Mary,
Get thee quickly to the website of New York Central Art,
www.nycentralart.com. Get their paper catalogue. It is the best. For about $5.00 apiece you can order books of paper from hundreds of paper manufacturers in every size, weight and color imaginable.
The swatches are big enough to try your pastels on. You can do pastel on any paper that has enough tooth to hold the pastel. You have to decide for yourself what paper helps you achieve the results you are looking for.
NY Central has its own pigment coated paper made by Dianne Townsend in two sizes; the colors are luscious.
I do not use Canson, its colors fade. What you
have to look for is pigment-died paper. It is more expensive but worth it.
Here is a partial list of the papers I use:
-Ruscombe Mills, Handmade, subtle colors
-Rives Heavyweight, available in larger sizes
-Hahnemuhle Bugra Butten, large size gorgeous colors
-Hahnemuhle Ingres, a real workhorse of a paper, their silver grey is especially usefull for charcoal or conte.
-Fabriano Ingres, they carry it it a larger size, 271/2"x39", great tough laid suface.
-Fabriano Murillo, ditto, can use it with gouache as well. They have a lovely light green and the texture is somewhat rougher than the Ingres.
-Fabriano Roma, handmade laid paper in exquisite colors.
-Moulin de Larroque Special soft Pastels.
-Alcantra, unusual pebbled surface, lovely colors.
Another fabulous resource is
www.twinrocker.com.
Glorious handmade pigmented paper in colors to drool for. They made the paper for the movie "Master and Commander", with Russel Crowe. The ultimate paper indulgence, can't find the paper you want they will make it for you! Love them and their papers, they are the best.
It is a shame to limit yourself to the ordinary offerings of the large websites like Jerry's.
There are so many other exciting and better papers out there. Explore!
Hope this helps!