Tis the Season...

Well, hopefully it’s the tail end of the season, but I know I’m one of many laid-up with the flu/bronchial muck that won’t go away, so here’s what I was reading during my convalescence.

I bought some more eBooks. And some cookbooks. Let’s talk about the cookbooks first, because I know y’all really want to see some sexy vegan cupcakes:

Nom nom nom! The Sithling helped me decorate them, which is why the pattern on some of them is a bit eclectic. He’s an artist, my boy…These were fab and delicious, and (shh!) lo-fat. In fact, I’ll post the recipe, once I get a little more up to speed, since I’m trying to spread the Joy of Vegan Sex, er cooking. The cupcake recipe is from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I also ordered the Veganomicon! It is every bit as fab as the hype suggests. Every recipe I’ve tried thus far has been fab. It’s got “nom” right in the middle of its name, and don’t you want a cookbook that references the Evil Dead movies?? Of course you do!

Oh yeah, other reading materials. I bought eBooks. I totally succumbed to the FluffSide and bought Mindy Klasky’s Girls’ Guide to Witchcraft. I know, I know, just buy a friggin’ MJD book and be done w/it, right? But really, when you’re drinking herbal tea and pondering ’hey, i think i know now why Anakin went all batshit…’, fluff is good. I also bought Gina Showalter’s The Nymph King because Candice Gilmer has recommended her and being that she’s a woman of good taste, I figured it was time to give Gina a try.

Hmm, anything else? Not that I can really think of right now. I’m gonna go back to my herbal tea and fluff. Take care, darlings.

-H

Romance Meta for you!

This Smart Bitches review made me laugh so hard I coughed...ok, all laughing makes me cough, but it was worth it.

For the authors and feminists on the f-list, here's a deep thought for you: http://jezebel.com/369256/is-a-female+only-literature-prize-sexist

From the article:

Still Life scribe A.S. Byatt bitched about the prize to the Times of London,saying, "Such a prize was never needed" because it ghettoizes women's literature...[However] In the past ten years, three women have been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction (for those counting at home, that's 30%).

Idon't know how I feel about this, honestly. I write romance, which is the red-headed stepchild of the publishing industry, and the most poo-ed on of all genres. Like it or not, if your work is oriented toward women's issues, you are ghettoized. (Romance sells more than half the paperbacks in the USA, btw) I had my MIL tell me that she didn't consider my work romance, and she meant it as a compliment,because in her words, "It has a plot."

I'd also like to add that when I met Susan Sizemore at a convention she straight up told us that if you're a woman and you want to write something other than romance,it's not bad to write the romance first, because it's much easier to get your foot in the door there, and then branch out into other genres.

There are actually a lot of romances that have plots now, that don't center on sheiks or sekrit babies. But that's a rant for another day. I guess this is like my feelings on the Romance Writers of America, where I agree with the goal, but I'm not so thrilled by the execution. So what do you think, gentle readers? Does having our own award put us in our own lipstick ghetto? Or are we liberating ourselves from sexism?

Kickin' it old skool

Good morning, gentle readers. I feel a little better today. Thank you again for all the well-wishes. I have an assortment of blog-o-sphere goodness to share with you all.

1. Kayleigh Jamison and some other fab ladies have a book signing party!

2. Preditors and Editors is being sued. Louise Bohmer has a fairly serious take on it, and PN Elrod...well, see for yourself. I took this more seriously until I saw that she named "Miss Snark" as a defendant. Miss Snark? For Reals?

3. Alan Wilder, formerly of Depeche Mode, now of Recoil, blogs - Music for the Masses - I think not. I must confess that the title totally hooked me, as Music for the Masses was my first Depeche album. I've been a fan of Recoil for a year or so, and hearing a perspective from someone who's escaped the corporate machine fascinates me.

"And can the musician act as entrepreneur? Is it fair to expect our scatterbrained creative songwriters and virtuosos to also hold a degree in business management? Formulating their own strategies and marketing models as they go? I mean wasn't this the whole reason record companies and managers came into existence in the first place? From my own experience, simply trying to 'stage manage' what has been a very small-level experiment has taken up most of the first 3 months of the year - valuable time which I intended to spend composing new music."

I've had this conversation with many a fellow author, and on a lesser level, it's true of us as well. It's a criticism leveled at indie presses - some it's fair, some it's not. You have to hustle to get your work out there, and yet, the biz end of publishing is draining. It's why I'm not a publisher anymore. I never wrote. There are other reasons too, my health being a biggie. Don't worry, I'm not dying, I just need to take better care of myself.

4. That actually brings me to the next question I've gotten a lot of lately, which is, am I reopening, either as AA or under another name. No. I am content to be an author. If anyone wants a suggestion of where to place your work, depending on who you are, and your writing style, I am inclined to recommend...

Lachesis Publishing
Loose-ID
Dark Roast Press
Samhain Publishing

I'm not affiliated with any of these houses as an author or admin, that's just based on observation. I will put as a disclaimer that I know Rhiannon Rhodes of Dark Roast. She was our promo queen, and her vision of what sort of titles she wants to put out is similar to Aphrodite's in terms of the "hot with plot" delivery. I anticipate good things when they launch. The rest of the rec's are based on friends of mine who have good experiences with the companies.

5. Finally, people have asked about my own work, and where I'm placing it. I haven't subbed anywhere yet. I am reediting Immortal Reveries and I want to finish some of the WIPs and then I'll start subbing. I want to enjoy the craft of writing again. So far I am. ;-)

Arcana Barbie?

Here's a random factoid about me: I like to collect dolls that look like my characters. Since my characters are adults, who do you think I end up buying?

Yes, Barbie, the biggest little woman in American dolls. Scary, isn't it? They even have a Deidre of Ulster Barbie.

Ahem. Anyway, I happened on the Barbie Tarot online and had to share with you all.

Put your beverages down and scroll to the second grouping of Major Arcana.

Yes, that's really a set of Barbies based on a Jude Deveraux book. Slide your eyes to the right, to #7, the Chariot - "Secret Hearts and Earring Magic Ken”. With all due respect to Dave Barry, I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP. When you can tear your eyes from the pic, read the card interpretation.

You’re welcome.

Did Harlequin hear about the cookies?

The Dark Side has cookies, yanno...

Tempted by Megan Hart

Blurb:

I had everything a woman could want...

My husband, James. The house on the lake.

My life. Our perfect life.

And then Alex came to visit.

The first time I saw my husband's best friend, I didn't like him. Didn't like how James changed when he was around, didn't like how his penetrating eyes followed me everywhere.

But that didn't stop me from wanting him. And, surprisingly, James didn't seem to mind.

It was meant to be fun. Something the three of us shared for those hot summer weeks Alex stayed with us. Nobody was supposed to fall in or out of love. I didn't need another man, not even one who oozed sex like honey and knew all the secrets I didn't know, the secrets my husband hadn't shared. After all, we had a perfect life.

And I loved my husband.

But I wasn't the only one.

I may have to purchase this tome just to verify the slashy goodness, or lack thereof.

Oh Romancelandia!

I know, I'm spamming today, but...



If you have no idea what I'm talking about, it all starts here, at the Smart Bitches site. And it's even made Fandom Wank...twice.

*sigh*

Goodies!

I'm squeeing today, for my pal Katrina Strauss has a new book out, a m/m yaoi - Blue Ruin 1: Some Kind of Stranger. I had the privilege of reading while it was still in crit and it's a fab, fab book. If you like BDSM, yaoi, or m/m in general you should definitely give it a try!

Play Along at Home!

Let's play spot the spambot on MySpace!



Can you see the spambot? Excellent, I knew you could do it!

Yeah, yeah, I know, I spent too long in elementary ed. BTW, what is it lately with me getting lots of rap acts trying to friend me on MySpace. It's not listed as an interest. I'll friend a band if it's a genre I actually listen to - rock/metal, electronica, alternative, maybe even folk. But rap? I like a wee, wee bit of reggaeton, and that's as close as I get to rap. LOL.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all! I hope you all had fun on NYE, but not too much... ;-) I know most people are posting their resolutions, but I'm not big on New Years' Resolutions. I think fellow Apple Tyree Kimber said it best: "...the key to New Years resolutions is to make a resolution you actually want to keep, have wanted for a while, and didn't just think of the night before."

So with that in mind, I'd like to...

• spend more time with my friends. Yes, Shelly, Tara, Joanne, Randy and Kay, I'm looking at you.


• finish my WIPs. I have three good ones that all need to be done. That's four months each, get off your lazy ass, Heather.


• exercise more. It would help my health condition and generally improve the quality of my life.

That's my small and do-able list. There's more, but the former educator/therapist in me says go for observable and measurable goals. "Be more patient" or "be more organized" are not observable and measurable. LOL.

May the New Year bring you joy and blessings,

--HS

Author Beware

I've quoted Ash Arceneaux here before, and I'm going to do it again, because Teresa Jacobs (aka Teresa Wayne) has decided to set up shop in publishing again.

From Ash's blog:

"The triumvirate of bad writing here." That quote is from Kitty Strauss in response to this new discovery: L.A. Media Online.

Apparently, this is Teresa Wayne's new publishing venture. I just want to know why she thinks she's going to make a self-publishing venture work when she's already proven she can't make a real publishing house work. This, also, is from a woman who swore she was never going to get into publishing again.

Now, I got burned by this woman. Well, nearly burned. I saw the approaching flames and ran like all of hell was behind me--rights to my book in hand!--and I'm still fielding emails from former Mardi Gras Publishing authors who--gasp--haven't got their rights back.

How do you warn people, and make them listen, about a publisher who lies through her teeth and is out ONLY for herself? I met the woman in person. I watched her promote her own book without a word to any prospective customer about the 30-odd other authors who had books with her, or even the THREE MGP authors who bothered to show up to promote the COMPANY not just their books. She charged fees and never paid some authors.

****

For those of you who may have entered the party late, and wonder why I care, or why Ash or Kitty care so much, let me remind you of the plagiarism debacle that caused us so much grief in the early days of Aphrodite's Apples. Lest you think it's just Ash, Kitty and me, please read the comments in the Smart Bitches' entry - read Stella Price's experiences with MGP and Ms Jacobs. There's more on it at Dear Author.

The greater point to all this is that I don't make the "author beware" statement lightly. Publishing is a highly competitive field and you need to be choosy about where you place your manuscript. Some books fare better in eFormat, some in print. Some do well in both. However, do your research on the market and which house will best serve your work. Every e/indie press has its strengths and weaknesses. However, when rumors start drifting that it's an author mill - run, don't walk away with your manuscript, no matter what sort of pretty promises the publisher makes.

Plagiarism rears its ugly head again

Thankfully it's not someone I know personally this time, but that doesn't make it any better. For legal purposes, do keep in mind that all of this is alleged, not proven.

Have a look at this blog, by Ash Arceneaux: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=86192280&blogID=333310574

For the tl;dr crowd, here's the highlights, from Ash's blog:

"Somebody showed me a LiveJournal where a reviewer reviewed a JJMassa book. After the initial post, a writer who found the post via Google began posting some very fervent comments about how Massa stole the story from a fanfic the commentor had written and posted some years before. According to the commentor, who's name is Amanda, I believe,she has irrefutable evidence she wrote the story FIRST. "Here's the journal where the accusations begin: Elisa Rolle Livejournal

 

JJ Massa's Book, now pulled from Linden Bay

Amanda's Star Trek AU fic

Philadelphia—the city of brotherly love. Yeah, I feel the love. Tyler winced and slung his backpack over his aching shoulder. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself off the teeming sidewalk and up the battered stairs of the old, red-bricked precinct house. The inside foyer was even more chaotic than the busy street he'd just left. The room he found himself in was peopled with glowering teens, screaming whores, a few stumbling drunks, and a plethora of independent chemists and their staff. Tyler dropped his backpack onto the desk letting the noise of its landing grab the attention of a surly looking officer who'd been flicking through a magazine. "You want something?" he growled, "Just get in line." Tyler eyed him coldly, nodding his head at the motley mass of human chaos assembled. "I'm not here to sightsee. My name's Tyler Baker." The cop's lip curled in an outright sneer of contempt. He looked Tyler up and down rudely. "You're late. Lieu expected you a couple hours ago." "My plane was delayed. I've only been in the city an hour," he began to explain patiently. "Look deep into my eyes, Baker," he said scornfully. "See any give-a-shit in there?" Tyler folded his arms across his chest. "You got a problem with me, officer?" he demanded icily.

New York, New York. So good they named it twice. ::Yeah, right:: Tom hoisted his knap-sack higher over his aching shoulder and stared with ill-disguised disgust at the crumbling red-stone exterior of the precinct house until the impatient bustling of passers-by forced him to mount the steps and walk inside. ::Shit:: The foyer was more chaotic than the street he'd left behind. The room was filled with screaming whores, sullen teens, a couple of blood-splattered drunks and someone curled up on the floor in one corner in a puddle of vomit. Tom wasn't sure whether the huddled body was a homeless guy sleeping in the station or a corpse. At the desk a couple of burly uniforms had some crack-head pinned against the wall while a third cop performed a public strip-search. He slammed his knap-sack down on the desk and the noise startled a bored-looking cop to belch and frown in his direction. "What the fuck's your problem? Join the queue." Tom curled his mouth into a sneer of derision, cocking his head mockingly at the bedlam that purported to be a 'queue'. "I'm not part of the entertainment. My name's Tom Paris." The cop returned his sneer, sliding his eyes up and down Tom's body with obvious contempt. "You're late. The Cap'n expected you two hours ago." "My plane got delayed. I only arrived an hour ago and I had to drop off my luggage." "Tell it to someone who cares, Paris."

Something is indeed rotten in the state of Denmark, ladies and gents.

eBooks and the future of publishing

If you are an eBook author, you often find yourself promoting, or (depending on how you look at it) defending the medium just as much as you do your work itself. It gets old, honestly, and many people I know in the biz tend to go in one of these two directions:

1. My work IS in print. It's an eBook, deal with it.
2. Man, if my work were in print, the world would beat a path to my door.

The truth of the matter is somewhere in between. I do lean toward option one, honestly, because eBooks are the future. Amazon and Harlequin just got into the game in big ways, so I'm not the only one who thinks so. Ask anyone who owns an iPod or other mp3 player.

So, Heather, does that mean that they'll be no more print books, ever? Well, no. Go to the mall, are we all fresh out of CDs? My music purchases are primarily mp3s now, but that doesn't mean I won't buy a CD if it's an artist I really adore and would like a hard copy of their work. However, I find as time goes on I'm doing that less and less. I get CDs as gifts, mostly - Mr K got me Tori Amos' new album as a gift, but I bought myself Siouxsie's Mantaray on iTunes and burned a hard copy.

So how does that related to my reading habits? Well, of the last six books I bought - two were print editions. The rest? Ebooks. Now, I know I'm a young whippersnapper and whatever, right? The well-entrenched romance reader, the ones Romantic Times lauds, who are "avid romance readers since their teens and currently read between 10 and 40 books a month"? Are they buying eBooks?

Let me stop here for a moment and talk about my mother. If you look at my MySpace, the only hero I have listed is my mom. She's awesome. My mom's the first person who really encouraged me to be a writer, when I was a little girl. My mom is one of RT's target readers. She's an avid Nora Roberts fan, buys at least ten single titles a month. She's sharp, professional, creative, and loyal. She's doing some continuing education right now, and she remarked to me the other day, "I'm so tired of printing out PDF files. How much did your Palm Pilot cost?"

We talked a bit about what my Tungsten does vs getting a dedicated reader, like Amazon's Kindle or the Sony Reader.

I find it extremely telling that my mother, who's a baby boomer, and not-uber techie is interested in a dedicated reader. Not that my mom's a slouch either - she knows her way around the computer, but I am still hands-down the family's alpha geek.

The main lament right now amongst writers and readers is compatibility. It's a legit complaint, and I can remember when it was a problem for mp3 players as well. Speaking of my mother again, I went with her to pick out her mp3 player, and I ended up advising her to get an iPod because I felt its interface was the simplest and most user-friendly. However, as most people know, while an iPod plays mp3s, other mp3 players don't like its digital rights management (DRM) .m4a format.

That must be why no one buys iPods, right?

Wait... ;-)

So where does that leave those of us who are indie or eBook authors? If my book's in print, the world will beat a path to my door... Well, no. One look at JA Konrath's blog will tell you that it's not so. However, that said, face to face sells books. If your work's not in hard copy, what do you do?

First of all, stop telling yourself it's not in print. It is. And don't let other people tell you otherwise, they are misinformed. Be nice about it though. ;-) And head over to VistaPrint and get some promo items whipped up. VistaPrint's highly reasonable, and you can often get author promo items for only the cost of shipping. You can make bookmarks, notepads, post cards, etc. You know what I carry on me all time, in case people ask me what I do for a living? I have my Palm Tungsten, bookmarks and my business cards. I turn on the Palm, show them how easy it is to open and read an eBook, and then I give them a card or a bookmark. Easy peasy.

Now, speaking of writing books, I need to get back to that...

Suck it, Boy Scouts

Camp Fire USA offers comparable activities for boys and girls without any of the homophobia and discrimination.

If you are wondering why I personally care, my beffie's son, who is a high functioning autistic, expressed interest in joining the Boy Scouts and was refused. Again, he's HIGH FUNCTIONING. He can speak, read, write, perform self-care, etc. But oh no, autistic children have cooties throughout the greater Orlando Boy Scouts troupes.

Camp Fire USA encourages children with disabilities, and according to their website, "We are inclusive, open to every person in the communities we serve,welcoming children, youth and adults regardless of race, religion,socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation or other aspect of diversity."

I will be volunteering my time to my local Camp Fire USA. I'll keep you guys posted on my experiences with my local chapter. I will say, however, that I mentioned my son and his condition and all they said was, "We'd love to see you, let me send you a schedule of events!"

I'm in the news!

And so is my dear Katrina Strauss. I am LOLing over being referred to as a "mostly nightgown novel e-book publisher."

That is fabulous.

Southern Review, Vol. 5, No. 10, October 2007 talks about the demise of MGP.

In all seriousness, I think that Southern Review did a good job of keeping his tone neutral, and in giving authors some solid information about copyright and bankruptcy law.

And in more news, I'm featured in a publisher interview at Mandy M. Roth's blog! :D

Preaching to the Choir...

Y'all know I'm a sucker for cheesecake reading. In fact, since Harlequin recently got into the ebook game I decided to check out their naughty line and see if there was anything I liked there. And lo, there is - I am currently digging Nancy Madore and Jina Bacarr. So I got this nifty little message from Harlequin in my inbox:

Instant and Portable eBooks!

Dear Heather,

Life is busy. And sometimes, it's difficult to carry around your favorite books especially if they're in hardcover! That's why I love eBooks. Not only are they easy to download, but they are instant an dportable. Plus, we never sell out! With a few easy clicks, you can enjoy over 100 new eBooks every month! Browse our extensive selection and see for yourself how easy it is to enjoy eBooks!

~~~~
Sister, you're preaching to the choir here. :D

Norwegian Herb-Nut Bread

Now veganized and suitable for bread machine.

2 & 1/4 oz active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110F-115F)
1/2 cup soy milk, scalded
1 t of ground flaxseed whisked into 3 T of water as egg replacer
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, dried, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, dried, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, dried, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, dried, crushed
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water and let stand in a dark place until it is spongy.

While the yeast is proofing, get a bowl and assemble the dry ingredients.

Whisk together ground flaxseed and water, and let it sit for a couple of minutes. It will become thick and fluffy, like egg whites.

Heat your soymilk.

Once your yeast are thick and spongy, place them in the bread machine.

Add flax.

Add soymilk.

Add oil.

Add dry ingredients and set machine to "wheat" cycle.

Makes 1 loaf. Cooking time: 3:30

This recipe makes a nice, soft, slightly sweet and nutty loaf. I know I should post pics of the baked goodies but Mr K has not yet unloaded all his Vegas trip pics, so ...honestly I'm not sure where the camera is, other than "somewhere amidst all the gaming swag."

The Demise of Mardi Gras Publishing

Mardi Gras Publishing has announced its imminent bankruptcy. Normally I don't like to comment on others' misfortunes, but I am moved to say something about this situation. Teresa Jacobs, who writes under the name Teresa Wayne, started MGP at the same time that we started Aphrodite's Apples, and at one point, she wanted to sub to us, but she wanted us to bump her book to the head of the queue. At that point we'd been done nine months' lead time on the creation of our house, and we already had authors with previous experience and contracts signed. There was a queue for submissions. She also didn't want any further edits done to her work. At the time, Kayleigh Jamison (then-EIC) and I told her nicely we'd take it if went through edits and it would go out in order received for publication. While we were reviewing her submission she began to ask a lot of questions about the publishing business, and shortly thereafter she announced that she was starting MGP. At the time, she ran the Pink Posse Review site, and I say all that so that I can link to this - Katrina Strauss' statement on MGP and the Pink Posse.

I am afraid Ms. Jacobs always been unethical. I am very sorry that when this first came to light that we felt we couldn't speak out on the matter. I am even more sorry for the MGP authors' current predicament.

And now that all that's been said, I'm gonna agree with Kitty Strauss. Back to writing. If you guys need me, you know where I am.

--H

Tempeh Bruschetta

I made a nice tempeh bruschetta for dinner. And had sauvignon blanc. Whee!

Ahem. For my first experimentation with it, I think it came out pretty well. Unless that's the wine talking...

Ingredients:

8 oz tempeh, marinated (see below)
1 lb baby bella mushrooms
1/4 of an onion, thinly sliced
crusty bread, such as Italian, French, baguette, etc
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped coarse (can sub one can of diced tomatoes if fresh isn't on hand)
1/2 t rosemary
2 t roasted garlic
1/4 olive oil, for sautéing of veggies and to brush bread with
1/2 c veganrella or other veggie/vegan cheese of your choice (optional)
wine, more for the chef than the dish

Tempeh marinate:

1/4 c soy sauce or tamari
1 t roasted garlic (reserve the rest to add to main recipe)
2 T balsamic vinegar
8 oz tempeh, sliced thin

Place tempeh in shallow pan and add marinate ingredients. I marinated it for an hour before I started the rest of the food, and I turned it once midway through the hour.

Sauté onions on medium-high heat until they just start to become translucent. Add baby bella, reduce heat to medium and cover till they cook down a little, about five minutes. Uncover and add tomatoes, rosemary, the rest of the garlic and marinated tempeh. Add wine to food and the chef. Stir and cover again, for ten minutes. While it's cooking, get your crusty bread out, slice some nice chunks and brush them with olive oil. Add the finished tomato mixture to the slices, along with vegan cheesy goodness, if desired. Pop into the oven on broil for 5 min, or just long enough to get your cheese to melt and bubble and put some nice grill marks on your bread.

And have some more wine. :D

Chat with me tonight in 3D!

I'm going to be the featured author at the Romance Galleria tonight for Mocha Monday! I'll be talking about my own book series, The Supernaturals, paranormal romance, pagans, writing, Aphrodite's Apples and anything else you guys would like to throw my way!

Who: Me!
Where: http://www.theromancegalleria.com/
When: Monday, August 13th at 9 pm EST

See you there!

A yummy for y'all!

Offered per Faye's request...

Quick & Easy Pumpkin Spice Muffins

1 box of Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix
1 can of pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mixture, just straight up canned pumpkin)
1/4 c of applesauce
1/2 c toasted walnuts (optional)

Combine cake mix, applesauce and pumpkin together with a large, flat spoon - a wooden stirring one is good. Treat it like you're creaming the mix into butter, quickly, without overworking the batter. Once the ingredients are just combined, add nuts if desired. Daub into muffin cups till they are 2/3 full, and bake 18-23 minutes. If you're feeling especially splurgy, you can bake it as a cake and top it with cream cheese icing. Some of the national brands are vegan. :D

I got this recipe from a vegan buddy of mine (I'm not vegan, but it's soooo good) and most anyone will find it irresistible. I use it to sneak beta carotene into my Sithling, who is the world's finickiest child.