As I come to the end of another book, I’ve been thinking about epilogues. They aren’t always necessary, and can even sometimes be a bit annoying, but as I looked back at my books, I realized that I do them more often than not. I’d rather have the reader get that final taste of the characters being happy than to end on a whopping dramatic note and then nothing else further. Tastes for epilogues definitely vary, however, and there are probably a couple I could have done without. Examining the epilogues I have, I’m going to try to remember why I did them. (These aren’t spoilers, because I think we all know that every couple of every book will end up together, no matter how hopeless it seems during the course of the story. These are romances, after all!)
Book 1: SPANISH MAGNATE, RED-HOT REVENGE – Epilogue. It wasn’t necessary, but since it was my first book I think I thought I needed it. It doesn’t add anything to the story.
Book 2: CAVELLI’S LOST HEIR – Epilogue. This one had a purpose, which was the show the heroine settling into her new life and being happy. There was also a thread about her mother that I tied up here.
Book 3: THE PRINCE’S ROYAL CONCUBINE – Epilogue. Once more, this one had a purpose. Since Cristiano and Antonella were on opposite sides of conflicting nations, and their relationship affected their countries, I wanted to show them a couple of years later and show how relations between the nations had changed.
Book 4 (a novella) – KEPT FOR THE SHEIKH’S PLEASURE – Epilogue. It’s a year later and I needed to show how Genie was doing in her new life. Not only that, but Zafir had some things to get used to about her job, so that’s in there too.
Book 5: THE DEVIL’S HEART – Epilogue. It was necessary to tie up a thread from the book. Also, I believe it takes place two years later.
Book 6: BEHIND THE PALACE WALLS – No epilogue. The story was complete without it, though I did move ahead in story time by about a year in the last scene, so I technically had an epilogue-type wrap up without the epilogue.
Book 7: THE MAN WITH THE MONEY – Epilogue. There were a couple of threads from the story that needed tying up. No time jump. It takes place right after the last chapter.
Book 8: STRANGERS IN THE DESERT – Epilogue. It’s needed in this book to answer a major question that the story raises.
Book 9: CAPTIVE BUT FORBIDDEN – No epilogue. It’s all tied up without it, though I do give a quick summary of the next couple of years in the last paragraph.
Book 10: MARRIAGE BEHIND THE FACADE – No epilogue. The story is all tied up without it and there’s nothing left to resolve or explain.
There are other books which I’ve written that haven’t come out yet, but I’m not going to talk about those. Clearly, I have a predisposition to write epilogues. I think I just like knowing that the characters are going to be all right, and I figure my readers like to know that too. If the relationship has been particularly rocky or in question throughout the book, I think an epilogue showing how the characters have adjusted is appropriate.
Not everyone agrees with me. Some writers like to end on that high dramatic note and then that’s it. Some readers don’t seem to mind at all. But I do. As a reader, I really want to know it’s all going to be okay. I want to see them together and happy, and know it’s going to work. Just because this is a romance with a happy ending doesn’t mean I believe the happy ending will last if I’m not comfortable with how the characters are as a couple throughout the story.
Once more, that’s a personal preference. So now I want to know what you prefer. Epilogue or no epilogue? Do you have any favorites in books you’ve read? Any that were totally superfluous (like my first book)? Any you hated?
Winners! Thank you so much for all the comments! I’m glad everyone was excited about the possibility of winning one of these books. I decided to giveaway six copies and I used the Random Number Generator to choose the winners. This is who won:
Danielle
Gina Brock
Summer
Pearl
Stacie D
Shelley Bagby
But that’s not all! Because I truly appreciate each and every one of my readers, everyone who commented on this giveaway (ending with Beth G) gets a choice of one of my backlist books! I will gift you Nook or Kindle copies if you are in the US (if you wish) or I will send paperbacks. If you are choosing a Nook or Kindle book, then you may choose any book currently available in that format (not Strangers, however, as it is not out yet). In paperback, you may choose from The Prince’s Royal Concubine, Cavelli’s Lost Heir, Chosen by the Sheikh (with Kim Lawrence), or The Man with the Money.
Congratulations to everyone and thank you for reading my books! To claim your copy, send me an email using the Contact page on this site (you can find my address there, or you can use the form. Totally up to you!) I’ll need your mailing address or your Kindle or Nook email. Tell me which book you want. For the people who won an author copy, you will be getting paperbacks, so please send your address. And that’s it! Here’s to a happy 2012!
I got lovely, beautiful author copies today! Aren’t they pretty? Strangers in the Desert isn’t due out until March, so this is way early. Which is awesome for YOU!
Because I’m going to give a copy or two (or maybe more) away here on the blog! I really love this story. It’s about a gorgeous sheikh and the wife he thought was dead. What’s not to love about that?!
The Desert King’s Lost Wife…
Isabella, the wife Sheikh Adan thought was dead, has just walked back into his life – on the eve of his wedding to another woman…
Now Adan is to be crowned King, Isabella must be his Queen – sharing his desert throne and the royal bed… But gone is the dutiful, pure girl he once knew – in her place is a defiant, sultry woman who makes Adan’s blood run hot… A woman who has no memory of being his wife…
Sound intriguing? How about an excerpt?
Isabella looked up in confusion. “Who are you?”
A shadow passed over his face before it hardened again. “Do you really expect me to believe you do not know?”
Anger and despair slashed through her in waves. It made no sense. And yet he hated her. This man hated her, and she had no idea why. Somehow, she found the strength to act, wrenching herself free from his grip.
Isabella hugged her arms around her torso as if to shield herself. She couldn’t bear to feel the anger and sadness ripping through her a moment longer. Couldn’t bear the currents of heat arcing across her nerve endings. The swirling confusion. The crushing desperation.
Grant had disappeared, but she knew it was so he could fetch one of the bouncers. He’d be back at any moment, and this man would be thrown out on his arrogant behind. She was going to enjoy that.
“Of course I don’t know you,” she snapped.
“On the contrary,” he growled, his dark eyes flashing hot, “you know me very well.”
Her heart pounded at the certainty in his voice. He was insane. Gorgeous, but insane. “I can’t imagine why you would think so.”
“Because,” he replied, his voice laced with barely contained rage, “you are my wife.”
Want one? Leave a comment to be entered! Happy New Year, y’all!
Hey, y’all! Just a quick note to let you know that book 5 of the Notorious Wolfes saga, THE MAN WITH THE MONEY, is in stores now! You can read more about the book, including an excerpt, here.
What do you think about that gorgeous video, hmm? Love it!
Jack…Red-Hot. Renegade. Restless.
Notorious gambler Jack no longer gets a buzz from the risks he takes at the card table. In fact it bores him. Until one night he wins more than he ever bargained for…
His prize is stunning Cara Taylor – she might be down on her luck but she certainly doesn’t need rescuing by a card-shark like Jack! Now she’s stuck with him she doesn’t know whether to love him or loathe him.
What are the reviewers saying?
“…intense emotional turmoil, a tortured hero and toe-curling intimate encounters.” — 4 Stars, RT Book Reviews
“Lynn Raye Harris does not disappoint her fans with her latest – The Man With the Money, part of The Notorious Wolfes.” — Cataromance
I hope you give Jack and Cara a try, and that you enjoy!
Good news for readers! Amazon is still selling the Kindle version of The Devil’s Heart for an amazing price: $1.71! If you like bargains, then you should snap this one up. It’s gotten some good reviews — RT Book Reviews gave it 4 Stars and said it had ‘Lots of conflict, hot love scenes, and a satisfying ending’. Readers on Goodreads seem to like the book a lot too.
A diamond, and a deal with the devil…
Francesca D’Oro was just eighteen when darkly sexy Marcos Navarre swept her up the aisle—then fled before the ink on the marriage licence had dried. Marcos might have given Francesca a jewel for her finger, but he stole another: the Devil’s Heart—a dazzling yellow diamond he believed belonged to his family…
Years later Francesca, no longer so youthfully naïve, is determined to reclaim the precious gem! But she’s forgotten that Marcos lives up to the treasure’s name—and dealing with the devil is always dangerous!
$1.71 on Kindle – it’s a bargain! I hope you’ll give it a try, and I hope you’ll let me know what you think.
As always, thanks for reading my books! Y’all are the reason I keep writing them.
Just in case you missed it, I now have a book page for my November Modern! Is this cover gorgeous, or what?
And here’s the back copy:
Public Duty
The news that wild socialite Veronica St. Germaine has cleaned up her act and stepped into her father’s shoes as ruler of a Mediterranean principality creates a tabloid frenzy! But it’s not just the paparazzi that are out for blood…
Private Scandal
Duty demands that bodyguard Rajesh Vala must protect Veronica—whatever the cost… But Veronica has always rebelled against commands, and she isn’t making Raj’s job easy!
He calls it ‘safeguarding’. She calls it being held captive at his beach house. Both realise that the attraction between them is inconvenient…
Veronica is nothing if not forbidden!
For more info, including an excerpt in which Veronica assumes Raj is a gigolo, click here. This is a really, really sexy book! Hope you enjoy! I have no information for when it will be available in North America, but it will most likely be in the summer.
You simply have to watch this video! My November book, THE MAN WITH THE MONEY, is the fifth title in the Notorious Wolfes series. You can read more about Jack and Cara here and here.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted! But I’ve been so darned busy you wouldn’t believe. I finished a book, revised it, and had it accepted. You can read about Adan Al Dhakir’s brother Malik sometime next spring (Adan is from Strangers in the Desert, my May UK release). In the meantime, I’m working on another book that’s due in about 2 weeks. And in between all that, I sandwiched in the RWA conference in New York City.
It was my first ever visit to the Big Apple — and I’m in love! What a city! I could live there if only I wrote a mega-blockbuster and could afford to have an apartment overlooking Central Park or a townhouse in Greenwich Village. Alas, I think I’m going to have to remain satisfied with the occasional visit.
The Romance Writers of America conference was fabulous, as always. Not that I actually make it to any workshops these days. Before I was published, I loved workshops and hit as many as I could. Now, I seem to be booked up with editor meetings, agent meetings, meeting meetings, author get togethers, etc. I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but the result is that unless I’m teaching the workshop, I don’t go to any. But I do buy the conference recordings so I get to enjoy the workshops later!
This year, I went a day early so that fabulous Presents author Jennie Lucas and I could go on a Greenwich Village food tour on Monday. We ate our way across Greenwich Village, I assure you. It was wonderful! And I even managed to buy two pairs of shoes. That night, I went to dinner with several of the Presents authors as well as Harlequin Historical author Michelle Willingham and Desire author Day LeClaire. Another fabulous evening!
The next day, I went on a whirlwind tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and had brunch at author Kate Hewitt’s lovely apartment. Later, I met with my editor. That night was the Literacy Signing, where I saw so many readers and friends — and got to meet Jackie Hussein who took the train up from DC for the event, and Pearl from Pearl’s World of Romance, who came all the way from Holland and also brought a Dutch copy of one of my books! After the signing, Sandra Marton held her famous pizza party for Presents authors. We ate pizza, drank wine, and talked and laughed. So much fun!
Wednesday was a meet and greet with the editors, lunch, and then tea at the Plaza hosted by the always elegant Jane Porter. Spent a lovely afternoon with Sandra Marton, Janette Kenny, Susan Stephens, and Carole Mortimer chatting in the concierge lounge, and then it was the PASIC party at the Algonquin hotel. Finished up the evening in the rotating bar above the Marriott.
The next day, Thursday, started with a meeting with my agent, the Presents author lunch (in which several of us commandeered a limousine to take us to the bistro) and then an agency party in a very posh suite on the 44th floor of the Marriott! Later that night was the Harlequin Black & White ball at the Waldorf Astoria’s very famous Starlight Ballroom. I felt like quite the star to be treated so wonderfully! And I brought home some of the white feathers that decorated the vases in the room. Of course I danced my fool head off, and shouted lyrics until I was practically hoarse — but there’s nothing like it and I’m always glad, even with aching thighs and burning calves the next day.
Friday was slightly more subdued. A Harlequin authors’ forum, lunch with Kimberly Lang and Faygie Levy (of RT magazine), then cocktails in the bar with several friends. My husband arrived that afternoon and managed to entertain himself for the entire evening since I dashed up to our room and changed for the RITA/GH ceremony and told him I wouldn’t be back for a while. It ended up being after 1:00 in the morning when I got to our room, and he was passed out asleep.
Hard to believe the conference went by so fast, but it did. Everyone was leaving the hotel on Saturday when my husband and I were gearing up to go touring New York City. We had a blast for 3 whole days before returning home yesterday. The fireworks on the 4th were incredible. We had a full view from our room on the 42nd floor. Six simultaneous displays going off over the Hudson River. Fabulous!
In case you’ve missed it elsewhere, I have a free story for you. In 2006, I was asked to contribute a short story for an anthology. Before I wrote for Harlequin Presents, I wrote military romance. My 2008 Golden Heart(R) finaling book was also a military romance, and it’s no secret that I wanted to publish my stories about a military Special Forces team.
But in 2008, I also entered the Harlequin Presents Instant Seduction contest with a chapter and synopsis of a story I’d called The Spanish Magnate’s Revenge. The rest is history. I won the contest, wrote the book, and sold it six months later. And I’ve been writing for Harlequin Presents ever since — a fact for which I am daily grateful!
I’ve decided to share this short story with you because I think you might like to try something of mine that’s different from what you’re used to seeing from me. You’ll find that the hero is still an alpha male, but instead of a billionaire, Major Ryan Cavanaugh is a Marine. A tough, gorgeous, honorable Marine who has a few issues with newspaper reporter Maddie Forester.
This is formatted in PDF so you can read it on your ereaders. I hope you enjoy!
You’ve been wondering about me, right? I have been buried in deadline hell — and I’m about to go back into it for another book due mid-July. But I had to stop and tell you that BEHIND THE PALACE WALLS is available and shipping from Amazon and Barnes & Noble right now! It should be in stores in the next few days. It might even be there now, but I’ve had no time to go look. If you’ve seen it, let me know!
Thanks to all my wonderful readers for putting this book on the Kindle bestseller list! Always very exciting for me. I never take it for granted that a book will make any list, so I’m very happy when they do. And they wouldn’t if y’all weren’t buying! So thank you.
Next up in the UK is HEARTLESS REBEL, which is Book 5 in the Bad Blood series. That book will be in the US in November as THE MAN WITH THE MONEY (the series will then be called The Notorious Wolfes — Book 1 of that series will be out next month: A NIGHT OF SCANDAL by the fabulous Sarah Morgan).
Right now, I’m working on a new book that will also be part of a series coming out next year! I can’t tell you anything about it, but trust me when I say this is an exciting concept!
Hope your summer is going well so far. It’s already reaching almost 100 degrees in Alabama this week. I’m staying indoors as much as possible! Except for Saturday when I will venture out to the Heart of Dixie Readers’ Luncheon in Huntsville. If you’re planning to be there, be sure and stop by to say hello. I’ll be hosting my own table, and of course I’ll be signing books afterward. I’d love to meet any of my readers!
And if you aren’t going to be at the luncheon, I’m still giving you a chance to win a signed copy of THE DEVIL’S HEART. Leave me a comment here on the blog and tell me what your favorite nationality is for a Harlequin Presents hero! I’ll also toss in some other goodies: bookmarks, romance novel trading cards, a totebag, and an excerpt book.
We have a winner! The Random Number Generator has chosen Diane! Thanks for entering and please check back for more contests! Diane, please send me your info at lynn AT lynnrayeharris DOT com and I’ll get your prize out to you!
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To claim your copy, send me an email using the Contact page on this site (you can find my address there, or you can use the form. Totally up to you!) I’ll need your mailing address or your Kindle or Nook email. Tell me which book you want. For the people who won an author copy, you will be getting paperbacks, so please send your address. And that’s it! Here’s to a happy 2012!
I'm a romance author whose debut novel, 
