No, not Bobby — although he is the one who found this book among the sack of categories my sister brought up from my dad’s house yesterday (also a Susan Napier, THE MISTRESS DECEPTION — reviewed here by Rosario — which I really enjoyed, and a Vicki Lewis Thompson Blaze that I haven’t read before.)
He brought it in and said, “How is it that this book doesn’t top everyone’s Best Ever– I Couldn’t Wait To Grab This Off The Shelf! list?”
I dunno, Bobby. Why do you think that is?
***
I’ll admit the guys do kind of remind me of those twin appraisers on the Antique Roadshow. I think they also host their own “how much is your stuff worth” show? Apparently, they also used to pose for HAR in their spare time.
***
You wouldn’t believe how long it took before I managed to get a shot of this that wasn’t a) blurry or b) washed out by the flash.
*Or, for some, the “I tried her work once and it didn’t totally click for me, but I’m willing to try again!” FIRST BLOOD giveaway.
I’ve got twenty-five copies of First Blood sitting in a box, and they want a new home. If you haven’t read any of the Guardian series but have been considering it (or if you have and are on the fence about the series, unsure if you want to go any further) then just leave a comment below by September 1. On September 2, I’ll randomly choose twenty-five names and send them a copy of First Blood.
I am sick with some freak not-quite-a-head-cold-and-not-quite-the-flu-but-I-feel-like-shit-regardless thing, and writing. The latest novella rewrite is going well, and because I’m finally happy with the conflict and characters, it will be the final draft until the tweaks and such that I have to do for revisions and after feedback. This is from the opening:
Less than a minute after her employer’s nephew strode into view beyond one of JFK’s security checkpoints, Maggie Wren realized that her new boss was a madman.
There had been signs, of course — such as the numerous life-sized self-portraits decorating his San Francisco mansion and his insistence on calling Maggie “Winters” — but she hadn’t counted his nephew among them until Geoffrey Blake walked close enough for Maggie to see his [something that Meljean won't reveal for another eight months or so, when it's time to post the excerpt for this novella.]
Just because the conflict in a novella needs to be solvable in a short amount of time, it does not mean that the conflict has to be unimportant. Something has to be at stake. And that something at stake should be something readers will care about. And industrial espionage, when the research being stolen can’t be immediately applied in any terrible way, and the demons already have easy access to the material being studied … okay, maybe that was a bad idea.
Very bad idea. Beyond the boundary of Kind-of-Dumb and verging onto Stupidville.
Now fixing.
ETA: of course, the good news is that after dancing around this problem and not seeing it through the first crappy drafts, and assuming the problem was, in turn: the villain, the heroine’s (lack of) emotional connection to the conflict, the revised villain, my inability to write anything omg I’m just a stupid hack!!! … now I’m pretty happy with all of that stuff, so now that I’ve figured out the REAL problem, it’s all so much easier.
I’ve got two ARCs of my November release to give away! These are ARCs that are printed before the final copies, complete with a few typos and a plain yellow cover. And, as usual, I ask that if you win the ARC, to please write a review somewhere within two weeks or so of the release date (Amazon, B&N, a blog, anywhere you feel comfortable posting.)
What is Demon Bound? It’s the fourth full length book in the Guardian series, and it features Jake, a sixty-year-old novice Guardian, and Alice, a creepy Guardian known as the Black Widow. She’s got a terrible secret; he’s got a Gift he can’t control. So, of course, they’re headed for plenty of trouble.
Among the Guardians, Alice Grey is known as the Black Widow–a woman trapped in a web spun by the demon Teqon. To save her soul, she agreed to deliver to Teqon the heart of the oldest and most powerful Guardian of all, or else be damned for eternity. After more than a hundred years, Teqon is calling in his debt.
Jake Hawkins is a novice Guardian whose gift of teleportation could be invaluable to Alice in determining her next move. But in aligning himself with her he never expected to fall in love. Now, their passionate flight to escape Alice’s damnable bargain is threatening both their souls. For they’re about to discover a hellish secret about the Guardians–something that will change their universe forever.
So, here’s what you have to do to win: leave a comment telling me what you think the creepiest superpower would be. On September 20th, I’ll pick two winners in a random drawing. It’s that easy!
Just how creepy is Alice? Well, I’ll spare everyone and not repost that picture of a black widow spider … so how about a long excerpt from Chapter Two (if you haven’t already read the first taste of Alice’s creepiness, most of Chapter One is on the main Demon Bound page.) Read more »
I have a problem. You see, I lurk at a message board where readers talk about … what else … books! And I really love going through the threads where people talk about what they are reading, because I end up with a massive TBR that way and tons of recommendations. And, yes, every once in a while I get a thrill when someone mentions they are reading one of my books! But recently, a thread popped up titled: Books You Hate That Others Love. I’m curious … but should I click?
Confused Lurker In Turmoil
Dear Confused,
Are you a complete masochist? Sure, you’ll see everyone mention what books they don’t like, and how much they hate on them … but WHAT IF YOUR BOOK IS IN THERE? Really, in a thread like that, only pain awaits you. Don’t click, C.L.I.T.
Missy
Dear Missy,
I read a review one minute ago that really, really, REALLY pissed me off. I really want to call the reviewer an ignorant pig. What should I do?
Not an Ignorant Pig
Dear NIP,
Back away from the keyboard. No, if you can read this screen, you’re too close. Turn around, walk into the kitchen, and eat the pint of Ben and Jerry’s stashed there. Go outside and run a mile. Kick your husband off the sofa and curl up with your favorite book. Tell your husband/friend/writing partner that the reviewer is an ignorant pig. It’s probably better to do it in person or on the phone. If you use e-mail, make sure you really, really, really trust that person.
Then, slowly, ease back into your seat. Now, is the review riddled with errors? BIG errors? Not, “you spelled the heroine’s name with an extra ‘L’” or “Jesus Christ, didn’t you notice the gun on the mantle in the first act that the heroine used in the final confrontation? WTF do you mean, ‘out of nowhere?’ Can’t you read??!!!111′” but “you said that the hero tortured a kitty to death on the first page before shoving it down the heroine’s throat — when in fact, he gave her p**** a good licking and then kissed her.” If it’s a small thing, or a matter of taste, or you just don’t like the grade they gave your book or how they interpreted your character’s actions, LEAVE IT ALONE.
But if it’s not, and you absolutely have to respond — and if you can do it without writing an insult anywhere within the comment — maybe you can reply either by e-mail (if it’s a blogger) or in the comments (for bloggers or Amazon) and make your clarification. And it doesn’t hurt to preface that correction by saying something like, “I’m sorry that the book didn’t work for you.”
Sometimes readers will still be upset that you corrected a big error in the review, but most won’t be. And anyone else coming across the conversation will note who is polite and who is belligerent/crazy.
Missy
Dear Missy,
A chick e-mailed me and said she can make my penis bigger! Only, I don’t have a penis! Now I’m confused … am I really a man? After all, I am tall. And I think boobs are pretty awesome. Should I pay her the $199.99 and get a pleasure stick that will make her scream all night long?
I can’t believe this has been out for two years and I’ve never seen it before. And, yeah, it goes on for too long … but I’m still giggling. Okay, back to work for me.
I’ve always loved The Taming of the Shrew, and this modern version from BBC’s ShakespeaRe-Told series just knocked my socks off (previous favorite was a Shakespeare in the Park production with Raul Julia). Here is the beginning (from YouTube.)
I’ve got twenty-five copies of First Blood sitting in a box, and they want a new home. If you haven’t read any of the Guardian series but have been considering it (or if you have and are on the fence about the series, unsure if you want to go any further) then just leave a comment below by September 1. On September 2, I’ll randomly choose twenty-five names and send them a copy of First Blood.
I’ve got two ARCs of my November release to give away! These are ARCs that are printed before the final copies, complete with a few typos and a plain yellow cover. And, as usual, I ask that if you win the ARC, to please write a review somewhere within two weeks or so of the release date (Amazon, B&N, a blog, anywhere you feel comfortable posting.)
Dear Missy,