This part I was think was the hardest part. I mean how do you tell the woman who introduced you to romance thank you for changing my life, and giving me hours of enjoyment and great characters that stick with you long after you’ve finished the book.
Shana Galen (author) Thank you, Ms. Roberts for being a spokesperson for the romance genre, for encouraging and inspiring other writers, and for all you give back to the romance community. And thank you for 200 wonderful books! I’ve enjoyed every book you’ve written and eagerly anticipate the next 200!
Jessa Slade (author) Happy 200, Nora Roberts! As a writer, I appreciate the strength of your commitment to the world of romance writing, and as a reader, I appreciate your strong heroines and the men who commit to them. Write on!
Melissa B ( Mimmi’s Musings ) Thank you, Nora, for the many years of enjoyment and escapism you’ve brought to me! You’ve made me laugh, you’ve made me cry ~ you’ve made me giggle, and you’ve STILL got me trying to figure out who the hell the candy thief is, lol! I’ve grown up reading your books, and like to think you’ve taught me some valuable lessons over the years ~
and for that, too, I thank you! Congrats on your 200th book (of which I own EVERY one ) and may you have 200 more!
Jules Bennett ~ Thank you for inspiring me to follow my dreams and become an author. My very first romance was Irish Thoroughbred and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read it over the years. Congrats on your 200th book! I own them all and if you published your grocery list, I’d buy that, too:) Your words are that magical!
Cindy Kirk–Happy 200th book Nora! I loved your books for Silhouette as well as all the ones you’ve written since. I appreciate all you’ve done to raise the profile of the romance genre.
Kim (reader) You are the sole romance author that I have read that has the knack of writing snark, humor, romance, everything we look for in a book. You keep me coming back for more. I read the first 33 In Death books in a month. That to me is a talented author. Thank you for your dedication to your craft. I look forward to your future books.
Elisabeth Naughton – Dear Nora,
You were the first true romance author I discovered. I consider myself a late bloomer—I didn’t start reading romance until college when I picked up SCARLETT: The Sequel to Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind. Halfway through that book I realized I was reading to see what happened with the romance between Rhett and Scarlett, and after ingesting all 823 pages and knowing there must be something better out there, I went looking for other Irish-set romances. Enter your Irish Born Trilogy, which I quickly tore through in a matter of days. Several years later—and several series of yours later—I can honestly look back and say that your books had a profound impact on me, not only as a reader, but as a writer. I didn’t know I wanted to write until I was in my thirties, until after I’d lost myself in the worlds you created and realized I was spending hours coming up with your characters’ “after stories” in my head. It was then I knew I had my own stories to tell and my own characters waiting to break free, and I’ve been writing ever since.
Your books still line my shelves. I have favorites—like the Chesapeake Bay series and the Key Trilogy—and when friends come over looking for a good read I’m quick to recommend your books I fell in love with. Thank you for all your words, all your characters and your inspiration. This writer appreciates all you’ve done not only for women writers but for the genre as a whole.
Kati (reader/blogger):
Dear Nora – You may not know this, but you popped my romance cherry. That’s right, at age 12, I took Irish Thoroughbred off the shelf during my family’s vacation and swept into the world of horses and horseracing that you had created. The book had everything I love: romance, an uncle who forces the couple to wed, and yes, they TOTALLY DID IT in Chapter seven. All scandalous and rapturous to a young girl. I quickly became enthralled by romance, developing a love of reading that got to the point where I’d be sent outside to play rather than read.
I admire so many things about your writing, but I think my single favorite aspect of it is the incredible sense of place you create in your books. When I open a Nora book, I know without a doubt that I will be drawn into a vividly drawn world where I can practically taste the food, smell the air, and see the glory of the vistas. I experience that sense of place in the language you have your characters use, if Irish, the lilt of the accent; if southern, that sexy drawl. You sweep me along for the ride, making me wish to visit places I’ve never been. It’s an incredible talent.
Sure, you create heroes I fall in love with and heroines I want to chat and have cocktails with. But for me, it’s worlds they inhabit that make you such a master in the craft of writing romance. And it’s why I look forward to buying and reading your books every time a new one comes out. Thank you!
Lisa B(reader/blogger) www.modokkerbookpicks.blogspot.com Nora you were the very first author I started reading a few years ago when i decided to take up reading again since my high school years. I picked up my first book by you at a library book sale and was hooked. You were actually the only author i read for months after that. My plan was to read your entire backlist. I had a great time trying to do just that. You take readers on a journey in your books. There is always a great story but always there are lessons in there too. You create characters that people can relate too and wouldn’t mind knowing in person if they could be real. Nora you are always on my must buy list and i keep your yearly release schedule magnet right on my fridge so i don’t miss a book release. Thank you Nora for all the great stories and all the amazing hours of reading and getting lost in a books Congrats on 200 books!.
Liza (reader/blogger) Blogging by Liza Dear Nora, Irish Thoroughbred was my very first romance novel. My mom and grandmother shared their books each month and at 12 I went to my mom’s keeper stack and took it to my room to read. I lost most of your early books to a house fire, but thanks to used bookstores and ebay, I’m pretty sure I own all of you books. Your books have their very own bookcase in my house and it cracks my brother up that only Nora Roberts and JD Robb books are allowed to be put on that bookcase. Thank you for many hours of great reading and introducing me to some of my favorite characters ever!
Vivian Arend (author) Dear Nora,
As a new author at the national RWA convention in 2010, your keynote address not only made me proud to be a writer of romance, it inspired me to strive for certain goals.
1) to write stories that are full of real people and real emotion. Not based on the whims of what’s the current craze–your stories are fresh and new because they are exactly what you want to write. And frankly? They are what we want to read. You hit it on the head every damn time.
2) to surround myself with great friends in the industry who would support me, and that I could support. Your words of praise about those who you’ve been involved with for so many years brought tears and laughter–it’s a community and family that’s worth giving to, and I thank you for that reminder.
3) you also assured me it’s okay to be myself. I don’t know that I’ll ever have the opportunity to drop the F-word during a keynote address, but if the moment comes, I’ll do it in fond memory of just how honest you are.
Thank you for doing what you do, and for being who you are. You rock.
Jennifer Porter (blogger from Romance Novel News – http://www.romancenovelnews.com )
Dear Nora,
One cannot possibly be a romance reader without being aware of your writing and your impact on the genre. I began reading romance as a pre-teen, borrowing them from my mother. She read category romances, so I was often reading your early Silhouette romances. These books had a huge impact on my reading habits and helped make me a lifelong romance-novel addict. 200 hundred books is an incredible milestone. The romance genre would not be what it is today without you. Congratulations and thank you so much for years of wonderful romance!
Elise Rome (author)
Dear Nora,
Congratulations on reaching 200! Your books were some of the first romance books I read and include favorites that I go back to again and again. You’ve helped me as a reader to escape when I needed and as a writer to be encouraged and inspired by your hard work and accomplishments. Thank you, and I look forward to reading many more of your books in the years to come.
Sasha H (reader) Elizabeth Naughton and Kati said it best Nora. You have a truly magical ability to draw readers into places and worlds, real or imagined, that make us want to go there to, meet those people. Yes people, because Ethan, Seth, Grace, Eve, Roarke, no matter which character you’ve created, they become ‘real’ to us and we would all love to get the chance to step through the page and into their world.
Ireland is on my bucket list of places to visit because of you Nora Roberts. The women, the places, the history, the Irish B&B, the wonder of nature in Ireland, all came to life for me in your Born In trilogy and ever since, I’ve looked forward to your ‘return trips’ to Ireland.
How many of us can say we remember the first time we ever saw/heard of a particular author? I can if it’s Nora Roberts. 😀 I was in high school at the time, visiting one of my favourite places; a book club. I’m a ‘visual’ person and was immediately drawn to the covers of and titles to your Dream series and Sweet Revenge. I was hesitant, thinking it might be another one of ‘those’ books; heavy, spanning too many decades to count and full of choices you hate. Instead, I was blown away by the wonderful story of three women who had been friends since childhood, living in a world of privilege without being snobs. I fell in love with the family home, the unfolding story of each woman over the course of all three books, though each got her own starring role in Holding The Dream, Daring To Dream and Finding The Dream. There was no looking back after that, I had become a Nora Roberts FAN and went back to the book club for Sweet Revenge.
This book also has a special place in my heart. It’s darker than the Dream series but sweeps the reader along through decades and exotic locals without ever being boring or overdone. Princess Adrianne was strong and daring at a time when many romance novels had the man as the hero to a brave damsel in distress while Philip Chamberlain showed great insight into the inner workings of his love’s heart and mind. Philip supported Adriane as needed but he also saved her in ways she didn’t even realise she needed saving.Plus, the twists and turns in this jewelry heist sage kept me on the ‘edge of my seat’, as I tried to figure out how these two would accomplish their mission.
I’ve read nearly all 200 of your books and look forward to learning more about gardening and cooking, romance, life, commitment and triumph over struggles and heartbreak in your future novels.
Megan (reader and blogger at Riverina Romantics)
Dear Nora,
I’ve been reading your work since I was a sophomore in high school. You are what I call me first adult romance author crush! I’ve loved every one of your books that I’ve read – I’ve almost read them all – and many of them hold a special place in my heart. Congratulations on releasing your 200th novel and here’s to many more!
Heather (TBRG) Dear Nora, Thank you so much for introducing me to the romance genre. I discovered you when I was a teenager and Moragana and Nash’s book had just come out. Ever since then I have been able to escape into the fantastic worlds that you create and meet fun and interesting characters. One of the things I love about your books is the sense of family. I love how close your characters families, no matter how much they may irritate each other at the end of the day they are family and family is what matters. Thank you for that.
Mad (reader & blogger at RR@H Novel Thoughts) Dear Nora, Thank you for the many hours and late night reading you’ve provided to myself and probably thousands of other fans of yours. I always enjoy my “Nora Roberts mood” when it strikes and always end up kicking myself for waiting so long to read them. (i.e. my Nora Roberts binge reading) Happy 200th and here’s to 200 more!
Dear Nora,
Thanks so much for the endless hours of entertainment you’ve provided me. I started reading regularly when I turned 18, not too long after I had my daughter and I’ve found comfort in more than one of your books. I’ve visited far away countries through your books and met fabulous characters that have stayed with me long after I’ve put their books down and I can’t say thank you enough for the laughs, the romance and the hunky heroes that I continue to drool over today. Don’t ever stop writing!
Always a fan,
Rowena
Dear Nora,
Thank you for years of romances that make me laugh and cry and make
that happy romance reader sigh. Your work ethic, devotion to the
positive image of romance, and your support of literacy are an
inspiration to us all. Congratulations on your 200th release!
Shannon Stacey
***We are giving away a copy of one of Nora’s books, just leave her a fan letter. Open to US and Canada only***
Dear Nora,
Thank you for making me laugh and cry and sigh throughout the years. I love your books. I also love how you changed women’s romance for me. I am glad that all your characters are strong, brave and independent women.
Dear Nora,
Thank you for providing me with countless opportunities to escape. Your books have tweaked my interest in so many different places and hobbies, and your characters always seem like my friends (and sometimes lovers!). Your heroines inspire me to be a better person.
I just got my copy of The Witness, and I can hardly wait to get started. Happy 200th! And thanks, again.
Dear Nora,
Thanks for giving me hours of entertainment by reading your books. From the small Silhouettes to your full-length novels, you created strong independent heroines who are happy with their lives and friendships. When they finally meet their hero, it’s always an interesting story. Happy 200th Book.
Happy 200th book! I think I’ve read at least 3/4 of them, having spent way too many hours past my bed time trying to read “just one more chapter.” I love the singles, the series, and the trilogies. I love the paranormal, the contemporary and the futuristic. I’ve sighed and cried and laughed and loved along with the characters and enjoyed every minute.
Thank you so much for sharing your talents!
Dear Nora,
Happy 200th book! I have spent countless hours reading and re-reading your stories and I do want to thank you for all those little breaks you have given me through the years.
Nora,
You deserve all the kudos. Not only do you write character-driven books but you’re not afraid to tell the world that we need romance (and french fries!) in our lives.
You rock!
Dear Nora,
Thank you for being amazing, and for sharing your amazingness with the world.
Sincerely,
Chelsea.
Dear Nora,
Congratulations on your 200th book! Your writing and stories are amazing. Thanks for sharing them with us.
Dear Nora,
Congrats on your 200th book! What an amazing accomplishment. I’ve been a fan for years and will continue to be for many more to come! Thank you for sharing your fabulous imagination and talent with us. We are all the better for it!
Dear Nora,
Thank you for making me want to write and for making a Saturday night in alone amazing. Tonight, a glass of wine and your new novel will keep me company, and I couldn’t be happier.
Your characters touch me, and have brought me closer with my mother, my sister and my aunt, as we all read your books, share your books and talk about your books. Thank you. We love you!