Guest-blogging

I've got an interview up at Divas Diaries today, and I'm open for questions over there, so swing by and say hi. :)

Likeable Characters

I was reading a random magazine article yesterday - an interview - and I found myself not liking the interviewee at all. She just came across as someone who'd stab you in the back if she had the chance. After realizing that, I really had no interest in reading any further.

The article, and my reaction to it, made me think about the characters we read about. In terms of main protagonists, I've realized that I need at least some speck of liking or respect for the character to keep reading.

I don't have to identify with them or even understand or agree with their decisions. And I'm not saying they can't be flawed. They could be incredibly bad, but despite all that, for a character to work, I have to feel empathy for them, if only on a very basic level.

What do you all think? Do main characters need to be likeable in some sense?

C-C-Cold

It's very cold today. I think winter's arrived. Brr... If I had my way, I'd buy an island in the Pacific somewhere and spend my days writing on a wide verandah next to the sea. Gee, if only I had a spare billion lying around *g* What would you buy if money was no object?

Paheli

I'm a huge fan of Bollywood movies and I know some of you also watch them. Have any of you seen Paheli (translation: The Riddle)? It's a sweet, funny love story, and it might appeal to those of you who like paranormals.

The plot is based on an old Rajasthani folk tale. Lachchi is a new bride and Kishan her husband. Kishan is only interested in business so on the day after their wedding, he leaves to go work far away...for five years! In the meantime, a spirit has fallen in love with Lachchi. Learning that Kishan will be gone for five years, he takes on Kishan's form and enters Lachchi's life, and their love story begins. But what will happen when the real Kishan returns?

The movie plays out like a fairytale, and it's shot that way too. The colors are amazing and the sets are wonderful, straight out of ancient India. I think you need to believe in a little bit of magic to enjoy this story. All I can say is, I most definitely did. :)

Links

Have I got a doozy of a first sale story for you. Check out this link for the details of Natalie Anderson's Call. It involves the words "hospital" and "twins". I'm still in awe.

Miss Snark has retired her blog.

So has agent Nadia Cornier.

Squawk Radio is going to retire.

And Between the Covers, of which I am a member, is also closing soon. Um, is it something in the air?

Moving away from the blog retirements, they're talking about sexy billionaire heroes on the I Heart Presents blog. (I have to admit, I like these guys.)

Jaci Burton talks about editing.

Anna Campbell is a guest on Danetteb's blog.

Paperback Writer (Lynn Viehl) muses on the possible end of the Stardoc series (great, great series!)

And check out this new video trailer for Marked by PC Cast & Kristin Cast.

Have a fantabulous weekend everyone!!

Weekly Catchup

This week has zipped by at the speed of light. I'm still working on galleys, though I did take a break to catch up on Heroes. I love that show (Isn't it intriguing how Peter Petrelli has evolved from a sort of goofy nice guy to a tormented hero with alpha tendencies?). We have three episodes to go in New Zealand and I'm desperately trying to avoid spoilers around the net!

What're you all up to?

In order?

I mentioned the other day that I was rereading Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. The first time I read these books, I read them completely out of order (they stand alone very well), but this time, I'm making an effort to go from start to finish. It's funny how many new things and little "in-jokes" I get now - like when two people look at each and laugh over something without saying a word. I also feel as if I'm picking up more of the undercurrents, finding more layers in the stories.

So, given all that, I can definitely see the attraction of reading a series in the right order, but I have a feeling I'm way too impatient to do that consistently - especially with long-running series' where I might accidentally pick up a book in the middle. Hmm, something to think about. What about you guys? Do you read in order? Out of order? Reasons why?

Galleys

I'm going over galleys today, so once more, here's the beautiful Eduardo to keep you company. Anyone for a swim? *g*

Links

Dear Author has posted a great interview with Jill Shalvis, who incidentally, has a very funny blog.

"Royal Mail is to issue a set of Potter-themed stamps that will be stuck on to a flurry of letters and sent into millions of homes." (Link via Bookslut)

May has a lot more links than me. I have no idea how she finds them all.

If you live in the Las Vegas/Salt Lake area, and you love dogs, swing by Jo Leigh's blog. She's trying to find a home for Jack. (Link via Alison Kent). [Edited to add: Sorted!]

Romancing the Blog has a list of ten "Reader Resource" sites.

"Peter Jackson's Weta Workshop is in talks to create visual effects for an action adventure film telling the story behind the devil's fall from grace..."

Demon Moon - Meljean Brook

I enjoyed Meljean Brook's Demon Angel very much, so when she offered to send me the ARC of Demon Moon, I was all over it. I devoured it soon after receiving it and immediately demanded she send me the third book as soon as it was done! I didn't think it was possible but for me, Demon Moon was ever better than Demon Angel.

And what makes that even more amazing is that I wasn't sure if I would like Demon Moon at all. While I thought Colin was an amusing, intriguing character in Demon Angel, I wasn't sure Meljean could pull him off as a hero. Because seriously, how vain is he?!

But pull it off she did. Colin is a wonderful hero - and he's the same man we saw in Demon Angel. He didn't get a magical personality transplant, thank goodness. No, what happened was even better - in Demon Angel, we saw Colin as the world sees him. In Demon Moon, we get to go inside his head and discover the real man. I'm a total Colin fan now.

Equally, his heroine, Savi, is also unusual in the best sense of the word. When was the last time you read about a part-Indian computer hacker who handles the idea of an arranged marriage as easily as she does vampires and nosferatu?

Hmm, what else can I say without being spoilerish? Oh yeah - the ending. I sent Meljean an email at one in the morning after I finished Demon Moon accusing her of making me cry. Talk about intensity. I was convinced there was no way she could bring about a happy ending for Colin and Savi. It just seemed impossible. Well...without giving anything away, let me say the plot twists were amazing and you won't be sorry you picked this up. :)

Comfort Books

From the comments on yesterday's books, it looks like everyone's reading some great books. Since I've been on deadline, I haven't been picking up any new books, but I have been dipping into some comfort reads. I can't just not read! (Gasp!)

At the moment, I'm making my way (back) through Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. I just love that feeling of picking up a book and knowing I'm going to meet old friends. Plus, sometimes, it's nice having a guarantee that the book will be good.

What are some of your comfort reads? Any of you not reread?

Weekly Catchup

How's everyone been? I've had a very disrupted week so today is all about focus, focus, focus!! What about you guys? Read any good books lately?

Look Into My Eyes

Or if you prefer, you can look into Eduardo's instead.

Gosh, I wonder what he's thinking? What do you all think?

Cover - An Enchanted Season

Check it out! It's going to be matt and have pretty raised lettering. I think it's very elegant :) (Did I tell you guys I love Xmas anthologies? They just somehow seem to have an extra dollop of happiness. Don't you think?)

Writing Children

Writing realistic children is one of the hardest things to do. I've spent considerable time in the company of small children and I still find it so hard to get across their sense of innocence, adventure and mischief. The most difficult thing is dialogue. Children often speak in their own dialects and it's very hard to write that without sounding to cutesy. But seriously people - little kids are adorable. Is it wrong to write them that way?

What are your thoughts on kids in fiction? Have you seen any portrayals that really worked for you?

Linnea Sinclair - Games of Command

I picked up Games of Command after reading some great reviews about it. The reviews piqued my interest but it was the story description that really sold me:

Can she trust a man who is half-machine?

The universe isn’t what it used to be. With the new alliance between the Triad and the United Coalition, Captain Tasha “Sass” Sebastian finds herself serving under her former nemesis, bio-cybe Admiral Branden Kel-Paten—and doing her best to hide a deadly past. But when an injured mercenary falls into their ship’s hands, her efforts may be wasted …

Wanted rebel Jace Serafino has information that could expose all of Sass’s secrets, tear the fragile Alliance apart—and end Sass’s career if Kel-Paten discovers them. But the bio-cybe has something to hide as well, something once thought impossible for his kind to possess: feelings...for Sass. Soon it’s clear that their prisoner could bring down everything they once believed was worth dying for—and everything they now have to live for…

I love science fiction and thought Kel-Paten sounded like a very intriguing hero. Half cyborg and all in love with Tasha, what's not to like? I'm so very, very glad I picked up this book because I loved it. Kel-Paten has gone on my mental Great Heroes list. That kind of devotion, it's a kick to the heart. Especially when he's all tough and soldierlike around anyone but Tasha. The complexities in his character - like the hints of shyness - they just got to me.

Janine said this in her review over at Dear Author and I so agree:

It’s not an everyday occurrence in my reading life to find a romantic hero whose happiness I want so badly...

Kel-Paten’s programming makes it difficult for him to come up with a suitable response when Sass cracks a joke, but though he doesn’t know how to show it, he would do nearly anything for her. His shyness, vulnerability and inexperience with women endeared him to me so much that I felt every distrusting remark or warm look Sass gave him almost as acutely as he did.

Rosario also echoed that sentiment in her review:

I loved the guy to death, and seeing him struggle was heart-breaking. Every time Tasha unwittingly said something that seemed to indicate she thought of him as nothing more than a robot, I cringed, and when things finally started happening between them, I practically did a happy dance, because he so deserved to be happy.

Okay, moving on my ravefest about the hero, the rest of the characters were great, too. Tasha was an interesting heroine - very much what I would term an alpha female. And the furzels - serious adorableness.

I know some of you might be put off by the science fictiony aspects, but don't be. The love story is so worth it. I'm a Linnea Sinclair fan now!

Links

Editor Laura Shin gives some great advice on how to "knock an editor's socks off" over at the Pink Ladies Blog.

The Guardian has a fascinating interview with Rosie Thomas, winner of the UK's Romantic Novel of the Year Award. Here's a bit from the interview:

Thomas's notions of romance were largely formed by the visiting library van back home in Wales. "You got five books a fortnight and got through them all because there was nothing else to do. Nevil Shute and Everyman editions of the classics, which you read after you'd read all the James Bonds and the books that might have had some sex in."

Agent Kristin Nelson has a post up about Publishers Lunch Deal blurbs as a writing exercise. (Link stolen from Diana Peterfreund, who has pictures up of her ad in Life & Style magazine. Cool!)

Check out Patrice Michelle's brilliant roundup of the Romantic Times conference, complete with pictures of the male cover models! Color me green.

And the gorgeous Nicola Marsh has just had a very special delivery - her son, Jude. Congrats Nic!

Weekly Catchup

It's weekly catchup time. What have you been up to? I went to buy a new microwave after the old one went bye-bye. Woohoo, excitement! *g* Seriously, it is excitement. Have you tried living without a microwave? Not good.

Tagged!

I've been tagged by Angelle, Kendra, Julie and Marie to do this blog, so here goes!

Here are the rules:

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

8 Random Facts/Habits About Me

1. I have a minor in anthropology and I once spent two weeks on an archaeological dig. (Good research info for books and it gave me killer calf muscles. Digging is hard work!)

2. I hate having cold feet.

3. When I lived in Japan, my only form of personal transportation was a bicycle with a little basket in the front (handy!).

4. I like making lists and crossing things off. (Type A personality anyone?)

5. I've been tagged four times with these meme which is really weird because I wasn't tagged for like a year before that. Okay, wait, that's not a habit. How about...I regularly read lots of blogs but never comment. Call me a card-carrying member of Lurkers R Us.

6. Jigsaw puzzles drive me insane. Really, really insane. And yet I feel compelled toward them. Why?!

7. When I was writing Slave to Sensation, I ate peanut-butter toast for dinner on a pretty much continuous basis. (I love peanut butter toast).

8. I like bagel crisps (can delude self into thinking they're healthy).

I'm tagging the last eight people who commented on this blog (and if you don't have your own blog, you can do the tag in the comments - as Angelle said, resistance is futile *g*): Sweet, Abby, Yvonne Lindsay, Joyce, Casee, LesleyW, Amanda Ashby, Christina Phillips

Links

I don't know how I missed this when it went up originally, but here's a link to Nora Roberts' first sale story, which I just found the other day.

Also, I sent out the May Newsletter a few days back, so if you didn't get it, check it out on the yahoo group site. And you should really check it out if you're a fan of Sascha and Lucas. Trust me, you want to. No really, you want to. That's all I'm going to say. *walks off whistling innocently*

Lora Leigh has promised excerpts of upcoming books on her blog. Ooooh... Did I tell you guys she gave me the coolest quote for Caressed By Ice? Here it is:

"A dangerous, sensual adventure not to be missed."

Yay! :)

And if you didn't see it when it went up, Meljean Brook had an awesome interview up with a professional proofreader. By the way, Demon Moon (coming out June) is a wonderful, wonderful book. I'll be putting up a post on it soon.

Bookseller Chick has a great interview up with the Ja(y)nes behind Dear Author.

And finally, check out this link for Samhain editor Angela James' thoughts on professional editing services.