Want to grin? Have some happy, thoughtful links.
An Ode to Emilie Loring, romance author. Thanks to Holly G. for that link.
Q: Which romance authors (you can only name one) remain enduring favorites through every single book they wrote? New or older authors, doesn’t matter.
(I predict the top three favorites from the comments will be Heyer, Roberts, and McMaster-Bujold. My choice is Julia Spencer-Fleming, mostly because I’m going through a palate-cleanse of mystery reading and I can’t stop turning back to her books to enjoy and savor her character building and small-world-building skills.
Mills & Boon has a new charity calendar for 2011, featuring the men of the Leander Rowing Club. It appears that the men in the calendar might be without apparel – but the behind the scenes video makes me want one even more than the rumor of nude rowing.
The calendar proceeds support the Leander Trust, which helps children learn about rowing as a sport, and supports athletes at the world and Olympic level.
Q: Which sport should have a nude charity calendar next? Curling? I vote curling.
Austen, by far.
Sport? I’ve always been a fan of Olympic men’s springboard diving personally.
nice melange of topics today. I’ve never read Emilie Loring but now I feel compelled to.
Hey, look. The guy hiding his treasures behind the oar is reading A MISTAKE, A PRINCE, AND A PREGNANCY by Maisey Yates!
As for the one writer….for me, Eloisa James is my go to.
I hate to be predictable, but – Georgette Heyer.
Must. have. calendar.
For the next sport, I suggest Western pleasure riding. Pun intended. Cowboys are always lovely calendar objects, but most cowboy sports aren’t healthy to be done in one’s boxers.
As for your question: not Austen for me. Don’t like Northanger Abbey or much like Sense and Sensibility AS ROMANCES. But Madeline Brent—every single one of his books does it for me *as a romance*.
Curlin?? Better watch where the ice goes. 🙂
Bujould is one of my faves but I will put that her in the sci-fi category so I can name another. Julia Quinn is right up there but trying to pick just one?? No. Can’t.
Freshechelle—Emilie Loring, wow, she was the queen of American romance writing. Originally published in the 30’s and on she was reissued in paperback and were extremely popular. Her heroines were virginal but not shy, “gay” in the happy sense of the world and intelligent. The romance was what would be termed today “sweet” and there had some inspirational elements. Often set in New England, they are a quick fun read and very quaint in their depiction of the war years in America which seems impossibly ancient these days. Even libraries in the 50s and early 60s stocked her books which are somewhat hard to find nowadays.
Curling?!? How about biathalon? Men with rifles and poles…..
I was going to say Diana Gabaldon until you mentioned Georgette Heyer. I have been reading her since the 70s and I still go back to her for my comfort reads. The Grand Sophy will always be one of my all time favorite books.
Jayne Ann Krentz is my most enduring author favorite. I started with historical romances (thanks, Fabio!) and practically disdained contemporaries but when I found out Amanda Quick was JAK, I decided to give her a try. I loved her contemporaries (including the ones written under a different name) as well and then moved on to her paranormals. In whatever genre, I’ve been very happy with her books. I always look forward to the next one.
I agree with biathalon because the cross country skiing portion is good for thighs, chests, and arms!
Hmmm. Not a one, I’d say. Even among authors whose writing I really, really like, I’ve found books that just don’t do it for me. Example: I love Meredith Duran’s writing, but one of her books is currently a DNF for me because the interaction between the hero and heroine was making me stabby. I’m more of a reader with favorite tropes rather than favorite authors. (Keeping in mind that some books and authors that are almost universally loved by the romance community do not appeal to me at all.)
As for the calendar, they already make the soccer ones, which would be my vote. Mmm. Soccer guys . . .
Hmmm
Author—a toughie. I love most Heyer, but not all, ditto La Nora. Lois Bujold does great romance in her books, but only a few of hers are on my keeper shelves. JAK in all her guises is a go-to author of mine, but once again—not all of her stuff rocks my boat. I guess I have to go with a fairly new author that hasn’t had a chance to disappoint me yet (snork). So it’s a toss up between Meredith Duran and Sherry Thomas—but I can’t narrow it any farther than that!
I’m with Lora—men’s diving! Springboard, platform—doesn’t matter!!
Emilie Loring—now that name brings back memories! I devoured a ton of her books back in the day, and Joy describes them very well.
Ha! spamword is sure62. Alas, I sure am 62.
Jennifer Crusie – although, I’d prefer to omit her collaborations except Agnes & the Hitman.
I have a huge soft spot for Johanna Lindsey.
As for a naked sports calender, I vote for divers/swimmers next.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
God, rowers are hot. They can be cocky SOB’s (though not always) but, almost without fail, they’re always absurdly attractive
Julia Quinn for historicals, Meg Cabot (mostly and sort of as a guilty pleasure) and Jennifer Crusie. I’ve yet to read a book by Sherry Thomas or Jill Shalvis I haven’t liked, but I haven’t read them as extensively, so I guess I can’t comment.
I can’t say I love any one author’s books absolutely, too nitpicky.
The next sport with a naked calendar? Men’s ice skating. Let’s make it interesting.
Y’know, if guys had to play ice hockey nude it would be a whole new game.
And my “go to” author is Heyer.
Being completely unsporty the calendar question had my brain hurting a bit but looking throught the comments I’ll have to second Alley on the soccer guys, hmm soccer guys … oh yes, there was another question wasn’t there. That one is easy. It’s Joan Smith all the way.
All one writer’s books, forever and ever? Sadly, no. But… First my Absolute Favorite was Mary Stewart (high school). Then Elizabeth Peters. Then Lois McMaster Bujold. Then Jennifer Crusie. Currently Roberts/Robb. (Some SF and mystery writers in there, too, but this is Romance.)
I’ve had a very rewarding reading life.
My last attempt to do this got eaten, so I’ll try again.
Jennifer Crusie.
Julie Garwood. She was my introduction to the genera and I have enjoyed all her books.
And I’m seconding biathlon. I love a man with guns.
Gotta agree. And Bujold turned me on to Jennifer Crusie but I think she falls under “chick lit” as much as romance (which allows me to mention her and still pick another name, hehhehheh.)
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Not interested in a calandar full of nood doods, and must say you’re being quite cruel. Curling? On ice? You have heard of shrinkage, right?
I’m not sure whether you mean remained a favorite with the reading public or with me. If it’s the latter, I’m going to go with Eloisa James for Romance. The only book that really disappointed me at all was the first in her Desperate Duchesses series, and I’d still grade that one at a B minus.
For historical fiction, gotta go with Dorothy Dunnett. The woman was some kind of freaky genius. My paperbacks of her Lymond series are literally falling apart from being read so many times.
Oh, right. The nekkid menfolks question. I vote for runners. Mmmm.
Why didn’t this question appear on my ballot last Tuesday? It would have made researching candidates SO much less painful.
Well, maybe this will sound funny, but—Elizabeth Peters. Although her books are “officially” mysteries, they always have romance in them, and they all work for me. I’d have picked Heyer, but there was one of her books that I only finished because I always do. (And I agree that Jane Austen’s books don’t always work as romances, even though they’re all great books.)
Well Diana Gabaldon isn’t true true romance since her books are hard to label but since it is Jamie and Claire that I love, and I love their romance, I am sticking with Diana Gabaldon.
One? Just one? Impossible.
But, of writers currently writing, I’d go with Susan Elizabeth Phillips because she reignited my fading interest in romance years ago with This Heart Of Mine.
I love Julia Spencer-Fleming, but I think of her as strictly mystery—mystery with romantic elements, but primarily mystery.
Didn’t the French soccer team do a nude calendar a couple of years ago?
I’m with the soccer fans for a guy calendar.
As for the romance writer most enduring in my reading life, JAK by far, in all her incarnations. LM Bujold I love but don’t consider a romance writer. Dorothy L. Sayers wrote the greatest smart romance but is a mystery writer. Other authors mentioned here have found a place in my shelves, but the one with the most keepers by far is Jayne!
Lois McMaster Bujold could write a telephone book and make it worth reading.
Jill Shalvis. I have enjoyed every single book of hers and I have read most. She just keeps getting better with time.
Q: Which sport should have a nude charity calendar next?
Hockey! Tell me you wouldn’t want to see Henrik Lundqvist or Marc-Andre Fleury in the buff.
Then again, Zdeno Chara was a bit frightening when he posed nude for ESPN Magazine.
Cathy Maxwell delivers humor, love, and fun every time.
Naked calendar? Caber throwers and surfing dudes.
I agree with Abra re Lois McMaster Bujold.
As for calendars, you can’t beat the French rugby players’ Dieux du Stade
Hmmmm. If I had to pick one author, it’d have to be Lee Rowan: everyone else I autobuy has had at least one ‘meh’ (or worse) book for me, but I haven’t read anything of Rowan’s that I haven’t loved. Yet. I say ‘yet’, because having said that, I’m going to utterly hate the next one, now, aren’t I?
(And I suppose being relatively recently published helps, here)
@sugarless : I agree, almost always absurdly hot, but a disproportionate percentage are douchbags.
I’d say rugby players, but that exists already (Dieux de Stade, *swoon*), so…swimmers. It’s just…I have a thing for tall, ridiculously shoulder’d guys.
Lois McMaster Bujold. I own everything she’s written and they’re all worth multiple rereads.
Hi there, Smart Bitches! A little birdy told me to check it out here. Thanks for linking my favorite romance novelist tribute. My mother will be pleased to know the Emilie Loring love is being spread around.
Since I’m here, and y’all are talking about the menfolks calendar, maybe I suggest a nekkid SWAT team?
As for the sport…rugby, definitely rugby [fanning self].
Absolutely can’t limit myself to one, but back in the day (i.e., the 1970s), I read all the historicals by Jean Plaidy and all the gothics by Victoria Holt. It was only later that I discovered that they were the same person.
In the 1980s & 1990s, I consumed everything I could find by Jennifer Blake, Mary Balogh, and Edith Layton. These three are still my “comfort” reading of choice.
The only author who comes close is Johanna Lindsey. I have a major soft spot for her, even though I can say that her books are nowhere near as good as those of other writers. Many of her books are keepers that I’ve reread several times, even though they might have been DNFs if I had read them more recently or they were written by other authors.