Dear Author: Romance Book Reviews, Author Interviews, and Commentary

Last week, we saw some previews of the comic book that Dabel Brothers is doing of Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series. Only when people went to pre-order the comic book, the purchase link was elusive.

Here are some details straight from the Briggs website:

You can download a preview of the first graphic novel in .pdf format. While it’s missing the text, it certainly shows the quality of the artwork and layout. The Dables have produced a press release giving more details about the series. To order the series, contact your local comic book store, or use this handy order form.

Ever the demanding person, I lamented that I thought I could just go into any bookstore and find the comic book because I didn’t know where the nearest comic bookstore was and was too lazy to click on the link to find out. So for those lazy people, you can wait until 2009 when Del Rey, in partnership with Dabel Brothers, will put out a Graphic novels (hardcover with dust jacket). The first one will be the four issue series Homecoming/the original short story Briggs penned.

Second topic is the JR Ward novella, Father Mine, which …

eSPECIALS FROM THREE OF PENGUIN GROUP S
PARANORMAL FICTION STARS
Works by J.R. Ward, Karen Chance, and Patricia Briggs
Will be Available to Download

New York, NY (October 7, 2008) In a continued effort to bring writers to readers in whatever format the reader prefers, Penguin Group (USA) announced today the release of three paranormal fiction eSpecials, short pieces of writing for eBook readers. These new eSpecials are otherwordly novellas by three of Penguin Group’s most popular writers of paranormal romance and urban fantasy: #1 New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward; #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs; and national bestselling author Karen Chance.
This is the perfect way for dedicated paranormal fiction fans to get the inside scoop on characters and series they re already into, said Molly Barton, Associate Publisher of eSpecials at Penguin Group. These three new eSpecials will also give curious readers a taste of some of the hottest writers working in paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

Father Mine, a novella from J.R. Ward about two …

I still remember, vividly, the first time I picked up a JR Ward book. It was in my mall Waldenbooks store. I was just browsing along the aisles when I saw this glossy red cover with a black dagger in the middle. The cover said that it was “A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.” The tagline sold me and the story hooked me and I waited impatiently for every installment. I don’t doubt that ten years from now, we’ll look back in the BDB series and see how it influenced the nature of paranormal romance from its covers to the contents. The latest release, Lover Enshrined, is on sale now.
***
I know this is supposed to be about your first sale, but I thought I’d talk about how I found out the Black Dagger Brotherhood series had sold. I will never forget when the call came… or what was happening at the time…

See, I’m a Yankee. A true blue Yank through and through. Born up there, raised up there, never expected to live anywhere else but New England.

Enter the Southern …

Dear Ms. Ward,

It might be an understatement to say your previous novel, Lover Unbound, elicited some very passionate reactions from readers. I can’t say I disagree with those criticisms. Even though I ended up liking the book because it developed John Matthew’s storyline, the main romance drove me insane for so many reasons, some of which were covered in Jane’s review. You could say Lover Unbound confirmed a suspicion I’ve always had about regarding the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and I was waiting to see if Lover Enshrined would support it. It did.

I have two confessions to make. When I first picked up Dark Lover, I didn’t particularly like it. I was interested enough to pick up the next one in the series, but I never quite understood the reception the first book received. I still don’t. But more importantly, my second confession is this: If I read for the romance, I would never have kept reading this series. The only romance that ever worked for me was that of Zsadist and Bella, and even …

Dear Ms. Ward:

I’ve referred to you as romance crack before. Your books are addictive, like a pharmaceutical grade narcotic, that makes a reader hot for the next book before the current book is even concluded. Unfortunately, I think I got a bad batch and wonder what I should do about it. On the one hand, this book cured me of my JR Ward addiction. On the other, its sad to see such a promising series totally crater.

I can’t really give much of a summary without spoiling the book but I can say that Vishous, a man cursed with prognostication, is floundering, as his best friend has left him for a woman. He goes off to nurse his wounds and lo and behold, finds a woman of his own. He also finds out that he and Jane, his new love interest, have something in common - bad, bad mothers. This commonality and Jane’s willingness to follow him into his kinky world, bring the two of them closer together until the lessers threaten their fledgling love.

Jane and Vishous’ story is …

Some readers have argued in the comments at Smart Bitches that the romance genre definition does not include a happy ever after. I had a long and somewhat contentious debate with Robin over the definition of romance. Her argument is that the academic definition of the genre is that romance is a story that focuses on the love relationship of individuals and results in an uplifting ending for the characters involved in the love relationship.

My definition? A book that contains a love story and ends with the promise of happily ever after.

Robin’s argument is that if the more widely accepted definition was not one that included a HEA, that the ending of books would be more satisfying.

My argument is that authors need not limit themselves by the genre definition as expressed by the readers. Meaning, that if an author is crafting her books to be most reader friendly (depending on whom the reader is), then that is her issue and not one reliant on the genre definition. I read JR Ward’s recent book, “Lover Unbound”, as an answer to her fans, at least a certain segment of her fans. …

Dear Ms. Bird:

One thing that seems a lost art in the new crop of romances is its failure to focus on the development of the actual relationship. Romance, at its best, is character driven with the central plot being the intersecting of two individuals to mesh into one stronger, better unit. A great category novel does this better than any book out there because the focus is solely on the relationship and nothing else. But category novels are so plentiful and the quality so varied that you never know whether you will be getting a rare orchid or common weed.

In this book, I had some trepidation but the quality of the story, the focus on the two individuals reminded me of what makes romance so great.

Sean O’Banyon is a self made billionaire. He put himself through college at Harvard, then an MBA, to become one of the top financiers in New York. Unfortunately, being rich generally means being a target. Women generally only want him for the prestige or the money so he’s made …

According to the readers at Romantic Times, JR Ward is moving to hardcover in 2009 with Rhevenge’s story. The print schedule looks like this:

October 2007, Lover Unbound (Vishous)
April 2008, Phury’s book
January 2009, Rhevenge’s book, in hardcover

Thanks Sybil.

Fictionwise uses a rebate system whereby you are given back dollars for purchases which you can then use for future purchases. Each Monday they offer three books with a 100% micropay rebate, meaning if you buy the book, you get the entire amount back to be used on a book in the future. I guess it is like a buy 1, get the second of equal or lesser value free. Or 2 books for the price of one. Whatever way you spin it, it’s my favorite deal at Fictionwise and today it is offering two coveted ebooks for “free.”

Ironically, these are both Penguin groups and long time readers of the blog know that I am fairly critical of Penguin’s ebook efforts. In any event, to the next 3 individuals who fill out a RITA Reader ballot, I will give away one e-copy of Amanda Quick’s The River Knows and two e-copies of JR Ward’s Lover Revealed.

Reader Azure noted in the forum that the entire Black Dagger Brotherhood series is now in ebook format. After doing some searching, here are the locations, prices and formats.

Ebooks.com, $6.99 (Adobe, Mobi and MS Lit)
Mobipocket, $6.99 (Mobi only)

Diesel Ebooks, $6.99 (MS Lit, Palm, Adobe)
Ebooks.com, $6.99 (Adobe, Mobi and MS Lit)
Powells, $6.20 (MS Lit, Adobe, Palm)
Mobipocket, $6.99 (Mobi only)

Diesel Ebooks, $6.99 (MS Lit, Palm, Adobe)
Ebooks.com, $6.99 (Adobe, Mobi and MS Lit)
EReader, $6.29 (ereader format only, sometimes known as Palm)
Fictionwise, $5.94 Club Price (MS Reader, Palm)
Mobipocket, $6.99 (Mobi only)

This book is more expensive than the previous three books.
Diesel Ebooks, $7.99 (MS Lit, Palm, Adobe)
EReader, $7.19 (ereader format only, sometimes known as Palm)
Mobipocket, $7.99 (Mobi only)