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Archive for March, 2005
Thursday, March 31st, 2005
Just a reminder. The April WORD Challenge starts tomorrow.
Posted in Writing | 1 Comment »
Thursday, March 31st, 2005
“If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it all.” I think we’ve all heard that. However, I find that more often than not, it’s a case of “If you don’t have something nice to say, make it up.”
Writers post excerpts (I’m talking about myself too) or covers or whatever, and people comment on how much they like it. But really, when you don’t like it, shouldn’t you just not say anything at all? Why build up the author? Why say, “Great stuff!” and then go to your private writer’s group and say, “Lord, that was dreadful.” ?
After all the ruckus on RTB the other day, I was thinking about the goal RWA, RTB, and a great many writers have of making romance better. I don’t think we’re doing that if we say, “Wow, that was great.” but inside we think it tanked.
Please don’t think I’m referring to anyone or any group in particular. Like my Cyberlife post, this applies to regular life as well. You know what I mean. Your neighbor’s ugly baby or grasshopper green car.
But let’s talk about authors now.
For covers, well, hey, they probably had no control over that so saying something nice in commiseration is understandable. But excerpts and books you’ve purchased that just didn’t do it for you… I personally think it would be best not to say anything at all. I would prefer to know that every compliment I got was genuine, instead of wondering which ones were just meant to be nice. Of course, when your neighbor says, “Isn’t it fabulous?” and you’re standing right there, you kinda have to say that the grasshopper green car is great. But online, you have the option of surfing away rather than telling a lie. Why don’t more people just surf away? Why perpetrate the falsehood and then snark about it privately?
Let honesty be the way of it between you and I. I promise not to ask you what you thought and you promise to only say you liked it if you really did. 
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Posted in Life as I know it | 9 Comments »
Wednesday, March 30th, 2005
Here is the official, set-in-stone back cover copy of BAD BOYS AHOY! (Kensington Brava - Feb. 2006)
Oh, those naughty rakes. With their wicked winks, sensual smiles, and bad boy habits, you just can’t take them out in polite society. But who wants to go out when you can stay in…?
STOLEN PLEASURES
Sebastian Blake, Earl of Merrick, long ago fled the responsibilities of his title to become the infamous pirate, Captain Phoenix. But the booty he’s just captured on a merchant ship is a fierce tempered minx who claims to be a bride…his bride, married to him by proxy on behest of their fathers. He could shame his hated family and return his beautiful wife untouched, but no treasure has ever proved more tempting to Sebastian, and making their marriage a true oneâ€â€in every senseâ€â€is his one urgent desire …
LUCIEN’S GAMBLE
Lucien Remington’s reputation as a debauched libertine who plays by no one’s rulesâ€â€in business or the bedroomâ€â€is well deserved. He gets what he wants, social repudiation be damned. But society can keep from him the one thing he truly desires, the untouchable Lady Julienne La Coeur. Until she sneaks into his club dressed as a man and searching for her irresponsible brother. Suddenly she’s in Lucien’s grasp, his to take, and his mind is filled with the most wickedly sinful thoughts. A gentleman would walk away from the temptation she presents. But then, Lucien has never claimed to be a gentleman…
HER MAD GRACE
Hugh La Coeur never wanted to be the Earl of Montrose. Wine, women, and a hefty wager are preferable to responsibility of any kind. It’s certainly preferable to spending the night in an eerie, neglected mansion owned by a legendary madwoman. The duchess’s companion, the fiercely independent Charlotte, is another matter altogether. Hugh would be happy to spend as many nights in her bed as possible. He knows she’s hiding terrible secrets, but for once in his life, Hugh has the desire to take on someone else’s burden as his own, no matter what the danger…
They’re mad, bad, and totally irresistible…
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Posted in Books, Publication | 11 Comments »
Tuesday, March 29th, 2005
I’ve spent the last two days working on cover copy. Yep, you heard right. Cover copy. I wasn’t expecting to have control of such things. As a newbie, I assumed the publisher would handle all details regarding copy and that would be the end of it. However, copy came down from the copy PTB and my beloved editor and I just gasped and shook our heads and gaped and wondered WTF? *sigh* So it’s been a long, hard road for this author who sucks dreadfully at writing blurbs of any kind. (Remember, I’m the author who goes wwwwaaaaayyyyy over word count. Condensing is not one of my strong suits.) But the back cover is very important. People read it to see if they are interested in spending their hard earned money to read more.
Anyway, I realize what a great gift my editor has given me (Did I say I adore her? I do.) and I’m working hard to be worthy of it, while dealing with the pressure of knowing that in the end, the responsibility lies with me. I so want this book to be successful. I did really work hard on it. I would hate for that to be missed because I can’t tease a reader properly.
Then, just when I thought my brain was completely fried, I had to submit a back cover bio.
Then, running on one brain cell, I receive a request from AQ. Guess what they want?  My cover copy and bio for Catching Caroline. *g*
Posted in Publication | 7 Comments »
Tuesday, March 29th, 2005
I’m relating the following incidents to my previous post Cyberlife.
HelenKay - What did I say?
Alison - No sex in THIS post
Don’t you ever wish you were wrong about something?
Posted in Life as I know it | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, March 29th, 2005
Sorry this is so late, but my sister and I never got the coordination right for picking a contest winner. My monthly contest is run by a script so it’s completely impartial. My blog contest I ran a month or so ago was not run by a script so I left the decision up to my sister.
She says:
Julia blanco lopez is who i pick
So, Julia wins one of the prizes I listed in the post.
Posted in Contests | No Comments »
Monday, March 28th, 2005
Tentative cover copy came in for BAD BOYS AHOY! today. It’s a work in progress so I can’t share much but here’s the tag line that will appear on the top of the back cover. (and no, don’t have the front cover yet. I’ll see mockups in a few weeks, and we’ll see how it looks. Once we’re happy campers and it’s approved, I’ll put it up immediately. )
Oh, those naughty rakes. With their wicked winks, sensual smiles, and bad boy habits, you just can’t take them out in polite society. But who wants to go out when you can stay in…?
****
In other, more important news, I’ve volunteered a critique to support the Jamie Denton Medical Fund. More information can be found here. It doesn’t have to be the first 25 pages. I believe you can send in whatever 25 pages you like (hinting for a sex scene here. *g*) Not that you all would pay for my words of wisdom *g*, but I’m hoping you’ll consider supporting Jamie. She’s a great gal and I’m glad to see the romance community pulling together once again.
Posted in Books, Publication | 4 Comments »
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