The good news is that I didn’t have to have a root canal. Instead my tooth is cracked and needs a cap. The bad news is that if the temporary crown doesn’t alleviate my problems, I’ll have to have that root canal.
In other publishing news, Ballantine has bought Jenny Sanford’s memoir. As much as I have sympathy for a woman whose bastard of a husband humiliates her non stop on the national stage, I wish these politicians would just stop spilling their guts about their private lives. I’ve had enough of the John Edwards’s story too.
Jessica of Racy Romance Reads guest blogs at Romancing the Blog about how art should not be judged on the relative morality of the artist.
Visual artists, musicians, film directors, and writers throughout history have been some of our most wretched human beings: liars, cheats, egomaniacs, thieves, heartbreakers, sellouts, and all purpose scumbags. A favorite example among philosophers is the painter Gauguin, who left his wife and family destitute so he could go to Tahiti and paint nudes.
Has, from the bookpushers blog, had a wonderful post about disabilities in romance at the Borders True Romance blog:
Reading "Lie with Me’ made me realise that romance, as a genre, can cross all boundaries and social issues, and transform negative elements into a positive light, which made me fall in love with the genre even more. Doing it the right way, with an emotionally or physically handicapped hero or heroine, can bring out the best responses in this particular trope.
SmexyBooks posts a rundown of books she’s excited about for 2010 in the paranormal/futuristic subgenre including Kresley Cole’s next Lykae book (if you are jonesing for a shapeshifter story), Pleasure of a Dark Prince. I am excited about the next Larissa Ione Demonica book. Surely Ione can write faster than she is currently doing so I don’t have to wait so long between books, right? Patricia Brigg’s Silverborne is due in March. Most exciting though? Carolyn Crane’s debut novel, Mind Games. It’s an UF and I am hopeful that there will be a thread of romance through it. Crane has been a long time blogger in the romance community.
Nathan Bransford gives examples of the showing v. telling in fiction.
Being told that a character is “angry” is not very interesting – we’re reading the book, we know his dog just got kicked, of course he’s angry! It’s redundant to be told that the character is “angry.”
More interesting is how the character reacts to seeing his dog kicked. Does he hold it in and tap his foot slowly? Does he explode? Does he clench his fists?
Orbit released a super cool website for Gail Carriger’s book, Soulless. It’s a digital “paper” doll. I spent way too much time playing with the doll and her various accouterments. Don’t go there. You’ll only…well, I don’t say I didn’t warn you. See you in a few hours. As for whether this promotion works? It did for me. I’m very interested to see where she wore these different outfits. Am I shallow? I guess I am. Book is due out first week of October.
The parties to the Google Book Settlement have succumbed to the intense pressure of the opposition. Armed with the Department of Justice filing, the parties will attempt to recraft the settlement agreement. This is not to say that there won’t be some settlement in the future, it just won’t be the one we’ve discussed.
I would pay good money to read a romance with a disabled character who doesn’t hate him/herself, feel like less of a person or feel alienated and depressed. So sick of the “teach the poor cripple to accept his/herself” trope.
I wonder if authors know any physically disabled people. According to the bulk of fiction with disabled protagonists, we’re a mess of depressed, undersexed loners with self-image problems who will only have sex in the dark.
I find my disability annoying, but depressing? Worth pushing people away over? Embarrassing? Good lord, no. So sick of seeing it as a negative trait.
I’d like to see more books treat it more as a matter of fact than as a source of angst. It could still provide for fun conflict, it is certainly a different life, but at the same time it’s not a bad life at all. I love my handicapped parking placard and my awesome cripple seats at sporting events (and how other people get up to fetch my beers.)
I agree. I also want to know when we decided that being cheated on, in and of itself, makes a person interesting enough to warrant a biio.
Also, congratulations on not having to have the root canal.
Congrats on the no root canal.
I’m the same way. I played around with those Victorial digital dolls and their various outfits for way too long; it’s totally effective because I’m totally more curious about Soulless and will be reading it when it comes out.
I would love it if Sanford’s book was published after her death and made her scum of husband wish he could trade places with her.
But… they do have kids. So I’ll pull a “won’t someone think of the children” and just shake my head and walk away.
If you’re shallow, I suppose I am as well. Loved the Soulless site!
Total yuck on the tooth, hope the cap helps.
Total yay on the deal with the google books settlement. Would just love to see that thing completely and utterly dead in the water.
I’m on my way out the door so I’m avoiding the digital doll website.
@Caligi:
The Write Man For Her
Not affiliated, et cetera.
Thanks for the shout on my cover! As you can imagine, I am quite excited.
And that Soulless site? I only tried every single article of clothing on her repeatedly, plus a flower in the teapot.
Justine Davis had some Silhoutte’s in the 90′s with handicapped heroes. One in a wheelchair that I really liked.
I think it was this one from her website.
MORNING SIDE OF DAWN
RITA Award Winner
- Best Long Contemporary
November 1995
She had some others too.
FYI root canals are a piece of cake. I actually thought it was easier than getting some cavities drilled, to be honest.
@Moriah – I detest EC, but I’ll give it a whirl, thanks.
I find some of their Cerridwen Press titles quite good, actually, and they have a good selection of straight contemps, which is my favorite.
J. Daniel Sawyer has done a a audio/podcast reading of the first chapter of Soulless with full cast of character/voices, sound effects, music, everything. :
http://jdsawyer.net/2009/09/10/world-debut-soulless-by-gail-carriger-audio/
It’s hillarious.
I love the dress-up dolls! lol. What a great idea. Orbit is doing a great job with marketing for Soulless.
I’ve been waiting for this book since the sale was announce, it just sounded so intriguing.
Loved it! Super thanks!
I’m guessing there must be some (Or more?) interest in the betrayed-and-publicly-humiliated-politician’s-wife story, or publishers wouldn’t want to publish them. Each and every one of them.
Personally, I agree with you, Jane. I wish they would keep the details of their private lives within their marriages and families. It makes me uncomfortable, and I generally don’t read in depth about it–feels too voyeuristic.
Actually, I happened to be flipping through channels tonight and came across something just starting with Julianna Margulies–turns out it’s a legal drama called “The Good Wife.” And despite the fact that law school has taken the shine off legal dramas for me, I’m watching this one. I guess I find the betrayed wife story interesting enough in fiction…
eep! Apologies for the typos. :-P