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zombie.nancy is a godess of fierce
07/16/09

In reply to Modern Romance: Harlequin Introduces Baby Tee-Rippers
I think further research is needed. And by further research I mean me spending a Sunday afternoon munching on popcorn while reading one of these
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pax
07/16/09

In reply to Modern Romance: Harlequin Introduces Baby Tee-Rippers
Am I just imagining a line of books called Harlequin Pink that were manga-type graphic-novel romances drawn in pink? I could swear I even picked one up at a used-book sale to evaluate its appropriateness for my classroom library. Has anyone else seen these?
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zombie.nancy is a godess of fierce
07/16/09

@pax: no! these are real. I've seen them and they are on sale @ amazon
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Edited by zombie.nancy is a godess of fierce at 07/16/09 5:10 PM

TheFormerJuneBronson
07/16/09

In reply to Modern Romance: Harlequin Introduces Baby Tee-Rippers
Weren't these around when we...those of us over the age of 30...were teenagers? I actually still own a couple of Silhouette teenage romances. They'd have this super-sweet picture of the happy couple on the front. Wearing sweaters, quite often. In the case of the girls, sweaters with puffed sleeves. And lip gloss and feathered hair, looking vaguely like Deborah Foreman, as was the style of the time. There was kissing, no sex, and eminently surmountable obstacles to their relationship. It was a simpler era.
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thesciencegirl
07/16/09

@TheFormerJuneBronson: I had a phase where I read a bunch of those. I'm pretty sure that was before I gathered a stash of Harlequins...
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TheFormerJuneBronson
07/16/09

@thesciencegirl: I didn't read an explicit adult romance until I was nineteen, but it's been impossible to go back! I've re-read those Silhouettes now, and wonder how they ever turned me on. My general policy is that if the clothes don't come off in the first fifty pages, I'm out.
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LuvEwan
07/16/09

In reply to Modern Romance: Harlequin Introduces Baby Tee-Rippers
When I was a teenager I just read porny fanfic and I turned out just fine goshdarnit! Plus, it's free.
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Edited by LuvEwan at 07/16/09 4:13 PM LuvEwan was starred LuvEwan was unstarred

Zombie Ms. Skittles
07/16/09

@LuvEwan: Hell yeah! 1xR forever, baby!

Apropro your avatar, did you ever see that site which hosted the Darth Maul/Obi-Wan slash years ago?
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LuvEwan
07/16/09

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: I can remember the banners but I can't remember the exact name.....I am still mourning my favorite fic that was left a work-in-progress......sometimes I wake up in a cold sweat wondering just how it was supposed to turn out......
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
07/16/09

@LuvEwan: Same here with the banners. I remember one particular story involved Obi-Wan not wanting Maul to erm...bugger him without lube but Maul thought that was for wimps, so he ended up using his semen from some earlier uhh...dry humping as lube.
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LuvEwan
07/16/09

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: Beautiful. You tell me how Twilight stacks up to that!
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
07/16/09

@LuvEwan: It doesn't, that's how!
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LuvEwan
07/16/09

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: I guess I was a pervy young'un. After reading all that build up, I wanted the actual sexytimes to be described too.
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
07/16/09

In reply to Modern Romance: Harlequin Introduces Baby Tee-Rippers
First they came to the pirates, and I didn't say anything because it was kinda hot. Then they came to the cowboys, and I didn't say anything because it was really, really hot. Then they came to the sparkly A-sexual teenage vampires and I didn't say anything because...seriously? Teenage sparkly vampires?
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Edited by Zombie Ms. Skittles at 07/16/09 4:09 PM

EinhornIsAMan!
07/16/09

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: Oh god. Oh my god. For a second, wow. As a premed, I boned up on as much obscure crap as possible just for the hell of it, and wow. When I read "harlequin introduces baby," I thought this was some sort of cruel joke on deformed babies. I have to go play with some kittens to get the image of harlequin babies out of my head. Wow, it's just unbelievable that there's a company called harlequin making "baby tees." I'm not saying its unPC, but if you've ever read about harlequin babies-oh my god. I had nightmares for weeks the first time I read about them.
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anastasia beaverhousen
07/16/09

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: This is me beginning a novel about Pirate Cowboy Vampires...
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TheFormerJuneBronson
07/16/09

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: Let's go back to the cowboys and just forget all this other nonsense.
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
07/16/09

@TheFormerJuneBronson: Amen!
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
07/16/09

@EinhornIsAMan!: You know, I actually completely didn't even think of the harlequin fetus connection there but I can see how that would be traumatic. The title is actually a reference to the term "bodice ripper" for a romance novel, but since the novels in question are targeted to teens it's baby tees since teenage girls wear baby tees. Feel better!
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Yahtzii
07/16/09

@EinhornIsAMan!: I didn't know what harlequin babies were, so I googled it. Not only did I learn something new, but I also was thoroughly traumatized!
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EinhornIsAMan!
07/16/09

@Yahtzii: I'm sorry! I'm not trying to scar people or be an ass, I just jumped out of my seat when I saw the post. I didn't know Harlequin was a brand/company or whatever, so I thought Jezebel had finally crossed the line.
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EinhornIsAMan!
07/16/09

@Yahtzii: By the way, as a disclaimer, if you are curious I highly recommend avoiding images unless you are a strong person or used to seeing graphic things (working in a hospital, etc.). Wikipedia has a picture, fyi
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LuvEwan
07/16/09

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: So does this mean you're not going to read the Jack Sparrow/Jack Twist/Edward Cullen fic I'm currently writing? Sadness.
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
07/16/09

@LuvEwan: Well, maybe I'll read it just for you because you're so sexy.
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morninggloria
07/16/09

In reply to Modern Romance: Harlequin Introduces Baby Tee-Rippers
If the characters in these novels are below the age of consent, does it count as child pornography?

//jokes!
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LizzieBennet-Darcy
07/16/09

In reply to Modern Romance: Harlequin Introduces Baby Tee-Rippers
I have to say, I would have loved this as a teen. Instead I had to sneak away with my mom's romance novels or try to hide the VC Andrews that I got from the library.

I think there are a lot of girls that go through that phase before they start having boyfriends or engaging in heavy duty sexual activity (which sounds rather industrial, I know) that are too ashamed/scared/disinterested (i.e. 1980's romance novels...ugh) in their mother's and big sister's romance novels.

'Sides every girl/woman should read at least ONE romance novel before they die. At best it's good, at worst it's hysterical.

Aaahh...good ol' porn for women.
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LipstickLibrarian
07/16/09

@LizzieBennet-Darcy: I thought porn was porn for women.
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Nora Bombay
07/16/09

In reply to Modern Romance: Harlequin Introduces Baby Tee-Rippers
Sigh. Kids today. Why can't they just read thousands of pages of pornographic fanfiction, like we had to?
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
07/16/09

@Nora Bombay: I know! What, are they too good for lying about their age and clicking on the "Adults Only" section of their favorite fanfic site?! That's how I learned about the birds and the bees!
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philoclea
07/16/09

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: Or, as the case may be, the bees and the bees.
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
07/16/09

@philoclea: Or the birds and the birds. I was very equal opportunity with my fanfic.
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LuvEwan
07/16/09

@philoclea: Ohhh yes.
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
07/16/09

In reply to Modern Romance: Harlequin Introduces Baby Tee-Rippers
".While it makes sense that two of the most resilient portions of the publishing industry - romance and YA - should join forces into a supergenre"
That actually sounds more like a Marvel plot to me.
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Yahtzii
07/16/09

@Rooo sez BISH PLZ: Are You There God, It's Me Margaret and One Night With You team up to battle Magneto and Doc Oc!
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
07/16/09

@Yahtzii: I just laughed out loud on a conference call. Thank you.
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LolaQuinn is full of beans
07/16/09

In reply to Modern Romance: Harlequin Introduces Baby Tee-Rippers
"paranormal" romance

...And then, he brought his hot, lusty, green alien lips to mine. As our lips touched I melted into the drippy, sensual goo that covered his facial membranes. His sharp lobster claw hands gripped harder on my shoulders, and I could feel his exoskeleton harden and throb as he pulsed against my bodice...
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
07/16/09

@LolaQuinn: No. Stop now. Then go home and start again.
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feather_spin
07/16/09

@LolaQuinn: My ectoplasm quivered, as he ran his claw through my intangible hair. I pushed away. It was too much! "You can't love me!" I cried. "You shouldn't love me! I am a ghost, cursed to wander these halls, and you are a lobster boy, meant for the oceans!" His carapace shimmered and turned from red to a deep brown. "I don't care," he whispered. "I love you...."
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Peppermint
07/16/09

@LolaQuinn: "Bill Murray's hose nestled between my quivering lips, Dan and Harold's hands holding tight to my four, heaving breasts, which, held only by shimmering red satin, rose and fell like leaping flames of hellfire. It was the best of times, and the shortest of times, as several pumps later, the sweet, sweet liquid of Bill's deghostifyer busted me back to the inferno."
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thesciencegirl
07/16/09

@LolaQuinn: That's disgusting and hysterical. Hearted and a COTD nom for that. :)
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Yahtzii
07/16/09

@thesciencegirl: I COTD nom'ed (and vom'ed a little), too!
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TheFormerJuneBronson
07/16/09

@LolaQuinn: This just makes me so happy.
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maybeimamazed02
07/16/09

@Peppermint:
No joke--Harold is on our nonprofit's board of directors. Now I have a mental image. (Good writing, though! ;)
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
07/16/09

@Peppermint: Gosh darn. If there's somethin' strange in your neighborhood ...
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LaComtesse
07/16/09

In reply to Modern Romance: Harlequin Introduces Baby Tee-Rippers
Because the only thing that could make a book full of gender stereotypes and 2 dimensional characters with anachronistic names having mediocre sex in their historically inaccurate castles would be to make them teenagers with fangs. AWESOME.
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ambitious
07/16/09

@LaComtesse: Worked for Christopher Pike. Except for the names. Those were pretty spot on for white teens that turn into bats and whatnot.
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Edited by ambitious at 07/16/09 3:55 PM ambitious was starred ambitious was unstarred

LaComtesse
07/16/09

@ambitious: I was in love with his vampire series with the blonde vampire from India.
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VeryFancyBunny
07/16/09

In reply to Modern Romance: Harlequin Introduces Baby Tee-Rippers
I remember when their initial "call for submissions" came out last year. They didn't specify that all titles had to be romance (paranormal or not), and some of the "we'd-like-to-publish-books-like..." titles they mentioned didn't even have a romantic element in them. The common thread was that they were all bestsellers. Clever, Harlequin! Yes, all publishers would like their whole line to be on the NYT list (or the USA Today list, I guess, considering the source of the article), but it ain't gonna happen...

Anyway, I've heard about some of the titles for 2010 and they sound pretty good. I think the line in general will be a success.

(uhh, I spend a lot of time and money in the YA section...)
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Edited by VeryFancyBunny at 07/16/09 3:51 PM VeryFancyBunny was starred VeryFancyBunny was unstarred

maybeimamazed02
07/16/09

@VeryFancyBunny: I spend most of my bookstore time and money in the YA section. I also write YA. :) Wonder if they're taking 2011 submissions, hmmmm...
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FireflyinJuly
07/16/09

In reply to Modern Romance: Harlequin Introduces Baby Tee-Rippers
R.L Stein gave me all the traditional romance AND the paranormal AND the gore I needed. Le sigh.
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thesciencegirl
07/16/09

@FireflyinJuly: I read R.L. Stine books voraciously as a kid.
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KiddyKat
07/16/09

In reply to Modern Romance: Harlequin Introduces Baby Tee-Rippers
I'm guessing these won't have sex scenes? I wouldn't waste my time on them. As a teen, I read those books for the sex. Okay fine, still kind of do. Whatever, you guys did/do too.
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stoprobbers
07/16/09

In reply to Modern Romance: Harlequin Introduces Baby Tee-Rippers
Not gonna lie: When I was 16 I spent two glorious years reading bodice rippers for pleasure. Oh my word, the adjectives you learn by reading romance novels!
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YorubaGirl
07/16/09

@stoprobbers: Oh Lord, me too. I read so many of the Mills & Boon 'Temptation' series, and also learned the casual hide-the-book move when my dad walked in the room. I have never been so descriptive in my life as I was during that time. Which is weird, considering I now write for a living...
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Edited by YorubaGirl at 07/16/09 3:57 PM YorubaGirl was starred YorubaGirl was unstarred

lilbobbytables
07/16/09

@YorubaGirl (nee MakeLoveToTheJudgesWithYourEye...): I too have perfected the hide-the-book without appearing too obvious. Knowing my parents disapprove was half the fun of reading them!
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
07/16/09

@YorubaGirl (nee MakeLoveToTheJudgesWithYourEye...):
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YorubaGirl
07/16/09

@Rooo sez BISH PLZ: "...simply unpack your adjectives..." That's the cutest thing I've seen/heard in a while, thanks!
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
07/16/09

@YorubaGirl (nee MakeLoveToTheJudgesWithYourEye...): Schoolhouse Rock RULES. And there is one for every occasion.
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
07/16/09

@stoprobbers: I was desperately interested in the romance novels as an underaged person, but I could not make myself get them because I didn't want my mom to know that I was interested in sex and she didn't read them, so I couldn't steal. So I just hung out on the internet.
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