One of the ARC’s that arrived yesterday got me thinking and I have a question for you.

Sadly this isn’t a poll since LAWSON & GWEN are evoooollllllllllll and haven’t figured out how I can do the nifty thing I want that will allow people to vote through RSS feed. This makes me sad. I know… you cry for me too… uh sorry I digress

Honestly I have NO CLUE if this question really has anything to do with the ARC since I haven’t really sat down to look at it and will talk more about the book in question after I do.

Is paying for sex erotic?  Is that a fantasy of many women?

My thought it is a control thing, which oddly I could get on board with that.  Or maybe too many veiwings of American Giggalo *g*.  Either way I am not saying anything about the book or the plot, just something that popped into my head.

We have a really nifty cool thing going on here that many of you might not know. Many of our reviewers are not bloggers. Yeah I know odd statement.

The Good, The Bad, The Unread was never meant to be anything more than a reader blog. Just me, myself and I, so you know, it was rock’n cool . Lawson I met at my first signing (Kleypas), Gwen found her way here as a cellie reject, Connie I knew from a bookstore, Finn worked with Lawson, Alicia & Sandy were on a yahoo group I chat on, lime was a contest winner I roped into the site and we will soon have another newbie who is an old friend of mine.

There are also some reviews from ‘lil sis’ who is really my little sister and not even allowed ON the blog muchless a ‘blogger’. There have been reviews from my very dear friend Rose who I have known forever, a person or two from work and hmmm am I missing anyone? So what is my point you ask? I gots some questions for you…

I know, I do lurve questions *g* but they are easy. Sort of… I was talking on the phone last night with my latest victim and when we hung up I thought it would be interesting to see how you answered:

1. What is a ‘blog’?
2. What is a ‘blog’ for?
3. What is a ‘blogger’?
4. How is it different or is it different from live journal?
5. What is a “READER” blog?
6. What is an author blog?
7. What do you see the purpose of an author blog?

I, of course, have my own answers and will blog about it later but before I taint your view with my thoughts I wanted to get your answers. So… got any? Of course you can answer any or all of them. Or whatever… I am easy .

this will make my ramble a lil bit shorter… the following was 1st apart of THIS POST. Enter contest by commenting on THIS POST or THIS POST

I will pick from all the comments a few winners of some books we have here in TGTBTU land.

(None of the below authors’/publishers’/whoevers’ views are reflected in my above ramble nor were they asked to play. This is just a contest for our general amusement. Any book you can win you are WELCOME to review on your blog, amazon or as a guest on TGTBTU but it is NOT a requirement. Postage is paid for by TGTBTU a.k.a. me. Winners are open to all regardless of if you are a reader, author, or where you live. If you do not want to be entered, (are you high?) put noenter@gmail.com where it asks or your email or say “no enter” [I know some hate to do that])

BOOKS you can pick from once your name is called as a winner (announced after RWA Conference is over):

• ARC of Turbulent Sea by Christine Feehan released August 2008 (reviewed by Gwen)
• ARC of Never Romance a Rake by Liz Carlyle August 2008 (bestest historical of the summer sez me – this is an extra not counted in the contest today)
• ARC of The Angel by Carla Neggers May 2008 (reviewed by Connie)
• ARC of Traceless by Debra Webb released September 2007 (reviewed here) (Faceless releases in Aug!)
• Final of On Fire by Patricia Sargeant September 2007 (fab contemporary romance)
• Final of A Gentleman’s Wager by Madelynne Ellis (bev reviewed)
• Final of No One Heard Her Scream by Jordan Dane (2 copies, reviewed by Connie)

Not sure there will be eight winners or not… this is just a mix of prizes… or there will be eight cuz it will help my quest to get read/reviewed books out of my apartment… and no, Lime, you can’t win. Anyone still here? LOL shit I really need to leave for work. le sigh… hope I can play online today… all this working crap CAN’T be good for me.

a.k.a. My unpopular opinion/Tis about me not you

a.k.a. I will share anyway cuz I rawk like that, a.k.a. this is so in sybilish you might want to stop reading NOW for fear of brain damage/migraine, a.k.a. gwen isn’t going to edit this into English (but will hopefully fix spelling & add links-HINT), a.k.a. I am prolly not even going to edit it (RUN), a.k.a. this shit is long and you aren’t gonna read it but I can point to it from now on when asked /end warnings

Otherwise known as the answer to…

1. There were things I wanted to do for the blog that I thought the conference would help since I had decided to shift TGTBTU from a sole reader bitch board to more of a review blog.
2. It was in Texas.

Easy whore be thy name sybil. ::shrug::

Now many a person has asked me if I would be in San Fran this year and I made the decision a while ago not to go. You have NO idea how happy that makes me because I wouldn’t be able to go @ this point in time (crappy shit here) and it would blow big ass chunks if I had signed up and paid. And I DO plan to go next year… so why didn’t I go this year? You don’t care you say? HA! I am gonna tells you anyway…

Last year was FAB. I had the best time and was able to do tons I wanted to for the blog. I was sharing a room with Jane of Dear Author, who I was lucky enough to have helping me with the blog at the time because we were both in something of the same place of changing a mind set of what we wanted to do with our blogs vs. what we first started with. (It is her post here that made me think “coolio I can post about this in public”.)

I asked her, at the time last year, if she would mind more roommates, selfish reasons mind you cuz I had no clue how much much this was gonna cost me and a 4-way split rocks more than a 2-way. What? Sybsisnottehlawyerbabe. Who did I want to invite – again had a thought and selfish motive behind it (almost EVERYTHING I do does – yes, the blog has changed but it is still all about me me me to a point and my interest – I suck like that).

KristieJ had (at the time) recently lost her husband, had her first vacation trip in a while cancel on her and I often heard say – one day I am going to write a book. RWA is for writers. Are they all published? NOPE. Do you HAVE to be a member to publish? Nope. But I think many a person can say RWA helped them greatly move from wanna-be-someday-writer to published STAR! So all those factors made me say a flippant comment to KristieJ one day about joining our ‘lil RWA-Blogger-Train.

I was going, Jane of Dear Author was going, and the SmartBitches, so I knew/thought/assumed (in syb’s IKNOWALLFASHION) that KristieJ wouldn’t feel left out. I had seriously hoped she would go to some of the workshops and it might push her to write that someday book. Yes people, sybs is a buzy body. I suck like that too sorry.

Once she signed onto the lurvetrain, I also stuck my nose into biz and contacted a friend I knew KristieJ would die to meet. Why? Because I could, have no issue with being told “no” (HA! I made myself giggle – really I hate being told no – it irks me but if by friends I get over it ). I forget what Wendy said/posted/emailed/blogged that made me again say a flippant ‘come to Dallas’. Her response, IIRC, “Were you serious?”

I emailed Jane “Am I serious?” and she shrugged [while no doubt thinking "goddamnit sybil stop putting so many people in the room". I am a pushy lil duck - sort of. As Gwen sez, one must learn to tell Sybil "NO" or she will have you doing WAY more shit than you can. This is true. OCD be thy name and a lesson Gwen learned the hard way *eg* yes and I ramble but I like to think of it as 'SIDENOTE'.] Long story short (too late) Jane was all sure, fine, whatever….

Why did I think Wendy should go? (Yes, once again there was reason behind my madness.) At the time THE WENDY was not at all apart of TGTBTU, her blog isn’t (wasn’t?) anything other than a reader blog. Of course, it is one of THE reader blogs, as in we all would not be here without Rosario, Wendy and McVane (a.k.a. THE Maili) (who I so hope touches base someday or at least fucking tells me what the fuck name she is posting under these days). And I, selfishly (yes, yes, yes I am – I admit it – I know I shouldn’t – too lazy/seenoreason/amnotstoopid, a.k.a. why hide the obvious), wanted to meet THE WENDY (oddly I had no designs to put her to work at TGTBTU @ that time, came later ) but I was thinking she should go cuz of her job. It would be fab for us, the romance reader, even RWA sees that as they have a day just FOR the wendy’s of the world.

And BAM! our room was born (at least in my mind who the hell knows what they were thinking).

PART II

Some point during the conference I started to think “FUCK we are presenting this wrong…” because so many reader bloggers started to make noise about coming next year (this year) and I said so to Jane… who I think/thought (might-still-I-haven’t-asked) I was being my normal vain self and was saying “le gasp we won’t be TEH SPECIAL anymore” and she was of the mindset that any and all readers should be welcome. We are paying so have just as much right to be there.

I didn’t agree. (Jane and I OFTEN disagree, her coolness with that was always the thing I luv.) I think the highest of INTERNET MEDIA. I think if you are a blog that reports on the industry, does things to promote romance or aim too, you should be there if you can be.

My thought is the RWA Conference is not a fan event. The book signing, yes – the rest, not so much. I don’t see how having ‘star gawkers’ wouldn’t be distracting for authors. And most of all, holy hell, it is expensive, so it doesn’t make sense in my head as a fan get together. And I don’t get that type of ‘fangrrlish behavior’ that would make people travel just to meet THEIR FAVORITE AUTHORS EVAH. (I am not saying any reader blogger there is there for these reasons – haven’t asked – don’t know.)

Again… I AM NOT SAYING ANY READER AT THE CONFERENCE IS A BAD PERSON. I AM NOT SAYING THEY ARE DOING THE WRONG THING. I am not even saying they will cause a problem. I have seen MANY authors be all for them being there but in my normal selfish way IF there is fall out from having reader blogger there (with no author aspirations or a blog that is geared toward reporting on the Romance Industry), I didn’t want to be guilty by association. See? All about me…

Dear Author and Smart Bitches (in my ‘lil no one agrees with me opinion) SHOULD BE THERE. In my mind they are JUST as much members of the press as any fucking one else. And THAT is why I am still so not amused RWA said they weren’t (for all I know that has changed by now, couldn’t say). But this is the first year (I think) fans have gone in such numbers, so I don’t think RWA has/had a way to qualify who would be ‘internet press’. And maybe they got stars in their eyes and saw coin. Not sure… I plan to follow up with them after the conference. Again that is NOT a dig at RWA, as I think the organization, while flawed, RAWKS SOCKS. They do a fucking fab thing for romance writers.

So what do I mean?

A perfect example is katiebabs (co-blogger with the fab KristieJ), when she first said she was going, I thought she was going as a reader fan. When the ever smart LLB saw the window to have her report for All About Romance, and I think Katiebabs works for All About Romance in a publisher contact way once she stopped reviewing for them. Again I think – could be wrong – too lazy to check… So iIMHO (just me) Katiebabs now SHOULD be there as she was ‘internet press’.

Does that make sense as to what I was thinking? If not… situation normal *g*.

But the RWA Conference in my ‘lil mind is for writers (published or would-bes) NOT a fan event. Jane’s thought was I over think shit (I do), readers belong everywhere, their money spends just as well, you are no better than anyone else sybil (which wasn’t my point) and other thoughts I forget now.

So when we got back, Jane was allllllllllllll over planning for the next one. Jane is THE awesome and so organized it is sick. I? Not so much. And you may have noticed I tend to take on too much, over think (see above), distract EASY and can’t make a decision to save my fucking life. So when she started making plans in AUG 2007 for this year… ::dies:: I was like “you are on crack.”

None of this is secret . But my unease grew with more and more reader bloggers deciding to go. And, le sigh, I felt guilt because I am like that and thought we might have presented it in a star gawker way. Jane did a lot of twittering and reporting. I did mostly behind the scenes stuff, setting up guest days, contests, making contacts and pimping out the Romantic Advances (le sigh, again, another post which makes me ashamed). That means you, our reader here @ TGTBTU [HA! as if anyone is still reading this ramble] didn’t see why I was there so maybe I looked like a star gawker?

I went back and forth… there were things I wanted to do for the blog and I thought again “I should go…” “omg! san fran fucking coolio…” “omg! san fran too expensive for me to invest in a hobby blog…” and then RWA made their decision that unless an Internet outlet was tied to a MAJOR print or TV media they couldn’t apply for a press pass.

I have made no secret I HATE that decision (working on coming out of my shell and saying what I think – how I doing?) not because it means “no press pass for sybils” but because the volume of traffic in that thinking doesn’t compute. Tell me I can’t go because my numbers are not good enough. Tell me you don’t think TGTBTU does anything for the Romance Industry. Even tell me you I don’t belong, so if I want to go I have to pony up cash. DO NOT tell me I don’t ‘count’ because I am just internet media.

I have, and still will, argue that Smart Bitches and Dear Author reach more readers than what stoopidlyy counts as ‘true press’. Again, I know… most, if not all, don’t agree with me. ::shrug::

So that sealed the deal for me. In my mind, RWA told me Internet doesn’t count. Might not have been their point but that is what I heard. I hate being told “no” without an intelligent reason and saying “gosh a year isn’t enough time to figure out how to understand (or attempt to figure out) how to measure traffic” smacks of greed, laziness and I thought a clear message of “readers not wanted”.

And most of all I am a bad, bad, bad, suckyass fan. I admit that… I am NOT a good fangrrl. I can love an author to pieces and still not like a book they write. Ask me my opinion – regardless if I think you want it, agree with it or if it will piss you off – ask, I tell. Hell, don’t ask and I tell. Blogger be thy name.

PART III (a.k.a. syb gets to her point – sort of)

So what do I think now, for those of you seriously bored and still here *g*.

1. I still don’t think the RWA Conference (as I saw it last year) is worth the coin for readers to go.
2. I have NO clue if they [the readers] will prove to be a distraction to the point of the conference for writers, and if they do, I think that is bad, bad, bad, bad for them to be there. Cuz I am greedy and I want the conference to be for writers so they can write me nifty books to read.
3. I LOVE the idea of a reader blogger event with authors cuz I think that idea rocks socks. Someone should make that happen.
4. I plan to try and attend one of the ‘reader’ events in 2009. Haven’t decided which one… either RAW or Lori Foster’s thing… unless something else comes up and that could be a possible too *g*
5. I think if RWA wants the conference to welcome readers they should do things to include them and make it interesting for us on that level. Gwen had a nifty thought on this I think but I forget it [Gwen: it was to do what ComiCon did - have a concurrent "Alternative Media Expo" in the same hall or a meeting room where bloggers, etc., could get face time with whomever attends the conference]. Cuz tis too much money to spend to just hang at the bar and/or meet up with other bloggers. Of course, that is just my general opinion, if you have that money to blow and/or that is your want AND RWA/authors wants us there, rock on with your badself.

TGTBTU will have a few odds and ends on the conference (which, correct me if I am wrong, but that is a different word than convention - and if this was the RWA Convention I would have completely different thoughts on this). Sandy is a wanna be author, who will one day write THAT book. And I hope to hell she reports on some of the workshops she goes too. I think that is interesting from a reader stand point, but as a reader, wouldn’t want to attend unless I planned to blog about it. I think (as I have said) RWA is for her. And, like KristieJ, I HOPE it pushes her to start and finish that book that is in her. Do I know if either will be good? Nope – but I think if you wanna you should try. Wendy is going to a dinner for me and I will be reporting on all things Harlequinish that go down. Her other blogs on the conference will be at her blog (I think).

Everything else – I would point you to Dear Author, Smart Bitches and All About Romance. And most likely if you are a reader – you know that *g*.

So as an author or reader, tell me why you disagree with me, tell me what changes (if any) you would like to see at the RWA Conference, tell me what your dream convention is and what you would like have planned as events, tell me you agree with me (cuz hey I would love at least one person *g*), tell me you think the RWA Conference is useless for writers or readers, tell me whatever you wanna…

CONTEST INFO MOVED HERE – will close contest at end of this week Sunday August 10, 2008.

This is a post that I very oddly started forever ago when an author annoyed me by basically saying you shouldn’t review books you know you won’t like. That is such a head meet desk comment to me. How do you know you will like it or not and do you seriously write off a genre cuz you are hard to please? Does your opinion suddenly NOT count?

I bore easlily and got sidetracked. Oh and the author in question I still adore and am VERY much looking forward to reading her next book which I strongly think is going to fucking rock socks. So why did I dust this off and finish it up? I know it is wild, you can not agree and still the world will spin on axis.

I am gonna tell you a secret. I didn’t like Sleeping with Ward Clever. NO REALLY. I know… you and you and you and you loved it yes? Awesome! Me not so much. And I had a bitch of a time trying to find someone to review it. The first person I finally just forced it on (thinking she would love it) begged to not have to finish it. I am evol but not THAT evol. The second reader who took it on was Laura D – this is her story. ::shrug:: Sometimes I get it wrong. Sometimes books I think people will love they don’t or books I think they will hate they adore.

YES I CAN BE WRONG. Not often mind you… but you know

oddly enough I STILL don’t like the book and find the author annoying… BUT I do love Dorchester and think the editor rocks socks so do not take this as a omg do not read Dorchester. I could careless if you read the author,  I think you should try it and for fuck sakes REVIEW it. NO MATTER WHAT cuz 3 bad reviews? period? Smells like apathy to me

so with out farther ado…

When was the last time you sat down with a book and thought gleefully “I am so going to enjoy the next three or four hours hating these characters”. Or “this author sucks rocks, I think I will kill an evening reading her tripe, so I can then kill another hour or two writing up a review”.

Every book I open, I do so wanting to love it. I want it to be THAT book that I stop and tell strangers about in bookstores. I also open the book prepared to honestly give my opinion of the book, no matter if it is for a review, a contest, a test read or just an author asking for a quick opinion.

Is that odd? I just assume all readers do that otherwise why bother reading?

At the same time I am not one to blow sunshine up anyone’s arse. There are other blogs that stick to a only happy happy, joy joy view of books. This isn’t one of them. There are other blogs you can pay to be told what you want to hear. This isn’t one of them.

And that is ok, it is a big playground and we can all find a sandbox we like. But I do wonder how many authors read a review thinking, well there was no way she was going to like my book anyway or well she just doesn’t like me. And why they think such a thing, do authors often read books wanting to hate the competition so they expect the same of everyone else?

There are a few reason I read a book but they all must first fall under the first rule of reading for sybil.

I wanted to read the book. I know that sounds like very simple logic but it is true: could be it is apart of a series I love, maybe the summary interested me, it could be the first book in a new subgenre, maybe the excerpt caught my eye, the author is a favorite of mine and I have been interested in books simply because the editor has worked on many a favorite.

The next reason I read a book is something I decide before I open it and that goes back to the blog.

1.  Is this a book I am considering for a guest day? If it is and I find myself hating the book beyond reason or even just bored there is a good chance I won’t finish the book. Guest author days are only set up for books I would recommend and I am happy to read books that are recommended for guest days they have to fall under the first rule of reading for sybil.

2.  Is this a book for review? If it is, I finish it. Period. There was a short period of time where I looked at publishers as a ‘we really need to get x amount done this month’ or this is a book we really should cover and if someone else couldn’t do it, my first thought was I would. Instead I decided on guest reviewers. I suppose there is the fear of if everyone wanted to read the books they will get nothing but good reviews, as I haven’t found that to be an issue I stopped worrying about it.

3.  Is the ever popular impulse buy. This could end up reviewed. It could end up a guest day or a guest post. It could also end up not finished. The main point is I open the book WANTING to love it. And a series I am following I want to love that much more. I think it is an issue of expectation more than it is an issue of loyalty, maybe even reader attachment. And I don’t know if authors can really bitch about reader attachment. Isn’t that the reason our cup runneth over with series books and there are few single titles to be found?

A writer can create any world they want but it if isn’t a marketable one, they will be writing for a small group of people. At the same time, no one wants a series created ‘for the market’, which is such a catch 22. The author has to balance creativity, originality and voice with what readers will accept, purchase and lust after. Guess what THAT means… writing is hard work. For serious. Go Team You!

Personally I never would have read Sookie Stackhouse if I had known of the authors love of flexing her godlyness over her world by killing off characters. If I had known going in I would have been happy to skip the series, would have saved time and money. And woot for me. But there are at least two or three other reviewers JUST on this blog who lurve the series. Still to this day, YAY for them. And for me that I don’t have to read it anymore. We are both right. And I so don’t think Harrison gives a fuck about my opinion. They are her characters to do with what she will. She will rock on with her badself and you guys love it. ::shrug::

review = opinion = you don’t have to agree with me and I don’t have to agree with you…

k?

K!

Or you know feel free to disagree with me oddly enough we do allow that here.  Because I say so and well I make the rules so woot!

Two things I seem to be seeing more and more of lately…

or it could be something I am just noticing but…

• Does there seem to be more books lately that keep the hero and heroine apart for large parts of the book?  What’s up with that? Do you enjoy reading about the h/h fighting to get back together? It annoys the hell out of me.

• There are more and more ‘series’ novels, a la Brockmann, where there is a large cast of characters and plot lines happening at once.

Is this a new trend or something I just didn’t notice before because I avoid those type of novels – even though I like them (really enjoyed Into the Fire by Brockmann [first Troubleshooter book for me] and Whiteside’s Vamps [read this weekend]).

Jane has an interesting post up regarding ‘Street Teams‘, which is a topic expanded on from a blog post Karin Tabke posted at Writer Unboxed. Really this was posted a week or so ago and I am sure has more comments and such. But I am lazy so I either post this now or say fuck it.

I know, I know… you are shocked I would shut up and NOT post something but teh lazy often over rides the mouth (keyboard?) whatever…

As a reader, a blogger and blog owner I happen to think the idea of ‘street teams’… blows chunks. And it is odd that is has come up because it was something I almost addressed (two) Saturdays ago… in a serious ass round about way.

There are so many things going on in that post and the comments – all nifty stuff but I will try and keep it short. (shush all of you it could happen) The post I started had nothing to do with Street Teams but self interest – as in my own. We are not paid. We do not currently take ads. We do not review every book sent to us. I do not have every author who requests – do a guest guest and/or contest. We do want we wanna do, say what we wanna say, play how we wanna play. And hope that others have a good time too…

I hope you discover authors you have never heard of and give them a try. I hope you find new authors to love. I hope you tell us what you thought and above everything, I want from you, what I demand from any person who reviews here – I want you to be honest. I would like every reader blog to be honest and reflect what that readers honestly thinks, not what they feel they should think, believe is expected of them or was agreed to in a back room.

The idea of author lead street teams sucks because it reeks of dishonesty and is the soil that grows the rabid. Am I saying every ‘member of an author grown’ team would be dishonest – nope – but sadly I am a cynical bitch and it would make me think twice. If not completely discount the author because so many books so lil time…

Kristie J lead a charge for Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas. She wanted to put that book in every reader’s hand and say “try it”. It was charming and she respected people who tried it and didn’t like it. She had no agenda, no purpose, no goal other than to share the love she had of a book with others.

I understand authors have a very hard time today. I get publishing is often more about numbers and green than it is about talent. There is such a push and pull and authors are put in a bad spot. They have a right to educate their readers – hell all readers. I totally agree with azteclady (comment #32 @ DA) “Self interest, readers’ choice = all good, IMO.” Provide the reader the info and allow them to decide what to do with it.

Angela pointed out “I don’t know…you guys at Dear Author–if not the SBs and the folks at TGTU–can be pretty close to a street team when you’re giving away copies of books you’ve loved and/or allowing them to guest blog (sometimes authors you guys know). It’s a pretty fine line to walk, and it seems that the reason why Karin’s attempt to create a street team is being pointed out is because she’s an author and DA, SBTB, TGTU,etc are helmed by readers.”

Being the vain duck I am, we will go with TGTU being us and she is right to a point. I can answer for no one other than TGTBTU but it is simple and leads back to azteclady comment. We are all about self interest baby and more often than not it is my interest. Score!

No one makes us do the things we do, no one tells us what we have to review and honestly I don’t know if you could pay us enough for the time, energy and effort we put into TGTBTU. Much like you could not recreate Kristie’s DoY crusade, you couldn’t put out a casting call, give rules and recreate us, Dear Author, Book Binge, Smart Bitches or any other reader blog . That is what I don’t want street teams to fuck with. I don’t care about reader/author breakups or entitlement issues (that is a whole other blog post and the rabid are just short bus special).

But have you noticed the ‘reader’ blogs popping up that read like sound bites. They are happy, happy, joy, joy two paragraphs of “please fucking quote me” goodness. There isn’t a bad read book in the bunch – evah. I don’t think it is bad so to speak, as long as the Harriet clones are nice and upfront about being in it for the free books. Or whatever rush that comes from having people lurve you for lurving them. The ones that seem to pass themselves off as everyday readers who love to review what they read is dishonest and triggers my cynical bitch.

Will these street teams cause us to look at every new blog that pops up and wonder are you a “Team Author” or “Team Reader”? Discounting a few, the romance community is very welcoming, we don’t care where you were the night before or who you were with – you don’t have to like what we like or do as we do – but be honest with us because we sure as hell plan to be honest with you.

Personally there are a handful of authors I would count as ‘friends’ and I am very sure each and every one of them knows if they ask me something there is no reason to say be honest. There are friends of the pond, as in many a duckie here loves many of their books, most likely they have also gotten ‘lower’ reviews here as well. The Harlequin Spotlights that have been going on was completely my want to do. Harlequin didn’t ask me, aren’t paying me and by now are prolly hoping I go away soon *eg*. This month has been a lot of work, mainly because we set the standard of the blog and ‘try’ to keep to what few rules we have.

In June we will have had around 30 authors guest who write for Harlequin Historical and we will have talked about, reviewed and/or had excerpts of well over 30 Harlequin Historical books. I hope the next time you are in the store you pick a few up and it would be awesome if you bought some, read some, honestly reviewed some because my self interest is in getting MORE Harlequin Historicals. See how that works…. if you had tried to recruit me for this with any other line I would have laughed at you. I don’t know if I would have gone along with it for HH and it is just a good thing the others here have taken to nodding and smiling whenever I go off on a wild idea.

I love reader blogs and our community is grand. Can we stay as awesome as we are and join ‘author teams’? Can we as a community join these teams and still have our blogs belong to ‘us’ and not just reflect some author or publisher’s self interest? Or is it just me being my normal cynical self and it won’t mean a thing.

**I so think I have used this title before or Jane has or something… but hell if I can be arsed to look I do know this vid was up on the blog (as was/is the snakes on the plane one *g*)

WOOT! My comment wouldn’t save right so being, you know, like the blog owner and, oh yeah, lazy, I just made a new post. Go team me! Aren’t you glad I am posting again? I know… I missed you guys too.

The heart of my issue is INTERNET MEDIA does matter. RWA really needs to contact the writers on Strike and let them know there is no promotion, money or worth in the internet because they are costing a ton of people a shitload of money saying the ‘net matters.

Yes, there are special badge for press and a room for press that you can’t get into without the badge.

But that is neither here nor there. What I am trying to say, and I guess doing it badly, isn’t that bloggers should be treated differently, or get freebies, but that if a blog is there to report on the conference – not as a fangirl/boy, not as a wannabe writer – then they should not be discounted for a press pass JUST because they are internet media.

There are ways to gauge print publications: subscriptions, syndication, etc. There are ways to do the same thing for websites. So saying there is no way to turn down ‘teh kitten blog luvs romance’ with two readers and accept Dear Author or All About Romance, doesn’t make sense to me. I understand it could be a lack of knowledge on RWA’s part in the ways of ‘how’ to qualify websites and web traffic.

But it has been a year… so the answer being keep press passes only for ‘print’ press and throw out internet media… to me reeks of agenda. It is stated in such a way that keeps Barbara Vey and Michelle, both who state repeatedly they only focus on the positive. Michelle even has posts about women can only be supportive of other women if we only tell them the nice stuff. And PW and Lifetime.com both get a large amount of traffic – that does NOT automatically mean Vey’s blog does or Michelle’s page does. That doesn’t mean their visitors = what the main page of PW or Lifetime.com is…

Vey gets a shitload of comments from authors who gravitate to happy shiney things.  Michelle can get a nice amount of comments – she also repeatedly posts in her comments to engage with the author-heavy commenter’s. Are the press passes meant to promote the romance genre to romance authors? Because, uh, you guys are already there and sort of on board.

The point “I” would think is to promote it to readers.  Readers who will be buying the books. Readers who may love Nora Roberts but never heard of Chrsitine Merrill. So being here, in this thread and after the OMFG is that REALLY NORA ROBERTS (which happens alot, it is rather funnah) many of those people will click on Merrill’s name (which should link to her site and girlfriend if it doesn’t make sure in the future you do that!).  Word spreads and new fans are made.

That is what DA and TGTBTU do for romance. I have always made it point to mix genre’s to help crossovers, and to present more than one side of an issue. And I admit I do it for readers not the authors. BUT if I CAN help – in whatever little way – to promote [again authors I enjoy reading because my blog, me me me] than I WANT to. Because you guys work really hard, for little pay and a serious lack of respect.

So RWA is telling me they have no respect for me. They want to keep out the meangrrls. And I am sorry but I would bet AAR, DA, SBTB have done a hell of a lot more to promote the Print Romance genre than Lifetime.com.

And if you wanted to get really technical, they state national affiliation. So where you may only find Dear Author or TGTBTU on Reuters and IBS, which means over 70+ newspapers (be it their websites) from New York to CA, 2 to 4 times a week… and where the only place that reprints just about every TGTBTU post is San Antonio Express News (only a ‘local’ print affiliation, even if it is the 7th largest city in the US, before San Diego and Dallas)… USA Today syndicates TGTBTU about once a week – maybe – but you will find Dear Author there just about every day.

That is national, no? So if the fear is lawsuit and those bloggers (again, a possible thing but I am cynical) not even responding to the question seems a touch… wrong.

Of course I have no idea if Jane even questioned it. I know I asked about it because, even though I am not going, it reeks of agenda and I hate being told ‘no.’ But once Jane’s Dear Author Post went up communication with RWA, an org I have always been on very good terms with, has stopped. Now I haven’t really pushed. There is that li’l thing called a phone…

Yes, it makes me pissy. Yes, authors volunteer at RWA, although really Nora you are a special kind of animal. There are a few of you, as in bestselling authors who do give of your time. TONS! That, to me, is what makes you NFR (that’s Nora F’g Roberts to the uninitiated), not how awesome your books are, not how much you sell, but the fact you give back to a genre that MANY authors, who don’t even reach your level of success, turn around and abandon. And not in a way as they change genres as much as to say repeatedly how much they hate the “shallowness” of romance.

And really out of the three plus hours we were setting up, there were quite a few volunteers.  Not enough, but many (hell I called Kristie J and she came down to help) but honestly Nora… there wasn’t one ‘name’ there. Just about everyone I spoke to was a hopefully, one day, to be published author. And I think I remember one Harlequin author in the medical line.

BUT, again neither here nor there… my point, which was lost, was while I had fun and got to go to some nifty things, the reason I went to RWA last year was not to become a writer or to meet my favorite authors evah (I suck as a fan and don’t do well with the awe thing). I went because of things I wanted to do with the TGTBTU, things which promote the industry, the authors, the books and the publishers, and I wanted to see what other people – authors, readers, bloggers – thought of those things.

So if I were to go again – for those reasons – and there were press passes, I would expect to be considered. If I didn’t meet the guidelines, ok I don’t get one. BUT to say no, I am not even allowed to ask because I am internet media and don’t matter, isn’t true.

**I think I sound seriously pissed off and annoyed and really I am not. It is much more a passionate belief that internet media deserves some respect. And the fact I am not a professional writer so I don’t express myself as well as I should. ok fine and I am lazy and not gonna edit this shit.

::heart you gwen::  [You better - g]

Wendy, a.k.a. THE Super Librarian, as an interesting post up regarding RWA, Press Passes and Fans: Group Mentality. As normal she has many a good point, go check it out if you haven’t seen it.

I like RWA. I don’t see them as the window to becoming Nora Roberts and I don’t think you have to be apart of it to write the next best selling novel. It has its pros and cons, and each writer needs to look at it and decide if it is worth their money to join, go to the chapter meetings, and attend nationals. It is a big cost (I think), not to some of course - and yay them – but to many people, it is.

To me the cost of joining RWA, what is does for the writer or brings to the genre, isn’t the point or my issue with the new policy. Nowhere does RWA state “No bloggers allowed” or even “no fans“, they are saying “pony up.” I fall into the camp of “fans” who don’t need to go, unless they fall into the “I want to be a writer when I grow up” camp. Many a fan does grow up, so sure it makes sense they should pay to play, but going just to go, hang at the bar and go to the author signings (where you pay for the books and all the money goes to charity), seems like a cool thing to do if you are a fan and live in the area.

Other than that, events are mostly invite only and the rest you pay to play, “crashing” events even if you say “Nora Roberts said it was ok,” is not something I would do or suggest. It was a concern of mine last year when we went that the view some readers took away was, ”OMG that is so cool, I wanna go play too!” And when I voiced that, along with the thought presenting it in a “fans should go way” would put RWA in a position to not ‘give’ alloted press passes to bloggers, I believe I was told “Why shouldn’t fans go?”

The reason, IMHO, is because it isn’t for ‘fans’ and nationals isn’t a ‘convention’ but a ‘conference’. So saying that, why do I care “internet media is being excluded”, especially when I hadn’t planned to attend? It seems from the comments in this post the thought is ‘hey chick I pay, you should pay‘.

To which I say, no, not in all cases.

There are many different reasons for going to nationals. If you are a writer, going for your job, it makes sense to have fees. If you are a publisher, going for your company, it makes sense to have fees – like the authors you are getting something for your craft, your company, your job out of attending. As well as it makes sense that if you give back in the form of your time, you get a discount or comp (depending on WHAT you are doing). If you are a fan, going to stargaze, you should pay.

I am sure some of you are thinking this just comes down to me thinking everything is about me. Oddly it isn’t.  Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying I don’t think everything is about me, but that would be a different issue. WHAT? Like you don’t have issues.  Shut up.

My point goes with Stephanie Feagan, a member of the RWA Board who responded with her personal opinion at DearAuthor.com regarding the quoted email sent to internet media who received press passes last year:

…What is it, specifically, that RWA gets in return for handing out press pass comps? Hopefully some national media coverage that will get the word out about romance and the authors – hopefully in a positive light.

If there are 13 comp press passes and the point is ‘national media coverage ‘, how is the answer to exclude ALL internet media? Tina, an editor at Blogburst, recently posted, “Bloggers and Journalists form an uneasy alliance“:

A new survey of US journalists found that nearly 70% check a blog list on a regular basis and the majority of journalists surveyed said blogs were having a significant impact on news reporting in all areas tested except news quality.

The quality part is another post for another day, but did anyone see the report on Cassie Edwards? It is possible you caught it at CNN, New York Times, Newsweek, or that little used source The Associated Press. In case you missed it, the story (or witch hunt as authors who I can only guess don’t like ‘national media coverage’) was discovered by a BLOG. You probably haven’t heard of it, being just a blog and all, but The Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Books would be the chicks who got the word out that lead to “national media coverage”. Oh and they were at Nationals last year. Were they one of the 13? I have no clue and haven’t asked. But if that is the purpose of having those passes, excluding ALL internet media might be a BAD IDEA.

Go Google “RWA National Conference”, go ahead, I will wait. Here have a link. Isn’t it nice to see all that “national media coverage”? Makes total sense to not have internet media there to muck up the place. Oh I know, we should have spelled out RWA… let’s try that… Are you tired from all the national news coverage reading yet?

Hmmmm let’s try another way… searching Publisher’s Weekly, the top return is regarding a conference from 2003: Sweet Savage Bookselling: Opening Day at the Romance Writers Conference. Most recent coverage would be Barbara Vey, who will be in San Fran. Nice blog, all positive, author heavy (as positive, nice blogs are) and a very, very nice person running it but how can it be argued The Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Books is a bad way for nonromance readers to get a view into romanceland because they won’t get ‘we are more than snark and naughty words’ but it is fine to present the view of women MUST give ‘only praise to be supportive,’ are only here for teh sex, “oh look at that cover hunk” and “do my thighs look fat” is a good way to present romance to the nonreader?

That is just a small part of my point though but I hate long ass posts so shall continue this in part II. No really there is a part II, I know.  Try to contain your excitement.

A common question you will see on message boards, lists, blogs and the like ask for rec’s while they wait for their favorite author to finish their next book. Or because their favorite author has changed genre, settings, retired or name your reason there be no new books here.

Right after I finished reading Madeline Hunter’s post yesterday: What Version of that Book Did You Read?, I was chatting with someone who said she had never read Madeline Hunter but planned to because she was rec’ed her.

I went on to sing her praises cuz really, Madeline Hunter! And she said great because loved stories set in Scotland and had really enjoyed Julie Garwood’s medievals.

And that sort of stopped me… right there… I was like Scotland? Garwood?

I have read a few Garwood novels. The Bride, The Gift, The Wedding and I want to say one more. I have a ton to be read because they are often rec’ed. And I really did enjoy them. But Madeline Hunter and Julie Garwood are not two authors I would connect in a if you like one you would like the other way.

Garwood has a lighter tone, the history isn’t as much apart of the book and if I recall correctly the words Garwood and Scotland would make Maili’s head explode. So then I stopped to think about it… who would I recommend if someone said I really love Madeline Hunter. Who writes like her?

And the only novel I recall took place in Scotland was Lord of a Thousand Nights. Really I am not even completely sure about that…

How about you? Who do you think writes like Madeline Hunter? What would you rec for a novel in Scotland?

Did anyone else notice this doesn’t have paranormal romance on the spine? Doesn’t have paranormal on it either.

It says NOVEL.

What’s up with that? I thought no matter what JR Ward was all about a HEA. I wonder if that has changed. I hope not cuz it is bad enough to go Hardcover in the middle of a series but to change genres? Well that would blow.

Don’t forget to read Gwen’s Lover Unbound review here.  NOTE!!  There are spoilers in the review and spoilers in the comments.  (It’s an interesting discussion, though.)

CourtneyCarroll at the RomanticTimes forum posted an interesting comment while saying how much she disliked Lover Unbound…

I’m a Leo so I’m incredibly loyal and this is the only time I’ve ever had any criticism of…

Where does loyalty come into plan regarding a book? Do we owe an author ‘loyalty’ to like a book?

Seems like an odd thought…

I adore a few, like many and dislike some authors and I enjoy a hella lot of books. But I don’t feel disloyal if I dislike a book.

If I dislike a book, I dislike THE book not the author. And if any author is expecting me to love ALL their writing because I like them, well that is an idea to put away right now. I can’t think of any author that I loved everything they have written. Can you?

What are your thoughts? Are you unloyal if you no likey a book? Or is this just a rabid fangrrl idea?

We all have our buttons. Those ‘things’ that throw us out of a story or make it impossible to relax and enjoy the novel. One thing that tends to go over my head more often than not are character names. 

You could blame it on a staple of Jackie Collins, Judith Krantz and Danielle Steel as I was growing up. Or blame it on a few years of OCD in the fanfic way for a TV Show. Oh you know… there was also a Days of Our Lives addiction that started when I was 12 and babysitting for the teacher who lived across the street from me.

No really… her hubby loved the show. Their VCR was broken, so in order for him to tape DOOL the tv had to be on and on that channel. I loved Patch and his sweetness. Bo and Hope or who can forget the ex-hooker with a heart of gold Kim, who found love and happiness through her marriage to Shane. I even think my very horrid father still has a video tape (I was assured was erased) of a girlfriend of mine and I watching Steve aka Patch’s funeral. We were of course crying our eyes out.

::blink:: Really people it should shock no one I read Diana Palmer, harlequin or old style categories. When I thought about the kids I would one day have I wanted to name them Emerald and Forest. Yes be glad I decided to never have kids *g*

I could sooooo give missy a run for her money. What in the hell was I talking about? Oh yes names…. so generally names do not bother me. What about you?

The one time I can recall names being a kill switch for me was Dark Lover. I have said repeatedly I had a hard time deciding to read Dark Lover. The first two time I put it down had a big thing to do with the names. Wrath? Rhage? Zsadist? Wha?

The fact I could over come those names and honestly now like them, is one of the big things that tell me Ward is a hell of a writer. It also makes me wonder… because the Brotherhood wasn’t ‘teh thang’ when I picked it up. In fact I had heard about the book in one other place – a blog. It was PBW blog, she had not only given J.R. Ward a cover quote but highly recommended her on her blog. So I picked it up. Put it down. Picked it up later. Put it down again. And finally ended up falling in lurve with her world while the oil was being changed in my car.

If it wasn’t for that blog rec, I don’t think I would have picked that book up again. Because of the characters names. Nothing like a little pressure on a writer *g*.

If I could retire a name I would have to say Sin. Although I guess that is more of a nickname.

What about you?  You can retire a name from romanceland. Strike it off the record forever and ever amen. What is it? Oh what the hell you can do two – one for a man and one for a woman.

And if you are a writer (feel free to strike a name as well) but how do you name your characters?

Hello,My name is Mrs.Jessica Williams. I am a dying woman who had decided to donate what I have to you. I am 59 years old and was diagnosed for cancer about 2 years ago, immediately after the death of my husband, who had left me everything he worked for. I have decided to donate from what I have inherited from my late husband to you for the good work of charity rather than allow my relatives to use my husband’s hard earned funds ungodly. I have asked God to forgive me all my sins and I believe he has because He is a merciful God. I will be going in for an operation, and I pray that I survive the operation.

I have decided to WILL/donate the sum of £3,500,000(three million five hundred thousand pounds) to you for the good work of the charity, and to help the motherless, less privileged and also for the assistance of the widows. At the moment I cannot take any telephone calls, due to the fact that my relatives are around me and I have been restricted by my doctor from taking telephone calls because I deserve all thee rest I can get.

Presently, I have informed my lawyer about my decision in WILLING this fund to you. I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly, and please use the funds well and always extend the good work to others.

Kindly Contact my lawyer through this email address (markwilliamssoli@aol.co.uk) if you are interested, so that he can arrange the release of the funds (£3,500,000.00) to you. I know I have never met you but this is the decision I have made, and I hope you act sincerely. NB: I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the task is accomplished, as I don’t want anything that will jeopardize my last wish, due to the fact that I do not want relatives or family members standing in the way of my last wish.

Love,
Mrs.Jessica Williams

Dear Mrs. Williams,

I would be more than happy to take your ill gotten gains and spend them in my godly ways. Unfortunately I will not be able to email your lawyer at his really professional aol addy. So I tell ya what… why don’t you have him set up an account in a large bank in my name. I am sure you have it since you would research who you were giving your money too.

I promise to be very charitable with my new money and to turn it into amazon gift certs to be given to all my friends and fellow bloggers. Hell I will be so nice, I won’t even care if they buy books I don’t like. God you did well in picking me. So email me with the account number.

Although I do hope you survive the operation because spammer burn in hell. It would really suck to have wasted all that praying and still fucking fry. If you make it till January, Demon Angel by Meljean Brooks will be out and you can read up on your afterlife.

Your friend,
sybil

CBS 2 did talk to readers, but couldn’t find any who wanted to share this very personal part of their life on camera. It’s even tough for the authors sometimes.

full article here

ramble, ramble, ramble, ramble… doubt there is a point in here but hey it is typed…

Wha? When did what I read or don’t read become apart of my ‘personal life‘. Sorry VERY personal part… I admit there is no shame in my game regarding just about anything. I could define the phrase ‘open book’. My life is my life, my choices mine, my regrets are few and I make no excuses.

But my reading? I don’t even factor that into the things sybil should be ashamed of and not admit in public.

My mom uses my computer. There are book links to romance site and author sites. My books line my apartment. My car often looks like it could double as a mobile library.

Would I appear on camera? Prolly not cuz I would look fat and no one would ever hear the end of it. Anywhere. Ever. I wouldn’t appear for you! But hell my name is on a romance site.

Granted it is my exhusband’s name, the one who told me I COULD’T keep the name unless I stay married to him. ::pooh bear think:: I really should sign up somewhere to review porn. Gay porn so at least the men would be cute. OH! I could review under J Cook. It would be fun and make me laugh. And, sorry I digress…

I had a point… so lets see a show of hands… who here is in the closet with their reading? I don’t mean you don’t talk about it. I mean you hide it. If you were asked, you lie about it. I mean you are ashamed. And if so, why?

Is it just the sex? Since you read it, are you afraid people think you do it? Personally I think I error on the side of caution and assume most adults have sex. Just hopefully not when I am in the room with them.

I never look at a person reading a murder mystery and think… hmmm wonder what he has in the basement. Or a true crime novel and think we really need to check out this girls frig.

So why treat love or sex differently? Is it the kink?

Personally I like sex. I am very pro-sex for anyone of age, in anyway that floats their boat. I love to talk about sex. I like to understand the whys and why nots of what people think.

I don’t have to like to get tied up and slapped around to read it. I don’t have to crave anal sex to read it. I don’t have to swallow to read it. I don’t have to anything… the book isn’t about me.

As I have said before I don’t read to put ‘me’ in the story. I don’t fall in love with the hero or the heroine. I don’t want to be the heroine. I want to fall in love with the hero and the heroine – together. It is their story, their happy ever after, the author has to sell me on.

If there is something kinky in the book, I have to believe the hero or heroine would want it. “I” don’t have to want it, I don’t have to have enjoyed doing it, I don’t factor into the story.

So why would I think you, random reader x does. Or better yet, why does random person walking by random reader x think that?

Yes some people who enjoy [name your sex act here], seek [name your sex act here], and I think that is wonderful. Anything that makes anyone feel better about their own sexual fantasy, wants, wishes or reality is a good thing. Sex should be a positive.

::stop and thinks::

I am so preaching to the choir here. I need a list of RITA judges to spam or something… never mind… shutting up now… heeeee

My name is Sybil and I read romance.

A lil story… run run far far away or click the saint for a long ol ramble

Tara posted a now edited ranty rant the other day which sent me off to search for what annoyed her.

AKA it is tara’s fault I was looking at message boards  

Someone posted a thread “You will hate me…” on Avon Book Discussions message board {pay attention to the folder name, there will be a test later} I say someone cuz the thread is now deleted. The post asked for books that didn’t work for people. And was about 4 pages.

One poster attacked another poster… in a omg you big ol meanie how can you be so ugly, these AUTHORS pay for this site and like could be here READING, you meanie how can you say anything bad about a person who is paid to do a job and do it so super special they make the NEW YORK TIMES BESTESTEST SELLER EVAH LIST, please everyone forgive me as I now bash this person, post their real name, their blog name, their real super secret meaning cuz they are too stupid to say what they ‘really’ mean which is ok cuz like I am a big ol fangirlie and she doesn’t matter cuz like she isn’t a author I LUV and I am such a nice girlie so that is ok… right?

{that is paraphrased}

Shockingly enough I was moved to posted. ::waits for shock to disappear:: Why did I bother, you ask?
1. thread wasn’t bashing, attacking or being evol to authors
2. at that time there were no rules against such a post {those taking notes, this is important}
3. I can’t stand people who bitch and moan about people having the nerve to bitch, as they bitch. You wanna be a bitch, be a bitch. Stand up and wave your bitchy lil flag and go with it. People can like it or not. But don’t wrap it up in pretty colors and say look at how nice I am to bash you in the head.
4. it is worse when you complain about all those nasty people out there ::looks at bloggers and those other message boards:: you know who you are you bitches… and then do the same fucking thing.

Yes, I do know I can be a bitch. Yes, it has been told to me, posted, written, stated, said and even agreed with. I know I am just shocking the hell out of yall today. Such is life, I am right sometimes, wrong others. I am not gonna slap your ass for being a bitch, tell you how horrid it is to be a bitch, then be a bitch and play like a nice fangirl. I can squuueee with the best of em but color me honest, hell I like Palmer, I can’t take myself too seriously.

I have a copy of my post, which I am playing with posting but it quotes others muchly and since post is now removed it would be rude of me quote. I guess… but a part of my response to the above (ok’ed)basher ask (again paraphrasing) – When did that become such a bad thing to only want to blow smoke up authors asses?:

It becomes a bad thing when fangirls get up in arms over big ol meanies saying what they like or don’t like. Every author on the left list here knows they will get a bad review. It is impossible to please
everyone. Nor have I read anywhere that the authors pay for this site
only so they have a ‘safe’ place to come get stroked. Honestly if that
is what this board is for that would border on pathetic.

But if that is one of the rules then it should be publicly posted or a
moderator should address it. uh and sorry jenna… feel free to beat
me at will LOL not that you need my permission

Or sticky a post on top saying only feed authors sweetness and light
anything else will send them screaming into the night. uh just an idea

{my stupid self thought jenna mod’ed the board, looking now she doesn’t}

So this morning there is an email that there is a response on the board. I hit and board shows thread has been deleted. So I check the board and there is a sticky on the top of the board saying to please read “Let’s keep it “Positive”.

So I responded, nicely!:

sybil sez:
Two questions and a suggestion

avonadmin wrote:
Recently there have been some threads which were totally “negative” in content. We would like to ask that you refrain from starting topics that are negative.. such as asking about Books or Authors that you “Don’t like”.

We realize that not everyone will like all books and or authors.

sybil sez:
Who is we? All the authors on the side board?

avonadmin wrote:
You are welcome to comment on something that you don’t like.. but only in the context of a general discussion about that book and or author. We are not trying to censor people’s comments or feelings, however, this forum’s purpose is for the PROMOTION of Avon Authors. We hope that you will understand why totally negative threads are inappropriate.

sybil sez:
PROMOTION board is different than a Discussion board, isn’t it?

::checking Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary::

Main Entry: pro·mo·tion
Pronunciation: pr&-’mO-sh&n
Function: noun
1 : the act or fact of being raised in position or rank : PREFERMENT
2 : the act of furthering the growth or development of something; especially : the furtherance of the acceptance and sale of merchandise through advertising, publicity, or discounting
- pro·mo·tion·al /-shn&l, -sh&-n&l/ adjective

Main Entry: dis·cus·sion
Pronunciation: di-’sk&-sh&n
Function: noun
1 : consideration of a question in open and usually informal debate
2 : a formal treatment of a topic in speech or writing

Am I missing something? Can you state only positive happy happy joy joy posts and have a true discussion of anything?

avonadmin wrote:
We will no longer allow any topics that is only negative in nature.
We will not delete random negative comments in the context of general discussions.

Thank you for understanding.
Feel free to email me at avonadmin@booktalkauthors.com if you have any questions about this decision.

sybil sez:
That is understandable. But as discussion does give off a vibe that is at odds with your goal, you or we (whoever we may be) might want to look at renaming the folder or putting a note in the description.

Right now it named:
Avon Book Discussions
and says:
Discuss books, authors, writing etc here

Doesn’t sound like that is what should be there. So to keep people from coming to the board thinking they can discuss a book you might want to rethink those.

Just saying. All positive all the time is cool, free speech isn’t a ‘right’ on a private forum. But it would help frustration levels of your members if you said what you meant. Right now it looks like you want to be a promo board with the look of a discussion board.

To which the SITE ADMIN answers…

I am not going to respond to every question of yours. Feel free to email me if you need further discussion.

And then decides what should or shouldn’t be publically asked of her.

Color me stupid but was I rude? I tried ever so hard to be polite. That is a private board paid by someone not me. As a moderator on another board, I completely agree there are rules you have to follow when you REGISTER to POST on someone else board.

And as a mod, I have and do tell people to knock it off and take their shit off board. But uh… as much as being a mod can be a bitch… you do it after posting to them a few times and they get obnoxious… I have posted a total of NINE times to that board. Says 8 cuz the one yesterday was in a now deleted thread. Out of NINE posts, one would be counted as against rules enforced AFTER I posted.

Does that make me a troll? Honestly I can’t see that is does but I could be wrong. As I often don’t have anything to add to the discussions there I rarely post. Out of those nine posts six were prolly regarding DiW.

Am I being mean here? Maybe but tis my blog and I will say whatever the fuck I want. And anyone is welcome to post. Am I going to email the rude lil shit to ask her to make sense and do her fucking job? As she said, “The administrators of this forum work for them.” Them being the authors:

Victoria Alexander, Mary Kay Andrews, Adele Ashworth, Alexandra Benedict, Sara Bennett, Toni Blake, Shane Bolks, Stephanie Bond, Elizabeth Boyle, Meggin Cabot, Gayle Callen, Dixie Cash, Kathryn Caskie, Mary Castillo, Jacquie D’Alessandro, Sylvia Day, Robyn DeHart, Christina Dodd, Suzanne Enoch, Cathryn Fox, Sarah Gabriel, Shana Galen, Rachel Gibson, Laura Lee Guhrke, Karen Hawkins, Lorraine Heath, Judith Ivory, Eloisa James, Samantha James, Jessica Jiji, Sophie Jordan, Shirley Karr, Lisa Kleypas, Stephanie Laurens, Edith Layton, Kimberly Logan, Cait London, Elizabeth Lowell, Kinley MacGregor, Sara MacKenzie, Julianne MacLean, Suzanne Macpherson, Margo Maguire, Anne Mallory, Cathy Maxwell, Mary Reed McCall, Judi McCoy, Jenna McKnight, Teresa Medeiros, Debra Mullins, Hailey North, Kayla Perrin, Jenna Petersen, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Julia Quinn, Karen Ranney, Christie Ridgway, Sari Robins, Sonia Singh, Susan Sizemore, Kathryn Smith, Kerrelyn Sparks, Marianne Stillings, Melody Thomas

Since the site admin is too busy to answer a simple question the first time it is asked. And instead clarifies who ‘we’ is referring to in her first post by saying:

“First.. yes, The authors listed on the sidebar pay for this forum. The administrators of this forum work for them.”

I chose to assume the site admin is a dummy not the authors. It is something of a stretch for me to believe all those people listed (who are writers) approved a the policy that conflicts with the stated words used on the site. But I could be wrong.

But the front page says:

This web page is our way of introducing ourselves to readers. We hope you’ll come in and enjoy the latest news about your favorite authors and discover some new authors as well. Come tell us what you think. Come talk about romance. Or just come and browse.After you’ve cruised through our site, grab a cup of cyber-tea and drag a cyber-chair over to our message board. You won’t believe who drops by, and we’d love to talk to you—especially about the stories we love to write!

Happy reading from all of us, to all of you!

First thought…
This is how they want to be introduced to the random reader?
Second thought…
Come tell us what you think. Come talk about romance. Or just come and browse.

Does any of that say, don’t say anything not happy happy joy joy?

The LINK to the message board is the word – DISCUSSION. I can’t believe the site admin is correct and none of the above authors know what the word discussion means.

At the end of the day does this matter, other than showing how easy it is to amuse me, not really. But hell, if you wanna be fangirl, be a fangirl. Wear your flag proudly and wave it around. Be open, be honest, don’t tell me you want to be a promo, only stroke the authors for their egos are fragile {no I don’t believe that, looks like just the site admin and some posters do} board but NAME yourself a Author Discussion Board.

Say what you mean, mean what you say. Pretending you are something you’re not just annoys.

I am ALL for rules and following them. Posting a link, to a different folder and thread named ‘Posting Guidelines > Let’s keep it “Positive”‘ but then contradicting yourself by naming the folder “Avon Book Discussions” with a description of “Discuss books, authors, writing etc here”. Will confuse people, well I think. And I could be wrong.

Either way I still want Scandal in Spring, Duke of Scandal, From London with Love, Angel in my Bed, Autumn in Scotland and will still read Lowell’s only books over and over. I will still buy Avon. I still look forward to seeing what Avon Red puts out {pun intended}. I will still like some and I will still hate some. I will still post about wanting Heath to do more westerns. Hell I want Lowell to write more westerns and I know that will like never happen.

So I shall just skip that board (and yes I knew going in it was over run with fangirlies and is a big reason that Avon has the rep is does but it wasn’t a stated rule being said to be approved by the authors).

Stop looking at me like that… I have HOPE damn it! I want to believe! Sorry, watched X-Files for too long.

The internet is a big ol place with a message board, web site, blog or whatever the fuck for everything. And I shall keep reading and reviewing the above authors (well that I am interested in reading) until someone tells me that yes the author(s) really can’t handle people saying anything negative about their work evah and think only happy fluffy bunny thoughts should be said about them.

Cuz then I will stop buying them… and just mock them.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that hearing someone might not like your work can hurt. And anyone wants to hear sqqqqquueeeeing over booooooooing. But if you can’t handle the bad, you don’t deserve the good. So don’t publish. You don’t deserve the money, the readers or the fans. Create yourself a yahoo group, only let people in who will lick your ass and post your writing. Sort of like a private mental hospital others can avoid cuz they know you are there. And then you never evah have to see a bad word about yourself. (that you would be general)

Really color me naive, but I truly think more authors than fangirlies will lead you to believe are big girls who can take the good with the bad. I will prolly add some author links later but I have wasted more than enough time on this, for now.

On the USAToday list, which thinking about it… maybe that is normal. I really never look. But anywho… I was surprised by number 1 with all the whining people they are still buying. This isn’t all the romance just authors I like. Hey, my blog, I gave you the link for the rest . **click the jump… which I need to think of a name for** 

1. Micah
Laurell K. Hamilton, Jove
Request to raise the dead unites two creatures (F) (P) $7.99
Weeks in Top 150: 2 Last week: 23 Entered Top 150: 3/2/2006 Peak: 1

Anyone read this? Is it any good? NiC was the last LKH I have read.

4. Devil in Winter
Lisa Kleypas, Avon
Romance: Shy girl seeks to marry rich viscount to escape her family (F) (P) $7.50
Weeks in Top 150: 1 Last week: — Entered Top 150: 3/9/2006 Peak: 4
And THE DEVIL IN WINTER is #6 on the New York Times bestseller list!
wwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeee

For kristie USAToday shows: Dreaming of You Lisa Kleypas
Naive woman finds love in London gambling casino. (F) (P)
Weeks in Top 150: 4 Current position: – Entered Top 150:4/21/1994 Peak: 34

19. McKettrick’s Choice
Linda Lael Miller, HQN
Romance: Holt McKettrick finds love (F) (P) $7.99
Weeks in Top 150: 1 Last week: — Entered Top 150: 3/9/2006 Peak: 19

31. Never Seduce a Scoundrel
Sabrina Jeffries, Pocket
Romance continues “The School for Heiresses” series (F) (P) $6.99
Weeks in Top 150: 1 Last week: — Entered Top 150: 3/9/2006 Peak: 31
#23 on the New York Times Extended List
Should be STARTS but whatever… they spelled the name right.

52. Lady of Sin
Madeline Hunter, dell
Romance: In 19th-century England, widow is nearly seduced courtroom advocate (F) (P) $6.99
Weeks in Top 150: 1 Last week: — Entered Top 150: 3/9/2006 Peak: 52

63. Crazy Kisses
Tara Janzen, Dell
Romance: Professional soldier reunites with old love (F) (P) $6.99
Weeks in Top 150: 1 Last week: — Entered Top 150: 3/9/2006 Peak: 63

OK so I don’t read this series but kristie and nicole do

67. Lover Eternal
J.R. Ward, Signet
Romance: Rhage, the vampire with the strongest appetites, is drawn to Mary Luce (F) (P) $6.99
Weeks in Top 150: 1 Last week: — Entered Top 150: 3/9/2006 Peak: 67
wwwwwaaaaayy cool when you think about the fact the book wasn’t even ‘out’ yet.

91. The Rogue’s Return
Jo Beverley, Signet
Romance: As Simon and Jane battle enemies and fate, they discover true love (F) (P) $6.99
Weeks in Top 150: 1 Last week: — Entered Top 150: 3/9/2006 Peak: 91

128. Seduced By Crimson
Jade Lee, Love Spell
Fantasy/romance: The demons are on their way back (F) (P) $6.99
Weeks in Top 150: 1 Last week: — Entered Top 150: 3/9/2006 Peak: 128

Can someone please explain to me why it is wrong to question, discuss or even dislike things, opinions, t.v, books, authors or name your poison here.

Who gets to decide the ‘one’ correct view we are suppose to all agree on? People can disagree and still get along, can’t they?

And have authors become all knowing and godlike when I wasn’t looking? Are we no longer allowed to questions their opinions because they write and were published?

Jeeze I honestly like to think authors don’t think that way. I like to think writers don’t want people to just lick their ass and tell them they are great, grand and wonderful. How does anyone grow, change or improve if no one ever tells you what they like as well as what they don’t?

Don’t get me wrong, I know there are authors out there that do think they are the shit and want nothing but glowing, wonderful things said about them. But they are not all like that, right…

There have been two posts, that I have seen, on the AAR boards in the last week or so. One regarding Tiger Eye’s front cover quote by Christine Feehan and one regarding the nerve of one reviewer saying that if you liked Lisa Kleypas you might not like sasha lord.

I don’t care if a person agrees with what they are saying or not but they have the right to say it. Of course I love the two post on the Tiger Eye’s thread one right after the other by anon people. Don’t you just wish the IP addy’s were posted. And the second anon is bitching about, shouldn’t we be talking about the book not the quote – while there are currently three different threads going on about how great the book is.

The two anon posts make me not want to read Feehan and hell I really didn’t think she meant anything by her quote.

I am all for Anonymous posting but make a stupid name and go by it. Own up to what you have to say in some way or don’t say it. If it shames you to be identified by the words you write, then that is a clue you shouldn’t write them. And good god it is the internet just because you say you are an author doesn’t make you one.

maybe I should sign anonymous doctor, I thought about being one once