Something about the pocket watch… it is so subtle. It’s trying to evoke something, but what? I don’t think I have the stones to figure it out. The ponderous weight of contemplation is leaving me blank. Oh, dear. The balls are in your court now. Graceful curtsey to Catinbody for the link to this cover. read more »
First, from many folks, Bianca D’Arc & Zoe Archer’s Half Past Dead is free for Kindle right now, just for this weekend until 1 November. Archer’s story is a prequel to the Blades of the Rose series, one of which, Scoundrel was the October Sizzling Book Club Pick. Harlequin is launching an online search for new writing talent called So You Think You Can Write. From Nov 1-5, Harlequin editors and authors will be hosting outreach and educational events on various social media platforms designed to both seek out new writers and instruct folks on what goes into writing a… read more »
I go away for a week, and the inbox explodes with awesomeness. Links ahoy! From Kim: sexy erotica from the 1770s was discovered in a Lake District manor house. OH LA LA. One tale is called The Crafty Chambermaid’s Garland and details the story of a young woman who tricks a man into marrying her. Written in 1770 it states: ‘The Merchant he softly crept into the room. And on the bedside he sat himself down. Her knees through the counterpane he did embrace. Did Bess in the pillow did hide her sweet face. ‘He stript (sic) of his clothes… read more »
Thanks to Lobo, here’s a trailer made of clips from an entirely different movie: Pride and Prejudice by way of Disney: Oooh, and there’s one for Brokeback Mountain: And Twilight! read more »
Huffington Post invited me to submit a rebuttal to the article by Alan Elsner that I mentioned in passing late last week. Mr. Elsner took a stack of romances from the library, read them, and pronounced the entire genre as absolute crap. My response is now up over at Huffington Post’s book section: Pride and Prejudice and Pedantry. An excerpt: In response, I refer to that book he holds in such high regard, “Pride and Prejudice”, by Jane Austen: “You have insulted me in every possible method. You can now have nothing farther to say.” A shabby, patched-up survey of… read more »
Coming to New York any time soon? Head on down to the Morgan Library at 225 Madison Avenue for an entire exhibit devoted to Jane Austen, including her letters, illustrated early volumes of her books, and an original manuscript. The exhibition concludes with a documentary film, The Divine Jane, which features interviews with authors and critics about Austen’s impact on fiction—and is available online for viewing, though I’m not sure if it’s US-only. The exhibit will be at the Morgan through 14 March 2010, so you’ve got time to stop by. And if you’re not coming to New York, there’s… read more »
Romance, Lauren Willig, Lady Jane’s Salon, and yours truly are featured in the NY Post today in an article titled Love’s New Thrust. Behind that thrusting title, the article itself is mostly a discussion of how romance has changed. I spent a good bit talking to the reporter, Mandy Stadtmiller, the other night, and she was definitely after an article that talks about how romance novels are not what you expect, and how they’ve grown and updated over the years to feature savvy writing and sassy heroines. Historical romance author Maya Rodale (“The Rogue and the Rival”), who came up… read more »
So poor Jane Austen is now afflicted with zombies, aliens, predators, and all manner of terrible things - and here I thought Mr. Collins was pretty damn awful. Do you get the feeling that poor Jane is getting an undue amount of paranormal attention? What about the other masterpieces of romance fiction? What about MORE paranormal or just plain extra more better oddity added to an already-paranormal romance? I have two words: Hellooooo Hollywood! Use the random Romance And More! generator created with patented Bitchenatin’® Technology to create your own blockbuster. And hook us up in the comments with any… read more »
Note to future botanist heroes: the corpse blossom is a wonderful option for metaphoric turgidness. But make sure to title the book after the actual scientific name, Amorphophallus titanum. [Thanks to Phyl for the link.] As I plan the Smart Bitch World Book Tour (in my dreams, using the unlimited funds that come from my having been declared queen of the universe), every city in this article is on my list. Particularly Wetwang. And Titty Ho. Holy shit, I hope they sell t-shirts. [Thanks to CB for the link.] I don’t know if I can correctly describe my expression upon… read more »
Yay Doc! Yay Turtle! Yay Heyer! Part 4: Chapters 14 through 19 May it please the Bitchery to know that immediately after writing my previous post for SB Sarah, I sat down to read the next chapters of Heyer’s novel and found chapters 14 and 15 to be positively delightful, by far the strongest so far. The first of this pair was genuinely hilarious, betraying hints of an almost farcical humor, perhaps not unlike that underlying Heyer’s other works the SBTB commenters are always talking about. The second of these chapters sees the maturing of Heyer’s subtly exquisite characterization of… read more »
Clap your hands, everybody… everybody clap your hands! We’re Lambda Lambda Lambda, and Omega Mu! And we’ve come here on stage tonight, to do this show for you…. Ladies and gentlemen, the hottest Math professor reviewing romance: DocTurtle is back! This time, with Georgette Heyer’s An Infamous Army, chapters 1-3. read more »
Want to turn your paperback into a hot pink (or red, or blue, or green) hardcover? Check out Hardbacker, a product with a somewhat buggy website, and an unintentionally hilarious name. [Thanks to Linda for the link.] Altered romance novels with whole new sparkly buttsecks meanings, with that piquant dash of sardonic artistry, for your eyes only at Cliterature. [Thanks to P.N. Elrodfor the link.] read more »
I watched this and proclaimed that verily I hath a boner for Steven Colbert. Of course, he lives in my town so I probably shouldn’t say that out loud. I’ll see him at Starbucks and die of embarrassment. [Thank you to Kelly W. for the link.] [Thanks also to El for the updated link.] read more »
Greetings! Welcome to the inaugural post of what I hope will be a continuing feature, wherein I attempt to give advice that’s thoughtful, cranky, and based on the myriad facets of knowledge I’ve gleaned from a shitload of romance novel reading. I’ve heard people say that they’ve learned vocabulary and historical knowledge from romance novels that appeared on the SAT or other standardized tests for academic evaluation. Certainly that was true for me. And I’ve heard many people whispering about the sexual knowledge they’ve obtained from erotica and romance novels, for both their own sexual satisfaction and that of their… read more »
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