Hot Summer Romance Giveaway Hop: The Power of Epilogues

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Today I’m participating in the Hot Summer Romance Giveaway Hop with a whole host of other awesome writers. The grand prizes for the hop are a KINDLE FIRE and a $50 gift card! Each stop is also offering its own prize as well. (More on mine in a minute!)

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If you talk to romance readers long enough, you will discover two camps: pro and anti-epilogue. I am decidedly pro-epilogue. I like any glimpse at what happens after the happily-ever-after. In fact, I can tell how high up on my keeper shelf a book is by how much time I’ve spent imagining what happened AFTER the HEA moment. When characters feel so real, it’s easy to get lost in day dreams about babies and birthdays and new houses and jobs and family problems. It’s hard to say goodbye to beloved characters.

I also think it’s really easy to idealize the falling in love part–it’s what we see on the page over and over again, the hard work of getting to that HEA moment. Everything that comes after that HEA moment in the final chapter is supposed to be a reward.

Except when it isn’t. Real life doesn’t work like that. The HEA moment is really just the beginning. And that’s what’s always intrigued me the most about beloved fictional characters–imagining how their marriage would thrive no matter what. I don’t just daydream about babies who never cry and houses staffed by nannies and chefs with money trees in the front yard. No, I daydream about how characters deal with miscarriages and job crises and deaths of parents and major illness. I want to believe that my keeper-shelf couples can survive threats that de-rail other marriages.

In other words, I want to believe that a given couple can do the work of keeping their HEA going. When I saw that my editors at Ellora’s Cave were looking for more stories featuring married couples, I jumped at the chance because it was almost like getting to a write an epilogue. I asked myself, “What if a couple already had their HEA moment? Lust at first sight, dating fumbles, white dress, little house? How does that couple react when they realize that they’ve been taking their HEA a little bit for granted?”

And the result was Move Me–newly released from Ellora’s Cave

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Mark and Jill Evans have an enviable marriage—great kids, nice house and a loving relationship. But lately, Jill can’t escape the feeling that things have gotten a bit stale. Mark’s been working long hours and she misses the days when their bed was used for more than folding laundry.

When Mark reveals that he’s landed a big new client—and a chance to move the family to France for a year—Jill objects and sparks a passionate stand-off. Mark proposes a sexy bet to settle their disagreement about moving, and his wife can’t wait for the games to begin. The battleground is the bedroom, and it’s a no-holds-barred war to see who moves first.

 

Add to Goodreads Buy on AmazonBuy on ARe Buy on Ellora's CaveBuy for Nook

Each stop in the Giveaway hop will be handing out prizes, and since my new release Move Me is currently out on both Kindle and All Romance E-Books, I’ll gift TWO copies–just make sure you include an email in your comment and include your preferred format (Kindle or ARe). The hop ends on the 21st and I’ll pick winners then!

Are you pro-epilogue? Anti-epilogue? What fictional couple’s HEA would you most like to see more of? (I have wasted many a pleasant hour coming up with epilogues in my head for all of Suzanne Brockmann’s books!)

Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!

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28 thoughts on “Hot Summer Romance Giveaway Hop: The Power of Epilogues”

    1. Thanks for stopping by! There are some books that just end so perfect that I don’t necessarily want an epilogue–The Paper Wife comes to mind.

  1. I am pro epilogue I just have to more more and more I am greedy like that :).

    Acheron and Tori from the Dark Hunters I would love to see more of.

    vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com

  2. Cassandra Hicks

    I am pro 🙂 There are many I would love to see more of such as many Jennifer Crusie’s and a more recent reread of Ginna Gray’s The Trophy Wife 🙂
    Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
    dixiedukegurl2 AT yahoo DOT com

  3. Epilogue can be good or bad for me…depends on the story and the author. I prefer Kindle (mobi) format please 🙂 Thanks a bunch for the hop/giveaway! Kyla Patton- kamclauc AT gmail DOT com

  4. I think there is enough reality in my life. I might dream about my couple, but the whole point of my reading is to escape the difficulties of my life. I want my couple to have their HEA and I don’t want that HEA ruined by deaths and miscarriages, etc. I have enough sadness and depression in my own reality. Why would I want to destroy the reality of my dream couple? For a nice dream couple, read Bad Mouth by Angela McCalister. What a wonderful, insightful, and fun question to answer. Thank you for the giveaway and the fun exercise! michelle_willms@yahoo.com

  5. I am Pro-epilogue I always pretend the character is me, so therefore I want to know how HAPPY I am going to be. If the author doesn’t give me one,then I have to make one up, mine doesn’t usually measure up to the author’s. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Thanks for sharing the awesome giveaways. evamillien at gmail dot com

  6. First I wanna say, I am so sorry to be cut and pasting this but it is the end of the day and the hop is almost over. I know crappy defense but I am tired! I promise I am adding books as I go along!
    So many great books being added to my TRB list today!!
    Thanks for being in the hop!
    grapeapril75(AT)gmail.com

  7. If the book leaves me with all of questions unanswered then it needs an epilogue! Thanks for the chance at this great giveaway and for participating in this hop!!

    huntress023(at)hotmail(dot)com

  8. Since I enjoy knowing more I guess I’m pro-epilogue, though it isn’t necessary for me to enjoy the book.

    dragon5174 at gmail dot com

  9. For me it depends on the story. I like both as long as they further the story along.
    Mel
    bournmelissa at hotmail dot com

  10. I don’t come down strongly pro or con…some books really lend themselves to an epilogue, sometimes it’s not needed.

    Thanks for the amazing giveaway!
    elizabeth @ bookattict . com

  11. I am very pro epilogue!! I hate feeling like “that’s it?” Like you said the HEA is just the beginning and an epilogue shows me the happiness that follows. 🙂 Thank you so much for being a part of this hop and for giving me the opportunity to win! I’d prefer the kindle format. usmcwifey1(at)live(dot)com

  12. Hi! Great excerpt! This sounds awesome! Thank you for the fun hop and giveaway! 🙂
    shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

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