In this increasingly digital age, people are storing important content on their computers. Some back up their data and others do not. Even if you are one of the small percentage of folks that do back up, CDs and DVDs, the common choice for home computer users, are devices prone to failure.
Each hard [...]

Dear Ms Kelly,
I’m not a gamer so I’m sure I probably missed some “insider” stuff while reading your latest book but I had a great time laughing my ass off through the rest of it. And I’ve got to admire the chutzpah of having Princess Zara have you as her favorite author.
Poor Princess Zara. She’s [...]

Readers were arguing about Anna Campbell's debut, Claiming the Courtesan, before it was published. An Avon historical that was actually offending readers? This I had to see. And as I sat down to read, I expected to be shocked, looked forward to it, even, because I was really craving a book that [...]

I was a bit flummoxed to read a post on columnist, Michelle Buonfiglio’s blog today.
there is a scene that could be read by the uninitiated romance fiction reader as flat-out rape.
That is the line from the post entitled “You Know She Wanted It”.
The post itself is about controversial debut book by Anna Campbell, Claiming the [...]

I saw this book featured on someone’s blog. The short blurb intrigued me and I went to the site and read the excerpt which really intrigued me. I immediately sent off an email to the Ace contact I have and begged for the book. The book was every bit as good [...]

Dear Ms. Hoyt:
I’ve come to the realization that your books are not really historicals, but rather fairy tales set in the mid 1700s. As such, this story need not abide by ordinary societal rules which may restrict the fair maiden from her reward with a servant. This book, like the last [...]

Last week I claimed that the only significant release to show up on list would be For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison. However, I forgot about the power of Jane Feather and her stalwart audience. Regency spies never lose their appeal, I guess, which is why the major publishers [...]

I laughed a little uncomfortably when I wrote up the The Leopard Prince review. At the end of the story, Georgina loses all her good sense and intelligence, flies off the handle and makes some poor decisions. Much like me. (I liked the book despite that).
When I was writing last Sunday’s article about the [...]

Dear Ms. Stuart,
Summer Hawthorne, the heroine of the third book in your Ice series, is the curator for a Los Angeles museum that specializes in Asian art. She is also the owner of a blue ceramic bowl that her Japanese nanny entrusted to Summer just before she died. Summer's self-centered mother belongs to [...]

Dear Mrs Stuart,
Some of your books I love. Some of them I hated. And some that I keep reading despite things which annoyed me. “Cold as Ice” is one of the later. I liked it a lot better when I first finished it but after a week of contemplation, all the little niggles are [...]

While perusing the deals today, I came across a sale by agent Bob Diforio to Harper Collins for three erotic novellas penned by Delilah Devlin. The wording of the deal was so different that I wondered if it meant what I thought it meant.
Delilah Devlin's three erotic novellas, again to May Chen at Harper, [...]

She’s got a new book out next month which I haven’t yet read. I think I read some of her categories a long time back. She did write categories, didn’t she?
Prince of Magic author Linda Winstead Jones’s THE EMPEROR’S BRIDE, a new trilogy, to Wendy McCurdy at Berkley, by Richard Curtis of Richard [...]

But it doesn’t make it right, of course. Harry Hurt III reviewed Suze Orman’s latest get rich book by opening with an ad hominen attack of Orman’s looks:
There are many things more flammable than the subject of mammon and women, but most of them come in steel canisters stamped ‘hazardous materials.’ Among [...]

Dear Ms. St. Claire:
I availed myself of the Simon & Schuster early ebook release program and snagged the ebook version of Take Me Tonight (Bullet Catchers, No 3) a few weeks ago. This week, the print version makes its way into bookstores. I had enjoyed the previous Bulletcatcher books. Unfortunately this novel required [...]

Dear Mrs Balogh,
Yes, yes I know I said I wouldn’t be reading your next book without some great reviews but it’s hard to turn down reading a free arc of a much anticipated series by an author who has generally given me such reading pleasure in the past. I really need to put my [...]

Book Chronicle, a ezine or blog dedicated to book nerds, has announced its first annual lit blogging awards called the Litty. Dear Author is one of the finalists. How we got on the list or what award we’ll win, if any, remains to be seen. However, any award that rhymes with Man [...]

Yesterday, Borders Rewards members received an email announcing changes to the Rewards program. Last year, when you made purchases, a percentage of those purchases were rebated back to you to spend during the Holidays. This year, you’ll receive a $5 Borders Buck coupon for every $150 spent. [...]

Mrs. Giggles, the first reader blogger in the romance community (est. in 1999), has come under attack by authors who send her books for reviews. Apparently, authors are sending her books and when Mrs. Giggles gives a review that is less than glowing, the author makes a public claim that she never sent [...]

A very important consumer rule is being considered by the Supreme Court which would impact retail pricing in the US. Yesterday, in the case of Leegin Creative Leather Products Inc. v. PSKS Inc., No. 06-480, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on whether the rule which prevents manufacturers from dictating to retailers what price [...]

Dear Readers and Authors,
There was music from my neighbor’s house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars. At high tide in the afternoon I watched his guests diving from the tower of his raft or [...]

Dear Ms. Glass,
I started reading this book out of curiosity and couldn’t put it down. I wasn’t expecting much. I’ve purchased a few gay “romances” and most let me down in one of two ways. Either they’re erotica that has left romance and character out for the most part, or they’re [...]

After today, Warner Books will now be called Grand Central Publishing to coincide with its move to a new physical location just north of the train station. Hachette Books bought the imprint from Time last year. As part of the purchase, Warner Books had to pick a new name by 2011. The [...]

Keri Arthur’s road to success was solidified with her appearance on the NYT Bestseller List last month. Her first sale, Dancing with the Devil, to a small print publisher, ImaJinn Books, in 2001. In an interview with RW of Australia in 2002, Arthur admitted that finding a publisher for her work was tough because [...]

According to today’s NY Times Book Review, the editors regret publishing a March 4 essay by Ben Schott. Mr. Schott opined about his book abusing ways in an article entitled “Confessions of a Book Abuser.”
Several readers found some disturbing similarities between Schott’s essay and a piece of Anne Fadiman’s 1998 book, “Ex Libris: Confessions [...]

If you were expecting an ebook weekly article, come back next Sunday. We are taking a little detour today.
Last week Barbara Samuel put up a plea at Romancing the Blog for Readers to pay more attention to the RITAs. She titled her post “Why Readers Should Care About the RITA Awards.” I [...]

So, after some thought and rooting around in the backend of BlueHost, I found a thing called Simple Machines Forum which is a great open source software program for forums. I installed it and added a couple of packages to extend functionality, and waa laa - we now have a forum for readers. [...]

Dear Ms. Charles,
I like your decision to write a western with a strong heroine in it. Like you, I grew up watching TV westerns and always wanted the women to do more than just wait at home while the menfolk went out and saved the day. You’ve certainly given your heroine something to do, too.
Bethany [...]

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not a hater of Victoria Beckham. I have three pairs of Rock n Republic Beckham jeans which I love. They are very comfortable. But a book club started by a woman who bragged to the Spanish press while promoting her autobiography that she has never read [...]

If Ned ever leaves me, I’ll have to hook up with this guy. There are only so many people in this world that can draw adequate stick figures.

Yes but No But Yes put together a list of the Top 15 Unintentionally Funny Comic Book Panels. The list includes references to the Joker’s Boner, Wonder Woman’s vanity, Archie beating off three other guys, and Robin exposing himself.
Part of me read the panels with some disbelief. Surely, these were photoshopped, but alas, no. [...]

Kate Rothwell is running an experiment on her site asking readers to guess whether the author of a quoted passage is black or white. You can guess anonymously.

Interesting.
Susan Vaught’s DIARY OF A BIG FAT FAT GIRL, in which a high school senior starts a searing and humorous column in the school paper to fight for her rights as a fat girl, air her fears about her football-player boyfriend’s impending weight-loss surgery, and (she hopes) win a college scholarship, to [...]

Borders severing times with Amazon is getting alot of play in the business world. One analyst from Citigroup believes that Borders accounts for 2-3% of Amazon sales. I have real questions about the profitability of the digital download centers.
Borders currently buys direct from the publisher at a 40% discount as do most bookstores. [...]

Dear Mrs Munroe,
While I’m not a recent Ellora’s Cave virgin like Janine, I’m still not a “rode hard and put up wet” veteran either. Since my tastes don’t run to BDSM, a lot of EC offerings leave me less than enthused about trying them. But your book with its mix of history and tenderness fits [...]

AAR has now consolidated all seven boards into one board with one registration.

Dear Ms. Feather:
The most recent issue plaguing your books have been the appeal of your heroes. One common theme for your heroes is that they often use the heroines for their own selfish motivations and then are seemingly “redeemed” by falling in love with the heroines as if the “love” word automatically excuses villainous [...]

It’s list day again. It surprises me how fast books fall, particularly the genre books. Rhonda Byrne’s book, The Secret, remains at the top after 16 weeks on the list here. A Young Adult novel, It’s Not Easy Being Mean (Clique Series) by Lisi Harrison (Little Brown For Young Readers), $9.99, is [...]

Borders announced an unexpected fourth quarter loss despite increased sales. Sales rose 2.9% but posted a loss of $73.6 Million versus a profit of $119.1 M posted in the 2005 4th quarter.
There was no explanation for the loss but indicated that there would be a re-evaluation of its overseas outlets and an unveiling of its [...]

First Penguin, the Simon & Schuster, and now Random House posts positive marks for growth in 2006. Worldwide revenues rose 6.5% to $2.59B according to Publishers’ Weekly. This is despite the $43.3 million that Random House was owed by AMS.
CEO Peter Olson pegged growth in the North American (all divisions with Crown and [...]

Stephen King will be announced as the editor for the 2007 Best American Short Stories to be published by Houghton-Mifflin in October. The Best American Short Stories have traditionally been edited by best selling authors but perhaps not one with a publishing record as deep, varied and successful as Mr. King’s. Personally, [...]

Dear Mrs Kelly,
I was upset when I learned Signet wouldn’t be publishing any more of your delightful regencies. Then elated to hear the news that you’d been picked up by Harlequin Historicals. Then pissed when that line was due to close. Then happy when they reversed that decision then frustrated to learn the wait for [...]

Dear Mses Weiss:
When I first saw the promo that Margaret Weiss of the fantasy Weiss fame was going to be authoring a paranormal romance, I was quite excited. Sometimes paranormal romances are heavy on the romance but weak on the worldbuilding. Thus would not be the case with an author whose entire [...]

MSNBC reported on the contents of former Senator Tom DeLay’s tell all, No Retreat, No Surrender. In an effort to burn all bridges and to come off sounding like a hurt teen because whose friends have been whispering behind his book, DeLay criticizes everyone but his wife and daughter.
At one point, DeLay [...]

In December, we blogged about the State library of Victoria in Melbourne was offering up speed dating nights where each person must bring a book they love or loathe to help break the ice. A new love story was reported at a Lisa Scottoline signing. While waiting in line [...]

Never Kiss a Stranger by Madeleine Kerr and Mayu Kasumi. Retail: $7.99. Rated T for Teen, 12 and up, lots of sweet kisses only. 1 of 1 volumes. D.
 
Three Wishes by Darlene Scalera and Matsuri Akino. [...]

CindyS has two great posts that summarize the documentary on Bravo Canada, Who’s Afraid of Happy Endings.

FYI Part 1
FYI Part 2

I don’t know when it will be aired in the US, but it sounds like a fascinating look at publishing and romance. I highly suggest every one read both articles, but I’ll include some [...]

Dear Mrs. Reavis,
I was thrilled to learn that your latest book would tie together two series of yours that I love, the Navajo Family Blessings and the Fort Bragg series. But while I enjoyed the book, I couldn’t help but compare it, unfavorably, to both of them. It starts out with a lot of [...]

Lauren Fox makes me think Chick lit.
Two new novels by STILL LIFE WITH HUSBAND author Lauren Fox, recently praised by Michiko Kakutani, to Jennifer Jackson at Knopf, by Julie Barer at Barer Literary (NA).
Love Patricia Wrede. Here’s a western historical, ladies.
Patricia Wrede’s fantasy trilogy FRONTIER MAGIC, set in an alternative version of the 1800s [...]

IIL Publishing, a niche publisher who puts out books on project management, is partnering with Google and Microsoft to make its books browsable on the ‘net through Google Book Search and MS Live Search. Publisher Judith Umlas was quoted as saying the reason for the digital move was “to be both innovative and customer-friendly.” [...]

I was looking at the March slate of releases a couple months back when I realized that there were a whole slew of really exciting books due for a March release. There were so many that we could barely fit all the reviews in the last week of February and the first couple weeks [...]