TitlesYou’llNeverSeeonaHarlequinPresentsNovel

by Candy Monday, October 31, 2005 at 01:29 PM

Deep in the back file cabinet, in the recesses of the Harlequin office, there exists a file folder. It hides behind the “Confidential: Grave Location, Jimmy Hoffa” folder, and the sealed file marked “Truth about Turin, Shroud of.” It’s even nestled in the shadow of the “Dion, Celine: Home Planet Location” folder.

It’s the “Forbidden Titles” file. A list of titles so bad, even the folks down in the Harlequin Presents office aren’t allowed to look at them, for fear they wrest control of the empire away from the publishers and wreak havoc on our understanding of romance as we know it.

Your intrepid Smart Bitches, though, they know how to jimmy the lock on an old metal file cabinet, while holding cosmopolitans in one hand and a stack of Bombshells in the other. Behold: the titles you will never see in a Harlequin Presents novel.

The Painfully Shy Computer Geek’s Russian Bride

The Italian Tycoon’s Restraining Order

The Basement-Dwelling Mama’s Boy’s Virginity

The Stupid White Man’s Dark-skinned Secret Baby

The Heiress’ Purple Cheekbone Bruises

The Crack Whore’s Secret Babies, All Three of Them, Plus a Couple of Toddlers, Too (Hey Man, Who can Keep Track Of All Those Moving Things When You’re High?)

The Boardroom Mistress’s Sexual Harrassment Lawsuit

The Porn Star Thinks Positive

The Morbidly Obese Lady’s Secret Pregnancy

The Heir’s DID Mistress’s Other Personality’s Mail-Order Bride”

The Hungarian Tycoon’s Yugo

Love in the El Camino

The Billionaire’s Incontinent Wife

The Spaniard’s Mostly Virginal Bride, Because Anal Totally Doesn’t Count

The Greek’s Underage Cambodian Whore

A Scandalous Accounting Discrepancy

Pregnancy by Turkey Baster

The Billionaire’s Bulimic Supermodel Mistress

His Secret Weeping Sores

Bound by A Really Fat Dominatrix

The Disobedient Bottom

Herpes Infection of Revenge

Expecting the Playboy’s HIV Test To Come Back Negative

Fellating the Father of the Groom

The Secret of Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch

The Mediterranean Mogul’s Secret One-Testicled Lovechild

The Sheikh’s Obnoxious Halitosis

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Picture of Stephen Stephen said on...
10.31.05 at 03:08 PM |

You mean they will be using:

His Duct-Taped Hamster

The Baby Doctor’s Doctored Baby

Her Latin Lover’s Iambic Hexameter

The Greek Tycoon’s Freak Typhoon

The Chilean General’s Guilty Verdict

and from the Regency drawers:

Hey There, Lonely Earl

The Barren Baroness

Out for the Viscount

The Rake, the Spade and the Hoe

(Now somebody will tell me that one of these is real...)

Picture of Amanda Amanda said on...
10.31.05 at 04:09 PM |

O.M.G. I fell off my chair laughing. My children’s worst fears have been confirmed- I’m sertifiably insane & their college money (such as it is) will be spent keeping me locked up far, far away from bodice ripping porn for housewives.

Picture of Amanda Amanda said on...
10.31.05 at 04:10 PM |

Sorry about the shitty spelling. I told you I’m certifiable. That ought to have been ‘certifiable.’

Picture of JL Dropout JL Dropout said on...
10.31.05 at 05:19 PM |

I swear I think that I read “The Disobediant Bottom” before… Ha!  What a great entry, I loved it!

Picture of fiveandfour fiveandfour said on...
10.31.05 at 05:51 PM |

Oh man, and I was soooo looking forward to The Porn Star Thinks Positive - both the story and the cover.

And Stephen, my mind put a dirty little spin on His Duct-Taped Hamster so, um, yeah...I’m off for some brain bleach.

::whistles innocently as she walks away::

Picture of Darlene Marshall Darlene Marshall said on...
10.31.05 at 06:09 PM |

Stephen, that was better than cheap, leftover Halloween candy.

Picture of Ammie said on...
10.31.05 at 06:13 PM |

Did this topic stem from the actual title of a new HQ presents: “The Pregnacy Revenge”? Coz, that took me aback. 

It’s CRACK ‘HO nowadays. I think back in the day was “The Dock Whore’s Secret Syphilitic Duke’s Scion.” You know, when ‘hos were whores.

Picture of Candy said on...
10.31.05 at 06:49 PM |

Did this topic stem from the actual title of a new HQ presents: “The Pregnacy Revenge”?

It was just looking at the collection of HP titles in toto and realizing that all the time we were making fun of the titles? We didn’t need to. They were making fun of themselves. Some of them, like The Brazilian’s Blackmailed Bride, are SO BAD that there’s no way I could’ve thought them up.

Anyway, funny you should mention the pregnancy revenge title, because that was the direct inspiration for Herpes Infection of Revenge. Because really, a pregnancy as revenge is 18 years of child support, but herpes? Is forever.

Picture of Maman Maman said on...
10.31.05 at 07:48 PM |

Should I be lining up to read “Everybody Loves a Horny, Fat Chick” or is that more of a sitcom thing?

Picture of Arethusa Arethusa said on...
10.31.05 at 07:54 PM |

The Billionaire’s Bulimic Supermodel Mistress.

Is this copyrighted? I’m thinking I can join that Nano thing last minute and cook me up something good using that title. Because it is too perfect and I am laughing too hard.

Picture of Stef Stef said on...
10.31.05 at 08:38 PM |

Oh man.

That’s all.

Oh....man....

Picture of Candy said on...
10.31.05 at 08:43 PM |

Arethusa: GO FOR IT.

If you do end up using it, just let us know what kind of story you ended up writing.

Picture of Amy E Amy E said on...
10.31.05 at 09:19 PM |

You know, down in the HP basement, there are about 5 Master Wheels.  Whenever they need a title, they spin ‘em.  Words like “Tycoon,” “Secret,” “Mistress,” “Lover,” etc, cover these wheels.  Whatever comes up when the wheels stop spinning… thus are books dubbed!

“The… Greek… Mistress’s… Secret… Virgin… Tycoon...” YES!  It’s perfect!  So what if the story’s set in Kansas?

Picture of THIS! Christine THIS! Christine said on...
10.31.05 at 11:47 PM |

::Sniff:: I’ll have you know I write Presents. And I can’t wait for the day I have my very own Tycoon’s Tart’s Tryst title.

X

Picture of Erin O'Brien Erin O'Brien said on...
11.01.05 at 05:20 AM |

The Secret of the Plumber’s Butt Crack

Passion on Roller Skates

She Dreams in Rubber

Although I fear if I spend too much time in Ellora’s Cave, I just might find that last one.

Picture of EvilAuntiePeril EvilAuntiePeril said on...
11.01.05 at 06:22 AM |

The Sultana’s Enormous Moustache

Tamed by his Widening Wife

The Spanish Surgeon’s Malpractice Pursuit

Stalking the Lustful Proctologist

The Copraphile Catches a Wife

Slave to the Moral Mormon

The Mistress’ Marriage in a Convenience

In the Arms of the Septuagenarian Sheikh

In my future reincarnation as Barbarella Oxcarthide I vow to write all of the above.

Picture of Eddie Adair Eddie Adair said on...
11.01.05 at 06:49 AM |

Wait a sec. Weren’t some of these used in the Goofy Names/New Title Generator contest?

Though I’ll contend that E.D’Trix didn’t need the generator for “Gettin’ Dirty With the Windy Janitor"…

Picture of Sara Walker Howe Sara Walker Howe said on...
11.01.05 at 07:53 AM |

Love in the El Camino

I can see it now: they’re standing in the back, she’s lying with her throat exposed, bosom heaving, and blond hair fanned out across the navy blue hood. His shirt is open, exposing the Italian Stallion’s short and curlies, his sho-lo flapping in the wind.

Cover blurb: Will Drake be able to give up his car for Vanessa, the one true love of his life? Or will Vanessa have to resort to disguising herself as a man, and taking an autoshop class just so she can spend time with Drake? Will Drake and Vanessa find more than Love in the El Camino??

Picture of Candy said on...
11.01.05 at 10:22 AM |

The Copraphile Catches a Wife

I admit, I’m looking forward to this one the most. Question: is The Mistress’ Marriage in a Convenience the sequel?

Picture of Stef Stef said on...
11.01.05 at 11:11 AM |

Gettin’ Dirty With the Windy Janitor

Oh my God - I think I just had a heart attack.  They’ll put it on my tombstone - Died Laughing.

I thought up some funny ones, but NO WAY can they hold a candle.

More!  More!

Picture of EvilAuntiePeril EvilAuntiePeril said on...
11.01.05 at 11:30 AM |

The Mistress’ Marriage in a Convenience is indeed the sequel.

It features the copraphile’s lavatorophobic tycoon cousin who forces an innocent young convent-educated virgin to become his mistress.

This is in revenge for her step-brother “bog-washing” him at a tender age causing unspeakable damage to his psyche whose symptom is an inability to flush. To overcome the trauma he manfully ravishes her in any public convenience he finds until ultimately her sweet innocence and pure piney scent cause him to love her.

But unable to admit his love, even to himself, he forces her to marry him and claims he only wants her for her ability to scrub a u-bend.

However, a build-up of methane causes a freak cesspit explosion which nearly kills the heroine. Overcome with emotion the hero reveals his feelings at last and they celebrate their luuurrrve in beautiful outhouse in the country.

Picture of ShannonC ShannonC said on...
11.03.05 at 10:32 PM |

Love Lies Oozing

Lord McFarland and His Engaging Member

Come Again, My Swarthy Botswain

To Love an Irish Setter

Latex Love- a Regency Romp

Annie and the Titular Head

The Snaggle Tooth Virgin Finds a Baby

Picture of Cat Cat said on...
11.07.05 at 02:59 PM |

The Pregnancy of Revenge.  Gosh, that’s so romantic I might… become a lesbian.

Picture of Alyssa Alyssa said on...
11.07.05 at 08:33 PM |

These are hilarious! I think my favorite is The Porn Star Thinks Positive. It offers so many possibilities.

Picture of sandra said on...
05.05.07 at 09:33 AM |

If you put the titles of some of those HQN Greek/Sheikh etc books together, you would have the blurb for a really bad noveL:  THE SHEIKH’S UNWILLING RUNAWAY BRIDE became THE GREEK TYCOON’S SECRET MISTRESS but now she’s been BLACKMAILED INTO BED and she’s HAVING THE ITALIAN COUNT’S BABY!

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