REVIEW:  Dark Soul: Volumes 3, 4, and 5 by Aleksandr Voinov

REVIEW: Dark Soul: Volumes 3, 4, and 5 by Aleksandr Voinov

Dear Mr. Voinov, Your Dark Soul series has been a roller-coaster ride for me. It is not a genre romance, even though it has some very romantic moments. It features themes I rarely seek out, including menage, BDSM, and protagonists in organized crime. Purchasing all five volumes is not inexpensive. It is quite brutal in [...]

REVIEW:  Tea and Spices by Nina Lane

REVIEW: Tea and Spices by Nina Lane

Dear Ms. Lane, Your novel was discussed in the comment thread to Kim T.’s post about South Asian romances. I discovered the ebook version after a bit of digging, since my first hit was on the paperback version, which you published under the name “Nina Roy.” While the blurb made me a little skeptical (“revolt [...]

REVIEW:  Bring Him Home by Karina Bliss

REVIEW: Bring Him Home by Karina Bliss

Dear Ms. Bliss: Your last few books have had a sort of a madcap adventure feel to them and so “Bring Him Home” is a change in tone and pace. It deals with grief and recovery and discovery and relies less on external conflict and more on the internal changes that the leads experience. Nathan [...]

Friday Film Review: The Incredibly True Adventures of 2 Girls in Love

Friday Film Review: The Incredibly True Adventures of 2 Girls in Love

The Incredibly True Adventures of 2 Girls in Love (1995) Genre: YA GLBT Grade: C+ It’s hard to find good GLBT movies without some guidance as to what’s worth it and what’s dreck. As such, I often go with average ratings at sites like Netflix and IMDB. “2 Girls in Love” is a movie that [...]

REVIEW:  On the Island by Tracy Garvis-Graves

REVIEW: On the Island by Tracy Garvis-Graves

Dear Ms. Garvis-Graves, I picked up your book because it is everywhere lately. The concept of the teen boy-older woman romance is pretty repellant to me, but over 700 positive reviews on Amazon for a self-published book told me I should give this one a try. I read it, and I can see why it [...]

Thursday Midday Links: Apple files motion to dismiss in DOJ case, Pondering the phrase “shit eating grin”, & a few deals

Thursday Midday Links: Apple files motion to dismiss in DOJ case, Pondering the phrase “shit eating grin”, & a few deals

There isn’t much happening in the book world today. Apple has filed its motion to dismiss in the DOJ suit.  Obviously Cotes will deny this motion but Apple has to make it in order to preserve its right to appeal. Here’s some food for thought. McKenzie Walton tweeted this the other day “One of my [...]

REVIEW:  The Anatomy of Death (aka A Dissection of Murder) by Felicity Young

REVIEW: The Anatomy of Death (aka A Dissection of Murder) by Felicity Young

“At the turn of the twentieth century, London’s political climate is in turmoil, as women fight for the right to vote. Dody McCleland has her own battles to fight. As England’s first female autopsy surgeon, she must prove herself as she proves that murder treats everyone equally. After a heated women’s rights rally turns violent, [...]

REVIEW:  Darkest Caress by Kaylea Cross

REVIEW: Darkest Caress by Kaylea Cross

Dear Ms. Cross: The first book I read of yours was a contemporary romance which I enjoyed and hoped to see more of your work in that area. When your book, Darkest Caress, was released on NetGalley I was intrigued because it was not contemporary romance but instead, a paranormal. I am constantly on the [...]

Wednesday Midday News: New publishing models; Amazon adds Paramount to Prime; BN to publish government ebooks

Wednesday Midday News: New publishing models; Amazon adds Paramount to Prime; BN to publish government ebooks

Say Books Online – digital publishing Say Books – “Say Books is a digital publishing services company in Auckland, New Zealand. We work with self-publishing authors who want to create and market ebooks, we offer digital publishing consultancy services to publishing companies, and we work with partners to create digital products and enhanced ebooks.” Personal [...]

Debut Print Book: Coveted by Shawntelle Madison

Debut Print Book: Coveted by Shawntelle Madison

I’ve had some concerns by readers who are primarily print readers that the coverage at Dear Author has been too focused on ebooks. When I asked the readers what they were interested in seeing, they responded that they would like to know more about print debut authors. We developed a little questionnaire and every Wednesday [...]

REVIEW:  Spirit’s Princess by Esther Friesner

REVIEW: Spirit’s Princess by Esther Friesner

Dear Ms. Friesner, I’ve never read any of your books but I’ve certainly heard of you. How could I not? Not only do you have a substantial backlist, you’ve had a long career. Recently, it seems like you’ve turned your attention towards YA retellings of mythological princesses. In this novel, you focus on Himiko, the [...]

Tuesday Midday Links (and a few deals): Story Siren Plagiarism Story Continues; Self Pub Romance Author Signs Trad Contract; CreateSpace Expands Abroad

Tuesday Midday Links (and a few deals): Story Siren Plagiarism Story Continues; Self Pub Romance Author Signs Trad Contract; CreateSpace Expands Abroad

Links, News, and some WTFery | Blog | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books – “YA Author Sarah Cross has a guest blog about plagiarism and how it sucks a lot (which it does). It’s not a bad post, as it discusses the different types of plagiarism. But it’s a guest post on Kristi Diehm’s site, The Story [...]

Giveaway: Jill Shalvis Lucky in Love

Giveaway: Jill Shalvis Lucky in Love

Updated with the winners: Author: Danielle W Comment: permalink I am so ready for this to be released already! I need to read about the chocoholics :) Author: AnnaPiranha Website: http://www.dyedinthewoolbluestocking.blogspot.com Comment: permalink Oh! Pick me! Of course, if you don’t I’ll just download it anyhow. Author: JL Comment: permalink I would love to win a copy of this! Such a great [...]

REVIEW:  White Tigress by Jade Lee

REVIEW: White Tigress by Jade Lee

Dear Ms. Lee— When I saw you’d released your Tigress series digitally and the first one, originally published in 2005, White Tigress was free at Amazon, I downloaded it immediately. I’m always thrilled to find a historical romance not set in Regency England and I’m fascinated by China and its complex history. I cannot say [...]

REVIEW:  Calling Invisible Women by Jeanne Ray

REVIEW: Calling Invisible Women by Jeanne Ray

“A mom in her early fifties, Clover knows she no longer turns heads the way she used to, and she’s only really missed when dinner isn’t on the table on time. Then Clover wakes up one morning to discover she’s invisible–truly invisible. She panics, but when her husband and son sit down to dinner, nothing [...]