Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

Still looking for the elusive female Addison. No one has any ideas for that huh?

southpaw285 wrote: "Jane, my list is at message #44 instead of #46, as listed in the participants thread. Just thought I would let you know.

Thanks"

I think a couple of posts have been deleted and my numbering is now out of whack. I planned to fix it today :) Thanks anyway.

Sandra wrote: "Jane wrote:"My understanding is that it is often pronounced Ashlyn. When I read You Slay Me by Katie MacAlister, I thought early on it actually said how it was pronounced... My memory was along the..."

Thanks Sandra - I knew it was in there somewhere LOL! That book and KMM's books educated me somewhat on how some words are pronounced!

Given wiki gives us the clear on Aisling prronounced like Ashlynn, we'll leave my ruling stand - All OK :)

Tania wrote: "Jane (PS) wrote: "Tania wrote: "Jane (PS) wrote: "Great bods!! Can I pass this to Sandra for a page conversion?! (I'm hoping they are fine - because those boys are FINE!!) ..."

I know! Aren't the..."

Cowboys for soldiers - mmmmm. What are their covers like?? LOL!

Hey I just happened to come across an Aubrey book by accident.



and I found a female Addison! Wit's End

Hey Jane PS!!

Okay, so what about this scenario? I just read The Sweetest Thing, Lucky Harbor #2 by Jill Shalvis. Naturally a character from Simply Irresistible Lucky Harbor #1 is in it. His name is Jax. In Book #1 they mentioned that his full name is Jackson. But they don't mention it in Book #2. What do you think? Is it a pass?

Next question Jane, in the Rough Riders series there's a baby / toddler called Peyton (female). She appears in a couple of books but I am thinking of using her appearance when she is baby sat in Branded As Trouble because it's an important scene for the couple.

Is that okay, or does it have to be an adult character?

I hit the jackpot with May's PIFM challenge - 9 books that can be used in this challenge. That should get me going!

Ah, Jane, please don't tell me that the characters have to be adults. I hit the jackpot with Blue Dahlia since it has 5 names - two of which are the kids.

I have a book that has like 9 names but I started reading it a few days before May started. I've read more than 80% of it in May but the rules say we can only count books that we started after the tournament started. :(

And you can only use 4 names per book :)

I'm so glad I made a list of all the possible books I have for each name before it started. DG started a challenge on paperbackswap for PBS WL books. Now I can just skim through and pick out the ones I know are most likely WL and read those first.

Although if I don't have a lot that are WL, it might slow me down on this one for the first month.

Rena wrote: "Hey Jane PS!!

Okay, so what about this scenario? I just read The Sweetest Thing, Lucky Harbor #2 by Jill Shalvis. Naturally a character from Simply Irresistible Luck..."

This is OK Rena - I allowed McNab from the In Death series to pass for 'Ian' 'cos we know that is his name from earlier books, even though it may not be mentioned in later books. So I'll allow your above scenario.

Tania wrote: "Next question Jane, in the Rough Riders series there's a baby / toddler called Peyton (female). She appears in a couple of books but I am thinking of using her appearance when she is baby sat in [..."

Tania and Vi - kids are fine as long as they are significant to the story. Not just the one appearance with no interaction. They need to have a 'personality' if that makes sense.

This goes for all characters that are used for these names. Eg: A servant who appears once holding a carafe of wine whose name is Ian but doesn't 'do' anything - is really just a prop to the story - should not be used to check off a name.

Hope this helps.

Vi wrote: "Ah, Jane, please don't tell me that the characters have to be adults. I hit the jackpot with Blue Dahlia since it has 5 names - two of which are the kids."

But of course, you'll only use 4 names to check off, as per the rules ;) (Good haul!)

D.G. ~Frisky She-Devil~ wrote: "I have a book that has like 9 names but I started reading it a few days before May started. I've read more than 80% of it in May but the rules say we can only count books that we started after the ..."

Bummer - that happened to me too with City of Bones (well, maybe not 9 names but some of the good ones) :)

Jane (PS) wrote: "Tania wrote: "Next question Jane, in the Rough Riders series there's a baby / toddler called Peyton (female). She appears in a couple of books but I am thinking of using her appearance when she is..."

Okay, I'm good then. I wouldn't have been in one of the earlier RR books because the baby was just mentioned in passing. Whereas in this book all three kids were there a couple of times and babysitting them was an intergral plot point which enabled the romance to move forward.

I was just coming on to check the baby ruling. I have a book with a baby named Briana. I'm hoping she's an older baby thats in the book a lot and not just always sleeping in the other room .

just use the second one in the trilogy for more names...lol! all the same characters plus a few others make appearances

Vi wrote: "Ah, Jane, please don't tell me that the characters have to be adults. I hit the jackpot with Blue Dahlia since it has 5 names - two of which are the kids."

Yeah, going to use the second book for other name. Just wanted to make sure baby/kids names are ok. Guy Harper is also in the series but unfortunately, not on our list :(

Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "just use the second one in the trilogy for more names...lol! all the same characters plus a few others make appearances

Vi wrote: "Ah, Jane, please don't tell me that the characters have to be ad..."

Sandra wrote: "And you can only use 4 names per book :)"

Oh I know that...but this book has tons of choices with some difficult ones there.

Now that we mention the baby ruling...what about dead characters? I thought that as long as they were an important part of the plot, I'd use them. For example, in the book I'm reading now, the heroine's dead brother was the hero's best friend and the hero promised to look after the sister. So even though the character is dead, he's having a profound influence on the hero's behavior.

In the other book I'm listening (this doesn't qualify but it gave me the idea), the main character is trying to find out who murdered certain people so even though they are dead, there's a lot of talk about them. He's also a widower and he's always thinking of his dead wife.

Jane, did we have a ruling on anthologies?

If not, what do you think? Often the individual story is not 15o pages but the book is - so would it count if you read the whole book? Still with only 4 names for the book, of course.

Yes please on the anthologies. I have a couple of harder names in anthologies.

I was just reviewing the entries checking about an anthology ruling as well. Hoping for a yes....

Okay this is completely off the topic and you are all allowed to point and laugh if this is one of those simple point and click type things... but how do I get the book picture to show up on a post?

Of course, we wouldn't laugh at you, Lindsey!

Click on the add book/author link
Select cover
Type of the name of the book you want to add
Click search
When you find the book you want click add.

See I knew it would be something really simple! thanks a bunch now I can make my list pretty too!

Sandra wrote: "Jane, did we have a ruling on anthologies?

If not, what do you think? Often the individual story is not 15o pages but the book is - so would it count if you read the whole book? Still with only 4..."

Yes - so long as the whole book is read (or at least the number of stories that get you over the 150 pages) and only 4 names are checked off from the list for the whole anthology. :)

D.G. ~Frisky She-Devil~ wrote: "Now that we mention the baby ruling...what about dead characters? I thought that as long as they were an important part of the plot, I'd use them. For example, in the book I'm reading now, the her..."

Wow DG - this is a hard one! Everything else has been pretty cut and dried by comparison! :)

OK - They would have to be significant to the plot and have their personality convened to the reader - flashbacks would be great! But if it is just a convenient plot device by the author, you know, where they mention them ad naseum but don't really tell you anything substantial about the character, then I think they are out.

Does that make sense? It'll really have to come down to your own interpretation.

I suppose it is the same for any character: For example - I have excluded a 'Sydney' that I came across who was active in the background of the story, but only said a few sentences. I couldn't get any real impression of her character other than I was told she was a good friend of the h.

I guess we should apply the same judgement for any character - alive or dead. It is just that there won't be many dead characters that qualify for inclusion as they tend to get less focus by the author...

ok, here's another one....

and i think it would go along the same rule as anthologies....

three books in a series were published together in this one - Poker Night: Vol 2 - as long as i only use 4 names from the 3 books total that were published...since i don't think the ebooks themselves met the 150 pg rule

Yup - I'm happy with that DDee.

Yay thanks for allowing anthologies. One or two of my harder name slots are coming from anthologies that I already own.

Jane (PS) wrote: "It is just that there won't be many dead characters that qualify for inclusion as they tend to get less focus by the author... "

I think it depends on the genre. In mysteries, there is a LOT of focus on dead people as you can imagine. :) Sometimes you meet them after they are dead but there's a lot of discussion of who they were, who did they meet, etc. Or sometimes you get to meet them at the beginning but then they bite the dust, poor things.

But I like your guideline of 'getting the impression of the character.'

Jane (PS) wrote: "Sandra wrote: "Jane, did we have a ruling on anthologies?

If not, what do you think? Often the individual story is not 15o pages but the book is - so would it count if you read the whole book? St..."

Thanks Jane :D

D.G. ~Frisky She-Devil~ wrote: "I think it depends on the genre. In mysteries, there is a LOT of focus on dead people as you can imagine. :) Sometimes you meet them after they are dead but there's a lot of discussion of who they were, who did they meet, etc. Or sometimes you get to meet them at the beginning but then they bite the dust, poor things.
..."

True. I'll leave it to peoples' discretion, but, yes - the guideline will be that there is a clear understanding/impression of the dead character and that the character is significant to the plot...

Lindy wrote: "looked up the names Carolyn and Caoline they are botht he diminutive of Chales. ARe they considered to be the same for this challenge?"

Following is the answer to a question posed in the other thread:

Lindy - Carolyn and Caroline have a different pronounciation. One ends with a short 'i' sound and the other ends with a long 'i' sound. So these two names are not interchangeable.

To meet the criteria to use a different spelling of a name, the name must sound the same.

I'm not sure what the 'Chales' is that you refer to... but the stated name in the list (or it's variant that sounds the same) must be a character's name in the book to qualify. Shortened names (Eg Ellie for Ellysetta) may be used if the author uses that shortened form in the book for that character.

I might need more clarification on 'Chales' if this doesn't answer your question. :)

any chance of getting a big book tweak...maybe 5-6 names for a book over 500 pages (I know in the first challenge there was a big book bonus) - mostly because the one i'm reading right now is nearly 1000 pages ;)

Good question DDee - that sounds fair, but I'll get back to you...

Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "ok, here's another one....

and i think it would go along the same rule as anthologies....

three books in a series were published together in this one - Poker Night: Vol 2 - as long..."

So does this mean that the two Denise A Agnew books listed earlier - the ones with the hot covers ;) - could be used and a total of four names selected from the two books combined? Or would it be necessary for them to have actually been published together in a single volume? They are part of the same series.

I don't know if someone already asked this, but...What about middle names?

For example - the hero in Nalini Singh's Play of Passion is Andrew Liam.
Must we only use first names or are middle ones (if known) permitted?

Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "any chance of getting a big book tweak...maybe 5-6 names for a book over 500 pages (I know in the first challenge there was a big book bonus) - mostly because the one i'm reading right now is nearl..."

Oh good question, Dee! I'm planning to listen to The Fiery Cross next and the audiobook is a mere 56 hrs. or 992 pages on the hardcover version. That's like three 300 pgs. books!

I have a question. In the Stephanie Plum series Joe's name is mentioned in one of the books as Joseph, but not necessarily in the To The Nines. Can I still count this as Joseph since we know his name is Joseph?

Silly Question on my part and it's probably been answered already but for the name Zachary. In the book I'm currently reading he mainly goes by Zack and is only referred to as Zachary maybe twice. Would this be permitted or no? (Just want to make sure before I add him to the list.)

Yes, Hayley. This is allowed (Jane answered it in page 2 or 3.)

Jane - One suggestion. :)

As I've seen that some questions seem to come up several times, would you consider posting a list with FAQs? That way people can refer to them as they sign up. :)

I run tons of challenge on PBS and the FAQs have made my life a lot easier. :)

Thanks D.G. I figured it had been answered before... I try to keep up with all the questions/answers but I guess I forgot! My bad..

Jane (PS) wrote: "Carolyn and Caroline have a different pronounciation. One ends with a short 'i' sound and the other ends with a long 'i' sound. So these two names are not interchangeable.

To meet the criteria to use a different spelling of a name, the name must sound the same."

So we can also rule out Eve as Eva, right? But let's face it, Eve is Eva (as in the first woman ever ^_^). It mostly depends on the part of the world you're in/on at the moment.

And I love the FAQ idea, D.G. A lot easier than going through all the posts.

After I read the question about the pronunciation of the names (Carolyn vs. Caroline), I am now wondering if one of my names qualifies or not? It's for the name Madelyn: the charachters name is stated as Madeline in the book but mostly goes by Maddy in Slow Hands. I pronounce them in my head the same.. but wanted to double-check just to be fair...
Thanks :)

Rachel wrote: "After I read the question about the pronunciation of the names (Carolyn vs. Caroline), I am now wondering if one of my names qualifies or not? It's for the name Madelyn: the charachters name is st..."

Rachel, I believe as long as she is mentioned as Madeline at least once in the book, it's fine to use Maddie as Madeline (Madelyn). I'm not the judge, though...lol.