# Romance & sports? What do you think?



## 28612 (Dec 7, 2010)

Hi! Welcome to my first venture into The Book Bazaar.

I'm going to start off with a question -- those who know me would be shocked, absolutely shocked at my asking a question! -- that only readers can answer.

In my trad print publishing career I've had 25 books published. Three have backgrounds strongly grounded in sports. So, obviously, those books were purchased by publishers. Yet editors kept telling me that romance readers wouldn't read books with sports backgrounds.

So, I'm asking: What are your feelings about romance/women's fiction books with a sports background?

Of course, as long as we're here  I should tell you a little about my books, right?








HOOPS http://amzn.to/hgEhzt throws together a sexy men's college basketball coach and the team's academic advisor, who doesn't trust him . . . or herself when she's around him. (A finalist for RWA's RITA)







RODEO NIGHTS http://amzn.to/ecUV6s reunites bull-rider Walker Riley and Kalli Evans. Their marriage ended ten years ago, but did their love?








THE GAMES http://amzn.to/g1hG2p follows three remarkable women through a Winter Olympics. In sixteen days careers can be made, medals can be won, hearts can be lost. USA Today's Christine Brennan said: "Fast-paced, vivid and true-to-life, Patricia McLinn's The Games captures the personal drama and compelling stories of the greatest sports event on earth. It's a gold-medal winner any fan of the Games will love." For more reviews go here: http://patriciamclinn.com/games2010/reviews.html

Looking forward to your answers!
~ Patricia


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

Fae meets Elf, Vampires in love, a May December affair, Falling for another species in space... 

Romance is romance. Love is love - bring it on.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Go for it. A lot of women either play or watch sports or both.


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## Dana Taylor (Jan 8, 2010)

Hi Patricia--

Sports and romance go hand-in-hand because they both are very passionate!  (And they require some skill.)

Dana Taylor


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Romance readers won't read books with sports backgrounds?  Someone really said that?  Silly them.


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## JennaAnderson (Dec 25, 2009)

Dana Taylor said:


> Hi Patricia--
> 
> Sports and romance go hand-in-hand because they both are very passionate! (And they require some skill.)
> 
> Dana Taylor


Oooh - good answer!


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## 28612 (Dec 7, 2010)

JennaAnderson said:


> Romance is romance. Love is love - bring it on.


Great response, Jenna!


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## 28612 (Dec 7, 2010)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Go for it. A lot of women either play or watch sports or both.


Exactly, Gertie! Seemed like an out-of-date view to me.


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## 28612 (Dec 7, 2010)

> Sports and romance go hand-in-hand because they both are very passionate! (And they require some skill.)


That's it exactly, Dana.

I know I'm biased, because I spent the beginning of my career as a sports journalist, but I see so much inherent drama -- change, aspiration, journey -- in sports that it seems a natural.

Wonderful to hear others agree


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## Ruth Harris (Dec 26, 2010)

The fact that your novels were published, that HOOPS was a rita finalist should tell you all you need to know.
Sports means young, hunky men, young, sexy women, the older parents & coaches with their own desires, the thrill of victory & the agony of defeat -- sounds like great romance to me.

PS:  your tag lines are excellent!


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I think there is a market for every kind of romance out there. Everyone has different tastes. Some themes might appeal to a smaller audience than others, but there will still be readers out there. 

I personally don't like sports at all. Well I love love Tennis, its the only sport I watch and I watch religiously, stay up at night for it. Unfortunately in the US, its not on the top of the list and I can't stand football, baseball, basketball and those kind of sports. I don't like reading about those either much. But again, those are very popular sports here in the US, so there is most certainly a audience of romance readers out there that likes that theme. 

Now give me a handsome Tennis player with a wicked backhand, I am all over it.  . I never actually read a romance novel about Tennis players now that I think about it. And I read mostly romance. Oh where are thou  

Funny story when I moved to Texas and worked at a craft store, someone asked me for spur stuff. So I happily lead them to the doll house furniture section where we carried tiny little cute boot spurs. The lady looked at me like I had 2 horns or something and yelled at me " I am talking about the Spurs, basketball"  . I am in San Antonio by the way. I had no clue whatsoever. I even helped one of them one day at my section pick out paints and stuff, some coworkers were about to pass out and I was like huh? When he went to check out they went after him like a cat in heat.  . Apparently it was one of the players. Again, me clueless  

Good luck with your books.


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## 28612 (Dec 7, 2010)

Ruth Harris said:


> Sports means young, hunky men, young, sexy women, the older parents & coaches with their own desires, the thrill of victory & the agony of defeat -- sounds like great romance to me.


LOL, Ruth!

When I was researching THE GAMES http://amzn.to/ezCZ5P  I asked a U.S. Olympic team coach if it was at all realistic to have athletes taking time during the Games to do things like, oh, have sex .

He said, Are you kidding? Do you know the first thing they always run out of at the Olympics? Yup, condoms.



> PS: your tag lines are excellent!


Thank you! Promo is so not my forte -- I really appreciate your saying that!


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## mamiller (Apr 28, 2009)

I'm all for romance and sports!  I'm an avid football fan, and often enjoy the real-life romance stories that have taken place in that industry.  For as much as everyone may hear the affairs and all that...there are some beautiful tales of romance I've acquired over the years.  

Your book sounds great!


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## 28612 (Dec 7, 2010)

> Now give me a handsome Tennis player with a wicked backhand, I am all over it.


Oooo, a tennis player. I like that idea, Atunah.

My first effort at a novel had a tennis player (modeled somewhat after Miloslav Mecir -- remember him?) It also had international intrigue, mystery, romance and just about everything else except scifi/ff 

Here's a great article on Mecir http://bit.ly/h1Izma


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## Ruth Harris (Dec 26, 2010)

Hi Pat...Young, in great shape and horny...of course the first thing they run out of is condoms.  LOL

The good news is that they use them!

And I definitely agree about tennis...it's a very very sexy sport...those hard bodies glistening in the sun or under the lights.  Gimme Rafa.  Gimme Roger.  And for the older gen (meaning moi) André still looks good.  Very good!  So you've got the young and the sexy + the old(er) and the studly.  How can a romance like this miss?  Will appeal to all generations...

How can you miss?  Go for it!


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## hwest (Jun 21, 2010)

As a lady who listens to sports radio all day at my desk and a huge romance fan, I think the combination is great. I wish there were more books out there like these.


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## 28612 (Dec 7, 2010)

mamiller said:


> Your book sounds great!


Thank you, Maureen! And you're right about the great romances in real life. Alas we don't hear as much about those as the scuzzy types, because bad is news, good isn't.

Hmm, I guess that's good news, huh? There's enough good around that it's not news


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Well, _The Front Runner_ is a bit of a classic you know and has sold upwards of ten million copies.


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## 28612 (Dec 7, 2010)

> The good news is that they use them!


Yes, indeed, Ruth.



hwest said:


> As a lady who listens to sports radio all day at my desk and a huge romance fan, I think the combination is great. I wish there were more books out there like these.


My favorite kind of reader!


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## Ruth Harris (Dec 26, 2010)

@hwest...you're not the only one.  I'm right there with you.  I alternate between Mike Francesca on WFAN and Mike & Mike on ESPN for all the latest and greatest in sports gossip and analysis.  I grew up going to baseball and football games with my Dad who was a devoted tennis player.  So I went to lots and lots of tennis matches with him, too.

Patricia:  hwest & I are proof:  Sports are not just for guys!


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## 28612 (Dec 7, 2010)

JRTomlin said:


> Well, _The Front Runner_ is a bit of a classic you know and has sold upwards of ten million copies.


Thanks for bringing that up, JR. I wasn't familiar with the book -- went and did some reading about it. I could very much see what one review said about it being the right book by the right author at the right time. So interesting.


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## Reena Jacobs (Jan 14, 2011)

I'm not a sports fan, but I know quite a few women who are. And many who aren't sports fans, have husbands who are. Sometimes all it takes is a little romance to make a topic interesting.


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## 28612 (Dec 7, 2010)

Reena Jacobs said:


> Sometimes all it takes is a little romance to make a topic interesting.


What a great point, Reena!

As a reader, I can't think of any I-won't-read categories. There are, of course, some I'm more drawn to, but what I'll read and enjoy depends on the specific story and the execution.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Welcome to KindleBoards, Patricia, and congratulations on your book!

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## 28612 (Dec 7, 2010)

Thanks, Ann.

I think we're all off watching sports now (U.S. Figure Skating today!)

... Or maybe romancing


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Patricia McLinn said:


> Thanks for bringing that up, JR. I wasn't familiar with the book -- went and did some reading about it. I could very much see what one review said about it being the right book by the right author at the right time. So interesting.


I have a feeling it isn't what a lot of people were thinking of. But there are all _kinds_ of romances and that definitely is one. It is still widely read as are her later novels.


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## 28612 (Dec 7, 2010)

JRTomlin said:


> I have a feeling it isn't what a lot of people were thinking of. But there are all _kinds_ of romances and that definitely is one.


At their core, romances are about relationships, especially how people can change and become better able to form long-lasting connections. And that core can be seen in all sorts of stories.

I often say that my books are not about characters arriving at a Happy Ending. Instead, over the course of the story, the characters become equipped and prepared for a Happy Beginning -- they're reading to start a long-lasting, committed relationship.


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## 28612 (Dec 7, 2010)

My sports romances -- THE GAMES, HOOPS and RODEO NIGHTS -- are going to be featured on http://www.DailyCheapReads.com on Thursday, Feb. 17.

Hope other readers are as open to these as you all have been!


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