Welcome to Biting-Edge, a blog shared by authors and vampire experts, Mario Acevedo and Jeanne Stein. We’ll cover urban fantasy, vampires, pop culture, and all things Joss Whedon. Unlike other fantasy blogs, we don’t insist on body cavity searches (unless you ask politely). Snarkiness is most welcome...though we won't promise not to bite back!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
RT Wrap Up
At the end of the blog, I’ll post some pics taken last week at the RT conference. I’m still in recovery mode, but there were a few interesting things happening in the real world while I was gone.
First, Stephanie Meyer appears to have been ejected from the Deseret Book store chain.
Deseret Book…has decided that Meyer's best-selling vampire romance books will no longer see the light of day -- at least on the shelves of its chain stores. Customers may instead request Meyer's 2005 novel Twilight -- or its three companion volumes, New Moon , Eclipse and Breaking Dawn -- by special order for either store pick-up or delivery by mail.
"We're never really given a reason for these things," said Steve Hartvigsen, manager of the Deseret Book store at Valley Fair Mall. "We just get a return sheet and send books back."
Deseret Books is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Meyer is a member.
Full article here.
Some Dr. Horrible stuff:
From WhedonInfo.com: Joss Whedon, who directed and was a co-creator, recently told reporters at the Paley Festival in Hollywood that (a Dr. Horrible) sequel could take any number of formats, including an online series or possibly a feature film.
"We’ve talked about doing an actual studio film, and we’ve talked about doing an independent tiny little thing," Whedon was quoted as saying. "We’ve talked about everything in between, the bumper sticker, whatever format."
And more here from an article in the Chicago Tribune.
My fave (and yours) James Marsters talking comics:
“I thought that if I wrote a comic, I’d have ultimate power over everything,” said Marsters. “It was a rude awakening to find out how little power writers have.”
The real bone of contention was with Dark Horse’s choice of artist Keith Barnett, who drew everything in a dark, gothic style that, while he liked the art, Marsters insists just wasn’t right for his story.
“[He] drew it in a real Goth style that made [Spike and Dru] both look feral and ugly,” explained Marsters. “I thought that was kind of cool for me, but Juliette Landau didn’t write this and didn’t want her character drawn like a hideous beast… This is a twisted romance. This is not a gothic thing. And in romance, the leads have to be romantic. They have to be characters that the audience wants to kiss.”
Anybody seen the comic? I haven’t so I can’t comment.
Appropos to nothing but interesting--Bowker PubTrack's consumer survey data about demographic preferences for Kindle
We extracted about 75 percent of the responses on age (representing about 700 responses, taking equally from the earliest and most recent postings, which show very similar age distributions). Per John Makinson's quip at an LBF panel, over half of reporting Kindle owners are 50 or older, and 70 percent are 40 or older. Here is the full age bracket distribution:
0 - 19: 5%
20 - 29: 10%
30 - 39: 15%
40 - 49: 19.5%
50 - 59: 23%
60 - 69: 19.5%
70 - 79: 6%
80+: 2%
Full article is on the Amazon site. So much for the new technology attracting only the young.
Remember when I mentioned Mario and I have a basket in the Brenda Novak auction. Here’s the direct link —look at all the goodies!
Before we head to RT, a pic from Horrorfest—friend Dawn Anderson is the zombie!
Off to breakfast at the world's biggest McDonalds! No joke, btw.
Waiting in line to order: Richelle Mead, Diana Rowland, Jackie Kessler (back to camera)
After the gluttony:
Blake, whose last name I can't remember (profuse apologies), Diana Rowland, Jackie Kessler and Richelle Mead, Lucienne Diver and he who shall be nameless
The super delicious Dakota Cassidy
Reviewer extraordinaire Jill Smith, Richelle Mead,
Stacia Kane, Caitlin Kittredge
J ill Smith giving Jackie Kessler the good news—she loved her new book Black and White co-authored with Caitlin Kittredge.
Michele Bardsley on stage accepting her Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance, Because Your Vampire Said So
And last, me accepting my award for Best Urban Fantasy Protagonist, Anna Strong from Legacy. What a rush!!!
And if the pics aren't enough, RT interviewed me here and Jackie Kessler put together a charming little ditty to commemorate the festivities here.
Now, two down, one to go. This weekend is the Colorado Romance Writers Romancing the Rockies Con--panels and signing. Then just maybe next month I can do some writing. ¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 4:40 PM 25 comments
First, Stephanie Meyer appears to have been ejected from the Deseret Book store chain.
Deseret Book…has decided that Meyer's best-selling vampire romance books will no longer see the light of day -- at least on the shelves of its chain stores. Customers may instead request Meyer's 2005 novel Twilight -- or its three companion volumes, New Moon , Eclipse and Breaking Dawn -- by special order for either store pick-up or delivery by mail.
"We're never really given a reason for these things," said Steve Hartvigsen, manager of the Deseret Book store at Valley Fair Mall. "We just get a return sheet and send books back."
Deseret Books is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Meyer is a member.
Full article here.
Some Dr. Horrible stuff:
From WhedonInfo.com: Joss Whedon, who directed and was a co-creator, recently told reporters at the Paley Festival in Hollywood that (a Dr. Horrible) sequel could take any number of formats, including an online series or possibly a feature film.
"We’ve talked about doing an actual studio film, and we’ve talked about doing an independent tiny little thing," Whedon was quoted as saying. "We’ve talked about everything in between, the bumper sticker, whatever format."
And more here from an article in the Chicago Tribune.
My fave (and yours) James Marsters talking comics:
“I thought that if I wrote a comic, I’d have ultimate power over everything,” said Marsters. “It was a rude awakening to find out how little power writers have.”
The real bone of contention was with Dark Horse’s choice of artist Keith Barnett, who drew everything in a dark, gothic style that, while he liked the art, Marsters insists just wasn’t right for his story.
“[He] drew it in a real Goth style that made [Spike and Dru] both look feral and ugly,” explained Marsters. “I thought that was kind of cool for me, but Juliette Landau didn’t write this and didn’t want her character drawn like a hideous beast… This is a twisted romance. This is not a gothic thing. And in romance, the leads have to be romantic. They have to be characters that the audience wants to kiss.”
Anybody seen the comic? I haven’t so I can’t comment.
* * *
Appropos to nothing but interesting--Bowker PubTrack's consumer survey data about demographic preferences for Kindle
We extracted about 75 percent of the responses on age (representing about 700 responses, taking equally from the earliest and most recent postings, which show very similar age distributions). Per John Makinson's quip at an LBF panel, over half of reporting Kindle owners are 50 or older, and 70 percent are 40 or older. Here is the full age bracket distribution:
0 - 19: 5%
20 - 29: 10%
30 - 39: 15%
40 - 49: 19.5%
50 - 59: 23%
60 - 69: 19.5%
70 - 79: 6%
80+: 2%
Full article is on the Amazon site. So much for the new technology attracting only the young.
Remember when I mentioned Mario and I have a basket in the Brenda Novak auction. Here’s the direct link —look at all the goodies!
Before we head to RT, a pic from Horrorfest—friend Dawn Anderson is the zombie!
Off to breakfast at the world's biggest McDonalds! No joke, btw.
Waiting in line to order: Richelle Mead, Diana Rowland, Jackie Kessler (back to camera)
After the gluttony:
Blake, whose last name I can't remember (profuse apologies), Diana Rowland, Jackie Kessler and Richelle Mead, Lucienne Diver and he who shall be nameless
Michelle Rowen, Michele Bardsley, Jaye Wells
The super delicious Dakota Cassidy
Fearless leader of the League of Reluctant Adults: Mark Henry standing in front of the stash we offered as a raffle prize in Club RT
Reviewer extraordinaire Jill Smith, Richelle Mead,
Stacia Kane, Caitlin Kittredge
J ill Smith giving Jackie Kessler the good news—she loved her new book Black and White co-authored with Caitlin Kittredge.
Michele Bardsley on stage accepting her Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance, Because Your Vampire Said So
And last, me accepting my award for Best Urban Fantasy Protagonist, Anna Strong from Legacy. What a rush!!!
And if the pics aren't enough, RT interviewed me here and Jackie Kessler put together a charming little ditty to commemorate the festivities here.
Now, two down, one to go. This weekend is the Colorado Romance Writers Romancing the Rockies Con--panels and signing. Then just maybe next month I can do some writing. ¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 4:40 PM 25 comments
Sunday, April 26, 2009
RT 2009 kicked butt
Mario here:
Yes, I was an RT virgin but no more. I was deflowered, not too gently but not so rough that I couldn't sit. Much booze helped.
I've been to BoucherCon, Thrillerfest, various Fantasy cons but RT was a nuclear blast of fun. Wow!
Location of the debauchery: Wyndham Orlando. Most of us expected a typical conference hotel: tall, vertical, long elevator waits. But this hotel was laid out resort fashion. Plenty of squirrels and lizards. No gators and very few cougars. Many drunks.
The League of Relunctant Adults was deployed in full force (almost).
Big News. Our own Jeanne Stein won Reviewers' Choice for Best Urban Fantasy Protagonist, Anna Strong. I took lots of pics at the award's ceremony with Jeanne's camera (little good that does me now) but I have this photo of a very merry Jeanne at the dinner party afterwards.
The more famous she gets, the harder it is to find her. Richelle Mead remains undercover. Michele Bardsley on the left. (Also a Reviewers' Choice winner for Best Vampire Romance.)
How could it be an RT con without costumes?
NYT bestseller Heather Graham showing that she has something besides black in her wardrobe.
A steampunk Dorothy with scarecrow bodyguard.
Punked! Another RT virgin gets the full League treatment.
Jaye Wells was forced to wear the infamous gun bra and sing She Bangs. The mean streets of Plano, Texas, were never this gritty. We'll announce the video as soon as it's out of the can.
The modest and chaste Megan Hart and Lauren Dane take a break from discussing the explicit ins-and-outs of anal play.
Leaguer Mark Henry is shocked, shocked, by the erotica he finds at RT. Had to read everything twice to stoke the outrage.
The busiest place at the con was the pool bar. Lori Armstrong answers Renee George's interview questions for Bitten By Books.
After a week of panels and parties, we authors got the chance to meet the readers in mass at the Saturday book fair.
The very shy Dakota Cassidy at her booth.
Arrgh! Final night of the con, the League boarded the HMS Cheese for a pirate show. The acting improved with every glass of rum punch.
Our stray. We picked up a new Leaguer, ex-cop Diana Rowland, from New Orleans. Watch for her book, Mark of the Demon (Bantam Dell, summer 2009). I didn't have any pictures of Diana where she didn't have her tongue wrapped around something except for this shot of her wearing a lighted pirate skull.
For more great pics (including me wearing spoons and a lemon), check out Richelle Mead's blog with all its weapons grade snarkiness. ¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 7:58 PM 6 comments
Yes, I was an RT virgin but no more. I was deflowered, not too gently but not so rough that I couldn't sit. Much booze helped.
I've been to BoucherCon, Thrillerfest, various Fantasy cons but RT was a nuclear blast of fun. Wow!
Location of the debauchery: Wyndham Orlando. Most of us expected a typical conference hotel: tall, vertical, long elevator waits. But this hotel was laid out resort fashion. Plenty of squirrels and lizards. No gators and very few cougars. Many drunks.
The League of Relunctant Adults was deployed in full force (almost).
Big News. Our own Jeanne Stein won Reviewers' Choice for Best Urban Fantasy Protagonist, Anna Strong. I took lots of pics at the award's ceremony with Jeanne's camera (little good that does me now) but I have this photo of a very merry Jeanne at the dinner party afterwards.
The more famous she gets, the harder it is to find her. Richelle Mead remains undercover. Michele Bardsley on the left. (Also a Reviewers' Choice winner for Best Vampire Romance.)
How could it be an RT con without costumes?
NYT bestseller Heather Graham showing that she has something besides black in her wardrobe.
A steampunk Dorothy with scarecrow bodyguard.
Punked! Another RT virgin gets the full League treatment.
Jaye Wells was forced to wear the infamous gun bra and sing She Bangs. The mean streets of Plano, Texas, were never this gritty. We'll announce the video as soon as it's out of the can.
The modest and chaste Megan Hart and Lauren Dane take a break from discussing the explicit ins-and-outs of anal play.
Leaguer Mark Henry is shocked, shocked, by the erotica he finds at RT. Had to read everything twice to stoke the outrage.
The busiest place at the con was the pool bar. Lori Armstrong answers Renee George's interview questions for Bitten By Books.
After a week of panels and parties, we authors got the chance to meet the readers in mass at the Saturday book fair.
The very shy Dakota Cassidy at her booth.
Arrgh! Final night of the con, the League boarded the HMS Cheese for a pirate show. The acting improved with every glass of rum punch.
Our stray. We picked up a new Leaguer, ex-cop Diana Rowland, from New Orleans. Watch for her book, Mark of the Demon (Bantam Dell, summer 2009). I didn't have any pictures of Diana where she didn't have her tongue wrapped around something except for this shot of her wearing a lighted pirate skull.
For more great pics (including me wearing spoons and a lemon), check out Richelle Mead's blog with all its weapons grade snarkiness. ¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 7:58 PM 6 comments
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Romantic Times
Mario and I are here in FL -- Orlando-- for Romantic Times. Will take pics and try to do a better job of keeping you guys informed of the fun/work. Anyway, to tide you over, here's a pic I thought you might enjoy.
¶
posted by Jeanne Stein @ 4:21 AM
5 comments
¶
posted by Jeanne Stein @ 4:21 AM
5 comments
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Where's my tauntaun?
Mario here:
StarFest 2009 is history. Whew! The weekend started with a huge snow storm, the worst of the season. I thought the fan numbers would be down but I didn't count on the power of the Force and all the veterans of the battle on Hoth.
Here's one of our panels. From left, everyone's fav werewolf author, Carrie Vaughn, super-schmoozer David Boop, and on the right, our own Jeanne Stein, looking remarkably composed despite being 100 proof. (Notice the proximity of the bottle. She called it antifreeze.)
A Gizmo baby.
Never, never, get between a Klingon and his breakfast.
My JZ banner in the hotel atrium with Catwoman Neffra showing off her, ahem, big kitty ears.
Mark your calendars! Sunday, April 26, 2009, 3:00
The following authors will be discussing and signing their contributions to Space Sirens: Full Throttle Space Tales #2, edited by Carol Hightshoe and published by Denver publisher Flying Pen Press: David Boop, Laura K. Deal, Sarah A. Hoyt, Alan Lickiss, Rebecca Lickiss, Julia Phillips, and David B. Riley, plus cover artist Laura Givens and publisher David Rozansky.
DENVER BOOK MALL, 32 Broadway (between 1st and Ellsworth Aves), 303-733-3808.
A few weeks ago I mentioned the Hit List anthology with my story. Read the review in the El Paso Times.
The Rocky is gone. Book critic MARK J GRAHAM almost snuck in an interview about Jailbait Zombie before the paper folded. Read it HERE.
Romantic Times! I leave Tuesday for Orlando and RT 2009. TWITTER! Catch up on all the news and my adventures. I promise not to hold back.
Follow me at AdelanteArts.
Jonesing for Felix Gomez? Get your fix at the League of Relunctant Adults blog. ¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 9:35 PM 3 comments
Mario here:
StarFest 2009 is history. Whew! The weekend started with a huge snow storm, the worst of the season. I thought the fan numbers would be down but I didn't count on the power of the Force and all the veterans of the battle on Hoth.
Here's one of our panels. From left, everyone's fav werewolf author, Carrie Vaughn, super-schmoozer David Boop, and on the right, our own Jeanne Stein, looking remarkably composed despite being 100 proof. (Notice the proximity of the bottle. She called it antifreeze.)
A Gizmo baby.
Never, never, get between a Klingon and his breakfast.
My JZ banner in the hotel atrium with Catwoman Neffra showing off her, ahem, big kitty ears.
Mark your calendars! Sunday, April 26, 2009, 3:00
The following authors will be discussing and signing their contributions to Space Sirens: Full Throttle Space Tales #2, edited by Carol Hightshoe and published by Denver publisher Flying Pen Press: David Boop, Laura K. Deal, Sarah A. Hoyt, Alan Lickiss, Rebecca Lickiss, Julia Phillips, and David B. Riley, plus cover artist Laura Givens and publisher David Rozansky.
DENVER BOOK MALL, 32 Broadway (between 1st and Ellsworth Aves), 303-733-3808.
A few weeks ago I mentioned the Hit List anthology with my story. Read the review in the El Paso Times.
The Rocky is gone. Book critic MARK J GRAHAM almost snuck in an interview about Jailbait Zombie before the paper folded. Read it HERE.
Romantic Times! I leave Tuesday for Orlando and RT 2009. TWITTER! Catch up on all the news and my adventures. I promise not to hold back.
Follow me at AdelanteArts.
Jonesing for Felix Gomez? Get your fix at the League of Relunctant Adults blog. ¶ posted by Mario Acevedo @ 9:35 PM 3 comments
Thursday, April 16, 2009
PS
Couldn't resist-- this just came across the WhedonInfo line:
Joss Whedon told reporters he still has hope for a second Dollhouse season (and explained about that post-apocalyptic finale.) And Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles producers debunked their show’s cancellation rumor. Plus season three details !
Whedon did a group interview last night as part of his Paley Fest appearance, and sounded as though he hasn’t given up on a second season of his mind-wiped slaves-of-the-rich show :
The chances are] not very good but in limbo. Obviously our numbers are pretty soft, and there it is, but we live in hope. I’m really proud of the episodes that are coming out. More than that, I can’t really ask.
He still holds out hope for renewal. Fingers crossed ! (Although the ratings numbers, for both Dollhouse and Sarah Connor, do remain pretty discouraging.)
Meanwhile, Sarah Connor Chronicles writer Ashley Edward Miller Twittered that we shouldn’t take Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello too seriously when he claims the show is already canceled, since he said the same thing before season two, and midway through season two :
Time for Ausiello’s semi-annual SCC termination report. False again. (Remember "sets were destroyed" report ? Now you know context, people).
(For the record, Sarah Connor Chronicles has no standing sets, as anybody who’s watched the show can attest.) For his part, showrunner Josh Friedman settled for Twittering :
So what would happen if Sarah Connor Chronicles gets a third season Actor Brian Austin Green spilled a few details to Comic Book Resources, and it sounds fantastic :
The third season is going to be incredible, if it happens. There were no intentions of this being a series finale. It was absolutely a season finale. There’s a plan where this can go and it’s so good....
¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 1:53 PM 2 comments
Joss Whedon told reporters he still has hope for a second Dollhouse season (and explained about that post-apocalyptic finale.) And Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles producers debunked their show’s cancellation rumor. Plus season three details !
Whedon did a group interview last night as part of his Paley Fest appearance, and sounded as though he hasn’t given up on a second season of his mind-wiped slaves-of-the-rich show :
The chances are] not very good but in limbo. Obviously our numbers are pretty soft, and there it is, but we live in hope. I’m really proud of the episodes that are coming out. More than that, I can’t really ask.
He still holds out hope for renewal. Fingers crossed ! (Although the ratings numbers, for both Dollhouse and Sarah Connor, do remain pretty discouraging.)
Meanwhile, Sarah Connor Chronicles writer Ashley Edward Miller Twittered that we shouldn’t take Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello too seriously when he claims the show is already canceled, since he said the same thing before season two, and midway through season two :
Time for Ausiello’s semi-annual SCC termination report. False again. (Remember "sets were destroyed" report ? Now you know context, people).
(For the record, Sarah Connor Chronicles has no standing sets, as anybody who’s watched the show can attest.) For his part, showrunner Josh Friedman settled for Twittering :
So what would happen if Sarah Connor Chronicles gets a third season Actor Brian Austin Green spilled a few details to Comic Book Resources, and it sounds fantastic :
The third season is going to be incredible, if it happens. There were no intentions of this being a series finale. It was absolutely a season finale. There’s a plan where this can go and it’s so good....
¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 1:53 PM 2 comments
What's New
Nothing much on the home front. Finished my story for the Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance anthology due out later this year. It’s a bit different for me since I combined fact (Doc Holliday spent some of the last month’s of his life here in Colorado –both in Glenwood Springs, where he died—but also in Leadville, CO) and fiction, Doc’s encounter with a vampire. It was fun, but since I’m not a romance writer, I had to do some editing to make it more romancey. No HEA, though the editor wanted it, but more bitter-sweet. Anyway, I’ll let you know when it’s due out.
Now for the good, the bad and the ugly from media land
Whoa:
Stephenie Meyer has remained dominant in the first quarter of 2009. USA Today says "sales of her novels accounted for about 16 percent of all book sales tracked by the [USA Today bestseller] list in the first quarter of 2009."
Double whoa (for an entirely different reason):
Portland, OR-based Kevin Patrick Bath, 50, author of the children's books The Secret of Castle Cant and Escape from Castle Cant, was charged on Monday with multiple counts of trading child pornography via the Internet. (He pled not guilty.) The Oregonian reports that Little, Brown Children's has cancelled the fall 2010 publication of Bath's book FLIP SIDE.
A newspaper in Bend, OR adds that "the court prohibited Bath from having contact with children pending trial. Bath had previously served as a volunteer at a local children's library."
Hmmm...usually publishers find ANY publicity good publicity. I guess child porno connected to a children's author pushes the limits. Good for them for not trying to put a spin on it.
Whedonverse:
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. are expecting their first child together, a source close to the couple confirms exclusively to PEOPLE. "They’re very excited," says the source, adding that the actress is due in the fall.
Gellar, who has been married to Prinze for six years, will next shoot the HBO pilot The Wonderful Maladays, for which she serves as an executive producer. Prinze recently shot the comedy pilot No Heroics for ABC.
Nice.
Good News From Tvsquad.com:
Joss Whedon - "Dr. Horrible 2" Web Series - He has the title! Nathan Fillion : We were talking about doing a sequel to Dr. Horrible on our second— on our first day, actually, of filming Dr. Horrible. But last I spoke with Joss Whedon, he’s actually come up with a title for the second installment, so I’m sure we’re going to see something, another phase in the Dr. Horrible lifespan.
Bad News from SciFiWire:
Joss Whedon, creator of Fox's sci-fi series Dollhouse, told a group of reporters that he's resigned to the show's fate and that a second-season pickup is unlikely, but said he holds out hope for a renewal. Fox has not yet announced its plans, but the show's ratings have been below expectations and it is not expected to be picked up.
Crap—first SCC now this.
Movie I’m looking forward to seeing:
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: Variety reported that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will open Wednesday, July 15, two days earlier than originally planned.
Anything you’re especially anxious to see?
I’m sure you’ve heard all about the Amazon debacle so I won’t beat the horse some more except to summarize the latest. From Shelf Awareness:
Amazon Says Error Affected Over 57,000 Titles, and Has Been Fixed--Or Not Quite
Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener said yesterday the company is fixing the "glitch" that removed the sales ranking from what they now say was 57,310 books worldwide. Without explaining the error itself (or the provocative customer service e-mail) any further, Herdener admitted, "This is an embarrassing and ham-fisted cataloging error for a company that prides itself on offering complete selection." He says that affected books were in "broad categories such as Health, Mind & Body, Reproductive & Sexual Medicine, and Erotica. This problem impacted books not just in the United States but globally. It affected not just sales rank but also had the effect of removing books from Amazon's main product search."
And Amazon and Penguin Group (USA) Announce 100 Semifinalists for Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Go here to see if you made it.
So this weekend Mario and I and faithful reader Gina are off to Starfest. If you plan to come, please stop by and see us.
Which reminds me—here are two good resources in case you want to follow your favorite authors around the country:
BookTour.com and FiledbytheAuthor.com —I’ve included the links to my page (For obvious reasons) but you can see, there’s a lot of good stuff to be had on these sites. And they’re free. ¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 6:20 AM 17 comments
Now for the good, the bad and the ugly from media land
Whoa:
Stephenie Meyer has remained dominant in the first quarter of 2009. USA Today says "sales of her novels accounted for about 16 percent of all book sales tracked by the [USA Today bestseller] list in the first quarter of 2009."
Double whoa (for an entirely different reason):
Portland, OR-based Kevin Patrick Bath, 50, author of the children's books The Secret of Castle Cant and Escape from Castle Cant, was charged on Monday with multiple counts of trading child pornography via the Internet. (He pled not guilty.) The Oregonian reports that Little, Brown Children's has cancelled the fall 2010 publication of Bath's book FLIP SIDE.
A newspaper in Bend, OR adds that "the court prohibited Bath from having contact with children pending trial. Bath had previously served as a volunteer at a local children's library."
Hmmm...usually publishers find ANY publicity good publicity. I guess child porno connected to a children's author pushes the limits. Good for them for not trying to put a spin on it.
Whedonverse:
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. are expecting their first child together, a source close to the couple confirms exclusively to PEOPLE. "They’re very excited," says the source, adding that the actress is due in the fall.
Gellar, who has been married to Prinze for six years, will next shoot the HBO pilot The Wonderful Maladays, for which she serves as an executive producer. Prinze recently shot the comedy pilot No Heroics for ABC.
Nice.
Good News From Tvsquad.com:
Joss Whedon - "Dr. Horrible 2" Web Series - He has the title! Nathan Fillion : We were talking about doing a sequel to Dr. Horrible on our second— on our first day, actually, of filming Dr. Horrible. But last I spoke with Joss Whedon, he’s actually come up with a title for the second installment, so I’m sure we’re going to see something, another phase in the Dr. Horrible lifespan.
Bad News from SciFiWire:
Joss Whedon, creator of Fox's sci-fi series Dollhouse, told a group of reporters that he's resigned to the show's fate and that a second-season pickup is unlikely, but said he holds out hope for a renewal. Fox has not yet announced its plans, but the show's ratings have been below expectations and it is not expected to be picked up.
Crap—first SCC now this.
Movie I’m looking forward to seeing:
New Star Trek in theatres next month.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: Variety reported that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will open Wednesday, July 15, two days earlier than originally planned.
Anything you’re especially anxious to see?
I’m sure you’ve heard all about the Amazon debacle so I won’t beat the horse some more except to summarize the latest. From Shelf Awareness:
Amazon Says Error Affected Over 57,000 Titles, and Has Been Fixed--Or Not Quite
Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener said yesterday the company is fixing the "glitch" that removed the sales ranking from what they now say was 57,310 books worldwide. Without explaining the error itself (or the provocative customer service e-mail) any further, Herdener admitted, "This is an embarrassing and ham-fisted cataloging error for a company that prides itself on offering complete selection." He says that affected books were in "broad categories such as Health, Mind & Body, Reproductive & Sexual Medicine, and Erotica. This problem impacted books not just in the United States but globally. It affected not just sales rank but also had the effect of removing books from Amazon's main product search."
And Amazon and Penguin Group (USA) Announce 100 Semifinalists for Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Go here to see if you made it.
So this weekend Mario and I and faithful reader Gina are off to Starfest. If you plan to come, please stop by and see us.
Which reminds me—here are two good resources in case you want to follow your favorite authors around the country:
BookTour.com and FiledbytheAuthor.com —I’ve included the links to my page (For obvious reasons) but you can see, there’s a lot of good stuff to be had on these sites. And they’re free. ¶ posted by Jeanne Stein @ 6:20 AM 17 comments
Sunday, April 12, 2009
It's Easter
Mario here:
No cute bunnies today. Ate 'em all. Yum.
What's on my TBR?
Like most of us writers, I struggle to make time to read. And shame on me, I've known Jason Starr for years and finally got around to one of his books.
I finished The Follower, a different kind of thriller than the usual bang-bang chases. We've got a creepy villain stalking his victims among New York 20-somethings tumbling into one another's beds. Good stuff.
I'm also on the prowl for new authors and found this nice interview with Daniella Brodsky on Linda Faulkner's blog.
Bite Me!
Jonsing for more vampire reads? Cruise on over to LoveVampires.com.
Couldn't make this up.
I recently found this magazine cover I had stashed in my art folders. I kept the cover because of the model, Kelly Ryan, and her enthusiastic expression of patriotism.
Kelly was one of the world's top fitness models and famous, rich, having achieved the success that eludes most of us. Especially me.
So as a mystery writer, my interest was snagged when I read back in December 2005 of the murder of an acquaintance of Kelly.
No cute bunnies today. Ate 'em all. Yum.
What's on my TBR?
Like most of us writers, I struggle to make time to read. And shame on me, I've known Jason Starr for years and finally got around to one of his books.
I finished The Follower, a different kind of thriller than the usual bang-bang chases. We've got a creepy villain stalking his victims among New York 20-somethings tumbling into one another's beds. Good stuff.
I'm also on the prowl for new authors and found this nice interview with Daniella Brodsky on Linda Faulkner's blog.
Bite Me!
Jonsing for more vampire reads? Cruise on over to LoveVampires.com.
Couldn't make this up.
I recently found this magazine cover I had stashed in my art folders. I kept the cover because of the model, Kelly Ryan, and her enthusiastic expression of patriotism.
Kelly was one of the world's top fitness models and famous, rich, having achieved the success that eludes most of us. Especially me.So as a mystery writer, my interest was snagged when I read back in December 2005 of the murder of an acquaintance of Kelly.
Melissa James was found dead in the burned out hulk of Kelly's Jaguar in the desert outside Las Vegas. She had died of asphyxiation and not of smoke inhalation or from the fire. An autopsy found drugs in her system and evidence of being Tasered. Plus, the fire investigators discovered that the accelerant had been outdoor grill starter fluid. (The police later found Wal-Mart security tapes of Kelly buying several containers of the starter fluid the night of the murder.)
Melissa had been living with Kelly and her husband, body builder Craig Titus. Not surprisingly, a love triangle developed between the three. The motive for murder: jealousy. As the police pressed their investigation, Kelly and Craig made plans to escape to Greece, which has no extradition treaty with the US. (I don't understand. Kelly was running away with her cheating husband?) The police caught up to the suspects and arrested them in Massachusetts. At the time, Kelly was in a spa getting a pedicure while Craig waited outside in his SUV. Here they are, in chains--Kelly looking especially unglamorous--appearing in a Nevada court for arraignment.
They faced murder one and the possibility of execution. Just before trial, Kelly pleaded guilty to arson and battery with a deadly weapon with significant bodily harm and faces 2 - 15 years in prison for each of her counts. Craig pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping and arson and faces 17 to 55 years in prison.
Here's the most recent photo I could find of Kelly, visiting day at the Clark County Detention Center. She's the one on the monitor.
Once again, truth is stranger...and more tragic than fiction.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Happy Spring...or whatever
Now you know I don't do cute but...
my pal Patty Millsap in San Diego sent me an email titled "identity theft" and the pictures were so friggin' cute I just had to share. So whether you celebrate Passover or Easter or the spring equinox, here are my favorite of the bunch for your viewing pleasure.
Makes me want to pinch some fat baby's cheeks...
TV Good/Bad News
As sad as I was to see Life on Mars end—I think it ended splendidly. I do seem to be in the minority about that, though. Most viewers said they hated the ending. I hate it when a series ends and there’s no resolution…Las Vegas comes to mind. Remember that? Tom Selleck walks in after being presumed dead and there’s an explosion in the hotel. Now that’s a lousy way to end a series.
I guess it’s official—Terminator SCC has been canceled. Boo on that.
Dollhouse, however, has been renewed. In case you’re interested, here’s the schedule for the rest of this season.
1-09 - "Spy in the House of Love" - April 10th
April 17th - DOLLHOUSE off air due to Prison Break
1-10 - "Haunted" - April 24, 2009
1-11 - "Briar Rose" - May 1st, 2009
1-12 - "Omega" - May 8th, 2009
1-13 - "Epitaph One" - May 15th, 2009
After DOLLHOUSE finishes, we’ve been told a new series called "MENTAL" will be taking over the timeslot. In May, the series will debut in the UK.
Many viewers (and contributors to this blog) say the premise of the series makes them uneasy. What say you?
TV Guide.com Interview with Nathan Fillion about Castle – Love his screen saver: You should be writing
Brenda Novak is holding her 5th Annual On-line Auction for Diabetes Research. It will open May 1st and run through the month. Pal Lynda Hilburn put together this great basket. Go on line to bid.
Lynda Hilburn:
Signed copy of THE VAMPIRE SHRINK
Signed copy of DARK HARVEST
Relaxation guided hypnosis CD
Shower gel and body lotion
Chocolate Fudge
Bookmarks
Nancy Haddock:
Signed copy of LA VIDA VAMPIRE
Barnes & Noble Gift Card
Starbucks Gift Card
La Vida Vampire key chain
Bookmark
Esri Rose:
Signed copy of BOUND TO LOVE HER
Bookmarks
Assorted chocolates
Carrie Vaughn:
Signed copy of KITTY AND THE DEAD MAN'S HAND
Copy of Kitty's play list on CD
Jeanne C. Stein:
Signed copy of THE BECOMING
Signed copy of BLOOD DRIVE
Signed copy of THE WATCHER
Signed copy of LEGACY
Chocolate
2 pens
Set of book cover magnets
Jamie Leigh Hansen
Signed copy of CURSED
Signed copy of BETRAYED
Paper and pen set
Bookmark
Mario Acevedo
Signed ARC of X-RATED BLOOD SUCKERS
From Shelf Awareness:
Notes: Two Colorado Stores to Merge; Lovely Romance
Neat trick of the week: two independent bookstores in Frisco, Colo., are merging, effective May 1.
The Next Page Bookstore and the Open Book will become a single business and be named the Next Page Bookstore and operate from Next Page's location. Frisco is near Vail and Breckenridge. Karen Berg, who founded Next Page two years ago, said, "Big box bookstores are struggling, and Summit County recently lost a favorite independent bookstore. We are delighted for the opportunity to bring a measure of something positive to our community in this tough economy."
Amy Yundt, founder of the Open Book and now co-owner of the Next Page, said, "Both Karen and I love books, love the business of books and are 100% committed to this community. By joining together we will be in a much stronger business position to deliver the best indie bookstore experience to Summit County, and will be able to provide an even higher level of service in the form of merchandise, events and expertise to our customers."
And last Sunday, the Denver Post ran this nice article about Denver’s Indies.
Many of you know this already but from PW Daily:
Proving that the steady stream of vampire fiction headed to Hollywood shows no signs of abating, Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series has been snapped up by the Independent Film Channel in a deal that marks the cable network/film distributor's first foray into made-for-TV movies. The telefilm, based on Hamilton's bestselling series about a vampire
hunter who "re-animates" the dead in a futuristic St. Louis, is slated to bow in summer 2010. Glen Morgan (X-Files, Final Destination) is serving as executive producer.
From the Apple Insider:
Apple sued for promoting iPhone as eBook reader
In its lawsuit, the firm (MONEC) takes issue with Apple's move to distribute digital book reading applications through the App Store, which it subsequently sees as an endorsement by the Cupertino-based company that its touchscreen handset can serve as a capable eBook reader.
MONEC believes those advances directly violate its patent, which describes a "light-weight" electronic device with a "touch-screen" LCD-display having the "dimensions such that [...] approximately one page of a book can be illustrated at normal size, this display being integrated in a flat, frame-like housing."
That damned phone does everything but make beds. I think I want one...
Next weekend you locals can catch Mario and me at Starfest. I think Gina already mentioned she would be there. It's my first Starfest/Horrorfest experience. Check out the schedule here.
Here are some pics from the Barnes & Noble signing Mario and I did on Tuesday. No blizzard this time.
Judi and Bryan who always make us feel at home.
And Jason Jones who said he was a fan of Mario's--funny, though, that Mario kept slipping greenbacks into his books as he signed them. That's okay, Jason, we understand...
Don’t know if I mentioned it before, but James Marsters has confirmed for Dragon*Con. Carol Malcolm and I are already planning our strategy--
¶
posted by Jeanne Stein @ 5:41 AM
34 comments
my pal Patty Millsap in San Diego sent me an email titled "identity theft" and the pictures were so friggin' cute I just had to share. So whether you celebrate Passover or Easter or the spring equinox, here are my favorite of the bunch for your viewing pleasure.
Makes me want to pinch some fat baby's cheeks...
TV Good/Bad News
As sad as I was to see Life on Mars end—I think it ended splendidly. I do seem to be in the minority about that, though. Most viewers said they hated the ending. I hate it when a series ends and there’s no resolution…Las Vegas comes to mind. Remember that? Tom Selleck walks in after being presumed dead and there’s an explosion in the hotel. Now that’s a lousy way to end a series.
I guess it’s official—Terminator SCC has been canceled. Boo on that.
Dollhouse, however, has been renewed. In case you’re interested, here’s the schedule for the rest of this season.
1-09 - "Spy in the House of Love" - April 10th
April 17th - DOLLHOUSE off air due to Prison Break
1-10 - "Haunted" - April 24, 2009
1-11 - "Briar Rose" - May 1st, 2009
1-12 - "Omega" - May 8th, 2009
1-13 - "Epitaph One" - May 15th, 2009
After DOLLHOUSE finishes, we’ve been told a new series called "MENTAL" will be taking over the timeslot. In May, the series will debut in the UK.
Many viewers (and contributors to this blog) say the premise of the series makes them uneasy. What say you?
TV Guide.com Interview with Nathan Fillion about Castle – Love his screen saver: You should be writing
Brenda Novak is holding her 5th Annual On-line Auction for Diabetes Research. It will open May 1st and run through the month. Pal Lynda Hilburn put together this great basket. Go on line to bid.
Lynda Hilburn:
Signed copy of THE VAMPIRE SHRINK
Signed copy of DARK HARVEST
Relaxation guided hypnosis CD
Shower gel and body lotion
Chocolate Fudge
Bookmarks
Nancy Haddock:
Signed copy of LA VIDA VAMPIRE
Barnes & Noble Gift Card
Starbucks Gift Card
La Vida Vampire key chain
Bookmark
Esri Rose:
Signed copy of BOUND TO LOVE HER
Bookmarks
Assorted chocolates
Carrie Vaughn:
Signed copy of KITTY AND THE DEAD MAN'S HAND
Copy of Kitty's play list on CD
Jeanne C. Stein:
Signed copy of THE BECOMING
Signed copy of BLOOD DRIVE
Signed copy of THE WATCHER
Signed copy of LEGACY
Chocolate
2 pens
Set of book cover magnets
Jamie Leigh Hansen
Signed copy of CURSED
Signed copy of BETRAYED
Paper and pen set
Bookmark
Mario Acevedo
Signed ARC of X-RATED BLOOD SUCKERS
From Shelf Awareness:
Notes: Two Colorado Stores to Merge; Lovely Romance
Neat trick of the week: two independent bookstores in Frisco, Colo., are merging, effective May 1.
The Next Page Bookstore and the Open Book will become a single business and be named the Next Page Bookstore and operate from Next Page's location. Frisco is near Vail and Breckenridge. Karen Berg, who founded Next Page two years ago, said, "Big box bookstores are struggling, and Summit County recently lost a favorite independent bookstore. We are delighted for the opportunity to bring a measure of something positive to our community in this tough economy."
Amy Yundt, founder of the Open Book and now co-owner of the Next Page, said, "Both Karen and I love books, love the business of books and are 100% committed to this community. By joining together we will be in a much stronger business position to deliver the best indie bookstore experience to Summit County, and will be able to provide an even higher level of service in the form of merchandise, events and expertise to our customers."
And last Sunday, the Denver Post ran this nice article about Denver’s Indies.
Many of you know this already but from PW Daily:
Anita Blake Headed to the Small Screen
By Rachel Deahl
Proving that the steady stream of vampire fiction headed to Hollywood shows no signs of abating, Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series has been snapped up by the Independent Film Channel in a deal that marks the cable network/film distributor's first foray into made-for-TV movies. The telefilm, based on Hamilton's bestselling series about a vampire
hunter who "re-animates" the dead in a futuristic St. Louis, is slated to bow in summer 2010. Glen Morgan (X-Files, Final Destination) is serving as executive producer.
From the Apple Insider:
Apple sued for promoting iPhone as eBook reader
In its lawsuit, the firm (MONEC) takes issue with Apple's move to distribute digital book reading applications through the App Store, which it subsequently sees as an endorsement by the Cupertino-based company that its touchscreen handset can serve as a capable eBook reader.
MONEC believes those advances directly violate its patent, which describes a "light-weight" electronic device with a "touch-screen" LCD-display having the "dimensions such that [...] approximately one page of a book can be illustrated at normal size, this display being integrated in a flat, frame-like housing."
That damned phone does everything but make beds. I think I want one...
Next weekend you locals can catch Mario and me at Starfest. I think Gina already mentioned she would be there. It's my first Starfest/Horrorfest experience. Check out the schedule here.
Here are some pics from the Barnes & Noble signing Mario and I did on Tuesday. No blizzard this time.
Judi and Bryan who always make us feel at home.
Judi, Bryan, Peter and what's his name.
And Jason Jones who said he was a fan of Mario's--funny, though, that Mario kept slipping greenbacks into his books as he signed them. That's okay, Jason, we understand...
Don’t know if I mentioned it before, but James Marsters has confirmed for Dragon*Con. Carol Malcolm and I are already planning our strategy--
¶
posted by Jeanne Stein @ 5:41 AM
34 comments
