RT Book Reviews

Trouble for Amazon

2010-02-01T17:02:00.001-05:00

Some big upsets came along recently to shake up Amazon's rank as the
premier e-book seller.

FIrst, they are in a fight with Macmillan publishers. Amazon is
refusing to sell Macmillan books at retail - the buy it now button is
gone. This stems from a dispute the two are having over the price of
the e-books Amazon sells on their site. Instead of the standard
$9.99, Macmillan wants Amazon to charge closer to the rates of the
physical book, like $15. Amazon's response is to pull their books
from being sold on their site via retail. You can still get the books
via Amazon Marketplace, but since those are used, that doesn't help
Macmillan any.

And just as Amazon deals with this problem, comes a curveball from
Apple. It's new iPad was recently launched, touted as a replacement
for your e-book reader, among other things. This could be a bigger
threat than Barnes and Noble's Nook or Sony's e-reader. With other
functionality, the iPad comes at a reasonable price for what it is.
Macmillan, among others, has already agreed to publish their books
through Apple's iPad.

But that's not all. Google is planning on launching Google Edition,
it's own e-book store. Google plans to allow publishers to set their
own rates, allowing publishers to make a reasonable profit over their
e-ditions.

Most of this is a response to Apple's intention to let the publishers
set their own rates. The good news that comes out of this is that
e-books will be available the same day the print version is released,
something that has been available until now.

What do you think of the controversy? Should Amazon allow publishers
to set their own rates or continue to be a discount dealer?

Nicole

Tidbits From Around the Industry

2010-01-21T11:58:00.002-05:00

This week brought us two deaths from important writers in the industry.

First, Erich Segal, author of LOVE STORY died from a heart attack,
though he had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for many years.
Best known for coining the phrase, “Love means never having to say
you’re sorry, “ he also wrote the screenplay for the Beatle’s
“Yellow Submarine.” LOVE STORY eventually became a screenplay and was
nominated for 6 Oscars.

Robert B. Parker also died this week. Parker was best known for crime
novels featuring private eye Spenser. The books were also the basis
for the TV show, “Spenser: for Hire.” He is credited with bringing
back the hard-boiled style of mystery.

Helen Scott Taylor has some news to share. In celebration of the
release of her new book, THE PHOENIX CHARM, you can read a free short
story at Dorchester by going here:
http://www.dorchesterpub.com/Dorch/SpecialFeatures.cfm?Special_ID=2759.

Also, her first book trailer is up on You Tube
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8JvYC2ljzE) and the front page of her
web site. She tells me she is hard at work on her next book, this one
telling the story of Nightshade. It is due at the end of this year.
You can also find a novella of hers in the Mammoth Book of Irish
Romance when it’s released in a few weeks.

For those authors self-publishing their work through the Kindle, there
is some good news. Amazon is upping the royalties paid per book to
70%, minus delivery costs. This should open things up a bit more to
authors who were considering this option through Amazon. The higher
royalties start June 30.

That’s all for now. Hope you are all having a great week!
Nicole

Laredo Residents Julia Quinn Wants You!

2010-01-20T15:51:00.001-05:00

With the closure of Laredo, Texas' lone bookstore, a B. Dalton shop, local
residents no longer have a neighborhood place to get new books. To help
readers out, Avon romance author Julia Quinn is giving away 100 books (1
book per address) between now and Valentine's Day to readers living in
Laredo.

As Quinn says on her website: "Like many of you, I do a fair bit of book
shopping on the web. But not all of it. Probably not even half. I don't know
what I would do if I didn't have a bookstore near my house. I love to stroll
around with my cup of coffee, browsing through books, seeing what's new."

To learn more about this promotion, visit:
http://www.juliaquinn.com/bonus-features/main.php#laredo

Kage Baker is very ill

2010-01-18T17:09:00.002-05:00

Fans of sci-fi/ fantasy author — and 2009 nominee for RT's Career
Achievement Award in Science Fiction/Fantasy — will be saddened to learn
that she is very ill. She would love cards and emails and messages from
fans.

Email to: materkb [at] gmail [dot] com—it’ll be printed out and read to her.

Cards to: Kage Baker 331 Stimson, Apt. B, Pismo Beach CA 93449.

As Jo Walton wrote today on Tor.com

"... if you’ve enjoyed her books and stories, send a card or an email, and
if you haven’t been lucky enough to discover her thus far, this is a great
time to buy one of her books and send a message that way."

First Drop of Crimson Giveaway

2010-01-14T12:48:00.002-05:00

To celebrate the upcoming release of Jeaniene Frost's First Drop of Crimson,
which received a Top Pick in the February issue of RT, we have five copies
of the book to give away. To enter for your chance to win, check out this
book trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpznY8Og3uE

and then e-mail
Faygie@RTBookreviews.com
be sure to put "Frost" in the subject line.

New Video Game by Marjorie M. Liu based on her novel, Tiger Eye!

2010-01-12T14:26:00.004-05:00

Marjorie M. Liu is releasing a new game!

Celebrate Valentines Day by
pre-ordering the Tiger Eye paranormal romance video game at
www.passionfruitgames.com

Find out more details about this development here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/prweb/20091217/bs_prweb/prweb3355304_1

We also have a word from Marjorie M. Liu:

"We're really excited about reaching out to fans throughout the process of creating the game, which doesn't come out until April. Right now we have people voting on which character design they like best for Long Nu at http://www.passionfruitgames.com/ so head over there and
give us your two cents about which one you like best."

Hey Cosmo fans!

2010-01-12T12:33:00.003-05:00

We've just learned that Cosmopolitan magazine's editor-in-chief Kate White
will be attending the RT Booklovers convention on Thursday, April, 29 to
promote her new mystery novel, Hush, out in March from Harper. White is
among a number of authors who will appear at a special Thursday lunchtime
autographing session. Other authors at the event include sci-fi author John
Scalzi, romance authors Jennifer Crusie and Anne Stuart, and mystery authors
CJ Lyons and Harley Jane Kozak.

Also, joining us this year will be YA author Carrie Ryan, a rising star in
the YA fantasy genre.

For more on the convention, check out HERE

Harper and Dorchester Publishing Deal

2010-01-12T12:30:00.001-05:00

RT has learned that HarperCollins has acquired a number of authors' works
from fellow publisher Dorchester. In a statement, HarperCollins officials
said: "HarperCollins has acquired several frontlist and backlist titles from
Dorchester publishing and has also extended its distribution partnership.
Authors include titles from Victoria Alexander, Nina Bangs, Christine
Feehan, Sandra Hill, Marjorie M. Liu, Katie MacAlister, Lynsay Sands and CL
Wilson. We are currently scheduling the Avon release of these books, and
will sell, market and publish all acquired titles by these authors on a
go-forward basis. We look forward to working with these talented authors to
futher grow their brand recognition."

Looking Forward to in 2010

2010-01-11T12:44:00.001-05:00

There are lots of great books coming out in the next year. Here are a
few I am excited about:

January 12 – BETRAYAL OF THE BLOOD LILY by Lauren Willig. This is the
next book in the Pink Carnation series, which I have been reading
since the beginning. This one focuses on Penelope Devereaux and takes
the reader to India, a first for the series.

February 9 – FIRST DROP OF CRIMSON by Jeaniene Frost. This is the
first book of a new series for Ms. Frost, which is set in the same
world as her Night Huntress books.

February 23 – BLACK MAGIC SANCTION by Kim Harrison. A continuation of
the Rachel Morgan series, this is a heavily anticipated book by the
esteemed Ms. Harrison. You can meet Ms. Harrison at this year's RT
Convention.

March 30 – SUCCUBUS SHADOWS by Richelle Mead. Part of the Succubus series.

March 30 – SILVER BORNE by Patrcia Briggs. Next in the Mercy series.
I just re-read the last two books in the series and am even more
excited for this next installment in the series.

April 6 – CHANGES by Jim Butcher. Part of the Dresden Files. Mr.
Butcher and his author wife Shannon K. Butcher will also be attending
this year's RT.

What books are you looking forward to reading this year? Share with
us in the comments!

Nicole

Lou Waxnicki’s Fifth and Final Post . . . We All Have to Make it Beyond the Night

2010-01-11T12:00:00.001-05:00

Lou Waxnicki’s Fifth and Final Post . . . We All Have to Make it Beyond the Night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypeNnG9n34c

Lou Waxnicki’s Fourth Post . . . Did He Say Monsters?

2010-01-10T14:20:00.000-05:00

Lou Waxnicki’s Fourth Post . . . Did He Say Monsters?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSlAzjy-6rI

Lou Waxnicki’s Third Post . . . Is it the End of the World?

2010-01-09T13:19:00.000-05:00

Lou Waxnicki’s Third Post . . . Is it the End of the World?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziv3ZVp9-9A

Lou Waxnicki is Back . . . and Still in Trouble

2010-01-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

Lou Waxnicki is Back . . . and Still in Trouble
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uAvH-r4cRw

Does Anyone Know What’s Going on Here?

2010-01-07T13:17:00.002-05:00

Does Anyone Know What’s Going on Here?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09_uVy2MCyM

Shh ... It's a Secret!

2010-01-05T11:14:00.004-05:00

Looking for a new author to try with your holiday gift cards? Consider Jennifer R. Hubbard, whose wonderful debut, The Secret Year, will be released from Viking on Thursday. The tale follows Colt as he deals with the death of his secret lover, Julia, while her rich friends from the right side of town grieve openly. RT gave the young adult novel a top pick rating, and we were so excited we tracked down Hubbard to get the scoop on her tale of secret grief.

We've also got five advanced copies to give away! E-mail elissa@rtbookreviews.com by Friday with your mailing address to win.

1. Where did you come up with the idea for The Secret Year?

I had a situation in mind: a secret relationship, a death, a notebook left behind. I wrote the book to find out why the relationship had to be secret and what was in the notebook.

2. How did you come up with Colt? He's such an authentic "guy" character, almost S.E. Hinton reminiscent, and really sounds like a boy. Was it hard to write in his voice?

Male characters speak to me quite often. I’ve always had male friends as well as female; I've read books written by men. A male voice doesn’t seem foreign to me. Colt’s voice was at the heart of this book from the beginning, and I never considered writing it from any other point of view — although we hear Julia’s voice also, in her journal entries.

3. What's your new year's resolution?

My resolution is the same one I had last year: I don’t want to add to my list of things to do, but rather to make sure the items on that list are in the right order. I want to focus on what’s most important to me, and not feel like I have to do everything all the time.

4. How are you celebrating the publication of your debut?

I’ll be celebrating online at my blog this week (http://writerjenn.livejournal.com/). Later in January, I’ll be celebrating live at a local bookstore. I believe cake will be involved. :-)

Difference Between Paranormal and Paranormal Romance?

2010-01-04T11:13:00.001-05:00

Recently I was asked about paranormal romance, in a general way, kind
of a “what is it?” kind of thing. My simple answer was that it was
stories that contain both paranormal and romance elements. But that's
a little too simplistic, don't you think? So, really, what's the
difference?

First, I suppose we should define “paranormal” and “romance.”
Paranormal, or urban fantasy, or any derivation of the word would mean
a book with supernatural elements that are primary to the story.
Ghosts, witches, vampires, zombies – all these things make a book
paranormal. Romance, any version thereof, would be a book where the
primary point of the story is to get the two main characters to fall
in love, whether forever or not.

So, with that in mind, a paranormal romance book would be a love story
with paranormal elements in it. But again, it just doesn't seem that
simple. Nearly every book has a love story element to it. Even the
hard-boiled noirs have the guy getting the girl. So where's the line
between the two?

I know that when it comes down to it, I tend to favor the more
straight-up paranormals versus those deemed paranormal romance. I
love Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher, Jeanne Stein – all straight
paranormals in my mind. I also love Rachel Caine, Richelle Mead and
Carrie Vaughan, all of whose books feature a love interest, some
spanning a single book, some over entire series. Are these paranormal
romances? And then there's Angela Knight, Dawn Thompson and Larissa
Ione, some of whom not only bring the love but bring the sex.

Where's the line? What's the difference? If the love story takes up
half the book it's a romance, but if it's only a fourth of the story
line, it's not? Maybe I am wrong and all books with a significant
amount of sexual tension/love interest/sex is a romance, paranormal or
otherwise. But that just doesn't seem right.

So I am asking you, our readers, to tell me what you think. What is
the difference between the two? What makes it a romantic paranormal
or just a straight paranormal? Where do you draw your line? Tell me
in the comments!

Nicole

Enter to Win an RT Pre-Con & General-Con Registration

2009-12-21T15:55:00.002-05:00

Attention Aspiring Writers:
Enter to Win an RT Pre-Con & General-Con Registration

A Lasting Legacy For Ann Peach

At last year’s convention in Orlando, we awarded our first RT Convention Grant to aspiring writer Sherri L. Hollister from Aurora, N.C., in honor of Ann Peach, our colleague and friend who lost her battle with cancer in 2006. She was a valued contributor to the magazine, to our “Aspiring Writers’ Meeting Place” web column and, most notably, to the pre-convention intensive program for beginner writers at the RT convention. She provided individual attention to shy newbies and gave them the encouragement and confidence they needed to put pen to paper and pursue their dreams of getting published. Her passion for writing and her love of teaching were infectious.

To honor Ann’s memory and to continue her legacy of helping aspiring writers, her family is sponsoring an annual grant for one deserving beginner writer. The grant will include registration for the pre-convention “Beginner Writer” program together with a general RT convention registration, a value of $610. Thank you to the Peach family for this honored gift and for preserving the memory of a cherished friend and instructor.

HOW TO ENTER:
The Second Annual Ann Peach RT Convention Grant

The grant, which covers the cost of the pre-convention “Beginner Writer” program registration and the general RT convention registration (a value of $610), is open to all BEGINNER aspiring writers who are passionate about the craft of writing and are determined to someday be published. Note: The pre-convention registration is for the “Beginner Writer“ program currently led by Judi McCoy and NOT for the “Advanced Aspiring Writer“ program led by Bobbi Smith.

To enter (in 250 words or less for each question),
tell us why you want to be a writer and why you feel you would be the most deserving of the grant. Also in 250 words or less, submit a short description of the book you want to write.
Send entries to: Ann Peach Grant, c/o Corrie Peach, P.O. Box 797, Marion, TX 78124, or e-mail Corrie.Peach@Hotmail.com.

Deadline for entries is Wednesday, January 20, 2010. The winner will be notified in February and will be announced in a future issue of RT BOOK REVIEWS.

The Sixth and Final Chapter of The Dark Divine

2009-12-21T15:06:00.006-05:00

It’s time for the sixth and final except of The Dark Divine. Thanks so much to all of your for coming along on this journey with us! If you can’t wait to find out what happens next, you can e-mail elissa@rtbookreviews.com for one last chance to win the book and a bottle of matching nail polish, or head to the bookstore tomorrow to pick up a copy yourself!

Here’s what Bree has to say about the final excerpt we’ve got for you:

Dear RT Book Reviews readers,

I am so happy that I’ve been able to share the first six chapters of The Dark Divine with you. Thank you for reading and for your enthusiasm. I’ve enjoyed sharing my thoughts about the writing of the book with you — and I really wish I could keep going! I mean, I love the first six chapters of TDD, but that’s just the beginning of the story. So much happens after chapter six, and we are getting so close to one of my absolute favorite moments. But I’m sure RT would take issue with me hijacking their blog for another twenty-two chapters . . . so I will have to say farewell.

Chapter six was a fun one to write, but also a chapter that took a lot of work. I really wanted to delve into Daniel’s past and explore how he came to live with the Divines, and I needed to balance that with moving the story forward and developing the overarching mystery of the book. A few tough things happen in this chapter, and it was hard for me to write such terrible things happening to the characters I love so much — but the story and the characters wouldn’t be the same without it. I also wanted Grace to start realizing that her perfect family isn’t as perfect as she always thought.

Once again, thank you so much for reading! And many thanks to RT Book Reviews for sharing this exclusive preview. I hope you’ve enjoyed this experience as much as I have.

Love,
Bree

Read The Dark Divine preview here!

Winners!

2009-12-18T12:18:00.001-05:00

We're counting down to the release of The Dark Divine, with our final excerpt, chapter six, going up Monday, so be sure to stop by and check it out.

In the meantime, we'd like to start the weekend a little bit early by congratulating our two latest winners, Susan and Linda! Congrats, ladies. Your prizes are on their way!

Adaptation of an Adaptation

2009-12-16T17:58:00.001-05:00

An adaptation of an adaptation is nothing new in the literary or film
worlds. And we have all heard of the phenom that is PRIDE AND
PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES. Well, now we can all hear about the movie
version, starring Natalie Portman. Does this count as a period piece
or a monster movie? Either way, we will find out.

What many people may not know is that this literary mash up of classic
lit and monsters is an ongoing trend with many others to come. Any
one up for HUCKLEBERRY FINN AND ZOMBIE JIM? How about THE UNDEAD
WORLD OF OZ?

I am not sure what I make of this trend in taking a traditional style
and completely turning it on its head. On one hand, making anything
different and new is always cause for celebration in the literary
world. On the other, this could be seen as a perversion of what has
been considered classical literature, taught in high schools around
the country.

Genre-bending books are always a risk. Do you take the chance of
alienating your core audiences to do something different? Or do you
forge a new path and create something new out of something tired and
old?

Have you read one of these mash ups? What do you think about them?

Also, if you are looking for a daily dose of classic literature, try
DailyLit.com. You can pick one of dozens of famous texts and have
them sent to your inbox in small bite-size pieces. Right now, I am
reading a grammar book and LITTLE WOMEN this way. Each day is a new
email and a new surprise to read. Try it if you are looking to get in
a little light reading everyday or just want to catch up on those
books you missed in high school.

Nicole

The Dark Divine Chapter Five

2009-12-14T18:30:00.003-05:00

We're five weeks into our Dark Divine adventure, and Grace is realizing that it's going to be hard to stay away from Daniel -- no matter what her family wants.

Here's what author Bree Despain has to say:

Chapter Five is the first big turning point in the book. Grace finally
realizes that she needs to take action. Up to this point, she has been
trying to keep her promise to Jude by staying away from Daniel, but the
universe seems to have other plans. After her encounter with Daniel on
Markham Street, she can¹t get him out of her mind, and she can¹t just sit by
anymore. I debated a lot about where to put this turning point, moving it
back and forth in the novel, but I realized I had to go with my initial
instinct on where it belonged.

And there¹s still two more chances to win a copy of the book and a bottle of
matching nail polish! E-mail Elissa@RTBookReviews.com with your mailing
address to enter

Read The Dark Divine preview here!

RT Announces the 2009 Career Achievement and Reviewers’ Choice Award Nominees!!

2009-12-10T11:34:00.003-05:00

Although the nominees for the RT Career Achievement and Reviewers’ Choice Awards will appear in our next issue (February issue #312) we wanted to give you an advance look at the authors we have selected. Call it an early holiday gift from RT.
Enjoy! And congratulations to all the authors selected.
Carol Stacy
Publisher

We want to know what you think!
Please comment below with your thoughts.

View Nominees Here!

Where Do You Keep Your Books?

2009-12-09T10:23:00.002-05:00

I recently came across this unique method of book storage: a
staircase. When a small apartment needed more room, these
contractors created a staircase going up to a loft area, and the
staircase was lined in books. You have to see the pictures to believe
it.

This got me thinking about book storage. When I worked at Barnes &
Noble, I was often asked how we kept our books so clean. The answer
was simple – we dusted every few days, moving the books off the
shelves and cleaning on top of them.

Recently, I had custom shelves built for my books. They now fill a
whole wall, as well as a couple of other bookcases. However, I am
looking to move soon and contemplating what to do with all my books.
I know I will need to put some in storage, once I have sorted out the
books I will no longer keep. Do I box them in cardboard boxes?
Plastic boxes? And which books do I keep and which do I store?

Some people would say, switch to e-books. Store all my books on one
electrical device. But I am not giving up my hard copies, my
autographed books. There are just too many books I don’t want to give
up.

So how do you store your books? Do you have a creative way of keeping
your books out of the way? Share pictures or descriptions in the
comments.

Nicole

Readers get a FREE signed book of Brenda Novak NOW!

2009-12-07T13:46:00.000-05:00

Readers get a FREE signed book of Brenda Novak NOW!

At www.bookflirts.com
The #1 Online Dating Site for Book Lovers.

The Dark Divine, Chapter Four Sneak Peek!

2009-12-07T11:34:00.002-05:00

Things are getting exciting now as we reach chapter four of The Dark Divine! Read on for the excerpt as well for Bree's thoughts on composing this part of her debut novel.

and don't forget to email Elissa@RTBookReviews.com if you'd like to be entered to win a free copy of the book, and some snazzy purple nail polish.

Bree says:

"The fourth chapter of The Dark Divine is one of my favorites because I get to introduce and explore a lot of new ideas and themes in the story — and (SPOILER ALERT) Daniel comes back into the action. This is the first time my two favorite characters have a meaningful interaction in the book, and learn more about each other. I love Daniel and Grace together — writing the way they play off of each other, and of course, the sexual tension between the two. I love the idea that some sort of outside force, or “divine intervention,” has set them on a course to run into each other again. This is also the chapter that gives clues about the paranormal element in the book, which is just plain fun to write. "

Read The Dark Divine preview here!