Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Everything I Need to Know: Curious Youngsters

It's been awhile, but I had a letter asking for advice this week, so welcome back to Everything I Need to Know, I Learned from Romance Novels. It's not a book - that'd be EIKAL, which is a book - but it is advice and suggestions for romance readers who write in with problems that are sometimes befuddling. This week's letter comes from BSB, who writes: 

Dear Sarah: 

I have a very curious first grader who has taken to reading like a fish to water. I used to be able to read my romance books in plain sight without her understanding or caring about what I was reading. Now, if I pull out a book to read while she's watching television, I suddenly have a 48 pound backseat reader over my left shoulder asking what certain words mean. She's intrigued by all the books I have which features headless men and generous man titty. (She also thinks all the books about the same man because of the similar cover shots.)

And, the other night she asked me if the latest book I… read more »

Friday Nov. 4: WORD Brooklyn Book Event

This Friday night, I’m heading over, over, all the way over to Brooklyn to visit with the fabulous folks at WORD and party with EIKAL. Come on over and join us! If you’ve never been to WORD, it’s an amazing book store, and the folks who work there are SO FUN. This will be one heck of a party, and I’m totally excited.

You can RSVP at their Facebook page, and you can find directions on their site. I’ll be driving in from Jersey. If the event is at 7pm on a Friday night, think I need to leave around 4? Or can I wait until 4:30? (KIdding!)

Want a handy Google Calendar button? Here it is!

I am so excited about this event. This marks yet another independent bookstore event I’m doing for EIKAL - and I can’t tell you how much I love meeting romance-friendly independent booksellers. They’re so cool.

I hope you’ll come on over!

Bad Sarah Loves Charts: The “Which Type of Romance Novel Are You?” Chart from EIKAL

It’s come to my attention that the chart in EIKAL renders like hot buttered crap in eInk devices. I’m sorry! I have heard it may even display differently depending on the digital format. Again: I SUCK. I really like charts. A LOT.

In fact, that beginning of that chart was a remnant from an early Beyond Heaving Bosoms that didn’t fit in the book. Charts, I loves them. But making readers feel disappointed or left out because they can’t see the chart correctly? I don’t loves that, and I am sorry.

So! Here: have a PDF chart! What Romance Are You.pdf (52k). Please right click and download.

But wait, there’s more! I know that charts can render oddly for the devices that visually impaired - which probably explains why when I’ve researched opportunities to volunteer and read books aloud, so many list describing scientific charts and diagrams as the most pressing need.

So I’ve recorded myself reading the chart - not very well, but I did what I could.… read more »

There is Awesomeness at Anderson’s

Next week I am journeying to Illinois to do a book event at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville and I am really excited about it. That makes three romance-friendly independent bookshops in a row - Posman’s tomorrow, then Anderson’s next week, then WORD Brooklyn on November 4. WHEE!

BUT CHECK THIS OUT. Reader Melanie forwarded me the display Anderson’s has out. In EIKAL, there is a shopping list in the back of all the books I excerpt in the text, as well as a list of the top 9 heroes as determined by you lovely folks who are brilliant and awesome. The folks at Anderson’s built a table display of all the books I excerpt as WELL as all the books in which the top heroes appear. Have a look:

More Romance-Positive Press from USA Today: Thanks Folks!

USA Today’s Deirdre Donahue did a Q&A with me about EIKAL that allowed me ample opportunity to address and hopefully correct some of the misconceptions about the romance genre, including facts about the books themselves and the women who read and write them. YAY!

The article is online and in the print edition today, too.

I think with their new romance blog headed up by author Joyce Lamb, there will be an increase in romance-positive articles - which is awesome because 1.8 million copies is nothing to sneeze at. I am so excited that they printed an article focused on how positive and powerful romance can be.

EIKAL Celebratory Giveaway of Holy Crap Awesome: The Winner

Over 1200 people entered the giveaway of Holy Crap Awesome, and authors contacted me this week to add titles, offer presents, and make it even more awesome-r. Thank you to everyone who entered and contacted me and tweeted and posted about it and generally helped me throw a party.

And now it’s time to pick a winner, and make the post office lady laugh at me a LOT. You ready?

As selected by the Random Integer Generator, the winner is Seton who posted on 10.04.11 at 11:46 AM. Congratulations, Seton! Email me at sarahATsmartbitchestrashybooksDOTcom with your address and we’ll get to work on Epic Box o’ Stuff heading in your direction.

Thank you again everyone who entered, and who celebrated with me. Y’all rule.

Want to see some cool stuff on the internet?

The internet is full of all kinds of awesome things. I like it here.

First up, from JD Drew: decrepit Victorian homes built of Legos. Prepare to be impressed because CREEPY and AWESOME are here in equal doses.

Next: how awesome is this? Puffin, a division of Penguin, as donated use of Roald Dahl’s digital books , James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to the Worldreader program. Worldreader makes digital books available to readers in developing worlds, and Amazon, Random House, and now Penguin are part of the program. High fives, y’all. That is amazing.

(Oddly, I couldn’t find digital editions of those books available in the US, but hey, developing nations first? I am ok with that. I trust there will be Dahl ebooks here eventually.)

Last Call for the EIKAL Giveaway of Epic Proportions

Noon eastern tomorrow, Tuesday 11 October, is the deadline for the EIKAL giveaway of epic proportions,  including a digital reader, 60+ books, nifty prizes, bobbleheads, rare books, and a really beautiful ornament from Grace Draven.

Someone’s getting a big ol’ box of books. Head on over to leave your comment if you haven’t. Good luck!

The Gayle King Show: More Makeup Than I’ve Ever Worn, Ever

There’s a 1:10 clip of my segment from The Gayle King Show online already! Have a look:

Link? Link!

More information than you probably wanted:

TV, Online Chats, and A Signing!

Today, at 10am Eastern, I’ll be on the Gayle King Show on the Oprah Network, live (omg) on tv and on Sirius Radio #204 or XM 111.

This is really exciting and nerve wracking and exciting again - except for the part where I’m waiting for an epic pimple to erupt in the remaining hours. 0_o

And also: Wednesday, October 12 at 9pm ET, I’ll be online at Savvy Authors for a live Q&A chat. It’s free, though I think you have to register. All the details are here. Hope you’ll stop by.

AND FINALLY. My first book signing event! Oh, Yom Kippur, you are not good for scheduling book signings. But my first signing event is on Saturday, 15 October at Posman Books in Grand Central Station. RSVP at their Facebook page. And since it’s a Saturday evening? THERE WILL BE WINE. Come drink with me and hang out with the very awesome Stacey Agdern at the awesome Posman’s Books!

As always, I am keeping the calendar as up to date as I can.  I hope if I’m nearby you’ll stop to introduce yourself. I would be so pleased… read more »

Hello Ireland!

Tomorrow at 2:30 pm Ireland time (I THINK - it’s 9:30 my time on the east coast if it helps you any. Have I mentioned time zones make me dizzy?)  I’ll be on Newstalk 106-108fm talking about Everything I Know About Love, I Learned from Romance Novels.

YOU GUYS. I bought a new phone for this one. One that isn’t cordless, doesn’t hum or drop out at odd moments (like when the wind blows) and is plain and boring and plugs into the wall. It was all of $7, or, if you’re in Ireland, 5.25 Euro. The problem is, the cord isn’t long enough to reach the bathroom where I usually hide during interviews, so you might hear a whining dog or maybe an outraged elderly cat who is incensed that I haven’t fed him, despite it being 930 in the morning.

Either way, Hello Ireland!

Links - Including Awesome Tea!

I love the internet. There’s always something going on.

First: I’m over at Kirkus talking about the impetus for the giveaway this week. Or, in other language, why I am often at a loss when talking about my own book but am very eager to talk about everyone else’s!

I love talking about other people’s books. I can tell you 56 reasons why Jill Shalvis’ upcoming book Head Over Heels (Grand Central, November 2011) worked for me. I can explain in staggering detail why I adore the novels of Sarah Morgan and think everyone should try one—if only to interrupt one’s expectations of Harlequin Presents. I can go on at embarrassing length about other people’s books. In fact, writing this column, it was increasingly tempting to talk about everyone else’s book except my own.

EIKAL: The Celebratory Giveaway of HOLY CRAP AWESOME

Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels is out in stores everywhere (or should be!), so let’s celebrate with HUGE GIVEAWAYNESS OF AWESOME!

So many authors contributed to EIKAL, and shared such amazing and valuable stories about their own experiences with romance that I wanted to celebrate EIKAL’s release with a GIANT BASKET of every author’s book that I could get my hands on.

PLUS, if you’re curious about digital reading, you get a choice of those, too (thanks to Jeaniene Frost for the idea!).

Here’s the deal: leave a comment, and tell me one thing you’ve learned from romances - silly, sad, serious, wtfish, whatever - and you’re entered to win.

This contest is open to anyone anywhere, including the space station (Hi Astronauts!), and I will ship internationally. You must be 18 or over, and this is void where prohibited. The comments are open from now until noon EDT, Tuesday 11 October.

What do you win?

Your choice of:

On the Air and On TV

Tonight! 7:31 PM to 7:49 PM CT/ 8:31 PM to 8:49 PM ET I will be on Dresser After Dark talking about EIKAL. For added hilarity, please know that this is just past bedtime in my house, so I’ll be hiding in the bathroom, avoiding the dogs, any nagging cats, and of course, bedtime shenanigans.

AND THEN… Monday 10 October on the OWN Network, I’ll be appearing live (YES LIVE!) on The Gayle King Show. The Gayle King Show can be heard on XM 111/SIRIUS 204 between 9 and 11am, or at 10 am EST on @Oprah’s Network, OWN. If you go to the OWN Network page, over on the right next to a very small picture of Oprah’s head where it says “Find OWN on TV.”

I will now do everything in my power to avoid developing a mammoth pimple by Monday. And figuring out what to wear. And trying to remain calm. BUT OH MY GOSH HOW EXCITING!

A Few Links of EIKAL-abration

First, Jennifer Crusie asked me a set of questions that were as challenging as Jane’s, and the interview that resulted is up on ArghInk.

I am also over at BookPage answering questions about the genre, about EIKAL, and which type of romance I’d most like to find myself in. (HOUSE PARTY, Y’ALL. HOUSE PARTY!)

And if the samples provided online aren’t enough, you can read an extended excerpt of the chapter about (ahem) sex over at Kirkus today!

ETA: Linda Holmes over at NPR’s Monkey See pop culture blog also examined EIKAL and how it works, and proposes that she herself write a book that hands down I would buy in a heartbeat.

ETA2: Kwana also wrote about EIKAL over at Heroes & Heartbreakers (thank you!).

And finally: I am currently #2 in “Movements & Periods” over at Amazon.com. I’m sandwiched between JR Ward’s short novella about Zsadist and Bella, and her Black Dagger Brotherhood Insider’s Guide. I am screencapping this for posterity because - HILARIOUS.

I am the filling in a BDB sandwich?! On the “Movements & Periods” chart?!! This could not be more awesome. Sorry. Ahwsohme.… read more »