• Bring on the turkey, baby

    Out of all the holidays on the calendar, Thanksgiving is definitely my favorite. 

    It’s about three things — food, family, and football — and it’s one of the simplest holidays around. All you have to do is cook a little bit (or a lot if you like), show up for the family shindig, eat too much, and spend the rest of the afternoon on the sofa in a semi-comatose state watching grown men fight over a football.

    It’s perfect. 

    There are no presents or cards or chocolates to buy at Thanksgiving. Nothing to wrap, no gift receipts to keep up with, no crowds to fight at the mall (although I would advise you to go to the grocery store early this week). It’s practically stress-free, especially if you’re only making a few dishes like me.

    I also just like the idea of taking a day to reflect on the many things that I have to be grateful for, instead of worrying whether my significant other will like the sweater I bought him for Christmas. (Probably not). Or how many family gatherings I can hit on Christmas Eve (current record is three). 

    What about you? Do you like Thanksgiving? Or are you already thinking about Christmas? Inquiring minds want to know …  

  • ·

    What’s in a genre?

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    There was a good post this week over at Romancing the Blog that talked about how people who read romance will read other genres. And how people who don’t read romance tend to turn their noses up at it. And what we can do to change this.

    I started thinking about genre fiction in general and how all categories have their lovers and haters. Fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, romance, chick-lit, etc. According to many people, you shouldn’t write or read any of these — because they’re just genre crap. The only books that are good books are non-fiction memoirs or literary fiction.

    Whatever. 

    I love genre books, whether it’s romance, fantasy, or something in between. I like the conventions of genres — finding the magic ring in a fantasy book, figuring out who the killer is in a mystery, getting a happy ending in a romance novel. I’m not going to pick up a book on the history of ancient Rome any time soon. What I will be getting is the new Parker novel by Richard Stark.

    People who look down their noses at genre fiction (including romance) don’t know what they’re missing — a wonderful time. It’s their loss.

    What about you? Which genres do you love? Hate? Do you ever read outside your comfort zone? Inquiring minds want to know …

  • A sneak peak at Karma Girl …

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    Karma GirlI have cover art … and it totally rocks! I really love the cover for Karma Girl. I think it captures the comic-book and romance/chick-lit spirit of the book at the same time.

    It is just too cool.

    Kudos, kudos, kudos to the Berkley artist or artists who designed this. You are my favorite person right now. 🙂

    This isn’t quite the final version of the cover, though. I think there will be a little more tweaking, plus they  have to add on a cover quote from (drumroll here) … MaryJanice Davidson. Yep, that’s right, MJD of “Undead” series fame is blurbing my book. Hooray!

    What about you? Do you love the cover? Hate it? Would it make you want to pick up the book? Or run away screaming in the store? Inquiring minds want to know …

  • Thumbs down to Borat …

    Saw Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan this weekend.

    The movie is about Borat, a television reporter from Kazakhstan who comes to America to film a documentary. Along the way, he offends, insults or attacks just about everyone he meets, from feminists to a minister to Pamela Anderson.

    The significant other liked it. I did not.

    I knew going in that I probably wouldn’t, as I had seen some of the Borat shows on HBO and wasn’t overly impressed with them. I just didn’t expect it to be as offensive as it was. The film makes fun of and insults everyone, especially Jewish people.

    I’ve never really understood why some folks think that cruelly, mercilessly mocking others for their beliefs or religion is funny or makes for good entertainment. This movie did nothing to change my mind.

    But what really made me dislike it was the scene in the hotel room with Borat and his producer. Yikes. Unfortunately, those images will be burned into my mind for many, many days to come.

    Some folks (like Entertainment Weekly) think that this is the funniest movie ever made, but it gets a big thumbs down from me.

    What about you? Do you love or hate Borat? Inquiring minds want to know …

  • Under their spell …

    spell.jpgToday, I’m giving a shout-out to Hot Spell, a new anthology featuring Emma Holly, Lora Leigh, Meljean Brook, and Shiloh Walker. I recently met Lora Leigh at writers’ event, and Meljean comments on my blog a lot. Plus, it just sounds like a cool anthology. 🙂

    I like anthologies for this reason — you get four authors for the price of one. It’s a great, and relatively cheap, way to try out some new writers and see if you like them. With four stories and voices to choose from, you’re bound to like at least one of them, which isn’t always the case with a single-title book. And, if one of your favorite authors is in the anthology too, that’s an added bonis.

    The only quibble I have with anthologies is when an author is too good — and I have to rush right back to the bookstore to buy something else by her. But, that’s a good problem to have. 🙂

    What about you? Do you prefer anthologies or single titles? Inquiring minds want to know …