Because We All Need a Good Laugh

Because We All Need a Good Laugh

My favorite part is the 4:19 mark. I laughed so hard that Ned came over to see what was going on. Kresley is giving us some books to give away next week or so. Stay tuned. Update: Here is the link for all the videos. Updated to add: I’m currently being grilled as to why [...]

Query Saturday: Unamed Vampire Romance

Welcome to Query Saturday. Individual authors anonymously send a query to be read and critiqued by the Dear Author community of authors, readers and industry others. Anyone is welcome to comment. Published authors may do so under their own name or anonymously. Readers, though, the way that I look at it is this: Would the [...]

REVIEW: The Darkest Fire by Gena Showalter

REVIEW: The Darkest Fire by Gena Showalter

Dear Ms. Showalter, Although your previous works haven’t worked as well for me as I’d hoped, I was intrigued when I heard about your new series, The Lords of the Underworld. Pandora’s box? Hell? A horde of ravenous demons? Not only did the premise feature some of my favorite story elements, it sounded fresh and [...]

Harlequin Is Accepting YA Submission

I saw a YA sale to MIRA the other day at Publisher’s Marketplace. I emailed Harlequin and was told that Harlequin appears to be entering the YA market and are “seeking YA submissions, notably in the areas of paranormal, fantasy/sci-fi, relationship/romance and social issues.” Currently, the YA program is only taking agented submissions.

My First Sale by Roxanne St. Claire, Starstruck

My First Sale by Roxanne St. Claire, Starstruck

Roxanne St. Claire first came to my attention from a friend of mine who thought I would enjoy her new BulletCatcher series. My friend was right. The BulletCatcher series is “an elite group of security and protection specialists who are considered the cream of the crop of contract bodyguards.” I have found the series to [...]

Author DeborahAnne MacGillivray Harasses Amazon Reader

Apparently, there appears to be a breakdown in the comment box on the previous thread. Ms. MacGillivray was the recipient of a three star review on Amazon. She chastises the reader for not understanding the book correctly. Reba, Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed "A Restless Knight" so much you read it twice. [...]

Manga First Impressions 2: B.O.D.Y, Monkey High, Haruka

Manga First Impressions 2: B.O.D.Y, Monkey High, Haruka

Dear Readers, Here are some more first volumes of shoujo series coming out: B.O.D.Y. by Ao Mimori. Viz. Retail $9.99. T+ for older teen (kisses, sexual innuendo). 12 volumes (ongoing in Japan, just starting here this month) I’d never heard of this title but I was taken with it from the first page. The drawing [...]

REVIEW: Blind Date from Hell by Anne Stuart

REVIEW: Blind Date from Hell by Anne Stuart

Dear Mrs. Stuart, The description of this novella at Fictionwise caught my attention and induced me to buy it. Too bad that that description has F-all to do with the actual plot. I don’t blame you for that. But it’s lucky for Fictionwise that I enjoyed the story anyway. The actual paranormal elements here are [...]

REVIEW:  Phantom Pleasures by Julie Leto

REVIEW: Phantom Pleasures by Julie Leto

Dear Ms. Leto: I’ve been anxiously awaiting this new paranormal series of yours from Signet since you announced it over a year ago. I’m intrigued by the premise and I liked parts of the story but overall, I felt like I was missing something when I closed the story. Alexa Chandler is an heiress in [...]

Manga First Impressions: Wild Ones and Fairy Cube

Manga First Impressions: Wild Ones and Fairy Cube

Dear Readers, I got some first volumes of some shoujo series from Viz for review. I’ve not read any of the series, so I’ll just be providing my first impressions based upon all the Vol 1′s, a couple at a time. Wild Ones by Kiyo Fujiwara. Viz. $9.99. T for Teen (innuendo, some cartoony violence). [...]

Sue Grimshaw Awarded the 2008 Vivian Stephens Industry Award from RWA

Sue Grimshaw, buyer for romances at Borders for the past 7 years, was awarded the 2008 Vivian Stephens Industry Award from RWA. This was announced a week or so ago when the RITA nominations were announced. Grimshaw is a voracious reader of romance as well as general fiction and mystery. She devours a minimum of [...]

REVIEW:  Lord Deverill’s Secret by Amanda Grange

REVIEW: Lord Deverill’s Secret by Amanda Grange

Dear Ms Grange, Despite at times feeling as if I’m “Regency’d” out, a good one can still pull me in, entertain me and leave me feeling good. Your book has lots of elements I look for such as believable lead characters and period detail yet avoids obvious historical mistakes and makes use of Brighton instead [...]

Harry Potter Star Brings the Full Monty Act to the US

Remember when the UK was agog (and the webosphere) with Daniel Radcliffe’s not so throbbing, but nude, member (this whole thing makes me throw up a little in my mouth since I’m old enough to be Radcliffe’s mother and the idea of the little wizard of the boy wizard dangling out there is a bit [...]

More Publishers Think Readers Are Dumb Asses

It’s 90 percent true if you count things that happened to anyone,” he says. “It’s only about half true if you define it as actual things happening to the actual people they happened to.” So says one of the characters in Ben Mezrich’s book, Bringing Down the House. Bringing Down the House is marketed as [...]

DA BWAHA Tourney Graphics

The disbursal of prize booty may take a bit longer, but graphics? We got yer graphics right here! For Colleen Gleason, who won the tournament for her book The Rest Falls Away, a fancy shnazzy graphic proclaming you teh winnah: For Laura D, whose pointacular bracket allowed her to gain the people’s ovation and fame [...]