Chick Lit Meets the Stepford Wives

This is way too funny. Not, perhaps, as funny as people who pick their books based on the color of the covers (“No, I’d NEVER read a pink book!”), but funny nonetheless.
I’ve read neither This Is… nor This Is Not…, but if you saw my TBR stack, you wouldn’t be out buying new books, either. [...]

Is it really so hard?

(Rant Hat on and buzzing.)
Today, agent Nephele Tempest blogs about following directions on Romancing the Blog. Yesterday, she answered similar questions on the Knight Agency Blog.
And then, the synchronicity of the following quote from a recent Publisher’s Weekly column from a concerned writer:
“For many of us who spend hundreds of dollars on… mailings to [...]

My First Thursday Thirteen

Yesterday was sucktastic. It started out bad, then got worse at every turn. I need a little R&R. And to step away from any and all serious topics on the blog. To that end:

Thirteen of My Favorite Television Episodes(in no particular order)
1. Noel, The West Wing, Season 2. It’s Christmas Time at the White House, [...]

Worldbuilding, post one

Note from yesterday’s blog: Nothing in the blog post entitled “pants on fire” is meant sarcastically. Just FYI. Sometimes people can’t tell when I turn it off, and I am capable of humor sans sarcasm.
I have been participating in a lot of conversations about worldbuilding in sff/paranormal stories recently. Some are with people who have [...]

pants on fire

On Thursday, I got my editorial revisions for SSG2 (title redacted, ’cause I’m tricky like that). In a stunning coincidence, it’s exactly the same length as the letter my editor sent for SSG. It’s also a thing of beauty, and a joy for-evah! My editor, whom I love and adore and rarely, if ever, want [...]

Category Romance Novels

Today, I celebrate Banned Books Week over at Romancing the Blog. Go; visit.
I’d also like to canvas for recommendations of category romances. A friend is looking to expand her horizons and learn more about the form and the opportunities it provides for story. (Yes, it was one of those “…awful Harlequins…” “What do you mean? [...]

Question Week, Day 7: Structure

Paraphrased from a question:
I could *never* work with something as structured as your plotting board. I’m not that logical a person, I guess… Your description of how each scene should touch on several plot points… was so super-organized it freaked me out. I mean, when I write, I just write. I don’t think specifically about [...]

Question Week, Day 6: to market, to market

Short question, long answer today:
Do you have any advice on the best way for an unpubbed to market their work?
Writer’s lore is filled with stories about sneaky tips and tricks that led to huge books deals. The writer who hooked up with her agent when she served him coffee at Starbucks. The writer who [...]

Question Week, Day 5: free reads

Today’s question:

I was reading your most recent blog post, and the last line caught my attention.

“if you want to be really safe, keep that stuff off the internet.”

So, I was wondering what you thought about [Paperback Writer's E-book Challenge].

(In short, what Paperback Writer is suggesting in the above-referenced blog post is a challenge [...]

GCC: Melanie Lynne Hauser

Those of you who have been waiting to grab a copy of Confessions of a Super Mom until it was available in paperback are in luck, because it’s out!
“Forget the laundry, forget the dishes. Escape into the world of Super Mom for a few hours…you’ll be glad you did. Melanie Lynne Hauser’s quirky [...]