Barnes & Noble and Book Business

I went to the DC area to visit family for Chinese New Year celebrations.  We went on a side trip to Inner Harbor at Baltimore, MD.  While they explored the ships and aquarium, I had a grand time checking out the Barnes and Noble there.

Converted from the old power plant, the massive building was impressive at first sight, with the Hard Rock Cafe guitar logo stationed right above.  I just love the way the shelves were decorated around the old smoke stacks (I think they were the original ones) and there were so many books!  I'm happy to say that the romance section was well-represented and not hiding in some corner, like in most of BN box-like buildings nowadays.

Have you ever been there?  I believe the old style big book stores are going away, especially with Borders heading for bankruptcy. BN is closing some of its buildings and concentration on their online presence, especially now that its Nook and self-publishing division, Pubit, are becoming more popular with consumers.

Personally, I do think that, in spite of the rising popularity of ebooks, there is still hope for bookstores, especially new-and-used independents that had been going through some tough years.  There are still readers who love browsing for paperbacks and used books; also, many still love the fact that, unlike ebooks, which aren't transferable, their books are actually theirs to resell and exchanged, if they wanted.

My friend's new-and-used bookstore is doing well.  Although the majority of her readers are older (being in the Sunshine State), she's seeing an influx of younger readers, those who had graduated from Harry Potter and Twilight, looking for new YA books.  One of the ways I help my friend is to introduce her to new authors from books I've gotten from RWA, so she could order the ones she feels her readers would enjoy.  I'm surprised and happy at the new younger readers and during my convention visits, I shall look for YA books for them.

My friend has always encouraged me to open a similar bookstore like hers for my retirement (yeah, rooferauthor here is getting old) and I've always resisted because of my schedule and also seeing so many small bookstores going out of business.  However, I'm beginning to think that there is a way to make a living with a new-and-used independent bookstore, with the right location and small overhead. 

Many readers don't hoard books like I do (at least, that's how I see it, from looking at my friend's customers); they buy new books and return them for credit to get the back list of authors they enjoy.  One thing that doesn't change, though--they're all avid readers. They drop by at the store with one or two loads of books and leave with that many.  Now that there are younger readers doing the same, there's hope for the business!

So maybe one day, and it's not as far off as I'd like, you'll find the rooferauthor is now rooferbookstoreownerauthor. :-P  As some of you know, I'm a packrat, with multiples of many favorite things.  It'll be interesting to see how hard it is to part with some of my collection!

Do you have a historic or interesting book store (BN or independent) in your area? Any bookstore owners out there?

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New Moon, the Condensed Version

This is for those of us who are too busy to read the entire book by Stephanie Meyer:

New Moon, the Condensed Version

Thank you, Mandy, from Smexybooks for giving me a good chuckle this morning. Great use of dolls!

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Post #2: I Cannot Live Without Books

And RWA slakes my thirst, hunger, need...everything! ;-)

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Half Year Mark Already!

Holy cowabunga, what happened to the time?! Did you accomplish your half-year mark goal(s)?

So far, I haven't done too badly:

1) I released a book, albeit through myself
2) I found a publisher who loves Virtually Hers and Virtually One
3) Virtually Hers is coming out THIS YEAR, e-book format in early Oct.

I didn't read as many books as I wanted to, but I reread a bunch of goodies.

The best book, for me, at this mid-point is Illona Andrews' MAGIC STRIKES, hands down. I just love Curran and the growing relationship between Kate and him. And the fabulous worldbuilding!

I also highly recommend Patricia Briggs' BONE CROSSED, fourth in the Mercedes series. These stories are getting soooo good, but this book is in hard cover and I can't afford any this year. Fortunately, I received this for Valentine's Day ;-).

On my first day after VHERS edits, I went to the bookstore to reward myself. I was sooo happy to find Marjorie Liu's Darkness Calls, the second book in her Maxine Kiss urban fantasy series. I've been waiting for this book because I wanted to read more about Maxine and Grant. For those who want to read an urban fantasy without werewolves and shapeshifting animals, I recommend this series. It features a demon huntress with very unusual tattoos/protectors. Book One wasn't heavy on the relationship stuff, but I trust Marjorie to give me more ;-).

What about your recommended Midyear Best Book? What are you reading right now?

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Virtually Hers Update/Your Opinion

Last week, out of the blue and because I wanted to be in the top ten of a March Madness version of Best Romance Books Tournament at Dear Author, I announced a contest that whoever who go to the site to vote for Patricia Briggs' Iron Kissed would be entered into a contest. The winner would get a copy of VIRTUALLY HERS, whom I've planned to come out via Amazon POD services in time for the Romantic Times Convention.

During the game, an editor from Samhain had seen my announcement on Twitter and had come to my site to check out news about VIRTUALLY HERS but of course, found nothing. I told her about my plans and added a quick query whether she might be interested to read the manuscript anyway. She was! She said that if accepted, VHERS could possibly be out in E-BOOK format in fall and in print format ten months after that.

So anyway, that was something new to mull about all week, whether I should just go ahead and put VHERS out on Amazon while waiting for Samhain's decision. If Samhain makes an offer, I could always just take it down from Amazon, right? Or. I could just do a limited printout so I can just take the books to the RT convention signing and also give one to the contest winner.

What do you think?

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Ah, I Love My Readers

Check out what Maria did for me:



Isn't that cute? ;-)

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Your Uber Opinions, Please

Hey, here is my fun project about to be let loose in the wild world of POD publishing. So many of you have emailed me for a "printed book" version of Big Bad Wolf so your non-computer mom/aunt/relative can read the story too and so you can add a book to your GLow collection, that I looked into various options available. I think I found one that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg (under $10, I'm hoping).

Since Nathan Kamp is out of my pocket-league, I have three covers here that I have picked from stock. I haven't bought them yet since nothing is finaled. There were some awfully sexy ones in jeans and all but I thought I'd tone it down with just a good-looking face. Which one appeals to you? You can click on the first two pics so they open "bigger." The first and third look similar but one of them has a female silhouette behind the title, floating above him.

(Ignore the watermarks. I didn't buy the converter program or the pics yet)

The following two were verrrrrra pretty, but I figured too much for romantic suspense??? But I'm adding them here for your gratuitous enjoyment ;-).

NONPICK 1: He's got an outie!


NONPICK 2: There's a roof behind him! ;-)


Your feedback is much appreciated since this is my Fun Project. Everything is almost ready to go! Just need a good commercial cover and once I pay for it, etc...yes, you can buy the book for Christmas at Amazon! Yeeha.

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Bronchitis Isn't Conducive For Brain Work--Who Knew?

The coughing is getting better. Night time brings out the choir of frogs more than any time, though, so my Olympics cheerleading singalong hasn't been very pretty to the ears. ;-) Even the mutant poms are covering theirs instead of singing along with me, hmmph.

This morning, I was given a looksee of Ranger Buddy's upcoming classes. One of them is...MUSIC APPRECIATION. I kid you not. What that has to do with nursing, I don't know, but it was funny listening to him whine that he's turning into a sissy. I try to scare scare with terms like "Baroque" and "Fugue." I'm sure he's home googling the terms now. Oh, this is going to be fun ;-).

Tonight, if I don't fall asleep from meds, I'll start on Killian. I can't wait. This is going to be sort of fun and sort of uncomfortable, going through an old manuscript and letting it out into the public. Let's hope I don't embarrass myself into a choking fit.

So, besides Acheron, what else have you been reading?

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Half Year Mark

Time to nominate your most favorite book that you've read for the first half of 2008, gang. I nominate Joanna Bourne's The Spymaster's Lady, a (spy) historical. Innovative and sexy. Loved the hero. Loved the heroine. Want the hero ;-). There were a few stupid plot points but the strength of the author's voice kept me going. I think I reread this book at least five times!

So, what's your nomination of best book so far this year?

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Play Scramble With Silly Jenn

With apologies to Kresley Cole, whose LORE series I love, love, love.

Because of her tongue-twisty titles, I jumbled all the words of her titles and came up with suggestions for her future books. I'm sure she'll find some of these suggestions very useful :-D.

Her four books, with their REAL titles are:

A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER
NO REST FOR THE WICKED
WICKED DEEDS ON A WINTER'S NIGHT
DARK NEEDS AT NIGHT'S EDGE
DARK DESIRES AFTER DUSK

**********************
Here are my creations for future LORE titles:

No Other Wicked Deeds On A Dark Night After Dusk

A Hunger After Dark Desires For Wicked Deeds

No Rest After Dark Like Dark Wicked Desires

Wicked Rest Wicked Hunger Wicked Desires

A Wicked Desire For The Hunger's Edge After Dusk

Wicked Dusk Needs Winter's Desire After Dark

A Dark Edge At Wicked Night Like No Other Rest

Rest On A Wicked Other Winter's Dark Dusk

No Other Dark Edge On A Night's Night Like A Hunger

Dark Dusk After A Hunger On No Rest At Dusk's Edge

**************
Heehee.

Kresley's gonna kill me.

But them be great books and she can use all my titles for the sequels! ;-) Now you can join me by making some new titles for Kresley's books. I'm sure you'll come up with good ones.

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I See Funny People

I have another appointment today to see the doctor about the eye thing. Stitches out, and to check whether one of the eye is really smaller than the other. Arrghhh. I guess I always wanted to look diabolical and laconic.

Anyway, you kids entertain yourselves while I get my eye back into working order. If all goes well, I'll be back blogging tonight, giving you my expert opinion of my first science fiction/fantasy convention. And I have pics of me with John Scalzi (who can look diabolical and laconic when he wants to) and C.L. Wilson (yes, I was so glad to see her there).

This weekend, I started John Scalzi's The Android's Dream and Gena Showalter's The Darkest Night (depending on where I am at home). Good books--get them! I'll review when I'm done.

Also, yesterday, just so you know, Ranger Buddy pulled a muscle in his back. How? He was COPYING certain notes from me about "sexual awareness and violence" in a Jo Carol Oates' short story. He said all that pen holding is killing him. When I asked him whether he saw ANY of the themes I mentioned, he said, "Yeah, when I turn the book upside down." Smart ass. Oh wait, I'm the smart one; he's the ass.

Finally, he also finished The Hobbit. The look on his face when he told me the story. Bwahahahahaha. He asked: "Umm...is there any sexual awareness in The Hobbit? Because, you know, I really don't want to know about it."

Hee.

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Alpha Male gives thanks to those who sent prayers and healing thoughts. He's alert right now, in pain, but alert and ATTEMPTING to bend his knee with weights. The doctor said he dug out a ""hella junk scar tissue." I wonder what scar tissue looks like? (shudder)

I'll update more as soon as I can tell that the morphine is really out of his system. You know how it is...it feels "okay" now and he thinks he isn't in as much pain as everyone kept telling him he'd be; he thinks he must tougher than those other poor suffering devils. Then, WHOMP! The morphine dissipates and we get the real rawness coming through. (shudder)

But thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers. It's working. I haven't had the need to say "poor lil' bunny" yet.

*******************

Here's a good Saturday distraction:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

I won't tag but would love y'all to post here (and pass on to friends, if you want). Let me start:

My nearest book is Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey.

Pg. 123, fifth, sixth and seventh sentences are:

She taught us what Delauney had taught her--the art of covertcy. One day, when Charles and Catherine and I were all in attendance, she blindfolded all of us and bid us to wander the manor's estate for an hour's time. We were to report back on all we had observed while deprived on sight, including each other's doings.

Your turn! What's your nearest book, go get it!

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The Dutch Marlena Maxwell

Hey, the world's most glamorous assassin is a doll!

Thanks to Millo, who wants to send me a copy. I'd like that. Coz, I never get to see anything foreign of mine, boohoo.

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Pimping Is Hard

I love John Scalzi's blog. He's an award-winning science fiction writer with a tongue of acid and a wit like a new razor. He's also auctioning off a pre-publication bound manuscript version of his coming-out-soon novel, ZOE'S TALE to benefit the Disabled American Veteran's Charitable Service Trust. This is a cause after my own heart, and if you enjoy science fiction, or maybe your loved one does, and would like to place a bid, read about this generous offer HERE.

John Scalzi, in today's blog post, gave a chance to his readers to pimp their blogs/books/whatever. Many of his blog readers--I would say 90 percent--are science-fiction readers and writers, and the opportunity to pimp there could provide interest in their books/areas. I was tempted to post something, but I knew that probably none of his readers would care about reading romance in their suspense. However, I was really, really tempted to write, with a link to my website: "I write romantic suspense. My works are full of bang bang." LOL. It IS hard promoting one's genre in a blog that is about another genre.

Talking about promotion, I'm guest blogging tomorrow so, TOMORROW, BE HERE to get a link to THE SPECIAL MASSAGEMESSAGE: GENNITA LOW's WRITING PROCESS. Really, it's going to be good. Full of bang bang. And, it'll read like science-fiction. No, it's DEFINITELY not suitable for pimpage at Scalzi's blog either. :::grin::: Find out why tomorrow.

Maybe you have some suggestions as to how to pimp myself? You can be the GLowing Pimpettes!

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Friday Frou Frou

Continuing from yesterday....

11) from Leilani: Cartoon covers

I've totally forgotten about those chick-lit covers! Never did like them. Could never figure out why they were so popular, but they are now synonymous with chick-lit.

12) from Kathleen: Cassie Edward type covers

You know, the "white man in Indian costume" ones. Say no more.

Great additions, girls! Keep them coming.

*********************************

I'm going to have to figure out a semi-permanent stickie for the top of the blog. I'm getting tons of emails asking about Virtually Hers and why it can't be found in stores because August is here already. :-( Maybe a stickie up there explaining the delay and the possibility of an electronic download through eHarlequin this December will stem some of the frustration and anger. I'm so, so sorry about the delay, girls. I promise to work hard behind the scenes and get some good news about either the book or the e-download, 'kay?

**************************

Reading right now: the ARC for Tara Janzen's ON THE LOOSE. Nyah, nyah.

**************************

In One Month: Bones!!!! And Gregory House!!!! Like multiple orgasms ;-).

***************************

Two of my mutant poms are going to have surgery for their teeth this morning. I'm a worried momma, of course, since one of the furbabies is eleven. I get anxious because I keep reading about horror stories of dogs allergic to anaesthesia and complications from it, etc.

Of course, when I told Ranger Buddy, he said to just take the mutants to HIS dentist, who didn't use any painkillers on him. Remember? She of the Gollum Teeth. I still shudder at the memory of what she did to his bottom teeth! RB's finally had his bridge in and although they look straight and white, they don't align with his top teeth right because I* can tell his bite looks different. LOL. Ah well, the man just never listened when I told him to use my dentist.

By the way, since the Mexican crapenters have been replaced, he had been slacking in his Spanish lessons. We still yell "Pellegro" when we throw stuff off the roof, though, but no one down there pays attention because they don't speaka de Spanish. Sheesh. Now we have to learn English all over again....

I can't wait for when we get German crapenters. Then I get to play teacher ;-). I can so see it now. While throwing shingles off the roof, the guys are trying to enunciate the "ch" in Achtung! and Ich weiss nicht (since that's the standard answer for any questions I have about why something is not done right). I bet my crew is the only group of construction dudes who can chew tobaccy, yell in obscene Chinese, and talk romance book terms ("she writes romantic suspense, man!);-P.

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Uber Kick-ass Heroine Has No Front

The latest trend in covers--pretty female backs/side of face showing (usually with an intricate tattoo somewhere), with a sword/stake/weapon in one hand--is nice but I'm getting confused with whether I read the book already or not. Especially when there are so many urban fantasy series coming out lately. I'd look at the cover and try to remember whether I've seen it or bought it, and then put the book back on the shelf because I wasn't sure. And of course, when I'm home, I'd forget to check. Repeat vicious cycle.

When they put out a spate of covers that look so similar (like the matchstick running couple with the car headlight in the background), after a while, my brain seems to shut down and my eyes sweep over those books and I tend not to want to read them. Is it psychological? I know what the marketing department is doing by putting out visual similarities like that, but it reminds me of the ice-tea trend. Remember there were freaking 1001 fruity-type ice teas when Snapple was the craze? I like my ice tea, so of course I bought them to try. Some were good and some tasted like they stirred in 10 lbs of sugar in a four ounces of water. They were all packaged to sort of look like Snapple too, with funky labels and names for the tea.

Then, after the initial interest, my brain shut down and when I went to the store, my hand just automatically reached for...the good old-fashion ice tea staple I usually had before the craze. And after a while, those new tasty sweet stuff disappeared. Trend over.

Remember the cover trends of just one body part? The muscular arm with the tattoo, for instance?

I am now going to make a prediction. Next: Sexy tight asses in skimpy briefs/bikinis with tattoos on one cheek. ;-) Oh, and next to a hand holding a stake/gun/sword, so you know what genre it is. Heh.

What cover trend do you remember? Date yourself!

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Warrior Heros in Books

I'm going to list some Warrior Heros from the books on my shelf by the laptop:

Keir in Elizabeth Vaughan's Warprize
Lachlain in Kresley Cole's A Hunger Like No Other
Wyatt in Linda Howard's Drop Dead Gorgeous
Cam in Linda Howard's Up Close and Dangerous (still reading it!)
Wrath in J.R. Ward's Darkh Lhover
Stephen in Christina Dodd's Lost In Your Arms
Roarke in J.D. Robb's Born In Death

The rest I have there are Bad Boys! I guess my preference is showing ;-).

Look at your closest shelf and add to my list. Doesn't have to be current books, as you can see.

I see my book Facing Fear on the shelf but I couldn't decide whether Rick is a bad boy or a warrior, so I'm leaving that to you.

Warriors vs Bad Boys -- would they get along, you think? I'll have to let that simmer on my mind today.

*************
P/S Last night at Walmart, out of curiosity, I read the last two pages of the new Karin Slaughter book. SPOILERS AHEAD.
->
->
->
->
Wow. Talk about cruelty, dude! The couple was so happy about their lives together till the very last page. Then... Cold, man. I hurt for the readers who love this couple.

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Uber Author At RWA 2007 Day Two

I woke up in my creaky five-star Hyatt sofabed.

My back hurts right now while I type and I haven't been roofing. What's up with that? I'm sure I didn't do anything wild and crazy with Author Pamela Clare last night because she had to rush back to her hotel to retrieve her lost luggage. It was a happy moment for her because she was walking around begging money from authors for the Buy Pamela Clare Some Underwear Fund. Her line was: I'm a RITA finalist and I can't afford underwear!

That's Emma Holly on the far left and I'm not sure whether she'd ever want to have a drink with me again ;-).

Yesterday was when the madness really began--arrivals (hah! So many late from delayed planes. Hahaha, I cackled triumphantly inside. I'm early this year, girls, earlyearlyearly, nyah nyah). Then there were lines to the counters, lines to the restroom, lines to the restaurant. Nothing like 2000 hungry and talkative women in the hotel lobby ;-).

As always, this turns quite a number of men in the hotel into wide-eyed, scared, bewildered, "I'm surrounded by female hormones," whimpering lost souls. You can easily spot them holding on to their luggage in the corner of the elevator, crowded in by 3 dozen RWA ladies, standing at the end of the bar, shivering over his beer as 500 RWA women talk over him, scuttering into the shadows as he avoids being trampled by 1000 females going for the restroom after a conference lunch.

Oh, lunch! I totally forgot. I was starving still from having not eaten since yesterday's plane fortification! My stomach was complaining like crazy when I finally joined Pamela Britton for lunch.

It's usually a bit quiet on Weds because of regional chapter meetings. I talked to many of my old Golden Heart buddies at the Golden Network annual meeting and made plans with Gayle Wilson about our publisher dinner tomorrow night.

I ACTUALLY TOOK SOME TIME AT THIS POINT TO WRITE MY BOOK. Hallellujah. Nothing like feeding off the creative energy of writers buzzing around one. Stomach full, creative temperature rising, I was ready for the big event of the day, the Literacy Signing.

When I entered the huge ballroom, the first table to the right was filled with raffle baskets, hundreds and hundreds of donated items from different chapters and writers for Literacy. You could buy a raffle ticket and drop your name/number into the bag(s) attached to the basket you want. These goodies include signed ARCs, so there were quite a number of interested readers!

Before I sat down at my corner, I managed to snag two books for myself:

La Nora was looking her usually sophisticated and beautiful self.

Eileen Wilks had the most gorgeous brown outfit on. And she let me drape myself over her table for some reason.

Then, it was signing time and the doors opened for the waiting readers outside. They poured in and headed immediately to their favorite authors, for example:

Yup, that's La Sherrilyn Kenyon with a black swan head ornament. She looked dynamite, glitter make up, vampire teeth, satin gloves, her favorite coffin handbag. I just love her outfits. A couple of years ago, she wore these killer spiked gogo leather boots that went up to her thighs. This year...black swan. Why didn't I think of that instead of a boring stud belt?

This is part of the line in front of me, waiting for Sherry:

Friends and readers stopped by in the two hours I was there. Here are a few of them:

Casee and Ing, who has a long Thai name I couldn't spell, are readers of this blog and my Yahoogroup. It was so wonderful to put a face to the people who post and had emailed me the last year. Casee made me laugh when she kept bringing the McNaughties (Judith McNaught fan forum group) to get my books. Thank you, Casee!

Michelle Buonfiglio from Romance: By The Blog (with her infamous Bellas) dropped by and we air-kissed. I told her it would only be fair that we go bad boys hunting in Dallas for her blog.

A very old friend from the Philippines, Kathleen Dante, is at her first RWA booksigning event (BUY HER BOOK!). I took several photos with her because if you look closely, she is SHORTER than moi. I told her that makes her four foot to my four foot four, heh heh. I then pulled her to Marjorie Liu, sitting not too far from me, so Kathleen can scream at the Tall One and call her names, like I do. ;-)

By the way, I. AM. NOT. PREGNANT. 'kay?

Just a stupid misbehaving belt and sitting on my ass for two hours, 'kay?

Marjorie, Angela Knight and me. I AM NOT PREGNANT!!!!!!! If I am, alien baby is growing very, very fast.

One more photo and I have to split for today's workshops (I'm already late. All your fault!)

This man looking bemusedly at the long lines of Sherrilyn fans dressed up in vampire make up and costumes?

He made me wish I had a Giant Black Swan on my head too. Hey, if this was RT, you wouldn't find me sitting so well-behaved at my seat. This man would have been Gennita Low toast, baby. (Toast? Where did THAT food item come from?!)

Instead, I could only pat on my pregnant stomach and sigh.

Back later, dude, if I have a break.

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Yes, That Was Me Screaming

I was going to post some cool links on the new interactive Virtual Reality chairs that are available at research universities. I was going to have some fun talking about blogs and their addictiveness.

It was all going to tie together with virtual happiness and virtual giggliness.

That was before a post in my Yahoogroup telling me that Amazon has changed the pub date of Virtually Hers to Dec. 2008. Arrghhhh. :::world crumbing around my feet::: The editor has confirmed this. As you know, authors have no power over pub dates. Nor do editors, by the way. But Dec. 2008??? Argghhhh :::pulling my hair, rending my clothes, covering myself in ashes:::

ARGGHHHHhhhh.
ARGGHhhhhhhhhhhhh.
ARRHGGHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhh!

:::composing self:::

Must. Be. Professional. About. This.

My first thought was how to make this up to my many readers who are anticipating Virtually Hers coming out as much as I am. I owe so much to you all for being so patient with, and supportive of, me. It's not easy to want a book and it not being available; been there done that. And the emptiness between now and Dec. of next year is Not Good.

So, anyway, after mulling about this, I'm thinking of giving you all Big Bad Wolf this December, downloadable from my website. BBW is the story pertaining to Number Three, the missing (and dead) operative, Killian McNeil. He's Jed's cousin brother. This story is set five years prior to the action in the Virtually Series, the period I call the Big Bang (click on Da Glow World link). It was written for old (pre-2000, longer format) Silhouette Intimate Moments in mind. I'll have to talk to my agent about this, of course. If it's not possible, I'll offer something else.

Taking deep breath.

Life, as always, sets new challenges.

Dear readers, please accept my apologies. I'll make it up to you this December, I promise.

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Uber Test

Fill in the blank below and answer question. You can have multiple answers.

The topic that most interests me most in a romance is:

A) the HEROINE. Why? Is it to see her growth from point A to point B? Any example? For example, Keri Arthur's Riley Jansen series--the way the heroine handles her changes in power and perspective as a dhampire.

or

B) Forget the heroine. It's the HERO that interests you. Why? Is it the fascination of watching the fantasy man falling in love? Is it the male POV? Is it the show of "maleness" that's important to you? For example, Lora Leigh's men work for me but some of Suzanne Brockmann's don't (esp. those that valley talk, heh).

or

C) Not really. You're more into PLOT. Why? Because if there is no plot, just talk talk talk, you fall asleep. You need 'scenery' and 'meat,' such as The Lymond Chronicles or Gabaldon's timetravel saga; you need to be "in" the era/period. Historicals about tons and balls in regency with bored rakes don't interest you, but you love something from a Kinsale or a Hunter.

or

D) Meh. You're just in it for the SEX. Sexy scenes and lots of sweaty sex. The buildup of the sexual tension then the payoff. Even if the hero is compelling and the heroine extraordinary, you're just not interested if everything is all tell and no show, and worse, the relationship goes nowhere. You must have da Secks! ;-) Example: Let's JD Robb puts Roarke in the background, without the hawtness, but a good partner to Eve's crime-solving, short tempered personality. Would you buy all 20plus books? Example of all sex all the time: LKH's Anita Blake after Book #10. Example of readers (that would be YOU, if you pick this option) complaining the lack of sexual tension and relationshippy stuff: Linda Howard's latest two hardcover "romantic" suspense.

E) Nonononono. The most important thing to you is no intrusion of reality. So, let's say, no bad words (using certain cusswords bother you, so the Navy SEAL better NOT say g*dd*mmit!), no intrusion of reality (like torture, rape, depressing stuff that's NOT what romance is about) so often than not, you deliberately pick stories with Navy SEALs that are on holiday, Spec Ops guys that happened to be sent as bodyguards for starlets, a spy or navy SEAL who's returning home to his smalltown to recuperate from injuries and has to solve the mystery of some murdered aunt, in fact, any stories with a man in uniform who must not soil that uniform with violence ;-).

or

F) Shut up, guys. The most important thing is the DIALOGUE. No banter, no stimulating conversation, no interest on your part. For example, the cruel Alpha must be at his most cruel, so he can wring hate from you. The sad heroine must be at her saddest, so you can cry along. The irritating sister/beotch must be at her bitchiness, so you scream at the book. In fact, your reading enjoyment lives and dies from DIALOGUE. The plot could be so-so or not even there as long as the characters draw you into their conumdrum. Example: some of Anne Stuart's old Harlequin Americans (usually with strange hero that appears to be nothing other than be mysterious, heroine who is a messy doormat, and the bitchiest relatives known to womankind) or Elizabeth Lowell's old categoricals (usually with heroines that would either make you gnash your teeth over their pain and damagedness and heros that you want to rip their hearts out for their callousness, but oh you keep reading anyway because the DIALOGUE, the DIALOGUE....)

or

G) You read for the SOULMATES thing. Destined souls. That's why you love timetravels and quite a number of paranormals (Christine Feehan comes to mind). You love it even more if there is a "binding" thing, magical sex that let the characters have their own secret dialogue (Christine Feehan comes to mind). You especially dislike stories with second loves, dead first wives, or divorced heroes/heroines. Some of you even have the Virgin Rule. :smile: Your heroine is even better if she's a virgin. That makes the SOULMATE theme even better. Heroes, heh, seem to be exempted from this rule.

or

H) None of the above. In which case, you will have to fill in the blank and tell me why, with examples!

Now look at your bookshelves and tell me whether your answers reflect your reading habits. And all done in fun, 'kay, so I'm not judging you or anything.

Bear with me while I learn. The first button likes the POST. The second button likes the BLOG site. Please help me by "liking" me. Thanks!
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