Bodice Ripper Readers Anonymous discussion
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Zebra Heartfire?
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This one was just ok for me,but Im a big fan of all her books..good & bad :)
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Mermarie what a great thing to do! I love Zebras, both the Heartfires and Lovegrams. I have a shelf dedicated to my favorite Zebras. Besides the wide variety of styles and plots one thing I loved about them were the hypnotic covers. Swirls of purples, pinks and oranges, the glittery foil, the "hologram" or shiny heart, and the inevitable horse/birds/or butterflies hidden in the background! I try to add Zebra covers whenever I can.I just finished a great one, Love fire by Deana James about Queen Joanna of England. It had a great Pino cover
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I felt like so many of them were forgotten, and some of them truly are treasures. I hoping at some point, the majority of them can be adapted to e-readers, for our convenience.
SO many authors have had their names changed, or write under different pen-names now. ..but I believe I organized 40+ book descriptions(their page was blank), and numerous images for the book. I thought it was an exciting little scavenger hunt- I also located several old books I had long ago, but my bookstore always allowed me to trade-in books, so most of them were traded off foolishly!
I believe the covers were some of the most raunchily delicious bits I'd ever beheld, when I was first introduced. I was a young girl, and they were already 10+ years old, by the time I started diggin' them out of the bookstore.
I even found this one incredibly blurred cover whilst googling for a book, and the artist's website too, where I photoshopped the actual image back onto the cover of the book, to fade out the distortion. LOL, I know- I'm a sad creature. XD
When I'm bored at work, my go-to thing to do is add covers and descriptions. Excellent use of my employer's time IMO.
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Mermarie wrote: "LOL @ Karla. Extremely good use! I wish there was a way to find these author's e-mail addresses and request their Kindle versions!!"You can go on amazon and search for the book. On the left there is a link to request the book for kindle. I have done this a couple of times on certain books. The more people that do this, the more chance the author/publisher will release in kindle format.
I love Patricia Pellicane's Zebra books! Does this help?
http://www.fictiondb.com/series/zebra...
http://www.fictiondb.com/series/zebra...
Click on a title and you'll see a blurb. Click on an author and you'll see all of that author's books and pseudonyms.
Click on cover view in the upper right corner and you'll see all of the covers they have,
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JennyG: I actually browse that site regularly, and found out my favorite book's author has a pseudonym, too. Some of her books, besides the one I've read, and under the new penname, are bodice-ripper champs. LOL
Some of those covers are ones I snatched for Amazon.com's naked Zebra Heartfire collections. :(
Let me know, and I will send emails as well. The more the merrier I think! :)
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Does this help?
http://www.fictiondb.com/series/zebra...
http://www.fictiondb.com/series/zebra...
Click on a title and..."
Geezz Jenny, I dont think there was a author or a zebra-hologram heartfire book there I havent read or have..those were the good ol'days *sigh* (Tapestry was another favorite of mine collected them all!)
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I went threw a "fase" when these books were out,all of these authors had some really good (and not so good) stories. It depended on the mood I was in for..western,captive/american Indian,southern,PIRATE:D
Harem..at least there was a selection with this line as well as the Tapestry books,I find today's romance's "fluffy" & very boring..Duke this..Duke that.III stick to the older books anyday. Check out my Historical-Romances have-read shelf,I have my "fav's and not so fav's there. How bout you?
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Oh wow, Sandi. I was on Amazon.com after you mentioned Tapestry, and found an OLD book I had years ago;
Tapestry by Karen Ranney
I was so thrilled and excited to have found it once more! Day by day, I've been uncovering oldies long since forgotten!
<>Yes, so many succesful writers started out at Zebra: Judith Ivory, Jane Feather, Susan Wiggs, Thea Devine, Nicole Jordan, Jo Goodman, Evelyn Rogers, Georgina Gentry, Bobbi Smith and Elaine Barbieri. But my favorite Zebra author, Dana Ransom, now only pubishes paranormals under her real name Nancy Gideon.
<<...but I believe I organized 40+ book descriptions(their page was blank), and numerous images for the book. I thought it was an exciting little scavenger hunt- I also located several old books I had long ago, but my bookstore always allowed me to trade-in books, so most of them were traded off foolishly!>>
That is so appreciated. I dislike my GR shelves to lack covers and descriptions and having them completed is a great plus.
Years ago I sold off or abandoned hundreds of books and regret it. Whenever I can, I pick up an oldy that I loved (even though I doubt I'll read them again). The power of nostalgia is strong!
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Filomena wrote: "Mermarie wrote: "LOL @ Karla. Extremely good use! I wish there was a way to find these author's e-mail addresses and request their Kindle versions!!"You can go on amazon and search for the book..."
Didn't know this. Thanks!
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Yes, so many succesful writers started out at Zebra: Judith Ivory, Jane Feather, Susan Wiggs, Thea Devine, Nicole Jordan, Jo Goodman, Evelyn Rogers, Georgina Gentry, Bobbi Smith and Elaine Ba..."
I remember adding covers/description to most of those author's book pages. Some of them didn't immediately go onto the 'search' result icon, but we'll see. I imagine it takes time for them to perhaps identify them with the actual image, etc. Some authors names were in error too...or they use their first name now, instead of their initials. I really wish there was a better book swap tool that's associated with this group; it would be easier than using another site. Along with the hassle of fee's, selling % and whatnot, I imagine I'd be willing to trust the ladies here, instead!
<>Yes, that's a pain when I'm trying to search for authors and find their lists incomplete and filled with little discrepencies. I've got a couple of hundreds of edits under my belt, but it amazes me the time and dedication folks put in in to makes tens of thousands of edits, simply for the love of books. It's work that is much appreciated.
As for the swap tool, I just noticed it was gone. Too bad, I had several hundred of books listed in swap, and I'd rather give them to people I know will appreciate them, than have to deal with ebay and the like. Hopefully that issue will be re-addressed by this site.
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I'm going to make it a nightly task to continue adding those credentials to these treasures(Along with recommending them to Kindle per-book)...then, when I'm good and ready, I believe I will attempt to contact that publishing company, and instead of the initial "Kindle edition of this book", I could make a suggestion based on the "Zebra Romances" entirely. It's almost like untapped profit. If this company would re-feature their old genre(Zebra heartfire), it would be a huge profit; not to mention the fact that some sort of 'sub' gallery/store could be featured within the bounds of Amazon.com itself. There's gotta be a way to middleman it, if there is profit, because I believe since Kindle was introduced, the romance sales have vastly improved; if you consider the secretive/clandestine nature of simply 'clicking' to purchase their fancy, instead of dragging screaming children and husband's into a bookstore, where you're already a bit unnerved at publicly browsing the 'risque' sections. :) Maybe I'm grasping at straws, but it's worth a try. Any suggestions?
<>I'm game and willing to do what I can to spread the knowledge of these sadly-fogotten gems. :)
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And don't forget the Zebra Regency Books. I was never a fan, but there's a huge market of people who like traditonal regencies that just aren't on the market anymore. To have those and other Zebras available on Kindle along would really reach a new generation of readers.
I noticed the big increase of some writers to issue their books on Kindle (not just Zebra wirters) like Jennifer Horseman, Miriam Minger, Shirl Henke and Virginia Henley, but I think that's because they bought back the rights to their books and were able to do that on thier own. I'm not sure how to start, but if any one has ideas, it's something I'd certainly look into.
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See, I knew nothing of Zebra Regency! I only knew of the Heartfire, then a bit of the Lovegram. I was just a little thing, when this all unfolded, and by the time I had gotten to a certain age, these were declining in popularity. I first read my first romance at the age of 12, it was my mother's way of avoiding the 'talk'. Soooo...yeah, my first novel was Forbidden Magic by Catherine Emm , which is a pseudonym for Kay McMahon. I believe she is known for a bunch of other bodice-rippers. It was a terrible book to introduce to a budding young lass, but boy--did I learn Old English quickly.... HAHAH!
I've not read anything by those authors, but if I have, I just don't recall. It was over ten years hiatus from reading romance novels, before I decided to return. I'm so thankful that I did..so many of us get bogged down in reality, and I need my bodice-ripper fix! ^_^
I'd be delighted to be on your friends list.Mermarie, you and I have a a lot in common! I started reading romances at 12. Strangely my mom was very traditional, religious, never talked about sex, but didn't care that I was reading these "trashy" books. :)
I take a break from reading romances now and then, and really started getting into them about 2 years ago after a 10 year break.
To me some of the older books I read are more to my liking then the new stuff that's published today. Not all, but bodice rippers (wild or mild) are still my favorites.
Zebra also had other lines, as the Splendor and Bouquet (I'm not sure but I think some were paranormal and other's sweeter romances as opposed to bodice rippers) but they didn't run as long a the others.
Sandi *~The Pirate Wench~* wrote: "Check out my Historical-Romances have-read shelf,I have my "fav's and not so fav's there. How bout you?"
I'll do that. I haven't read that many Zebra's books yet. Those that I've read I loved so I started glomming authors like Patricia Pellicane, Bobbi Smith, Constance O'Banyon, Kay McMahon, Eugenia Riley,... Most of their books are in my TBR-pile, no time to read romances right now.
I do want to find more Zebra authors/books but at the same time I want avoid books that feature multiple partners, rape by another man/men. I want the hero to be heroine's ONLY lover. That can be a little bit difficult to find out in advance.
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That was a good book Mermarie,but did you read any of the books from the "Tapestry" line?..they werent out for long but all had such beautiful covers.
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I'll do that. I haven't read that many Zebra's books ye..."
Yeah the one Im reading now is starting off that way,already raped by the father & son of the place she's staying at,Im not to sure on this one :(
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Sandi--what's the book called? Lol I've not heard of that sort of description anywhere.
The Tapestry line was published by Pocket Books. A lot of the cover art was done by Harry Bennett and Elaine Gignilliat. So pretty to look upon. :)
I think Phoebe Conn is another Zebra author who has re-released a few of her titles, but she's got a large backlist that should get tapped.
Samhain has their "Retro Romance" line. Some are actual bodice rippers (like a few of Patricia Hagan's Coltrane Saga books), but they've reissued plenty from c. 2000 which is only "retro" because it's over a decade old, not that the style is much different from today's stuff. I'd stopped reading romance by 2000 because it was getting too vanilla and boring. A lot of Karen Kay's Native American romances have been issued there, too.
I think Phoebe Conn is another Zebra author who has re-released a few of her titles, but she's got a large backlist that should get tapped.
Samhain has their "Retro Romance" line. Some are actual bodice rippers (like a few of Patricia Hagan's Coltrane Saga books), but they've reissued plenty from c. 2000 which is only "retro" because it's over a decade old, not that the style is much different from today's stuff. I'd stopped reading romance by 2000 because it was getting too vanilla and boring. A lot of Karen Kay's Native American romances have been issued there, too.
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Click on cover view to check out covers!"
Yes!! Thats them! I swear I had every single one..I think I bought them just for the covers:D Thanks Jenny..you know where to find everything:)
I've read a few Tapestries and they had a great line of authors, which did have awesome covers and a vast stable of writers. Jude Deveraux wrote "Sweetbriar" for them. Other authors included Maura Seger, Marylyle Rogers, Linda Lael Miller, Patrcia Pellicane, and one of my favorites Sylvia Halliday/Louisa Rawlings launched the line with her book “Marielle,” the first in a series of three. However, I have don’t have the courage to read that series quite yet because (view spoiler)
JennyG wrote: I do want to find more Zebra authors/books but at the same time I want avoid books that feature multiple partners, rape by another man/men. I want the hero to be heroine's ONLY lover. That can be a little bit difficult to find out in advance."I have a shelf dedicated to heroines with previous lovers for my historicals labeled “hero is not Christopher Columbus”( ha-ha) so I can keep track of those.
While it’s true that some earlier Zebras contained “hard core” bodice ripper elements, by the late 80’s they were tamed, mostly one man for one woman, even though the heroine may have been sexually experienced or widowed (& some of the heroes did cheat). But Thea Devine wrote for Zebra and she was one of the grandmothers of “romantica” so anything was possible.
One of those kinds of books that I hated was “Desperado Dream” by Karen A Bale. The hero’s name was Cruz, and I was on a Santa Barbara kick at the time. I didn’t know this was a sequel to a bodice ripper she’d written ten years prior, so contrary to the book blurb, Cruz wasn’t the hero, it was the heroine’s husband, Eric. He was in the book in the beginning and end, but the whole book focused on her relationship with Cruz, this great, wonderful guy she should have stayed with but didn’t.
Then there's the infamous Deana James book (I think it’s Captive Angel, but not sure) where (view spoiler)
I loved Penelope Neri’s works, but Neri did have one where the H& h were separated and she married another man (Sea Jewel) and was happy with him for a few years. That was a good one, though.
Dana Ransom, another favorite for me, had a great mix of heroines, some innocent, some conniving gold diggers, but I have avoided reading the Pirate’s Captive because I read its sequel Alexandra’s Ecstasy first. (view spoiler)
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Jude Deveraux wrote "Sweetbriar" for them. Other authors included Mau..."
I rememeber "Marielle" Wendy..and feel the same way,couldnt continue after that one :(
<>And this Karla is why I love you. ;-)
And maybe I'm a tad hypocritical in this regard, because I read Jennifer Wilde's Marietta series and she eventually ended with a different hero than the one from the first book. But the original hero was a cheating loser, who expected her to be his mistress, so that was a different case.
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You have a point there..and its funny because I loved that series..
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Mermarie, you and I have a a lot in common! I started reading romances at 12. Strangely my mom was very traditional, religious, never talked about sex..."
My mother wasn't as religious or virtuous, she simply didn't pay mind to the literature she introduced me to. She would hit these yardsale's and bought home atrocious and the most warped pieces imaginable. :D
Forbidden Magic by Catherine Emm
Let's Go Play At The Adams by Mendal W. Johnson
The Entity by Frank De Felitta
I believe my childhood bookshelf was rather "Mommy Dearest" of depravity. Lol
Forbidden Magic, yay, I have that! And those others...hmm. Definitely something I'd be curious to read.
My mother watched a lot of soaps and Latin telenovelas so they had nothing on the books I read. But the Jackie Collins books I glommed that looked so innocent on the outside...now those were SMUT! I remember bringing them to CCD religion classes and reading them instead of the lessons. For a while I though I was going to hell for sure! :)
As a recent glommer of Jackie Collins for my TBR (I've never read her & I'm SO ASHAMED!), I will be thinking of you when I dig into them. :D
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And it's funny, because I recall being nearly kicked out of class when I was in the 8th grade for bringing "Let's go play at the Adams". >.> I was pointing out the most profoundly perverse parts of the book, to my peers. Yeah...I was a rebel. lol
I thought I was strictly a historical gal until I read The Movie Set. That was such glorious, trashy cheese that I grabbed a bunch of other contemporary jet set smut. I'm reading one right now - The Second Sunrise - that is probably going to be 5 stars on the epic awesomely bad trash-o-meter.
Wendy, Lady Evelyn Quince wrote: ">Years ago I sold off or abandoned hundreds of books and regret it. Whenever I can I pick up an oldy that I loved (even though I doubt I'll read them agin). The power of nostalgia is strong! "
:( I did that too and now I am heartsick over my old Zebras. I just didn't realize how hard they are to come by and I had soooo very many of them.
I miss my Zebras. AND I miss Pino..
I have never read Jackie Collins either, but I don't read modern romance. It just doesn't do it for me.
Karla (Mossy Love Grotto) wrote: "As a recent glommer of Jackie Collins for my TBR (I've never read her & I'm SO ASHAMED!), I will be thinking of you when I dig into them. :D"Karla, you are in for a ride. She's no Flaubert, that's for sure, but she's a fantastic storyteller, especially her stuff from the late 70's to late 80's.
Nothing is sacred to her, and she doesn't shirk back from mocking every vapid celebrity and even though she uses fake names you'll easily recognize who she's ripping on. I just can't explain her wonderful talent for vulgarity. It's something you have to read to understand the tawdry beauty of it all.
Anything in the Lucky Santangelo series is great, Lucky is a heroine who breaks balls but is all awesome woman. Lucky is my favorite, and probably the closest thing Collins came to writing a "romance." It's the sequel to Chances, but you really don't need to read it first, as she she recaps the most important details. There's a little too much mafia mayhem for me in that one, but look out for Marco, Lucky's love interest. What a man!
The Love Killers is a wild one, with three women seeking revenge on the a mobster's three sons with deadly results.
And you can't go wrong with Hollywood Wives where one of the greatest scenes is when (view spoiler) That's the mild sort of depravity you can expect from Collins. Interesting tidbit: in the made-for-tv-movie the husabnd was played by the none other than Sir Anthony Hopkins.
When trash-goddess Jacqueline Susann died, she left a huge hole in sex-sleaze-hollywood-drugs genre and thankfully Jackie Collins carried the torch to a new generation.
Sita wrote: "Wendy, Lady Evelyn Quince wrote: ">Years ago I sold off or abandoned hundreds of books and regret it. Whenever I can I pick up an oldy that I loved (even though I doubt I'll read them agin). The..."
They are SO hard to come by, but little by little, I'm replenishing my collection. Some of them are really pricey, too!
Jackie Collins definitely is not for everyone, and I wouldn't really classify as romance, as much as the ultimate beach read. But if you ever get to read one, it should be Lucky. There's infidelity aplenty, but a nice happy ending for Lucky and her love.
Your ENTIRE post on Jackie Collins (including the spoiler): WOW *___* I'm sold! I remember in grade school it seemed like there was always a mini series of a Judith Krantz, Jackie Collins or Sidney Sheldon book on every week. :D Those were the days! I miss the trashy 80s mini series. *sniff* But they're putting so many out on DVD, which makes me VERY HAPPY.
I love the term "tawdry beauty" - it's the best way to describe so many of the trashy WTFery I love so much. :D
I love the term "tawdry beauty" - it's the best way to describe so many of the trashy WTFery I love so much. :D
I just snagged 3 more Zebras today at the UBS
Texas Twilight by Vivian Vaughan (Heartfire)
Wild Texas Promise by Victoria Thompson (Lovegram)
My Lady Madness by Michelle Hauf (Splendor)
Texas Twilight by Vivian Vaughan (Heartfire)
Wild Texas Promise by Victoria Thompson (Lovegram)
My Lady Madness by Michelle Hauf (Splendor)
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Texas Twilight by Vivian Vaughan (Heartfire)
Wild Texas Promise by Victoria Thompson (Lovegram)
[book:My Lady Madness|3..."
What? You have nothing to read? :D I did some buying myself today..we should be ashamed..NOT :)
After what I did to myself last Friday, I told myself I deserved some goodies. :P
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Oh totally:D
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The Black Ram is quite engaging too. When he restlessly paces his own castle or charges into enemy territory, the testosterone driven tenacity floating in the air, makes me think...Oh hell, he's airborne, someone's gonna be pregnant by sheer presence alone. Lolol His sweat should be bottled for liquid aphrodisiac. ;E
Bodice Ripper Readers Anonymous
Books mentioned in this topic
Tempted (other topics)The Firebrand (other topics)
The Charm School (other topics)
The Firebrand (other topics)
Dockside (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Virginia Henley (other topics)Catherine Emm (other topics)
Frank De Felitta (other topics)
Mendal W. Johnson (other topics)
Catherine Emm (other topics)
More...
Since I again took up romance novels these past few months, I've not only scoured these archives for new material to read, but to appease my nostalgic heart, and recollect those old books I had cut my teeth on! :>
Currently I found this old gem, My Lady Vixen, which is a definite bodice ripper and the hero is such a bastage, hahah.