The weekly links, opinion, and personal updates post
It’s been awhile … 17 days actually … since my last post. I was in Florida (pics below), then swamped with work, and then went away again for my son’s soccer tournament. But I’m back and ready to kick some serious blogging butt. Er, or something.
Links:
We can’t link enough to this worthy cause: a valued member of the romance community, Fatin, has lost her husband and she and her four children need our help. Visit Operation Auction to find out how to donate, make a cash contribution, or bid on a wide range of auction items (last week of March).
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DABWAHA is the annual March Madness tourney style competition of romance novels, put on by Dear Author and Smart Bitches Trashy Books and you can click here to fill out your second chance bracket. You can also vote whether or not you fill out a bracket. And there are great prizes, like iPods and such.
Are you tired of your twitter stream being filled with #DABWAHA tweets? I feel that way sometimes, too. Here’s a potentially mindblowing tip:
When the Twitter annoys, get off the Twitter.
It works.
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If romance isn’t your thing, Jacket Copy has an article on The Crazy Proliferation of March Madness Book Contests.
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At Fresh Fiction, author Jo Beverley responds, in a general way, to the quibbles some readers have about the heroine of her latest book. Comment to be entered to win it (you must be registered). I liked this post, because she’s acting like just another reader (not “The Authority on Whether the Heroine Is In Fact a Snob Thank You Very Much”, and because she’s inviting reader opinions on the topic.
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From Thought Catalog: The Celebrated Misogyny of Jersey Shore. I was really happy to read this. I have watched only one episode of JS, but I was pretty horrified. Here’s a comment from reader Tim that resonated with me:
How does a culture such as Jersey Shore grow? Simply by being paid attention to. It’s absurd to watch these shows and pretend like just because we joke and mock it that it doesn’t contribute to this culture. The people who watch it are the ones who make them rich, who get them in magazines and on the red carpet. Being white and middle class and knowledgeable enough to realise what a joke they all are doesn’t mean you’re supporting it any less than someone who’s ignorant enough to not realise this.
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The RWA schedule of workshops has been posted. As a reader and reviewer looking forward to attending the conference for the first time, I found many workshops of interest, such as:
- 25 Years in Romance: an Editor Explains Why Romance Fiction Matters and How It Works (PUBLISHING) Paula Eykelhof
- Faithful Retainers, Doddering Butlers, and Pert Housemaids: Busting the Servant Myths (RESEARCH) Janet Mullany
- Romance Reviews Online and Off: a Candid Q&A about Reviews, Reviewers, and Reactions (PUBLISHING) Rose Fox, Angela James, Elissa Petruzzi, and Sarah Wendell
- Variety and Unpredictability: the Key to Success in Category Romance (CRAFT) Bryony Green and Meg Lewis
- Creating an Unbreakable Connection Between Your Characters and Readers CONTINUED (CRAFT) Toni Andrews
Can’t wait!
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From The Awl, a terrific little essay On Expectations (and a Writer’s Lack of Same) by S. J. Culver. I read a lot of articles on fighting perfectionism by lowering expectations, but Culver’s piece reminds us that we need to think highly enough of ourselves and our work to be motivated to get it done:
Low expectations are not a recipe for good self-care. You get sour; you drink too much wine; you stop reading because everything you read makes you even more sour; you go on diatribes against successful young writers in the kitchens at parties. You definitely are not working out. Eventually you wear a hole in one of the elbows of your bathrobe and instead of taking it off, you think, “That makes sense. It’s nice to have a little air circulating around. They should make all the bathrobes this way.”
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The Indigo Menace is a new (or at least new to me) romance blog by Avoriana, which I recommend you check out. Good stuff.
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A terrific Sunday Salon post by Nymeth at Things Mean a Lot, prompted in part by the removal of a book from the finals of a Canada literary contest when the judges discovered it was a graphic novel:
I sometimes notice that in these debates, people I essentially agree with use the following argument: there’s nothing wrong with having a diverse literary diet. You have your Serious Thoughtful Reading, which is your main course, and then you have your Easy, Brainless Entertainment as your dessert. This is as valid a way to think about reading as any other, but it’s actually quite different from what I’m trying to say. And what I’m trying to say is that there are incredibly accessible books that are just as thoughtful and nourishing as the most dense wall of text imaginable.
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Author Nicole Peeler on Sex in Urban Fantasy:
…I get so steamed when people (read a tiny but obnoxiously loud portion of hard core misogynistic SF/F fanatics) moan about “urban fantasy being all about sex.” What they’re really saying is, “Dammit, women started writing OUR STUFF and they BROUGHT THEIR VAGINAS.”
Yes, my little spotty Lords of Onanism, we did bring our vaginas to this party. And we are going to use them!
Because sex isn’t just about mushy feelings, not that there’s anything wrong with exploring emotional responses other than “Hit! Pillage! Attack!” Sex isn’t about one emotion, or even a single set of emotions. At different times (and sometimes at the same time), sex between the same two people can be about power, control, possessiveness, obsession, love, hate, adoration, infatuation, affection, comfort, mortality, life, fecundity, exploration, grief, hunger, yearning, anger, revenge, or simply scratching an itch.
Opinion:
I haven’t been blogging much, but I have been reading. I reread Jennifer Crusie’s Bet Me and Welcome to Temptation, and my past preference flip flopped (I now prefer WTT). Hope to post on it. Read Julie James’s latest, A Lot Like Love, which I really enjoyed — especially the hero’s character arc.
I also read an old Harlequin Blaze by Alison Kent, called The Sweetest Taboo (2002), and I found it very unusual. The hero and heroine didn’t even meet until 15% in (so my Kindle says), and there was a strong secondary romance. The hero is a famous reclusive writer who refuses to have relationships with anyone. Brings new meaning to Pink’s song U and Ur Hand. There was a dark, edgy paranormal or suspense “vibe”, and yet it was really closer to erotic romance (no PNR or suspense to be found). Various things didn’t totally work for me, but the “feel” of this book was so different I couldn’t put it down.
So … got any other recs for the “unusual” category romance?
Personal:
Disney was fun, as always. In March, Epcot hosts the Flower and Garden Festival, with topiaries of Disney characters throughout the park:
And the boys:
And yours truly, with a balloon growing out of my head and the goofiest hair imaginable:
As per usual at this time of year, things are busy busy busy as the 2010-2011 academic year begins to wind down. Hoping to blog regularly nonetheless.
HAPPY WEEK!
Related posts:
Hm, unusual category romances. I’ve always liked those.
Anything by Beverly Sommers, but 3 of my favorites, all HAR:
1. Silent Night (reminded me of Up the Down Staircase–the main character is a new teacher at a NYC school)
2. Outside In (main character goes undercover as HS student, not as Jump Street as it sounds)
3. Losing It (heroine is an active member of Weight Watchers)
Carla Kelly’s Miss Chartley’s Guided Tour reminds me of what you were saying about The Sweetest Taboo. The hero and heroine were engaged but had been separated for years by the beginning of the book. Then it takes a good portion of time before she sees him again. Oops, not technically a category.
Judith Arnold’s A>Loverboy is a wonderful “futuristic” category, written in the 80s but set in the 90s for HAR’s Century of American Romance series.
Barbara Bretton’s PAX series (HAR) was a hoot. I liked A Fine Madness best of all.
Alicia Scott (aka Lisa Gardner) wrote some really dark categories. Obviously, she needed to move into her current field of suspense novels. I think Shadow’s Flame was her first one, and the one where her heroine has a really dark past.
I wish I could find offbeat/tonally different categories like the old Harlequin American line.
There is a way that you can filter out hashtags that you don’t want to read anymore. Don’t ask me how, I just know you can. Helpful, I know!
Just for context, Canada Reads is a “survivor”-style contest on CBC radio, where celebrity panelists champion a book. So Essex County (choice of Sara Quin of Tegan and Sara fame–or are they famous outside of Canada?) was simply the first voted off by the panel, though everyone except Sara voted against it. I wonder whether these non-literary figures (e.g. a hockey player, a home improvement show host) felt they had to act literary-snobby in such a situation. The idea of having people known for something else talk about their love of reading and celebrating books they love is actually a pretty cool one. This is not its finest hour.
Still, the idea that graphic novels are “easier” to read because they have pictures is ridiculous. Reading an image and considering interplay between image and text is very complex, if you take it seriously. But we’ve had these same discussions in my department when some colleagues started teaching graphic novels. Comics won, though!
My hair always looks like that in pictures taken when I thought it looked good. And I stole my unusual category recs. from avoriana of Indigo Menace. She is great.
I think Nymeth made a great point that I often overlook. Lots of genre fiction is like pastry: pretty and tasty, but not very substantial. Plenty of romances lack depth. But plenty are full of romances are thoughtful and profound wrapped up in a quick and easy to read package.
Just because it’s more easily read doesn’t make it inherently less interesting.
And I love the pics!!!
Another solution is to install a filter plug in and block certain hashtags from appearing in your timeline. I’ve started doing this for topics which tend to get a lot of tweets and retweets containing the same information (e.g.: the recent Tools of Change conference and DABWAHA).
@Wendy: I was hoping you would chime in. Thanks for this great list.
I often like the “sameness” of the Harlequin lines, my usual requirement is just that the same old thing be done really well (and it often is). But right now I want different. These recs will help.
@Marg: I am determined to find out how. Thanks
@Liz: Thank you for that background. I agree completely that it can be very hard to read graphic novels. Personally, I feel very bad at it, like when I try to speak French. I really enjoyed the links Nymeth gave to the whole controversy as well.
@Julia Broadbooks: Agreed!
@SarahT:
My post was actually a semi-critical reaction to some other Twitterer who was complaining about the DABWAHA tweets. I have no problem with them. I just get offline when it’s too much.
Do you use a third party app for twitter? I use the web interface only. In any case, I may have to move to an app. So which do you recommend?
Aloha, Jessica! Thanks for the link to the RWA workshops. You’ll enjoy Janet Mullany and her servant myths – it has been well received in other conferences. Plus Janet is a fun speaker!
Did you go on the teacups or in the haunted castle at Disney? Did you smooch Mickey?
Cannot wait for Nationals this year! Hurrah.
@Jessica: I usually go to the Twitter website. My browser is Google Chrome. There’s a program called Proxlet (http://proxlet.com/) which you can install on Chrome. This adds an extra option to your Twitter toolbar. You can use it to block specific hashtags, links, etc. A similar program is Muuter (http://muuter.com/), but I’ve never used it.
I shall quote myself from this post, reccing another Harlequin American:
“The ultimate example of stretching boundaries, to me, is Cinderman by Anne Stuart. It was published as a Harlequin American Romance, a line currently described as “lively stories about homes, families and communities like the one you know.” Cinderman is like that. Assuming, that is, that your community includes people who get doused in weird slime and subsequently develop amazing super-powers.
It is so awesome. Anne Stuart’s books often take risks and bend genre, so this book is only surprising because it was published as a category, in a line that didn’t include paranormal elements at all; also, it was published in 1994, long before the current boom in paranormal and urban fantasy novels. So far as I’ve been able to determine, it was the first “superhero” romance. And I mustn’t omit mentioning that as well as being ground-breaking, it’s a really funny book. There’s a lot of witty dialogue between hero and heroine, and the heroine’s t-shirts become a running gag that just gets funnier and funnier.”
Hmmmm, unusual categories. I’ve got two by Cheryl Reavis – first, The Older Woman (SSE #1445). The story is told entirely in first person….from the hero’s point of view. It was included recently in a Dear Author blogger bundle. Assuming it can be purchased individually? But not sure.
And….
The Long Way Home (SSE #1225), this one actually precedes TOW. Heroine was the villain in a previous story, who surrendered custody of her infant daugther to the girl’s father….a man the heroine had a one night stand with. She then hightails it to Vegas to become a showgirl. Now she’s back in town, trying to mend fences (not easy) and falls in love with the wounded (burn victim) military hero.
Both of these are buried in the Bat Cave Keeper Stash.
@SuperWendy – THE OLDER WOMAN is awesome. It’s one of my keepers. THE LONG WAY HOME is also good. I really like Reavis.
Welcome back!
I think a lot of Susan Napier’s titles are quite different – heroines taller and older than heroes/ virgin heroes/ heroes with glasses.
I’m guessing that Jersey Shore is similar – at least in spirit – to My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.
I read The Sweetest Taboo years ago and pretty much felt the same way you did. The book had such a great tone, really unexpected, especially for a Harlequin. It’s hard for me to articulate what made this book so unique but if it was a movie, it would have been filmed in blues and grays and moody lighting. I’ve read some of Kent’s other work but nothing matched the vibe of The Sweetest Taboo.
Thanks for linking to my blog! But you are so wrong about Jersey Shore. I will begin preparing my defense of its awesomeness.
“The Sweetest Taboo” thought that sounded familiar, and sure enough after digging in the under-the-bed-keeper-box, there it was. Now that I page though it I recall reading it a couple of times, and will probably again now that I have it out.
@Wendy I also found my copy of Cheryl Reavis “The Older Woman” (great minds are thinking a like here!) but did not know that there was another book linked to this. So, now am on the hunt for “The Long Way Home”
My contribution to the unusual category theme is an oldie by Sharon Sala from 1994 (SIM#597) “Annie and the Outlaw”. She is a teacher, dying of inoperable brain tumor. He is a immortal bad ass biker (who ‘died’ by hanging as an outlaw in the old west) who rescues her from a mugging. He is trying to do good deeds to finally get his wings to heaven. It makes me cry every time I read it. They, of course, save each other and live HEA.
@Kaye: I was thinking there were like 3 or 4 books in the series, but turns out they’re part of her Navajo Family Blessings series….which consists of 7 books altogether. You can see the whole list over at FictionDB.
Sweetest Taboo and Older Woman (both great) are actually in the same Dear Author blogger bundle from HQN. So if Jessica read Kent’s book that way, she’s already got the Reavis.
I have nothing to add regarding your links, but I will say:
1. I am insanely happy to see you back and read your blog again
2. You totally do not look old enough to have children that age!
Congrats also on the news you broke on Twitter this am. I hope you’ll manage to avoid the bloody Olympics – that will be a total clusterfuck for London residents, I know from bitter experience.
@Kim in Hawaii: oh good to hear. Looking forward to it.
@KB/KT Grant: Haunted Mansion — my fave WDW ride — yes! Teacups, nope. I let the boys spin themselves silly and took pics from a safe distance.
@SarahT: Done and done. Am really enjoying both Chrome and the Twitter app. Thank you!
@Victoria Janssen: I have to read Cinderman. Bought it used.
@Tumperkin: You are right about Napier. That one I reviewed, where the hero is really masculine and yet theatrical and emotional at the same time, was a winner.
@Kreads: Thanks for sharing your recollection of the book. It would have made a good movie. I kept thinking of that old Sharon Stone stinker, Sliver.
@avoriana: IT IS ON!
@Kaye: Ohhh Annie and the Outlaw sounds divine. Thanks for the rec!
@Liz: No. I bought TST on March 3 for no apparent reason. I thought about going back through my tweet stream to figure out why I decided to buy it – it wasn’t free or anything, so someone must have recommended it.
I actually do not like bundles, I’ve decided. It is hard enough to navigate via Kindle through one title, never mind searching within a bundle. But they are a great price, and I use the lists of blogger-chosen books as foolproof guides to good reads.
@Ann Somerville: Thanks! No, we hope to be out of England by July 27 which is when the games are supposed to begin. But thanks for spiking my blood pressure for a minute there.
What sweet Disney photos! Poor balloonhead! And, I really appreciated that link to the Culver article. I really loved this part:
That article was interesting on so many levels. I saw so many negative and ugly traps I can fall into in different respects. There’s a tiny hidden nobility in that article.
And look at you with your RWA schedule!!!!
@Tumperkin, I have a Napier in my TBR…not sure if it’s your fault, though! Can’t remember title. I think someone in it is deaf.
Unusual category romances:
(1) If you can find it used (not digitized yet), Kathleen Korbel’s A Soldier’s Heart is fantastic. Vietnam War nurse w/PTSD, helped by and falls in love with a soldier she saved. They’re both not young, there’s role reversal, you name it. I reread it last year and loved it all over again.
(2) Liz Fielding had a backlist book released in e-format featuring a heroine in a wheelchair. Very well done; neither martyred nor overly plucky, and no miracles occur. Nice romance. It’s called The Marriage Miracle (well I guess there’s one miracle, but not of the medical variety).
(3) Marion Lennox’s Dating the Millionaire Doctor. I put it in my best of 2010 over at DA. Romance set in aftermath of Australian wildfires. Great hero & heroine, very heart-tugging but not manipulative.
(4) The Spanish Groom by Lynne Graham. Not unusual in plot or characterization, but hysterically funny. Not what you’d expect from an HP. Just released in digital form as part of a 2-in-1.
(5) Alison Robert’s The Marry-Me Wish. Career-minded doctor acts as surrogate for sister. Definitely unusual. I disliked the ending intensely, but up until the last dozen pages it was really interesting.
@Victoria Janssen: that Napier book may be The Lonely Season, Harlequin Presents, no. 940 (I keep a database of novels that feature characters who are deaf, deafened, partially deaf and/or sign language users). The heroine was deafened after an accident. The hero’s son is deaf and a sign language user.
Speaking of which, Kevin’s Story by Adrienne Staff and Sally Goldenbaum (Loveswept, no. 165) is quite unusual as a category romance because not only the hero is born-deaf, he’s also a sign language user. It’s probably the only non-clichéd portrayal of a deaf character I found in category romances. Out of 26 category romances that feature deaf characters, anyway. Even though I worship Karen Keast/Sandra Canfield, her category romance Star Song – the heroine is deafened and the hero has a deaf teen daughter – has some dodgy elements.
Sandra Canfield! Some of her books certainly fall under Unusual Category Romances. I can’t remember the title right now, but there is one with police officer hero suffering from guilt and anger after his male (yes, male) police partner was sexually assaulted. Night into Day? I’m not sure, to be honest. It might be under her other name Karen Keast. I haven’t read this for a long time, so I don’t know if it could stand the test of time well.
I can think of a few more but I think it’d be more helpful if I could remember titles and authors’ names. I’l do a bit of research and get back with the list. *rubs hands* I love unusual romances.
Found it. Conquer the Night by Karen Keast (Second Chance at Love, no. 365) Daisymau at RT board posted info about the book in the “Heroine had previously been raped…” discussion (trigger note: it contains a list of book titles and authors; some with book blurbs and comments, no graphic details):
@Sunita: @FiaQ: Thanks so much for these recs. At this rate, I will be reading categories until June!
@FiaQ: I haven’t read Canfield in her Keast incarnation, but I’ve loved the books I’ve read by her.
@Jessica: One more: Cheryl St. John has a backlist Silhouette (not a historical) with a biracial baby and an interracial couple. It ‘s called Child of her Heart.
@FiaQ you are the best! That is indeed the Napier I have. Now I’m also interested in Kevin’s Story and Conquer the Night.