Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

SB Sarah Heads to Texas

Have I mentioned that I really like Texas? I do, it’s true. They have the best beer in America there, and I say that having been raised in close proximity to Iron City, Yuengling, and Rolling Rock - so I know from crap beer. But more than just the Shiner Bock, Texas has many awesome things about it—including San Antonio.

On 11 November, I’ll be at the Barshop Jewish Community Center in San Antonio as part of an evening program titled, and I’m so not making this up, Shiksas, Break Ups, Romantics & Hook Ups.

I’m on a panel with three other authors. Jodeyne Speyer is the author of Dump ‘Em: How to Break Up with Anyone from Your Best Friend to Your Hairdresser - which, dude. I want to hear about that. Bob Morris wrote a book titled Assisted Loving: True Tales of Double Dating with My Dad, and Laurie Graff wrote The Shiksa Syndrome, about a woman who pretends… read more »

Bitches, Bosoms, and Mavis, Syndicated Across Australia

Jane Sullivan, a syndicated newspaper columnist across Australia, has written a piece about romance fiction. Smart Bitches, Beyond Heaving Bosoms, and Mavis titled Romance fiction deserves respect.

Hell, yeah, it does. And it sounds like Sullivan is a fan of the genre herself.

o thank Eros for two Americans, Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan, who dreamed up Mavis for their book Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels. It’s an unashamed celebration of their great passion, and they make no apology for it….

This is the kind of analysis we want: down to earth, cheeky, motivated by an extensive knowledge and sincere love of the genre, yet merciless on the quality control. I’d love to see a couple of Smart Bitches let loose on literary fiction.

Whoa. Thank you, ma’am! And hell yeah. If you’re a romance fan, Ms. Sullivan, I’d love to know what your favorites are. Thanks for celebrating the romance all over Oz. My fangirl crush on Australia has reached new heights now.

Candy at Wordstock Festival events on Saturday and Sunday

Dear Internet: I miss you. So very, very much. I’ve started a half-dozen posts (Katiebabs, I’m still working on finishing the cri de coeur—though cri de singe fâché might be more accurate—that’s my review of Cry No More) and left them unfinished. I am shaking my tiny, tiny fist against the various timesuck vortices that have spontaneously emerged around me.

But if you miss seeing me on-line, you have an opportunity to see me IN REAL LIFE, if you live in the Portland area and you’re free this weekend, because behold, I’ll be taking part in two events at our annual literary festival, Wordstock. One of them costs a bit of moolah ($25, but there will be many, many other intimidatingly awesome authors there) and the other costs essentially the price of admission to the festival.

Item the First Saturday, October 10, is the Live Wire show, wherein you get to see Many People Who Are Not Me Who Intimidate the Everloving Snot Out of Me. The line up includes Sherman Alexie (AAAAAAAAAAAA here’s hoping I don’t fangirl all over him and then faint on his shoes from the hyperventilation), James motherfucking Ellroy, and Wesley Stace, who wrote a really… read more »

When Everything is Twilight, Even Your Bosoms

Twilight, you may have noticed, is everywhere, especially now that UK and US editions of Wuthering Heights have been rereleased. This is the UK version:

And this is the US version:

both, obviously capitalizing on the fact that this is Bella and Edward’s favorite book in the fictional Twilight universe. Never let it be said that the iconic red on black imagery isn’t effective. Those books are gorgeous. But the redesigns got me thinking, especially with the use of other people’s names to market different books and similar marketing hijinks, that it’s time I did Simon & Schuster a favor.

Hi Simon! Hi Schuster! Should you be thinking, “Hmm, how can I sell another 5 or 6 copies of the Bosoms?” I have the answer for you. RIGHT HERE. I did all the work! Just slap this puppy on the cover and ship ‘em out. It’ll be great!

No, no, don’t thank me. I do this for you - all for you.

What other covers need the Twilight revamp?

So Many Books, Too Many Bosoms

So didja know Toni Andrews has her own television show about books? True that. And this week, all over wooded parts of Connecticut, I’ve been her guest on “So Many Books.”

We talk bosoms, kitten poop, books, and so many more books. Here’s Part I, with Parts II and III available on You Tube as well (for some reason, embedding was not emworking).

Smart Bitches in People Magazine

Great day in the morning! We’re in People Magazine.

While the article doesn’t appear to be on their website, in the 3 August issue, featuring a very messy-headed Robert Pattinson and “his messy love life” on the cover, on page 46, there’s BOSOMS! And a list of our very favorite romances.

Here, a PDF for your viewing pleasure! People magazine, page 46.

People (the magazine, not the plural noun) had asked us for a list of our very favorite romances, and that list was, of course, a LOT longer when we sent it in. Five of our choices made the list:

RWA Mini Recap

- Best Bitches Moment: Our Bootleg Booksigning yesterday raised, in one hour, over $600 for First Book. We had more beer than I knew what to do with, and a crowd of people were streaming in the door to buy a book, have it signed by both Candy and me, and hang out in our room (did we mention the presence of beer? Nothing like it as a social lubricant).

- Best Digital Moment: Our Digital Rogue Seminar was standing room only. We had to ask for more chairs twice and over 90 people were in the room. In addition to Books on Board and Red Sage, who helped sponsor the costs of the seminar along with Sony USA, folks from Sourcebooks, Wild Rose, and LooseID attended and participated in the Q&A.

Kassia Kroszer’s presentation focused on contracts and digital rights, and Jane Litte, armed with a complete print out of the Google Books Settlement, decoded the settlement’s advisory panel, which she described as “scary.” I presented some numbers on costs in developing a book—and the costs between distributing print and digital copies. While it may look deceptively easy to start your own digital publisher, the business and… read more »

Smart Bitches Bootleg Booksigning - with Beer!

Despite my best efforts, we were not permitted to sign Beyond Heaving Bosoms at the Literacy Signing on Wednesday Night at RWA national in DC. I am so incredibly bummed about that decision, not only because it would have been one of the few events that we would both attend but because we know there are a ton of DC Bitches readers who would have come out and thereby raised a pretty good amount of money for literacy.

So, we’ll do it anyway. The Smart Bitches Bootleg Booksigning - with Beer - will be at 3:00 pm on Thursday 16 July, Location TBA.

There’s a widget below to register for a text-message group that will alert you when the location is determined, or you can text the word “BOOTLEG” to 68398 and I’ll hook you up with the details as soon as I get them. It’ll be in our room, and there will be Bosoms, Bitches (two of them - a rare event!), with Beer.

Cost per book: $15 - CASH OR CHECKS ONLY PLEASE. We purchased the books using our author discount but we will be… read more »

Desktop Illustration: Evolution of Hero

Jan Oda asked if she could get the Evolution of a Hero illustration from Beyond Heaving Bosoms as a desktop wallpaper.

Behold! Ahoy! And also, WOOT! Artist Carol Main, who drew the original illustration, not only beefed that bad boy up for desktop wallpaper usage, but colored that mofo as well. Enjoy! Right click and download, please!

Thank you Carol!

Romance Positive Press Hits USA Today

Deirdre Donahue of USA Today profiled romance novelists Eloisa James and Julia Quinn, and feature some random bloggers (us!) in an article about how smart women read and write romance.

Oh holy crap, I can’t tell you how proud I am to be part of romance-positive coverage.

Looking at the intelligent and fierce women who write and read our favorite genre, Donahue’s piece lets James, Quinn, and Harlequin CEO Donna Hayes speak for themselves. Their quotes are frank and supportive of the genre - and reveal what we’ve known all along: that we’re clever, savvy, and so damn intelligent. The print version includes even more pictures - including us! Woo hoo!

My very favorite quote illustrates and completely smacks the hell out of all those insults we deal with as romance fans:

“When I saw the invitation to speak at Princeton, I said, ‘Holy crap, we have arrived,’ ” says Regis, 56, an English professor at McDaniel College in Westminster, Md., and author of the seminal text, A Natural History of the Romance Novel….

Today, in addition to his poetry classes, [DePaul University English professor Eric] Selinger teaches courses on the romance genre.

Is it awkward to be… read more »

Tres Bitches, Tres Sugar

Candy and I did a whole series of interviews with TresSugar.com - and you can see the set online at the TresSugar site. From covers to euphemisms, we covered it all.

Woo!

Durham, Now with Extra More Bull

First: will the party who informed the bugs that I am in the state please refer back to the Treaty of South Carolina 1993, wherein all bugs that (a) bite and that I am (b) allergic to (which is, for the record, ALL of them) agreed to leave me alone whenever I migrate south of the Mason-Dixon line, and remind said bugs that the treaty is in effect in perpetuity? Kthxbye. (I’m going to need some Benadryl like holy shit.)

Once the flying part of my travel was done, I arrived in a cool, windy, NOT raining Durham, where everyone was, even at 1 in the damn morning, super friendly. Hello The South. I missed you. (I went to college in South Carolina, if y’all didn’t know. I have a temporary license to use the word “y’all” though have been informed that I still have “an accent.”)

I’d made a reservation for a rental car while sitting on the floor of the Newark airport, pinch-hitting for Dear Author during #RRTheatre and stealing wifi from the Continental first class lounge. I’d signed up for the rental frequent something or other club online, too. Gotta love tabbed browsing. When I… read more »

Sarah in Durham, NC, on Saturday

Despite the fact that BookTour insists on informing the world that both Candy and I will be in Durham, NC, this weekend, alas, it is just me. The only appearance where Candy and I will be signing together will be in DC, and details are coming soon, mwaaahahahahaha.

This Saturday I’ll be at the Barnes & Noble at New Hope Commons at 2pm, and the event is co-sponsored by the Durham County Public Library. It was organized by Fearless Jennifer, Librarian of Excellent, who was kind enough to show me her successful Bosom hunt at the library - which probably wasn’t fair since she shelved it there and all. But still - hail the awesome librarian! Jen has invited the genteXt book group, which, holy crap, SO cool.

I hear rumors that Sarah Frantz may be in attendance, as well as longtime commenter JaneDrew, who is giving me the scoop on all the best places to eat in Durham. It’s going to be hot - literally - and I hope, a ton of fun. I hope you can join us.

You can check out the 90% correct list of Candy’s appearances at BookTour.com, should you be on the… read more »

Four Things

Thing the first: Diana Rowland interviewed me for Magic District. She wanted to examine the issues facing romance, science fiction, and fantasy novels - and I apparently wanted to use the word “element” about sixteen times too many. It’s like an elemental drinking game at this point. Thank you for the interview, Diana!

While I was traveling in scenic, windy, and unquestionably awesome Iowa, a segment I taped for Better.tv aired in a whole mess of places across the US. Host Audra Lowe interviewed me about the Bosoms, the power of romance in a recession, and what to do about those who put down the genre.

Hey! Lookee there—Beyond Heaving Bosoms is the featured book in the editorial spotlight in the Sony eBookstore - how cool!

And finally, I have to find where I hid my BEA pass, because next weekend it is all BEA, all the time. BEA, which actually stands for “Bring Extra Alcohol,” is going to be extra more gooder this year because not only are cool people like Kassia Krozser and @DonLinn going to be there, but NetGalley and Firebrand decided to host a “blogger signing” at their booth (#4077).

As Firebrand founder… read more »

Bitches on Bitch

Joint posted on Bitch Magazine.org and on Flavorwire is an interview about Bosoms, feminism, and defending our love of romance novels.

My favorite part:

MV: Why should feminists read romance novels?

SW: It’s a 50-plus-year-old industry comprised mostly of women writers operating their own businesses and producing a genre about women’s self-actualization, pursuit of autonomy, and acquisition of sexual agency for an audience made mostly of women, who buy over $1.4 billion dollars worth of books a year. No, no, nothing feminist or even subversive about that.

But did the word “smut” have to be used? Twice? Woe is me. As Kate Reading pointed out, it seems “counterproductive to try to talk intelligent[ly] and progressive[ly] about the genre when you’re also calling it names.”

Of course, now I’ve discovered that “smut” is a parasitic plant fungus that attacks a plant’s reproductive system. There’s a joke in there somewhere - in the meantime, Nicole suggests “were-smut” as the next paranormal theme.