OH MY HOLY CRAPPING PLATYPUS I MISS MY BLOG.

So, I’m over here now. I have a login and access to the back end of Dear Author and while I know fuckall about Word Press I want to run off and be alone with it for awhile. Our site runs on Expression Engine, which is pretty spiffy but requires a presumed and sustained knowledge of PHP and the EE tag language to do tricksy stuff. WP is like, “Hi. Wanna blog? Ok. There you go!” Wow, WP, you are some sexy stuff. I might have to hang out back here for awhile.

So while I’m here, what shall I do? Review a book? Nah, that’s pretty much covered. Do the pee-pee dance of anticipation over what crazy ass things Amazon.com might reveal on Monday? Meh. I know! I’ll embarrass the ever living shit out of Jane!

Oh, this is going to be funcakes.

I’m continually in awe of what Jane accomplishes. The organization. The ideas. Seriously, she’s like a one-woman thinktank of awesome. If she wasn’t wearing a cape and defending her state on a daily basis, she’d be sequestered with a laptop, a wireless card and a cell phone so all her ideas (and base) would belong to the mad scientist who stole her away. From book sales opportunities to marketing techniques to examinations of plot trends, Jane is on it.

But I think the best part about knowing Jane is that she has to wear skirts to contain her big brass balls. Between you and me, I’ve never seen her in pants and I know why. Not enough room for her massive, swinging cojones.

And really, we need more ballsy women in romancelandia. A lot of people dislike Jane because she states her opinion and backs it up with facts and does not ever couch it in softness and polite excuse. There needs to be more of that online, and in general, really. Hell, my underlying rhetoric is usually that you’re free to disagree with me because I’m as full of shit as anyone, but just because I disagree with you doesn’t mean I dislike you. I think one of the things that rubs folks the wrong way about Jane’s writing is that she states her opinion as a fact, and I think women in particular are taught and pressured to state opinions by underscoring them as “just my opinion.” But you can still disagree with her. And me. (Except we’re never wrong, but you knew that).

I think women online, and in romance, need room to say, “I disagree. I think you’re wrong. What you just said is incorrect and here’s why.” One of the aspects of Jane’s site that rocks my socks is that she’s willing to go toe-to-toe about difficult subjects- but you can meet her at the bar later.

Which is why I’m looking forward to RT and RWA this year. Jane and I will be wrestling in a kiddie pool of red jello and selling the video rights afterward for charity. I think what Jane and her crew of excellence have accomplished with their site provides a forum of debate and discussion that is rare to find online. I can’t tell you how aweswome I think Dear Author is, even if I’m a lurker who rarely comments.

Now I’m going to go play in the DA back end (hur hur) and wait until the hot pink palace is back open for business. See you on the internet.

Have trouble motivating yourself to write? Merline Lovelace’s school of tough love for writers might encourage you to pound out a few lines each day. Or else. The video worked its magic on me as I’m off to buy the SD release at Harlequin, The Executive’s Valentine’s Day Seduction. I’m thinking Jayne might be interested in The Hello Girl.

Set aside about 30 minutes and all beverages. I would like to see a recreation of this for all romance sub-genres. Thanks bec and others for the linkage.

Click on the title to watch.

The man giving the toast, I think, is the best man. Amy and Brad (both actors) are sitting together.

Via Angela James.

But while you may have led me up to level 46, you haven’t gotten me past it so my thanks are tempered with curses as well. Perhaps if you authors would incorporate “fauteuil” and “wight” and “pibroch”, I would have done better.

As it was, it took me several days, hours, minutes of valuable time away from reading this weekend to reach level 49. I don’t think I am going to try anymore. I am satisfied with this level. Srsly.

The group has done more than just thriller. You can search the CPDRC tag to see all the YouTube related videos.

Via Let’s Gab.

Not at all romance related, but tres cool.

In light of today’s publishing sale, Pink’s video seemed most appropriate.

Alanis Morissette covers’ Black Eyed Peas, My Humps.

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.

In honor of NEA National Reading Day.

I love this song. I can’t decide if Bridget Moynahan is one or if Tom Brady is an ass. Maybe it’s a bit of both. It’s like he said, “hey, babe, I’m breaking up with you to date a younger supermodel (Gisele Bundchen) but I’ll leave you with a little sperm package to remember me forever.” Her response, “Well, you’ll be paying me for said sperm package for the rest of your life.”

And what is going on with the trend of younger men/older women? Justin Timberlake leaving Cameron Diaz for the barely legal Scarlett Johanssen and now, Tom Brady shucking his older supermodel for a younger, sportier model. It’s nice to see that the trends always swing back. Maybe there is still hope for a resurgence of the historical romance novel.

Someone had a long, long rehearsal dinner. Wonder if the groom wears a glitter glove to bed.