This RITA® Reader Challenge 2014 review was written by Beth K. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Paranormal Romance category. The summary: History is repeating itself. For ambitious engineer Simon Darcy, winning Queen Victoria’s competition to recover lost inventions of historical significance is a matter of pride—and redemption. After all, it was Simon’s failed monorail project that left his family destitute, and winning the tournament would surely restore the Darcys’ reputation. Simon … Continue reading RITA Reader Challenge: His Clockwork Canary by Beth Ciotta →
This RITA® Reader Challenge 2014 review was written by Syaffolee. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Paranormal Romance category. The summary: History is repeating itself. For ambitious engineer Simon Darcy, winning Queen Victoria’s competition to recover lost inventions of historical significance is a matter of pride—and redemption. After all, it was Simon’s failed monorail project that left his family destitute, and winning the tournament would surely restore the Darcys’ reputation. Simon sets … Continue reading RITA Reader Challenge: His Clockwork Canary by Beth Ciotta →
All my life, I've felt something was missing, and now I know what it was. Thanks to Her Sky Cowboy, I now realize that the void in my soul was caused by never having seen Janis Joplin perform “Piece Of My Heart” in a bar on a floating zeppelin in Victorian England. The odds of my filling said void through direct personal experience seem to be low, but thanks to the book at least I … Continue reading Her Sky Cowboy by Beth Ciotta →
Today, I’m a guest on an episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour, which is among the best of the NPR podcasts. My inner 13 year old barely kept herself together, I was so excited. But I figured since perhaps some PCHH listeners are romance fans, or curious about romance, or curious about what we do around here, I’d introduce the site a bit. So: Hi! I’m Sarah, and welcome to the Hot Pink Palace of Bitchery, … Continue reading Greetings, PCHH Folks! →
I was part of a panel on contemporary romance at RT, and took four pages of notes, because I thought the comments from the other panelists were so interesting. I think I've transcribed my own handwriting correctly – I hope so, anyway. On the panel with me were Louisa Edwards, Christina Skye, who I learned has a PhD in classical Chinese literature, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and Jodi Thomas. The session was called ' FINDING THE … Continue reading Contemporary Romance Panel at RT: Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary →
Usually with any conference or event I attend, there’s always one memory or item I remember best, something that sort of encapsulates the entire event. Sometimes, it’s not a good thing (Pittsburgh’s RT, while hosted by my home town, was a hot mess of groping and asthma attacks for many) and sometimes it’s something outside the script, like at RT in Orlando, when Beth Ciotta turned to Heather Graham and remarked that she couldn’t believe … Continue reading RT Moment →
When I first met Kate Duffy, it was at RWA in Dallas in 2007, and I was 8.5 months pregnant. I waddled everywhere, and I was, literally, a torpedo. I gave birth 6 weeks later. Like any good pregnant lady at an RWA convention, I was in the bar when I was introduced to Kate Duffy. There was much squeeing. I was a fan of hers, and she was a fan of our site. She … Continue reading In Memory of Kate Duffy →
If you read the Twitteration, you probably got a micro-sense of the Mr. Romance pageant last night. Heather Osborn calls it the mangeant, and clocking in at just under an hour, it was a zippy-mangeant, too. The battery on my laptop hadn’t charged all the way yet. The opening was funny and silly and sort of slapstick – a lady was reading a book, and the contestants come out from backstage one by one and … Continue reading Mr. Romance and Academia →
What, it’s 1:30 in the morning so technically it’s Thursday, and that’s about as inspirational a title as you’ll get. Jane and I are eating M&Ms and drinking water after a loud and danceful evening of piano bars, tequila, beer, and really, really loud music. My ears are going to ring until Sunday. Jane and I made it over to the conference center today around breakfast time, and even though this is my second RT, … Continue reading Wednesday →
Jen Miller of the Philadephia Inquirer wrote quite the romance-positive article on the writers behind the genre: Writing romances, without the cliches. Well done, Jen! Beth Ciotta, author of the upcoming Evie Ever After, is featured, as well as debut author Shobhan Bantwal and Ellora’s Cave author Stephanie Julian. And, well, me, the man titty media pundit: Obviously, some people are still reading the novels filled with ripping bodices and windblown hair, even if those … Continue reading Philadelphia Inquirer Features Romance-Positive Article →
We’ve been talking a bit about critique partners here at Smart Bitches, and last Friday I had a chance to see CPs in action. I was invited to a dinner after the Novelists Inc. conference concluded with Kate Duffy from Kensington, whom I call the Julia Child of romance because it makes her roll her eyes at me, Karen who is mistress of PR and publicity at Kensington, and LaToya from Grand Central whose purse … Continue reading What Your Critique Partner Says About You When You Go to the Ladies’ Room →
