable
A Kid to the Rescue - 4.5 Stars, Top Pick!
H Superromance - Feb 2009

Hi Tracy,
I was introduced to in high school by my older cousin's friend. She lent me a copy of Julie Garwood's "The Bride" and I was hooked. After I did my homework, I would spend the rest of the afternoon and night reading romances. I also enjoyed Jude's Velvet series. Other early favorites include Judith McNaught's "Once and Always" and "Something Wonderful."

Didn't we all read Judy Blume? I loved her books (still do). My first 'romance' was Carly Phillips' "The Bachelor" (a Ripa book club selection). Now, I am totally hooked. My husband laughs at the covers...I don't really care.

I have been reading romance books for over 50 years. I got hooked on romance reading Barbara Cartland books.

Angel's Caress by Deana James

I read it when I was 13 and I've been hooked ever since.

cant rember did love erotic after readin gthe anthology by lori foster and shannon mckenna and suzanne forster
then started loving reading those books

love the cover tracy congrats on teh books and great reviews.

Wow, i've been reading romance for so long that i cant really remember the first book that hooked me. I'm sure it was one of my mothers harelquins, either that or one of her early janet Daily sagas. I just remember falling in love with love, and the happy ever after.

I remember one that i kept re-reading, but cannot remember the writer or title. But it was a short category set on a refurbished southern plantation. The hero owned the plantations, and the heroine was visiting (Why i cannot remember) but what i do remember is the love scene that happend in a chicken coupe. I know it sounds weird, but the old very large coupe had been remodeled and had a secret swimming pool inside, it was so cool. I kept reading it until it fell apart.

Now i read everything i can get my hands on, theres always a romance in my purse. And on occasion a John Saul or dean kootnz as well. Dee, never read whispers yes, will have to pick that one up.
good post.
jody

Oh I know it was a Victoria Holt Gothic romance book! See I discovered hers and had to read ALL of them! I really think it was THE SHIVERING SANDS. I too loved her first book that was recently re-released after many years, THE MISTRESS OF MELLYN. She had lots of those set in castles and governesses and so much more!

Love chatting about romance reads!

Kimh is the winner of Naughty Bits! Congratulations!

way cool thanks tracy cant wiat ot read it very hot

emailed u hope u recevied thanks again