Laurell K. Hamilton Thinks She Pioneered the Vampire Genre

Vampire fans rejoice! Entertainment Weekly's latest cover story is all about vampires!

EW posted part of the article on their web site. Stephenie Meyer and Anne Rice were both interviewed of course. Laurell K. Hamilton was also interviewed and look what she said about the Twilight phenomenon:

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“Stephenie Meyer has come and she’s taken the genre that I sort of pioneered."

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WTF?!?!

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"Her original audience was 11- and 12-year-olds, so she – very rightly – sanitized the genre. She took out a lot of the sex and violence, especially for the first book…I ask people, Why has this really captured you? What I heard from all ages is that it was very romantic that he was willing to wait for her and that there was no sex. They like the idea that [Bella] was like the fairy princess and [Edward] is the handsome prince that rides in and saves her. The fact that women are so attracted to that idea – that they want to wait for Prince Charming rather than taking control of their own life – I find that frightening.”

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Okay, LKH go on believing you pioneered the vampire genre. Can we say, tone down the ego? Where would you be if not for Mary Shelley, Bram Stroker, Anne Rice, Charles De Lint, Stephen King and Poppy Brite?

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Also why is it such a bad thing for women to wait for Prince Charming? By waiting for Prince Charming a woman is taking control of her life and not ending up with some loser or having to settle. Why can't a woman have her Prince Charming and take control of her life at the same time. If you think of it, Bella did just that. Some may not think Bella being with Edward is the best, but Bella made her own decision with Edward. Even when Edward pushed her away, she still made the decision to be with him. She felt that was right for her. And to those who read New Moon, Bella ends up saving Edward's life.

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What do you think about what LKH said? Any other authors I failed to mention that help "pioneer" the vampire genre?

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Seduce the Darkness Book Review *Gena Showalter*

Seduce the Darkness is book number four in Gena Showalter’s Alien Huntress series. I really have enjoyed almost everything Gena has ever written. Her books are like candy. They are filled with such wonderful goodness. You have to love a hero who basks in his greatness and wants everyone to know it. Devyn, the king of the Targons is such a hero who should disgust readers. He is proud that he can make any woman sleep with him. He is the ultimate horn dog, or a big man whore. But Gena has written him in such a way where he is just so cute. Even if he is a, “love em and leave em type of guy” you can’t help but want him to stay around. Part of his man whore ways are because of his sexual repression when he was a teenage. His father taught him that sex and his penis were dirty, dirty things. When Devyn’s father died, Devyn embraced sex as a form of therapy. So that is the perfect excuse for this hero to be the alien Wilt Chamberlain? Gena really makes a strong case why it was acceptable for Devyn to sleep around. But she makes sure this happens all before Devyn will meet the woman who will change his ways. And then the joy is watching Devyn fall hard for the one woman who denies him at every turn even though she would love nothing more to bask in all his whorish ways he has learned over the years.

It is present day New Chicago after the human-alien war. An eternally young Bride McKells walks the streets hungry. Bride is over eighty years old and trying to survive as a vampire. She only knows her name is Bride because of it being tattooed on the inside of her arm. She thinks she is the only vampire in the world and can barely keep it together because she is always hungry. She can ingest small amounts of blood, but if she takes too much, she vomits it up. She is starving and so very alone. Once she wasn’t alone and took care of a small shape-shifting child by the name of Aleaha Love. She and Bride were separated and Bride continues to search for her. She knows Aleaha by a distinct smell and as she is walking down the street, she thinks she smells Aleaha. She bumps into Devyn, who smells like Aleaha. Devyn is overjoyed because the horny guy that he is would love to take Bride to bed. She threatens him and orders that he takes her to Aleaha. Devyn laughs in her face and moves along even though Bride will be in his thoughts until he sees her again. Devyn does know Aleaha, but she is undercover for AIR, the Alien Investigation and Removal, as Macy Briggs. Devyn now wants Bride and will use the information he has about Aleaha and sexually blackmail Bride.

Devyn may think he can handle Bride, but he has another thing coming. Bride has been living by her wits a very long time. She can transform into smoke and blend in with her surroundings. She refuses to be Devyn’s plaything and does something really balsy. She steals an alien from AIR named Nolan who through intercourse or sharing of fluids can spread an incurable virus that can wipe out mankind. Bride places him in a cage in her apartment and sets new rules. When she sees Aleaha she will give back Nolan. Devyn is not amused. Not only is he frightened for Bride’s life because Nolan could kill her, but Devyn is starting to care for Bride. After a horrid first marriage that he was forced into with a woman who also though sex was an abomination, Devyn doesn’t want to care for any female. He only cares for what is between their legs. But when it comes to Bride he wants to protect and cherish her. Bride is very special indeed. Her blood helps Nolan refrain from trying to have sex (if he doesn’t have sex he weakens and will die). She is also coveted by a vampire called McKell who knew her parents. Bride was meant to be Mckell’s bride and wants her back. But Devyn won’t allow Bride to leave him. He still needs to quench his own desire for her. Plus, Devyn and Bride have a very special thing together, especially when he figures out that he is her mate because she can keep his blood down without being sick.

Seduce the Darkness is not too dark and angsty even with Devyn and Bride’s past. Devyn’s thoughts on what he wants to do to Bride are very naughty. He wants to punisher her through sex, but not the type that will hurt her or debase her. He wants her to scream and moan because of the countless orgasms he will make her have. Bride sure does need some relief because she acts as if everything is so doom and gloom. I totally get it that Bride has had a horrible life, but after awhile she got on my nerves. I really couldn’t see the big connection she and Devyn have where he would give up all other women just to be with her. And the way she constantly taunts Devyn one minute and then the next falls into his arms begging for the big “O” from him made me wish he would have continued to walk away from her without a second glance. I just did not like Bride and wished a better mate for Devyn.

Even though I didn’t like Bride, I found Seduce the Darkness to be enjoyable. I really did like the storyline and again Devyn was very cute. How could Gena write such an appealing hero but her heroine was so lacking? If you were to read Seduce the Darkness, it would be for Devyn and his crew at AIR. His friendship with Dallas, a messy, sexually charged AIR agent became one of my main focuses while reading. Dallas is that tortured character you can’t wait for when he has his own book.

Because I had issues with Bride, I had to knock down my grade. I had asked this question on twitter if you enjoy a book but don’t like one of the main characters, can you still give a book a good grade? If only I could get passed my bias with Bride then my grade would have been higher. (Pocket)

Final Grade: B-

Paying For the Write to Enter a Writing Contest

Triom Publishing and Emerging Writer Magazine is sponsoring a writing contest.

The Emerging Writer Awards honors the best undiscovered writers in the English language. The categories are vast from full manuscripts and short stories of any genre as well as poetry and stage and screenplays.

The deadline for entries is August 31st and the winners and finalists will be announced in November.

The Grand Prize winner from one of the Manuscript competitions will receive $2,000 and may be offered a publishing opportunity with Triom Publishing.

The Grand Prize winner of the Short Subject competition will receive $1,000.

Doesn't it sound like a great writing contest? The kicker is you must pay $40 per entry, per category.

I have never entered a writing contest where I had to pay an entrance fee and I am a bit wary in going ahead and entering. Is it worth paying the $40? I have seen multiple writing contests where you have to pay to enter, but something holds me back from doing so because I think it is a waste of money.

Am I being too cautious? To those who have entered writing contests where you had to pay, would you say go for it, or is it just a big scam?

Some KB Book Pimpage

The wanting never ends...

These are the YA novels I have desired. They are all from Bloomsbury USA:

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Breathless by Jessica Warman. Coming in September.

Synopsis: When Katie Kitrell is shipped off to boarding school by her distant father and overbearing mother, it doesn’t take her long to become part of the It Crowd. She’s smart, she’s cute, and she’s an Olympic-bound swimmer who has a first class ticket to any Ivy League school of her choice. But what her new friends, roommate, and boyfriend don’t know is that Katie is swimming away from her past, and from her schizophrenic older brother, Will, who won’t let her go. And when he does the unthinkable, it’s all Katie can do to keep her head above water.

Another great YA book getting some awesome buzz. Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines. Coming in October.
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Synopsis: Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules—and the GSA—can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him.

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This is from Harper Teen. Never Cry Wolf by Heather Davis. Coming in September.

Synopsis:

Okay, so maybe Shelby has made a few mistakes with boys lately (how was she supposed to know Wes had “borrowed” that Porsche?). But her step-mother totally overreacts when she catches Shelby in a post-curfew kiss with a hot senior. Suddenly Shelby’s summer plans are on the shelf, and she’s being packed off to brat camp. It’s good-bye, prom dress; hello, hiking boots.Things start looking up, though, when Shelby meets fellow camper (and son of a rock star) Austin Bridges, III. But soon she realizes there’s more to Austin than crush material—his family has a dark secret, and he wants Shelby’s help guarding it. Shelby knows that she really shouldn’t be getting tangled up with another bad boy…but who is she to turn her back on a guy in need, especially such a good looking one? One thing’s for sure, that pesky full moon is about to get her into trouble all over again.

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(I must give a shot out to Kmont and SciFiGuy for posting some of these lovely covers I have picked)

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*Back off Mho! No drooling. Why are you so frisky over seeing a few new covers? Eww... did you just shed on my pile of books in the corner?!?*
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Some hot love from Maya Banks. Sweet Seduction from Berkley Heat in October.
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Synopsis:

Salon owner Julie Stanford wanted Nathan Tucker ever since she gave him his first massage. Getting paid to feel every inch of his body, stripped, oiled, and spread out in front of her? Stuff dreams are made of. But the sexy lug was oblivious to the signals she was sending—until she finished off his final rub-down with something extra. In fact, the best extra he ever had. Unfortunately, he came around too late. Now Julie’s moving on… the woman was driving him crazy. She lit fire to his insides then ran like a scalded cat. And now she’s going to someone else to have all her fantasies fulfilled? Over his dead body… He’s more than willing to give her what she wants, and as soon as he pins the little minx down, he’d show her his own brand of sweet seduction.

Much love for Kathryn Smith for coming out with a new straight up historical romance! When Seducing a Duke, coming from Avon in October. And it looks like a Victorian romance! *Be still my beating heart.*

Synopsis: The Duke of Ryeton went to Saint's Row for a night of anonymous pleasure. Rose Danvers went to Saint's Row for a night of forbidden seduction It was a night that would begin the scandal of the Season.

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And don't forget about Kathryn's paranormal. Darkside of Dawn (Book 2 in the Nightmare Chronicles). Coming from Avon in November. Another nice lickable tattoo cover in a very interesting place. Hope he doesn't go on a fast food binge and gain some weight. O_O Tattoo man titty covers seem to be the trend now.

Blood of the Demon By Diana Rowland. Coming from Random House in February 2010.

Darker Than the Night by Kim Lennox. Coming from Signet Eclipse in April 2010. Nice sword, don't you think?

We like?

The Crisis of Faith

I am not one to go into a great discussion on religion because everyone has their own set of beliefs. But something so disturbing happened a few weeks ago to someone very close to me. It has really hit me hard and I don’t know how to handle it.

I was born and raised Catholic. I went to Catholic school from Kindergarten to a Senior in high school. I used to go to church every Sunday. I believe there is a God or some sort of higher power. I also believe that after I die there is a place we all go to. It could be heaven, hell or purgatory. I also believe in reincarnation, which is a way to atone for your sins that you may have had in a past life. The goal is to reach nirvana, to be one with everything. I truly believe when I die, I will meet all my relatives who have passed before me and will know all the answers to everything about life and why things happened to me the way they did.

I have this funny dream where the angel Gabriel meets me at the pearly white gates and says, “Welcome home, happy hour starts now. Everyone is waiting to see you. Also, the library is over here where you have access to every book ever written.” When I was younger I thought heaven would be a place where you can have all the ice cream you wanted. Hell was where you burned because you had done something so horrible, unforgiveable while you lived and you were meant to suffer for all eternity.

Someone very close to me, who was very religious and believed the same beliefs that I did now believes there is no God, no Jesus Christ, no Holy Spirit. This person has gone to mass every Sunday, prayed everyday and lived her life according to her Catholic beliefs she was raised on. She has now turned her back on her religion.

I noticed a few weeks ago she had stopped going to Sunday mass. When I asked her about it she said, “I no longer believe there is a God. He has never answered my prayers and because of that I have turned my back on him and everything I believe in.” Her final straw was the situation that happened to me at my job and other personal issues she is trying to come to grips with. I feel I am to blame for this all.

She is having a major crisis of faith and I am beyond shocked. It saddens me to think that someone so close to me no longer believes there is something after all of this or someone or something looking over us. The thought that you just die and become worm food is too depressing to even comprehend.

I really don’t know why things happen the way we do, why people become so ill or Mother Nature lashes out. I was taught that God has given humans free will, so anything a person does is on their conscience. I have more questions than answers, but I do believe everything happens for a reason.

But now I don’t know what to do. What do you do when someone believes that their life has no meaning that all they thought was right was so wrong? I am hurting because this person is hurting.

To those who may have had their own crisis of faith, how did you get passed it? And if you didn’t how do you feel? What if there is nothing after this life on Earth? What is the point of living a right and moral life if there is no consequences to your actions?

I have to believe that there is something worth looking forward to after we pass on. My greatest joy is finally meeting my grandfather (my mother's father) who died before I was born. I do feel the he is my guardian angel, watching over me and giving my protection and guidence when I need it. If I start to believe that everything I was taught about God and the religion is a joke, I will definitely be in that black hole forever and will never make my way out.

For the Zombie Fans Out There

This picture has set the mood while I am watching the much praised zombie movie from Spain called REC.

Who said zombies can't be cute? Thanks to Lorelie Long for this one.

Goddess of the Hunt Book Review *Tessa Dare*

Delightful, sweet and sexy are only a few words that come to mind when I finished reading Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare. This is Tessa’s first book and I applaud her for writing a lovely historical romance with the witty dialogue and lush descriptions of the setting and the character’s thoughts. I am not a big fan of long descriptive paragraphs, but with Goddess of the Hunt, all my senses were engaged. I wanted this book to go on and on because it was that good. Tessa Dare may possibly be my favorite debut author for 2009.

Goddess of the Hunt has one of the best openings I have read in awhile. A young man wakes up in the middle of the night because of a knock at his bedroom door. Thinking it is an emergency he opens it and is kissed by a female. The female is Lucy Waltham. Jeremy Trescott, the Earl of Kendall has known Lucy forever because he is friends with the family. He has been invited to stay at Waltham Manor for an annual sporting holiday. Jeremy is befuddled not only because he has been accosted in the middle of the night, but Lucy can’t kiss for anything. The reason Lucy is kissing Jeremy is because she needs practice. She wants to seduce Toby, another lord staying at the Manor who is friends with Jeremy and Lucy’s older brother Henry. Toby is practically engaged to a Miss Sophia Hathaway. Lucy has always had a crush on Toby and wants to stop the engagement. She thinks is she can seduce Toby, he will jilt Miss Hathaway and marry her instead.

Jeremy finds Lucy to be a silly, immature girl. She has no sense of decorum and does whatever she wants. This belief is in part because he feels like an older brother to her. Jeremy doesn’t want Lucy’s heart to get broken, but she is such a headstrong girl. Lucy can’t help but tease Jeremy and he gives Lucy a kiss that will change the dynamics of their relationship.

Lucy is very set on the course she has in order to gain Toby’s affections. But since Toby also has known her as Jeremy has, she has to change the way she does things. She will try to be a bit more like Miss Hathaway so Toby can love the new Lucy. Jeremy can see what she is doing and for some reason he doesn’t like Lucy to pretend to be someone she’s not. His opinion of Lucy begins to change. Gone is the gangly hoyden and thorn in his side as he always thought her to be. Now Lucy has become an enigma to him. All he wants to do is kiss her and touch her even though she believes she is in love with another man. Jeremy is now on a mission to make Lucy see that Toby will never be hers and he will use his own seductive techniques to change her mind. Lucy will not be convinced with words, so Jeremy will have to use his mouth in other ways to make Lucy see reason.

Jeremy’s talented ways with his hands and mouth confuse Lucy. She enjoys these intimacies but she is so set on Toby. Things between Jeremy and Lucy are building to the point where Jeremy has no choice but to claim Lucy through marriage. They both thinkthis is a big mistake, but Lucy is the one who will try to make it work between them. Unfortunately something from Jeremy’s past makes him place up a wall between them. Jeremy should know that Lucy will not allow Jeremy to walk all over her and become cold to the point where she will reject him. First she was on the hunt for another man but now that she has Jeremy she will do whatever she can to make him see she is worthy of his love and he can trust her with his heart and all those imperfections he feels about himself that he keeps bottled up inside.

Goddess of the Hunt is a darling historical romance and quite the feat for Tessa Dare. She had me hooked from page one with the innocent Lucy practicing her kissing with Jeremy. I am more of a fan of the hero in the books I read, but with Goddess of the Hunt it was all about Lucy. She may seem innocent in her thinking but Lucy can be sly at times but in an endearing way. Everything she does is in good faith. She is not cruel or heartless. Lucy is someone you would love to have over for tea and call your friend. Jeremy is a bit tortured, but his issues didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment in the story. His and Lucy’s interactions are nice and steamy. Remember when Stephanie Laurens would write those smoldering loves scenes that had us aching for more? Tessa has done that here. I was aching for more.

Count me as a Tessa Dare fan. I will not be surprised in the least if she is up for a few RITAS at next year’s RWA Conference as well as becoming a best selling author. She is the beginning of a great roster of historical authors to come and one with great promise. (Ballantine)

Final Grade: A-

*Mho Fho thinks she is great also. His heart bursts with pride for Tessa Dare*

Cover for Nalini Singh's Archangel's Kiss

Nalini just posted her cover for the next book in her Guild Hunter Series. Archangel's Kiss will be released from Berkley in February 2010. This may be my favorite cover of hers yet.

Sweet Stable Virgin Love

This month from Harlequin Presents...

Saw this book at the Barnes and Noble in Union Square in NYC.

And Harlequin's titles keep getting stranger. What do you think the story is about? Insert your own here!

Destined For An Early Grave Book Review *Jeaniene Frost*

When I had finished At Grave’s End, the third book in Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series, I was on the fence whether I wanted to go ahead and read Destined For An Early Grave. If you read my review for At Grave’s End, you know I was less than pleased. I was upset with my reaction because Cat and Bones are one of my favorite literary duos from this decade. And to think that I could turn my back on them because one book in a series I loved failed to deliver. It may be silly and pathetic to some, but when you invest such emotionally into a series and turn you back in it because it no longer delivers the goods, it can be earth shattering.

I can say with much certainty that Destined For an Early Grave is Jeaniene’s way of basically sitting on top of me and say- “I won’t let you go without a fight!”. This book was a wild ride with a lot of action, drama and more snark then ever before. And the steamy, passionate love that Bones and Cat share that I found lacking in At Grave’s End? That has been pushed up a notch. Bones does love to use his fangs on Cat in so many ways. Destined For an Early Grave digs deeps into the psyche and emotions of Cat and Bones. This time they are not only tested by both outside sources, but also their inner turmoil. There is one such individual who wants Cat because he had her first before Bones. And then there are those doubts Cat still has when it comes to Bones. Cat may know how to kill the bad guys with great skill, but when it comes to Bones she shuts off. And because of these esteem issues she has, she is the one responsible for the possible destruction of her relationship with Bones.

Destined For an Early Grave begins with Cat and Bones going on a much needed vacation. Cat wants to go to Paris for no reason that she can think of. Bones is all for it because he wants to give his lady love and vampire wife the world. Off they go not expecting an adventure that may ruin their whole foundation of devotion and trust. Cat shares her heart and body with Bones but won’t allow him access into her mind and deepest thoughts. Bones feels hurt even though he knows the Cat has problems with letting others get too close to her. I really do wish these two would go through some marriage counseling. And they are going to need some major counseling after they finish with Gregor.

Gregor wants Cat. A few weeks before Cat and Bones met at the bar where Cat so eloquently asked Bones, if he wanted to fuck her, she was taken by Gregor to Paris. Gregor tried to gain the trust of the fragile sixteen year old Cat, seduce her and marry her because he knew what Cat would be capable of in the years to come. Cat doesn’t remember Gregor at all because Bones, grandsire Mencheres was able to erase Cat’s memories of her time with Gregor. Mencheres also knows how important Cat is because he can see the future. He made sure Cat and Bones met. Mencheres manipulated their relationship but let nature takes it course. Now Gregor is invading Cat’s dreams. Gregor is a dream snatcher and can grab people from their dreams. He is trying to take Cat away from Bones because he believes that Cat is his wife.

Cat knows her heart belongs to Bones, but she needs her memories back. Bones is scared and doesn’t want Cat anywhere near Gregor. What if Cat regains her memories and wants to be with Gregor instead? Both Cat and Bones are walking around egg shells with one another. Cat wants to confront Gregor and the issue head on. Bones wants to place Cat in a protective bubble and kill Gregor himself. And when Cat goes off and deals with Gregor even after Bones tells her not to, he is fed up. What happens after that will have you clutching the book and gasping because the thought of Bones and Cat not being together is horrible.

Not only does Destined For an Early Grave give the reader more insight on the vampire culture Jeaniene has created, but this is where she shows how important friends and family are. Bones and Cat’s support system is wonderful. There are many times that Bones and Cat annoyed me to the point I wanted to smack them because they are just too stubborn to listen to one another. But to circumvent this, there are a few other characters that have grown on me. They keep things in perspective and lighthearted. Jeaniene has written a great group of male figures. Bones will always be first in my eyes but now I am total fan girl of Spade, Ian and even Vlad. At first I felt Vlad was a bad rip off of the whole Dracula myth but Jeaniene really makes Vlad shine here. Menecheres is the voice of reason even though he is a manipulative bastard half the time. We also get a different side to Cat’s mother, Justina. She can be a harpy but something shocking happens that may change your mind about her.

The tension is very thick in Destined For An Early Grave but there are moments where the laughs come out. Jeaniene is a near genius at dialogue. The snarky one-liners are all over the place. I couldn’t stop chuckling and shaking my head at the same time because they are so good and will make you blush.

One example comes from Cat when a female patron at the Palais Garnier Opera House shows her appreciation for Bones a bit too much for Cat’s liking. Cat is on line at the bathroom and her bladder is about to explode, so she is not a happy camper to begin with. Cat’s response to the woman is priceless:

“He fucks even better than he looks,” I settled on saying. Several heads turned. I didn’t care, I was pissed. “And that beautiful face is going to be clamped between my legs as soon as we get ooome, don’t you worry.”

Not only are some pieces of the dialogue shocking in nature, but Jeaniene keeps thing lively with the vampire fighting and death. Some of the characters may not make it in the end and you will have no idea who will be alive at the end. Jeaniene does keep you guessing.

Destined For An Early Grave was a very enjoyable and fun read. Those who are fans of this series will be very happy with the results especially that of Cat and how she resolves her issues with her vampire heritage and her feelings for Bones. (Avon)

Final Grade: Between a B and B+

Is Justine Larbalestier's Cover of Liar Deceitful?

This is a rant...

When you look at the book cover above, what do you see? I see a girl with big beautiful eyes and a lot of hair. She has Asian features and I can’t help compare her to the vengeful ghost in the horror movie the Grudge who went around killing people who entered the haunted house where she was brutally killed. It’s all because of the blank stare and the hair on this cover, at least in my eyes.

What if I told you the main character of this book was a black girl with short hair? Now what would your reaction be? Would you be shocked, appalled or disgusted? Is this a case of “whitewashing” by the publisher?

The book in question is an October release from Bloomsbury Publishing called Liar.

I first saw this on Karen Scott’s blog and then read the Publisher’s Weekly article on the issue. Even the author, Justine Larbalestier talks about her discomfort over the cover Bloomsbury went with in a post called, “Ain’t That a Shame”

“I never wanted a girl’s face on the cover. Micah’s identity is unstable. She spends the book telling different version of herself. I wanted readers to be free to imagine her as they wanted. I have always imagined her looking quite a bit like Alana Beard, which is why I was a bit offended by the reviewer, who in an otherwise lovely review, described Micah as ugly. She’s not! The US Liar cover went through many different versions. An early one, which I loved, had the word Liar written in human hair. Sales & Marketing did not think it would sell. Bloomsbury has had a lot of success with photos of girls on their covers and that’s what they wanted. Although not all of the early girl face covers were white, none showed girls who looked remotely like Micah.

I strongly objected to all of them. I lost.”

Justine asks the question, “How welcome is a black teen going to feel in the YA section when all the covers are white? Why would she pick up Liar when it has a cover that so explicitly excludes her?”

When I picked up Liar at NYC Book Expo America a few months ago, Bloomsbury had a great booth with multiple YA titles to be released for the fall. Liar was one of them and I took a copy because I was hearing great buzz about the book. When I first looked at the cover my first thought was that this story must be about a young Asian teen who is a compulsive liar. And now that I know that Micah is a young black teen, I feel that I have been duped.

I am appalled and disgusted and as a white woman I take offense to the publisher, who has blatantly tricked the public into thinking Liar is about a white teen, when it is about black teen. To think that a group of people sat in a room and said, “We can’t put a black girl on the cover because it won’t sell. We must put a white girl on the cover. No one will know.”

Covers are very important when selling a book. The old phrase, “don’t choose a book by its cover” is not true. I know so many that will pick up a book based on the cover. When I decide on a book, a cover will stop me in my tracks and make me pick it up. But I will not buy a book based on the cover alone. I will also read the synopsis on the back. If the synopsis doesn’t interest me, I place it back on the shelf and move on. And there have been many books with wonderful covers, but the story inside didn’t interest me. This was the case of a recent book I read. The cover really drew me in and after reading the synopsis, I wanted to read it. It ended up being a less than great read.

Would a more diverse cover make me want to pick a book up? You better believe it. One such example was S.J. Day’s Eve of Darkness. The woman on that cover is not white because the heroine protagonist in the book is half-Caucasian, half-Japanese. What would have happened it Tor place a blonde hair, blue eyed Eve on their covers for the Marked series?

I have had issues with deceitful covers in the past. Avon is a repeat defender with their historicals and those that end up being paranormals. But you would never know from the cover or the synopsis they use. Lately, I have been getting sick of it.

It may be annoying if the female cover model has a different shade of hair color or body type than of the description of the heroine in the book. But to change the color of a character and place it on the cover, knowing the character in the book is the exact opposite than the one on the cover is despicable. Don’t you see the ramifications of this? People will lash out and will not buy the book. You, Bloosmbury lose money and the poor author who had no choice in the cover decision will be crucified.

Remember this- an author does not choose their cover. They can give input but the final decision comes down to the publisher. I would not boycott because in the end Justine will be the one to suffer. Bloomsbury Publishing is being ignorant and dare I say bigoted asshats?

It depresses me to think that certain people in the publishing industry believe that covers with different colors and races don’t sell. I think this also hits hard because by doing this with children books or YA novels, you are teaching future generations that it is perfectly acceptable for a shelf full of books to just show plain old white figures on the cover rather than having a different color individual, different features or looking different from the norm. What are we trying to teach children? That being different and looking different should be rejected?

There, I said it. Bloomsbury, you have failed in to many ways with this decision of whitewashing Liar. You are the liars.

How stupid do you think the reader is? And how can you really explain this?

Bloomsbury, what is your reason for this big cover fail?

The Embarrassment Factor While Reading

Have you ever read a book where you had such a reaction that embarrassed you? I’m not necessarily talking about the emotional response you may have. Jessica touches upon the emotional paradox a reader will experience over at Romancing the Blog I recommend you read. What I mean is, when you are reading a book that hits you so hard where your reactions shocks you to the point you wonder, why am I feeling this way? This could be where you burst into tears, laugh out loud where you are clutching your stomach because it hurts, or the tremble in fear because you think the monsters you are reading about are right outside your door waiting to kill you.

I have been there where I have embarrassed myself in both public and in private. There have been times when I am in the middle of a book, I will pump my fist in the air and yell outloud. I quickly look around to see if any one has noticed me and breathe a sigh of relief because I am alone in my bedroom. Sometimes the tears fall, which was the case of Meredith Duran’s Written on Your Skin. I was on the bus going into work and couldn’t stop the sniffles as the person next to me gave me a strange look. Or the time I read Blue Eyed Devil from Lisa Kleypas and stared off into space where no one could reach me because I was affected by Haven’s abuse, which channeled my own when I was younger. I have had many strange looks through the years and felt the embarrassment over the way I reacted. I couldn’t help blushing as I almost bent over in hysterics at my bus stop waiting for the bus because I was laughing so hard while reading Julie James’s Practice Makes Perfect or Julia Quinn’s What Happens in London.

I had the shakes as I read Paullina Simons’s The Bronze Horseman. One of my parents had to actually grab the book out of my hands because I was so lost in the world Simons’s created. I was shaking because I was so touched and in awe of the desperation and passion of that story. I have scared myself stupid reading Stephen King’s IT and The Stand. I truly thought that a virus would wipe out humanity on Earth after reading The Stand. Clowns scare the shit out of me after IT. When I read Carrie Ryan’s YA novel Forest of Hands and Teeth I was in my bedroom so very frightened because she made me believe that the zombie apocalypse was upon us. At one point, I put the book down and looked out my window to see if any undead corpses were walking down my street. Should I be embarrassed to react this way because this is a book written for teens? And don’t get me started on the time I read The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. She is the reason I believe in haunted houses and would never, ever in a million years stay overnight in one. Well, maybe if there were seven or eight figures involved on a check, then we can talk.

What about those books that cause you to lose all speech because you cannot explain why it is such an amazing read. Or those books that annoy you so much that your blood pressure rises. Has anyone ever thrown a book against the wall or into the garbage? I have been there. It was a sad day in my life when I pulled together all my Anita Blake books and placed them in a box and left them in front of my house for anyone to be welcomed to them because I was beyond upset the way Laurell K. Hamilton changed the direction of her series. Funny how a book can make you feel so happy, while another makes you want to break out the lighter and burn the puppy.

I pity those who don’t read or can’t understand why something such as a book and the author’s words can get a person so worked up. It seems perfectly fine if we have an embarrassing emotional response to a movie or television show. Raise your hand if you sobbed like a baby during the movie Titanic. I did and it was the second time I saw the movie.

The same goes for the various books I read. I laugh, rage and cry, sometimes in front of others, some times while no one is around. And you know what, I don’t mind because what is the point in reading a book where you feeling nothing? Reading makes me feel alive as I am taken on a journey along with the characters.

And as an author, if you can make me have a response that will embarrass me, I will definitely keep in reading hoping for more.

What is one book that you have read where you were so embarrassed by your emotional response?

New Moon Movie Clips from Comic Con

My inner tween is squealing.I give you two clips from New Moon shown at this year's Comic Con.

First one is a scene where Jacob and Bella ride their motorcycles. At 1:34 Jacob takes off his shirt. Those abs of his are not legal. He is not legal and I am a dirty old woman. I admit it.




Second clip is Bella saving Edward in Rome. Edward is also shirtless. Sorry, I rather look at Jacob.



Will New Moon be known as Eye Candy: The Twilight Saga?

Are we getting excited?

Enjoy!

Does Winning an Award Really Matter?

Do you know who Ron Charles is? Ron is the recipient of this year’s RWA Veritas award. The Veritas award is given to the one who writes an article that appears in print or another medium that best depicts the romance genre in a positive light. Ron is the Washington Post Book World, Fiction Editor and weekly critic. His post back in October 2008 called, “Heating Up The Stacks” was the reason he won the award.

The post is everything a supporter of the romance genre is looking for. Ron was amazed that he won the Veritas. This week he posted about his experience in, “Romance Novel Still Fighting for Respect” and how he was uncomfortable to receive the honor and not sure if he should include it on his resume. I found the tone of the article a bit sad because of his feeling over winning the Veritas and that he was surprised by the scent of frustration that hung in the air at the conference.

“Despite all their success, despite accounting for one out of every four books sold, despite weathering this devastating recession better than any other segment of the publishing industry, this is still a group in need of some serious self-esteem building.”

I am not sure what conference Ron attended, but at no time while I was there did I feel those I talked to were in need of some serious self-esteem building. I would say the total opposite occurred. I was surrounded by witty, happy, self assured people who were thrilled to be a part of this community. The amount of authors, readers and industry types there helped boost my self-esteem tenfold. I am still on this wonderful high.

Perhaps it is not a big surprised that Ron is uncomfortable. Here is a guy who just wanted to write a blog post about his daughter and friends reading a Harlequin romance. I guess you could say I was shocked that Ron, who I never heard of before Nationals, won this award. But why wouldn’t Ron be the perfect recipient for this award? Hello, he writes for the Washington Post that reaches probably tens of thousands of readers, and he is male! You are really saying something by giving a man an award at a romance conference.

Sorry if I sound bitter. I do applaud Ron for his post supporting the romance genre. Any positivity that can get out about this genre is something authors and readers of the genre alike are looking forward to. But I can’t help but wonder what about those others who are more worthy of the distinction. I can name a dozen or more people who deserve the Veritas because of all their hard work and the positive articles they have written about the romance genre. What about their sacrifice, the long hours, their success at trying to make the romance genre stand out? Why were they were not given the Vertias, but rather, a gentlemen with a great platform and possibly a ton of traffic was given it instead?

I think back to those great people who have never won awards. The one example I like to give is the famed Hollywood director Alfred Hitchcock. He is the greatest movie director of all time. Hitchcock changed the way movies were made and influenced generations of filmmakers. Do you know he was nominated for five Oscars but never won for Best Director? The only Oscar he won was the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. I keep this in mind because if the late great Hitch couldn’t get an award, then why should it matter if I ever receive one?

There are so many great people who don’t get the recognition they deserve. Once such woman I know who has sacrificed so much never was given any awards. This woman taught eighth grade Science at a private Catholic school with a starting salary of $8,000. She was there almost twenty years, put two daughters through college and left with nothing more than a thank you for teaching, it was a good ride. She taught hundreds of children the wonder of science and some of them even became teachers because of her. She was never given a Best Teacher of the Year Award or the recognition by her peers she so rightly deserved.

This woman is my mother.

I asked her one day after she retired from teaching if was she hurt that she was never given a big going away party or given praise after twenty years of hard work. She said no, it would have been nice, but because of one person who thanked her, all the rest didn’t matter. This was in regards to one of her first year students. One of her first female students was one of the worst she ever had the pleasure to teach. My mother was about to quit because of her. But mom stuck with it and gave a sigh of relief after the student from hell graduated. About fifteen years later, that student from hell came to see my mother. She said that she became a Science teacher because of my mother. My mother was also her favorite teacher ever.

See, no awards were handed, no plaques with gold with her name on it to hang on her wall. Instead, all the praise she was given was from one person who followed a certain path because of my mother’s influence.

When the Ritas were announced and some of my favorite authors and their books weren’t nominated, I was floored. How dare they not be nominated for this great honor? But then I sat back and thought it over. So what if they don’t hold that gold statue in their hands? Just knowing that one person has been influenced by their words and their imagination and creativity is all that matters. I am one of those many people that have been influenced.

Receiving an award or a gold statue is a wonderful thing, but having such a strong effect on one person’s life is really all that matters.

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To the authors who have given me great joy, you don't need a tangible award to know how important you are.

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To those who recommend these authors and this genre, and support them with your own written words of praise, whether it be on your own blog, website or in some other form of publication, pat yourself on the back and recognize yourself even if no one else will.

The Reasons One Writes Romance by Teresa Medeiros

Romance author Teresa Medeiros's post on Squawk Radio is so very perfect on why she writes romance and why she finds there is no longer a reason for her to defend the genre. As she said in her post could it be, the young woman in Portugal who was praying that Teresa's next book would come out before the cancer that was ravaging her body claimed her life? Or an incest survivor who read A Kiss To Remember helped her forgive her mother who she blamed for her father abusing her?

How about the very shy and socially akward girl who would lose herself in those books so she felt like she belonged and afterward no longer cared what those cruel people thought about her? *that was me*

Teresa's story about her parents love story brought tears to my eyes. Have a tissue ready, you are going to need one.

Written on Your Skin Book Review *Meredith Duran*

My expectations are very high when it comes to a Meredith Duran books. The romances she pens do not have a simple storyline where boy meets girl, they go on an adventures and their happily ever is pretty much a given. Written on Your Skin is a gut retching journey, not only for the two main characters but for the reader. I hardly ever cry while I read and I did with Written on Your Skin. *Shakes fist at Meredith*. Written on Your Skin is a beautiful, all encompassing experience. Meredith makes sure to bring forth every emotion. And those who wish to write their own historical romance, take note. Meredith Duran is becoming a master writer of this genre. Learn from her.

The year is 1880, the setting is Hong Kong, Tokyo. Phin Granville is working undercover as a British spy. He needs to take down a Mr. Gerard Collins who will soon be arrested for crimes against the British government. Phin hates this life. He doesn’t want to be a spy. It eats away at him where the stress gets to him so much that he has horrible headaches. But Phin doesn’t really have a plan or the desire to figure out what he wants in life. He does enjoy making maps, that’s for certain, and longs for the sweet release of his torments through smoking Opium. Phin is close to having a breakdown at any moment. But then Collins’ step-daughter waltzes into his life and the suffering he experiences will not compare to the run around Mina gives him. Mina is a young, brash American who flaunts herself in front of society and taunts Phin wherever he goes. When Phin first meets Mina he thinks of her as a featherbrain, a very fragile young woman who looks like a porcelain doll. Mina is full of energy and enjoys speaking what's on her mind. Mina wants Phin and even though Phin thinks he can handle Mina, he can’t. He treats her with disdain and near loathing, but underneath this façade, he wants her desperately. He hates feeling this way for a woman and can’t decide if he wants to wring her neck or screw her into oblivion.

It’s all about facades between these two. The world sees Phin one way. The same goes for Mina. Her step father beats her poor mother who is like a butterfly, fluttering against a window pane and trying to find a way to escape, but knows she can’t because she is stuck in the hell of her own making. Mina won’t be like her mother, even though she loves her dearly. Mina wants to break away and will help her mother also but running back to New York City and away from Collins. But there is a problem, and it is Phin. He is poisoned by one of Collins’ lackeys. Mina nurses him back to health and helps him get away. And because Mina does help, the horrors her mother has gone through will not compare to what Mina will endure under Collins’ hands.

Because Mina is a resourceful young woman she and her mother are able to make their way back to New York. Mina has started a very profitable hair tonic business. But Mina is now in London, four years later, searching for her missing mother. I am not sure why and how Mina’s mother is in England and again at the hands of Collins, but Mina must find her mother before she is hurt or found dead. Collins is not one you want to cross and he will take out his anger on Mina’s mama before Mina can save her. Mina is only one small woman after all. She may be resourceful but needs someone who is more skillful at the deceit and spy game. And that is Phin.

Phin never thought he would see Miss Masters again and does not want Mina in his life because she affects him in ways he cannot understand. Mina is very vulnerable even though she hides it so well. She is so good at putting on an act, one that even Phin misses at first. But he knows what game she is playing. Mina may drive him batty, but he sees her as a woman who cares for her mother and wants to save her from a horrible man before it is too late. Phin is now a rich Baron and has no choice but to help Mina. They will search across the English countryside looking for Mina’s missing mother. During this time they will come to learn and understand who each other really is and why they act the way they do towards one another. Their desire and lust will grow and grow until it can no longer be contained.

Written on Your Skin is one of the most wonderfully sophisticated books I have read this year. In the mood for a road romance? This is your book. What some hotter than hot sex scenes? The passion and heat between this duo is very intense. There is one scene where my mouth dropped because Phin is so very naughty when he expresses his desire to bed Mina. And when these two do the deed, the crude language Phin uses with Mina will shock, but in a good way. The sex between Phin and Mina is a very powerful thing because this is where they accept each other, faults and all. Phin is too pushy and acts cold and superior to Mina because the idea that she can break through his defenses he has built around himself scares him. Mina may act mature and worldly but she lashes out in ways that are very immature. It is a mechanism to protect herself. Meredith has also given Mina an adorable childhood addiction she can’t give up that equals to one sucking their thumb.

Written on Your Skin is an incredible feat of writing, one where you will read late into the night so you can soak up every detail on the page. Dark, poignant and all consuming, this book will have you awestruck because the words that Meredith Duran has written reaches deep into your soul. Written on Your Skin is one book that is a must read for 2009 and perhaps one of the best historicals of this decade. (Pocket)

Final Grade: A

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters?

Why do they keep messing around with great classic literature? How much farther will they go? For all that is sacred, NO MORE!!

*tries to calm down*

For those who are interested, coming from Quirk books in September:

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Synopsis:

From the publisher of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies comes a new tale of romance, heartbreak, and tentacled mayhem.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters expands the original text of the beloved Jane Austen novel with all-new scenes of giant lobsters, rampaging octopi, two-headed sea serpents, and other biological monstrosities. As our story opens, the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her romantic sister Marianne is courted by both the handsome Willoughby and the hideous man-monster Colonel Brandon. Can the Dashwood sisters triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love? Or will they fall prey to the tentacles that are forever snapping at their heels? This masterful portrait of Regency England blends Jane Austen’s biting social commentary with ultraviolent depictions of sea monsters biting. It’s survival of the fittest—and only the swiftest swimmers will find true love!

How much you want to bet this will be a best seller?

I can just see it now: Persuasion and Martians. Anne Elliot falls for the dashing Captain Frederick Wentworth who had to leave her to return to his home planet of Mars. Overcome with the desire to see Anne again he returns years later to stop the Saturians from invading regency England! It is up to Anne and Frederick to stop the Saturians from world domination! Anne will come to terms with her love for Frederick the Martian and wonder why he turned his back on her. Was it because she was poor and a spinster or because he had another love on Mars who had great fortune and beauty to recommend her?

What classic novels would you love to see get a paranoral make over?

Update: I just found the trailer from Quirk for Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Too funny.

Guest Review: Sea Fever by Virginia Kantra

Tracy of Tracy's Place reviews Sea Fever (Children of the Sea, Book 2) by Virginia Kantra

Regina Barone knows something is missing from her life. She spends her days working in her mother's restaurant on the Maine island of World's End and her nights caring for her young son. When the island's only eligible bachelor marries another, Regina realizes that the love she yearns for isn't just going to appear by magic. Or is it?

A denial of blood... Dylan Hunter has returned to World's End for his brother's wedding, but he is troubled by his human ties. Years ago, he chose his life as a selkie - an immortal being of the sea - over the fragile and treacherous emotions of humanity. The same emotions that destroyed his family and that will strike at his very heart...

A danger to both... Neither Regina nor Dylan can control their attraction to each other - or foresee its disastrous consequences. But their destiny has been foretold, and their fate will be decided in the stormy tides of water and fire, where only love can save them - and the world!

Dylan is a selkie. He’s a shape-shifting seal, more or less and has been sent to an island by his Prince to protect the off-spring of his brother Caleb, who just married a female selkie (there’s no baby yet, but there might be). There is a legend that states that a relative of Dylan’s mother could change their world. So Dylan heads to the island and attends his brother’s wedding (his brother is human) and to watch over Caleb and Margred.

Regina and her mother run a diner on the island of World’s End off the coast of Maine. She’s a single woman with an 8 year old son. There are no eligible bachelors in town except one and the story begins with Regina catering his wedding. Oh well, I guess all hope of finding a good man are shot. When she’s pretty much done with her duties for the night Regina heads out to the beach to drink a little champagne. She’s not alone though. A gorgeous man is there and what do ya know? He wants sex. Well ok then! Regina’s game so she lets Mystery Man carry her over to some rock (nice) and he starts giving her some explosive orgasms. When he finally enters her Regina realizes that he’s not wearing a condom and starts yelling at him to GET OUT! I shit you not she’s totally yelling at him to take it out of her! Now I know that she didn’t want another unplanned pregnancy but come on! Could you say it a little nicer? He just complies and shoots all over her back. Then he’s like whatever, human – like she’s pond scum. Not a sexy sex scene at all.

Regina ends up getting preggo anyway despite Dylan pulling out and she is being stalked by a demon that can jump from one person to the next so they never know who it is that’s evooooool. Dylan can’t seem to stay away from Regina especially now that he’s found out that he’s there to protect his own child, not Caleb’s…and she’s pretty much a bitch to him most of the time.

The first 58-68 pages of this book had me rolling my eyes. Regina’s a bitch, Dylan acts like an ass and Regina’s mom needs a good bitch-slapping (and she’s the mayor of the town!). At that point the only character I liked was Nick, Regina’s son, and he’s only 8 years old. After that the book did get better but it did have some WTF moments.

Example: Regina gets kidnapped and Dylan saves her. When he explains HOW he saved her, by turning into a giant seal, she just says “oh, it was you”. No shock, no “holy shit how is that possible”…just oh. I just found that completely unbelievable! Do mermen make it a habit of coming clean with you Regina? Cuz you took that pretty damned well.

As I said from that point on the book got much better. Dylan and Regina trying to deal with the pregnancy as well as trying to figure out who’s the evil person - then there’s little Nick who is trying to deal with his mom and acting out as kids that age sometimes do. To me, Regina’s mom never redeems herself but that’s ok she wasn’t an integral part of the resolution. I was left, however, with a feeling of the story being incomplete. Yes Dylan and Regina get their HEA but there are some answered questions. Like…just because you defeated this particular demon does that mean that you will be left alone and everything will be hunky dory? Isn’t the baby Regina’s carrying supposed to change the life and livelihood of the selkies in some fantastic way? Would the fire children (demons) really leave well enough alone just because they were thwarted once? IDK, but I would think not. Maybe I need to read the next book, although that’s a completely new set of characters so I’m not sure that would shed any light on the subject.

In the end I’d say this was a fair read. I didn’t read book one but didn’t feel that I had missed any information for that lack. I may need to read book 3 just to see if I get any questions answered about book 2. (Berkley)

Rating: 3 out of 5

2009 RWA Nationals: One Final Re-Cap

The bags Harlequin gave at the conference to hold all your books in:

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If you have noticed I was big on taking and posting pictures for the past few posts here. I mainly did this for my reporting on nationals because when you barely have time to sit down and breathe, writing a blog post is the last thing that you want to do. I am a very visual person and wanted to show those who couldn’t be there the sights and sounds of this year’s 2009 RWA conference. But now that I have had a chance to sit down and breathe, let me give you one last post, a re-cap of my experience.

I came home with over 30 books

The Workshops...

I went to a total of four workshops while I was there. There were so many more I wanted to go to but because there are so many happening at the same time, also during the publishers’ book signings, you have to pick and choose what you want to do. The one workshop I made a point to go to wasn't official. It was the Rogue Digital Workshop on Thursday morning that was sponsored, meaning they took money out of their own pockets to rent a room so this workshop could be possible. Those who sponsored the event were: Books on Board, Red Sage Publishing, Quartet Press, Samhain Publishing, and Smart Bitches, LLC.

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T-shirt Quartet Press gave away

The speakers did an incredible job and I learned so many things about epublishing that I didn't know. Scorched Sheets has a great post about the Rogue Digital Workshop that you should all check out. I would post my three pages of notes I took, but Scorched Sheets did a wonderful job in reporting all the facts.

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For those writers who are still unsure if epublishing is for them, I was once like you. I really thought NYC publishing houses were the only way to go. During the conference I made a point to ask a very popular and successful epublished author if they are making a good living publishing for various epublishers. This epub author goes on to tell me they were able to buy a brand new car, pay off all their loans for their education and they don’t have the need to have another job to support them. Writing is a business, remember that. Treat yourself as a business. Stop with the diva like attitude, sit down and get to work and write. That is enough proof right there.

I went to the Secrets of the Best-Selling Sisterhood workshop on Friday where Jayne Ann Krentz and Susan Elizabeth Philips talked about being best selling authors. They do this workshop each year and it has grown in reputation as the one workshop you should attend. Some highlights they talked about for those who want to be published:

-Protect your work. This is a very important thing. Use critique groups wisely. Decide who you are writing for. Your voice is one of the most important things you have. Find and identify your voice and roll with it. Don’t chase a voice that isn’t yours.
-Get over bad reviews. Don’t invest such strong emotions towards them. Remember, you don’t have to read reviews.
-Susan uses a digital timer when writing. She writes for three hours of interrupted time. The worst thing for a writer is distractions.
-Know you core story. Writers tend to get confused over this. Your core story is not the setting of your novel. It is the theme and the relationship between your hero and heroine.
-You must make your reader feel some sort of emotion when they read a scene. If they feel nothing that means it is flat.
-Romance is not the only genre that seems to have such a bias against it. Most popular fiction does.
-Have a problem with reaching a certain word count for your novel? *KB raises hand* Add a subplot!

The Luncheons...

There were two luncheons during the conference. Thursday was the one with Keynote Speaker Linda Howard. Her speech was beyond hilarious. She says she comes from a family of nuts. Her stories about her relatives had the whole room holding their stomachs because we were all laughing so hard. And so, since she comes from a family of nuts, and she can still have the time to write, so can you! She also mentioned about her husband owning cows.

The luncheon on Friday was where awards were given out and Eloisa James spoke. Her speech blew me away. There was not a dry eye in the room as she talked about how certain events in her life influence her writing. She talked about her now ten year old daughter being born premature, her husband who thought he was having a heart attack was just having a panic attack and her mother, who never really understand her writing romance, would read Eloisa’s work and they would talk about it. Eloisa’s mother passed away and died being so proud of her daughter. These stories brought tears to my eyes.

And she admits, she writes for the money!

The people...
Oh my. Were do I begin with this? I met so so many great people that made such an incredible impression on me from both authors to bloggers, to everyone in between.

-My roommate Amy was the first person I saw when I arrived after driving four hours where I ended up with my left arm being sunburned. She had non-stop smiles. She was an amazing roommate and a wonderful person to talk to.
-Seeing Jill Myles again and her friend and new upcoming author Kasey Mackenzie.
-Finally meeting Kati D. She looks hot in glasses. *rowl*
-Meeting Azteclady who wanted a picture with me.
-Volunteering at the literary signing and selling raffles and meeting some of my favorite authors. Finally meeting Charlotte, the Lusty Reader, who was the first person to take a picture with Mho Fho and not find it strange that I had him with me.
-Eating dinner with L.B. Gregg, Kati, Rosie and Amy where we enjoyed $3 margaritas.
-Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty’s P.J. party where Ann taunted me with Carolyn Jewel’s ARC of Indiscreet and putting it down her shirt. If only I were brave enough to go in after it. Seeing Kristie J, Megan Frampton, Anthea Lawson and Sarah Frantz there also.
-The surreal moment when I finally met Julie James and Colleen Gleason and we sat down with Kati, PJ and Gannon from RNTV and talked. And then Joanna Bourne joined us.
-Victoria Dahl and I taking some funny pictures for Twitter and chatting with Jeri Smith Ready about Kevin Smith movies.
-The dinner on Friday night where there were 22 of us. I had the pleasure to talk with Meredith Duran and Janine who reviews for Dear Author as well as meeting K.A. Mitchell and Samantha Kane. Cannot forget Wendy Super Librarian, Lorelie Long, Barbara from Happily Forever After and Kris Alice and her crew.
-Going back to the hotel bar lounge and talking for hours with everyone at dinner and some new people such as Shiloh Walker who says I scare her with my pervy sex talk. (heh heh). Meeting Anime June. Talking about Buffy episodes with Shiloh, Kati and Julie James.
-Meeting Sarah Parr and having lunch with her, Sally Mackenzie, Amy and Katie the Young Librarian.
-Finding the Starbucks with Sarah Parr (YAY) and seeing Julie James there. Knowing we are all coffee addicts and we are proud of it.
-Talking with Meredith Duran and not making a fool of myself in front of her because I can’t help but gush over her work. WRITTEN ON YOUR SKIN is a must read. I made a fool of myself in front of J.R. Ward during the NAL signing. Couldn’t help it.
-Hanging out with the future powerhouses of the historical romance genre- Tess Dare, Courtney Milan and Sara Lindsey. All three wanting pictures with Mho and Sara showing me her cover for her first book and holding back tears of happiness for her.
-Leanna Renee Hieber winning the Prism Award for her story, Dark Nest.
-Talking like giddy little school girls with Candy Tan over Stephen King.
-Angela James, Monica Burns and Lauren Dane wanting to talk to me.
- Meeting Melissa Francis after the RITAS and tying not to oogle her cool tattoos.
-Talked with Jeaniene Frost and Melissa Marr as they had lunch. Giggled when Jeaniene asked for a picture with Mho. Listening to Melissa talk. She has the most soothing voice.
-Having breakfast with Kathleen O’Reilly, Dee Davis, Amy and Barbara Vey and talking about the show Lost.

I am very, very humbled to have so many come up to me and so very pleased to have met me. In shock that people know my name, my blog and my on-line presence.

What more can I say? The RWA Nationals conference is a place where you feel the love and the sense of belonging. This is where the importance of building a community lies, where friendships are born and last for years and the idea that no matter how creative, or how different you may be, you have a place where everyone will open their arms and welcome you with some great conversation and understanding.

For a person like myself who grew up not belonging to any one group, having the reputation of being too strange to belong, being an outcast, these past few days meant the world to me.

This self proclaimed “eccentric” redhead and her demon sheep thank you all for a wonderful time. Thank you for accepting me as the woman who walked around with a stuffed sheep and instead of getting strange looks and asking hotel security to keep an eye on me, wanting pictures and hugs instead.

More Deep Thoughts about 2009 RWA Nationals...

The Washington D.C. Marriott fails on two things. Craptastic coffee that taste like sludge and no free Wi-Fi in the lobby. You have to pay $12.95 for internet access. WTF is up with that?

Their parking garage costs $32 a day. Again, WTF is up with that?

But they do have one hell of an excellent breakfast buffet.

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Should I be jealous that Mho Fho was more of a star than I was? Do you know how any people asked to have their picture taken with Mho?

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Amy a.k.a Aymless my roomie


Jeaniene Frost/ Meredith Duran

One of the highlights of the whole conference was Joanna Bourne winning the Rita for Best Regency Historical Romance for My Lord and Spymaster.
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Talk about being an inspiration:

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Joanna let me pretend for one small moment...

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And it is not everyday when Marine staying at the hotel propositions you for sex. And I quote: "We don't have to have sex, but I can give you 8 orgasms."
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You do see some interesting things while driving home:

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And can someone tell me why between Exit 7A and 8 on the NJ Turnpike there is always a traffic jam?!?! It doesn't matter if you are going South on a Wednesday morning at 10am or coming back up North at 5pm on a Sunday! It is always bumper to bumper traffic! It is the Bermuda Triangle of New Jersey because there is no answer why.
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Exit 7A, you can kiss this Jersey girl's ass because you tacked on 30 minutes to my drive home!