I’m finding this all very interesting in spite of the fact that I haven’t wanted Westerns in the past and even a WTF factor doesn’t up the appeal for me.I think at least part of it is that I had…
February 22, 2012 | Wednesday at 1:29 pm | 10 Comments
If you are reading this in a RSS reader, this entry is for you.
Feedburner has stopped updating entries automatically, and the only way it refreshes the feed is for me to go and do so manually. Most mornings I can do that, which is why you might notice entries that went live around midnight appearing around 8-9am Eastern time. Sometimes I can't, which is why you'll notice that sometimes four or five entries appear at once - and you've missed something, for which I apologize a LOT.
February 22, 2012 | Wednesday at 12:33 am | 65 Comments
Last week, Jane sent me some Longarm, by which I mean she attached about six different Longarm covers to an email message and I barely remained upright. These were so bizarre, I asked her to snark them with me. But first, Jane answers the burning question, HOW DID YOU FIND THESE?
Jane: I was searching Berkley published books in an effort to find some deals. I came across these. I think that there are several hundred of them published.
Sarah: Yup. After doing some research, I found this Wikipedia entry which states that there is one Longarm novel published nearly every month. There are nearly 400 in the series - in fact, #400, Longarm and the 400 Blows comes out (snerk) February 28. The series is distinguished "from classical westerns by the inclusion of more explicit sex and violence." So one per month, with more sex and violence. Yeah. I am going to start Longarming people who sniff at romance.
Sarah: Setting aside the Best Perm Ever, he's chasing his perpetrator through the back door while somehow hiding beneath another woman's skirt. WOW. HOW IS THIS…
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February 21, 2012 | Tuesday at 12:59 am | 34 Comments
Melissa wrote to me about a specific type of romance relationship - the parental one:
I'm recently on a kick reading and writing books in which the hero and heroine have healthy, functional relationships with their living parents, but that sort of book is so hard to find in romance! Carrie Ann Ryan recommended Lauren Dane's Chase Brothers series to me, but I haven't gotten any other recommendations from my Facebook or Twitter queries. Perhaps a good topic for GS vs. STA or one of your fabulous editorials? Thanks for considering!
Yes, indeed! Parental relationships are so often the foundation of character drama, and there's no shortage of bad parenting in romance character land. Yet I love books where the relationships that the characters have with their parents or their parental figures shows their emotional maturity, and gives me more characters to like. I also really, really enjoy that the diversity of what makes up a family when it comes to raising children is portrayed more often now. Aunts, grandparents, cousins, unrelated adults, and foster parents have made appearances in romances.
February 20, 2012 | Monday at 12:59 am | 30 Comments
The sessions I scheduled for myself at Tools of Change focused on libraries, readers, and data, particularly data about readers. I still get the sense that many of the biggest publishers are still shifting in their recognition of the reader (all of us contentious folks who don't agree with each other but want to be heard) as their main customer base. So I wanted to hear the data from Bowker about readership and how folks are reading, and I was determined to go to the session from Goodreads CEO and Founder Otis Chandler.
Unfortunately, there were sessions that were misleadingly titled, which meant that in my perspective they pretended to be about something they were clearly not. The two panels I attended Tuesday morning were titled in a manner that made me think I was going to receive data about the topics explored, but instead heard product promotion, to which I say, "Feh."
February 19, 2012 | Sunday at 12:21 am | 7 Comments
Look! Books on sale (including EIKAL - thank you, thank you, and thank you again!) and books with good reviews and awesomeness for your reading pleasure.
Everything I Know About Love, I Learned from Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | ARE
February 18, 2012 | Saturday at 4:50 am | 115 Comments
I know Sheri was reading Evanovich's Plum series from the beginning last month (sorry I goofed on your name originally, Sheri, my apologies), as was Alina, and Booklight said Amanda Quick's backlist was on the reading schedule - how are you enjoying them?
This week I've tried to read two self-published works, one full length and one short story, and had problems with both. But this weekend I'm spending about 10 hours in the car, and it's audio book time for me, which I'm looking forward to more than I expected. I am curious to see if I recall the story enough to review it when I'm done listening.
So what are you reading this week? Are you embarking on a massive backlist read-a-thon? What books are you loving right now?
February 16, 2012 | Thursday at 12:42 pm | 18 Comments
I have mixed reactions to Tools of Change 2012. One one hand, I attended several sessions that were flush with the data, the graphs, the charts, the multiple interpretations of the data, and the exploration of who exactly is reading books, what they're reading, and how and on what they're reading. There were sessions I followed via Twitter that I wish I could have gone to, about reading platforms and new ways to sell or promote books. And, alas, there were sessions that were thinly-veiled promotional opportunities.
This could easily be a huge entry, but I'm going to break it up into parts for easier consumption.
First, the things that blew my mind - keynotes and videos.
This keynote address from Barbara Genco about the survey of library patrons for the Library Journal and Bowker was amazing. That keynote could have been the length of a feature film and I'd have brought popcorn and watched the whole thing. The data behind the "power patron" describes many of us romance readers, I think:
February 15, 2012 | Wednesday at 12:07 am | 9 Comments
Late last year at Posner's book signing for EIKAL, I learned about SuperAmit's battle to find a bone marrow match after he was diagnosed with acute leukemia. Through social media, he found a donor, but the facts I learned about the bone marrow registry and the lack of donor matches for minorities was eye-opening.
You might have seen the Maccabeats' video for Hanukkah (I featured it here as a Friday video) also sought to raise awareness for the bone marrow registry and the need for more matches to help save the lives of people who have leukemia.
Over the winter, I decided to do something to raise awareness in the romance community, and I reached out to Romantic Times, who were totally awesome and very excited - and they've partnered with DKMS for this year's conference.
My idea was to host a bingo game during Romantic Times - Boner Donor Bingo, in fact. And this is where I would like to ask for help!
February 14, 2012 | Tuesday at 3:13 pm | 15 Comments
First: I'm the guest at the BN Nook blog today, talking about Everything I Know About Love, I Learned from Romance Novels , and the lessons for happily ever after we've found in romance novels. Yay! Thanks for having me, folks.
Meanwhile, the Oxford Dictionary has found some obsolete terms of endearment, which I am going to put into regular use. Thank you to Ruth for the link.
And finally, AbeBooks has a feisty entry about embracing romance proudly - complete with old skool Harlequin trend analysis and recreation. My favorite part:
In fact, I challenge you, lovers of love, readers of romance, devourers of devotion – to take back the romance novel. Stand proud in line at the bank, paperback clutched in hand. Read boldly on the bus, not caring who sees. Make waiting rooms your reading rooms, with no apologies. After all, what better to do with romance…than embrace it?
Oops- forgot a handful of deals on ebooks today:
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
February 14, 2012 | Tuesday at 12:27 am | 204 Comments
It's Valentine's Day! There's red and chocolate everywhere, and there will be a lot of dining out and champagne and general fuzziness. Oh - and some media attention toward the romance novel since it's an annual thing, asking romance authors what the best date nights are and how to woo the unwilling maiden after you've taken over her father's business in an act of cold blooded corporate revenge.
I figure, let's give gifts! I am giving away two $50 gift cards to the bookstore of the winner's choice! All you have to do: tell me which romance novel you think would make a great gift, and for whom. Maybe it's the book that has the most wide and giddy appeal to the most readers you know. Maybe it's the book you think is one of the best kept secrets of romance publishing. Maybe it's just your favorite for a whole pile of reasons. Either way: name the book you think would make a marvelous gift in the comments, and you might receive the gift card that will enable the purchase of much of the…
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February 13, 2012 | Monday at 12:26 pm | 1 Comments
Tuesday, February 14, at 9:00am Eastern Time, Tools of Change in Publishing begins. I'm there along with a few thousand other people - and I'm really looking forward to the keynotes, including one by LeVar Burton. Burton's keynote begins at about 9:05 (and really, these things are never exactly on schedule).
February 12, 2012 | Sunday at 12:38 am | 6 Comments
Time for this week's Top Ten, which has caused me to grin like a grinning fool. Thanks to everyone who purchased EIKAL, and thanks to Sourcebooks for putting it on sale.
Everything I Know about Love I Learned from Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | ARE
Her Husband's Harlot (Mayhem in Mayfair #1) by Grace Callaway | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo |
February 10, 2012 | Friday at 9:06 pm | 16 Comments
First, if you have a Kindle with Special Offers, there's a special offer to redeem that gets you a coupon code. The code allows you to pick one book from a selection of 100 romances and buy it for $1. WOO!
If you have a Kindle and would like to enable special offers to try to grab this coupon code, you can change the settings on your Kindle account and subscribe to special offers.
Melissa wrote to me about a specific type of romance relationship - the parental one:
I know 
It's Valentine's Day! There's red and chocolate everywhere, and there will be a lot of dining out and champagne and general fuzziness. Oh - and some media attention toward the romance novel since it's an annual thing, asking romance authors what the best date nights are and how to woo the unwilling maiden after you've taken over her father's business in an act of cold blooded corporate revenge. 
Time for this week's Top Ten, which has caused me to grin like a grinning fool. Thanks to everyone who purchased EIKAL, and thanks to Sourcebooks for putting it on sale.