Tilly Greene's Blog, page 9
September 27, 2013
Banned Books Week - Day 6
There is only one law that you need to know in regards to Banned Books Week.
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
The First Amendment Center goes into the history of censorship and highlights a few cases to explain where the law stands now in regards to banning books in libraries ... yes, it is still happening.
Be aware of what's going on in your libraries!
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
The First Amendment Center goes into the history of censorship and highlights a few cases to explain where the law stands now in regards to banning books in libraries ... yes, it is still happening.
Be aware of what's going on in your libraries!
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
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September 26, 2013
Banned Books Week - Day 5
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Children's books are subjective in how the reader views them. A reader brings their life experience to the endeavor and children don't have that much to bring. On the other hand, books for adults can be about anything and everything ... they've lived longer, know more and can imagine beyond what they know. Also, adults can decide for themselves if a book offends them or not, and can walk away if need be.
Apparently not to challengers. This year four of the top ten challenged books were for adults and I find that mind twisting.
The books are:
"Fifty Shades of Grey" by E. L. James
BESTSELLER
Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit
"The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
BESTSELLER
Reasons: Homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
"The Glass Castle" by Jeanette Walls
BESTSELLER
Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit
"Beloved" by Toni Morrison
BESTSELLER
NOBEL PRIZE WINNER
Reasons: Sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
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September 25, 2013
Banned Books Week - Day 4
Women on Top by Nancy Friday
por•nog•ra•phy n. 1. Sexually explicit pictures, writing, or other material whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal.
It is also one of the many reasons used for banning a book from a library and yet it's someone’s personal definition of what is pornographic, nothing more. A few examples are:
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday. Pocket Bks. The book was removed from the Chestatee Regional Library System in Gainesville, Ga. [1994] because the book on women’s sexual fantasies is “pornographic and obscene” and lacks “literary merit”. After months of protest and maneuvering, the library’s only copy was destroyed when the child of a patron accidentally dropped it into a dishpan of water. The book is out of print and the library does not plan to replace it.
As a woman and author of erotic romances, I found this challenge particularly offensive. Sexual fantasies, be it a woman’s or a man’s, are healthy and should be embraced, not denigrated with ignorance.
Trailsman Series by Jon Sharpe. NAL; Penguin. Challenged, but retained at the Springdale, Ark. Public Library [2001] along with other “western” novels because the writing include “pornographic, sexual encounters.”
Okay, confession time, I laughed when I read this challenge. Obviously someone has an issue with cowboys and sex, of which I definitely don't.
The Joy of Gay Sex. by Charles Silverstein and Edmund White. Crown; Simon & Schuster/Fireside. Challenged, but retained at the Nampa, Idaho Public Library [2006] along with seven other books, including The Joy of Sex with a complaint that said: “they are very pornographic in nature and they have very explicit and detailed illustrations and photographs which we feel doesn’t belong in a library.”
This was interesting because the challenge included a similar book for heterosexuals so the challenge can’t be viewed as being entirely anti-gay. As these books are often viewed as instructional, I think in this case details are a necessity.
It seems as if one person's pornography is not another's.
Banned Books Week is all about celebrating the First Amendment. No one should have their opinions, good or bad, silenced. What we need to do is respect the right for everyone to have their own views while the books remain available for whoever wants to read them.
These examples, and many others, were pulled from Robert P. Doyle’s Banned Books.
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
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September 24, 2013
Banned Books Week - Day 3
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Every year for many years I've read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee ... a banned book, but this year I've shaken things up and bought a new banned book, one by Lee's friend Truman Capote called In Cold Blog .
In Cold Blood is about a real murder that took place in 1959. It was gruesome and the murderer of four people stunned the local community. Truman Capote read an article about the murders in the newspaper and decided to go to Kansas to investigate. Harper Lee, a childhood friend, joined him on the trip. Capote did not finish the book until after the two men convicted were executed in 1965. Because he got close to the two men while interviewing them, there is supposedly a feeling of humanity that is not expected when it comes to dealing with murderers.
We'll see.
The book was banned in Savannah, GA after a parent complained about sex, violence and offensive language, but was eventually overturned.
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
Facebook│Twitter│Blog│ARe Cafe
September 23, 2013
Banned Books Week - Day 2
The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
The book to receive the most challenges in 2012 was the entire Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey for "offensive language and unsuited for age group".
Okay, back when I worked in a small town independent book shop, the kid's section was always a hot bed of activity. Parents came in to look on their own as did kids with parents in tow ... always a good sight to see. We always noted what books the kids asked about and there was a group of a certain age [6-8] who came in to ask for the latest Captain Underpants.
Personally, I loved it when a kid had the guts to come up to me and talk to me about books, those moments made my day. Anyway, we always knew when it was a first time request because parents would open the book to check it out, laugh and get a couple for the son to read. Yes, it was generally a boys book, but not totally.
Scholastic Publishing is a major publishing house that puts out mostly children's books en masse. Humor is difficult for some people to get, that is no reason to challenge a book.
Go ahead and pick up the first five books in the series for your child, grandchild or friend's child. Read them and then sit with the child while they read them to you ... laugh and have fun!
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
Facebook│Twitter│Blog│ARe Cafe
September 22, 2013
Banned Books Week - Day 1
Lady Chatterley's Lover by DH Lawrence
I hate that we even have a Banned Books Week [September 22-28, 2013], but since we do have such a week, we shouldn't hide from it ... let's talk about it and do something.
Today I read an article on NPR Books about Romance as a genre in this week and it reminded me of something I heard from my mother-in-law.
While the book had been partially released in 1928, it was in 1960 the full unexpurgated Lady Chatterley's Lover was published and the publisher sued for obscenity. During the trial, a local newspaper obtained a bunch of copies and sent them to the North of England to a group of ladies who worked everyday. They were told to read it and offer their opinions of whether it was obscene or not.
My mother-in-law lived her entire life in the North, but wasn't one of the select few to get the book. She read it though because the book made the rounds. As soon as one woman finished, she passed it on to a friend to read. The outcome of the unscientific experiment was that the book was entertaining, not in the least bit obscene. Thankfully a jury also found it not obscene and the book was once again published.
Back in 1930, the US wrote a law to help keep banned books from being imported. It wasn't until 1959 that the Supreme Court considered the practice to withhold books a violation of the First Amendment and it's protection of free speech.
I'm still surprised that a book can be considered obscene because of adultery.
So, in response to those who prefer to ban, might I suggest you go out and get a copy of Lady Chatterley's Lover by DH Lawrence at Amazon, BN or OmniLit, read it, and enjoy being able to read the book!
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
Facebook│Twitter│Blog│ARe Cafe
September 19, 2013
Great Day for a Surprise and a Contest with Prizes!
Let me share a something about me.
I am a fashion hound, love it, but don't necessarily need to wear it. However, in recent years I have found an affection for purses. Who knows why this has started, but it has and I am enjoying the bags I have acquired.
The brown one to the far right you can hardly see, its a small bag on a long strap and one I've had for 20+ years. Told you I wasn't that into purses. Next came the red bucket ... love it because it is color and the perfect size. The blue was a total random "love the color, love the bag, love it and I want it now" purchase. I've used it the most and it has an ink stain on the bottom :-(. Then there's the pretty shiny pink little bucket that just makes me smile when I carry it. The big backpack I use to travel when I need to carry my laptop and the smaller one on top is for the serious travel and plan to do the tourist thing.
Now there's a new bag in town!
It's my birthday and the cutie has given me what I'm calling a trophy purse ... it is absolutely stunning, sophisticated and unlike any of my other purses. There is a shoulder strap but I'll never use it and I promise to take care of it ... it's LOVELY!
Because I'm feeling so giddy, I thought I'd share the fun with bags by I'm giving away the two bags I brought back from this summer's AAD in Savannah. They are stuffed to the brim with goodies and books.
So, get working the Rafflecopter form! There are two ways to gain extra entries: Like my Facebook page and Tweet about the contest ... easy stuff ... now GO!.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Sorry, no international entries ... these bags are too BIG!
I am a fashion hound, love it, but don't necessarily need to wear it. However, in recent years I have found an affection for purses. Who knows why this has started, but it has and I am enjoying the bags I have acquired.
The brown one to the far right you can hardly see, its a small bag on a long strap and one I've had for 20+ years. Told you I wasn't that into purses. Next came the red bucket ... love it because it is color and the perfect size. The blue was a total random "love the color, love the bag, love it and I want it now" purchase. I've used it the most and it has an ink stain on the bottom :-(. Then there's the pretty shiny pink little bucket that just makes me smile when I carry it. The big backpack I use to travel when I need to carry my laptop and the smaller one on top is for the serious travel and plan to do the tourist thing.
Now there's a new bag in town!
It's my birthday and the cutie has given me what I'm calling a trophy purse ... it is absolutely stunning, sophisticated and unlike any of my other purses. There is a shoulder strap but I'll never use it and I promise to take care of it ... it's LOVELY!
Because I'm feeling so giddy, I thought I'd share the fun with bags by I'm giving away the two bags I brought back from this summer's AAD in Savannah. They are stuffed to the brim with goodies and books.So, get working the Rafflecopter form! There are two ways to gain extra entries: Like my Facebook page and Tweet about the contest ... easy stuff ... now GO!.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Sorry, no international entries ... these bags are too BIG!
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
Facebook│Twitter│Blog│ARe Cafe
Great Day of Surprises and Prizes!
Let me share a something about me.
I am a fashion hound, love it, but don't necessarily need to wear it. However, in recent years I have found an affection for purses. Who knows why this has started, but it has and I am enjoying the bags I have acquired.
The brown one to the far right you can hardly see, its a small bag on a long strap and one I've had for 20+ years. Told you I wasn't that into purses. Next came the red bucket ... love it because it is color and the perfect size. The blue was a total random "love the color, love the bag, love it and I want it now" purchase. I've used it the most and it has an ink stain on the bottom :-(. Then there's the pretty shiny pink little bucket that just makes me smile when I carry it. The big backpack I use to travel when I need to carry my laptop and the smaller one on top is for the serious travel and plan to do the tourist thing.
Now there's a new bag in town!
Today, the 19th, is my birthday and the cutie has given me what I'm calling a trophy purse ... it is absolutely stunning, sophisticated and unlike any of my other purses. There is a shoulder strap but I'll never use it and I promise to take care of it ... it's LOVELY!
Because I'm feeling so giddy, I thought I'd share the fun with bags by I'm giving away the two bags I brought back from this summer's AAD in Savannah. They are stuffed to the brim with goodies and books.
So, get working the Rafflecopter form! There are two ways to gain extra entries: Like my Facebook page and Tweet about the contest ... easy stuff ... now GO!.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I am a fashion hound, love it, but don't necessarily need to wear it. However, in recent years I have found an affection for purses. Who knows why this has started, but it has and I am enjoying the bags I have acquired.
The brown one to the far right you can hardly see, its a small bag on a long strap and one I've had for 20+ years. Told you I wasn't that into purses. Next came the red bucket ... love it because it is color and the perfect size. The blue was a total random "love the color, love the bag, love it and I want it now" purchase. I've used it the most and it has an ink stain on the bottom :-(. Then there's the pretty shiny pink little bucket that just makes me smile when I carry it. The big backpack I use to travel when I need to carry my laptop and the smaller one on top is for the serious travel and plan to do the tourist thing.
Now there's a new bag in town!
Today, the 19th, is my birthday and the cutie has given me what I'm calling a trophy purse ... it is absolutely stunning, sophisticated and unlike any of my other purses. There is a shoulder strap but I'll never use it and I promise to take care of it ... it's LOVELY!
Because I'm feeling so giddy, I thought I'd share the fun with bags by I'm giving away the two bags I brought back from this summer's AAD in Savannah. They are stuffed to the brim with goodies and books.So, get working the Rafflecopter form! There are two ways to gain extra entries: Like my Facebook page and Tweet about the contest ... easy stuff ... now GO!.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
Facebook│Twitter│Blog│ARe Cafe
September 18, 2013
Fashion Week in NYC
Marcus Tondo/Indigitalimages.com
Last week was Fashion Week in NYC and for the first time ever I relied on Pinterest for pics.
It was good, but not great. The magazines I follow offered the best coverage, although I had to rely on what they think it the best garments, which aren't always the ones I like. I think that was the problem.
In frustration, I found other pinners not related to the industry and they offered better views. I was surprised by the lack of designer posts.
Right now London's Fashion Week is going on and it is only marginally better.
I had such expectations, never mind. The kinks are still being worked out.
My favorite garment of the week was by Oscar de la Renta: the print, color, design ... all were fabulous!
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
Facebook│Twitter│Blog│ARe Cafe
September 17, 2013
Giddy Up by Tilly Greene is OUT!
Giddy Up by Tilly Greene
MC Contemporary Erotic Romance + Ménage a Trois, Bondage, Piercing, Toys and so much more
Order from All Romance|Amazon|BN
Sakura Nakamura and her best friend packed their bags and are traveling around America by car. It’s been mostly work, but the chance for what she wanted most, the pleasure and kinky passion with two men she’d dreamt about, is right there to take.
The Wilson brothers, Ted and Matt, own a cattle ranch in Montana and want their beef in the Japanese market. Hard work is nothing when the woman they want comes to their doorstep and says yes to all they want.
Matt met Saki when he was in Japan connecting with Nakamura Enterprises, an import/export firm. They spent one night heating up the sheets and now she was on their turf. Promises of bondage, ménages and so much more were made if she came to their house and she was there to play.
Being in love and kinky is everything they wanted, but can they have the white picket fence lifestyle as well?
Click for an Excerpt
Branded series
Book 1 - Ride 'em order at Ellora's Cave|All Romance|Amazon|BN
Book 2 - Konnichiwa Cowboy order at All Romance|Amazon|BN
Book 3 - Giddy Up order at All Romance|Amazon|BN
Book 4 - Jon Black's Woman ... coming Spring 2014
Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
Facebook│Twitter│Blog│ARe Cafe
