We're very excited to have Jillian Burns back with us on the Playground today! She's brought a great blog, some eye candy (if you read all the way down :-)) and she's generously agreed to give away a copy of the Australian release of her first book, Let it Ride, which just so happens to contain Afterburn as well. I was very excited when I found out that my book would be released with Jillian's! She's an awesome writer and a wonderful friend so please give her a warm welcome. Happily Ever After
In 4 days my second Blaze, SEDUCE AND RESCUE, will be on shelves everywhere and I’m so excited. click HERE to read an excerpt. This is the story of Lt Col Ethan Grady, who lost a bet to Major Cole Jackson in LET IT RIDE but still hadn’t paid off his debt by the end of that book. So, this story begins with Ethan forced to get a massage.
The inspiration for this story began as a Sweet November with a happy ending. Keanu Reeves plays an emotionally repressed man who’s life is changed by a meddling, free-spirited woman. He falls in love with her, but (SPOILER ALERT) she is dying of cancer. Great movie, BAD ending. So, I rewrote it the way I wanted it to be. This story also has a bit of An Officer and a Gentleman in it, and just a touch of Bridget Jones’ Diary.
I did a lot of research for this book, and I also love to have a lot of pictures to help me visualize places and things.
F-22 Raptor Fighter Jet flying over Nellis Air Force Base
Monte Carlo Resort and CasinoYou may prefer to visualize things in the book with your own imagination, but if you don’t mind some help, here are a few of my favorite images from my collage for this book.
Lily's herb Shop
Volcano in front of The Mirage Hotel
And if you’re wondering about Captain Mitch McCabe and Captain Alex Hughes from LET IT RIDE, their story continues in SEDUCE AND RESCUE and they’ll be getting their own book, NIGHT MANEUVERS, in Sept 2011!Here’s my question for you: Do you mind if a movie has a sad ending, like Sweet November or Nights in Rodanthe? Or do you prefer a Happily Ever After ending like Officer and a Gentleman, or Bridget Jones’ Diary?
I’m giving away a copy of the Aussie version of LET IT RIDE to one commenter –it’s a two-in-one book that also features your own Kira Sinclair’s AFTERBURN!
Thanks for visiting with us today, Jillian! It's always a treat when you stop by.
Jillian Burns lives in Texas with her husband of twenty years and their three active kids. She likes to think her emotional nature—sometimes referred to as moodiness by those closest to her—has found the perfect outlet in writing stories filled with passion and romance. She spent her youth with her nose in a book, immersed in the worlds of Jane Eyre and Elizabeth Bennett, and believes romance novels have the power to change lives with their message of eternal love and hope. Her first Harlequin Blaze, LET IT RIDE, was released May 2009, and the sequel, SEDUCE AND RESCUE, is in stores October 1! She will have 3 more Blazes out in 2011. For more information and excerpts you can visit her website http://jillianburns.com/
P.S. Congratulations to DBurton973, PM's winner from yesterday. Please email her at playgroundmonitor@writingplayground.com with your snail mail address to claim your prize.
19 comments:
I'm all for the HEA endings for pure enjoyment!
However, I have watched and liked sad movies too: Braveheart, The Gladiator, Dances With Wolves are some of my favorites.
I think it depends on what I expect or know going into a movie. If I expect happy ending and get sad it will effect my viewpoint.
Hi Laurie!
Absolutely expectation makes all the difference. I, too, loved Gladiators and Dances w/ Wolves. My worst experience was Message in a Bottle. I went to see that b4 I knew that Nicholas Sparks is a sadistic writer of so-called LOVE stories NOT Romances. I was furious at the end of that movie.
Thank you for coming by today!
I am such a HEA girl! Don't get me wrong, there are some times when a good cry isn't a bad idea. But, I do not like to end a movie crying. I want there to be some kind of HEA for all of the characters.
Instigator
Welcome Juliet!
I hate Nicholas Sparks! He ruins everything and I don't like his attitude about the romance genre. He does it on purpose because he wants to be 'literature' not trash. Hmph.
I think the biggest problem is the surprises. I didn't go to Titanic and walk out stunned and betrayed. I knew what I was in for. But when you go in expecting a light romantic comedy and come out traumatized, I get angry.
It only took reading a couple Nicholas Sparks books for me to realize somebody was gonna die. But I watched Nights in Rodanthe because (1) it was free on a long plane ride and (2) I like Richard Gere and Diane Lane together.
I much prefer a movie with a happy ending (I saw Sweet November too and HATED the ending).
Welcome back! And I've already seen SEDUCE AND RESCUE on the shelves here. LOVE the excerpt. I'm definitely going to have to read this.
I really prefer HEA. That's why I don't always like the movie number 2 or 3 in the series. I mean, you get the HEA in the first movie, but in the second the main characters have a)broken up or b) the other main character is dead or dies in the beginning of the movie.
I guess they can't all be HEA, but I prefer them.
Good afternoon Jillian,
I prefer Happy Endings. If I want the other, I will turn on the National news or think about my divorce that took 2 years.
I will definitely look for your books.
Thank you!
Congrats on the new release, Jillian. I do prefer happy endings, but I also appreciate movies where the sad ending is inevitable. One of my favorite movies without a happy ending is "Roman Holiday." They don't end up together, but I felt the ending was right.
Hi Instigator,
I'm the same way. Call me shallow but I won't even go see a movie if I find out it has a bad ending. If I want to be depressed I'll watch the news. :)
Thanks for having me as a guest today!
Hi Smarty Pants,
Exactly! Nicholas Sparks is a jerk. Why do his novels get made into movies when there are so many wonderful Romance novels out there that would make a great movie! Anything by Jenny Crusie or SEP!
And yes, I agree, I went to go to Schindler's List KNOWING it was going to really bother me, but I felt it was important to see it. I was PREPARED for the sadness.
Hi PM!
I watched NIGHTS only because my CP asked me to get a feel for the beach house and storm for a book she was writing. I figure she owes me. Although, you're right, Gere and Lane are fantastic together.
Hi Minna,
I agree. I usually won't go see a sequel or read a series of novels where the main characters are the same in books 2, 3 and so on. For instance I love Amanda Quick! But her series of books with the same H/h just aren't as gripping for me.
That said, I love the Harry Potter sequels and in movies I love the Toy Story sequels!
Hi Chey,
thanks for coming by to comment today! Hope you're doing well.
Hugs
Hi robertsonreads!
Absolutely. The world is full of depressing news and life can be frustrating and hectic. There's nothing like getting home after a long irritating day and curling up with a romance novel or a fun romantic comedy to escape the world for a couple of hours. Even Shakespeare wrote twice as many comedies as he did Tragedies.
Hi Jane,
I agree. Sometimes, to have a happy ending would be ridiculous and shallow. Your example, Roman Holiday is one and the other is Casa Blanca. Rick HAD to let Ilsa go, or he would not have been the hero we could love and respect. Oh now I'm going to sniffle. I need a tissue.
Hi Jullian! Sorry I'm late. It happens a lot-- just ask the others!
But welcome back. So good to see you.
And I *demand* a HEA. I don't care how appropriate any other ending might be. I, by dog, won't take anything less. Life's too short and there's enough heartache out there...
I love Roman Holiday however I don't think it must be the sad ending.. .for a Princess ends up marrying a reporter it does make sense.
Whenever I watch this movie I still feel upset when it comes to the ending. ..
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