The Café Showing 1,751-1,800 of 3,606

[Leslie]

Oh that sucks Heather. Fortunately my shows have been good w/that. Some of my shows do that 2 hour season premiere so no chance of any cliffies.

[Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell]

Yes, I don't understand the reasoning behind cliff-hangers for the premier. I don't mind one thrown in somewhere in the season, but not right off the bat. I mean, we've been waiting all summer... now we have to wait again? Nah.

[Sonya]

Melissa wrote: "There's been so much going on around here my reading time has been seriously impacted. I have a bunch of books stacked up that all look really good but I just can't seem to find the time for them..."

I know what you mean. This month - I didn’t know a person could have this much drama outside of a soap opera! In my family we’ve had death, intensive care, police dramas (edit: as in, I had to report a corrupt officer - no more police officer romances for me for ages!)… I keep picking up books and then thinking, “This probably isn’t an appropriate time to read…”

Phew. I swear, starting on the first of October, I’m going to read and read and read… Surely nothing else can go wrong this year. :(

[Sonya]

Lisa Kay wrote: "I haven't been reading as much lately, either. I've been watching T.V. I found this series entitled Bunheads that I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, the series has been cancelled; however, the fir..."

Oh, I'd love to see that, but I bet it doesn't ever make it to Australia. I grew up in a professional ballet school, with a family who worked in the theatre. It sounds like my kind of show!

[Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell]

Good Gravy Beans, Sonya! What a month.

[Melissa]

Wow Sonya, here is hoping October is much better!

[B]

Hi everyone,

I am a Master's student in book publishing at NYU. I am in my final class and I am writing a business plan for a romance community website. If you could fill out this survey on what people would want to get out of this hypothetical website, then that would be great. The only requirement is that you have to be between the ages of 18-34.

[I got enough responses so I closed the survey. I'll keep you updated on my progress. Thanks for your help!]

[Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell]

Welcome to HEAC, Bintal! Liked your survey. Good Luck!

[Melissa]

I am outside the age group for the survey. Interesting idea though.

[B]

After sending out the survey, I think I need to change the age range of the target market I'm going for. I wanted to target a younger audience and get them interested in romance, but the biggest romance book buying segment is 30-54. So hmmmm...

[Abigail]

I'm 41 and a romance reader and writer. AND I love surveys! So if you ever change your target audience, let me know.

I didn't know Bunheads was canceled! I loved that show! Sutton Foster is an amazing actress, and I love that they got dancers to act for the girls in the class instead of actors who dance. *sigh* Well, I watch too much TV anyway, right?

Sonya, October is almost over. How did it go?

[Sonya]

Wow - I don't seem to have come back to this thread since my complaining a few weeks ago! Thanks for the sympathy! We still have to go up in court against the corrupt police officer, but I'm not thinking about that until I have to...

I just got back from a trip to the Gold Coast, and we're in the process of planning a month in Spain, so things are looking up! :)

[Sonya]

Bintal wrote: "After sending out the survey, I think I need to change the age range of the target market I'm going for. I wanted to target a younger audience and get them interested in romance, but the biggest ro..."

I do think things are changing. No matter how little I think of certain recent blockbuster Young Adult and New Adult books, they have drawn a much younger readership to the romance genre.
I've been seeing teens and people in their early twenties recommending regular romance books as 'New Adult', so I think they're starting to branch out into other subgenres.

(Edited to add that it annoys me so much that *everything* is suddenly being classed as 'New Adult'... I've seen books with thirty-somethings being classed in the genre. So stupid!)

[Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother]

I love Spain! I was stationed there while in the Navy and it is a beautiful country with beautiful people!

[Sonya]

Not a bad place to be stationed. :) Very good food, too.
I spent quite a lot of time there in 2007. I declared I was going to rent an apartment in Seville and stay there for weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks, and as soon as I finished up a work contract, that's exactly what I did!

[Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother]

How fun! Seville is wonderful.

[Abigail]

That sounds really nice.

[Heather L]

Sonya Heaney wrote: "Edited to add that it annoys me so much that *everything* is suddenly being classed as 'New Adult'... I've seen books with thirty-somethings being classed in the genre. So stupid!)"

Glad I'm not the only one who doesn't get this "new" classification. :-\

[Sonya]

Heather L wrote: "Glad I'm not the only one who doesn't get this "new" classification. :-\"

I can see why people who wanted to make money started marketing this 'brand new' genre. But I'm being offered review copies of 'New Adult' books about career women in their mid to late twenties, and it's just ridiculous. Careers and marriage and babies - that's not YA or even NA (which is supposed to focus on university-age characters)!

I'm also seeing historical romance - pretty much all of it - being listed as 'New Adult'. What nonsense.

I hope it's just a fad, because I want it gone!

[Rachel Annie]

The New Adult genre and its obligatory angst doesn't appeal to me... I'm not a YA fan either.

I'm difficult, I suppose!

[Giulia]

Isn't NA supposed to appeal to women 18-30 something-ish? Maybe that's why the characters are older. Personally, for me doesn't fit the criteria of NA, but might be some author's reasoning. Or perhaps the publisher's,depending.

[Abigail]

My editor says for her and NA, the angstier the better. I'm not really find of angst.

[Giulia]

It has to be purposeful. It has to fit the story, the situation. You can't just add in angst for the sake of angst. Readers will know the difference.

Abigail, that's directed at your editor, who I'm sure is very nice, and not you :)

[Sonya]

Bitten Jewels wrote: "Isn't NA supposed to appeal to women 18-30 something-ish? Maybe that's why the characters are older. Personally, for me doesn't fit the criteria of NA, but might be some author's reasoning. Or perh..."

New Adult is supposed to be the 'bridging' genre between high school and adulthood. It's supposed to focus on university-age people.

Most romance heroines are in their twenties and thirties, and suddenly the NA genre has claimed 98% of romance as NA. It's ridiculous. And - as a woman in my early thirties - I'm incredibly insulted to be lumped in with a bunch of children! I have friends with kids in who have gone through puberty! I'm no teenager.

I simply don't see the purpose of the genre. Once upon a time, after you outgrew YA, you moved on and read adult fiction. What's with this delayed adolescence that now apparently takes you almost to your forties...

[Sonya]

I lifted this New Adult description from the Harlequin website:

It is a genre that fills the gap between YA and contemporary romance. NA stories revolve around college-age characters.

[Abigail]

Hehheh - delayed adolescence. This should be targeted toward men. *grin*

[Giulia]

I get the purpose of the genre, but no, the characters should not be in their 30s. I read YA and I'm in my 30s. I read romance too. So the classification doesn't bug me so much, though I see what you are saying. I guess the thing is, the characters should be 18-23ish and no older. And band wagon jumping is never cool--if it's not NA, don't call it that.

[Heather L]

Sonya Heaney wrote: "I lifted this New Adult description from the Harlequin website:

It is a genre that fills the gap between YA and contemporary romance. NA stories revolve around college-age characters."

Well. People do go back to college in their 50s or even later... :D

[Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother]

caught a bug. Not feeling up to being here. I hope to feel better soon. See you all tomorrow hopefully.

[Heather L]

Aw, drink some OJ, get some rest and hopefully you'll feel better tomorrow!

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl)]

Take it easy Pamela and feel better soon.

[Rachel Annie]

Pamela(AllHoney) wrote: "caught a bug. Not feeling up to being here. I hope to feel better soon. See you all tomorrow hopefully."

Feel better, Pamela!

[Giulia]

Feel better Pam!

[Abigail]

Sending chicken soup thoughts your way.

[Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother]

Thanks all. Fever broke last night and I'm confident I'll be good as new soon.

[Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell]

Glad you're back with us, Pamela! Poor baby.

[Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother]

well, I think that was premature. Still fighting this thing. Ran fever over 100, cough, headache, chills, etc. Probably that virus my daughter had :( But I'm going to be okay.

[Leslie]

Hope you recover soon Pamela. Being sick just sucks!

[Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell]

Ugh.

[Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother]

Feeling good in the mornings but in the afternoon I feel sick again. :( But I WILL beat this thing.

[Melissa]

Pamela be sure to take a few days to rest, even if you do feel good in the morning.

[Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell]

I think that is a sign you need an afternoon nap!

[Giulia]

Feel better Pam! I was sick a couple of weeks again and it was awful! The good thing is, you will feel like a human being again very soon.

[Sophia]

All About Romance has released their Top 100 Romances of All Time list. What do you think?
http://www.likesbooks.com/top1002013r...

[Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother]

going to check it out. Thanks, Sophia!

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish, Naughty Co-Mod]

I always enjoy perusing that list. Thanks, Sophia!

[Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother]

Actually a bit disappointed in the list. There were many of my favorites but also a few that just didn't work for me. But people have different taste so I guess the majority that voted felt those books worthy so...

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish, Naughty Co-Mod]

Off to check...

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish, Naughty Co-Mod]

Interesting. Of the ones I've read, I enjoyed. Many are there that I want to read soon.glad Flowers from the Storm was in the top 10.

[Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell]

Very interesting! Thanks, Sophia!