I think everyone here knows about my love for category romance — and Harlequin Presents in particular. It used to be that Silhouette Desires ranked right up there, but it’s been harder and harder for me to get past the covers.

I know, I know. With HPs, there are the titles, and those chick-in-the-nightgown or formal-dress covers splashed across every one. Yet although I don’t love those, I’m not turned off by them … and neither am I repulsed by them. Unlike, for example, these:

And these:

And these:

Now, I know that I’m not the most transparent of writers. Sometimes I confuse people. So I’m going to make my problem with these absolutely clear: Every single one of the male models — who is supposed to represent the hero — looks like a complete asshole. If you shoved icicles up their asses, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t melt. Hell, it’d probably find a home amongst all the other icicles shoved up there.

And on the covers that are shared with a female model, they are always looking away from her with an assholic expression on their faces. Sometimes they are staring out at the reader, which just feels creepy to me. Other times they are just staring away from her. 

Dear Silhouette: maybe I’m not your typical reader, but I don’t want your cover models looking at ME if there is a chick on the cover. I want them enraptured with the heroine, I want your cover to suggest that there is a love story BETWEEN THE HERO AND HEROINE on the inside. 

For example, this cover — although I don’t love it, I’m not repulsed by it in the same way. It doesn’t make me think ASSHOLE! and it doesn’t feel creepy. 

I would pick up this book in the store. Those six above? Blech. Blech blech puke. This one isn’t as bad either (it kind of reminds me of the old MAN OF THE MONTH covers that Desire used to have, which I never liked, but I didn’t hate, either. )

I don’t really like it, but the icicle-up-the-ass feeling isn’t there. If the guy has to be looking at me, why make him look like those above? They don’t look hard, they don’t look ruthless … they just look like slimey assholes.

And that is all.

…at the Book Binge.

I used to do this a lot more (through all of DEMON ANGEL and DEMON MOON) — have my daily and weekly word count/goals updated in a spreadsheet, along with a graph (that is terrible to see when you have less than half the book done), percentage done (I set it high — 150K — because I know myself too well, and I’d be an idiot to consider myself 50% done with 50K) and how-many-words-per-day-until-deadline sections, and cells with lots of red and parenthesis when I didn’t meet my requirements.

I didn’t do it for my next two books, because I was struggling with word count every day even when I was writing all day, and it was just too disheartening.

But over the next couple of years, I think it’ll be more and more necessary. Deadlines right after each other — writing all day doesn’t cut it; I have to produce good, countable stuff. And so it’s back to the days when the only two windows open on my computer are the manuscript, and the spreadsheet that reminds me how much I’ve still got left to do.

Found at Deus Ex Malcontent

Via SF Universe, it’s a poster for Terminator: Salvation

Has anyone been watching the Chronicles on TV? It’s been hit and miss, I think … but overall pretty hit for me. After the disappointment of a few other shows (Fringe, sigh, and Eleventh Hour) it’s one that I’m still making a point to either watch on Monday nights, or catch up with online later. 

I still think the T-1000 casting was a big mistake, though. I cringe every time SM comes onscreen.

I am heading down to my parents’ house tomorrow morning (with my laptop). While everyone else is cooking, I’ll be writing … which is probably for the best, as my culinary skills are not legendary. Yesterday I took a day and made sure I had all of the story threads mapped out through Michael’s book (the eighth full-length novel), and they all fell nicely into place. I hope they stay that way during the writing. 

A couple of people have asked, but DEMON DAWN doesn’t have an official release date yet. I turn it in February, so that means it’ll be at least Fall ‘09 … but later than that is more likely. This is, by the way, because of me and not the publisher — writing this year seemed to take twice as long as before, so even though I’m back on track, there’s a gap. 

The MUST LOVE HELLHOUNDS anthology will be out this summer, though — and I’m working to get a free read up on the site that will be a nice prequel to DEMON DAWN and the upcoming arc, as well as an intro to anyone new to the series. That will probably be late summer. 

So, that’s next year. For now, have a great holiday if you’re in the U.S., and if not, have a great week, anyway

(Oh! and don’t forget that the BUY A BOOK, WIN $100 contest has been extended to Nov 30!)

Not that my memory is all that awesome. 

Dear Author rocked my socks today with their Romance Apologia Scale. 

I’ve gone through all of the modes, honestly. Hiding, denial, guilt. My favorite?

Aren’t those books just about sex?

1. I don’t know.  I just found this on the park bench and wanted to help with the “no littering” effort.
2. No idea, but my shrink recommended a bottle of wine, a romance novel, and a vibrator for relaxation therapy.
3. They’re as much about sex as Moby Dick is about chasing a whale. It happens, but it’s not the point.
4. Fuck off

Kate Rothwell (aka Summer Devon) is making her historical romance novel, THE RATCATCHER, available for free download (it’s a PDF)*. She only asks that if you download it, please e-mail her and let her know. But I’ll go one more and say: if you download it, read it, and enjoy it, send another e-mail and let her know that, too. 

*The title of Kate’s blog post is misleading. I didn’t help her do anything; I just let her know she already knew how to do it.

is on both Teen Titans and Batman.

My geeky heart floats.

Yay! They’ve had an after-hours blog for a while, but this one will apparently focus on romance related news and topics.