Bitchin' Blog Posts
: Cross-Blog Debate: Smart Bitches and Dear Author
June 20, 2011 | Monday at 4:11 am | 3 Comments
Time again for the SBTB and DA bestsellers list, better known as the List With No Official Name. It’s based on our affiliate sales records, it’s fun to examine week to week, and it clearly shifts based on what’s on sale, what we’re talking about, and what you’re interested in reading. Many thanks to Jane for the nook, Kobo, and Sony shortcut code.
Hope what you’re reading is awesome!
Unlocked by Courtney Milan (nook), (sony), (Kobo)
Yours To Keep by Shannon Stacey (nook), (sony), (Kobo)
Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer (nook), (sony), (Kobo)
Soldier by Grace Burrowes (nook), (sony), (Kobo)
Captives of the Night by Loretta Chase (sony), (Kobo)
Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley (nook), (sony), (Kobo)
Laird of the Mist by Paula Quinn (nook), (sony), (Kobo)
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell (nook), (sony), (Kobo)
Camwolf by J.L. Merrow (nook), (sony), (Kobo)
His Christmas Pleasure by Cathy Maxwell (nook), (sony), (Kobo)
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June 06, 2011 | Monday at 3:13 pm | 12 Comments
This week’s bestseller list from DA/SBTB is not a surprise to anyone, least of all Jane or myself. I was asked recently at BEA if I thought that digital short fiction had an audience in the romance community. I believe my response was a nearly immediate: “Duh.” I am totally a novella fan now that I can download and read them anywhere I have a signal.
Unlocked by Courtney Milan Captives of the Night by Loretta Chase Before the Witches: An Original Novella by Karina Cooper Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer The Countess’s Client by Alison Richardson Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews The Birthday Present by Alison Richardson Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley Gentleman Captain by JD Davies
So what books are you looking forward to this week? Have a good reading weekend? Personally, I love the “Oh, I just read a bunch of good books in a row” feeling - I had it this weekend after reading a novella and two novels. Sort of like being the perfect amount of full after a very good meal. Not too full, not still hungry. Just right. Hope you…
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May 31, 2011 | Tuesday at 3:30 am | 21 Comments
I missed my chance to post last week’s list, but fresh off the snazzy calculating spreadsheet is this week’s list of bestsellers, as calculated by the affiliate code sales from Dear Author and myself. Mmmm, sweet, delicious data!
The power of the Chase autobuy is something to behold, y’all, if this week’s list is any indication.
Captives of the Night by Loretta Chase
Before the Witches: An Original Novella by Karina Bliss
The Wind & the Sea by Marsha Canham
Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison
Christmas Magic on the Mountain by Melissa McClone
The Countess’s Client by Alison Richardson
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacClean
The Birthday Present by Alison Richardson
An Impolite Seduction by Alison Richardson
The Search by Nora Roberts
It is a BIG RELEASE WEEK to be sure. Many highly anticipated books are on the shelves on Tuesday (or earlier if the bookstore employees are feeling frisky). What are you reading this week?
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May 15, 2011 | Sunday at 4:08 pm | 13 Comments
Time again for the best sellers list from Dear Author and Smart Bitches for 10 April - 10 May 2011. As with last week’s list, we used our affiliate links, which reward the blog owner with 6-8% of the sale price for each item sold, to compile the list. I use affiliate links for both All Romance eBooks and Amazon
, and Harlequin when reviewing a Harlequin novel. DearAuthor uses affiliate links for Amazon alone.
So here is this week’s list. It doesn’t capture every sale out there or every sale that we might inspire, but it is a data point that might provide some interest to our readers and might help in discovering new and good books.
1. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean 2. Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart by Sarah MacLean 3. Breaking Point by Pamela Clare 4. Dead By Morning by Beverly Barton 5. Collision Course by Zoe Archer 6. According to Luke (Gospel of Love 1) by Jackie Barbosa 7. Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison 8. Captive…
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May 09, 2011 | Monday at 2:14 am | 24 Comments
Behold, I quote Jane: “One thing that readers have in common is our neverending search for new books. Sarah Wendell of Smart Bitches and we at DearAuthor use affiliate links to help fund our sites. These affiliate links reward the blog owner with 6-8% of the sale price for each item sold using an affiliate link. Sarah uses affiliate links for both All Romance eBooks and Amazon, and Harlequin when reviewing a Harlequin novel. DearAuthor uses affiliate links for Amazon alone.”
Jane thought that it might be fun to create a “bestseller” list out of the affiliate links. Jane, apparently, likes to do math. The following list simply displays to our mutual blog readers what the readers are buying if they use the affiliate link. Both Amazon and ARe’s affiliate program provide a LOT of stats, which I love. For example, from Amazon, I can find out what digital copies and paper copies of a specific title have been clicked on and sold, and with ARe, I get a breakdwn of which format was purchased - and no, it doesn’t tell me who the buyer is. It doesn’t capture every sale out there or every sale that we might inspire,…
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April 01, 2010 | Thursday at 4:00 am | 58 Comments
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April 01, 2009 | Wednesday at 7:27 pm | 5 Comments
I didn’t want to have to do this, but I have archived proof that I did in fact receive the email from the ICH revealing their hesitant position on outsourcing to male-male romance. Attached is a lengthy 5-page PDF. I was typing the manuscript when Perry contacted me over instant messenger, and I grabbed the conversation and pasted it into my draft of the manuscript’s
“Heroes” chapter so I could refer back to it.
I’m still looking for the original headers to the email message proving that the messages were forwarded from Perry’s email account, but it seems his Lordship is rather savvy with the IT. Good thing I am too.
So if you’d like to read my instant message conversation with Perry about the role of the hero in romance and the challenges he’s found as a leading member of the ICH, have a lookee at this here mammoth PDF. Sarah Chats with Perry (23k).
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February 01, 2009 | Sunday at 4:50 am | 2 Comments
Head on over to Dear Author as we discuss Kiss of a Demon King and squee like rabid fangirls.
I hear rumors that Bresley Schmolle and her husband, Sven, will be stopping by. Bresley is the world-renown academic expert on the Cole-iverse, and will be sharing her perspective on the Lore. Hope you join us!
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January 30, 2009 | Friday at 4:18 am | 4 Comments
Grab a copy of Kiss of a Demon King. and come join us Saturday night at 9:00 EST/ 8:00 CST for a SB&J Liveblog event. I understand that we should be expecting a couple of guests in the latter portion of our liveblog: Bresley Schmolle and her lovely husband, Sven Schmolle.
You can sign up for a reminder in the box below. Like you have anything better to do that read Sarah and I natter on about a book with hot demon bondage sex, right? And I know you a super curious about who Bresley Schmolle and Sven Schmolle are.
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January 26, 2009 | Monday at 11:26 pm | 6 Comments
This Saturday Dear Author will be hosting semi regular SB&J liveblog event. This time we’ll be doing a liveblog review of Kresley Cole’s Kiss of a Demon King. This is more of a book club discussion event than a read along because it wouldn’t be feasible to read and blog such a long book all at once. So grab a copy of KofaDK and come join us Saturday night at 8:00 EST/ 9:00 CST.
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January 26, 2009 | Monday at 5:57 pm | 2 Comments
Congratulations to Natasha from Natasha News! You spread the good word about Jill Shalvis’ awesome release, Instant Attraction, that will be in stores soon (if it isn’t already) and you won a Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder and a copy of Shalvis’ fabulous book about the Katie who is learning to live balls out and Cam who is ready to love the same way.
Stay tuned to a new promotion in March for Lisa Kleypas’ Smooth Talking Stranger. If you like Kleypas, this one will go on your keeper shelf.
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January 24, 2009 | Saturday at 1:50 am | 5 Comments
Don’t forget - spread the word, win a Flip Video.
Want the details? They’re all here. Graphics for sharing and caring are below the fold. Deadline is midnight CST Sunday, 25 January.
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January 19, 2009 | Monday at 3:00 pm | 266 Comments
Here’s the deal: we dig this book. We dig this book like damn and whoa, and we think you will too. And yet, so many people say the contemporary romance is a dying breed. So, in order to spread the word and the opportunity to read it we’re doing a multi-level giveaway in tandem with our reviews of Instant Attraction
Part the First: free books! Leave a comment and you’re automatically entered to win a copy. We each have 5 paper copies of the book give away, so drop a word here and at Dear Author and double your chances. Comments will be open for 24 hours starting now.
Second: Spread the Word! Below is a Sprout widget about our campaign, and a simpler animated graphic. Right-click-and-save the graphic, or grab the Sprout for yourself, and put it on your site. Let us know that you’ve done so .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), and you’ll be entered to win a copy of the book, plus a Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder.
ETA: Deadline is midnight CST Sunday, 25 January.
Spread the word,…
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January 14, 2009 | Wednesday at 12:44 pm | 67 Comments
Have you ever wondered to yourself, “Self, I wonder what Sarah thinks about at 6:40 am before she’s had caffeine?”
Well, wonder no more. Here’s a sample!
Following the discussion during our last liveblog about the use of the word “prostate” during a sex scene in K.A. Mitchell’s Custom Ride, I got to thinking about the word “prostate.”
Within the context of m/m romance and sex scenes, the prostate is big pimpin, as stimulation thereof can yield mad happy pants, if you know what I’m saying.
Yet the discussion we had questioned the use of the word itself, since it’s rather clinical and we’re so used to the euphemism buffet when we talk about ye olde boot knockin’.
So I got to thinking some more: if m/m romance were written during the 80’s heyday of historical romance, what words would the major authors have used to refer to the prostate?
The clitoris was called anything from a “love nubbin” to “her center of pleasure.” There were rampant pikes, rigid arousals, and hardnesses everywhere.
So what would would they have used for the prostate? Butt nubbin? No, can’t use the word “butt.” Pleasure ridge? Deeply passionate tubuloalveolar…
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January 10, 2009 | Saturday at 10:46 pm | 2 Comments
Tune in to this space tonight at 9 EST, 8CST, for a live-blog discussion of Mediterranean Boss, Convenient Mistress with Jane from DearAuthor, Jawk and Jace, our guests for the last Live-Blog, and yours truly. We’re doing something a little different this time - we’ve all read the book ahead of time, so we’ll be discussing and reviewing it book-club style.
Hope you join us.
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