So, here I am noodling around with the pitch for my agent appointment at the Romance Writers of America conference in July. I’m trying to figure out if my book has high concept and how to pitch that if it does. Because it’s always nice to have someone explain an idea that I have trouble applying to my own work, I Googled “high concept book” and came across this great post from the Waxman Agency. Enjoy!
June 11 2009 | Stuff | 1 Comment »
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child are as gods to me. I worship them. The brilliant Brimstone–the first in the Diogenes Trilogy within their eerie, compelling thrillers that feature FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast–enthralled me from page one. Preston and Child are erudite without being stuffy. They scare the hell out of a girl without resorting to the cheap or lurid. And their prose is to die for.
I’m in mad love with the eccentric, intellectual, deliciously Southern Pendergast. For two years, I’ve been on tenterhooks since Preston and Child stranded him and his protégée Constance Green in a remote Tibetan monastery at the end of The Wheel of Darkness. Imagine my joy when the latest installment in Pendergast’s adventures, Cemetery Dance, arrived last week.
This isn’t the best of Preston and Child. Never ones to balk at risks, they kill off one of my favorite recurring characters up front. I forgave them for that. Reluctantly, but I did forgive them. His demise drives the story that centers around a secretive cult, animal sacrifice, and zombiis. Their plots are always beautifully planned and their pacing is taut, but something’s a little off here. I didn’t feel the suspense as much. Maybe they were tired after each wrote a bestselling book of his own between the last Pendergast novel and this one.
Special Agent Pendergast is in New York City to investigate. But what’s happening to Constance back in Tibet? There’s only one reference to her here. These guys must love torturing their readers as much as they do their characters. I hope they’re not going to make me wait another two years to find out.
Cemetery Dance may not be Preston and Child at the top of their game, but it’s still a ripping good yarn. And I do love them so.
May 21 2009 | Books | No Comments »
The brilliiant, gifted, all-around fabulous Sherry Thomas is blogging at Dear Author about how books get to your library shelves. Check out what she has to say about why the library is the perfect place to try out new authors.
And if you haven’t read Sherry’s wonderful historical romances yet, run, don’t walk to your local bookstore–or library–and find her. Sherry’s latest, Not Quite a Husband, releases today.
May 19 2009 | Books and For Writers | No Comments »
I’m as shallow as the next girl when it comes to eye candy. It’s in my blood. My 80-year-old mother still appreciates male pulchritude as much as I do. Ask her about it when she turns to look at a handsome man, and she’ll say, “I may be old, but I’m not dead.”
Last night, I went to see “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” with my children. I enjoyed every shot of Hugh Jackman’s magnificence and all the other fine-looking men in the cast. Finest of them all was Daniel Henney as one of the villains, Agent Zero.
This is him. He’s 6′2″. I hope I’ll be seeing lots more of Mr. Henney.
May 09 2009 | Beautiful Creatures and Movies | 2 Comments »
If you’re heading to the RWA conference in D.C. this summer, All About Romance posted a guide to things to eat, see, and do in D.C. Don’t forget to read the comments, too, which loaded with great tips.
Thank you, Julie Kenner, for pointing to the AAR link on your blog.
April 29 2009 | Stuff | No Comments »
Today, the lovely Julia London is blogging about keeping everyday life from derailing your writing. She reminded me of one of the greatest joys of writing–escape.
Julia’s latest, Highland Scandal, releases today. I can’t wait to get my copy. Check out Highland Scandal and Julia’s other books at www.julialondon.com.
April 21 2009 | For Writers | No Comments »
Who knew it was possible to love a cat so?
I’d always thought of myself as a dog person. I liked cats–we’d always had both cats and dogs when I was growing up–but I never felt the need to have one when I was on my own. Then I acquired a husband and children. Then we got Cornelia. And Fang. And Fergus.
And Spot. Two years ago, he showed up in our yard, starving. My husband wanted to feed him, and I said OK, but he wasn’t coming in the house. Of course, a couple of months later, Spot was inside and sleeping with us. He turned out to be the most loving, wonderful, funny, absolutely best cat ever.
Spot died tonight. Our hearts are all broken. Rest in peace, sweet boy.
April 12 2009 | Beautiful Creatures and Stuff | 2 Comments »
Tonight, I watched the first episode of “Harper’s Island,” and all I could think was “What an utterly repulsive cast of characters.” I mean, really. The women are uniformly tacky and common beyond belief, and the men are a bunch of Neanderthals, but that’s insulting Neanderthals. Even if the script were great, the cast is so completely repellent that I have to wonder who would pay a casting director to round them up.
The lone exception is Christopher Gorham as the groom, Henry. Gorham brings a some of the charm he showed on “Ugly Betty” as Betty’s boyfriend, um, Henry, but the production’s smarm tars him, too. The rest of the cast would have to struggle to bring their combined IQ up to 100. You’ve probably guessed by now that I won’t be watching any more of “Harper’s Island,” not even for the pleasure of seeing these people die horribly.
I can’t remember when a TV show has inspired such revulsion in me. I know television too often aims for the lowest common denominator, but I can’t believe there is one this low. Such stupidity, such complete lack of class should never have made it to any screen of any size. I hope Harper’s Island sinks like a stone.
April 09 2009 | Stuff | 2 Comments »
The Sunday Atlanta Journal Constitution reviewed my buddy Karen White’s latest, The Lost Hours. Check it out.
Isn’t this a gorgeous cover?
April 05 2009 | Books | No Comments »
One of the reasons I married my brilliant husband is because he’s funny. Really funny. Here’s the flash project, Matt Sings, he just finished for one of his classes tomorrow. See if you don’t think it’s funny, too.
March 29 2009 | Stuff | 2 Comments »