Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels is out in stores everywhere (or should be!), so let’s celebrate with HUGE GIVEAWAYNESS OF AWESOME!
So many authors contributed to EIKAL, and shared such amazing and valuable stories about their own experiences with romance that I wanted to celebrate EIKAL’s release with a GIANT BASKET of every author’s book that I could get my hands on.
PLUS, if you’re curious about digital reading, you get a choice of those, too (thanks to Jeaniene Frost for the idea!).
Here’s the deal: leave a comment, and tell me one thing you’ve learned from romances – silly, sad, serious, wtfish, whatever – and you’re entered to win.
This contest is open to anyone anywhere, including the space station (Hi Astronauts!), and I will ship internationally. You must be 18 or over, and this is void where prohibited. The comments are open from now until noon EDT, Tuesday 11 October.
What do you win?
Your choice of:
or
A Sony Reader PRS-T1BC with WiFi
This contest is open to anyone worldwide where permitted, but it is the winner’s responsibility to make sure the device selected will work in their location.
BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE. A LOT MORE.
I’m giving away books from every author whose words appear in the book, as well as some kind folks who have hosted giveaways of EIKAL of their own awesome volition. And books that I think you’ll like. Hell, if it’s a romance that’s spiffy and it’s not glued down, it’s going in the box. I’m putting as many books as I possibly can in one box, y’all. I think this might require more than one box. Or a bigger boat.
Some have been sent from the authors themselves (thank you!!) and others I’ve been collecting. There’s a bobble head in there, too, and something from every genre.
Here’s a look at the Basket Of Awesome so far—and please note: as books come in to Bitchery HQ, I will be adding to this list, so there will likely be more. You might want to sit down. This list is unreal.
Note: some of these books, including 4 of the Carr novels, the Crusie omnibus, the Christina Dodd books and the Bujold hardcover are signed by the authors. Not like they all signed each other’s books, but you get the idea.
And there’s some EXTRA BONUS AWESOME:
You’ll get a copy of the three-armed lady!
And a Robyn Carr deluxe backpack, t-shirt and set of Jack’s Bar coasters:
And a Nora Roberts bobblehead – new in box and SIGNED by Nora!
I’ll be adding to this list as books arrive – and there’s always a chance for bonus swag. Can you tell I’m having a lot of fun putting this together? I’m so excited about EIKAL’s release – and I wanted to have as big a celebration as possible here. Thanks for partying with me.
Congratulations on the latest book!
I have learned that sometimes the handsome prince needs his strong, intelligent woman to help him out. And sometimes the strong, intelligent woman needs her handsome prince to rescue her. A little give and take is good for everyone.
Mazal tov on the book release!
I’ve learned many things from reading romance novels but perhaps the most important thing is that being honest about your feelings (and your name, and your relationship to the people around you :-> ) is the best way to go through life: it saves a lot of heartache and confusion, and almost always wins you the partner of your dreams!
WOW! Holy Awesomeness Sarah! This is an amazing giveaway.
What have I learned from romance novels?
Once I start one I can’t put it down until I get to the HEA and there is always a HEA.
Happy Days!
Helen R-S said:
I learned the same thing! I also learned that it is bad form to compare a woman’s muffin to a horse’s mouth…
I have learned that though some make me laugh, and some make me cry. When I read the last page they always make me smile.
I learned that I do not have an obligation to be ashamed of what I do and read.
I learned that high-strung, anxious heroines can save their own damned selves and that I deserve better romantic leads than they sometimes get. I deserve one of the really good Jennifer Crusie heroes. Cal and Shane set that bar *high*.
I learned, or rather had the setup to realize, that my current house is a Nora Roberts trilogy. We plotted it out one night. We figured out my two roommates’ stories, though the time-sensitive one hasn’t happened yet (we have roughly a month to get a new neighbor interested in soccer), and mine seems to have changed some.
I learned that there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be happy! (Mostly I mean that I learned to stop being ashamed of reading romances, because there’s nothing wrong with wanting to read books that make me happy.)
Let’s just say that I learned how to make my man very, very happy 🙂
Congrats on the release of your second book. You are amazing – working, writing, blogging, mommy’ing. Doing all these things while still sounding energetic, enthusiastic and sharing the love of romance novels.
I learned not from romance novels, but from their readers… so, SO much, on this wonderful blog!
I love all you chickadees. And mazal tov Sarah on your new baby book!
I have learned that no matter how fucked up and difficult my (love) life seems – with the right kind of imagination it can be even worse.
I may love a guy I can usually only see with the help of a good internet connection & two webcams, with high phone bills because of international calls and a freakish 7 hour time difference – the incredibly high air fares don’t help either 😉
But in the end, neither of us has ever been abducted, been pronounced dead, considered MIA (or even KIA), or worse. Our families aren’t busy with a full-fledged family feud, which makes us pretend to commit suicide in order to escape and live HEA.
And on the much brighter side, it’s always fun to amuse that same guy with all the hilarious plots & the latest euphemism for either of our “privates”
I am so excited for EIKAL to come out!
Romance novels are one of the few places where smart, interesting and witty women of all ages can have their HEA, and it gives me hope. Being bombarded daily with awful women stereotypes on TV and the media – the shallow, the plastic-surgery obsessed, the trashy, etc., it is wonderful to read about someone like ME in a book. So I guess romance novels have taught me that I’m not alone and that there are plenty of complicated, not physically perfect three-dimensional women in the world who feel the same way I do.
I’ve learned that there is no shame in loving a fun story with emotional intensity, some sex, and a happy ending!
This is completely reinforced by the very existence of Smart Bitches. Also, the instructor of my Genre Fiction class in library school LOVED romance and was completely unashamed. Helped me over that hump to accept that romance doesn’t need to be read only at home in private or on an e-reader, where no one can see the cover!
Even though society may not always make you think so, being a bluestocking CAN be sexy. 😉
Congratulations on the release! I have a copy on order at my local independent bookseller.
And what an awesome contest! I’ve learned from romance novels that I’m the heroine of my own story, and that I’m the one responsible for that story.
This might sound a bit obvious, but I learned that love is actually, you know, cool and stuff. There’s no shame in wanting to read a story where two people fall in love.
I learned that you’ve got to communicate your wishes. No man stands a chance if you keep waiting for him to read your mind. And: Yes, there are HEA in real life.
Congratulations!
Romance novels taught me that EVERY woman deserves her own HEA.
Wow! that really is an awesome giveaway, very exciting.
As sad as this sounds but I learnt the difference between sex and making love. I didn’t realise there was a difference untill I read romance novels in my tender teenage years! I learnt far more than just that but we would be here forever if I listed ALL the reasons!
I’ve learned so much about history from reading romance, especially fashions of the times. And I also learned that everything will eventually work out in the end.
I have learned to enjoy reading again.
I have learned that I will get a happily ever after … and I can be strong, not “wishy-washy”, and loved.
I learned that there is no reason to feel embarrassed by or ashamed of wanting to escape into the world the romance novel creates.
The important thing I’m learning from Romance Novels is that it’s ok to give importance to yourself and dude, get a spine. It’s free. And I didn’t realize I had one and it was gradual accumulating to a biiig light bulb moment one day. I’m happy to say that I do, in fact, have a spine now!
I’m so looking forward to your book. And I’m doubly ecstatic that your book is available internationally. Thank you very much for that!
Congrats on the book release. I can’t wait to read it and recommend it to others.
Romance novels taught me that no matter what my mother and I argue about, we always agree that we love the HEA.
I learned the following from romance novels:
1. Smart is sexy
2. Women can have awesome jobs, great self esteem, and a HEA
3. Sexual taboos have changed over time, and there are whole worlds out there that I never knew existed.
4. Never be ashamed by what you are reading!
Congratulations on the release!
I have learned lots from romance novels, but more than anything, I’ve learned that if you bind your breasts, cut your hair short, wear trousers and smudge some dirt on your face everyone will accept that you’re a boy!
What I’ve learned from romance novels? That you shouldn’t need to use “cream” with your wife. Thanks, Hawk’s dad.
Whoa, what an amazing mountain of awesome!
I re-discovered the joy of reading from romance books. I say re-discover because so many years of college textbooks and business books pretty much killed any joy I took in reading. Then a dear friend introduced me to Jennifer Crusie, and the rest is history.
I have a fantastic vocabulary now (not on display here!)…but I also learned that in the choice of two men – one who looks right and does well for himself and the other being a slightly rough and tumble, meet-the-friends-at-the-bar weekly, no “serious” job prospect one….take the rough & tumble. Boring will either be plotting to kill you or steal all your money because he’s actually fronting or just basically a douchebag. Rough & tumble will love you forever, take care of your whims, clean your house and raise an awesome toddler.
Romance novels have taught me that women can be strong in so many different ways and happy endings can cheer up the most dire days.
Congrats on EIKAL!
I learned that everything always works out in the end.
I learned it’s ok to really really like sex. It doesn’t make you a bad girl or mean that something is wrong with you. It’s just an awesome part of being a woman.
(I’m so excited for this incredible giveaway!)
Thanks for a great contest!
I learned, from romance novels, long ago, that a good story is a good story regardless of packaging.
What I learned from romance? I’m doing it right, even though we got married 21 days after our first date, we’re going on 23 years married. It’s been an adventure, just like the novels say. And he treats me like a princess. Just like some of the novels say. 🙂
I learned that laughing together is sexy. Seriously, romance, like life, doesn’t have to be all sturm und drang! The best stories (to me) are the ones where the h/h just enjoy eachother’s company enough to laugh.
Congrats on the book, Sarah! My copy shipped from Amazon yesterday:)
said46: If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 46 times, romance rocks!
I’ve learned that you have to EARN your happy ending, but it’s totally worth it.
Congratulations on the book release! And thanks for the amazing giveaway.
I really learned English from Romance novels. Started with Mills and Boons then moving to Nora Roberts and the rest is history ( like proficiency exams and commenting on romance review sites 🙂
Congrats, Sarah! Patiently awaiting my delivery from Amazon…
I’ve learned that communication is key. I mean, honestly… how many HEAs could have occurred 100 pages sooner if the hero and heroine just TALKED to each other?
I’ve learned that I don’t have to be anybody else to be loveable – I deserve to have someone love me, flaws and foibles and quirks and kinks and all.
And I totally deserve awesome sex. Lots of it.
I’ve learned that intelligence, character, self-awareness and strength wear much better over the long term than physical beauty, martyrdom and delicate constitutions.
I’ve been reading romance novels since I was a teenager in the 1980s. I’ve recently gone back and read some of what were my favorites in high school and college. Now that I’m older, several that I “loved” are truly, truly awful. Excruciatingly beautiful women whose only interesting qualities are the result of some horrible tragedy perpetrated on them, manly men of superhero proportions with some dark past that is used to excuse disrespect towards women. Example: many Johanna Lindsey novels.
The ones that have stuck with me, however, are those where the heroine is a person unto herself before she meets the hero. She’s beautiful in her own way, but relies on her intelligence, humor and determination to make her way in the world – with or without a man. Example: many Amanda Quick novels.
While I didn’t know it at the time, the contrast of my feelings towards these characters has really guided how approach my own life. Because of my exposure to romance novels, I’ve been conscious of trying to be admirable heroine in my own life – one whose story I would like to hear.