NASA is funding a 3D food printer, and it’ll start with pizza – Some positive news on the 3D printing front, NASA is funding research and development for a 3D food printer. The idea is that the cartridge will contain food based products that can produce consumable food. The goal is to feed astronauts but also address worldwide food shortages. It is not, I guess, an effort to make everything in Back to the Future a reality.  The Verge

Flickr Announces One Free Terabyte Of Storage Space Per User, Officially Beating Everyone – Flickr is getting a major upgrade in look and feel and it is giving users a major upgrade in space. Starting now, all users will get 1 Terabyte of free storage space. “Yahoo’s Flickr photo-sharing service is now offering one full terabyte for users, enough storage space to hold whole swathes of the world’s photos. The service is offering this benefit in addition to its full resolution photo storage service” TechCrunch

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From the Jacket Copy:

“For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel envy…”

Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. But, the smiles of her picture perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn’t hold it together, who will?

Janet Gurtler tests the bonds of sisterhood in this moving debut that readers of Jodi Picoult and Sarah Dessen will savor.

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Busting Vegas by Ben Mezrich. $ 1.99

From the Jacket Copy:

He played in casinos around the world with a plan to make himself richer than anyone could possibly imagine — but it would nearly cost him his life.

Semyon Dukach was known as the Darling of Las Vegas. A legend at age twenty-one, this cocky hotshot was the biggest high roller to appear in Sin City in decades, a mathematical genius with a system the casinos had never seen before and couldn’t stop — a system that has never been revealed until now; that has nothing to do with card counting, wasn’t illegal, and was more powerful than anything that had been tried before.

Las Vegas. Atlantic City. Aruba. Barcelona. London. And the jewel of the gambling crown — Monte Carlo.

Dukach and his fellow MIT students hit them all and made millions. They came in hard, with stacks of cash; big, seemingly insane bets; women hanging on their arms; and fake identities. Although they were taking classes and studying for exams during the week, over the weekends they stormed the blackjack tables only to be harassed, banned from casinos, threatened at gunpoint, and beaten in Vegas’s notorious back rooms.

The stakes were high, the dangers very real, but the players were up to the challenges, consequences be damned. There was Semyon Dukach himself, bored with school and broke; Victor Cassius, the slick, brilliant MIT grad student who galvanized the team; Owen Keller, with stunning ability but a dark past that would catch up to him; and Allie Simpson, bright, clever, and a feast for the eyes.

In the classroom, they were geeks. On the casino floor, they were unstoppable.

Busting Vega$ is Dukach’s unbelievably true story; a riveting account of monumental greed, excess, hubris, sex, love, violence, fear, and statistics that is high-stakes entertainment at its bes

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The Fame Game by Laura Conrad. $ 1.99

From the Jacket Copy:

In Hollywood, fame can be found on every corner and behind any door. You just have to know where to look for it. Nineteen-year-old Madison Parker made a name for herself as best frenemy of nice-girl-next-door Jane Roberts on the hot reality show L.A. Candy. Now Madison’s ready for her turn in the spotlight and she’ll stop at nothing to get it. Sure, she’s the star of a new show, but with backstabbing friends and suspicious family members trying to bring her down, Madison has her work cut out for her. Plus, there’s a new nice girl in “reality” town—aspiring actress Carmen Price, the daughter of Hollywood royalty—and she’s a lot more experienced at playing the fame game… When the camera’s start rolling, whose star will shine brighter?

Filled with characters both familiar and new, Lauren Conrad’s series about the highs and lows of being famous delivers Hollywood gossip and drama at every turn.

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Loving by Karen Kingsbury. $ 1.99.

From the Jacket Copy:

The answers Bailey Flanigan once longed and prayed for are finally becoming clear.

In Loving, the fourth and final book in the Bailey Flanigan Series by New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury, Bailey is planning a wedding and making decisions that will shape her future. Bailey enjoys the beginning of her new career and time spent with Brandon while Cody faithfully coaches his team on and off the field. Will she spend her life with Brandon Paul in Los Angeles, or will her heart draw her back to Bloomington, Indiana and Cody Coleman, her first love? Bailey has learned much and grown over the years, but the greatest challenges, the richest joys, and the deepest heartaches are still to come.

Featuring members from Karen Kingsbury’s popular Baxter family, Loving completes Bailey and Cody’s story — the finale thousands of fans have been waiting for.

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I’ve kind of drifted away from menages but this book was free. I thought the dynamic of the three falling in love was really well done. My minus is that I really needed to see the other issues worked out – how would her family take it; what kinds of decisions would they make about marriage and children.  I also did not like the dichotomy of the good girl v. the bad girl.

Kassidy and Chris have just moved in together, a tangible sign of their commitment to each other.  Their love is passionate and sometimes insatiable.  Then Chris’ best friend, Dag, comes to town.  Kassidy doesn’t like Dag immediately and it is obvious from the text that Dag is uncomfortable around the two of them.  It becomes fairly obvious that Dag is attracted to Chris as well as Kassidy.

While this is an erotic romance and there are plenty of scenes involving sex in the story, there were important scenes outside of the bedroom that showed the reader how Dag could be an integral part of Chris and Kassidy’s lives.  Dag is a better listener than Chris, more willing to talk about his feelings.  Chris is rather aloof.  At one point, Kassidy says that she almost died when Chris admitted her loved her because while he feels strongly, he doesn’t like to talk about it.

Chris and Dag shared women back in the day and Chris, a voyeur of sorts (much to the surprise of Kassidy), encourages Kassidy to enjoy the two men together.  Kassidy protests initially because she feels not only is this wrong but that it could seriously jeopardize her relationship with Chris.

Those feelings of vulnerability and fear only intensify after the threesome happens which all read very realistic.

There are problematic aspects to this story.  I didn’t like the slut shaming that occurred in the book. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be slut shaming but presenting Hailie , the bad sister who liked hookups, as the irresponsible one who never visits her parents and is always disappointing them, and whom Chris and Dag would like to give a swift kick in the ass to, seemed like running down the “bad girl”.

If it was supposed to be presented as more ambivalent, then running down Hailie’s character in order to prop up Kassidy’s was unnecessary and unraveled any attempts at nuance between the good girl and the bad girl.  There was a plot point involving Hailie’s career choice that only provided more fodder for Kassidy and the two men to judge Hailie which was even more unfortunate and further cemented that certain girls who like hookups, crazy sex, bartending, and other types of activities don’t deserve an HEA.  Instead, the good girl gets not only one hot guy but two of them to take care of all her financial, emotional, and mental needs.

Finally, the ending was a rather abrupt denouement.  So much of the book really explored the emotional aspect of the menage a trois including the complicated feelings Dag and Chris had for each other.  Chris’ storyline was given short shrift, particularly his closeted homosexual feelings.  I wished more was fleshed out about those.

The ending left open, unexplored, exactly how the three of them were going to navigate this relationship moving forward such as marriage, babies, facing the parents, dealing with co workers. An epilogue or another chapter of these three dealing with the actual issues of being in a committed threesome would have been useful in resolving those open threads and cementing the HEA in the readers’ minds.B-

Best regards,

Jane

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“Liv Braxton’s Felon Rule #1: Don’t get emotionally involved.

Smash-and-grab thieving doesn’t lend itself to getting chummy with the victims, and Liv hasn’t met anyone on the mining colony of Nevarro worth knowing, anyway. So it’s easy to follow her Rules.

Until her ex, Tonio, shows up with an invitation to join him on the job of a lifetime.

Until Zia Talbot, the woman she’s supposed to deceive, turns Liv’s expectations upside down in a way no woman ever has.

Until corporate secrets turn deadly.

But to make things work with Zia, Liv has to do more than break her Rules, and the stakes are higher than just a broken heart…”

Dear Ms. Pegau,

I decided to try a new-to-me author and SF, a genre I don’t normally pick, in order to mix up my recent reading. The fact that the romance is f/f was an added bonus as I’m also trying to discover and read more of this genre as well. “Rulebreaker” worked well enough for me that I’m going to go on to the next book in this series but there were also elements that I wished were expanded more than they were.

There is just enough world building to know it’s the future and not on earth but the descriptions and terms used didn’t get overboard or distracting. Which could be good or bad depending on why someone wants to read the novel. If some hints and triggers of future time were removed, it could just as easily take place here and now. People drink coffee, go to beauty salons, deal with mass transit and are still stuck with Human Resource Departments. That last bit is more than a little depressing.

The dry, deadpan humor is just the type I like. Liv is fun to listen to and I enjoyed seeing things from her POV as well. But she’s far from perfect – either as a person or as an observer as she sometimes misses little things like why wouldn’t their criminal associate bug the room Liv and Tonio are staying in and did she really think she’d keep her mother’s identity a secret? She’s a tough person, though she does have her Achilles’ heel, but she’s also loyal to those whom she loves. I think this balances out the fact that she’s an outright thief and wonderful liar. Hooray for an occasional heroine who isn’t a goody-two-shoes.

True to its title, “Rulebreaker” has lots of conflict and tension – business, family, law and sexual. Liv and Tonio’s marriage ended badly yet they have to find a way to work together to pull off this deal. After she was basically kicked out at age 16 by her grifter mother, Liv doesn’t welcome Sabine back with open arms yet Sabine’s input and knowledge might be just what is needed to get the information required. The mega corporation the group is attempting to blackmail might be about to revolutionize the industry or hiding a black secret that does need to be uncovered. Liv does hint that she’s been sexually attracted to women before though obviously she’s never acted on it.

It’s a well written, emotionally engaging, tight narrative which doesn’t wander all over the place. But the story works better as corporate espionage than as a romance. I actually like that the kind of information Liv is searching for isn’t revealed as it kept me interested in not only if and how Liv would get it but also in what it actually is and how the criminals would use it. The nuts and bolts of how Liv goes about her job and her search sound realistic and her near misses with her boss and others added tension and stretched nerves. And that was before a final twist which cranks up the danger to Liv from both sides of the law.

If the book had focused only on suspense, my grade would be higher but it is also supposed to be Liv falling for her boss, Zia. Their relationship starts quietly with questioning glances then touches which get more and more heated then – suddenly – BAM! it’s sex – albeit tender – and then whoosh! into the “I Love Yous.” Sorry but the pace was just too fast for me to completely buy into not only a HEA but one with a gender Liv hasn’t spent a lot of time contemplating sexually before.

As I said, I do want to go back and pick up the novella that prefaces this book and already have the full length novel that follows but while the espionage kept me interested here, the romance let me down. C

~Jayne

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I’m hosting a twitter chat with “The Ghost” on Thursday, May 23rd, from 9:00 to 10:00 pm EDT.  Even if you are not on twitter, you can follow along at this link.  You may not want to come if you don’t want to know any spoilers about Heart of Obsidian.  

Amazon Fights to Keep Secrets in E-book Trial – The price fixing case is set to start on June 3, only two weeks away, and the pretrial motions are being filed at a furious pace. Poor Judge Cote. These will keep her up at night. The latest round of motions have to do with how much of Amazon’s dirty laundry will be aired in the public trial. Apple says all of it. Amazon says none of it.

Who will win? My guess is Amazon. Courts (despite being about open access) routinely enter protective orders for business reasons and Amazon asserting a trade secret argument is likely going to win. It’d be great for us if Amazon lost, only because we’d get to learn about internal workings of a private company, but I suspect that is wishful thinking. Publishers Weekly

Stephen King Skipping E-book on New Novel – Stephen King wants you to go into a bookstore and buy his book so he won’t be making his next book available in digital format. There’s no word whether the digital book will never exist in digital format except through the pirate market, or whether this is just a windowing technique. h/t Katiebabs Vulture

How to Help Oklahoma – Over at Reddit, they started a thread to compile all the ways you can help Oklahoma City in recovering from the devastating tornado. My heart goes out to all the families there who were affected, particularly those who had children at the Plaza Tower Elementary.

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In 2006, a billboard appeared in New York City which announced that Emily knew all about her husband, Steve’s, cheating ways. The news of this spread through websites and emails faster than you could read the text of the billboard.  The whole thing turned out to be an advertisement for Court TV’s reality TV show, Parco P. I.  Savvy users who went to Emily’s website noticed similarities between Steve and Emily’s relationship details and parts of the show.  Similar advertising “hoaxes” have been played out since, mostly to positive acclaim.

This past weekend, we saw something strange happen in the ranks of self publishing that generated some interesting ethical questions of marketing and advertisement.

Self published author, M. Leighton, who rose to literary success on the back of her steamy YA “The Wild Ones” and a subsequent adult duology “Down to You” and “Up to Me”  released a book on May 14, 2013, called “Until I Break”.  While it wasn’t an immediate breakout hit, it was climbing the charts but not enough to push Leighton on to any bestseller list. On Saturday, it was in the Kindle 100s which generally means that an author is selling close to a 1,000 copies a day.

For reasons known only to Leighton, she blogged that she had received some negative criticism about her book which features two young people trying to find their way together through BDSM. The hero is particularly troubled because his first girlfriend was into auto-erotic asphyxiation and during one sexual episode the couple goes too far and she dies while he is strangling her.

The book had an average of 3.8+ stars at goodreads and 4.6 out of 5 at Amazon at the time of Leighton’s post on Saturday. She declared that because of people not being able to accept her wonderful story of love and acceptance and healing, she was going to have to pull her book.

When I wrote Until I Break, I could’ve watered down the story, made it more palatable, easier to accept. But as an artist, I didn’t want to cheat Sam and Alec out of their story. As I’ve said before, life isn’t always pretty, but I had hoped that the majority of people would be able to see beyond the ugly to the wonderful story of love and acceptance and healing that was embedded in Until I Break. Sadly, that hasn’t turned out to be the case.

So, rather than risking people misunderstanding Sam and Alec and, therefore, me as a person and author, I’m pulling the book from publication. It will no longer be available in any format from any source after tomorrow. Yes, I could leave it out there to earn money, but every cent would be bitter, knowing that there are some who not only don’t “get” the story, but who are misunderstanding it in a disheartening way.

Now we’ve read books that have more disturbing aspects than what is in “Until I Break” and the notion of an author pulling a book because of negative criticism (most of which was unseen and none that were personally targeting the author) is somewhat baffling. But here’s where it turns strange. Despite “every cent being bitter,” Leighton keeps the book up through the weekend. “It will no longer be available in any format from any source after tomorrow.”

Obviously, Leighton could have easily made the book available for free through any number of avenues such as zero-ing out the price at Smashwords, offering a direct download link on her site, uploading it to Wattpad or Scribd or Goodreads.  Instead, she encouraged people to buy before the book is taken down.  Leighton is no inexperienced first time self publisher. She has over 19 titles to her credit.

But her perfectly craft plea that mingled a hint of something scandalous, a whiff of censorship, victimhood, and limited availability spread like wildfire through the community of readers. Readers left messages on Goodreads comment threads, in Amazon forums, and on blogs. Leighton had facebooked the post for her 12,531+ fans.

And the results were immediate and electrifying. The book started climbing the charts, falling almost immediately into the top 100 and further. By the evening it was at 7 and the next day it was ranked #5, likely resulting in thousands of sales, earning the author probably $30,000 to $60,000 in bitter dollars.

Leighton eventually did remove it. When asked whether this was a publicity stunt she replied that she hopes that no one would ever be as misunderstood as she.

Intentional or not, Leighton’s alarm resulted in immediate and positive action for her. Not only was she praised in the comments, but people defended her actions and chastised the mean people everywhere that were ruining it for the author and the readers. And Leighton hasn’t foreclosed ever revisiting this story:

Maybe one day (I sincerely HOPE) the world will be ready for Sam and Alec.

I’ll admit that I’d rather believe that Leighton is a very sensitive author who can’t take criticism rather than an author who runs a marketing ploy like this but as I contemplated this over the weekend, it occurred to me that not only is all marketing manipulative, haven’t we seen some of this in the past?  Thus begs the question, why would this ploy be wrong and others be right?

The whole point of marketing is to persuade you to take action in a favor of the object being marketed.  HarperCollins, for instance, is now offering free additional content if a certain level of pre sales are met.  HC won’t state the requisite number of pre sales needed to unlock the free content and is there anyone who really believes that HC won’t, at some pre determined time, release this free content regardless of how many pre sales it actually gets?  They aren’t going to come out and say, “well, not enough readers are interested in Eloisa James’ next book so we aren’t releasing the novella.”

What about James Patterson’s pledge to kill off Alex Cross if  enough people don’t buy his book? Most people look at this as a tongue in cheek pledge, but how many were spurred to buy new release, just in case?

How about authors who have begged readers to buy more books because if not enough books are purchased the publisher won’t offer a renewed? There are many pleas from authors to buy on a certain date, at a certain time, and in a certain format. I’ve heard countless pleas of “Buy us or we’ll stop writing.”

Or what about the female authors who pose as males in the m/m writing community? Isn’t that a marketing scheme of a sort to induce readers to think the author has more authenticity? What about the reverse with men taking a female penname? Author CJ Cherryh was advised to go by her initials for marketing purposes.

Lonelygirl15 was a weblog by a girl named Bree that started in June of 2006 and quickly amassed a huge following.  In September 2006, it was revealed that Lonelygirl was actually a production by three male creators: a screenwriter, filmaker and former attorney.  A 19-year old actress played Bree.

Along with Amanda Goodfried, an attorney who worked with Creative Arts Agency (CAA), the creators of lonelygirl15 created LG15 Studios to produce original interactive content online. LG15 Studios became EQAL in April 2008, with receipt of $5 million in venture capital to expand their offerings.

Self published authors misused the “tags” section so much on Amazon that Amazon removed that feature.  I’ve also heard of self published authors continually re-releasing their books so as to appear in the “New Release” section.  What about street teams? Karen Tabke admitted that she had her street teams go around the bookstore and place her books on tables that publishers paid coop money for.  Tabke laughingly called it the “Karen Coop”.

And let’s not forget about the cover quote. Cover quotes are quotes by better known authors used as endorsements for the lesser known book/author. Oftentimes friends give those for friends but many times an editor or agent will ask a favor of an author. Sometimes cover quotes are given for books that the author hasn’t even read, let alone endorsed. There was Sarah Strohmeyer who infamously invoked the name of Janet Evanovich as her “mentor” making it seem to some that Evanovich endorsed Strohmeyer’s Plum-like series called “Bubbles”.  Evanovich later denied this.

Assume that Leighton’s move was a pro marketing move designed to sell as many books in a short period of time as well as increase interest in her name and her work. Is that really any different than some of the standard practices in publishing or marketing overall?  What is ethical advertising? What do we expect from publishers, authors? Do we have different expectations from an author versus a publisher?  If so, why?

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From the Jacket Copy:

A collection of three full length novels by New York Times Bestselling Author Carly Phillips, originally written and published in 1999 and 2000, and published under her real name, Karen Drogin.

PERFECT PARTNERS
No sooner had Chelsie Russell and Griffin Stuart lost their siblings in a car crash than they find themselves fighting for custody of their two year old niece. Griff wins only to discover Chelsie is the only one who can soothe the child’s night terrors and fears. Chelsie and Griff bond over the little girl and their growing sexual desire is mutual. But is it enough? Chelsie’s been hurt before and Griff isn’t sure he can trust the woman who once tried to take his
niece away. What will it take for them to realize they are … perfect partners?

THE RIGHT CHOICE
Advice columnist Carly Wexler is planning the perfect wedding with the perfect fiancé. So what if he doesn’t make her heart beat faster? He’s the right choice. Until sexy photo journalist, Mike Novak, her fiance’s adopted brother arrives and Carly experiences all the passion she’s convinced herself she doesn’t need. Mike is torn by loyalty and a yearning unlike any he’s ever known. After spending time with Carly, he is sure the engaged couple are marrying for the wrong reasons. With one week to go before the wedding, can Mike convince Carly he’s the only choice for her?

SOLITARY MAN
When tough Boston cop Kevin Manning promised to care for his fatally wounded partner’s family, a one night stand with the man’s grieving sister wasn’t part of the plan. No matter how intense the night had been, a woman like Nikki Welles deserves much more than a broken man like Kevin can give, and he leaves the next day. When he returns months later, everything has changed. Nikki can’t forgive Kevin for abandoning her nor can she regret the baby she’s now carrying. And she can’t stop wanting Kevin. But can this solitary man come to believe he’s worthy of love?

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Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay. $ 3.99

From the Jacket Copy:

I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.

Josh Bennett’s story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

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The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura. $ 2.09 | $2.99

From the Jacket Copy:

A literary crime masterpiece that follows a Japanese pickpocket lost to the machinations of fate. Bleak and oozing existential dread, The Thief is simply unforgettable.

The Thief is a seasoned pickpocket. Anonymous in his tailored suit, he weaves in and out of Tokyo crowds, stealing wallets from strangers so smoothly sometimes he doesn’t even remember the snatch. Most people are just a blur to him, nameless faces from whom he chooses his victims. He has no family, no friends, no connections…. But he does have a past, which finally catches up with him when Ishikawa, his first partner, reappears in his life, and offers him a job he can’t refuse. It’s an easy job: tie up an old rich man, steal the contents of the safe. No one gets hurt. Only the day after the job does he learn that the old man was a prominent politician, and that he was brutally killed after the robbery. And now the Thief is caught in a tangle even he might not be able to escape.

From the Hardcover edition.

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Dash of Scandal by Amelia Grey. $ 2.99.

From the Jacket Copy:

Is she stealing . . .
Or just hiding in dark corners . . .

The Earl of Dunraven is obsessed with catching the thief who stole a priceless heirloom from him. When he keeps running into London newcomer Millicent Blair in places she shouldn’t be, his suspicions aren’t the only thing aroused . . .

But Millicent’s real secret is a far cry from what the earl thinks – and would horrify him mich more if her knew. Yet, every encounter increases the attraction between the powerful earl and the lovely, intelligent, and feisty Miss Blair. . .

Welcome to the sparkling Regency world of Amelia Grey, where the gossip is fresh and a new scandal is always brewing.

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I’m always on the hunt for new and different in romance, and when it comes in the form of an inspirational historical suspense story centering on the opium trade in late 19^th-century Boston – with a gorgeous cover as a bonus – I am helpless to resist.

As a child, Lydia Pallas became all too familiar with uncertainty when it came to the future. Now, she’s finally carved out a perfect life for herself – a life of stability and order with no changes, surprises, or chaos of any kind. She adores her apartment overlooking the bustling Boston Harbor, and her skill with languages has landed her a secure position as a translator for the U.S. Navy.

However, it is her talent for translation that brings her into contact with Alexander Banebridge, or “Bane,” a man who equally attracts and aggravates her. When Bane hires Lydia to translate a seemingly innocuous collection of European documents, she hesitantly agrees, only to discover she is in over her head.

I’ve read Against the Tide three times now, and I’ve been sitting on this review for months because I’m both enthralled and a bit conflicted. Your characters are complex and memorable, and the setting and suspense had me in a full-on book trance even on the second and third reads. Only one element in the narrative bothered me enough to add a minus instead of a plus to the letter grade, but it’s one that’s central to the story.

Our hero, Alexander Banebridge, is an enigmatic loner. As we learn his backstory, his motivations become clear, especially his obsession with redemption and revenge. We see Bane struggle with the sins of his past, and his need to protect the very few people he cares about make him the epitome of a tragic hero.

A character like Bane needs strong counterpart, and Lydia Pallas is no doormat heroine. I adore Lydia. She’s smart (a linguist and translator for the Navy!) and confident, and despite her vulnerable situation, she’s not afraid to take risks to get future she knows she and Bane deserve.

As a romance, Against the Tide has everything that makes me happy – especially the relationship-building. Lydia’s more than a bit fussy, and before they even say a word to each other, Bane knows how to push her buttons.

Lydia glared at the closed door of the office where Lieutenant Banebridge had entered. Every time that man was in the office, something turned up askew at her desk. A picture was upside down or her dictionaries were no longer in alphabetical order. She had been staring straight at the man as he crossed through their office, but he still managed to tamper with her belongings and escape her notice. Lydia’s mouth narrowed to a thin line as she rearranged the ink bottles, knowing it would be impossible to concentrate until they were back in proper order.

“I really don’t like that man,” she muttered under her breath.

Bane keeps poking during their first actual conversation, but Lydia proves she can hold her own with a master smooth-talker.

“Twenty dollars would pay your salary for an entire week!”

“It will also pay for an overnight translation.” She needed that money and was determined to fight for it. With a casual glance she scanned the other customers in the coffeehouse. “Perhaps someone else could do it? Let’s see. Paddy O’Malley, playing chess in the corner, is always looking for work. Perhaps you could ask him. Or better yet, there is a school of architecture just down the street. Perhaps they’ve got some Turkish translators with a bit of time on their hands.”

….“Come now,” he said in a coaxing manner. “I’ve seen ten-year-olds forego a night of sleep in order to see Santa Claus. Surely you are up to the task.”

“Did any of those ten-year-olds read Turkish?”

While many romantic suspense stories rely solely on external conflicts to bring lovers together, we learn enough about Lydia and Bane as individuals to feel the internal upheavals they inflict on each other. And yes, this is a no-sex inspie, but it’s definitely not one I’d label as “sweet” or (*shudder*) “clean.”

His back was to the wall of bookshelves and she had him pinned. “I need you to quit kissing my neck and concentrate here.” How was he supposed to be noble when she was so relentless?

This book also works for me as an inspirational. The faith messages are low-key and cohesive, and they’re integral to both the story and to Lydia and Bane’s relationship. Where Bane’s dramatic conversion as a teenager is the motivation for everything he does, Lydia’s spirituality is based on the “superstitions” of her Greek fisherman father.

“Lydia, do you still go out and pray to a full moon?”

“Are you going to make fun of me if I do?”

His smile grew wider. “Count on it.”

“Then have at it.” She went back to flipping through the papers in her file, unable to meet his eyes but grinning broadly. “Yes, I go out on each full moon. Always. I still face the north and simply pray a little bit. Not to Artemis or Jesus or anyone specific. . . . It just feels good to believe someone out there is listening.”

There’s more direct discussion of faith later in the story, yet it never devolves into sermonizing or (*shudder*) “you’re not worthy of my love until you’re as Godly as me” shaming. And it’s even (*gasp*) humorous:

“If you think God has neglected you, then what am I?”

“A nuisance sent to disrupt my ink bottles?”

As a suspense story, opium smuggling might seem over-the-top for an inspirational romance, but compelling characters in a convincing setting make it work. We get secret codes, kidnappings, disguises and dramatic rescues, driven by a disturbing sociopathic villain.

However…. [SPOILERS!] This is where my one misgiving comes in. While I understand the need to make opium a personal issue for both main characters, the portrayal of Lydia’s addiction seems didn’t sit quite right. The backstory of her introduction to the drug – as a sedative in the orphanage – was entirely believable and affecting. But every time Lydia’s little blue bottle popped up in the story, it felt forced and out of place. It wasn’t until full suspense mode kicked in that I saw it as necessary to the plot. And when that drama ends, we’re given what amounts to an extended epilogue that’s so overtly educational and overly earnest it comes perilously close to the similar change of tone that disrupted the first book in the series.

Luckily, a few more swoon-worthy moments redeem this story of redemption, and it ends with a beautifully understated faith message….

“Can you believe it, Papa?” she whispered…. She still talked to the full moon, only now she was certain someone was listening.

So despite a few reservations, Against the Tide is exactly what I look for in both historical and inspirational romance – and it’s already on my keeper shelf. A-

~ Kelly

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Image from DC Comics Arrow, shown on CW Network

SPOILER NOTE:  In lieu of an AM review, I present to you everything you wanted to know about the Arrows in Nalini Singh’s Psy / Changeling series. This post will contains spoilers up to “Heart of Obsidian.”+ (If you want to read Heart of Obsidian spoilers Nalini has a two chapter excerpt at her site.).  You may also want to read why I think Kaleb and the Ghost are one and the same.

The Arrows

Executions are sometimes unavoidable. – Caressed by Ice

The Arrows are an elite military squad in the PsyNet also known as the Death Squad.  “One Arrow was worth dozens of ordinary soldiers.” (Play of Passion)  Many in the PsyNet believe that they “are a myth, a legend, their existence or nonexistence debated endlessly in the PsyNet.” (Caressed by Ice)  Faith, an F-Psy, in “Visions of Heat” came across rumors of them in her research but nothing definitive.  She refers to them as “a secret squad…one allegedly used to permanently silence the Council’s critics.”

The truth is that the Arrow Squad was formed “on the heels of the implementation process” or rather the institution of the Silence Protocol (Caressed by Ice).  They are an independent force led initially by Ming LeBon in contemporary times because he was a senior Arrow before ascending to the Council, a body that implements rules for all the Psy.  (Caressed by Ice)  Currently there are one hundred and sixty active Arrows but there are never more than two hundred. (Blaze of Memory)

The first Arrow was created by Catherine and Arif Adelajas who lost their twin sons, Tendaji and Naeem, to madness.  The parents had attempted to institute a preSilence form of emotional coldness called Mercury but the twins succumbed in a murder suicide leaving behind a note:

We are an abomination, a plague that will kill our people from within. Silence must never take root, must never infiltrate the PsyNet. Forgive us.  (Caressed by Ice)

The Adelajas believed that the Silence, however, was simply not perfect enough and turned to Zaid, their eldest.  Zaid was a cardinal telepath with previously unforeseen power in mental combat.  As Zaid began to enforce the Silence Protocol by weeding out the “weak” he also began recruiting others who were “loners, unknown shadows, darker than the darkness, men and women whose sole aim was to eliminate anything that might threaten the successful realization of Catherine and Arif’s lifelong dream.” (Caressed by Ice)

Silence, or the suppression of emotion, was instituted to combat mental breakdowns and brutality enacted against others.  In “Blaze of Memory”, a young boy who is part of the Shadow Net kills his dog.  He literally is willing himself to death and the leaders conclude that perhaps Silence is the answer:

“Silence is an answer,” his cousin whispered, but there was a weariness to him. “I wish it wasn’t, but it is.”

Meeting that familiar gaze, Dev knew what he had to say, what he had to decide. “And if it is the only answer, then we’ll find a way to teach William to be Silent.”

(Blaze of Memory)  In “Kiss of Snow”, Alice Eldridge (aka the popsicle) studies young XPsy.  One of them is named George and is a telepath who tells Alice that “sometimes he wishes the voices would be silent. My Xs are all in favor of it, and I can’t say I’m surprised.”  (Kiss of Snow).  Zaid’s own experience lead him to kill others who broke away from the Silence Protocol:

The Protocol had given him peace from the demons of his mind and he wanted to spread that gift of peace, to quiet the torment of his people, So he began cleaning up the mistakes, wiping away those who broke under the experimental versions of Silence, burying their lives as efficiently as he buried their bodies.  (Caressed by Ice)

Arrows are taken from their families at a young age and ” subjected to the most excruciating pain and then been taught to block it” because [a] good Psy felt nothing. A good Arrow felt even less.”  (Caressed by Ice)  Another Arrow by the name of Abbot says “We cannot survive without Silence.”  (Kiss of Snow)  Even Judd initially believes that he would have chosen the Silence protocol if the choice was given to him.   (Caressed by Ice)

The Arrow squad is fracturing internally.  All believe in the importance of Silence but they are split on how to enforce it. The faction of PurePsy are supposedly trying to preserve the integrity of the Silence but at all costs, including Zaid-like actions which include the killing of those who are imperfect, implanting a chip that could invoke Silence, and rehabilitation (which basically means turning the Psy into mindless zombies)

Ming’s use of the Arrows as his personal hit squad has led to more questions and doubts about their existence and purpose.  Judd speaks with Aden in “Kiss of Snow” when Aden is dispatched to assassinate Judd.

“Silence is falling.” No change in the tone of his voice, nothing to betray the scale of what he was talking about. “We will watch, wait, and fight the war when it comes.”

Judd didn’t ask on which side Aden and the Arrows would stand. He knew.

(Kiss of Snow)  Of course, what side is a bit ambiguous. In “Blaze of Memory, Judd says that the first loyalty of an Arrow is to maintain Silence and the integrity of the ‘Net.  “They’ll do nothing to undermine the stability of the Net.” Judd tells the Ghost. (Blaze of Memory)  They want peace, however, and in “Tangled of Need” a full scale plan of defection is revealed to Judd, as a last resort.

They are the keeper of the PsyNet’s darkest truths. (Blaze of Memory)

The Main Arrow Books

Caressed by Ice (pub date 2007)introduces us to Zaid as the Founding Father of the Arrows.  Judd is a former Arrow but while he had defected from the PsyNet he still considers himself aligned with the Arrows and would do nothing to imperil his brothers at arms.  Much of the original myth of the Arrows is explained in this book.

Blaze of Memory (pub date 2009) marks the first antipathy the Arrows have for their current situation.  Vasic and Aden’s friendship is shown for the first time as well as the desire to off Ming LeBon.

Kiss of Snow (pub date 2010).  Despite being a book about Hawk and Sienna, the theory of the Arrows features prominently in “Kiss of Snow.” It is in this book we learn about Alice Eldridge’s study of the X Psy. I believe that Kaleb and the Ghost are one, a Cardinal X. The Ghost tells Judd at one point that the Cardinal X does not exist, that it is a fable, but that is merely subterfuge on Ghost/Kaleb’s part.  Aden and Vasic have important roles in this book as well.

Based on this book, it could be assumed that the Arrows are all of the X designation. They all have differing abilities and most are inaccurately charted.  In order for the Arrows to be the deadliest force, they must be swifter, stronger, more Psy than the ordinary Psy.  Sienna was recruited to be an Arrow and she is a confirmed X designation.

Alice Eldridge suggests that the X cling to Silence because of the overwhelming nature of their psychic powers.  This would be in line with the deaths of the Adelajas brothers.

Tangle of Need (pub date 2011).  This is an Arrow heavy book as it is revealed that Vasic and Aden are attempting to free the Arrows from the control of the Psy Council and save the children who are currently undergoing training, training that they both recognize as cruel and unhelpful.

Jax

Jax is a drug designed initially for Arrows, to boost their Psy abilities “so they could be better, faster, deadlier than anything else in the Net.” (Caressed by Ice)  Overtime, Jax kills a Psy by eating away at their powers and leading them into insanity and ultimately death. (Caressed by Ice).  Judd believes that Jax contributes to an Arrow’s icy perfection, altering their ability to view nuances and instead replacing nuanced decision making with only binary categories of right and wrong.Aden was never put on Jax because “it would’ve made him incapable of the value judgments required to monitor the effects of the drug on others.” (Blaze of Memory) According to Aden, the pathways of the brain permanently reset at some point, eliminating positive returns of the drug. This may be accurate but it is also a lie that Aden tells Ming LeBon in order to reduce or eliminate the Jax regimen. It seems likely given this exchange between Aden and Ming that Aden is lying about Jax’s lack of efficacy:

Something like this happened with Judd Lauren.

Ming recognized the name at once as that of the lone Tk-Cell who’d survived to adulthood in the past generation. Judd Lauren’s ability to literally stop the cells of the body had made him an invaluable assassin. Wasn’t he taken off Jax?

Yes. Along with most of the other Tks. They all functioned as well without it—telekinetics seem to only need a very short stay on the regimen. Aden didn’t elaborate but Ming didn’t need him to—he knew that after a certain period, the pathways of the brain set permanently, making the use of the drug

redundant.

Will that solution work in this case? he asked.

According to available data, yes. It appears some Arrows are in fact being overdosed on Jax since they no longer need it.

Ming took a few minutes to consider the decision. If he lost control of the Arrows, they could conceivably take over the Net. One Arrow was worth thousands of normal soldiers.Try it on the ones who’re already breaking down. See if it has any effect.

I’d suggest a small number of others who may be close to that point, Aden said. I can send you a list.

Do it. Vasic? Is he on Jax? The teleporter was not only an invaluable part of the Squad, Ming utilized him on an almost weekly basis.

No. He hasn’t been for years. His brain has reset.

Acknowledging the receipt of the additional names Aden had sent through, Ming ended the telepathic conversation. As long as Vasic was on a leash, there was no problem.

Judd was only on the drug for seven months, realizing soon after what it was doing to him.  While on the drug, he faked psychic mistakes so as to show that the drug was not working for him.  He was removed from the drug therapy program as were other Arrows who never asked to be placed back on the drug.

Jax has become a street drug for many Psy. In “Bonds of Justice”, Sophia tells us that “Jax was the scourge of the Psy, a drug that many said broke conditioning on the most basic level, allowing the user to feel emotion.”

Vasic has also stopped taking Jax.  Aden tells Judd it is because Vasic believes “there was nothing left in him to save.” In “Blaze of Memory”, Aden reports to Ming LeBon that seven Arrows have reacted negatively to the Jax regimen in the previous six months.  These men are held in a facility deep in the Dinarides, a remote mountain range along the Adriatic.The elimination of the Jax regiment signals a lack of confidence in Ming’s leadership. (Blaze of Memory)  Later,  it is revealed that defectors are being funneled through the Dinarides facility, described as lost to the Arrows and set for rehabilitation, but instead smuggled out of the PsyNet.

Arrows in the series:

Zaid Adelaja is the first Arrow and is mentioned first in “Caressed by Ice.” He formed the Squad before Silence Protocol was ever instituted.  He lost his twin brothers to madness and believed so strongly in the Silence Protocol (known as Mercury at the time) that he killed those who threatened it.  He was known as the Martial Arrow by his mother.  In “Blaze of Memory”, Zaid is described as full of pain and conviction. He was a cardinal telepath with fierce mental combat capabilities. (Caressed by Ice).  Zaid was overwhelmed by his own power and likely grief at his brothers’ deaths.  (Blaze of Memory)

Judd Lauren appears first in Slave to Sensation. He is part of the Lauren family who dropped out of the Psynet to form their own network in order to prevent members of their family from rehabilitation after Walker and Judd’s sister commits suicide. They live in the SnowDancer territory. Judd eventually becomes a liaison between the Ghost and shifters. 

Judd was in training since he was ten, when he killed his first person.  He was officially an Arrow from 18 to 26.  Judd began to question the Arrows when he discovered one of his “hits” directed by Ming LeBon was undeserving of death.  “In the PsyNet, some segments of the populace call the Arrows a death squad, but we thought of ourselves as the first line of defense, protecting our people before they even knew they were in danger. Ming changed that, made us into bringers of death,” Judd tells Brenna in “Caressed by Ice.”

Judd is dark haired, dark eyed. Sascha describes him as “unbelievably handsome in the perfect way of the Psy”. Judd is not a cardinal Psy but extremely powerful. Not only is he a Tk (telekinetic) but he can blur his body, essentially becoming invisible. Interestingly there are no known cardinal Psy’s amongst the arrows but Judd is strong enough that he was able to serve as the anchor for the Lauren family as they dropped out of the PsyNet.  Judd is so powerful he was able to reverse an airbound missile from its course.

Aden is first mentioned by name in “Blaze of Memory” and described by Ming LeBon as the medic in charge of monitoring the Arrow Squad’s response to Jax.  He is also mentioned in Wild Invitation in a conversation between Judd and Walker Lauren.  Walker remembers Aden with “slanted eyes of liquid brown and hair of silky black” and who often appeared at school with bruises and breaks in his bones.  (Wild Invitation)  Both of his parents were members of the Squad.  (Blaze of Memory) He is deemed only a “field medic” by Ming LeBon who seriously underestimates Aden’s power.

Aden is a telepath, miscategorized and deemed far less powerful than he truly is.  Aden has always looked out for those weaker than him.  

Aden, he remembered, had never cried, never broken . . . and never lost his soul. “He used to shake his head at me when I attempted to keep him back after school”—because the boy had bruises no child should have, his arm showing signs of having been broken and reset over and over—“ and tell me to keep one of the younger children.”

“I’m stronger. I’ll survive. They need the rest more than I do.”

Judd turned to face him, his expression intent. Walker rarely spoke of his time in the squad’s schoolroom, and his brother had never pushed. He didn’t tonight, either.

“Aden’s doing the same still,” he said instead. “Leading the squad, protecting the ones who are broken, watching over the children.”

(Wild Invitation)

Aden is becoming disenchanted with PurePsy and the Silence.  The goal of the Silence was to prevent the deaths of the Psy but not only have Psy been dying, but Arrows have been as well.  Too many, by Aden’s count.   When Abbott tells him that they can only survive with Silence, Aden wonders whether the price of survival is too high. (Kiss of Snow)

Aden is really the leader of the Arrows. In “Blaze of Memory”, Vasic defers to Aden’s decision regarding the killing of Ming LeBon when Aden says “It’s not time” and “We can’t show our hand.”

Vasic is first appears in Hostage to Pleasure when he teleports to Ashaya Aliene, a scientist working on the Implant Protocol.  He tells her he is “not a team player.”  (Hostage to Pleasure) Later Vasic appears to be in cahoots with Zie Zen, a dissident.  Vasic is known as the “single true teleporter” or a “Traveler”.   A Traveler. Designation Tk. Subdesignation V.  (Hostage to Pleasure) He has piercing silver eyes and enjoys looking out over the desert wasteland that is rich rust red under sunlight and silver in the glow of the moonlight.

His leg was broken several times when he was six years old to train him in Silence.  He was begging to go home. (Tangle of Need)

It is because of his abilities that Ming LeBon, the first leader of the current Arrow Squad, was able to survive so man attempts to end his life. In “Branded by Fire” Vasic blinks everyone out of a vehicle before it could be hit by the high-explosive antitank rounds directed at it. He also rescues Ming from a crumpled car and another assassination attempt in “Blaze of Memory.”

Vasic’s touch is so delicate he can right an unbalanced insect (Kiss of Snow) or lift the blood from the walls of a room. (Hostage to Pleasure, Tangle of Need) Along with Aden, he could lead the Arrows but refuses.  He is tormented by what Judd deems to be a guilty conscience.  (Tangle of Need).  Vasic and Aden share a telephathic connection.

At one point, Ming LeBon wants Vasic to open for a scan but Vasic refuses on the grounds that it would leave him defenseless and no Arrow is ever defenseless.  Aden fears that Vasic will be totally lost after the Arrow schools are liberated, as if that single focus is the only thing keeping Vasic sane at this moment.

Ming LeBon rose to power from the Arrow Squad to sit on the Council, the governing body of the Psy.  He used the Arrow squad to eliminate anyone who stood in the way of his gaining power and money.   In “Blaze of Memory”, Ming sustains a serious injury in an assassination attempt.  Aden and Vasic consider killing him at this time, but do not.  Ming loses the Arrows because instead of preserving the integrity of the Net he chose to pursue power.

The Arrows terminate their relationship with Ming in “Bonds of Justice” by sending Kaleb a patch bearing the emblem of Ming LeBon pierced by “a small, perfectly formed black arrow.”

Guiterrez and Suhanna are mentioned in “Kiss of Snow” as infiltrating the Pure Psy.

Abbott is a 9.1 telekinetic who, at the age of twenty-six, is drawn to the Pure Psy.  He and Aden share a conversation in “Kiss of Snow” about Abbott’s possible defection to the Pure Psy.  Aden tells Abbott he cannot be both Pure Psy and Arrow, another version of the “you cannot serve two masters” philosphy. 

“Have you come to stop me, Aden?” the other Arrow asked. “Ask me not to join Pure Psy?”

“No, Abbot. That isn’t who we are… But the squad works on unconditional trust.” On the knowledge that the Arrow at his back would never use the position to knife him. “Once you give your allegiance to Pure Psy, you must follow their goals.”

(Kiss of Snow)  Abbott’s Silence is already breaking.  Aden sees “bleak longing” in Abbott’s eyes.  In “Tangled of Need” we learn that Abbott did not defect because the goals of the Pure Psy are not aligned with Abbott’s

Sione is an F-Psy who Faith reports as the only other F-Psy who is even challenges Faith on accuracy in predictions.  Sione lives in the Southern Hemisphere and is part of the PsyClan PacificRose.  (Visions of Heat)  In “Kiss of Snow” Vasic describes her as having unstalbe abilities and that she may already be lost to the Arrows.

Alejandro is part of the Venice contingent.  He is supposedly “damaged” having been given an overdose of Jax on a mission. He can only follow strict orders.  He is imprinted on another rogue Arrow named Zaira who was born in Jordan and raised in a training facility in Turkey.  (Tangle of Need) Judd wonders how much of what Zaira tells him of Alejandro is true or a mask.

William, a young child who first appears in “Blaze of Memory.” He accidentally kills a pet and tries to will himself into death.  Judd comes to him and begins to teach him how to control his powers, in lieu of instituting a Silence protocol.  He comes to the attention of Aden and Vasic in “Tangle of Need.”

Andrea Vasquez is a former Arrow and leads the military forces of Henry Scot and the PurePsy.  He recruits disenchanted Arrows with the promise of control over their fractioning Silence. He likely had too much Jax as he tends to follow blindly whomever controls him.  Judd tells the reader that brains can reset permanently on Jax turning an Arrow into “lethal machines who followed the will of their handlers with unswerving dedication.”  (Caressed by Ice)

Venice contingent – a group of defected Arrows who disguised their deaths over the years. (Tangle of Need)

Associates of the Arrows:

Walker Lauren was a teacher of young men, specifically Arrows.  He taught them ways to conceal flaws in their Silence using telephathic abilities. Aden tells Judd that “What he taught me…tell him it has saved the life and sanity of more than one Arrow.” (Kiss of Snow)  Walker would keep students after school under the guise of detention or extra tutoring to protect that child.  He tried to keep Aden from time to time but Aden refused telling Walker that there were other children who had greater need than Aden.

Sienna Lauren is an X-Fire with untold power.  She was recruited by Ming to be part of the Arrows but she was ultimately rescued by Walker.  She is targeted for death by Ming but kills his Psy’s instead. Once again Ming escapes because of the power of Vasic’s instant teleportation.  Sienna and Judd serve as beacons of hope to other Arrows.  Aden says,

“You exist, Judd. Sienna exists. It’s enough. You not only survived, you’ve found happiness. I don’t understand the emotion, but I know it is better than the dark. So do the others.”

(Kiss of Snow)

Kaleb becomes the leader of the Arrow Squad after Ming. (Bonds of Justice) He is chosen by the Arrows themselves because Vasic and Aden do not want to lead, yet.

Henry and Shoshanna are Council members who have amassed a group of Arrows to their Pure Psy cause.

Keisha Bale is a the head M-Psy at the Dinarides facility and despite Judd’s declaration that only Arrow M-PSy treat other Arrows, she is not an Arrow.  She is first mentioned in “Blaze of Memory.”  The suggestion in  “Tangle of Need” is that Bale is part of the resistance, stamping death certificates and verifying cremations of the smuggled and defecting rogue Arrows.

The Duality Issue

In re-reading this series, I noticed the importance of the twin minds – the Dark Net/the Psy net. Keenan being able to serve as the conduit for Noor’s abilities to path. Ashaya and Amara’s ability to merge. The Arrows were birthed in part by Zaid’s twin brother’s madness.  Kaleb and the Ghost have  ability to have duality in themselves.  Kaleb is a dual cardinal.

Conclusion

No matter what Heart of Obsidian is about, the next step in this series is the impending Civil War on the PsyNet.  The Arrows are going to be one side of the battle, the winning side, but how many casualties will occur before the conclusion. Judd wonders, for example, whether Vasic will find the peace he longs for or whether he’ll die as an Arrow in the war. (Tangle of Need)

Let’s hear all your conclusions, speculations, and hopes for “Heart of Obsidian” and beyond.

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Nintendo issued a statement to Gamefront that indicates it has no plans to block content, only to use the videos as a platform for advertising. “We continually want our fans to enjoy sharing Nintendo content on YouTube, and that is why, unlike other entertainment companies, we have chosen not to block people using our intellectual property,” the statement read.”

The Youtube gamers argue that their videos serve as advertisements for Nintendo games and help spread word of mouth regarding a game. If they aren’t allowed to reap revenue, fewer game plays by users will be uploaded, argue the gamers.

Matthew Dicks: Redefining the Author Appearance: Four Proposed Categories – Matthew Dicks writes for Huffington Post about the Author Appearance. A simple reading and signing isn’t sufficient anymore, but readers want more interaction with authors including a question and answer and a discussion about the book itself.

I’ve been to readings before and unless the author is a good orator, with a good sense of timing and drama, readings are difficult to sit through. There is a reason that few authors narrate their own audiobooks. I prefer the interactive nature of an author appearance with the author responding to questions from the crowd. Do you guys have author appearance preferences? Huffington Post

Is this the end of fiction’s genre wars? – Over at the Guardian books blog, there is a suggestion that genre is a false literary construct to be done away with. China Mieville is published in Fantasy and Iain M Baks in science fiction and Kathe Koja in horror. Books | guardian.co.uk

Despite all these authors being of “literary” quality, publishers and retailers place them in different categories thus marginalizing the books in some way.

Literature – in whatever form – ought to make the world more complex, not less. I don’t know of a single serious critic nowadays who would dismiss genre writing solely on the basis that it is genre writing. To that extent, the “genre wars” are over. Could more be done? Of course: book festivals, for example, still tend to pair up genre writers; publishers spend more time marketing already successful genre books than other novels – the crime writer Denise Mina told me the Man Booker should go to a “literary” writer as they need all the help they can get.

From a reader standpoint, I like genres only because it helps me to find the books that I am interested in reading. If there were no categories, only authors listed by alphabetic interest, I’m going to spend a lot of time staring and very little time buying. But, are genres too discrete? 

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