This is from the press release issued by eHarlequin regarding their reading challenge for 2008. Is anyone here participating? I'd love to see that total reached (and exceeded) so must stop procrastinating, commit myself, and start blogging some books.

In case you haven't read about it yet, here's the deal:

eHarlequin.com is challenging its community members to read an astounding 100,000 books in one year in the 2008 eHarlequin.com 100,000 Book Challenge. When the reading challenge ends on December 31, 2008, Harlequin will make an unprecedented donation of an equivalent number of books to the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL). The estimated retail value of a 100,000 book donation to the NCFL by Harlequin Enterprises Ltd. is $700,000 U.S.

The stated mission of NCFL is to create a literate nation by leveraging the power of the family. Family literacy helps parents and children form a learning partnership that ends the cycle of poverty and low literacy. NCFL works to find solutions to the literacy crises that build on the family by creating a new cycle of ongoing learning and mutual support. Since its inception in 1989, NCFL has provided leadership to solve the national literacy problem. Through groundbreaking initiatives, NCFL fuels life improvement for the nation's most disadvantaged children and parents. More than one million families throughout the country have made positive educational and economic gains as a result of NCFL's work, which includes training more than 150,000 teachers and thousands of volunteers.

"Recent studies show that people are reading literature less and less," said Sharon Darling, president and founder of NCFL. "This reading challenge not only will provide an important incentive for everyone to read more, it also will greatly benefit the millions of adults who have low literacy--34 million in the United States alone and 771 million globally."

In addition to promoting literacy, the 2008 eHarlequin.com 100,000 Book Challenge encourages readers to discuss the titles they have read on the eHarlequin.com website in their own blogs. Those participating in the challenge share their thoughts, reviews, opinions, recommendations and progress. Another remarkable and unforeseen aspect to the challenge is that many people who were not bloggers--or who even knew what a blog was--are now passionate blog hosts and are spearheading online discussions in the forums.

"Our readers are very passionate," says Jayne Hoogenberk, community manager for eHarlequin.com. They read, talk, think and dream about books 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. The median number of paperbacks read in one year by Americans is 12. The median for Harlequin readers is 30. Since we're always looking for ways to inspire and challenge our community members, we wondered if, as a group, they would be able to read 100,000 books in a single calendar year and through our donation of 100,000 books, share that love of reading with others who don't have such easy access to entertaining and engaging literature for women."

The original book challenge was laid down on eHarlequin.com in January 2006 and challenged community members to each read 100 books. Seventy-five community members took up the gauntlet. By the end of the year, 55 of those people had read or exceeded the goal. In 2007 eHarlequin.com challenged its members to read 10,000 books collectively. By year end they had read an astounding 24,440 books. To date 350+ participants have accepted the 2008 challenge. In one week they have already read some 1,000+ books.

"The response of the past two years was so overwhelmingly positive that we had to keep going," states Hoogenberk. "We also knew that we had to up the ante. And so the 2008 eHarlequin.com 100,000 Book Challenge for literacy was born. Last year we capped the number of participants and still easily surpassed our target. Since the event has generated such positive feedback, and in order to reach our goal of 100,000 books read, we've decided to leave registration open-ended this year."

There are no hard and fast rules other than participants being asked to have at least half of their list be novels published by Harlequin. This allows readers to discover the outstanding breadth of editorial Harlequin has to offer. The other books can be any genre by any publisher. Likewise, all formats--print, eBooks, audiobooks--are acceptable, and readers are encouraged to seek them out and give them a try.

The range and diversity of Harlequin readers is not confined solely to the type of books they read or the medium in which they enjoy them. The online nature of the eHarlequin.com community illustrates the significant power of books to unite readers in a global way. Geographic boundaries have become meaningless in this venture as the challenge brings together readers from countries as varied as Germany, France and the Philippines, as well as Harlequin editors in Toronto, New York and London and Harlequin authors from around the world.

The 2008 eHarlequin.com 100,000 Book Challenge is taking place right now. More details on how to register and post your first book reviews are here.
eHarlequin.com.

Labels: Harlequin, other blogs

eHarlequin introduced author interview podcasts late last year. The current schedule is two authors per month so already there is a nice backlist (e.g. Susan Wiggs, Susan Grant, Jane Porter, Brenda Novak, Sherryl Woods, Christine Rimmer) and more to look forward to (Maureen Child, Heather Graham, Brenda Joyce, Gena Showalter are scheduled in coming months.)

The latest innovation is a monthly editor podcast where writers can find the latest on what editors are looking for, where readers can hear the firsthand scoop on upcoming projects, and for everyone to learn a little more of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into the books we love. The first interview with Silhouette Desire senior editor Melissa Jeglinski and associate editor Diana Ventimiglia is available now. You can listen on your computer or download to your iPod.

I love listening to interviews rather than reading them. Access Romance has a terrific collection. Or if you love the visual along with the audio, then you will get a kick out of Romance Novel TV. (This comes with a warning: Romance Novel TV is addictive and could prove hazardous to your time management health.)

Labels: editors, Harlequin, other blogs, Silhouette Desire

After five years as a Harlequin author I still get quite a kick out of each and every foreign translation I receive. In today's mail I received 3 new Scandinavian editions, including my first 3-in-1's. I love firsts, don't you? And I also love this cover treatment, with the curtain and the kiss, although the heroine looks more like Emily from A Tempting Engagement than Jillian from Just A Taste. Anyway, one of 3-in-1s has glittery gold hearts sprinkled on the cover and they catch the light as you move the book. Pretty.


The one with the glittery stars is Finnish, the other pair appear to be Swedish. I'm smiling at the titles. Mine is Sex, Logner...Och Vin. Not sure about the Logner, but I think I understand the Sex and Vin part without any translation. :-) The second book is Sheri Whitefeather's Cherokeee Stranger, although in Swedish he is apparently a Ratt Man. Can someone tell me what that really translates as? I am intrigued.

Labels: foreign translations, Harlequin, Just A Taste

Last weekend in Toronto, Harlequin held an open casting house for "real men" who wanted a chance at becoming a Harlequin cover model.

"We're looking for some guys that are not your usual models, but have that iconic look that women go for--sexy, sensitive, beautiful and fit," said Harlequin spokeswoman Marleah Stout. According to this article, 200 men answered the call and several were called back for cover shoots.

"Some of the heroes are captains of industry, billionaires," said Deborah Peterson, a Harlequin creative designer and a judge at the audition. "A lot of the models were too young, men in their twenties...and our audience likes men a little bit older, a bit bigger, than the runway models."

Hear, hear, Deborah! Although this dude on Michelle Celmer's upcoming Desire pretty much fits the bill, don't you think?

Labels: covers, Harlequin, Silhouette Desire

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before, once or twice, how much I love my PDA as a reader. It's so portable. I can read without the light on. I can buy o/s releases without the postage cost. And, just this month, I've discovered that the Harlequin eBook Boutique is selling new releases a month in advance. I've just bought a few April releases I was keen to get my hands on; now I just need the time to read them. :-) Now, if only all publishers would release all the books I want to read then I'd be an extra happy camper.

Labels: eBooks, Harlequin

Hundreds of nominations have been tallied into lists of finalists in eHarlequin.com's Readers' Choice Awards for 2006. If you read lots of Harlequin books, then go take a look and cast your vote for your favorites before March 14.

Labels: awards, Harlequin, reading

This week I received quite a number of the distinctive yellow envelopes which contain Harlequin foreign editions.

I love receiving these, knowing my books are out there in so many world markets, and I hope that feeling never grows old. This weekend I've opened all the envelopes. At first I thought: Oh. They've made a mistake and send several batches of the same book. Bummer. But on closer inspection I noted the two different cover pictures--both with the same flurry of snowflakes, I might add--AND the seven different titles.

I now have the full set of Scandinavian translations (Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland) for The Rich Stranger and The Ruthless Groom. I also received The Rich Stranger, UK edition, and The Ruthless Groom in German, as well as Just A Taste from Greece and Poland. I'm including the two snowflake covers, just because it's a rottenly hot and dusty day here in Australia. The snowflakes--and some yummy passionfruit yoghurt ice-cream--are helping make it bearable.

Labels: foreign translations, Harlequin, Just A Taste, The Rich Stranger, The Ruthless Groom