Trade Me, by Courtney Milan, is out today. You should get it. Now.

Many of you know that Courtney Milan writes really good historical romance. I have read most of her published work, and what I have not read, I own anyway. To varying degrees, I have liked all of what I’ve read by her–yes, she is yet another author I love whose books I haven’t reviewed much. I suck, okay?

Anyway.

Ms Milan announced late-ish last year that she was writing a contemporary novel. And it so happens it’s NA. In first person narrative, of course.

Alternating first person to boot.

Some readers wondered what was up with that, and Ms Milan kindly explained why she was taking a break from historical romance–a very brief one, as she still has the first title in her next historical series, the Worth Saga, scheduled to come out in a few months.

Here is the blurb, from the author’s website:

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Bull’s eye

As I posted the other day, there are a number of reasons why I love Nora Roberts.

There is the fact that she is a professional through and through–which I have cause to know first hand (or as first hand as online interactions can be,that is).

Back in the day, Ms Roberts would read and post frequently to Karen Scott’s blog, to Dear Author and to Smart Bitches, participating in conversations on a variety of topics. It was not rare that some idiot or other tried to get a rise out of her by baiting her–subtly or otherwise–and I don’t believe I ever saw her behave unprofessionally.

Once or twice she did lose her cool, to be sure, but even then she never crossed the line of civility and never ever descended to the level of the trolls attacking her.

Why I love…

Nora Roberts (at least some of the reasons)

And I just melt at how her husband says, “and…and I love her.” What else is there to say, after all?

Hey, Ms Stiefvater, a friend for you.

Interesting times to be a reader, let alone one who likes to share her thoughts on what she reads.

Via Merriam, in the long ass thread that  won’t die¹ over at Dear Author, we find that author Cassandra Duffy apparently agrees with Ms Stiefvater. It would seem that only learned people who get paid for it should have the utter gall to share their opinions with the world. But worry not, for as long as the stupid reader paid for the book, this author doesn’t mind too much².

(click to enlarge)

What my tiny little mind finds so entertaining is that, reading between the lines, as long as the opinions are positive, it’s all good for ignorant and unpaid bloggers with nothing to do to share their worthless opinions.

Or perhaps Ms Duffy is herself a bitter twat who doesn’t understand that sharing her disdain for readers in this manner can, indeed, loose her the readers that the negative review didn’t.

~~~ * ~~~

¹ Scratching 800 as I write this.

² Rachel Carsman Thompsom (who wrote the post Duffy was commenting on) finds Duffy’s opinion hilarious. For a PR and social media consultant, this doesn’t seem very savvy.

Perhaps I am naïve after all

After six months of not writing one single solitary review, it seems a flood is coming. I would apologize for the glut but… nah, ‘sall good 😉

Anyway, a recent author’s response to my usual courtesy email (“My review of your novel [title] has been posted here [link]“) included something along the lines of “I like your reviews because I can tell you actually read the book.”

Picture me blinking in incomprehension.

Seriously? People out there write reviews without reading the material they are reviewing?

People other than Harriet Klausner, that is *cough*

On another note–but somewhat related–I’ve been mulling a variation of “if you can’t say something nice…” This one is called “For the life of me I can’t understand why harping on the negative and not the positives”.

Entitlement, yet another post on it

The following is a non-specific but repeated conversation between authors and their adoring public (aka fangirls of both the crazy and not-so-crazy varieties):

Reader to writer: Oh, I love your work!

Writer to reader: Thank you so much, I’m glad to know that.

Reader to writer: Yes, I’ve read everything of yours—twice—and I’ve been waiting to find out what happens to/with character (fill in the blank)

Writer to reader: Thank you…

Reader to writer: You know, you should write faster, dammit, I want to know what happens in the next book of the series! Now!

Writer to reader: I am writing, as fast as I can!

Reader to writer: Oh no, you are not—look, the last book came out six months ago, where’s the next one????

Writer: …..

Random musings on a Sunday evening

(this is not a post; it’s literally a drive-by musing)

It is a sad thing indeed when a reader looking to figure out how novels are connected fares better looking at their fantastic fiction page rather than the author’s own site.

And it’s not as if readers haven’t blogged before about these things–see the Book Binge‘s Reader’s Guide to Authors Websites; or The Good, The Bad and The Unread‘s Authors’ Online Presence. Or from the way back machine, check out Dear Author‘s What Every Author’s Website Should Contain (please note the date, closing in on three years, and we are still begging authors for these things).

But if readers’ needs and preferences are not enough incentive, perhaps reading Top Ten Peeves from booksellers and readers (also at Dear Author) would motivate at least a few more authors to do something about their slow, clunky, cluttered, uninformative websites.

Thank you.