1) Our own Risky Diane got a
great review in the
Chicago Tribune this week, for
The Vanishing Viscountess! It says the story is “expertly spiced with adventure and passion.” But then, we here already knew that!!!
2) Websites: some updates have gone up
on mine, including an excerpt from my April book,
A Sinful Alliance! (Which got 4 stars from RT, plus a KISS award for the hero, Nicolai. Yay for him! And I still say he is
not the bad-hair dude on the cover…)
3) Book trailers. I’m always trying to come up with new ways to “get the word out” about our books, so I’ve been watching a few of these on author websites and YouTube. I’m not sure they’re for me–for one thing, I’m a techno-idjit and would have to get someone else to do one for me. For another, I would be annoyingly picky. I would want it to look like a Real movie trailer (like
this one, for instance), but I have a feeling it would end up like
“The Humans Are Dead” bit on
Flight of the Conchords. That’s the one where their incompetent band manager Murray films it on his cell phone.
So, this is probably not for me right now. What do you think of the trailers? Have any made you want to pick up the book?
But I am doing a book signing at a local Renaissance fair next month! (For my Renaissance-set books, get it??). I’ve never done this before, and am a bit nervous, but at least it’s an excuse for a new costume.
4) Speaking of clothes, I have to go to a St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser ball for work on the 15th, which is another excuse for something new! I really want something like Amy Adams’s Oscar gown (it’s green, see?), but time and fundage may mean I have to wear a dress I recently bought for RWA. It’s black and white, so I need something green to go with it. Emeralds would be great, but again the fundage. Any suggestions?
5) Shakespeare. For some reason he’s all over the place in my life lately! From Netflix I got 2 of the BBC’s Shakespeare Retold movies (Midsummer Night’s Dream and a great Taming of the Shrew with Shirley Henderson and Rufus Sewell, both movies were excellent!), and I’ve been reading The Lodger Shakespeare by Charles Nicholl, which takes Shakespeare’s brief appearance in an early 17th century lawsuit involving his ex-landlords and makes a whole (and fascinating) book out of it. Plus I have a new book bought with the last of my birthday Barnes and Noble gift cards called Filthy Shakespeare: Shakespeare’s Most Outrageous Sexual Puns. This one is so hilarious it deserves its own post, so stay tuned.
7) Orlando. Of course. Just because.
So, to recap–reviews, book trailers, green dresses, Shakespeare, Orlando, Renaissance fairs, Flight of the Conchords. Oh, and tea. What are you thinking about this week?
I am thinking the Divine Ms. G SO deserves a great review as The Vanishing Viscountess was such a splendid adventurous romance!
Would a lovely scarf of pashmina in emerald green look good with your dress? How about an old fashioned piece of costume jewelry in emeralds?
Fellow techno idjit here!
I am also thinking April is too long to wait for your next book, Amanda!
Now I am thinking I have to trudge out into the snow and go to work. Yes, snow in Alabama. Not much, but it still counts!
A pashmina would be perfect! Especially since it’s so cold here (we got snow yesterday, too. I hate this). Now I just need to go out today and find one just the right color. 🙂
I’m thinking of tea…as always.
So far, none of the book trailers I’ve seen have impressed me, but I haven’t seen all that many.
Todd’s gone off for a week to do scientist stuff, so if I’m good I’ll write a ton this week. If not, I’ll catch up on books and movies!
Cara
By the way, blogger seems to be on the fritz again! It gave me three different error messages before it would post my comment… Grr…
Cara
Congrats on the great reviews, Diane and Amanda!
So far I haven’t seen any book trailers that made me want to run out and buy anything but like Cara, I haven’t seen many. Just like covers, reviews, quotes, etc…, I doubt a trailer would convince me. But some people seem to think they’re a powerful marketing tool. Maybe it depends on genre?
Doglady gave good suggestions re something green to go with your dress. Or here’s another–I saw in some magazine or other that big, fancy cocktail rings are supposed to be the thing now. I happen to love costume jewelry–all the fun and none of the worry about losing something valuable!
Some of the things I’m thinking about: Sean Bean (just watched the last of the Sharpe series) and whether the weather will permit me to ski again tomorrow.
I’m thinking about what in the world am I going to blog about on Monday!
The Chicago Tribune review was a thrill. John Charles is a Prince, which is way better than being a duke. I am so grateful he chose my VV to review.
Way to go on the RT review and KISS hero, Amanda. RT subscribers note that Rt also printed the bookcover next to the review–the bookcover Amanda was not thrilled with.
(I’m in Williamsburg, by the way)
“(I’m in Williamsburg, by the way)”
Lucky-ducky! Wish I was there (or somewhere besides cold, yucky here)
Elena, I actually have a big, fake emerald vintage cocktail ring! Had totally forgotten about it. I’ll have to get it out. No luck finding a green shawl today, but maybe tomorrow.
I always think about green things–I am painting my dining room “Dune Grass,” which is a lovely light sage.
And I am thinking about Clive Owen, since I’ll be ironing (the task) while watching Shoot ‘Em Up (the reward).
And it’s still raining here in Bklyn. Yuk.
Congrats, Diane!
If anyone knows of any really awesome book trailers that actually DID rock their world, would they please tell me? I’m currently in the midst of a debate about these…ready to be swayed, but haven’t been yet.
Hmm..I’m thinking I need to go away to the beach–alone–until I get my book done!
“Hmm..I’m thinking I need to go away to the beach–alone–until I get my book done!”
Deb, I am way behind on my WIP, so I will go with you…oh, but then we wouldn’t be alone, would we? And we’d waste all our time ogling cabana boys and talking about books we’ve read lately, and what we WOULD be writing on our WIPs if there wasn’t a mai tai happy hour coming up, etc etc. This sounds like a great writing retreat. 🙂
Amanda,
Here are some trailers to check out.
Lessons of Desire by Madeline Hunter-
http://youtube.com/watch?v=EfGkoER3lo8
The Price by Alexandra Sokoloff-
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BCqXMI-e-nY
Secret Fantasy by Cheryl Holt
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uaH0P45AeQI
Too Wicked to Wed by Cheryl Holt
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BL96E0DxgII
Die for Me by Karen Rose
http://youtube.com/watch?v=PJedbIAi8SU
It isn’t just the trailer that you have to consider. It is also the distribution.
http://www.cosproductions.com/Distribution/Index.html
Starting April 1st our videos will not only play online, but in what is called out-of-home advertising. They will play in buses and cabs in 5 major cities to 10 million people a week. They also are sent out to over 300 booksellers who ask to get the videos sent to them once a week.
If you want to know more (and this is probably way more than the average person really cares to know about book trailers) you can find the newly released ebook – The Book Trailer Revolution here-
http://www.cosproductions.com/Resources/Index.html
Post a picture of your RWA dress. I remember a Spanish influenced dress at the RITAs. If so, you can marry the whole Spanish Armada, influx of Black Irish (delish) thingy with the whole St. Patrick’s Day thingy.
My DH says I think too much and so, for this week, I’m not thinking of anything at all…
“If so, you can marry the whole Spanish Armada, influx of Black Irish (delish) thingy with the whole St. Patrick’s Day thingy.”
LOL! I love the idea of “theme” evening clothes that tell a historical story! I did have a red Spanish dress at RWA last year, I bought it at a flamenco supply store in Santa Fe. My dress this year is just black and white, with a pleated white bodice with little straps and a short, puffy black skirt. Easy to accessorize. 🙂
What’s everyone else planning for RWA?
Cara, my comment from yesterday on this blog disappeared, too. Trying to reconstruct here.
Be bad, Cara. Read lots. Stay up late. Eat delicious (read: not good for health) food. Watch lots of movies. And tell us all about it as the week goes on, so we can be, er, GREEN with jealousy.
What’s with the reclining men? No, no. I’m not complaining. Bring them on (because this means GB’s showing up on Monday).
Diane, a loud woo-hoo once more on the fab review in The Tribune. Charles has been looking kindly at romance as the days go by.
Ammanda, two woo-hoos to you for the thumbs-up from the peeps at RT and KISS.
Hey, Pam. You don’t have to wait for April for Amanda’s book. Remember eHarlequin? Yeah!! Mine’s on it’s way.
A pashmina would be great in any color. But gosh, are they $$$$.
Wlliamsburg. The more you two talk about it, D & A, the more interested I become. Some day, some day.
Deb, I love the book trailers by Christina Dodd (para series and individual paras) and by Lisa Kleypas (contemp and hist). But as a reader I have to tell you that good ones are thin on the ground and the trailers I see are because I love the author already and am eager for the book, the trailer’s for.
RWA Outfit: Got mine during my trip in December. It’s in a non-Brady-Bunch color of purplish-burgundy. Long skirt with a jacket decorated in a gold thread designs. It has a shawl of the same color but gauzy with fringes. Do I get props for being the first person with an outfit for the awards? 🙂
Forgot the tea. Drat it. I’m so in love with the teas from Tiger Mountain Tea Company.
You can also wear dangly green earrings — emeralds are always in good taste, but costume jewelry will also do.
As for book trailers, they usually don’t tell me quite enough about a book to whet my appetite. I watched a few of the ones listed above and thought the Alexandra Sokoloff one was good in giving the atmosphere of the book. The Madeline Hunter clearly showed it was a romance, but his hair was such a distraction — it looked like a bad wig and didn’t appear to be period appropriate anyway. I like Hunter, but if I didn’t know her writing this would not make me want to read her. Creating a trailer is a balancing act and doing a bad one is much worse than none at all.
Congrats Diane & Amanda!
I find new romance reads through giveaway books. Maybe it’s the Scots genes, but I’ve discovered many authors I may not have picked up in the bookstore that way.
I think book trailers have great potential but so far they fall short. (IMHO)
And sorry, it was 70 here today and gorgeous with cherry blossoms and daffodils. That’s why I pay the big bucks to live here. (Well, that, and I married a native.)
Have no idea on the RWA dress. Am wearing the same lace creation for the BeauMonde, and I can’t wait to see lots of Riskies looking mahvelous!
PS, not one title I voted for made it to the final AAR list!