Saturday, December 12, 2009

Saturday's Contest Question

Good Saturday All!

Yesterday was so much fun. Thanks for all the great recommendations!

Today let's talk about tear jerker romances. Without a happy ending, it's not a romance to me, however, I do love strong emotions in a book. Stories and characters that seem so real, you literally feel as though you're going through the anguish with them. I love stories where characters go through some sort of trauma or grave event that challenges them and I so enjoy celebrating with them when they overcome, realizing they're stronger than they thought they were. I don't mind they have to work for that happy ever after as long as there will be one. My characters tend to do that from time to time in my own books. I love to read them and write them too.

So, here's the challenge:

NAME FIVE ROMANCES THAT HAVE MADE YOU CRY.

Remember, there must be a happy ending but along the way, there were tears for you and the characters.

Let's see how many different ones we come up. Here are mine:

CRY NO MORE by Linda Howard
REDEEMING LOVE by Francine Rivers
DARK WATERS by Sharon Sala
SARAH'S CHILD by Linda Howard
LETTERS TO KELLEY by Suzanne Brockmann

The top three had me closing the book several times and just sobbing.

As a reminder, one post, per person, per day and you'll get your name in Tuesday's grand prize drawing.

So let's have some fun today and talk about crying!

What's on your list?



51 comments:

  1. GOOD MORNING,
    *SMILE*
    and it's a good thing i had my coffee.LOL
    only 5. i can do only 5. just 5 (reminding myself)

    1.Sherrilyn Kenyon's- ACHERON

    2.Christy Reece's- Return To Me (have i said how much i love Noah and Samara?)

    3.Charlaine Harris's- Sweet and Deadly

    4.Pamela Palmer's- Desire Untamed

    5.Angela Knight's- Master of Dragons

    Look Christy only 5

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  2. Oh, and by the way. i do not cry. i just get something in my eyes, and they start to water on me. My house must be dusty.

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  3. Mmmmmmmm

    The Pact by Jodi Picoult
    Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
    A Walk to Remember by Sparks
    The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
    A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens (This book gets me everytime)

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  4. I am not a crier. That being said, only one book has made me actually cry. It was Suzanne Brockmann's The Unsung Hero.

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  5. I agree with Ida that there was "something in my eyes" while reading parts of "Return to Me" but I also include "Run to Me" and "Rescue Me" as well!

    Others are my list are:

    "Dark of Night" - Suzanne Brockmann (b/c it was the hardest HEA I ever had to swallow - it just wasn't right for me!)

    "Perfect" - Judith McNaught
    (Zach's letter to Julie!)

    "Rainwater" - Sandra Brown
    (something totally different from SB but a wonderful story)

    "The Time Traveler's Wife" - Audrey Niffenager

    "Fallen from Grace" - Laura Leone

    "One Tuesday Morning" - Karen Kingsbury

    Hope everyone has a Super Saturday!

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  6. I don't cry very often when reading either, which is funny since my older son says I cry about everything! A couple of books that do come to mind though are Lisa Kleypas' Blue Eyed Devil and Robyn Carr's Paradise Valley.
    I really liked Unsung Hero and Sarah's Child too, and could see where they could both bring tears!
    Hope everyone has a great Saturday!

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  7. 1. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
    2. Cry No More by Linda Howard
    3. Sweet Lullaby by Lorraine Heath
    4. Cry No More by Linda Howard
    5. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

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  8. 1. Cloud Nine by Luanne Rice

    2. Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans and any of his books after

    3. The Host by Stephenie Meyers

    4. Sophie's Choice I don't remember the author

    5. Petals On The Wind by V.C. Andrews
    Julia London has a new book out called the Summer of Two Wishes that I heard was a real tear jerker. I have it but now I am to afraid to read it! LOL

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  9. Oh, Jackie P, I forgot about Summer of Two Wishes! I haven't read it either but it sounds good. Yet another book to add to the list! lol

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  10. Kara, if you read it soon let me know. I was trying to think of real tear jerkers. I usually don't cry that much either. Run To Me had me going. I guess that is why I am soooo excited about March's Second Chance.

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  11. 1. Judith McNaught's "A Kingdom of Dreams
    2. Lisa Kleypas' "Again the Magic"
    3. Susan Mallery's "Accidentally Yours"

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  12. Okay I'll behave today.

    Dream A Little Dream - SEP
    Felicity Stripped Bare-Vanessa Jaye
    Diamond Spur-Susan Kyle
    Dance Of Seduction-Elle Kennedy
    This Heart Of Mine-SEP

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  13. Sorry I'm late in responding. Went to breakfast with the hubby and did a bit of shopping too.

    Great lists everyone but wow, you're really playing by the rules today!

    I'll admit to be a bit of a cry baby, especially in books, movies, news stories and okay, commercials too. The top three of my list of five are the only ones I can remember where I just closed the book and had a boo-hoo fest. And though I don't read the last page of the book to make sure it's a happy ending, I usually try to make sure that it is. Which is one of the greatest things about romance--the happy ending.

    Keep'em coming if you think of more. I only listed five because those are the ones I remember really touching me.

    Oh, wait...just thought of another: Sweet Baby by Sharon Sala. Anyone read it? Absolutely lovely story but so emotional.

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  14. I have Sweet Baby in that legendary closet of mine waiting to be read. lol I'll add it to the 'books on deck' - those I should get to in the next few days.

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  15. Now who is changing the rules? LOL. i was being so good. i have so many more to add. i will try not to.

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  16. Kara, let me know what you think about Sweet Baby. It's been years since I read it but I remember crying. And that was long before I became the crier I am today. (o;

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  17. Ida, come on back and add some more. I've only added 100 or so books to my TBR list. Shooting for 200 before the contest ends! So go for it!

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  18. Okay, I can only come up with two but one of them should count as five since the the whole, damn series made me cry (Gabaldon).

    Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
    Cry No More by Linda Howard

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  19. OK, I can not take it any longer.
    I am not sure if all these will count, but they will make you catch your breath a bit.

    6.Holliday Inn by Phyiils Bourne & others( sorry had to repeat this one)
    7. A Secret Rage by Charlaine Harris
    8. Shakespere's Counslor also by Charlaine Harris
    9. Run To Me by Christy Reece
    10. Rescue Me By Christy Reece
    (really check out her work its wonderful)
    (11-14 Sherrilyn Kenyon)
    11. Devil May Cry
    12. Unleash the night
    13. Night Play
    14. Sins Of the night
    15. Navajo Courage by Aimee Thurlo
    16. A Sielent Fury by Lynette Eason
    17. Christmas Guardian by Delores Fossen
    18. Touched by Light by Catherine Spangler
    19. So Still the Night by Kim Lenox
    20. The Vampires Bride by Gena Showalter.
    I will stop now and try not to think of anymore.

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  20. Ok 5 books tht made me tear up.

    My sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
    Bad Moon Rising/Acheron - Sherrilyn Kenyon
    Forces of Nature - Suzanne Brockmann
    Dangerous Lady - Martina Cole
    Return to me - Christy Reece

    Also my fav authors n some of my fav books :)

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  21. Ida, awesome list!

    But let me ask everyone something. Do you need a happy ending? I do, but maybe I'm odd. *Snort* Okay, I know I am but anyway...do you need to know when you close the book that the couple will be in a deep, satisfying relationship for years?

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  22. Lulu, I think I might be one of five people in the Universe who hasn't read Outlander. I want to...I really do. I'm sure it's fabulous, but it just looks so big and daunting. But oh my, hundreds of thousands of people have loved it.

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  23. Oklanannie, Sandra Brown's Rainwater sounds wonderful. And Zach was such a wonderful hero in Perfect, wasn't he? I just think Judith McNaught books are so wonderfully romantic. Did I say that yesterday? I think I did, but it bears repeating!

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  24. Okay, let's see,

    Mercury's War- Lora Leigh
    Acheron- Sherrilyn Kenyon
    Lover Awakened- JR Ward
    This little Heart of Mine-SEP
    Dawn's Awakening-Lora Leigh

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  25. Sarah, I think Jodi Picoult is an incredible author. I've only read 1 1/2 of hers. The one I finished was about a ghost...can't remember the title. The other was My Sister's Keeper. Couldn't finish it because I could see there was not going to be the HEA I so wanted. But I do think she's a fabulous writer!

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  26. Kim F. I remember Dawn's Awakening. In the earlier book, where Dawn's first introduced, I was wondering how on earth, after what she had been through, could Lora Leigh give her a realistic HEA, but she pulled it off very well! Great book!

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  27. Lorelei, can't believe I didn't mention Loraine Heath. I think I've cried with just about every one of her books I've read. She really knows how to pull the heartstrings.

    Oh, and someone else who can do that so well is Catherine Anderson. Both of these authors are fabulous!

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  28. Jackie, I know that Cole has a special place in your heart and that makes me so happy! Second Chance was a labor of love because I fell in love with Cole too. He went through so much pain, but hopefully you'll smile once you close his book!

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  29. Connie, Unsung Hero was my very first Suzanne Brockmann book. Oh my gosh, so wonderful! Amazing talent!

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  30. Jane, in Kingdom of Dreams, at the end...oh my goodness. My sobs could be heard round the block. Such a wonderful book.

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  31. Mary, Dream A Little Dream was the very first SEP book I read. I was addicted from then on. Absolutely beautiful (see, I'm trying to stay away from wonderful) read!

    And, if I'm not mistaken, I shed several tears in Ain't She Sweet, especially at the end.

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  32. Christy, I'm one of the "five" b/c I just can't get into Gabaldon's 600+ page "Outlander". Many of my friends have pushed. Neither can I read Mary Balogh's books. I'm just beginning my journey into making a dent in the historical genre.

    I've read all of JD Robb's "In Death" series and love it! Last winter I read them back to back on a challenge from book club members. And then I jumped into J.R. Ward's "Black Dagger Brotherhood" books. I liked the first four of them really well. Although I finished them all, it was downhill for me after that fourth one. I've been told I definitely should read her new one "Covet". I'm hedging on that one.

    As for Jodi Picoult, she's a wonderful writer and I've read several of her books but everytime I'm left feeling unhappy. I didn't read "My Sister's Keeper" but I did see the movie. Sad, sad, sad.

    I didn't mean to write an epic. I've just enjoyed these posts so much that it's hard not to ramble on and on.

    In answer to your question, I prefer a solid HEA.

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  33. Kerry, and others, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm so glad I made you cry! That makes me so happy!

    And in case you wondered, yes, I cried when I wrote them. Bet that doesn't surprise anyone though!

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  34. Oklanannie, read Mary Balogh! She's fabulous! Heartbreaker and Silent Melody are two of my favorite books of all time. A good solid tug on the heartstrings for sure!

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  35. Christy,
    To answer your question, I didn't think, until recently, that I required a HEA. However, just recently I read an installment from a new series. Loved the book, but one of the secondary couples was left hanging. I couldn't stand it! I think they'll get their HEA, but the waiting, and not knowing, is torture!
    You cried while writing those incredibly emotional scenes with your characters? After all your confessions this weekend of being 'tear prone',you're right, not surprised at all. lol
    LOVE so many of Catherine Anderson's books! How did I leave her out?

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  36. I don't usually cry - but I will tear up a little bit. These are the books that make me misty during certain scenes.

    Suz Brockmann - Into the Fire
    Linda Howard - Sarah's Child
    When he was wicked - Julia Quinn
    Kat Martin - Perfect Sin
    Judith McNaught - Paradise

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  37. i'm gonna try to recall whether i had read another romance author, and i guess i had read some books from ;

    - Danielle Steel, um, The Promise

    - Jody Picoult, My sister's Keeper

    - A walk to remember, Nicholas Sparks ( i saw the movie so many times, and i still cried at the end)

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  38. It must have a HEA. I am the type of person that wants everyone to have a HEA. Call me crazy!
    I can not stand the words "TO BE CONTINUED" so i try to stay away fron those kind of books. I have a few series and have to get them all and read in one setting.
    I have never read Outlander.
    I am having a hard time getting into The Black Dagger Brotherhood. (i know don't hate me)

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  39. Kara C - would the HEA you're hoping for in that new series involve Alex and Rebel?
    If so, I share your anxiety. If it's the series I'm thinking it is, I have thoroughly enjoyed the last two books.

    I have read "Summer of Two Wishes" and highly recommend it. I believe it is one of London's best. The story is quite heart-wrenching at times.

    Has anyone read Jennifer Haymore's debut book "A Hint of Wicked"? The story plot in this historical is similar to London's contemp, although it pulled more at my heartstrings.

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  40. Oklanannie,
    You guessed it! Surely, they'll get their HEA? I like that series too. Really thought the 2nd book read like a Suzanne Brockmann book, who is one of my favorites!
    Sorry, Christy, a bit off topic here, but your question about HEA brought back my anxiety about this couple! lol Must mean the author did her job, huh?

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  41. Kara C. and Oklanannie,
    But didn't you knid of enjoy Rebel and Wade?

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  42. Forgot to say earlier but I really, really need the HEA. It completes the story, I don't always need an epilogue but I do need a HEA.

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  43. Kara, absolutely the author did her job! To satisfy you but leave you wanting more. Exactly what an author strives for!

    Feel free to talk amongst yourselves tonight. I'm going off line till tomorrow. I'm in the midst of watching It's a Wonderful Life and reading. LOL. I can occasionally multitask!

    Great day everyone. Be sure to come back tomorrow for another great discussion!

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  44. Kim F. - I'm not sure I totally trust Wade yet! Sorta feel like there may be more to him than we've seen so far (an I'm thinking it may not be good). Just guessing - nothing concrete. He does sound yummy though. But I'm still pulling for a HEA for Rebel and Alex!

    Looking forward to tomorrow's question from Christy and the great discussions that follow.

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  45. I have to have a HEA. I just read this great book and the husband was such a jerk and it just turned out like life sometimes turns out, WRONG. I need a HEA. Oh, someone mentioned The Promise. That was a real tear jerker.

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  46. hmmm
    Mr Perfect- Linda Howard
    Accidentally Yours- Susan Mallery
    Rescue Me- Cristy Reece
    Easy on the Eyes- Jane Porter
    Deadly Deceptions- Linda Lael Miller
    Deadly Gamble- Linda Lael Miller

    Ok that's 5 but i know there are alot more.

    I like a boog who has a little of everything. Suspense, Comedy and Romace. Mr Perfect is a perfect example.

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  47. Yes Kara!!
    I forgot Catherine Anderson too. Probably because she has not had a new one for a while. Baby Love is still my fave. One book I have to mention because it has an unusual HEA is Steve's Story by Jess Dee. So different that when I wrote her to compliment her on her bravery for writing such a book, she thanked me for telling her & that her writer friends tried to talk her out of it. It's a book that is still with me 3 weeks later. Talk to you all later today.

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  48. Great discussion everyone! I'll be a bit late posting Sunday's question. Have some running around to do after church. But to get you prepared, give some thought to laughter.

    Be back with you in a few hours!

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  49. Acheron--Sherrilyn Kenyon
    Run to me--Christy Reece
    The First Sin--Cheyenne McCray
    Don't let go--Marliss Melton
    Dawn's awakening--Lora Leigh

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  50. Ok, I hope I am not too late getting in on these discussions, I only just learned about them by friending Christy on facebook.
    Here's my list:

    1. Kiss An Angel by SEP
    2. Cry No More by Linda Howard
    3. The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
    4. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
    5. Return To Me by Christy Reece
    6. Wanting What You Get by Kathy Love

    I have gotten so many more ideas for books to read! Thanks Ladies!

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