Beta Reader

I’m not sure what it’s a sign of but I can’t remember a RTB post I’ve written that wasn’t gone over by somebody else before it went up.

Barb Ferrer got shanghaied into the job the last time.

Any volunteers?

I’m trying not to name names in this one, just because it seems rather mean and I’d rather not get flamed for this. If that’s going to happen, it’s going to happen here on this wee blog rather than over there, where I am Queen of my Domain (not exactly, since I think I’m going to postpone getting my own domain because it looks like it’ll be a massive PITA).

PS It’s not going to go up for awhile, but I usually have a dearth of ideas when it comes to relevant ideas for my column, so I might as well get it down whilst I can.

RTB day

I’m at Romancing The Blog today:

The Happy Ever After’s just lost its zing for me. I don’t read a romance and go all ‘awww….’ or ‘happy sigh’ when I turn the last page. It’s more of a ‘That’s it? That’s all?’ type of feeling.

I’m counting on people telling me I should stop writing from RTB to make my day.

Links to the Good Stuff

I don’t have time to do this much any more, but there are good things to be had.

Elise Matthesen, aka elisem on LJ, is holding a June Shiny Sale! She’s a jeweller, and she makes the most gorgeous pretties! My Elisian jewelry count is at 1 pendant (Cabinet of Dreams…I need access to my email so I can pay her damn it!), one necklace-crown and one pair of earrings. *beams* I am much accomplished in the jewelry department now.

Jessica’s running contests. This is the last time I’m linking to her, and I’m only doing it because she’s giving away stuff. After this, bah to Jessica! She is gone! I have gotten rid of her!

Romancing The Blog is doing a giveaway. I think the schedule for this one is every other weekend. Also, still on RTB, Barbara Ferrer and I have evil plans so you should read our next columns (I think in July) to find out what they are. You do not want to mess with Barb Ferrer and Me.

Twisted Makes This Story Full of Win

Check it out here.

I’m at RTB today

I’m talking about the Ruthless Reader.

Slightly bemused about some of the responses, but there you go.

Kill Your Brain Cells, or Why I Wouldn’t Want to be a Short-Story Editor

Ellen Datlow offers us this gem.

Click if you want to rot your brain cells, or if, like me, you have been examined to the point where you have no brain cells left.

Also, above eighteen only. Though the mental images, if it can be called that, are so cartoonish as to be not pornorific…on the other hand, the Japanese do have anime porn, so maybe not.

Magic Sex Please

Now, you may not know this, but I, together with New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost, are campaigning for Kate and Curran porn by book 4 of the Kate Daniels series, written by the fabulous Ilona Andrews.

Ilona’s looking for titles for book 3, which should be Magic ___________.

She said no to Magic Sex, so I guess she’ll just have to save that title for book 4, but in the meantime, we need Book 3, so head on over and give book 3 a name–there’s a prize!

The Economics of Fiction

Via zornhau, Paul Krugman on the NYT Economics blog:

I’m startled at Brad DeLong’s ignorance: he thinks there’s something new about science fiction novels where the science in question is economics.

I’m honestly looking forward to the summer, because if nothing else, I’ll have to pick up on the economics blogs thing.

*eyes Google Reader mournfully*

Frog Princes

I’m not usually one for short stories, but I love this one.

Janni Lee Simner’s Frog Princes

I can’t wait for her YA novel to be out next year, and in fact, I’m so excited about it, I’ve already asked to interview her when it comes out.

New Open Source Projects to Check Out

It’s the hottest thing on the internet! Join now to add 200 points to your coolness quotient!

The Open Source Boob Project

The Open Source Swift Kick to the Balls Project

The Open Source Knuckle-Sandwich Project

Are you going to be adding 200 points to your coolness quotient?

Via Ilona Andrews and Laura Anne Gilman

There’s a New TV series featuring Romance Heroes

Read all about it here at RTB!

Sigh. I have to write another post soon. So many things to do!

BURKHART at SFC

To decipher this message, please clicky here.

PS If you actually like sociology, never ever show your face at this blog again.

PPS Maybe I should have titled it JSB at SFC, but I kinda didn’t want it to be too cryptic.

PPPS I shouldn’t be here, but my brain hurts.

Daniel Clay Interview

Nope, I don’t know the guy, haven’t read him etc.

But it’s a really good interview. Thoughtful, and it’s long enough for you to read and find the interesting little details about a person.

Check it out here.

RTB Day

Well, yesterday was RTB day, but there’s nothing new today–there will be tomorrow, I think, and it’ll sadly cost me my place of honor at the top of the page.

Read what I have to say here.

People seem rather defensive about the ebooks in general, and it goes beyond the format’s early life as a second-choice for publication. I do think that at some point, ebooks will become the one and only, but it may not happen even in my lifetime. But right now? In the near future? Not a chance.

They even ignored what I thought was the most interesting point in the post, except that I didn’t have time to do research to expand it into the main point.

*shrug*

To: Meghan with a H

Dear Meghan with a H,

Colleen Gleason is looking for you. Especially if you have a birthday coming up real soon.

See, she got drunk (I worry about her sometimes) when she was out with friends, and signed and personalized a copy of Rises The Night like this:

Meghan–Happy Birthday!!!

Unfortunately, she was supposed to write something else. *shakes head* She only had a few drinks…and she did something like that?

Colleen‘s never going to get into the Richelle Mead School of Publishing and Writing (RMSPW for short). It’s very sad. I was looking forward to having a classmate–we would be the first class of the RMSPW to graduate. Just think. We would have been pioneers!

Rises The Night has got vamps, stakes and a kick-ass heroine. So Meghan with a H who Sucks Blud, please contact Colleen Gleason forthwith to get your copy and learn all about Venators and how to avoid getting Staked by them.

Yours Sincerely, May

PS And if your 2007 birthday has passed, Meghan with a H, tell Colleen that you will have a 2008 birthday.

Raine Weaver is a Villain

The Reeking Wallaby attacked me. *cries*

*sniffles* *but the sniffle is from the bug she was given to her by the Reeking Wallaby*

Her statement of intent can be found here.

*coughs*

I demand that the Insanity Posse track her down forthwith and keep her under house arrest in her Secret Garden, to prevent her from spreading her icky germs around the blogosphere. We still have time to stop an epidemic!

PS This is why there’s no TT today. Because I took the drugs and crashed. No writing either, for the second day in a row, damn it.

Global Zombie Uprising

Haven’t slept all night. Not since the Zombie uprising woke me up.

If you don’t hear from me tomorrow, you’ll know what happened to me, because I am going to tell you now.

They will have eaten me up.

I have been hearing bones crunching all night. And screams and tearing flesh and lipsmacking sounds!

I could almost tolerate the first three…but the last…the last…

It’s horrifying to learn that there is something out there that thinks you are tasty.

I don’t want to be tasty! *wails*

*wail is suddenly cut short*

*bones go crunch-crunch*

Why Edie Will Forever Be Evil

The HEA Rebels!

Well, rebel really. There’s only one of me.

Anybody want to join, let me know. I don’t know how we will fight for our cause, but I’ll come up with something. In July. In the meantime, you guys can just run wild on the blog. I don’t mind–plus I’ll have something to blog about then.

And Edie Ramer will forever be evil because she started it. With friends like Edie, I don’t need enemies.

Amie Stuart‘s interview will be up in less than two hours, and the contest clock starts ticking then. Signed books are involved…and naked body parts–on the cover of HANDS ON!

PS Jaymi of Fallen Angel Reviews is V. cool!

To An Author Without Real Fans

This is by no means an attack on all authors. I understand that in choosing not to name names, it could read as though I’m tarring a lot of you with the same brush. But this is certainly not the case. In my eighteen months of blogging, Author Without Real Fans is one author and the only author with whom I’ve had a bad experience.

Dear Author Without Real Fans,

I know I’m just a reader blogger.

I also know reviewers from established review sites etc liked your book. Raved about it, even. Would that I had been able to do the same without my conscience bugging me, I would have done so.

I even welcome your response to my review of your book, even if it was a negative response.

Likewise, I don’t have a problem if an author’s fans come by to tell me that they liked a book I hated. I quite understand that not everybody will have the same opinion of a book as me.

Except your “fans” weren’t quite your “fans.” It’s rather suspicious your “fans” have the same IP address as yourself, don’t you think?

Yours in disgust, May

I don’t, at the moment, intend to out this author because I don’t want to give her more free advertising.

Some of you know who I am talking about, and I’d appreciate it if you don’t mention her name in comments. This is my blog, my turf and I reserve the right to edit or delete comments that mention her and I will close the comments to this post if I feel there is a need to do so.

Oooooh Girlfight! Pt. II

Amie and Raine are threatening me.

I don’t understand why. I only asked for a recipe for southern fried chicken. That’s all. It was Free For All Friday.

And I like fried chicken. Who doesn’t like fried chicken, you tell me? Well, except my youngest brother who doesn’t eat meat.

Geez…