Jeanne here--
MONDAY: REALLY don’t feel like writing today, so let’s get a jump start on this week’s blog.
The contest is closed. Thanks for all the great entries. It’s not going to be easy to choose a winner. And since Mario and I don’t agree on much of anything, it may be even harder than it should be. I don’t know when he’s going to realize that I am always right…
BLOOD DRIVE’s release date is one week away. I’m a wreck.
A couple of things of interest in the book world.
(AP) LOS ANGELES A federal bankruptcy judge awarded Ron Goldman's family the rights to O.J. Simpson's canceled book, "If I Did It," which the Goldmans want to rename "Confessions of a Double Murderer." The Goldman’s will make sure OJ never makes another dime from the book's proceeds by getting the rights included as part of a nearly $33.5 million civil jury award they have been trying to collect for almost a decade….The book's rights now pass to an independent trustee, Drew Dillworth, who will decide what to do with them. Any proceeds will go to the Goldman’s, even the $600,000 supposedly paid as an advance if the money is ever found.
Want to know EVERYTHING going on in the paranormal/vampire universe? Check Marta’s
vampwire.com. It’s great. And you can spend hours on it when you should be doing something else.
TUESDAY: Still not writing.
Want to have some fun with the book market? Go to
www.MediaPredict.com and place a bet on which submitted book proposal is likely to be published. Simon & Schuster is going to select a book based on bets placed with fantasy cash by traders. Proposals can be submitted from agents and the public. Here’s your chance to build an audience BEFORE you even get a contract!
And some Harry Potter fun—on July 30, Scholastic is launching a
sweepstakes, the winners of which will be going to Carnegie Hall on October 19 to hear J.K. Rowling herself! Mark your calendar to check for rules and information.
One editor of children’s books, Graham Marks, remarked at BEA on the deep discounting of Deathly Hallows: “Everywhere you go, there is huge, ridiculous discounting by the chains. They are literally not going to make one penny out of the book. It is stupid…”
Maybe so. I know it makes it harder for the Indies. But if discounts make the book affordable to more young (and not so young) readers, I say how bad can discounting be?
WEDNESDAY: Okay, I wanted to load
this on the blog, but couldn’t make it work. The Yankees are here in Denver playing the Rockies tonight (evidently the first time since 2002.) The series is a sell out. I thought of our friend, Jeff Shelby (whose
paperback of Wicked Break was released this month—buy it!) and knew he would appreciate it even though he’s a Padres fan. So if you want a laugh, follow the link. If you want a good read, buy Jeff’s book. Better yet, do both.
The heat is on. I don’t do well in the heat if there isn’t an ocean around. How do you keep cool?
PS A note from Mario: Jeanne and I will announce the results from our decadently opulent Biting-Edge corporate offices on the island of Majorca. According to Jeanne's wishes and as usual, this press release will be clothing optional. See you there.
Majorca? He told me he was in Bakersfield….