The first Reality Romance Tweetup event took place on Twitter on October 5, 2010. Tweeting live were the reality romance novel “stars” of “Meet Me In Manhattan” and the author of the romance novel. Tweeters tweeted questions and comments to the real-life couple Erika Fredell and Ted Skala and author Judith Arnold during the live Twitter event.
Tweeting at the Tweetup were:
@MeetMeManhattan – Erika Fredell & Ted Skala, real-life couple whose story is the plot of “Meet Me In Manhattan”
@JudithArnoldFan – Judith Arnold, author of 87 published romance novels (”Meet Me In Manhattan” is her 86th.)
@TrueVowsBooks – Representatives of HCI Books, publishers of the reality romance True Vows series
@TLCBookTours – Moderator of the Reality Romance Tweetup
@Romance Readers
@Reality Fans
@The Twittersphere
Here is a transcript of the tweets exchanged during the Reality Romance Tweetup.
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@girlsgonereadin
What is reality romance? How do those two genres go together?
@JudithArnoldFan
Reality-Based Romances (RB Romance) are romance novels based on actual couples.
@CindyLoveOfBook
What made you decide to do the books this way?
@JudithArnoldFan
A romance novel based on a real-life romance, a real couple.
@JudithArnoldFan
Ted & Erika’s story is just like a romance novel. Conflicts, passion, happy ending.
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@TLCBookTours
Did the popularity of reality tv shows contribute to the creation of the RB romance genre?
@JudithArnoldFan
Reality TV is so popular. Why shouldn’t reality romance be popular, too?
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@CindyLoveOfBook
Is the cover of the book the real couples?
@JudithArnoldFan
No–models on the covers. T&E could have posed for the cover, tho. They’re gorgeous.
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@TLCBookTours
So I have a question for Ted & Erika.. were you worried about overexposure, or that your story would be misrepresented?
@MeetMeManhattan
Of course…we were nervous at first…but we decided to take a chance… and to have the opportunity to have our story told
@JudithArnoldFan
It’s essentially T&E’s story–how they met, fell in love. I invented some scenes, characters, dialog.
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@TLCBookTours
@MeetMeManhattan What was the reaction from friends/family? and was there any embarrassment on your part?
@MeetMeManhattan
We were excited to have our story heard, because we felt like we were living something pretty amazing-which doenst happen often…
@MeetMeManhattan
Friends were psyched…family was curious. Ted felt bad about his mom and her book club 
…for the romantic spicy scenes!
@JudithArnoldFan
I tried to tone down the spice a little–for Ted’s mom.
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@DaniJoAvia
Love that someone had the BRILLIANT thought to write real life romances! How did you select the stories, and the writers?
@TrueVowsBooks
Also @girlsgonereadin wanted to know how it is that reality and romance go together because they seem so opposite
@JudithArnoldFan
Not every true love story will work as a True Vows novel…
@lightningReader
My personal story would probably be too boring…
@JudithArnoldFan
…The story needs conflict, some heartbreak, a chance for the h/h to overcome obstacles.
@CindyLoveOfBook
Curious..why did you decide to write the book this way as opposed to fiction wise?
@MeetMeManhattan
Romance is real….so it can go hand in hand with reality. the book actually proves and shows it can really happen!
@JudithArnoldFan
Romance really does happen just like in a romance novel sometimes. T&E prove that.
>> For a last chance to win a free copy of “Meet Me in Manhattan,” click here >>
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@girlsgonereadin
I love the idea of using real couples for romance. What limitations did it place on you as a writer
@JudithArnoldFan
More difficult writing about real people. I couldn’t just make them do what I wanted…
@JudithArnoldFan
…but that happens w/fictional characters, too. They go off and do what they want, and I just follow.
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@thebookvixen
@MeetMeManhattan How much of the book was fact?
@MeetMeManhattan
We would say a lot is real…most of it actually…do you have any specific parts you are curious about?
@TrueVowsBooks
People always ask us how much of the steamy parts are real and how much of it Judith made up
@MeetMeManhattan
LOL….we are laughing b/c a lot of the steamy was real…we were 18 after all 
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@KachLynda
@JudithArnoldFan In addition to @MeetMeinManhatten what other sources were available? Their photos, letters, or diaries?
@JudithArnoldFan
Erika sent me printouts of emails she and Ted exchanged, & photos. We emailed back and forth a lot.
@JudithArnoldFan
Also, there was an article about how they wound up married in the NY Times. Got some info from that.
@MeetMeManhattan
She asked us to fill out a list of questions – separately – and send it back to her..throughout we had open dialog with her
@TLCBookTours
@MeetMeManhattan I wonder how closely your answers matched up! Judith?? Were the lovers in sync?
@JudithArnoldFan
Ted & Erika in sync? Don’t know. Maybe they were a little surprised reading about each other in the book.
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@TLCBookTours:
Did Ted & Erika have veto power over anything you wrote?
@JudithArnoldFan
Ted & Erika read an early draft of the book and asked for a few changes. Not a veto, but I was happy to make the changes…
@TrueVowsBooks
OK, so you have to tell us at least one of the changes…
@TLCBookTours
I’m curious as well!! Was it dialog, a situation, or something that made them uncomfortable?? #TLCbookchat
@JudithArnoldFan
Some stuff about Erika’s horseback riding. She wanted to make sure I got her feelings about riding right.
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@girlsgonereadin
I have never read a romance book. What is unique about romance? Why should I try reality?
@JudithArnoldFan
Romance novels are uplifting. They give you hope that people can overcome problems, be happy–there’s good in the world.
@JudithArnoldFan
Many folks who don’t like romance novels have never read one. Read one and you discover how wonderful they are.
>> For a last chance to win a free copy of “Meet Me in Manhattan,” click here >>
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@TLCBookTours
Why do you think so many people discredit romance as a genre?
@CindyLoveOfBook
I am not a huge romance reader but I will pick one up if i think it will be good
@JudithArnoldFan
Some of the reasons people discredit romance: they have happy endings so they can’t be taken seriously…
@JudithArnoldFan
…They’re popular, and anything that popular can’t possibly be any good …
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@TLCBookTours
What are the elements of an excellent romance, in your opinion?
@girlsgonereadin
Escapism is vital part of any reading for me. Reality rom.could achieve a lot then-be the ideal and real at once
@JudithArnoldFan
A good romance has characters you can root for, real emotion and writing that sings.
@KachLynda
A lot of people dismiss them as “fluff” not realizing that they are as much about problems/issues/growth as they are romance about
@JudithArnoldFan
People think romance is fluff–but we all want some romance in our lives.
@bookangel224
Some consider romance to be fluff and no substance. Some of it is and some isn’t.
@JudithArnoldFan
I didn’t like romance novels either–til I read one. Next thing I knew, I was writing them–and selling them.
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@TLCBookTours
@JudithArnoldFan Do you get taken less seriously as an author because you specialize in romance?
@JudithArnoldFan
I’ve written 87 novels. I think people take me seriously.
@TLCBookTours
WOW 87 novels! You are so prolific! Which one is your personal favorite?
@MeetMeManhattan
Yeah Judith which one is your favorite!?
@JudithArnoldFan
I love all my books–hard to choose a favorite. Right now, Meet Me In Manhattan is my favorite!
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@TrueVowsBooks
Hey @MeetMeManhattan – People always want to know what you learned while you were apart that brought you back together?
@MeetMeManhattan
You learn what true love is. you can date, you can be wooed but if you are lucky you can see it again about
@TrueVowsBooks
So, what IS “true love?”
@JudithArnoldFan
No one answer to what is true love. It’s an individual thing…
@JudithArnoldFan
… We have different needs, look for different things in our life partners. True love grows. It lasts. It makes you stronger.
@MeetMeManhattan
I think also true love for me is ….well there was no choice. it was Red and that was it…at that moment i felt that was true
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@CindyLoveOfBook
Since you write romance do you read any romance books at all?
@JudithArnoldFan
read a lot of romance, and also non-romance. Recently read two wonderful romance novels…
@JudithArnoldFan
… Icing on the Cake and Hard to Hold–the other two reality-based romances that just came out. Great books!
@TrueVowsBooks
@meetmemanhattan Had y’all ever read a romance novel before your story was written?
@MeetMeManhattan
We had not… Ted loves children’s books for their art- i like non-fiction, but i do love a good beach read!
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@TrueVowsBooks
How long have you been married? Do you think your work helps or hurts your real-live romance?
@JudithArnoldFan
My 30th anniversary is in a couple of weeks. I guess that’s true love!
@CindyLoveOfBook
@JudithArnoldFan Congrats on your upcoming anniversary
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@CindyLoveOfBook
Have you been surprised at the response to the books?
@JudithArnoldFan
The response to the books has been great. I’m gratified, but not surprised.
More About Meet Me in Manhattan, Judith Arnold, and Reality Romance Novel Stars Ted Skala and Erika Fredell:
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