Showing posts with label Dear Author. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dear Author. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Dear Jane

Well, if you're a romancelandia devotee, then you know the announcement that sent the world on its ear: Jane Litte of Dear Author is a successful author named Jen Frederick. If you don't know then read AztecLady's summary here:  Grandmother of All Plot Twists

I'm not going to talk about disclosure of professionalism because DA has always supported pen names and has a strong anti-doxxing policy and there's no reason that Jane should have disclosed. I wanted to talk about how I feel about it. Just me. Lori. How I feel about Jane, my online girl crush, being a successful author.

I feel hurt.

A big part of it is jealousy, pure and simple. Jane is the master of time management and I have no doubt that she can be a mom, lawyer, blogger, defendant and best selling author with time to cook gourmet meals for her family as well as make all their clothes and solve world hunger. Hell, if anyone can, it would be Jane.

And I'm jealous because she only started writing a couple of years ago and has written more books and been more successful. Oh yeah, green eyed over that one.

Of course, Jane understand marketing because books and the publishing business are her passion. She used her knowledge to promote herself while keeping it separate from DA. And I noticed that Jane didn't use her connections as Jane for her career. If she had, she might have been published by Carina. Or well, anyone.

I think part of the hurt is the feeling that bloggers I enjoy become someone other than the blog and things change. The truth is that I stopped going to Smart Bitches because I felt the blog was a promotional tool for Sarah and I didn't want to be a part of that. It's like how Ree Drummond used The Pioneer Woman to get a Food Network career... the blog becomes the blogger and the big picture and no longer is about the community.

Do I think that Dear Author will follow the same path? Not necessarily. I think Jane is better at keeping her lives separate and will be diligent at not crossing the line. But it changes things and we'll see how as time goes by.

Again, I want to say these are my opinions alone and not shared by Carolyn. We had an argument about SB Sarah and she disagrees with me vehemently.

Anyway, I don't plan to read Jane's/Jen's books for quite awhile. If she's a good writer then my green eyes will flash and if she's not as good then I'd probably be disappointed for other reasons. And if I feel she's better than I am then I'll probably take to bed for a week sobbing my jealous, little fan girl heart out.

And I think something that's going to happen is we're about to see Goodreads and Amazon explode with some nasty one-star reviews with people gleefully declaring they're giving the mean girl a dose of her own medicine... which would be the funniest thing of all because if there's anyone who wouldn't be bothered by that, it's Jane.

Deep down, I know that lovers of romance novels are the writers of romance novels. And if Jane didn't love them so, then Dear Author wouldn't be so important to so many of us. And I'm proud of her and happy for her and truth is, I'd rather have a nap than be her. But it's going to take a few days before I calm my jealous heart down.

She's worth it though. There's a reason she's my online girl crush, you know.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Monday Musings

Every Monday night is RAW, a wrestling show. Mollie and I watch and we're shaken right now, one of the commentators, Jerry Lawler, apparently had a heart attack during the show. Commentary went silent which was very strange and left us feeling very shaken.

Get better soon Jerry the King Lawler.

**

A bunch of writerly wonks have a petition (?) on the internet stating they disapprove of sock puppets and will never engage in any behavior that isn't Godly or self serving. I especially appreciated how so many of them managed to work in the information about their own work.

Writers are truly becoming the most self-serving, boring group of people on the internet.

**

Pinterest is my life. Nuff said.

**

Per Dear Author (who has gotten more boring in the last few months), EL James had the unmitigated gall to stop a party planner from using 50 Shades as a party theme because nobody should piggy-back on another's success.

The irony, it burns.

**

Carolyn has started writing again. This makes me so very happy. If you haven't read her then you should. Song of Life, which has the suckiest title ever, has some of the best writing.

Read it, my minions, read it. (I'll send lollipops to those who do.)

**

And because my chest still feels thick:  Get better Jerry Lawler. We're praying for you.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Television, Tits and Temptation

So last night was the 1,000 episode of RAW (thats wrestling entertainment) and my daughter and I watched and enjoyed it BIG time.

Speaking of big time enjoyment, the final match between John Cena and CM Punk saw Punk turn heel and at one point in the match when Cena was "knocked out" (not really, it's all scripted) he had a really apparent boner. It was just so out of place as to be terribly funny.

The Bachelorette had her finale and I think there might be a real relationship there. Emily was crushing so hard on Arie throughout but at the end she chose Jef, which was a smart move on her point. Arie was a temporary relationship but Jef is a forever kind of guy. And as a single mother, Jef was the one man there who was concerned about meeting Emily's daughter and having a chance to bond before a ring went on the finger.

Over on GoodReads there's more dramas flaring and of course authors being stupid. I can't believe these deluded asswipes. I mean... I know we're all wanting to be loved and admired but really? Really?

I loved over on DA on the thread that would not die the Shit-terly actually forced Jane into creating a way to block comments. It was brilliant. Yay Jane.

And maybe one day the Shit will get a clue and stop telling women to accept and embrace when men make them victims. But I don't think so.

Letters From Greece got a review on Amazon and the reviewer didn't like the cover and said so. That was the open mouthed kiss that Carol and I didn't like either.

Oh, and over at Noble Romance Publishing, Jill Noble has resigned from running the business. Apparently she was the editor in chief but there was a money man elsewhere and now the money man is taking over the business. I have only one book with them and would never publish with them again (so rinky-dink with their editors) but it's interesting. I love how the business is named after the person who's leaving.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

It's Thursday, It's Random

I'm exhausted. Can't see straight exhausted.

Summer vacation and the child is staying up till 2, 3, 4am and doesn't think twice about waking me up to show me something awesome on You Tube or even just to tell me that I'm the best mother in the world.

Child at 2am, with nudges in side: Mom, Mom! You got to see this. It's a one legged cat on You Tube dancing the marimba.

Me: mumbles incoherently

Child: I love you so much, Mom. None of my friend's Moms will watch You Tube videos with them like you do.

Me: Show me the damned cat. Oh my God! Do you see what time it is? Are you crazy?!?! Oh.... that cat is adorable.

So work then kicks my ass because our technician is gone on family bereavement and so my dragging ass is now doing his job as well as my own.

At least I have the internet to keep me warm.

That is if warm involves heat from the flashes of rage I feel with the continued harassment from the GoodReads freaks against the reviewers. And then Dear Author finally posted about it and it's over 500 comments strong and fascinating reading.

For the most part the conversation remains civil and intelligent. The usual trolls: Author on Vacation, Ann Sommerville. Some strange bitch who seems to equate swearing with bad manners and the end of civilization.

So the trolls try to derail the conversation and make it about them. Then there's the nimrods who don't like those darn mean girls and try to victim blame. Oh noes, that is so not going to happen.

The great thing is to see that the general community of romancelandia is pretty united in this. And it's awesome. Intelligent women are not going to be derailed from this. And this is one time that when the names finally come out as to who is behind this, they can expect to never see another book sale.

Other good news.... from the time I started this post to now, someone brought me chocolate. Life is looking up.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

A Little Early, but ...

I'm building the anticipation. *grin*

Seems a little silly to post a pic when there it is right over there ---->
but it's de rigeur at these times to give a sample of the sample. So, I'm going to give two, the cover and the first chapter, because I'm generous that way. ;-)


I don't really know how to feel about Song of Life. It was the first book I wrote that wasn't fan fiction and so, while it's not my favorite (that would be Mariposa, due out around May), I'm proud of it and even prouder that a publishing house contracted it.

Here's the link to the first chapter, I hope you'll check it out. Some might recognize it, it was a First Page at Dear Author long ago, around 2008, I believe. It garnered about thirty critiques, including one by Shiloh Walker. *grin* It's changed a bit since then.

http://clmccullough.yolasite.com/song-of-life.php


Song of Life will be released February 6 and will be available at Lyrical Press and the usual e-sellers.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Readers and Reading

Dear Carolyn,

thank you for pointing out that post on Dear Author about certain authors guilt tripping their readers into how to buy and where to buy to drive their rankings up. Very sad.

Writers should thank the heavens for any and every body who chooses to read them. There's so many choices out there and so many low cost ones, choosing to spend money in any format is a great big deal.

Hell, I'm grateful for every single person who purchases or downloads something I write.

I got my new Oprah magazine today (don't judge) and Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry Potter gave a list of his favorite books. His comments are so amazing and insightful that I think I now have more books to try.

It also was obvious that one day Daniel Radcliffe will be a writer. That young man loves the written word.

Just to let you know I'm still working on our story-in-progress-for-over-2-years. But I'm going to take a nap.

Loves ya,

Lori