This sort of thing really irritates me, even though I know it shouldn't:
"Romance novels should never be considered 'literature'. Danielle Steele, Nora Roberts and the like should not be allowed to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard."
Say what?
Uh, honey? Do you read Shakespeare? Emily Bronte or Charlotte Bronte? How about Jane Austin?
OH! How about Edgar Allen Poe? (Annabel Lee is a lovely romance, isn't it, even if it is in poem form?) Or Alexandre Dumas, who wrote perhaps one of the best romantic action/suspense novels ever when he penned The Three Musketeers?
I know, I know. How dare I lump Will, Alex, and EA in with the Bronte sisters, Austin, and Nora Roberts? It might have something to do with the fact that when I read, I read with an open mind. I consider any well written novel to be a source of enjoyment, regardless of the genre. Have I read War and Peace, or The Color Purple? Yes. Do I want to do it again? Not right now, but I might later.
And that's the difference between us. I can sit down today and read Shakespeare's Othello and tomorrow Roberts' Heart of the Sea, without sneering at either. Because I love books, not genres. I'm not tied to what I believe I should be reading (or writing) because someone told me that romance novels are nothing but poorly written, cliched, hackneyed things that harken back to the days when women were helpless and depended on men to protect them from the Big Bad World. I read what makes me laugh, what makes me smile, what makes me cry, and what makes me think.
Do I like all romance novels? No, of course not! Just like I don't like every play Shakespeare has written, or the fact that I prefer Pride and Prejudice over Sense and Sensibility, I can't be expected to like every single romance ever written. And neither can you.
However, if you don't go into it with an open mind, I can tell you that you are going to miss out on some of the best literature ever written.
I mean, according to Publisher's Weekly, half the books sold in the United States are romances. We must be doing something right, and I doubt it's "catering to the lowest common denominator".
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Only Three More Days
to enter my contest for a free e-book copy of Sweet Dreams. It comes in .pdf, .rb. .lit. Sonypdf, .prc, .htm and .imp. So head over to my website, enter your email address and file preference, and you could win a copy before the book comes out!
Good luck!
Good luck!
Friday, July 25, 2008
I'M FOUR(ty) YEARS OLD
So I got up this morning, made breakfast for the hubby and kids, let the dog out...
And remembered it's my birthday today. Yup. I'm THAT on the ball.
So I said, as I poured milk into my husband's cereal, "Does anyone have anything to say to me?"
And the mad scramble to figure out WHAT they could have done to tick Mommy off at eight-thirty in the morning began, starting with my husband (who complained afterwards that I can't expect him to think when he hasn't had caffeine yet). Which has me wondering... what could they have done to piss me off at eight-thirty in the morning?
Hmmm...
And remembered it's my birthday today. Yup. I'm THAT on the ball.
So I said, as I poured milk into my husband's cereal, "Does anyone have anything to say to me?"
And the mad scramble to figure out WHAT they could have done to tick Mommy off at eight-thirty in the morning began, starting with my husband (who complained afterwards that I can't expect him to think when he hasn't had caffeine yet). Which has me wondering... what could they have done to piss me off at eight-thirty in the morning?
Hmmm...
Monday, July 21, 2008
Three More Weeks Tomorrow!
Three more weeks until Sweet Dreams is released into the wild.
God, I can't wait!
God, I can't wait!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Daring
I know this week I was supposed to seriously buckle down and start work on Bella Luna. I meant to.
Really.
Instead, I wound up finishing Dare to Believe, the first novel in my Gray Court series and the book I was working on before I started the Halle Pumas. Well, it's off to the beta readers, then it's off to my editor. I've also finished the research I need to do for Bella, so the work should start nicely.
Once I'm done Bella I may finish up the Pumas and concentrate on the other two series I want to do, or I may let the last book sit and concentrate on a rewrite of an old story I did a long time ago that also has the potential to become a series.
Can you tell I like series?
And Dusty had a delicious idea for a "ghost" story that I'll have to write down so I don't forget it.
Thank you, Madam Muse, for speaking to me again. The Godiva's in the mail.
Really.
Instead, I wound up finishing Dare to Believe, the first novel in my Gray Court series and the book I was working on before I started the Halle Pumas. Well, it's off to the beta readers, then it's off to my editor. I've also finished the research I need to do for Bella, so the work should start nicely.
Once I'm done Bella I may finish up the Pumas and concentrate on the other two series I want to do, or I may let the last book sit and concentrate on a rewrite of an old story I did a long time ago that also has the potential to become a series.
Can you tell I like series?
And Dusty had a delicious idea for a "ghost" story that I'll have to write down so I don't forget it.
Thank you, Madam Muse, for speaking to me again. The Godiva's in the mail.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
A Day In The Life
8 a.m. : "MOOOOM! One of the cats snagged a meatball from last night, and there's pasta sauce all over the carpet! EWWW!"
8:10 a.m.: "MOOOM! Do you have to run the Bissel now?"
8:30 a.m.: "MOOOOM! Are you done yet? I'm hungry."
8:45 a.m.: "MOOOOM! I found a spot you missed!"
9:00 a.m.: "MOOOOM! The sofa's wet? Why'd you shampoo that?"
9:30 a.m.: "MOOOOOM! He won't let me play video games! Yeah, there are four other TV's, but my game's hooked up to this one!"
9:45 a.m.: Mom finally gets breakfast after informing children that if she doesn't get five minutes of peace she'll list them on Ebay.
9:55 a.m.: "MOOOOM! He banged my head!"
10:00 a.m.: "MOOOOM! Can I have a snack?"
10:15 a.m.: "MOOOOM! He ate my snack!"
10:30 a.m.: Mom is wishing she had a Xanax.
11:30 a.m.: Little one is playing battering ram on Mommy's belly while older one explains the wonders of DigiMon.
11:45 a.m.: "MOOOOM! I can't get Cartoon Network on my computer!"
12:00 p.m.: "MOOOOM! Where's my sound?" Mom puts headphones on child's head. "Oh. THANK YOU!"
12: 15 p.m.: Inform chat friend and beta reader that if Mom is seen on the evening news not to be too surprised.
12: 30 p.m.: "MOOOOM! I defeated a Huge BOSS in my video game? Wanna hear all about it?"
12:45 p.m.: "MOOOM! The dog has to go out!"
1:00 p.m.: "Honey, aren't you supposed to be done work for the day? What? What did I say? And why are you growling? Oh, and when are you making lunch? I'm hungry."
8:10 a.m.: "MOOOM! Do you have to run the Bissel now?"
8:30 a.m.: "MOOOOM! Are you done yet? I'm hungry."
8:45 a.m.: "MOOOOM! I found a spot you missed!"
9:00 a.m.: "MOOOOM! The sofa's wet? Why'd you shampoo that?"
9:30 a.m.: "MOOOOOM! He won't let me play video games! Yeah, there are four other TV's, but my game's hooked up to this one!"
9:45 a.m.: Mom finally gets breakfast after informing children that if she doesn't get five minutes of peace she'll list them on Ebay.
9:55 a.m.: "MOOOOM! He banged my head!"
10:00 a.m.: "MOOOOM! Can I have a snack?"
10:15 a.m.: "MOOOOM! He ate my snack!"
10:30 a.m.: Mom is wishing she had a Xanax.
11:30 a.m.: Little one is playing battering ram on Mommy's belly while older one explains the wonders of DigiMon.
11:45 a.m.: "MOOOOM! I can't get Cartoon Network on my computer!"
12:00 p.m.: "MOOOOM! Where's my sound?" Mom puts headphones on child's head. "Oh. THANK YOU!"
12: 15 p.m.: Inform chat friend and beta reader that if Mom is seen on the evening news not to be too surprised.
12: 30 p.m.: "MOOOOM! I defeated a Huge BOSS in my video game? Wanna hear all about it?"
12:45 p.m.: "MOOOM! The dog has to go out!"
1:00 p.m.: "Honey, aren't you supposed to be done work for the day? What? What did I say? And why are you growling? Oh, and when are you making lunch? I'm hungry."
Friday, July 4, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Interview and Contest!
I've got an interview up on Allie Boniface's blog! Check it out, and leave a comment if you want to be entered into Allie's weekly contest!
Also this month, I'm running my own contest! My birthday just happens to fall in Christmas in July.
Yup. Happy birthday to me. =)
So since I believe it is better to give than to receive, I've decided to give someone a copy of Sweet Dreams! The contest will run from now until July 30th; the winner will be announced August 11th.
Yup, someone's gonna get a copy before the release date.
Just go to the Contact Me page of my website and send me your e-mail address and the format you'd like to receive the book in, and good luck!
Also this month, I'm running my own contest! My birthday just happens to fall in Christmas in July.
Yup. Happy birthday to me. =)So since I believe it is better to give than to receive, I've decided to give someone a copy of Sweet Dreams! The contest will run from now until July 30th; the winner will be announced August 11th.
Yup, someone's gonna get a copy before the release date.
Just go to the Contact Me page of my website and send me your e-mail address and the format you'd like to receive the book in, and good luck!
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