It's My Blog and I'll Say What I Want To!

If Anybody Still Has This Blog On Feed...

2008-03-09T20:27:00.010Z

I am no longer blogging over here, my new blog home is www.karenknowsbest.com Death to blogger!

Goodbye To Crappy Blogger And Good Riddance!

2008-01-21T01:28:00.000Z

OK, so I've moved. My new blog home can be found at http://www.karenknowsbest.com/, so for those who want to, update your links, your Google Readers, and any other feeds.

"When The Most Successful Author In Romance Judges Others"

2008-01-19T19:16:00.000Z

Dudes, stop posting on here, the blog has MOVED!

Awwww....they make it so damn easy for me to be.... well...me...

Anyway, since author, Deborah Smith (I believe she wrote the award winning book, Crossroads Cafe) has much to say for herself, I thought I'd give her comments the exposure they deserve, cuz you know, I'm nice like that.

Thanks to the Anon commenter who posted this link of a cached Amazon post that she wrote, presumably, at the height of the CE Love Fest.

This is what she had to say:

"Hi, y'all. I debated whether to post publicly {K: Ooops, too late, and Google forgets nothing unfortunately} about this tempest in a teapot in the romance world, because the last thing I want is to be eviscerated by Nora Roberts' avid fangirls. But there's a quiet little stream of conversation in the world of romance writers as to why Roberts, unquestionably the richest, most award-winning, most successful romance novelist in the world -- in fact, one of the most successful novelists in the world, period -- hangs out at a blog site called "Smart Bitches," where the topics include open attacks on authors so far down the food chain that one wonders how Nora has time in her busy career to even notice they exist.

Now Roberts has weighed in (via an interview with the national press) on a controversy surrounding old-school historical author Cassie Edwards. I don't know Cassie Edwards; I've never read one of her many (nearly 100) historicals. But so far as I can tell she's a hardworking, 71-year-old author who's never slammed any other author in public. To the best of my knowledge Ms. Edwards is considered a rollicking good storyteller who likes to write westerns and pirate novels. She does not appear to have any pretensions, and her fans clearly love her books.

But -- according to reports launched by the Smart Bitches bloggers, who admitted beforehand that they don't like Ms. Edwards' old-style books, and have spent considerable time making jokes about them -- the author "plagiarized" bits and pieces of research material. The horrendous offense? Some passages about (I'm not kidding) buffaloes and ferrets. Looking at the passages myself, all I see is a writer who maybe should have paraphrased some research info a little better. I don't see malicious or greedy intent; I don't see "plagiarism" in any serious legal interpretation of the charge. If there's more to the issue than that, I haven't seen the evidence.

But I kinda doubt that Ms. Edwards' success is built on her nature writing. I kinda doubt she sat at her computer thinking, "If I use this other author's description of a buffalo, I'll sell ten times more books."

But now this grandmother (and accomplished violinist) is fielding national wire service inquiries about her alleged misdeeds. And Nora Roberts -- unsolicited, unharmed, with no personal beef with Ms. Edwards in any way, as far as I know -- has stood up atop her unassailable pile of money and awards to say -- in the national media --that Ms. Edwards appears to have committed plagerism.

Why does Roberts feel compelled to play lawyer, judge and jury regarding a fellow author? Roberts has achieved a level of good fortune 99.9 percent of authors can only dream about. But does that make her not only the spokeswoman for the romance genre, but also its enforcer of public condemnation for unproven offenses?

Not for me, and not for thousands of other hardworking authors trying to earn a living down here in the trenches, that's for sure."

And on that bombshell, I'm off to the pictures with TTG. I may even buy a violin with my popcorn whilst I'm out. :)

Updated to add: Here at Karen Scott Central, (thanks to AztecLady) we've realised that Ms Smith's motives may not have been so pure after all. She was the lady who 'jokingly' accused Mancusi and Maverick of encouraging pedophilia by wearing their school girl outfits, at the height of the RWA Swanhat-gate Lovefest last year. She originally posted on the SBs blog, but here's her comments at DA.

Now we know why she's hating on Nora and the SBs so much; she's getting them back for making her look stupid and clueless. *g*

Reader Bloggers Vs Online Authors - Just A Myth? Or Is It For Real?

2008-01-17T20:41:00.000Z

You know what really chaps my arse?

People (Read: some authors) who are so twisted up with bitterness, that they simply refuse to see beyond the end of their own noses. These people (read: some authors) point blank refuse to acknowledge that sometimes, their (mostly perceived) 'enemies' are right.

They consistently take the opposing view, just because, they can't bear the thought of conceding that sometimes these people, who they hate beyond measure, might actually be talking sense. It's a strange phenomenon, and one that I've only ever experienced, with very young children, until recently. (You know, the game that you play, where you say the sky is blue, and the child says it's black?) I've seen more examples of this, over the past couple of weeks, than ever before.

Every author, who's ever tangled with a Mean Reader Blogger, predictably came out with their own twisted version of events, with regards to the plagiarism lovefest. They 'gleefully' bashed the SBs and DA, whilst lamenting how terrible it was that those bitches (paraphrasing of course) had put a 71 year old through all this stress, and brought shame to the genre, (and God, can't they shut up already?) yada yada yada. My head still hurts from all the sneaky sideswipes.

I wasn't surprised by any of it, as it happens. Unfortunately, I do tend to have low expectations of romance authors in general (I love the exceptions obviously), so this was just par for the course, as far as I was concerned.

It was a shame though, especially for the absolute lovers of the genre. And whilst I admit that bloggers like myself may have played a part or two, in fostering those very negative feelings that some authors have towards Reader Bloggers, (no apologies for that I'm afraid) it seems to me that some of them (authors) seem to forget about the majority of the bloggers who simply adore the genre, and want to promote it, every chance they get.

Readers like KristieJ for instance. There are more KristieJs out there, than Karen Scotts. You guys know that, right?

And also, let me say here and now, that in my opinion (and of course I'm rarely wrong) The SBs, and the gals at Dear Author have done more for the genre, than a lot of the authors who have partaken in the Reader Blogger-bashing and the faux hand-wringing that's been taking place in Romanceland of late.

These women do a really great job, (for those people who need things explaining to them, I'm talking about the SBs and DA) in the Blogosphere, and without their presence, I think Romanceland would be a much less interesting place to visit.

By the way, if you're wondering if I'm talking about you, I probably am.

(And for every person who suggested that this whole issue has just been about blog hits, you guys really need to think about that some more.)

Fool Me Once, Shame On You, Fool Me Twice, Shame On Me...

2008-01-17T19:50:00.000Z

Didn't the owners of Venus Press shaft their authors by just upping sticks, closing down the site, and running away last April?

Well, seemingly, they are open again, and by the looks of it, they have some of their old authors too.

Now, what kind of business shuts down without saying a word to anyone, then opens again, like nothing ever happened?

Also, do all the authors know that they're apparently in business again?

And more to the point, why would these authors trust the owners to look after their interests this time round? What are they? Stupid? Don't they remember the flurry of people jumping ship, just before they shut down, and the bad smell that always seemed to follow Venus Press everywhere??

There isn't even an explanation, as far as I can see, as to where they've been, why they shut down, and what they've been up to, since closing.

My advice to authors? Keep the hell away.

It'll end in tears again. Mark my words.

Updated to add:
Apparently some of the books at VP are already being sold by other publishers. What are the implications for the authors, if this is true?

Also, apparently, the purchasing function isn't working, so I wonder why they've relaunched the website? Curiouser and curiouser...

Thanks to you-know-who-you-are for the tip-off.

Ahhhh At Last, An E-Book Publisher After My Own Heart...

2008-01-17T18:49:00.000Z

"Manuscripts containing infidelity, abuse, addiction or other vile, disgusting behavior on the part of the two main characters will be rejected."

I laughed my tits off when I read this at Black Lyon Publishing (No, I've never heard of them either) because, in their other genre guidelines, you'll see that they use the word 'offensive' instead of 'vile'.

I think they'd originally written the above, then decided that possibly it sounded a little harsh and judgmental, so substituted the words. They just forgot to change the wording within their contemporary guideline.

I much prefer the way they've worded it here, it really drives home the point, dontcha think? *g*

Effing hilarious.

I wonder how long it'll take them before they catch their moderately un-PC language? Hehe...

Thanks to you-know-who-you-are for the link.

This Is Why Some Books Should Not Be Read Out Loud...

2008-01-15T19:12:00.000Z

Over 18s only!

I've read this Lora Leigh book, and I quite liked it, if I recall correctly, but hearing it read out loud (by a bunch of students no less), is just....wrong. *g* How uncomfortable do you feel just listening to it? Hehe...

On the bright side though, look how many extra books she'll sell!!

Does This Sound Right To You?

2008-01-14T20:23:00.000Z

"Her son's pregnancy had been a high risk one for her, and had nearly killed her."

Is it just me, or is that sentence just...silly?

Did you perchance (like me) wonder what her son was doing getting pregnant? *g*

This by the way, was from a freebie book being offered by Phaze.

I'm currently trying to work out how many times I can mention Phaze on my blog before I'm accused of launching a witch hunt. *g*

How Very Sad...

2008-01-12T21:46:00.000Z

What would you do if you met the man of your dreams, and married him, only to find that he was.......your twin brother, and that you had been separated at birth?

That's exactly what happened to a British couple.

"A pair of twins who were adopted by separate families as babies got married without knowing they were brother and sister, a peer told the House of Lords.
A court annulled the British couple's union after they discovered their true relationship, Lord Alton said.

The peer - who heard of the case from a judge who was involved - said the twins felt an "inevitable attraction".

He said the case showed how important it was for children to be able to find out about their biological parents."

How terribly tragic.

Yes It's All About Me, Me, Me...

2008-01-12T15:21:00.000Z

I was over at Book Binge reading a post by Holly, about the whole Cassie Edwards plagiarism thing, when I came across a familiar looking comment:

"There is more going on here than CE is wrong. What's happened here is disgusting but sadly, not surprising. Not too long ago I was attacked personally. It went past attacks on my professional life and turned into brutal attacks on my personal life and most importantly, my family. Yes. My family was dragged into it. There is no line anymore of what separates right and wrong.

Sadly, our community has become a free-for-all, where no one is safe from attack."

This was from Renee Rocco, AKA Rene Lyons AKA The Dishing Diva.

I came across a similar comment on Jenny Crusie's blog, but I more or less ignored it. Seemingly though, it's a message that she wants to get across to people so I thought I'd do her the favour of sticking it on here, so that she doesn't have to repeat it on every blog that she visits.

I know, I'm far too kind for my own good.

She continues:

"No, back to CE. SHE WAS WRONG. NO EXCUSE FOR WHAT SHE'S DONE. NONE. (had to put that in). Nevertheless, what should have been a reporting of the facts and kept to reasonable debates and discussions, sank so low that I too, am ashamed of what I've been reading out there. Blogs ripping her apart, tearing anyone to shreds who dares to questions THE TONE of the attacks.

This has become a virtual lynch-mob. With the AP involved now, brining more eyes on us all, it's shameful that this is what people are seeing when they look at us. It was bad enough that CE cast a shadow over us. What came after only made us look like a pack of rabid dogs.

I wonder when this community will settle back down and these brutal attacks, not just on CE, but on whichever reader/author is the new "target of the week"

I just about nearly cried when I read her heartfelt plea to the romance community to stop tearing each other apart. Her words really affected me in a profound way.

So I pledge to thee my loyal readers, that from now on, I shall do my part and refrain from mocking those who don't have the common sense that they must have surely been born with. I shall refrain from airing strong unpopular opinions, and I shall refrain from using the word 'fucktard', in relation to those people who seem to lose their minds on a daily basis in Romanceland. I shall also refrain from reminding people that the person in question set up a blog, pretending to be somebody else, just so that she could take potshots at other authors, for example, J.R. Ward.

This is my pledge to you, my loyal readers, and I will endeavour to live a life free of mockery and bitchiness, from here on in.

Updated to add: My pledge will be fulfilled when hell freezes over.

What Would You Do...

2008-01-11T09:18:00.000Z

If you were talking to somebody who had a huge bogey (erm is that booger to you Americans?) dangling from their nose?

I was talking to a client yesterday who had a massive greeny hanging out of his nose... well strictly speaking, it wasn't hanging out of his nose, but as near as.

Anyway, throughout our meeting, I kinda talked to his nose. I couldn't help it. I really wanted to tell him, but how do you do that to somebody you only know on a business basis?

In the end, I didn't say anything to him. I just couldn't. The arduous task of trying to come up with a diplomatic way of mentioning it, was making my brain hurt.

What would you have done?

Man,Talk About Muddying The Waters...

2008-01-11T08:14:00.000Z

Plagiarism = Bad. Period.

Plagiarism doesn't equal "Yeah, it was bad, but those girls were so mean." These are two fucking separate issues altogether.

Any author who writes yeah, plagiarism is bad, but those girls are mean bitches, run the risk of people assuming that they don't really think the issue is that big a deal. Unfair maybe, but that's how it comes across.

Writing a friggin' long essay on how mean, some bloggers and their readers are, whilst taking potshots at said blogger and their readers, is a tad hypocritical. (Passive aggressive tone, notwithstanding.) Some people prefer to call it righteous indignation, than what it actually is. Whatever works for them I guess.

Using the blog in question, as a forum to wring one's hands in consternation over the way one has been treated in the past, due to one's own actions may I add is... well...~~cringe-worthy~~ lame.

By the way, most bloggers, ~~or at least the ones who don't put their readers to sleep~~ will always have their own lovable sycophants. When you write a blog about how fangirlish certain blog readers are, and then your own blog readers chime in with, 'Right on sister!' or 'Amen motherfucker!', you look silly. I'm sure I don't have to explain why. We've all done it I'm sure, but it still makes us look silly.

The next time anybody talks about trying to gain respect in this genre, I'll be sure to pipe in with my 'Not in this lifetime' mantra, and quote the RWA's initial response, when this issue was first reported to them.

Thank goodness for The SBs, Dear Author, and Nora Roberts I say.

Anyway, I'm turning off my comments because I don't really want to have a discussion on the subject. Plagiarism is wrong, period.

What's In A Name?

2008-01-09T18:37:00.000Z

A cyber pal pointed out yesterday there are some ... erm... interesting names in E-Publand. Just check out some of them:

Rusty Wicks - This always conjures up rude images...
Rayne Forrest -
Skylar Grey - Skylar seems to be a popular name in E-Publand.
Honey Jans - Sounds like a euphemism for the vagina.
Stine Templar
Dahlia Rose- Flowery names really seem to be popular with e-authors.
Aurora Rose Lynn
Crymsyn R Hart
RaeLynn Blue
Raine Weaver
Red Garnier
Sable Grey
Feather Marosek
Roxi Romano
Skylar Sinclair
Rayvynne Sun
Laura Mazzuca Toops
Lizzie. T. Leaf
Fenner Jekyll
Petula Caesar
DaPharoah (Oh come on!)
Tysche Dwai - Dontcha just love it when authors pick easy names to spell?
Trixie Stilletto - This name always makes me want to giggle
Inna Spice - Wasn't there a film called Inner Space?
Robin Slick (Eve, didn't you write a story with some dude called 'Rick Slick'? Hehe)
Johnny Peregrine
Rayne 2. Marzett (Is that somebody's name or a typo?)
Brenna Lyons (hehe, I just put her name in this list cuz I felt like it)
Sabrina Luna - Hmmm...
Tuesday Morrigan
Eva Hore - *snicker*
Jade Twilight
Countess Celina
Chastity Lee
Cheryl Dragon
Candy Caine
Desiree Erotique - (Thanks Bam, I forgot Des for a minute there!)

Have you come across any other weird and wonderful names out there in E-Publand? Any from Printland?

Which Do You Prefer To Read?

2008-01-06T13:42:00.001Z

I was blog-hopping earlier when a comment from Emily Veinglory caught my eye:

"implicitly not seeking m/m, or haven't thought about it much which is curious given that it tends to substantially outsell m/f."

The post is talking about yet another new publisher who think they're gonna set the world on fire, but to be honest, I'm not really interested in that portion of the post.

What I am interested in is whether or not male/male romances do indeed outsell books with female/male protagonists. Now I'm not talking about menages with both males and females because that doesn't really answer the question.

So I'm gonna put it out there, if you had the choice between two stories, roughly similar, but one featuring M/M leads, and the other featuring a male/female couple, which would you choose?

For those people who are shy about these things, just post anonymously. It's not like you guys don't know how to do that. *g*

Who Does She Remind You Of?

2008-01-06T00:44:00.000Z

A couple of years ago, I came across a book cover which actually had a photo-shopped version of David Beckham on it. I think he was supposed to be the hero. I didn't buy it cuz it just seemed so wrong somehow. *g*

Phaze Authors Angry Over Allegations Of Writing For Literotica Porn Site (Even Though Some Of Them Actually Do)...

2008-01-04T11:36:00.000Z

I really love you guys because you are my eyes and ears (Wait, wasn't that a column run by one of the twins in F. Pascal's Sweet Valley High?)

Anyway, I think I got to the bottom of the whole Mrs Giggles v Phaze thing. (Do these people ever learn?)

According to Alessia Brio's blog post, Mrs G put up a post called Poetry, that read a little something like this:

"There are people who enjoy reading poetry, but I am not one of them. The only poetry for grown-ups that I can appreciate are those by WB Yeats, but that's because he's kinda cute in the photo on the cover of the collection of his poems that I own. Even if the poem in question is supposed to be erotic, it goes right over my head. I guess I'm just not that kind of literate/artistic people. I only like rude poems found in kiddie books, but that's about it, I'm afraid.

But hey, don't let me stop you from enjoying things like Phaze In Verse. It's an EPPIE-nominated thing, after all. For the life of me, though, I can't imagine what kind of poetry one can write about a publishing house. Sonnets of appreciation for getting published? Sordid haikus about the orgies that went on in the recent company Christmas party?

By the way, is it just me or Phaze's publishing roster when it comes to erotic stuff comprise mostly folks from Literotica?"

Now I already read this entry a few days earlier, and you know me, I fancy I can smell an actual blog row from miles away, but I didn't even get so much as a nose twitch.

Anyway, apparently, some of the ~~rabid~~ Phaze authors started getting all defensive and calling Mrs G, The Devil's Spawn (erm.. paraphrasing obviously) for daring to suggest that they write porn for Literotica. or as Alessia Brio put it:

"A couple of Phaze authors posted clarifications"

Uh huh, I've seen e-authors and their clarifications before. *g*

From what I hear, it was a similar kind of total overreaction to that of some of the crazy people over at Changeling Press, after I posted what was supposed to be a public service announcement, albeit a little tongue-in-cheek.

It has been suggested that the reason that some of these authors reacted so badly is because some of them did indeed start life at Literotica, and perhaps don't want the likes of me going and finding posts where they tell all and sundry about what they're into. Apparently, some of the authors at Literotica are very graphic about their sex lives, and so the now respectable Phaze authors probably don't want their sexual proclivities being unearthed. Ooh er missus.

Anyhoo, this is what Alessia Brio wrote on her blog:

"Yeah, it's a little snarky... but, really, not too objectionable. (In truth, maybe 10% of Phaze's roster of 120+ authors has Literotica roots, if that. I take the blame credit for that, as I enthusiastically encouraged some of my Lit colleagues to submit their work to Phaze. I also took one of the earlier Coming Together anthologies to Phaze. It will be released in print on the 7th, by the way. *grin*) I looked at the initial post as a positive, in general. Free publicity with a link directly to the buy page. A couple of Phaze authors posted clarifications and suddenly, we're a coven of creepy authors for wanting to set the record straight.

A cult, mind you. I'd say that comes dangerously close to libel.

Seriously, what gives? Cults don't allow their members to speak out. (Oh, wait -- that was another publisher -- one that blacklisted authors who didn't behave.) Cults don't let their members belong to other cults... erm, publishers. (Damn, close to half of Phaze's roster has work also published elsewhere -- with its blessing, even.) Cults don't let their members go without a fight. (I can attest that no one's a prisoner at Phaze.)

I have to say, I thought Mrs G was rather polite, I'd have been more likely to call them fucknuts, and tell them to get the fuck off my blog, so really, in the great scheme of things, a teeny tiny comment about a few of their authors being Literotica writers probably isn't that bad methinks.

As for the authors who started life at Literotica, so far I got:

Alessia Brio
Aurora Black
Will Belegon
Selena Kitt

Apparently, there are quite a few more, but that would mean actually looking.

Ok I started looking and came across this question by a Lit author (I'm assuming he/she wasn't from Phaze, but you never know.)

"I was wondering if It reading and writing about underage incest fantays..especially about younger girls....is as disgusting as I sometimes feel it is. I do NOT condone Kiddy porn NOR sexual abuse in any way of minors, but it is still a fantasy of mine....but not that I wan't to be WITH the girl, but that I wan't to BE the girl....so would writing fantays like that make me a bad person?"

He/she doesn't condone kiddie porn, but fantasizes about having underage sex with a family member? Ok then.

This answer from one of the other members, made me want to go and take a bath:

"It is hard for me to believe that thinking is a crime, I certainly hope you WILL explore these fantasies for us in print. I would love to have a womans perspective on what it would be like to have sex at say 15 with your father..... I suspect the emotions and feelings would be far more erotic than anything I can imagine. Sex for the first time for a little girl has to be painful, but emotionally rewarding at the same time. I hope you will explore this! I know I would love to read it."

Emotionally rewarding? Yeah, whatever. That dude is a pedo waiting to happen, if it hasn't already.

Anyway, Selena Kitten, a current Phaze author thinks there's no harm in it, because after all, it's just a fantasy. She writes:

"But the FANTASY of such a thing - NOT the reality, the FANTASY... is a turn on for some. Of both genders. As DCL mentioned (god this is an OLD thread, isn't it??) thinking is not a crime.

Unless I slipped into Big Brother territory when I wasn't looking...
__________________
*~*~Selena~*~* "

I'm assuming that some of the authors might have engaged in similarly open conversations about their likes and dislikes, and just want it to stay hidden. Who can blame them? Blech.

The more I read, the more I decide I am way to prudish to continue, so I'll let you guys read for yourselves. (Oh look out for some dude called Amicus, his views are...interesting, shall we say.)

It always amazes me that authors, especially those that are e-pubbed, seem to have so little self-control, when it comes to perceived slights. Dudes, if you've written for Literotica, why get mad over somebody publicising it? And if you haven't written for Literotica, why assume that everybody will assume that you have written for them just because you write for the same publisher that former Literotica authors write for?

Did that last paragraph even make sense?

I've never been a Phaze fan, and having read three books that were kindly sent to me by one of the bods there, as well as the freebie stories that they offer up on their website, I don't think that that status quo will change anytime soon (seeing as I hate badly edited books) and things like this just seals it for me.

And by the way, I can't imagine that readers will care about whether or not their fave authors started life at Literotica, but the overreaction, now that's always blogworthy. :)

Update:
Speaking of blogworthy, if any Phaze (or ex-Phaze) authors out there want to get in touch about some of the 'interesting' things that your fellow authors get up to, feel free to e-mail me at hairylemony @ gmail .com (without the spaces). You know me, confidentiality guaranteed. *g*

Oh Britney, When Will It Stop?

2008-01-04T11:00:00.000Z

I found the shots of her being carried into an ambulance, looking totally out of it, very disturbing.

Her life is just soo out of control, that I really fear for her. Unfortunately, the only person who can stop this cycle is Britney herself.

Mrs Giggles Loves Phaze Authors Like A Fat Kid Loves Celery...

2008-01-03T23:49:00.000Z

Unfortunately for me, I missed the original posts, and the subsequent fall out. But reading between the lines, some of the Phaze authors might have been bitten by the E-author Batshit Crazy Bug. That shit sure is catching huh?

Anyway here's the latest post from Mrs G explaining why she deleted the previous posts.

This is what I get for not checking my Google Reader regularly enough. Dammit.

Karen Does J.D. Robb's Creation In Death...Sort Of...

2008-01-03T20:50:00.000Z

Here's the blurb from Amazon:

"Lieutenant Eve Dallas keeps the streets of New York City safe in this extraordinary series. But even she makes mistakes, and is haunted by those she couldn't save-and the killers she couldn't capture. When the body of a young brunette is found in East River Park, marked by signs of prolonged and painful torture, Eve is catapulted back to nine years ago.

A man the media tagged The Groom-because he put silver rings on the fingers of his victims-had the city on edge with a killing spree that took the lives of four women in fifteen days. But now, The Groom has returned-and Eve's determined to finish him.

Familiar with his methods, Eve knows that he has already grabbed his next victim. When it turns out that the dead woman was employed by Eve's billionaire husband, Roarke, she brings him onto the case-a move that proves fitting when it becomes chillingly clear that the killer has made it personal. And chances are that he's working up to the biggest challenge of his illustrious career-abducting a woman who will test his skills on every level and who promises to give him days and days of pleasure before she dies: Eve."

I really can't be bothered reviewing this book, so I'll just put down the top ten things that I loved about Creation:

1. Eve Dallas - I love her humour (I have to put her first because after the Why Do People Hate Hillary Clinton discussions over at the SB's blog, I feel the need let the woman come first. *g*)

2. Roarke - Nuff said.

3. Peabody - Love the interactions with Eve.

4. Summerset - Love that Eve insults him constantly, but you know there's great affection underneath.

5. Mavis and Baby - Love the bit where she wops her breast out whilst Roarke is having his eggs sunny side up.

6. The dialogue - Too many great lines to go into, but the ones between Eve and her colleagues amuse me greatly.

7. The Plot - Total page turner, love that.

8. The emotional investment - The scenes between Eve and Roarke are just beautiful.

9. The humour - It's good to laugh for all the right reasons when reading a romance.

10.The lack of TSTL female characters - I love that LaNora doesn't turn Eve into a snivelling wreck who ultimately needs saving by the hero.

In short, it was another fab In Death book, so you really should go and buy.

Happy New Year, And Rene Lyons AKA Dishing Diva Wanted To Get Something Off Her Chest...

2008-01-02T12:49:00.000Z

Wow, TTG and I are only just recovering from our New Year's Eve blowout. We hosted a party at ours, and I haven't had that much fun, since... last week.

Anyway, I hope you all had an equally good time, whatever you were doing.

Moving on, Rene Lyons, the CEO of the newly formed e-publisher, Dragon Spell Publishing, posted on my blog a couple of days ago.

I think she got a little pissed off by some of the accusations levelled at her, thus this compulsion to set the record straight. Here's what she wrote:

"I just wanted to drop in and give a response to some of these accusations written by two of the Anonymous posters and Puppet Truth.

Let me start with the claim that I "expect to surpass Samhain within a year of operation". That’s preposterous. Nevertheless, I am looking to Samhain, Ellora’s Cave and the other highly successful small presses to see what made them succeed where others have failed. They are the standard by which I’ll judge Dragon Spell. I'm sure anyone can understand that. They are the gold standard and SHOULD be looked to.

As far as me pissing off people, yes, as an author I've misstepped a time a two - put my big fat foot right in my big fat mouth, but then, who here hasn't done or said something that causes them to break out in a cold sweat and wish they could take back? All I can do is learn from past mistakes and solider on and allow the merit of my character and the respectful and honorable treatment of my authors speak for me.

I've also heard it said I "ticked" off someone at ARe. I wrote to Lori James herself and she replied back that such a rumor was utter nonsense and she wondered what someone hoped to gain by saying such a thing. I saved that email from Mrs. James as proof of that blatant lie. I have a very good relationship with the entire staff at ARe.

The RRP authors I've emailed were ones I believed I'd become friends with during my time there as a cover artist. I didn't mass email the authors there. And as far me cold emailing authors, yes, I've done that as a means to introduce Dragon Spell. At the time, I saw nothing wrong with an introduction. I see now that was not the thing to do and have not done so again. A mistake learned from and not repeated.

The claim from Puppet Truth that I am not an inc or llc, that's another blatant lie. It doesn't help their case of discrediting me if someone is caught lying, as Puppet Truth clearly is. How can anything else they say be believed? Our company name is Lyrical Press, Inc. We've chosen to to do business as Dragon Spell in order to broaden our publishing range. You cannot publish erotic along side of young adult, so under the blanket name of Lyrical Press, Inc., we can do both. Dragon Spell can publish all that wonderful goodness that is romance in all of it's forms and genres and Lyrical Press Inc. can publishing everything else.

I was not fired from Red Rose Publishing due to unprofessional behavior despite what is being said. I have the emails and IMs to prove I resigned first as an editor when the publisher did not back me when I criticized the author who posted here "(could have been, I don't know...me)" during edits. I stayed on at RRP for another couple of months (which proves I contunied to have a good relationship with RRP) before resigning at 7am on December 5th after learning that the publisher had begun slandering me (I have saved IMs and emails proving this) the day I informed her I had opened Dragon Spell. I remain at Dark Eden Press as Art Director and have an amazing relationship with everyone there, some of which are actually RRP authors as well.

After making the decision to resign from writing I posted on my personal blog that I would be deleting it and stepping back from the persona of 'Rene Lyons' the author to focus on other ventures. Roughly two weeks later I deleted the blog.

All I want to do is provide readers with good books. I want to give authors a safe and friendly home for their books. I will not be drawn into a tit-for-tat war or reduce myself to playing petty games of gossip. It's unprofessional and highly damaging to a publisher's reputation. That should be remembered at all times and I will do my best to succeed and live up to the promises I've made to my authors of treating them with respect and honoring their hard work.

Renee Rocco
(Rene Lyons)
Dragon Spell Publishing"

Shit, that was long wasn't it?

Anyway, I was really upset when she wrote that she will not be "drawn into a tit-for-tat war", or be reduced to "playing petty games of gossip". Dammit, what the hell am I supposed to do for the rest of the year? Some people are so damned inconsiderate. Sheesh.

(BTW, is it just me, or does Dragon Spell's website go funny whenever I try scrolling up or down?)

Fifth Ward E-mail - It's All Poetry To Me...

2008-01-02T12:47:00.000Z

I loved this. Blatantly stolen from Just Ginny's blog. (Warning: music on blogsite)

Duh...

2007-12-30T21:36:00.000Z

I just read an excerpt, where the heroine is in a witness protection programme, hiding away in a safe house, but for some inexplicable reason, she's told her mother and sisters where she is, so they've sent her birthday cards.

Can we say, Too Stupid To Fucking Live?

I don't think I'll be buying the book.

Everybody Has A Right... To Plastic Surgery?

2007-12-30T18:06:00.000Z

I like Ken Levine, and I usually find him quite amusing, but I have noticed that he has a penchant for ragging on female Hollywood celebs much more so than the men. I guess it's an age thing, but I honestly find him terribly sexist.

His post about Nicole Kidman's movie choices, and her alleged plastic surgery annoyed me so much that I had to comment. Three times.

It also annoyed me that he had two photographs of Kidman, one from years ago, and a more recent one, obviously to point out the changes made to her face.

It seems to me that in Hollywood, you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. Everybody knows that the work dries up for women over forty in La La Land, much more so than for their male counterparts, so you can hardly blame them for trying to keep up with the younger, fresher starlets, in a town where a woman is only as good as her last botox injection.

I can probably excuse Ken for his sexism, after all he's ~~nearly a hundred years old~~ from a different generation (57 is a different generation to mine dear), and he's a bit of a shock-jock, but when I read this comment from some dumbass, I just about burst a blood vessel:

You know what I say to that? Screw you bitch for perpetuating the belief that any attempts at self-improvement by women is a heinous crime.

In a world where youth is revered, and old age becomes an excuse to not employ somebody, there's no such thing as growing old gracefully, (unless you're lucky enough to be born with great genes). All there is is growing old, and either accepting that age comes to everybody, or fighting it tooth and nail.

She wasn't the only annoying commenter however:

Sheesh. I of course had to respond to the genius who wrote that, even if it was three weeks later.

I'm not a huge fan of plastic surgery, but I think it's wrong to constantly slag off the women in Hollywood who do have them, when so many Hollywood men are also going under the knife, with very little being said. And no, Michael Jackson doesn't count.

Totally off-topic, but why is it that men can't go shopping without having to pee a hundred times, and making you (read: me) wait for 15 minutes each time they have to relieve themselves? Sheesh.

How Come The Kimani Books Aren't Included?

2007-12-28T23:09:00.000Z

Blackromancereader brings up a good point: how come Harlequin aren't offering any freebie Kimani Press books, along with The Billionaire Sheik's Virgin's Secret Baby?

Surely this would be the perfect way to promote AA penned romance to the traditional white romance reader?

Maybe nobody at Harlequin even gave it a thought. Now that wouldn't surprise me in the least.

Mind you, you would have thought that some of the KP authors might have stood up and made the same point.

The more things change, the more they stay the same I guess.

Aint Nothing As Queer As Folk...

2007-12-28T22:53:00.000Z

I followed the link that Anon supplied in a comment below, and I found this fascinating blog post. Here's a snippet:

"Amid rumors of financial mishandling, Peacock Cove e-book publisher, Rebecca Gatto, plans to exchange vows with Charles “Chip” Davis in February 2008. Davis is also known as inmate # 5447632 at Fern Valley State Penitentiary."

I can't imagine that any publisher would flaunt herself in her undies, like the photo suggests, but how funny if it were true? Spoof or not, it sure is amusing, heheh.

E-Book Printing By Favouritism...

2007-12-28T01:19:00.000Z

I was just over at Erecsite, on the Whiskey Creek Press post, (they do so have interesting stuff over there) when this comment by Pepper Espinoza caught my eye:

"Liquid Silver has a sales requirement *and* a length requirement. They also flat out said that authors with a "good relationship" with the publisher will have priority for print, all else being equal. They claim that everything that meets those requirements will be moving into print at some point, but I have no idea when that'll happen."

I was a little gob-smacked. Does this mean that if an author doesn't make nice with the publisher, that their books take much longer to go to print?

I always wondered if this was the case with Elloras Cave. There always used to be certain authors who's books were slated for print really quickly, whilst other author's books were left and left. (Actually, now that I think back, certain authors used to have a book out every two minutes, whilst others had to wait, and wait, and wait.)

I like Liquid Silver, but if what Pepper says is true, then what a crappy way to conduct business. They're basically saying, if the author behaves well, then they get priority over the problem authors. Hmmm... not impressed by that at all. I kinda understand it, but it just seems..... wrong, somehow.

I wonder how many e-pubs make their printing decisions this way?

Who Says All E-Publishers Are Batshit Crazy, Money-Grabbing, Scumbags?

2007-12-27T17:00:00.000Z

I just read this on Erecsite:

"Dear WCP Authors…
Hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas, and we wish you a great New
Year's too. We've been working very hard at WCP, and we are making
some changes which we believe will help all of us find a bigger
audience for all our great WCP titles.

First, beginning with all new contracts signed on January 1, 2008
forward, the set-up fee charged by Pawprints to WCP authors for the
print option will be paid by Whiskey Creek Press (the book must be
35,000 words or more to be print eligible). WCP will put the book into
print and pay the set-up fee to Pawprints when one of two things happens:

1) The author pre-orders and pays for 30 copies or more, at the author
discount price (this is optional).
2) The book sells 50 copies or more in ebook format."

OK, I get that WCP’s authors no longer have to pay for their own printing, but why do they have to buy 30 copies of their own books first?

I’m guessing that selling fifty e-books wont be a problem to most authors at WCP (or is it?) therefore, they wont have to worry about item number one. Maybe.

Anyhoo, it’s good to see an e-book publisher who listens and responds in a positive fashion, because let’s face it, that shit’s rarer than a lucid Britney Spears.

You can read the full statement over at Em’s Erecsite blog.

Hey, does this mean that they bowed down to pressure from The People? *g*

Get A Free E-Book Everyday From Harlequin!

2007-12-27T16:44:00.000Z

For those who don't know already know, Eharlequin are giving away a free e-book everyday until January 1st. I've already downloaded the Blaze book from yesterday, and the Silhouette Special Edition book from today.

I started the Blaze already, because it's written by Debbi Rawlins, who I've always liked, and I have to say, so far so good.

The male protag is very unusual, in that he doesn't jump off the pages like most heroes do, and the heroine initially isn't into him, (most unusual for a romance), so kinda blanks him for a while.

Anyway, going back to my reading.

Benazir Bhutto Murdered... They Finally Got Her...

2007-12-27T14:00:00.000Z

I just read that the Pakistani opposition leader, Benazir Bhutto, has been assassinated. I knew it would only be a matter of time, but I was still shocked by the news.

When she returned, having been exiled for a good number of years, I thought she was extremely brave, if a little foolish.

Apparently she was shot in the head, then a suicide bomber blew himself up, taking a few other people with him.

Fucking animals.

I Hope Karin Slaughter's Next Grant County Book Flops...

2007-12-27T13:58:00.000Z

...like Mel Gibson's film career after that incident... especially after reading this comment from a fan on the Beyond Reach thread at Dear Author (Yes it's still going strong):

Could she be anymore condescending, and uncaring about her fans? That was just such a big f*ck-you, it's not even funny.

Out of the 168 (and counting) comments, that are there, only a handful, of those (if that) have commended her on her willingness to think outside the box, and take a risk for the good of the book. If we follow the rules of random sampling, that surely means the majority of her readers think that she fucked up royally. Hopefully, that translates into crappy books sales on her next GC book. Mean much? Probably.

Well, I'm sure she'll be pleased that she got what she wanted; lots of people talking about her book months after she wrote it. After all, there's no such thing as bad publicity, right?

Merry Christmas To One And All...

2007-12-25T01:01:00.000Z

Here at Karen Scott Central, we hope you all have a lovely Christmas, and a happy New Year!

Oh btw, don't forget to recycle like crazy this Christmas!!

Sometimes A Little Goes A Long Way...

2007-12-22T23:32:00.000Z

Today was the second day of a marathon shopping spree. I hate Christmas shopping. You spend shitloads of money on other people's kids, and get crappy presents back from their parents. Oh I miss my early twenties when none of my friends had children, and I only had to worry about buying them one present each. Just call me Ebenezer Scrooge. *g*

Anyway, I'm digressing, as usual...

Today was a particularly cold day in my town, and I do so hate the cold, so I bobbed into a Greggs to get a cheese and onion pastie, and a bottle of water. I left the shop, and proceeded to walk pass a homeless guy begging for money on the pavement (sidewalk to you Americans). As I usually do when I see homeless people, I totally ignored him and carried on walking.

In my head I was bitching about how crappy the English weather is, when something made me stop walking.

I suddenlly realised how totally ungrateful I was, because, yes, I was cold, but I had a nice warm home to go to. A lot of people weren't so lucky.

Anyway, I walked back to the homeless man and offered him my cheese and onion pastie, which he gratefully took from me.

It was such a small thing, but it seemed to mean an awful lot to him, and at that moment, I had a kind of epiphany (for want of a better word).

I have a really good life. I have a wonderful family who I love, and who love me, and I know that if I was ever in trouble, they'd always be there for me. I'm one of the lucky ones, so I should really take the time to appreciate that.

I don't really do New Year resolutions, because I think they're mostly pointless, but this year, my resolution will be to really appreciate what I have, and to open my eyes a bit more, and actually see those people who are less fortunate than myself, rather than being overly preoccupied with my own quite selfish thoughts.

And maybe once in a while, I can do something that takes very little effort from me, but means the world to them.

Merry Christmas everybody, and I hope that you and your families all have a prosperous New Year.

I'll be back when the Christmas hoopla stops kicking my arse.

Conflict? What Effing Conflict?

2007-12-20T20:41:00.000Z

I'm currently reading a book where the hero tells that the heroine that he loves her by page 40, and there are still 150 pages to go. Where's the fun in that?

Erm.. incidentally, the couple seem to be having mammoth sex sessions every two pages, so I guess I'm supposed to forget about the plot, and just get my rocks off.

Nice.

Overheard Earlier Today In A Pub Somewhere In England...

2007-12-18T19:24:00.000Z

BF1: Soooo...how often do you go down on TTG then?
K: Silence
BF2: Well?
K: Looks around to see who they're talking to.
K: You talking to me?
BF1: Yep.
K: Why?
BF1: Just wondered...
K: You can keep wondering, I'm not telling.
BF2: Well, do you swallow when you go down?
K: Are you on drugs?
BF1: Oh come on, tell us whether you swallow or not.
K: Nope.
BF2: Why not?
K: Because it smells like bleach, and I'm not too fond of bleach.
BF1: Bleach?
K: Yep
BF1: No it doesn't.
K: How do you know? When was the last time you went down on my husband?
BF1 Well, ----'s doesn't smell of bleach.
K: Babe, too much information already.
BF2: Neither does ----'s.
K: Sticks fingers in ears
BF1: Silence
BF2: Silence
BF1: So... does that mean you're a spitter then?
K: Stupified silence
K: Waiter, can we have another bottle of wine please!!?

No Should Mean No, But What If It Was Actually A Yes?

2007-12-16T17:19:00.000Z

This weekend, TTG and I attended a party, where an allegation of rape was made by one of the women at the party.

Now TTG and I were familiar with the woman, and I have to say, I've never thought much of her, (mostly because she had a habit of sleeping with anything that moved) but when I heard that she'd been raped (allegedly) by one of her colleagues, I immediately felt devastated for her, and wanted to know who the rat bastard was.

For some reason, it hadn't occurred to me that she could be lying.

Anyway, the colleague in question was arrested in the early hours of this morning, and taken away in a police van.

The woman has since dropped the charges, claiming that the sex had actually been consensual, and that he'd just been a little rough with her in bed, and that she was too drunk to know what she was doing.

We've since found out who the alleged rapist was, and it was the same guy that she'd been following around all evening. He'd come up to myself and TTG earlier to tell us he was going home early, but the woman had waylaid him, and invited him up to her room, so being a man, he of course took her up on her offer.

He was still asleep in her room, when the police came to drag him away.

I have no idea what went on in that room. I have no idea whether or not he actually raped her, but if he didn't, as she later claimed, then I'm pretty disgusted at her for accusing him in the first place, because no matter what, the taint of being accused of rape will stay with him, and remain on police record, for the rest of his life. And she would have done that to him.

What makes me crazier, is the thought that the next time there is a genuine rape case, that the victim might not be believed because of stupid bitches like this woman, who cried wolf.

I Heard This Earlier...

2007-12-14T17:22:00.000Z

And it just moved me for some reason. I wasn't even a Queen fan particularly, but this song is actually quite lovely, and quite sad I think.

I'm feeling slightly hung over from the Christmas party last night, therefore, you wont be getting any scintillating posts from me for the rest of the weekend.

Unless of course Teresa Jacobs sets up another e-book publishing company. *g*

Hey Look, Blogger Got Smart...

2007-12-14T16:52:00.001Z

I think my rather caustic e-mail to Blogger HQ must have worked, seeing as they've decided to allow other non-blogger users to sign in. *g*

commenting is now available for all Blogger blogs. This means that your friends and readers can leave authenticated comments on your blog using their blog URLs from OpenID-enabled services such as WordPress.com, LiveJournal, and AOL Journals, or with their AOL/AIM accounts.

We've chosen a few popular OpenID providers to highlight on the comments form, but OpenID is, well, "open"! You can use any OpenID service to post a comment by choosing "Any OpenID" and filling in your OpenID URL.

Does this mean that you don't have to have a Googlemail account to subscribe to comments I wonder?

Anyhoo, the wisest decision they've made for a while, as a lot of Blogger users were about to revolt.

Hey Look, A Book From Elloras Cave That Didn't Suck Great Big Hairy Donkey Balls...

2007-12-12T16:00:00.000Z

I read One Of The Guys by Shiloh Walker last night, and I have to say, I totally loved it. (Thanks Shi) Great story (friends to lovers does it for me every time), fabulous hero, great heroine, and an ex-who gets his just deserts at the end. If I could be arsed, I'd have written a glowing review about One Of The Guys, but as Dee Tenorio and Bam can attest to, I'm lazy as a mother f*cker when it comes to reviewing. *g*

Here's the blurb:

Jaynie knew that her fiancée had some serious ménage fantasies going on, but she never expected to catch him acting them out. As if that pain isn't enough, he tells her she couldn't be a real woman if she tried.

Reeling from the double blow, confidence shattered, Jaynie turns to Brian, her sexy partner at work. One night, she tells him. She wants one night with him, no strings attached.

But Brian feels plenty of strings and it's as if all of them are pulling him toward Jaynie. She's sexy, she's funny and she haunts his dreams. Memories of that one night keep him awake and he's dying for another taste of her.

But Jaynie doesn't seem at all interested. What's a man to do?

Sounds yummy, yes? Anyway, go and buy, it's a short sweet read, and I promise you wont be sorry! (And if you are, go complain to somebody else about it. *g*)

Mrs Giggles At Her Best...

2007-12-12T15:03:00.000Z

Seriously people, go check out her Special Blog Guest: Mrs Kristi Theresa, CEO of Trixy Lion Publishing post.

I especially love the beginning bit:

"Dear friendsa nd familie of Trixy Lion Publishing,

I am pleasing to let everyone knowed that Trixue Lion Publishinng is still the undisputedly #1 publishers in womanizing erotic fiction. I am hoping (and worrying!) that Mrs Theresa Wayne's new besuiness La Media will be welcoming by us to this challenging world of epublishing business becos as a woman I am always happy to see another woman enterpriser step up to the task of showing the worl dwhat women can do and improving the futuristic of quality fictions.

However, I am dismayed at how poor Mrs Theresa's new business is forced to be shut down wjhen it has barely opening its doorways to surely authoprs who will flog to its doorwayts with their premiering qiuality work! As usually, this is the workings of the jealouseuy minds of those horrible unchristian women like Karen Scotland and Ash Achoonox (the last name alone is surely indicating of a satanic mind!), tools of the evil Samhane Publishing people who are like Microssoft trying to get a sinistering gripping on the world of epublishers! I ask you, my freinds, what kind of world are we lives in when everyone is full of bursting hot devil jellousy?"

I nearly fell out of my chair I was laughing so hard.

Would You Trust Your Book, Or Your Royalty Payments With That Woman?

2007-12-11T13:14:00.000Z

Remember how earlier this year, Teresa Jacobs, CEO of the now defunct Mardi Gras Publishing, lost her damn mind? No? Well she's the madam who wrote that she'd closed down MGP, "due to a lack of finances, hormonal females, and bitching".

Well, apparently she's started up a new publishing company called LA Media. I was wondering who the hell would be foolish enough to trust her with their books, but upon closer inspection, I noticed that one of the authors was a lady called Jaden Sinclair (the other author was Teresa, herself under the guise of Teresa Wayne, and some bird called Savannah Black). Now for some reason, that name seems very familiar to me, can anybody shed a light on who she is? Didn't she engage in a full-on rant trying to defend Jacobs and MGP?

Anyway, I found her Teresa Wayne blog, and I must admit, I was tickled pink when I read the blog post entitled Vengeance is Karma. She writes:

Hello my dear readers!

I have been gone for quite some time and now I am back to continue my writing career with a blaze of glory.
My previous venture with Mardi Gras Publishing was a huge lesson learned, and one I care not to repeat or discuss.
Many ebook related folks have found it necessary to drag the failer of MGP and its owner (me) in the dirt in a very unforgiving, one-sided fashion. Constantly including my writing name (Teresa Wayne) into their one-sided acqusations. My writing had nothing to do with MGP...Hummm....

Personally, I feel I owe no explanations, outside of what was given to my authors during the closing of MGP. I have not in the past, nor do I intend in the future, to seek any sort of vengeance. No need to. My vengeance is karma.

Apparently LA Media also provide proof-reading, and various other editorial services. Nuff said. *g*

In other news remember The Dishing Diva, AKA author, Rene Lyons? Well apparently she's also decided to start a a new publishing company too. It must be something in the air.

I must say though, I was most gratified to see the following stipulations on the site:

Now if she'd banned daddy/daughter play, I would have been in seventh heaven, but alas, I'll have to make do with her banning rape play and incest. *g*

It seems scarily easy to start your own e-pub these days. If I was an aspiring author, there's no way I'd give them my work until they'd been published for at least three years.

I'm wondering how long they'll both stay in business?

And before anybody mentions it, yes, I did indeed notice who the first commenter on the Dishing Diva post was. Ahhh, the good old days of rampant sucking up eh? *g*

Do We Think It's All His?

2007-12-10T19:46:00.000Z

Courtesy of David Beckham Zone

Methinks he'd look pretty good in my Christmas stocking this year. *g*

Blogger Sucks Ass...

2007-12-10T16:41:00.000Z

Hence why I'm moving to Wordpress.

I can't believe that they are no longer allowing non-blogger users to sign in with their own urls.

Why the fuck would Google do that? Does anybody have the e-mail address for Blogger so that I can write and complain? I've looked all over for it, but they only seem to have trouble shooting help pages.

Anyway, that's it, I'm gonna start working on my Wordpress site now. I don't want anything more to do with Blogger, they suck great big hairy ones.

Bastards.

By the way, I've been Christmas shopping with TTG today. It did not go well. Next time, I'm going alone.

Ahhhh...Poetry Indeed...

2007-12-09T17:56:00.000Z

I Stole this from Just Ginny's blog, and I totally love it. It is both humorous, and poignant.

Whiskey Creek Press Love Their Authors Like Victoria Beckham Loves Complex Carbohydrates...

2007-12-08T12:20:00.000Z

I got this bit of news from Erecsite who in turn got it from Piers Anthony.

Piers Writes:

"December 2007 update: A serious complaint, devious in detail. It seems that WCP uses its printer, Paw Prints, to produce the POD format of its books. But Paw Prints charges the author a $90 set up fee. (I have it listed at $99, but they may charge WCP less.) Well, one author decided not to go POD, then discovered that the book had been printed anyway and was being sold on Amazon via Paw Prints as a “Storefront” outlet.

It seems that lessens the high price Amazon charges otherwise. Nothing appeared on the royalty statement, and there is no indication in the contract. It seems the division of the money is in this order: Amazon, Paw Prints, WCP, and finally the author, who apparently receives no accounting. Okay, this situation obviously deserves clarification, but a call to the owner of WCP was met with immediate hostility and abuse. The essence was that it was none of the author's business what they did with the books(!) and was not a contract violation.

To a request that the author's books be immediately removed from the storefront, the answer was No. So here is my summary of the author's summary: WCP is not at all Author Friendly; questioning them makes you a Problem Author.

They refuse to correct errors made by their editors, refuse to run reviews on the backs of the books (only one self-written blurb), and may not even send out books for reviews. No actual accounting on their royalty statement how many books are sold, and they refuse to answer questions about this."

Now, don't they sound like great people to write for?

Well, I know what I'd do if I wrote for them. I'd take my effing books and run like the wind, because that kind of practice doesn't bode well for the future.

Publishers (especially e-publishers) really shouldn't treat their authors that way, because sooner or later, they will get bitten in the arse, and then readers like me will take great pleasure in mocking them, which in turn will lead to the publisher showing their knickers in Blogland, and having a massive rant about their drama-filled personal lives. We'd then probably be subjected to another ranty lecture on how they've had it up to here with ungrateful authors, how hard they've been working to keep all their publishing balls in the air, and how unfair their critics are, when they can't possibly understand what it takes to run a business.

Just sayin.

Just When You Thought There Was No Humour In Romance...

2007-12-07T17:02:00.000Z

While curled up in bed this morning, I decided to read Ceremony of Seduction by Cassie Ryan.

It's from Kensington's Aphrodisia line. I think the last Aphrodisia book I read was Hell Kat by Vivi somebody-or-other. That book bored me so much I haven't looked at another Aphro book since.

Anyway, this isn't actually a review, because, quite frankly, I can't be arsed, but I did think there were some elements of this book that were too good to be left hidden under a bushel. *g*

Anyway, this is the blurb from the Amazon:

Twenty-three-year-old Alyssa Moss has lived her whole life in the shadow of her beautiful family. Voluptuous where they are lean, brunette where they are blonde, Alyssa is convinced she is an ugly duckling who will never become a swan.

The only thing that sustains her is a recurring dream in which a seductive stranger named Stone worships and pleasures every inch of her. But maddeningly, Stone always disappears just as Alyssa is on the edge of dizzying ecstasy - with a puzzling promise that one day he will find her. That day has come...For years, Stone has searched for the kidnapped first princess of his people - an otherworldly clan whose life-force is sexual energy. Alyssa is that princess, stolen by a rival faction and banished to live on Earth.

But now Stone has found her and will return her to her rightful home, one in which she will own the curvaceous body she was born with - and the passionate desire that throbs within it as she learns an endless variety of delicious pleasures and discovers the infinite power she feels when all her cravings are satisfied...

The reason I'm highlighting this book, is because unbelievably, it features a race of people called 'Cunts'. No seriously, it did.

The following excerpt is from a scene where Stone (our intrepid hero) is trying to explain how Alyssa came to be living on earth, instead of being with her real family:

She (Alyssa) narrowed her eyes at him. "You said my name was Alyssandra de Klatch. But that still doesn't make me a witch. And I was born Alyssa Moss".

"No, actually you were stolen from your true family by Cunts"

Oh how I laughed. Anyway let me share some more cuntastic excerpts with you:

"Are my adoptive parents..." She struggled with the word, "Cunts?"
He nodded and gestured to a family picture hanging on her wall "The civil war came partially because of physical differences. ....Cunts are fair of hair and skin, and usually have thin bodies. The remaining faction of Klatch are dark haired, olive skinned, and blessed with curves."...

"The Cunts thought themselves more attractive, superior, and better breeding stock, so they tried to overthrow the king....and failed"

So basically, the Cunts were thin evil blondes, and the Klatch were angelic dark-haired fat people, got that?

Anyway, I must admit to giggling like a two year old, every time the race of Cunts were referred to. And also, you know the best thing about the Cunts?

They had their very own queen:

"How did he find her?" Sela, The Queen of the Cunts and council head demanded".

I laughed my effing tits off.

Blogging? What's That?

2007-12-06T18:31:00.000Z

I'm ill, I'm busy, and I'm lazy. Not necessarily in that order.

I'm off to take some more meds and to watch my DVD collection of One Tree Hill, in bed. I do so love Nathan and Hayley's story. Shut up, I'm so not too old to watch that!

What's Twelve Inches Between Friends?

2007-12-04T12:06:00.000Z

This post was inspired by something Angie wrote in one of her Editing Tip Of The Day posts:

"Oh, and along the same line, she wouldn’t be able to give the exact length of his naughty parts either. Just saying".

God, yes.

It really does take me out of the story when I know exactly how big the hero's dick is supposed to be. It also makes me wonder when authors give their heroes ten-inch dicks, (and I'm talking on the soft here) whether or not they actually know what a ten-inch fatty would look (and probably feel) like. And don't talk to me about those same ten-inchers also going up virgin bum holes. I'm squeezing my arse in sympathy at the very thought. *Shudder*

Can I just say, when you google the male penis, there are some fascinating bits of information out there. This site gave the average penis size, based on ethnicity (from a study that they'd done themselves presumably):

I wonder who got the job of doing the measuring?

This was also another fascinating bit of information:

"How would you describe the color of the hair on your head? (If it has grayed or fallen out, answer based on the hair you had when you were younger.)

Black: 18.3% (average penis length: 5.92")
Dark brown: 47.7% (average penis length: 6.15")
Light brown/dirty blond: 25.1% (average penis length: 6.20")
Blond: 6.3% (average penis length: 6.24")
Red: 2.6% (average penis length: 6.09")

Guys with blond hair, on average, have the largest penises. As hair color darkens, average penis size goes down; those with black hair have the smallest average penises. Guys with red hair (whom some believe have the largest penises) are actually below average in size, coming in second to last in this breakdown. Understand, though, that this is only an average correlation; many blond-haired guys reported having small penises, and many dark-haired guys reported having large ones."

Doesn't this contradict the ethnicity stats slightly? How many blonde haired black/native American dudes do you see roaming the streets these days?

I also looked on Askmen.com, and found that their stats varied a little from those above, but never mind that, read this:

"THE LONG AND THE SHORT: According to the Kinsey Institute, the biggest erect penis on record measures 13 inches. The smallest tops off at 1 and 3/4 inches".

1 and 3/4 inches? Shit, I wonder who drew the short straw there then? I bet he never goes into many communal bathrooms. Poor thing (over 18s only folks).

Anyway, what was my original point again?

Oh that's it, the heroine knowing exactly how long her hero's cock is, is daft. Unless she's actually taken a ruler to it of course, but I would have thought that would be a bit of a passion killer. Especially if the man was lacking in both length and girth.

Just sayin.

I Took A Life Today...

2007-12-03T18:32:00.000Z

I killed a grey squirrel.... Or at least I think I did. I couldn't bring myself to look behind after I saw it run under my car. It'll be the second this year. Boo hoo hoo.

I can't even watch a spider being killed without wanting to cry, and if I happen to see roadkill, I have been known to sob uncontrollably whilst driving. TTG knows to warn me these days.

I killed a cat over ten years ago, and I still remember the agony of that. It took me ages to get over it.

You'd be forgiven for thinking I'm an animal lover. I'm not. I just hate to see anything die. Except flies. I wish death to all flies. I hate those dirty little bastards.

A part of me hopes that the little guy is still alive, and not chasing for nuts in Squirrel Heaven. Not much chance of that though, seeing as he ran straight for my wheels.

Little Britain's Bubbles Devere...

2007-12-02T18:23:00.000Z

I'm not sure you guys get Little Britain over in the US, but we sure love this comedy programme over here in England. My favourite character is definitely Bubbles Devere, the quite obscene, pseudo-upper class woman who resides at a health spa, that she can't actually afford to pay for. It's very amusing watching her think of ways to avoid paying her bill. Not for the squeamish methinks.

UPDATE: How on earth could I forget Daffyd Thomas, The Only Gay In The Village. Absolutely hilarious, and oh so very un-pc...

Enjoy...

Mixed Bubbles clips

Bubbles In Monte Carlo

Daffyd meets the new gay in the village

Daffyd at the village fair

Daffyd takes a stand against his local library

Daffyd bemoans the lack of gay activity in the village

I Sure Am Glad I Don't Live In Sudan...

2007-11-30T22:31:00.000Z

Just another reason to ban all organised religion.

The woman named a teddy bear Mohammed, and people think she should be put to death for that? I'm still reeling from the fact that they jailed her in the first place.

Never mind the problems with Darfur, drought, poverty, and sexual crimes against women that currently plague the country. Why worry about all that crap when it's far easier to kill a woman in the name of God, just because she named a stuffed toy Mohammed.

I'd love to know how they manage to distinguish between God and The Devil.

I have the biggest urge to go buy a vibrator and call it Mohammed.

Blog Drama? What Blog Drama?

2007-11-29T18:27:00.000Z

I was going to post this over at Erecsite, when I saw Emily Veinglory's survey, but why waste a perfectly good potential post on somebody else's blog? *g*

I think here in Romanceland, we tend to label any blog posts that attract a lot of commenters as blog rows, or flames. I don't necessarily agree with those labels. I think It's fantastic to have blogs where people feel passionate enough to air their opinions, I really do.

Sometimes there's no telling what's gonna get people talking, for instance when I'm feeling that way inclined, (doesn't happen very often) I'll post what I think to be quite an indepth informational piece and get ten or twelve comments, and other days I can post one paragraph and get shitloads of people wanting to air their views. I think that's kinda cool.

Also, I'm always pleasantly surprised by the response I get, when I do a football (soccer to you Americans) related post, for example the one I wrote when I was feeling lower than a snake's belly due to England being dumped out of next year's European Cup.

What I tend to find more and more these days, is that comments within a mostly innocuous post will as likely start a heated debate, as an inflammatory blog post. There's always one person, who will say something that will piss a whole bunch of people off, and those people will then rush to air their own views, until you get to a point where everybody wants to have their tuppence worth.

I think that's fab, and I'm pretty sure that a lot of people out there feel the same, otherwise why bother having blogs with open comments on them? Or even, why bother having blogs at all?

What tends to annoy is when people try to attribute motivations as to why I post about certain subjects. The thing is, nobody but me will ever really know, so speculation is often fruitless, and the verdict, mostly wrong.

When I read how fed up people are with blog dramas, I am often amused, because I then see those same people taking part in the so-called flame fests, or posting about how fed up they are with the blogs that constantly attract drama.

Another reason that I'm amused is because these so-called blog dramas tend to happen on fewer than four blogs, on any kind of consistent basis. (Admittedly in Romanceland, mine tends to be one of them, but I should think that by now that people know what to expect) This is a minute percentage, considering the actual number of Romancentric blogs out there. It really is.

I have over 100 blogs listed on my Google Reader, and I purposely tend not to include the ones that are likely to give me high blood pressure, so I just assume that other people do the same thing. Apparently not.

I guess what I'm saying is that there are probably thousands of book blogs out there that are nice, and balanced, and fair, and sweet and funny, and rarely use the 'f' word. These blogs are also relatively easy to find. So for those people who are fed up of the drama, there are plenty of other choices out there. Ya feel me?

By the way a big thanks to all of the people who took the time to comment on the Incest, Twincest, Daddy/daughter Play posts. I love that you guys feel free enough to air your thoughts on here, regardless of whether or not your opinions gel with mine, and long may it continue.

Without great debate, and difference of opinion, the world and Romanceland would be a much more boring place methinks.

And Jane, rock the fuck on, mate.

Hell In A Handbasket...

2007-11-28T00:13:00.000Z

Jesus. Effing. Christ.

I was at Erecsite earlier today, when I came across the following comment by an author called Cheryl Anne Gardner:

"Good Luck to you in this. We need more publishers open to all kinds of sexuality and romance. My new one coming out in January has consentual rape, BDSM, and cutting and blood play ... and the darn thing is a romance as well."

Cutting and blood play?

Pardon me while I pass out.

Currently Reading...

2007-11-27T21:43:00.000Z

Blurb:

Who said “sexy” isn’t a science?

When wealthy scientist Vetta St. Claire begins a news experiment polling the male libido, she unexpectedly locks horns with long-time scientific rival Travis Carmichael. She never meant to test Travis’s libido…but sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.

Down on his luck and on the verge of giving up his dream to make a real contribution to cancer research, the last thing Travis wants—or needs—is a fling with the prickly Vetta. Travis doesn’t like her. In fact, he hates her. But when the sex is this good…

“Hard science” doesn’t begin to cover it.

I have to say, the blurb doesn't really do the book justice. So far so good.

You can read an excerpt here, and buy the book here.

By the way, there's no twincest, incest or Daddy/Daughter fantasies in this book, so whoever found the blog by googling "brother sister cum on face" will prolly be very disappointed.

You'll Never Persuade Me That Incest Is Romantic...

2007-11-27T18:01:00.000Z

Just in case I haven't been clear enough on my stance on incestuous relationships within romance books...

Brothers fucking brothers/fathers shagging sons/daughters shagging brothers/ fathers shagging daughters/mothers fucking their sons, and other familial combinations is just plain wrong in my opinion. These storylines may be popular, but they aren't romance. They are fetish. Of the worst kind at that, as far as I'm concerned.

And another thing; a guy who has little girl fantasies doesn't belong on the pages of a romance book. He belongs in jail. Pure and simple. In real life, a guy who has such fantasies will inevitably find a child (or many children) to sexually abuse. I can't ever see beyond that fact, let alone view it as romantic.

The day that these kind of storylines go mainstream under the banner of romance, will be the day that I start reading inspirationals.

There's A New E-Publisher In Town...

2007-11-25T20:33:00.000Z

Noble Publishing just opened its doors.

This is what it says on the submissions page:

"We are throwing down the gauntlet. We dare you to push the limits, stretch the boundaries, and send us your hottest, boldest stories.

A Noble erotic romance novel is...

A passionate, gripping love story set within any sub-genre. Feel free to mix them up. If it's a good story, we'll want it.
A graphic, honest portrayal of human sexuality.
*Daring, risky, push-the-envelope hot. Our authors are free to explore any sexual fantasy, even those considered too risque for some of our competitors.

Noble authors are the creme de la creme. They write the hottest, most explicit sex scenes, while still maintaining the integrity of a thoroughly engrossing romantic plot."

I wonder if this means they'll be offering up Twincest stories too?

Normally I wouldn't bother reporting the opening of a new e-pub, but I want some record of it, for when they eventually close, maybe two years from now.

Yeah, yeah, a little cynical I know, but we all know the score here don't we?

Anyway, I do wish them luck in their endeavours, and hopefully they don't implode like Trixy Lion Publishing et al. *g*

And remember potential authors out there, "Happy Writing! And remember...Think Kink!"

Nice.

Via Emily Veinglory's Erotic Romance Blog.

For The Love of The Craft, Or For The Love Of The Money?

2007-11-25T12:10:00.000Z

Do you know what annoys me? What really annoys me?

Reading a book, and feeling that the author wrote it just to get paid. Sheesh.

I'm Currently....

2007-11-22T19:35:00.000Z

Photo courtesy of David Beckham Zone

In deep mourning.

Blogging will resume as soon as I get over my abject misery.

What Do The Following Authors All Have In Common?

2007-11-19T21:09:00.000Z

Lora Leigh, Chey McCray, and Sarah McCarty?

Let's see shall we?

They are all former EC authors
They have all been signed by NY houses
They are all best-selling, and/or hugely popular authors

Hmmm... there's a fourth connection, can you guess what it is? You're allowed one guess, now try not to waste it... *g*

Congrats....

2007-11-19T20:44:00.000Z

To my beautiful lil' sister who we watched graduate from university with honours today!! Wooo hooo!!!

We travelled down to her university yesterday evening, and had a real girly night in the hotel. I've got some fab photos of the cathedral where the ceremony was held, which I'll post shortly.

It was very reminiscent of my own graduation, except I think the colours on my grad gown were waaay prettier. *g*

We're all so proud of her, it really doesn't seem like two minutes ago, since she was born. Where does the time go eh?

Sex And Assholic Alphas Really Do Sell...

2007-11-17T15:27:00.000Z

OK, I guess we knew that already, but you know me, I love stating the obvious.

Anyway, huge effing congrats to Lora Leigh, for her book, Nauti Nights (On my Amazon Wishlist as we speak) getting into the NY Times best seller's list. She made number 13 on the list. How awesome is that?

I can think of at least one Elloras Cave writer (if not more), who would be sick as a jealous pig at this news, heheh.

I like Lora. I love the fact that I know absolutely fuck-all about her, plus she doesn't behave like a dickhead, online. That's so refreshing, especially in light of some of the batshit crazy folks that I've been exposed to recently.

Gang-Raped Saudi Woman Jailed Because She Went Public With Her Plight...

2007-11-16T16:45:00.000Z

When I read this earlier, I was so disgusted I wanted to hurt somebody. This is totally barbarian.

An appeal court in Saudi Arabia has doubled the number of lashes and added a jail sentence as punishment for a woman who was gang-raped.

The victim was initially punished for violating laws on segregation of the sexes - she was in an unrelated man's car at the time of the attack.

When she appealed, the judges said she had been attempting to use the media to influence them.

The attackers' sentences - originally of up to five years - were doubled.

Extra penalties

According to the Arab News newspaper, the 19-year-old woman, who is from Saudi Arabia's Shia minority, was gang-raped 14 times in an attack in the eastern province a year-and-a-half ago.

Seven men from the majority Sunni community were found guilty of the rape and sentenced to prison terms ranging from just under a year to five years.

But the victim was also punished for violating Saudi Arabia's laws on segregation that forbid unrelated men and women from associating with each other. She was initially sentenced to 90 lashes for being in the car of a strange man.

On appeal, the Arab News reported that the punishment was not reduced but increased to 200 lashes and a six-month prison sentence.

What the fuck? The judge needs to be hung by his balls until they bleed. In fact, he should also be butt-fucked by 14 men, and see how he fucking likes it. Thank God I live in Britain, where even with all our problems, there's no way in the world our judges would be allowed to do such a thing.

Amidst all our bitching and moaning, sometimes we just don't appreciate enough how lucky we are here.

Many thanks to Rosemary for the link.

One Man And His Beeyotch...

2007-11-14T17:36:00.000Z

I heard on the radio today that a man in India married his dog.

Just judging on appearances, I think the dog could have done much better.

Whoever said that blondes have more fun, obviously never met this bitch.

There are just too many jokes that one could make with regards to this, but I must admit, I was most amused when the radio presenter wondered what the First Dance song would be, and his co-host suggested Three Times A Bitch by Lionel Richie.

~~What's the weirdest story you ever heard of?~~ Actually scrap that, have you anymore suggestions for possible first dance songs? 'Take My Dog Breath Away', by Berlin, and 'Breed Her Like A Lady' by The Temptations had me absolutely howling. *g*

A Total Miscarriage Of Justice...

2007-11-13T18:40:00.000Z

This man is called Stefan Kiszko.

In 1976, he was found guilty of murdering eleven year old, Lesley Molseed. Lesley had been raped and brutally murdered.

Kiszko and his family had always maintained his innocence. His mother campaigned tirelessly for his release, believing that her son was innocent.

Finally in 1992, there was a break-through. Crucial evidence had been withheld, and it was discovered that the police had basically forced a 'confession' out of Kiszko. He fit their idea of a murderer because he was mentally challenged, and he was a foreigner.

"Lord Lane, the Lord Chief Justice, finally declared the conviction unsafe after hearing that Mr Kiszko could not have been the source of semen on Lesley’s underwear, and thus the murderer, because his condition made him incapable of producing sperm.

An investigation was launched into why this information was not disclosed to the defence in the 1976 trial."

Basically, this evidence was withheld at the original trial. Also Kiszko had a rock solid alibi that was never brought to the attention of the courts.

Kiszko was released in 1992, but eighteen short months later, he died.

Yesterday, Lesley Molseed's real killer was brought to justice, thirty two years after his horrific crime.

Ronald Castree not only took the life of that child, he also took the life of Stefan Kiszko. He let an innocent man spend sixteen years in prison for a crime he did not commit. I think that that's almost as big a travesty, as the original murder itself.

I hope the perverted fucking bastard gets butt-fucked everyday for the rest of his life in prison.

Incest? Romantic? Really?

2007-11-11T16:20:00.000Z

Apparently, my fave author evah has a new book out, that features two brothers who are involved in a sexual relationship. With each other.

Is this being marketed as a romance? Seriously? Well, she must be doing something right because the book is Total E-bounds' number one seller.

This is the blurb from the Total E-bounds site:

"For twins, Ryker and Ranger Good, life has never been easy. Kicked out of the house when they were barely eighteen, the brothers started a new life, together. Now in their thirties they are ready to make a commitment, not only to each other but to the woman they’ve waited to claim for four years.

Lilly Bevin has been in love with the Good twin’s for years, only to be treated like a child by them. Now twenty-one, Lilly’s ready to spread her wings. Working in the town bar is just one of the ways she’s declaring her independence, dating is the other.

When the twin’s find out the woman they want is dating a smarmy hustler they try to talk some sense into her, only to be told to butt out. Now it’s up to them to tame their wildcat and bring her into the fold of their love. A wildcat, however, has claws and Lilly isn’t shy about using hers to her advantage."

Lovely. Anybody going to admit to having bought it?

Thanks to You-Know-Who for the tip-off.

Doesn't that picture of the baby make you chuckle every time you look at it? *g*

In Remembrance...

2007-11-11T11:05:00.000Z

In memory of all the brave men and women, of yesterday and today, who gave their lives in battle against those who would take from us, our freedom.

Dee Tenorio's Happy Bunny Contest!

2007-11-09T20:06:00.000Z

(All links have been fixed now)

Do you have a blog?

Enjoy erotic romance?

Like a little humor with your hot guy?

Well, this is the contest for you!

November 27th, Samhain Publishing is releasing my first Red Hot Romance, "Test Me!". To celebrate my heroes acting like happy bunnies, I've arranged for a special contest featuring another favorite character, Happy Bunny, hopping all over the blogsphere!

Here's The Game:

1. Copy and paste this post on your website, blog, MySpace, or wherever you wish, including a link to this "Test Me!" Excerpt. (For HTML Code, click HERE!)

2. Once you've completed #1, email laideebug @ Gmail.com (no spaces) with the subject line that reads: "Happy Bunny Blog Contest". Include a link to your site and you are entered.

That's it! But you could totally make Dee's day if you win by reviewing "Test Me!" at your earliest convenience, too!

Here's what you could win!

The Grand Prize:

• An e-Book ARC of "Test Me!"
• A Happy Bunny sling bag
• A Happy Bunny magnet game
• Happy Bunny Post-it notes
• Happy Bunny To-Do List
• Set of Happy Bunny mini-pens

And to fill your bag with things to be thankful for, a special gift from my good buddies Maya Banks and Amy Knupp!

• A copy of "For Her Pleasure" by Maya Banks
• A backlist choice from Superromance author Amy Knupp

Oh, but it doesn't stop there! There's more!

Three extra winners will win an e-copy of "Test Me!" as well as two surprise e-Book prize selections from the following list:

• A backlist book of the winner's choice from Ann Wesley Hardin.
• An e-copy of "La Bella Luna" from Bobbie Cole.
• A backlist book of the winner's choice from Heather Rae Scott.
• An e-copy of "Brazen" and an e-copy of her upcoming Christmas novella, Love Me, Still(goes out to winner 12/18/07) from Maya Banks
• An e-copy of "Calleye's Justice" from Donica Covey

So help Happy Bunny hop all over the world! Post on your blog. Enter! Win!

All winners will be announced December 1st, 2007 on Dee's blog, www.deetenorio.com/Blog!

What Would You Do?

2007-11-08T19:27:00.000Z

I was listening to my fave radio station earlier, where the presenters were asking their audience what they would do, if they worked with someone who smelt bad. Would they tell them, or would they say nothing, and just live with the smell?

It was most amusing to listen to some of the answers, but it did strike a cord with me.

Years and years ago, I had a girl who worked for me, who not only smelt like unwashed knickers, she also used to look really scruffy, and she had a bird's nest thing going on with her hair. (I'd inherited her with the job.)

The thing was, she was absolutely wonderful at her job, she was super-organised, and the clients liked her. Now if she'd been a back office member of staff, then I probably would have just lived with it, but unfortunately, she was in the public eye quite often, so something had to be done.

I thought for ages about how to broach the subject, then I decided that I simply couldn't tell her that she looked a mess, and that she stunk to high heaven.

Instead, I booked the whole office a make-over, fully equipped with a beauty consultant, and got our local Toni and Guy to give us all free haircuts.

Yep, totally chicken shit thing to do, but dammit, it worked. She had a new do, started wearing make-up, and the ripe smell was downgraded to just mildly sweaty armpits. Score.

So, what would you do if you had a colleague, or a friend who had a serious case of bad body odour? Would you tell him/her, or would you just live with it?

Also, is it worse when the person who smells is a woman?

Can An Author Ever Truly Own Her Characters?

2007-11-06T14:31:00.000Z

Lori Devoti has an interesting column up at RTB.

She's talking about authors, and whether they actually own the characters they create.

She cites J.K. Rowling as an example of somebody who's created popular characters that people all over the world know and love. Devoti states that she wasn't too happy about Rowling's revelation that Dumbledore was gay. (Not because of any moral or political judgements btw, so no need for twisted knickers) She felt it was unfair to reveal this piece of information when, A, it wasn't even hinted at in any of the HP books, and B, when there's no possibility of closure, seeing as she's done with the series.

Devoti writes:

My answer is that although the author creates the characters, I don't think she solely owns them. Of course she can do with them what she wants, she has the pen after all, but I think she does owe some consideration to the fans.

Now I'm not saying she should write to please her readers because that would just be crazy talk, but I do think she has a duty of care to the people who buy her books, to ensure that she doesn't irreparably damage her characters, or totally change who they are. (In terms of how they are perceived by her readers at least.)

For instance, I love Nora's In Death books, and I love, love, love Roarke and Eve. With a passion. Now if Nora were to kill off either of them, I'd never read another one of her books again . Seriously. Also if she wrote a book where Roarke had an extra-marital affair, that would be another deal-breaker for me.

Of course Nora wouldn't do either of the above (one would hope) because I think she understands that the readers would probably ~~go berserk~~ feel betrayed.

As the people who are familiar with Karin Slaughter's Grant County series will know, in her last book, she killed off one of the main characters just because she could. I will not be spending another penny on her again.

I feel very strongly that Slaughter totally gave her readers the finger, by doing what she did. As a result, some of her fans (Read: me) will be voting with their money, the next time she releases a book.

So waddaya think? Does an author owe a duty of care to her fans or not? Also, does the author solely own the characters she creates, or do they mainly belong to her readers?

Karen Does Sarah McCarty's, Caine's Reckoning...

2007-11-04T20:57:00.000Z

So, I read Sarah McCarty's Caine's Reckoning last week. As most of the people who request book reviews from me can attest, I'm a lazy bugger when it comes to writing reviews, especially when the book is dull as dishwater.

Anyway, without further ado, here's the back cover blurb:

Caine Allen is a hardened Texas Ranger, definitely not the marrying kind. But when he rescues a kidnapped woman and returns her to town, the preacher calls in a favor. One Caine's honor won't let him refuse.

From the moment he beds Desi, Caine knows turmoil will follow. Desi might have the face of a temptress, but she also has a will of iron and while she needs his protection, she's determined that no man will control her again. They establish an uneasy bond, but it still isn't enough for Caine. He wants all Desi has to offer. He wants her screams, her moans, her demands…everything. Yet there's still a bounty on Desi's head and keeping her satisfied is proving easier than keeping her alive.

VERDICT

I loved this book. I really did.

One of the reasons I love Ms McCarty’s stories is because of her ability to deliver the reader into the psyche of the characters in her books. I love when I can get to know the people in a book on an intimate level, rather than just observing them as an outsider.

As I do with the books that I really love, I like to look at the characters individually, so here goes:

The Heroine

Desi’s story is an extremely tragic one, the only survivor when a group of Comancheros attack her home, killing all of her family, with the exception of her, and her twin sister, Ari, who was taken away to God-knows-where.

Much of Desi’s sorrow stemmed from the knowledge that she had never appreciated how lucky she was, and how pampered and spoiled her life was, before everything was so cruelly ripped from her. The loss of her sister is one thing that haunts her, yet she holds on to the belief that Ari is still alive.

I liked Desi, because she was a victim, who refused to behave like one. She refused to be beaten down by life, and had the courage to keep fighting, even when the odds were heavily weighted against her. Having said that, I did find myself wanting to hug her, and tell her that she wasn't to blame for any of the things that had happened to her.

She was a mass of contradictions, in that she could be feisty as hell, when faced with a bunch of men trying to hurt her, yet she had a fragility about her that was quite touching. She also had a very tender side, which became more evident, as her trust in Caine grew.

For a book to work for me, the heroine has to be spot on, and I think that Desi was. She wasn’t annoyingly feisty (read: assholic), and she wasn’t as dumb as a box of rocks. That pretty much made her perfect in my eyes.

The Hero

Caine Allen is very typical, as McCarty heroes go. He’s sexy, he’s confident, he’s possessive, and once he falls in love, he loves with everything that he is. How can anybody not love a hero like that?

Also, as well as all of the above, he was likeable. I’ve read so many books where the hero is actually so unbearable, that it's been hard for me, the reader, to understand why the heroine would fall for such an arsehole. Thankfully, this wasn’t the case with Caine.

The story starts with Caine and his posse tracking a bunch of ruffians who’d kidnapped the sheriff’s wife, and a few other women, including Desi.

When Caine first meets Desi, she’s trying to defend herself from one of the kidnappers who’s determined to get hold of her. Caine is mightily impressed by Desi’s wicked right knee, as well as her courage. He becomes smitten with her then and there, and when the town preacher calls in a favour, he doesn’t hesitate ~~much~~ to make Desi his.

Caine was a surprisingly well-rounded character, and I loved that he was able to find humour in any situation, even when dealing with Desi’s understandable reticence, and her constant self-flagellation.

It was the little things that he did for our heroine, that made this reader totally fall for him. There was a scene where he brought Desi chocolate that totally melted my heart. There was also a scene where he washes Desi's hair for her. He was so gentle and sweet with her that it almost brough tears to my eyes.

"No one had washed her hair since she was a child. She'd always been too impatient to wait on a maid, and quite frankly had considered another's hands on her an intrusion, but Caines's touch was different. Firm and gentle, it seemed more like a caress than a functional act, and the places his fingers lingered seemed to find the last corded bits of tension within her, and unraveled them one slow circle at a time. He pressed gently at her temples and she groaned. How could such a big man be so gentle?"

That was such an "awwww shucks" moment.

The Secondary Characters

There were a whole host of secondary characters to get to grips with, but that wasn't so surprising, seeing as CR is the first book in the Hell's Eight series. I have to say though, at no point was I overwhelmed by the number of secondaries, as every person who appeared in the book had a good reason for being there.

I was most fascinated by Sam and Tracker, who were both Hell's Eight men. Sam had a bit of a thing for Desi, and didn't mind that Caine knew it, which I thought was quite sweet. He seemed to be the most easy going of the two men, but this may have just been a front.

Tracker was much harder to gauge. He was the quintessential darkly brooding hero, didn't say much, but when he spoke, he was quite compelling. I'm really looking forward to his story.

Tia, another secondary character, was the Hell's Eight house-keeper. She seemed to be the obligatory Mammie-type character, equipped with a quick temper, and a warm heart.

There were other characters, including the villain of the piece, but I just can't be arsed writing about them.

One of the things that I appreciate most about McCarty’s stories, is that they aren't just about swapping bodily fluids as often as possible, in as many positions as possible, with as many people as possible.
Although Desi and Caine spent a lot of time getting horizontal, the scenes were timely, beautifully written, and really demonstrated the difference between erotic romance and some of the smutty pretenders out there.

Caine's Reckoning is definitely a character-led story, so for the readers who crave fast-paced action, and guns flaring on every other page, this may not be the book for you.
However if you appreciate a slower sensual ride, where you have time to smell the roses, feel the warmth of the sun on your skin, and fall in love, then I would highly recommend Caine's Reckoning.

You can buy Caine's Reckoning here, and visit Sarah McCarty here.

The Best Voice Evah...

2007-11-01T21:59:00.000Z

This is Leona Lewis, she won The X Factor (our version of American Idol, yet another Simon Cowell show) last year, and she is utterly fabulous. This is her new song, which went straight to number one this week.

I was in the car earlier today, and a song by Snow Patrol came on, but it wasn't being sung by Snow Patrol, it was Leona doing a cover version of it. The hairs on my arms literally stood up.

Fabulous set of pipes. She really has...

Author, Cindy Cruciger, Stomps That Olive Branch Into The Ground...

2007-10-31T12:22:00.000Z

Apparently the Ferfelabat Cindy Cruciger/Meangirls truce is over. I was sent a link yesterday to a site called Snark Underground. Apparently it belongs to Ms Cruciger. I wont bother linking, because I'm sure you guys will find it easy enough.

There were a couple of eye-brow raising posts on there, but this excerpt caught my eye:

"Let's check in, shall we? Earlier Karen Scott was having dreams about breaking every bone in a baby's body. Last year we learned that she only has her period once every six months or so and, in addition to making it impossible for her to reproduce (a good thing given that she dreams about abusing babies), when it happens, it is apparently so profound that she requires tent sized undies to contain it.

Not wanting to feel like a freak (I am guessing), she asks her always-willing-to-reveal-material- to-be-used-against-them-later-when-she's-ragging-it audience if they too switch out the stripper undies for more substantial granny wear when they are in non-reproduction mode."

Wow.... I'd definitely say the truce was over wouldn't you?

How Many New To You Authors Have You Discovered This Year... That You Loved?

2007-10-29T17:05:00.001Z

I was thinking the other day that I haven't been as adventurous this year in terms of trying many newbie authors.

I used to try at least one new author a week, but just lately, I seem to be sticking to the authors I know and love.

I wasn't sure what was so different about this year, but then I remembered that a lot of my newbie authors in the past have been at EC, and since EC have stopped producing quality erotic romance, and seem to be doing the whole porn thing, I've stopped spending my money there.

My favourite find this year without doubt has definitely been Dorothy Koomson, but I have to say, I haven't found any other book that managed to move me the way My Best Friend's Girl did.

So, how have you guys fared so far? Have you found many to-die-for newbies, or like me, have you been sticking to the authors you already know and love?

Why Do You Visit People You Can't Stand?

2007-10-28T13:41:00.000Z

I've always wondered about folks who get fixated on people they supposedly don't like.

Why would you constantly visit the blog of somebody who A, you don't like, and B, who equally thinks that you're the biggest fucktard ever?

Why?

Throughout this whole blogging lark, I've made it a rule to never visit the blogs of people who I think need to be put out of my misery. How is it that not everybody feels the same way? Is that not just common sense?

I don't really get it. What happened to the good old days of obsessing over something or someone for a day or two, then moving on? This is Romanceland for Oprah's sake. This is how it's always worked before.

I assume that because I find it difficult enough to post daily, and keep an eye out for interesting tidbits on the blogs that I do like, never mind reading the blogs of people I loathe, that everybody else is the same?

Well, apparently I'm wrong. Some people literally have nothing better to do with their lives than to obsess over people who think they are a little bit loco. AKA, a crumb short of a full loaf.

How do I know this? Because some of these people love spending hours on my blog. And I mean, hours. I find it quite sad, yet at the same time, highly entertaining.

Does that make me a mean girl? *g*

No Dearie, Ignorance Really Isn't Bliss...

2007-10-26T17:19:00.000+01:00

Apparently Channing Crowder, Miami Dolphins linebacker didn't realise that they speak English in London.

This is what Crowder had to say:

"I couldn't find London on a map if they didn't have the names of the countries," he said.

"I swear to God. I don't know what nothing is. I know Italy looks like a boot. I learned that."

Ya see, this is why some Americans seriously need to get a passport and leave the country every now and again.

I wouldn't mind, but he's rich, so it's not like money is an issue.

How does one not know that A, London is in England, and that B, Londoners speak English? Is this not general knowledge?

Look What Arrived First Thing This Morning... And The Postie Wasn't Bad Either...

2007-10-23T17:59:00.001+01:00

Caine's Reckoning is here at last!! Yippee!

"Caine Allen is a hardened Texas Ranger, definitely not the marrying kind. But when he rescues a kidnapped woman and returns her to town, the preacher calls in a favor. One Caine's honor won't let him refuse.

From the moment he beds Desi, Caine knows turmoil will follow. Desi might have the face of a temptress, but she also has a will of iron and while she needs his protection, she's determined that no man will control her again. They establish an uneasy bond, but it still isn't enough for Caine. He wants all Desi has to offer. He wants her screams, her moans, her demands…everything. Yet there's still a bounty on Desi's head and keeping her satisfied is proving easier than keeping her alive."

Read an excerpt, here, and buy the book here.

Erm... just in case you can't tell, this is an erotic romance, thus it probably has the power to make you blush like a priest in a whore house. *g*

Congratulations To La Nora...

2007-10-23T17:48:00.000+01:00

For Angels Fall winning the Quill Book of The Year Award!

Yay!!!

Oh For God's Sake Number 1099...

2007-10-22T19:35:00.000+01:00

I have a friend who's currently going through the adoption process.

Her and her hubby have been trying to adopt a little girl for the last 18 months, and it seems to me that the social workers are constantly coming up with ways to prolong things.

Last week, she was told by the social workers that she couldn't have the little girl, unless she gave up smoking for at least six months.

Oh. My. Fucking. God.

She's been trying to get this girl for 18 months, and they tell her this now?

In this country, there are thousands of children looking for adoptive parents, and the fostering and adoption agency are forever bitching and moaning about the lack of people coming forward, willing to take on somebody else's child.

No fucking wonder, with all the roadblocks they put up.

What gets me mad, is cases like this, and this, where the social workers could have prevented the murder of both of the little girls, had they been doing their jobs properly.

I can't help but think that being a good person doesn't get you anywhere. It just allows you to be screwed over more easily by the authorities.

It makes me so damn mad I could spit. Fucking yogurt-knitting-tree-hugging-vegetarian-do-gooders.

I bet they're the kind of social workers who believe that murderers deserve love too. Yech.

They Actually Paid Somebody To Edit This Book?

2007-10-20T18:04:00.000+01:00

You know, it's irritating enough finding typos and grammatical errors within the pages of a book, but to find these errors in the synopsis, on the back cover of said book, is simply unforgiveable.

Every time I ignore my prejudices against Genesis Press, and buy one of their books, the fuckers always manage to piss me off.

Had I seen The Color of Trouble at a traditional book store, rather than at Amazon, I would have left it on the shelf for sure. Wanna see what I mean? Check out the blurb:

For seven years Kari Anderson has lived a lie. Because she's black, she assumes she can't be prejudice. She ignores her heart's reminder that she left Jonathan because he was white.

She also ignores the warning bells that tell her she's with her fiance, doctor Steven Anderson, because her parents approve of the color of his skin. With him, she can have the babies her parents will love, the babies she couldn't have with Jonathan.

Jonathan Steele finally has what he wanted, a promising career with a good law firm.
Love is the last thing on his mind. He thought he had it once, but spent seven months of his life in jail, betrayed by the woman who claimed she loved him. Kari's purchase of a timeshare brings Jonathan and his firm back into Kari's. Can they dismiss their past or will final judgment sentence them to try again.

(By the way, the paragraph breaks above are mine. In actuality, all the paragraphs were squashed together without relief.)

OK, for the people who may have missed the deliberate mistakes, let me talk you through them.

Deliberate Mistake 1 - the heroine wasn't called Kari Anderson, she was called Kari Thomas. And no, she didn't marry Steven Anderson.

Deliberate Mistake 2 - It should be prejudiced not 'prejudice', which is why the sentence, "Because she's black, she assumes she can't be prejudice" didn't work.

Deliberate Mistake 3 - "Kari's purchase of a timeshare brings Jonathan and his firm back into Kari's." Back into Kari's what?

Deliberate Crappy Grammar 4 - "Can they dismiss their past or will final judgment sentence them to try again." I know what the aim here was, but the attempt at cleverness totally fell flat on its face.

Now, if that's not bad enough, the book itself was littered with shitloads of errors. Errors like: "Mrs Dobis, I'm not in the mood for sparing with you today".

Sparing? Sparing? SPARING!!?

Good effing grief, the typos in this book made the mess that was Ben's Wildflower seem like a grammatical masterpiece in comparison.

Luckily for Ms Davis, unlike BW, the book itself was able to hold my interest, and I was able to ignore the shit, and concentrate on the actual story. Having said that, the errors were totally inexcusable, and any editor worth her salt, should have been able to spot them, before the damn book went to print. Sheesh...

Boredom, Thy Name Is Reading...

2007-10-19T20:55:00.000+01:00

Seriously, I am bored with reading. No matter how hard I try, I can't get up the enthusiasm, nor the energy required to finish a book. I've had more DNFs in the past month and a bit, than I've ever had. Something has to give.

Even Kleypas' Mine Til' Midnight, failed to keep my interest. Not to say that what I read wasn't good, it's just that I am going through the worst reading slump ever at the mo.

Anybody empathise with me? Anybody know a cure?

What Chance Does Barack Obama Have Of Becoming President?

2007-10-17T19:26:00.000+01:00

I watched a Panorama documentary the evening before last, about Barack Obama's attempt at becoming the first black US president. Well, I say black, but actually he's mixed race. The unfortunate thing for him though, is that people will still see him as black.

He comes across as a charming, articulate and most of all, conscientious man. A man who cares. All perfectly good attributes to have in a potential president, but I'm pretty sure it wont be enough to win over the majority of white America.

A political psychologist had this to say about Obama, and I found it quite interesting:

I couldn't help but think that this stereotype of the "dangerous, dark skinned black male" could also be one of the reasons why the black hero isn't popular amongst white romance readers. Sorry, I digress...

Apparently, no American president has ever won the election, without getting the Louisiana vote, (erm, or something like that) so the documentary makers went to America's deep south to see what the people there thought of Obama. The reception was not great. The blacks didn't know what to make of him, and the whites seemed to be saying hell no. I think one of the people they interviewed actually called him Barack Osama. (Although the guy in question was sporting a shaven head, built like a brick sh*thouse, tattoos everywhere, and looked like he hadn't washed in quite a while though, so I'm not sure he was ever gonna say anything positive about Obama. Judgmental? Moi? Never in a month of puffs.)

They also interviewed a black Louisianan (is that right?) woman, and she said her vote was going to Hillary.

The documentary makers also visited Jena, in light of Obama's emphasis on a United America, rather than a black/white America. There was a lot made of the fact that he didn't attend a rally organised by black campaigners, who were protesting against the imprisonment of The Jena Six. A black man trying to run a race-neutral presidential campaign can't afford to be seen rallying with other black folks, unfortunately.

Jesse Jackson was there of course, and gave his thoughts on Obama's style of campaigning. He wasn't particularly complimentary, and seemed to contradict himself somewhat. Nothing new there.

Obama was described as a man before his time, and others lamented that America had not yet reached the stage, where a black man could run for presidency, and have a realistic shot at winning it. A sentiment shared by a cyber pal who I spoke to recently.

I liked Obama, I really did. I mean what's not to like? He's handsome, (don't tell me that doesn't make a difference to somebody somewhere) he's well turned out, and he knows how to give a rousing speech. He struck me as somebody I could sit down with, and have a really good chin-wag.

The problem for Obama as far as I can tell though, seems to be that the black folks think he's not black enough, and the white folks think he's too black. Poor sod, he's got no effing chance. Maybe in a hundred years time he may have had a shot.

Oh by the way, they interviewed a woman from the deep south, who was clearly way below the poverty line, and initially, I felt a great deal of sympathy for her, (as any decent person would) until the documentary makers revealed that she was a single woman who had eight kids. My sympathy died on the spot.

You know what, if you know you can't afford to feed your kids, then it would have been a good idea to either go on the pill, or make sure you use an effing condom. Or even better, keep your effing legs closed. Having eight kids when you have no way of looking after them, is beyond selfish and irresponsible. Why couldn't she at least stop at four?

Aaargghhh!

For All The People Who Ever Told Me They Were Gonna Sue Me For Slander...

2007-10-16T20:06:00.000+01:00

Over at Dear Author, Jane has an hysterical idiot's guide on to how to file a lawsuit the correct way, and the difference between slander and libel.

As one of those Mean Girl Bloggers, I have been threatened with lawsuits, and accused of slander a time or two, for one reason or another, so for those people who still secretly read this blog, even though they'd swear blind they don't (y'all know who you are), I'd get over there and read what Jane has to say. You never know, you may learn something new. *g*

I love it when she gets all lawerly, don't you? Heheh.

Oh by the way Jackie Kessler, your books arrived today! Yippee! I love receiving free books, (yes, even those kinds) it just doesn't happen enough, so thanks!

Apparently Genre Novels Are The Easiest Types Of Books To Write...

2007-10-15T08:22:00.000+01:00

I came across this blog earlier. By the looks of things, the main purpose of the blog is to encourage people to write a book. A noteworthy sentiment I'm sure, but that didn't stop me from being slightly taken aback by her/his thoughts on writing genre fiction:

Easier to write than what? Non-fiction books? The bible? Political journals? What?

As for the bit about having a mystery to solve in a mystery novel, well knock me down with a fucking feather, ya don't say? *g*

Anne Stuart's, Ice Storm...

2007-10-15T07:40:00.000+01:00

LLB has a fab review of Anne Stuart’s next book, Ice Storm. It sounds absolutely yummy, so I’ve pre-ordered it from Amazon. I’ve been looking forward to Madam Isobel Lambert’s book for ages!

(Look see, I've almost forgotten that she ever wrote the crapness that was Cold As Ice *shudder*...)

People Ask The Funniest Questions...

2007-10-14T10:16:00.000+01:00

I was reading Tod Goldberg's blog earlier, and I came across a post that he'd entitled, Letters To Parade: The Three Dumbest Questions of 2007. The questions were from Parade readers, who Tod likes to take the piss out of regularly. The questions were highly amusing, but Tod's responses were even funnier:

Parade Reader 1:

"Why are there so few black country singers?"

Tod's response:

Hmm. Let's see. Could it be that country music hasn't exactly been accepting of black culture? Could it be that country music fans -- and we're not talking about people who listen to Garth Brooks in the front seat of their Explorer en route to Denim & Diamonds -- haven't always been what you might call "inviting" of other races inside their honky-tonks? You see any Asian country singers? How about Latino?

Now, true, there is a close relationship between the blues and country music, which makes me think (and here I have no proof, I'm just spouting off the top of my head) there must have been something concerning segregation here. (And now I think: Someone out there recommend a book on this, because someone must have studied the correlation between the two, right?)

Maybe it just boils down to the sense that country western music is filled with a bunch of shit kicking rednecks and hillbillies who don't like black people. Ah, yes, that's what it is. Walter found a young black country singer to explain it and, well, she doesn't do a very good job, either:

"Because there have been so few black role models in the genre of music," says Rissi Palmer, 26, whose hit single is titled "Country Girl." "But after I appeared on Star Search, Naomi Judd, one of the judges, encouraged me to go for it." To follow up her single, Rissi is releasing her debut CD in October.

So, there aren't any black country singers because there aren't any black country singers. Perhaps the most vexing issue here: Who knew Star Search was still on?

No offence to country music lovers in general, but I found Tod's comments very amusing.

Parade Reader 2:

"On the day he was acquitted, 12 years ago this week, O.J. Simpson said he'd spend the rest of his life looking for his wife's killer. How's he doing?"

Tod's comments were hil-fucking-arious. You can read the full response at his blog, but I've narrowed it down to this excerpt:

Dear Oprah, I had to wipe tears outta my eyes after reading that.

I think I've stolen enough of his stuff, so for the full post, bob over to his blog. I find him effing hilarious, but that's possibly due to him being an irreverent sonofabitch. *g*

Some Photos...

2007-10-14T08:33:00.000+01:00

Some photos of my lovely new garden...
(Click to enlarge)

Barbecue area - which TTG loves

Our very own garden gnome

The cute fishies in the pond

My fishies - we have lots of them

newly cut grass - rare nice day

The pond

Am I The Only Person...

2007-10-12T21:55:00.000+01:00

Who thinks that Geeky Henry from Ugly Betty is totally hot?

Out of two, I'd certainly give him one. Seriously.

July The 2nd 2007 Was A Great Day In England...

2007-10-11T23:27:00.000+01:00

Why? Because that's when smoking was banned in public (indoor) places, in this country.

I went into a pub earlier tonight, and marvelled that my hair wasn't stinking of somebody else's nasty dirty ciggy when we left. Halle-effing-lujah.

An Interesting Sounding Book...

2007-10-11T07:15:00.000+01:00

Blurb from Eharlequin.com:

Trouble was her middle name…

Of the four Lockharts, Amber was the wild child, a part-time student and full-time groupie who gave her older sisters sleepless nights. But even Amber was surprised when her pre-Christmas getaway turned nasty, causing her to flee from danger—right into the six-pack abs of Paul Gutierrez.

His was danger…
Going home was not an option when Amber became the target of a man desperate to keep a secret. So Paul's L.A. home became her safe house, his strong arms her armor. After long nights with her macho protector, Amber was in danger, all right—from a hot, sexy Latin lover!

You can buy His Holiday Wedding here, and learn more about the author here. (Cute website btw)

Via Blogging In Black

In Which The Art Of Subtlety Is Totally Lost...

2007-10-10T08:59:00.000+01:00

In response to this title, a cyber pal wrote:

"I'm going to write a threesome story about a girl who falls in love with twins and call it "The Assfuck Twins"

She's got a point, it would be just as catchy would it not? *g*

I guess they were going for the hard-sell huh? Heheh...

Thanks muchly to CM for the link.

Which Book Started Your Love Affair With The Written Word?

2007-10-09T23:36:00.000+01:00

Well mine started with Anne of Green Gables, and I haven't looked back since.

I still love it today as much as I did all those years ago.

My questions for today are;

A: What was the one book that turned you onto reading, period, and how old were you at the time?

B: Which book turned you onto romance novels? How old were you?

By the way, does anybody remember the Seniors category books? I think they were supposed to be a slightly more adult version of Bantam's Sweet Dreams series.

Ahhh Sweet Dreams... my fave SD author was definitely Janet Quin-Harkin. I wonder whatever happened to her?

Jesus, those SD covers were pure cheese weren't they?

Updated: Found some more Janet Quin-Harkin books. By the way, she also wrote the Sister, Sister books. I never knew that. I guess you learn something new everyday.

Awww... aint Memory Lane grand?

Would You Date Outside Your Race?

2007-10-08T14:51:00.000+01:00

Charlie Horse has an interesting post up on his blog.

He's talking about inter-racial dating, and why it's more common for a black man to date a white woman, and not so much the other way round.

He writes:

"So why the disconnect? I asked a black colleague at work and she said it was more "cultural" than racial. It could be that. I can also see why that wouldn't inhibit a black guy from dating a white woman since men generally aren't that concerned about cultural differences and are "just happy to get some."

I wonder how true it is that men generally don't worry as much about cultural differences as women?

I dated a white guy once. That didn't work out so well. The crazy bastard stalked me for months, and poured battery acid over my beloved car when I dumped him. He didn't understand that ringing me and my friends 100 times a day to find out where I was, and having his friends spy on me wasn't the best way to conduct a relationship. This is why I have an acute aversion to crazy people.

Anyway, I haven't got time to analyse Charlie's post further, so I suggest you bob over and read what he has to say on the matter.

I will say one thing though, if I was that way inclined, I would totally do Gabrielle Union too. *g*

If It's Got The Word 'Demon' In It, I Aint Reading It...

2007-10-08T08:58:00.000+01:00

God I'm sick to death of books about demons.

Of course there are certain books about demons that I've bought recently, but those book buying choices were more about the author than my interest in the actual books themselves. Does that make me incredibly loyal or incredibly stoopid?

I know I've said it before, but I'm really hating (and I mean, really hating) the deluge of vampiric demon books out there. Everytime I see a book with the word demon in the title, I feel the need to stick a fork in my eye. It's painful, and I can't bear it. At this point, even the virgin-mistress-secret baby Harlequin Presents books are starting to look good in comparison. Big effing sigh.

Oh, and just in case anybody gives a crap, I'm officially in mourning over the fact that Lewis Hamilton somehow managed to fuck up an all-but-sewn-up Formula One world championship title this weekend. I've told TTG that I wont be able to watch the race in Brazil, my nerves wont be able to hold up under the strain.

Erm... any Aussies out there watch the Rugby World Cup this weekend? *smirk*

Anne Of Green Gables Rocks Like A Threesome With David Beckham And Will Smith...

2007-10-05T18:02:00.000+01:00

I know I've mentioned this before, but I can't tell you enough how much I love the Anne of Green Gables stories. They were such a huge part of my childhood.

I wish L.M Montgomery was still alive so that I could write to her, and tell her that her 'Anne' books really impacted me on a spiritual level whilst growing up. It probably sounds sappy, and normally I try to stay away from anything that's likely to induce vomiting, but on this I'll definitely make an exception.

You know, I actually think that my love of romance books probably came from reading about the exploits of Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe. Oh how I rejoiced when they finally became friends and Anne finally admitted to herself that she loved him. My little pre-teen heart fairly burst with the joy when they kissed for the first time.

Anyway, I bought the complete DVD set the other day, and watched them during my train journey to Scotland on Wednesday. I truly heart Megan Follows for 'being' Anne, and not butchering the story for me.

God bless you, Anne Shirley, and I'm so glad I met you during my pre-teen years. *Happy Sigh*

Are You A Classy Chick?

2007-10-04T16:57:00.000+01:00

TTG and I had a major discussion the night before last, about class. (or was it the night before that?) The reason we even started debating this topic was because of a programme that happened to be on the telly at the time.

Basically, the programme was about our (Brits) obsession with class distinction, and what the main differences were between, the working class, the middle class, and the upper class.

I've always proudly considered myself working class, but then TTG reminded me that although we might see ourselves as working class, other people probably don't. We argued this point for a while, then I had to concede that possibly we were more middle-class than working class, which is apparently the worst class to belong to, because you're sneered at by the working class, and labelled as over-achievers, and yet you're not quite good enough for the upper class.

According to TTG, we guys over here are the only people in the world who have a class system. I of course told him that he was talking out of his arse.

He cited the US as an example of a nation with no inherent class system, so I told him to take off his US-coloured glasses, and see the sun.

Heated debate ensued.

Anyway, basically I do think that every nation has a class system, it's just that not every country has a name for the different classes, like we do over here.

There'll always be The Haves, and the Have-Nots, and I'd say that the majority of The Haves will always consider themselves superior to The Have-Nots.

The one thing that I will concede is that in the US, it is more likely for a Normo (erm, AKA Poor Average Joe) to become president, whereas over here, if you didn't cut your teeth on the blackboards at Eton, you've got about as much chance of becoming a PM, as Britney Spears has of keeping her knickers on.

What say you?

Where Do You Read Yours?

2007-10-02T17:53:00.000+01:00

I've been waiting for a couple of books to be delivered from Amazon, and yesterday, they finally arrived. Yippeeee!

Usually, my favourite place to read is in bed, but the people who we bought the house from, left us the most fantabulous wicker chair in the master bedroom.

I decided to try out the chair yesterday to see if it went well with Maya Reynolds' book, Bad Girl.

Wow. I totally found a great new reading place.

I have a friend who only ever reads when she goes to the bathroom, so she always has lots of books next to the toilet. Let's hope her hubby has a better aim than TTG.

So, where do you prefer to read? Do you read in bed, or do you have a special place just for you and your book? Do you read with the music or telly on, or do you, like me, prefer total silence?

By the way, have I missed out on any scandals this past week? Anybody who needs to go on my ABLF list? Go on, you can tell me... *g*

This Post Is Brought To You By The Letters, V. P. L...

2007-10-01T17:16:00.000+01:00

You know, the only time I ever wear big knickers is when the painters and decorators come a-calling, and that's only because thongs and sanitary towels don't really mix, or at least they shouldn't mix.

Earlier this week, I noticed a woman wearing jeans, and she had the biggest and baddest Visible Panty Line, evah. Even TTG noticed that her knickers were at war with her assets, and he's not the most observant of men.

Since that incident, I've noticed quite a few ladies wearing the afore-mentioned under-garments, and the one thing that's clear, is that they are not flattering to the female backside at all.

Whilst I don't really do G-strings, I can't bear wearing knickers that bunch up at the back, and make me look like I'm suffering from piles. Thongs are much more discreet, dontcha think?

So, are you a thong wearer, or do you prefer to keep everything packed up tight in big panties?

Come on, you can share, I promise I wont tell a soul... (g)

Packing My Books Took Longer Than Expected...

2007-10-01T06:43:00.000+01:00

Hi guys, we're all moved in now, and my house is fabulous dahhlings!!

I have limited access to the internet, but hopefully, I should be up and running by the end of today, if not then hopefully, tomorrow.

I finally counted the number of physical books that I own, and the final count was 1850+ books, e-books not included. So quite a healthy number methinks.

Keeper box1 (click on all the photos to see large version)

Keeper Box 2

Memory Lane - yes that's a Diana Palmer book, *shudder*

No organisation whatsoever

My much depleted SVH collection. boo-hoo-hoo!

I thought I'd packed all my books, then I found these under the bed!

Some more books...

Where Are You From?

2007-09-21T18:05:00.000+01:00

For the next week or so, my blogging is going to be sporadic, (TTG and I have bought a new house, so we're packing and moving) if I blog at all, so in the event that I'm not back for a while, I thought I'd ask my readers to de-lurk (there are many of you out there) and tell me where y'all hail from.

I think the last time I asked this question was a couple of years ago, when TTG and I went to Florida for our hols, and I'm aware that my readership has shifted somewhat since then.

So, don't be shy, come out and tell me where you call home.

Oh, and don't worry if your city or town has been mentioned already, I still want to know!

Do You Want To Read A Book That Gives The POV Of The Villain?

2007-09-19T17:07:00.000+01:00

Someone's book got rejected by Samhain and she wasn't pleased about it. And I mean, REALLY not pleased about it. *g*

Apparently an editor at Samhain rejected Edita A Petrick's suspense story because it began with the villain's point of view.

Petrick writes:

"I've submitted to them one of my suspense thrillers with romantic/paranormal elements and it does open up in killer's pov since it's essential to the story and for the reader to understand where the paranormal thread/element comes from.

The premise is quite simple. The killer assassinates his 'mark' but because of paranormal elements (an ancient heirloom locket the victim wears) the victim survives what for all intents and purposes is a sure-kill.

Samhain, however, feels that it is very bad to start in killer's pov or to show glimpses of what drives the killer throughout the story. This was number one 'flaw' of the story's presentation according to the editor.

Number two was that there were more than one point-of-view presentation. Basically, the editor said it's not possible for the reader to follow 'threads' of the story as these are far apart by definition of what the story is but they come together as the events impact on them and force them to come together (as they must) for the story to have a resolution."

As a reader, I really don't have a problem with starting a book from the villain's point of view. It's all in the execution, as far as I'm concerned. Does the author give away key clues as to the identity of the villain? Does she give away who the next victim will be? Does she actually give away the whys and wherefores of the villains actions? If not, what's the problem? And even if she did, there are ways to keep the reader still glued to the book. Yes, to me, execution is definitely key.

Now it could be that the book actually sucked donkeys, and the POVs were just one aspect of the story that didn't work for the editor, but as far as rejecting the book just because she doesn't think multiple POVs work, well.... you gotta question the editor, seeing as many best selling authors use multiple POVs, including that of the villain.

So, waddaya think? Do you prefer POVs to be restricted to the good guys, or do you want to know what the bad guys are thinking too?

If you do want to know what the bad guys are thinking, do you think it's appropriate to start a book with the villain's point of view?

Also, what do you think of multiple POVs and authors who head-hop, in general? For? Against? Couldn't give a flying fuck?

Via The Great Scott's blog.

By the way, did Charlotte Boyett Compo of the 'Wind' books, and Samhain have a falling out of sorts?

I almost got whiplash when I read that comment from CBC. Just call me Curious George...

Anthologies... Waddaya Think Of Them?

2007-09-18T20:12:00.000+01:00

I used to buy anthologies quite often, always with the hope of discovering a super-duper new author. So what if I had to pay more money for them? I wasn't just getting one author, I was getting three or four authors, so the price leap was totally justifiable...right?

Well... it depends. It depends on the authors, and it depends on the stories. I started resenting the fact that I only ever got one half-decent story out of the three, or four. What's that about?

Now, I rarely ever buy them, unless one of the authors is an auto-buy, and even then, I'm still a bit reluctant to shell out the money.

The only anths I buy these days with any kind of regularity (also known as, once a year) are the Kensington Brava anths. I still resent the £9.99 ($20) that I have to pay for them though.

So, what do you think of anths? Do you buy, or like me, do you generally avoid them like the plague?

Also, what do you think of the prices? Value for money, or not?

Also, does anybody out there know how well they sell, in comparison to single-authored books?