Features

New Penguin Discounts

New Penguin Discounts

What’s this? Penguin discounting books? Flat Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy * $3.99 * A | BN | K | S *recommend* Master of the Night by Angela Knight * $3.99 * A | BN | K | S Bygones by Lavyrle Spencer * $3.99 * A | BN | K | S Wicked Nights by [...]

Wednesday News and Deals: Romance novels are feminist documents

From reader Shula is this fantastic article about romances at The Awl.  According to the reader, “The Awl is one of a quartet of blogs (think Gawker media) that also includes The Hairpin, a ladyblog. What I thought particularly interesting was that instead of posting the article there, where one might assume something written by [...]

News and Deals V Day Style

News and Deals V Day Style

News Great real life romance stories include: A)  Herbert Carter and Mildred Hemmons via CNN.  Two people who typified the Tuskagee Airmen experience.  Brave trailblazers.  Mildred was the better pilot but not allowed to fly during the war.  The two carried out their courtship in the air: Seeing each other in flight created a bond. [...]

An Example Why One Shouldn’t Learn From Fiction

An Example Why One Shouldn’t Learn From Fiction

A couple of months ago at a news site for mixed race readers, one commenter self-identified as an “Asian Cajun”, which got me remembering my journey of assumptions and corrections years ago as a romance reader. At the time a few years ago, a huge number of “Cajun romances” – contemporary and historical – pretty [...]

News and Deals: Attention! Possible Infringement Alert on Amazon

Linda H emailed me today to let me know she stumbled across a group of people (possibly the work of just one person masquerading as many) republishing works that appear to be copies of others’ legitimate work. Three examples include Kate Rothwell’s Something to Cherish, Rebecca Abbott Miller’s Save Me, Payton Lee’s, Novo Arkhangel’Sk. Kate Rothwell, [...]

DA/SBTB Bestseller List, week ending February 7, 2012

DA/SBTB Bestseller List, week ending February 7, 2012

Week ending February 7, 2012 Everything I Know about Love I Learned from Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo Her Husband’s Harlot (Mayhem in Mayfair #1) by Grace Callaway | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming | Amazon | BN [...]

First Page: Contemporary Romance titled “Long Road Home”

First Page: Contemporary Romance titled “Long Road Home”

Welcome to First Page Saturday. Individual authors anonymously send a first page read and critiqued by the Dear Author community of authors, readers and industry others. Anyone is welcome to comment. You may comment anonymously. *** New York City, Manhattan, somewhere between So-Ho and Hell’s Kitchen: What are the chances of not only finding yourself [...]

Friday News and Deals:  Penguin Pulls Entire Digital Catalog From Libraries

Friday News and Deals: Penguin Pulls Entire Digital Catalog From Libraries

News Penguin has severed all ties with Overdrive which means that there will no longer be any titles from Penguin available for library loan in digital format. The parties are negotiating terms in which books that the libraries have already purchased can be lent but no agreement has been forthcoming. Chilling, isn’t it? Perhaps libraries [...]

Friday Film Review: Blazing Saddles

Friday Film Review: Blazing Saddles

Blazing Saddles (1974) Genre: Comedy/Spoof Grade: A- “He rode a blazing saddle, he wore a shining star. His job to offer battle to bad men near and far. He conquered fear and he conquered hate. He turned dark night into day. He made his blazing saddle a torch to light the way.” It’s been a [...]

Thursday News and Deals:  Crime fiction overtakes romance

Thursday News and Deals: Crime fiction overtakes romance

In the UK, romance checkouts at the library are being overtaken by crime fiction titles.  Does that mean that the interest in romance books is declining? Melville House wonders if, instead, readers are going digital. But while this story is being billed as romance vs. crime fiction, it seems like there could be a digital [...]

Monday News and Deals: RWA Chapter Bans M/M Romances From Contest

Monday News and Deals: RWA Chapter Bans M/M Romances From Contest

Updated: Apparently the contest has been cancelled as of Sunday night. I was on vacation last week but was emailed by a reader that an RWA chapter in Oklahoma known as Romance Writers, Ink. was refusing same sex romances entry into the chapter contest. As I understand it, chapter contests are fundraising endeavors. The chapter [...]

DA/SBTB Bestseller List, Week Ending January 31, 2012

DA/SBTB Bestseller List, Week Ending January 31, 2012

Week ending January 31, 2012 Title by Author Sep Amazon BN Sony Kobo HQN ARE Truths and Roses by Inglath Cooper | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | HQN | ARE And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke | Amazon | BN | Sony | Kobo | HQN | ARE Untie [...]

First Page: YA Paranormal

First Page: YA Paranormal

Welcome to First Page Saturday. Individual authors anonymously send a first page read and critiqued by the Dear Author community of authors, readers and industry others. Anyone is welcome to comment. You may comment anonymously. *** Stop and smell the roses, for tomorrow they may be dead. Chapter 1 The tribal drum thumps in my [...]

Friday Film Review: The Draughtsman’s Contract

Friday Film Review: The Draughtsman’s Contract

The Draughtsman’s Contract (1982) Genre: Drama/Period Piece Grade: B “There’s sex, snotty people and flamboyant costumes. What more could you want.” – Spanky and John Go to the Movies. I’m almost hesitant to recommend this film just because I know a lot of people probably won’t like it. Note I’m not saying you won’t get [...]

Thursday News and Deals: Growing Number of Academics Unhappy with Elsevier

Thursday News and Deals: Growing Number of Academics Unhappy with Elsevier

News Brenda Novak’s auction will take place from May 1st through the 31st. They are looking for donated prizes. I’m thinking of donating a 100 page critique but honestly I don’t know whether that would be something someone would want. I can’t offer an ad as I’m sold out for the year. What do you [...]