Thanks to Bitchery reader Lisa, who sent me a link to her site where she reposted an announcement that all proceeds in perpetuity for the sale of All Through The Night, her new Troubleshooters book, will be donated to MassEquality, which is fighting to preserve equal marriage rights in Massachusetts. According to MassEquality, her gift has already surpassed $250,000.
Says Brockmann,
I fervently hope by the time you read this that my son’s right to marry will have been preserved.
But if not, then I have this to say to the people who are rapidly becoming a minority themselves, people who don’t think that gay Americans should have the same rights as the rest of us--
What part of love don’t you understand?
To everyone else, to all the friends of Jules--past, present and future--thank you for believing, and for helping to change the world.
Word up to Suzanne Brockmann.
Updated to add:
I just found out that Ms. Brockmann is signing books in NJ today, but I’d never get to the store in time. But! Harvey, the nice owner of The Clinton Book Shop is going to grab five copies for me and ask Awesome Brockmann to sign them. SO! Five copies will go to Bitchery readers, and royalties will go to MassEquality, and I’ll eventually trek out to Clinton to tell Harvey how awesome he is.
Hmm. Now. How to giveaway those five books. Ideas?
I’m going to try like hell to get to the book signing on Monday night. Just so I can bask in her awesomeness. I am not a stalker. I swear.
How to give away the books: Sheer begging????? Please???
Creative begging. That’s an idea. Hmmmm.
Creative begging never hurt anybody. :) I can’t wait to read it. The last book was really good & Jules is still my favorite Brockmann character. He’s just so....real. :D
Creative begging is a good one! What about people’s stories relating to the issue? Those who want to share them, that is. Or maybe something related to good m/m relationships in other romances (either the main characters or secondaries)?
I have to pinch the pennies, so I’ll be waiting for the paperback, but I am so full of teh awesome for Brockmann right now!
I have to chime in. Word up Brockman!
I wish I had known about the signing earlier. I didn’t have anything to do today. Darn. But I can beg with the best of them for a chance at her new book. O-O-O-Pick me! Pick me! Pretty please with a cherry, hot fudge, and some whipped cream on top?
I do love her books though and Jules is a great character. I haven’t read his story in a while, but I remember him saying something like he deserved to walk in the sunlight. It stuck with me. We all deserve sunlight.
Way to go, Brockman. I’ve never read her before, but ATtN sounds like an excellent place to start.
Hot Target is the book where Robin and Jules meet. It’s also where “I deserve to walk in the sunlight” comes from. I haven’t read All Through the Night yet, but I’d suggest reading Hot Target first. Cosmo and Jane are pretty good, but it’s Jules and Robin who make that book for me. I’m so glad she was able to write their story.
married63- right on!
Big ups to Awesome Brockmann! What she is doing is beautiful.
And for the sign copied, how about auctioning them off? The bitchery can bid on the books with all proceeds going to MassEquality? We could raise even more money for a worth cause AND get an awesome love story too. Warm fuzzies all around.
Word of warning (kind of) - if you don’t know Jules and Robin’s story, don’t start with ATTN - it’s very, very sweet, could make your teeth hurt. I loved it, but I know the backstory. Definitely read Hot Target and Force of Nature, first so you know the characters.
Never read her stuff, but I’m damned sure going to now. Sounds like a hella woman. “What part of love don’t you understand?” indeed.
What kathie said regarding the reading order--for Jules/Robin, start with Hot Target, then Force of Nature, then All Through the Night. While I believe ATtN is a solid “stand alone” read, as are the other titles, I fell in love with these characters much earlier in the series.
And I’m with Marci on the auctioning of the signed copies--excellent idea!
Wry Hag, I not only love, love, LOVE, Suzanne Brockmann’s writing. I admire the hell out of this woman. Here’s an excerpt from her September 17th newsletter, explaining her decision:
(You can read the whole thing here http://www.suzannebrockmann.com/news.htm --scroll all the way down)Why I’ve donated every penny of my earnings from ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT to MassEquality’s Education fund…
Okay, this is a biggie. It’s not every day that you wake up and say, gee I think I’ll give my entire earnings from a book to an organization dedicated to preserving equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.
But it’s really very easy to explain: I have a son. I love my son. I believe my son should have the same civil rights as everyone else’s sons and daughters.
It’s really as simple as that. My son happens to be gay. He was born that way and he is a joy and a gift from God, not just to me, but to everyone whose lives he’s touched.
Agreeing about reading Hot Target, then Force of Nature, then ATTN. Hot Target is where they meet and FON is where their romance really happens.
But I HIGHLY recommend all of her books in the SEALS/Troubleshooters series. My two favorite are OUT OF CONTROL and OVER THE EDGE.
Here’s an idea. Random drawing of names. How to get into the drawing? Write a letter or email to your Senator or Representative or the Prez in support of equal marriage rights, and cc the Bitches. One entry for every letter sent. Give it a week, then draw winners.
I pre-ordered the book, devoured it, loved it. But then, as Kathie suggests one should do, I’ve read all the relevant novels, so I know the backstory like the back of my hand. And it’s all good, and all hot. Jules is stable, sweet, a take-action, kick-ass man—and Robin is his perfect counterpart, just a bit broken, but smart and funny, handsome, loyal...and...suffice to say, I squee this series, like crazy. Ms. Brockmann’s books are my comfort food, right up there with Frank Miller, Borges, etc.
Hmmm! A charitable auction. Now that is an idea… Must ponder the details of that one. I like the letter to your congress person, too. Thanks y’all. I will come up with something with your help.
SB Sarah - If you’re going to go with the write a letter thing, I suggest the letters go to state representatives, senators, and governors. That would be much more effective since marriage is legislated at the state level in this country.
Just agreeing with everyone else - I enjoyed ATTN, but it’s an end-of-the-story-arc novella, complete with characters visiting from past books, and ex-heroines showing up pregnant, so while it’s fun, it’s not a great place to start reading. Robin and Jules meet in Hot Target, and their romance is in Force of Nature - it’s worth reading the whole story arc.
Loved the actual physical book - I wish all hardbacks were that size.
On the letter writing thing: It’s a great idea to encourage people to do this but please remember that not all of your readers are in the US or US citizens *raising hand timidly* which would automatically disqualify them.
I just wanted to chime in with “Brava, Ms. Brockmann!”
Not necessarily, azteclady. Write your own government, unless it’s already an issue that’s been settled there. How many countries allow gay marriage, does anyone know?
We have gay marriage in the UK. Go us! At least, we call it civil partnerships but it’s effectively the same thing, and people treat their civil partnership ceremonies like weddings.
But that’s okay. I have an Amazon shop coming up, so I’ll just buy myself some Brockmanns. :-)
How to give away books? Well you could offer them in a competition for how to get equality for same sex marriages.
Alternatively you could jsut give me one lol.
I’ve been wanting to read those books anyway, as soon as my TBR mountain is a little more manageable. Just had another good reason to do so…
I’ve just been trawling through the Inland Revenue website trying to work out what I need to do about UK tax (I have to file a US *and* a UK tax return for the next few years, lucky me...). And not only have they converted all the forms to say “spouse or civil partner”, but some of the worked examples they give in the guidance notes use civil partnerships. There’s one about how to work out the old age allowance which never spells it out, but implies that the two men have been together a long time before finally being able to make it legal in 2005.
Canada has equal marriage rights. In fact, I went to a gay Christian wedding yesterday. The universe did not in fact crumble.
And I would hate to be disqualified from winning a book just because my country makes sense for once.
I haven’t read the last couple of Brockmann’s books. I’m going to go buy this one tomorrow. Heck, I might buy two.
Charlene raises a good point. I can’t discriminate because other countries have the good sense that the US currently lacks.
Hmmm.
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To be able to freeze/unfreeze time as I wished.
Deadline looming: *freeze time* *get work together* *unfreeze time*
Need an hour of me-time: *freeze time* *drinks pretty drink* *unfreeze time*
Sure, it doesn’t make…
I’d either wish for the ability to make any amount of sleep feel like a full night’s worth, or the ability to make any cheap product taste/feel/look as good as an expensive one.
I’d have a spell that would stop my oldest two sons from arguing over everything-- I could just snap my fingers and they would forget whatever it was the other one had done to annoy them.
I would want a spell that would enable me to automatically find whatever I was looking for/needed. (I spend so much time hunting for my shoes/purse/stockings without a run in them/that thingie that I need...with the stuff.../etc.) There’s a year…
Oohh. I do like the idea of being able to have a different wish for a different day. That would be so nice.
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11.03.07 at 10:08 AM |