Behold, we have a special message from Sherry Thomas, whose new website is sleek and sexy like things that are sleek and sexy: It so happens that I have set Not Quite A Husband—coincidentally—in a spot that is very much in the news: the Swat Valley, which in 1897 broke out in a fierce rebellion against the British, inspired by the exhortations of a certain Mad Fakir and is now, history repeating itself, a Taliban … Continue reading Not Quite a Husband: A Giveaway!→
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 … Continue reading Romance: Now With More Zombies!→
If you’re already picking out books to put in your picture frames, just wait until you see this – the next wave in romance novel decor. Bitchery reader Jen sent me the following: So I was bored and made a V-day banner for my fireplace today. I took books that I was going to recycle (they were read/abused to oblivion) and cut hearts out of the covers. Then I linked them with the Bold Type … Continue reading Romance: The Perfect Decor→
Back in December, New York Magazine had a neat page that featured the writing of people all over Manhattan. The reporters had approached “laptop-using strangers in Starbucks … and asked them to show us the sentence they were working on.” Cool, huh? The results ranged from cover letters to rap lyrics to essays on gender identity. My favorite was a grad student writing a film. His last sentence: “Navy Seal (Steve).” Go Steve! So I … Continue reading Share Your Last Sentence→
Sam Hain, distant cousin of Sam Bucca, has announced a Discover New Authors program, in which four eBooks have been made available on their website “for FREE!” as they say. Visit their site and you can download My Fair Captain by JL Langley, The Bounty by Beth Williamson, Don’t Let Go by Sydney Somers and Winter’s Daughter by J.C. Wilder. In 2009, they promise one new title every Wednesday from a new author. FREE! Well, … Continue reading Sam Hain Discover New Authors Program→
A Bitchery reader forwarded me this query for what may be the best (I hope) April Fool’s book search inquiry ever from the RRA listserv. Enjoy – and try not to feel the limitless bottom of despair when you are 2/3 of the way through reading it and realize, it could be a real romance you read one time…. A patron has requested help in identifying a book that she read “during the springtime in … Continue reading Best. Query. Ever.→
I had five minutes to read the funnies today – which is rare and also completely excellent – and today’s “Frazz” made me grin. I know a lot of writerly motivational sites have various running or driving analogies for the process of writing, from driving in total darkness with your low beams on to ultra marathon running. Sometimes reading is like that for me – the running part. I try not to read while I’m … Continue reading I’ve Totally Had that Feeling About A Few Books→
Robena sent me an email and her sig file cracked me up so hard, I asked where she got it. Turns out, all the succinct hilarity of her sig file is available for every novel at Book-A-Minute Classics. Need to know a summary of a classic novel? Go there. Laugh much. I’m partial to this one: The Collected Work of Jane Austen By Jane Austen Ultra-Condensed by Christina Carlson and Peter da Silva Female Lead: … Continue reading Friday Fun: Book-a-Minute Classics!→
Behold! There were over 50 entries in the Nora Roberts Quiz of Gigantic Awesomeness, but only 8 people got every answer right. And the first one to email a complete and entirely correct ballot of answers is: StacieH4. Her answers came in hours after the quiz went live – I was impressed. So – Congratulations Stacie! Well played. Want to know the answers? Of course you do – and Taylor Reynolds is going to help … Continue reading My Answers, Let me Give You Them: The Winner of the Nora Roberts Quiz of Gigantic Awesomeness→
Some people contend that the premises for most great speculative fiction can be summarized in one sentence. We here at Smart Bitches like to go a bit further than that: we maintain that the premises and plot points for the best (and worst) romance novels can be summarized in four words. Feel free to play along at home and try to guess the the novels we’re talking about, and provide a four-word précis for your … Continue reading Romance Novels in Four Words→
