Lucienne Diver's Blog: Lucienne Diver's Drivel, page 24

Congratulations!

  I’m so excited that Rachel Caine’s latest release, FALL OF NIGHT, has once again propelled her Morganville Vampires to the New York Times Children’s Series bestseller list, now at #7!  If you haven’t yet been introduced, well then, you’ve got a whole incredible series to look forward to that just keeps getting better and better!  Need more than my word? Last year, the series was voted the most popular in the UK by over 300,000 school children, beating out the Twilight and Harry Potter series!

  I also want to congratulate Janet Mullany for finaling in the Booksellers’ Best contest in the erotic category for HIDDEN PARADISE!

In case you missed it, I waxed psychological over at Magical Words earlier this week with a post on “How Not to Write Like a Psychopath”. 

I’m sure I’ll think of a million and one bits of news to post the moment I upload this blog, but since I have at least a million squared things that need my attention at the moment, I’ll sign off for now!

Happy Book Birthday to Rosemary Clement-Moore

I’m convinced that Rosemary and I read all the same books growing up, watched all the same movies and televisions shows and, heck, probably acted in the same productions, leading parallel lives many states apart.  That’s how much her books speak to me and everything I love in fiction.  I’m so excited to wish her a happy book birthday for her latest, SPIRIT AND DUST!

SPIRIT AND DUST by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Daisy Goodnight can speak to the dead. It’s not the result of a head injury or some near-death experience. She was just born that way. And she’s really good at it. Good enough to help the police solve the occasional homicide.

Some extra loud shout outs to the following authors for their HUGE recent achievements:

But helping the local authorities clear cold cases is one thing. Being whisked out of chemistry class by the FBI and flown to the scene of a murder/kidnapping in Minnesota? That’s the real deal.

Before the promotion can go to Daisy’s head, she’s up to her neck in trouble. The spirits are talking, and they’re terrified. There’s a real living girl in danger. And when Daisy is kidnapped by a crime boss with no scruples about using magic—and Daisy—to get what he wants, it looks like hers is the next soul on the line.

Depression, Struggle and Hyperbole and a Half

When I saw on Twitter that Hyperbole and a Half was back and talking about depression, I had to go look.  For one thing, I’ve always loved Hyperbole and a Half.  So funny I often laugh until I cry.  For another, I know far too many people who suffer from depresssion.  Creative people , writers, have always been particularly susceptible, maybe because they have to observe, experience and analyze the world so acutely, recreating emotions that are often easier to shy away from in order to write about them in a realistic manner.  Or, maybe it’s just chemistry.  For decades I’ve hidden from the outside world that depression is something I struggle with as well, because as an agent, I don’t want to show any sort of weakness or have anyone perceive that I could be anything less than 110% at all times.  Here’s the thing: I’ve been dealing with it since I was a pre-teen.  I’d like to say “I’ve got this,” and 99 ½% of the time it’s true, especially since I don’t balk now about getting help when I need it.

So why am I saying anything now?  This post by Hyperbole and a Half affected me deeply.  I think that anyone who struggles should read it to know that they’re not alone and that they’re not deficient in any way because they go through it.  It happens.  That’s it.  A good friend (hi, Laura Anne), once said to me, “If you had diabetes, you’d take your insulin, wouldn’t you?  If it was chocolate instead of medication, you wouldn’t have a problem.”  She’s right.  Absolutely.  Depression is difficult enough, and with it comes the apathy, the extreme difficulty picking up the phone or sending an e-mail letting people know what’s going on.  Whether there’s truly still an external stigma or whether it’s all in our heads, it’s a wrecking thing.  So, I’m writing to tell you, particularly in this industry, you’re not in the minority.  It’s something so many of us suffer from that we all understand.  You don’t have to shout it from the rooftops (or the pages of your blog, like I am here), but you don’t need to place the extra burden on yourself of having to hide it.  There is no “Fake it until you make it” when it comes to depression.  There’s only denial and help.

So much to celebrate

So much to celebrate this week in addition to the latest book birthdays.

First, if you haven’t already heard me trumpet this (because I’m known for my subtlety), I have a bunch of my own new releases coming out this year, particularly in the Latter-Day Olympians series. The first book, BAD BLOOD, is already out from Samhain in all formats. The second, CRAZY IN THE BLOOD, is out in digital and will be released in trade paperback on July 2nd. That’s right, you could have it in time for reading over the July 4th long weekend! (No pressure, of course.) And if all that isn’t exciting enough, I recently received the final cover for book 3, RISE OF THE BLOOD, that I can share with you all. This one’s out in digital in September and print next year.

Now, I’d like to say that I look just this badass in a negotiation, but in all likelihood, I’m holding a cup of coffee and a telephone rather than purched upon a pedastal, but I do have the boots.  No, sadly, this isn’t me, but my heroine Tori Karacis, who has just enough gorgon blood to stop men in their tracks.  I love this pic because the model truly looks like she has the gorgon glare.  Talk about something that would come in handy in a negotiation!

Oh, and while we’re on the subject of boots (back a few sentences…there it is), I have a Latter-Day Olympians story coming out in the awesome KICKING IT anthology releasing from Roc Books in December of this year.  So, boots seem to be a bit of a theme (just check this cover):

Some extra loud shout outs to the following authors for their HUGE recent achievements:

Rachel Caine for how amazingly the new Morganville Vampires novel FALL OF NIGHT is doing right out of the gate, ranking #4 in both the UK Children’s and UK Children’s Fiction lists and topping the Small Publishers’ Children’s chart.  It just came out on Tuesday here in the US, but I expect that we’ll have similar wonderful news here shortly.

N.K. Jemisin for the Locus Award nomination for Best Fantasy for THE KILLING MOON!

Jasmine Haynes for finaling in the Erotic category of the National Readers’ Choice Awards (winner to be announced at RWA National) with THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE!

Janet Mullany for finaling in the Golden Quill with her erotic novel HIDDEN PARADISE!

I’m so excited for you all.  You have no idea how difficult it is to type with fingers and toes crossed.  CONGRATULATIONS!!!

TAMING THE DEMON

 Another very special book birthday to announce.  This one gets a spot all it’s own, because it’s the first in Doranna Durgin’s new Demon Blade series for Harlequin.  A tormented hero, suspense, romance and a touch of the paranormal…what’s not to love?

Cover Copy for TAMING THE DEMON:

Their passion threatens her life and his tortured soul.…

Devin James wields a demon blade. Or does the demon blade wield him? The bond between man and steel is soul deep, the source of Devin’s power and an ever-present torment. Struggling against the evil forged within the blade, Devin patrols the dark streets of Albuquerque, searching for innocents to rescue. That’s how he finds Natalie Chambers….

Natalie is sure that helping Devin is another in a long series of very bad decisions, but she can’t abandon the man who saved her life—a man who believes that the demon blade might turn him into a monster. And she is powerless to resist their fierce attraction.

Love is their only chance at salvation. Can they now find the courage to take that chance? And can they keep the blade from the man who would destroy them both?

Back to me:

For those of you who want to dip a toe in the water before diving in, Doranna has done a novella in this world for Nocturne’s Bite line, “Demon Touch,” which you can read on Nook or Kindle.

Happy Book Birthdays!!

First, HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY to Rachel Caine, Steven Harper and Karen Whiddon for their new releases!!!

FALL OF NIGHT by Rachel Caine

New novel in the internationally bestselling Morganville Vampires series

Praise for the series: 

“Rachel Caine is a first-class storyteller who can deal out amazing plot twists as though she was dealing cards.”—#1 New York Times Bestselling Author Charlaine Harris

“Fast-paced adventure….Claire’s tough-girl attitude may remind adult readers of Rachel Morgan and her world of human-vampire interactions. A tremendously popular series.”—Booklist

“Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampires series is my all-time favorite. I love love love the characters, the town, and the surprising plots.”—New York Times Bestselling Author Maria V. Snyder

“Thrilling, sexy, and funny! These books are addictive. One of my very favorite vampire series.”—Richelle Mead, International Bestselling Author of the Vampire Academy Series

Cover Copy:

Thanks to its unique combination of human and vampire residents, Morganville, Texas, is a small college town with big-time problems. When student Claire Danvers gets the chance to experience life on the outside, she takes it. But Morganville isn’t the only town with vampire trouble…

Claire never thought she’d leave Morganville, but when she gets accepted into the graduate program at MIT, she can’t pass up the opportunity. Saying good-bye to her friends is bittersweet, especially since things are still raw and unsettled between Claire and her boyfriend, Shane.

Her new life at MIT is scary and exciting, but Morganville is never really far from Claire’s mind. Enrolled in a special advanced study program with Professor Irene Anderson, a former Morganville native, Claire is able to work on her machine, which is designed to cancel the mental abilities of vampires.

But when she begins testing her machine on live subjects, things quickly spiral out of control, and Claire starts to wonder whether leaving Morganville was the last mistake she’ll ever make…

THE HAVOC MACHINE by Steven Harper

New novel in the acclaimed Clockwork Empire series

Praise for the series:

“Steven Harper has an extraordinary writing talent and his characters, human or not, are all addictive as sin. An eclectic story that I cannot recommend highly enough.”   —Huntress Book Reviews

“This series has really grabbed a hold of me to the point where I’m desperate to find out what happens next. The characters and their plight are so easy to become invested in, and I found myself rooting for them every step of the way. So I cannot recommend the books in The Clockwork Empire series, especially The Impossible Cube any higher. Whether you are a fan of Steampunk or not, these books promise to be an exhilarating roller coaster ride from start to finish that you won’t want to miss!”   —A Book Obsession

“This is a good mix of science fiction and fantasy, action, with a bit of romance as well. Since steampunk has grown in popularity over the years, I see this one being picked up by many fans of the genre.” —News and Sentinel

Cover Copy:

In a world riddled with the destruction of men and machines alike, Thaddeus Sharpe takes to the streets of St. Petersburg, geared toward the hunt of his life….

Thaddeus Sharpe’s life is dedicated to the hunting and killing of clockworkers. When a mysterious young woman named Sofiya Ekk approaches him with a proposition from a powerful employer, he cannot refuse. A man who calls himself Mr. Griffin seeks Thad’s help with mad clockwork scientist Lord Havoc, who has molded a dangerous machine. Mr. Griffin cares little if the evil Lord lives or dies; all he desires is Havoc’s invention.

Upon Thad’s arrival at Havoc’s laboratory, he is met with a chilling discovery. Havoc is not only concealing his precious machine; he has been using a young child by the name of Nikolai for cruel experiments. Locked into a clockwork web of intrigue, Thad must decipher the dangerous truth surrounding Nikolai and the chaos contraption before havoc reigns….

 THE MILLIONAIRE COWBOY’S SECRET by Karen Whiddon

Wonderful romantic suspense

“Strong, efficient writing and heartfelt romance” – Romantic Times Book Reviews

Cover Copy:

Undercover Seduction Undercover ATF agent Skylar McClain dreams of justice and lives by the law. She always gets her man. Armed with a killer smile and an undercover identity as a photojournalist, she should have no problem bringing down any criminal—even a sexy millionaire horse breeder. But no assignment has ever tested her boundaries like Matt Landeta. His connection to Mexican drug cartels makes him dangerous. Only, what if there’s more to this case than right and wrong?

All Matt wants is revenge. Not a gorgeous distraction like Skylar, whose hunt for answers will complicate things. Yet an unexpected enemy is about to bring Skylar closer to the truth…and to Matt. And letting go of his darkest secrets might be the only way to protect her.

Book Fair, Books and Webinar

Last week, Elaine Spencer and I from The Knight Agency attended the London Book Fair to meet with editors from around the globe and the agents who work with our lists in various countries.  As always, it was enlightening to hear about the economics, business model changes, genre trends, etc. from other perspectives and very productive to pitch in person the books and series we’re excited about.  Traditionally, mysteries and thrillers have been more challenging than other genres to sell in translation, partly because of settings or set ups that might be considered “too American” and partly because the publishers are focussed on their homegrown authors.  However, “crime” and “thriller” were hands down the two big buzz words at this year’s conference…with the caveat that with so many household names for publishers to choose from, they’re still mostly drawn to big books.  Fantasy, romance (from sweet small town to the racier-the-better), young adult and other fiction are still doing well also.  (How well depends on the particular market.)  But even in those genres, the more thriller-esque and realistic fiction seems most in demand.

Elaine and I were also able to get in a bit of sightseeing, as you can tell from this second picture taken at the Tower of London with the Tower Bridge in the background.  The day we arrived, we did our best to stay up until evening to acclimate as soon as possible (for the fair the next day).  To that end, we visited the Tower and also took a hop on/hop off bus tour to view the sights.  The day after the fair ended, we also took a tour out to Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath.  As soon as I catch up a bit, I promise to post pictures.

In the meantime, I wanted to shout from the rooftops that The Knight Agency’s Nephele Tempest is doing a Writers Digest webinar tomorrow on conquering the dreaded synopsis and is offering a critique along with the class.  Nephele, for those of you who don’t know, represents Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook, Shannon K. Butcher and many other wonderful authors.  Details of the webinar are here.

In other news, I’m pleased to congratulate Karen Whiddon for hitting the Bookscan Romance Bestseller list for the third week in a row with THE WOLF PRINCE!   For you mystery readers out there, I walso want to let you know about a great deal RIGHT NOW that Tammy Kaehler’s publisher Poisoned Pen Press is offering on her first Kate Reilly racing mystery novel, DEAD MAN’S SWITCH.  Currently, it’s only 99¢ on Kindle and Nook.  Or you can win a signed copy of the print edition by commenting here (ends tomorrow).

Of Blood and Bacon – Free Vamped short story

I’ve been promising my fans a new Vamped series short story, and here it is! “Of Blood and Bacon” was written for the BACONTHOLOGY, put together by John Ordover as part of the fundraising for the Reach for the Stars Learning Center, a not-for-profit school dedicated to helping children with autism.  I hope you enjoy!

Of Blood and Bacon

“Oh my god, I miss bacon so much it’s crazy!” Marcy said before I could.

We were vamps—Marcy, my best friend forever (now in the literal sense), me, and my boyfriend, Bobby.  The fourth at our table, Brent, was the only one of us still human.  While we could have kept driving all night, he needed to fill up on caffeine and calories in the form of, among other things, the salty goodness of the gods.  Well, some gods.  Others frowned on that sort of thing, from what I understood.  But then, they frowned on us vampires too.  Frowning, in my book, was a bad business, leading to wrinkles and the lowering of endorphins and all that jazz.  Smiling took more muscles and had been proven to trigger the release of…I don’t know, some chemical that gave your mood a swift kick in the pants.

Brent, Marcy’s main minion…er, man…held her gaze as he ate another piece.  Slowly.  Almost sensually.

I sort of hated him right then.  I mean, blood was all well and good, but when it was all you had to look forward to for the rest of eternity…you started to wish it came with flavor packets, like Crystal Light.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Marcy said, as cranky as I felt.  “Hurry it up.  We’ve got to find a place to hole up before sunrise.”

It was close to that now.  Luckily, Dana’s All-Night Diner was, well, self-explanatory.

There was an outburst of laughter from the booth next to us, and we all turned to see what they were getting into this time.  Four guys, three girls, all looking late teens or early twenties, just like us.  Unlike us, they all still had a pulse…at least, the ones whose veins I could see, sporting short hair, rockin’ ponytails or, in one case, wearing a strapless dress that left little to the imagination…or, almost wearing it, anyway.  Every time she bent forward there seemed a fifty-fifty chance of fall-out.

Five minutes ago, one of the guys had hidden a little creamer cup in his hand, put that hand to his eye and then pretended to stab it with a fork.  The girls shrieked as cream came spurting out in lieu of blood, and the guys had laughed uproariously.

I squinted to see what was going on now.  We vamps had pretty awesome extrasensory, uh, senses.  I could see and hear way beyond the norm, and my reflexes were epic.  Some of us could do other things.  Special.  Like me being able to go all ghosty and Bobby’s ability to move things with his mind.  But whatever was going on this time, I couldn’t see it.  At least, not at first.  It was only by following the gazes of the others at the table that I spotted the fly in Funnyboy’s food.  I was guessing from the reaction of the others—sly and amused glances tossed back and forth—that he’d put it there to weasel out of the check.  Not for the first time, I wondered if they’d consumed enough that they’d taste like bacon and whether I had time for a quick snack.

“Do you see that?” I asked the others at my table quietly.

“Fly in the food?” my boy, Bobby, asked.  “Yup, saw it.  I have an idea.  Watch this.”

I turned back toward the other table to watch, not caring if they noticed.

Now that I’d spotted the fly, I didn’t know how I’d missed it.  It was big.  Horsefly sized, maybe.  As Bobby stared at it, the fly’s wings began to beat.  In surprise, I looked from the fly to Bobby to the reactions around the other table.  Funnyboy hadn’t seen it yet, but suddenly one of the girls jumped and pointed at his plate.

“It’s alive!” she said, voice quaking, like it was Frankenstein’s monster rather than a little old fly.

Everyone went silent and stared.

“Dude, you didn’t make sure it was dead first?” one of the other guys laughed.

“But I did.  It was,” Funnyboy said, more bafflement than fear in his voice.

But then the fly rose from his plate as if from the dead and buzzed him, “flying” right for his open mouth.  He snapped it shut, and the fly bounced off his lips, headed for his nose.

The girls were in full-on freak-out now, screaming and crawling over each other to try to escape their booth.

When Funnyboy slapped the fly away from his nose, it made for the girls, dive-bombing their hair, brushing past their ears.

They screamed more loudly and stampeded out of the restaurant, fly in hot pursuit, until it hit the door and dropped like, well, like a fly.  Funnyboy and his friends were left behind with the check…and no fly to lessen the load.

It was our turn to quake with laughter.  The waitress rushed over to the rowdy table to check on the commotion and the boys tried to explain about the dead fly that wasn’t.  She stood over them with arms crossed, looming until they settled the check, and then escorted them out.  Never to return, I was guessing.  I vowed to double her tip for our table.

“That was fun!” Bobby said, blue eyes shining.  A smile on his face.  Endorphins or whatever probably flooding his system.

“Guess we should settle up,” Brent said, finally pushing back from his All  American or whatever lumberjack special he’d ordered.  “Can I get a to go box?” he asked the waitress.

She gave him a tired smile and a “Sure, hon.”

Me, I’d just seen my breakfast walk out the door—meals on heels.  Marcy and I exchanged a look.  “We’ll be right back,” I said for us both.

“Ladies room?” Brent asked.

“Something like that,” Marcy said with a secret smile.  We both slipped out of the booth.  “Be good,” Brent warned.

“Always,” Marcy tossed over her shoulder.

And we were.  We didn’t take much.  But yes, they tasted like bacon and maple syrup and home cooking.  We were in heaven.  Or as close as we were ever likely to get.

___________________

You can read the previous free Vamped story here or check out the series.

Happy Book Birthdays!

Today is a great day to be a book buyer! So many fabulous new releases, including BLOOD TRADE by Faith Hunter, BRAKING POINTS by Tammy Kaehler, THE WOLF PRINCE by Karen Whiddon, the trade paperback of BITTER BLOOD by Rachel Caine and my friend Cecily White’s debut PROPHECY GIRL. Details below!

 BLOOD TRADE by Faith Hunter (New York Times bestselling Jane Yellowrock series, Book 6)

“BLOOD TRADE is a perfect blend of dark fantasy and mystery with a complex and tough vampire killing heroine.” – All Things Urban Fantasy

ane Yellowrock is a shape-shifting skinwalker who’s always up for a fight—even if it means putting her life on the line…

The Master of Natchez, Mississippi has a nasty problem on his hands. Rogue vampires—those who follow the Naturaleza and believe that humans should be nothing more than prey to be hunted—are terrorizing his city. Luckily, he knows the perfect skinwalker to call in to take back the streets.

But what he doesn’t tell Jane is that there’s something different about these vamps. Something that makes them harder to kill—even for a pro like Jane. Now, her simple job has turned into a fight to stay alive…and to protect the desperately ill child left in her care.

 BRAKING POINTS by Tammy Kaehler (Kate Reilly Mystery, Book 2)

“Action from page one ensures an engrossing read with abundant twists in the plot. This is certainly for Danica Patrick fans and pairs nicely with Simon Wood’s racing series or Steve Ulfelder’s Conway Sax series.” – Library Journal

“Kate’s second outing is just as fast-paced as her first, balancing mystery and racing adventure all the way to the checkered flag.” – Kirkus Reviews

Kate Reilly can’t remember a worse time in her life, on-track or off. She wrecks her racecar at Road America in Wisconsin, sending a visiting NASCAR star to the hospital, and loses her cool on-camera, only to end the day by discovering her boyfriend with a friend of hers. A dead friend.With little time to grieve, Kate finds herself the pariah of the racing world, the target of vicious e-mail messages, death threats, and a frenzy of blame on racing sites and blogs, including an influential, anonymous blogger who’s trying to get her fired. But nothing is as bad as knowing her friend’s killer is still out there—and aiming at Kate.She’s riding a roller coaster of emotion, juggling an exciting new sponsor, a boyfriend she’s not sure she can trust, and new-found family she doesn’t want to claim. Dodging unfavorable media attention and a pit reporter with a bias against women in racing, Kate redeems herself by delivering stunning performances behind the wheel at the next race: Petit Le Mans, the ten-hour endurance classic.The championship race weekend and an undercurrent of threats on all sides rev Kate’s nerves to their limits. From on-track action, to sponsor parties, to the Series awards banquet, she’s part of the action, uncovering motives, secrets, and powerful ambitions. Ultimately she learns no one can escape the past—but only a murderer is driven by it.

 THE WOLF PRINCE by Karen Whiddon

“Original and exciting, the constant tension — both dangerous and sexual — will keep readers on the edge of their seats.” – RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 Stars

Willow was unlike any princess he’d ever met…

As heir to the throne, Ruben must choose an appropriate mate to preserve his royal bloodline—despite his fear that his true nature will destroy them both. Yet the female he craves above all others is a dangerous combination of fairy and shifter, a mesmerizing creature who inspires both passion and suspicion. Then violence strikes the castle, and the two are forced to track a killer into perilous magical territory. But with treachery everywhere, will Willow and Ruben’s growing bond be enough to shift the fate of their two kingdoms?

 BITTER BLOOD by Rachel Caine (New York Times betseslling Morganville Vampires series, Book 13)

For years, the human and vampire residents of Morganville, Texas, have managed to co-exist in peace. But now that the threat to the vampires has been defeated, the human residents are learning that the gravest danger they face is the enemy within…

Thanks to the eradication of the parasitic creatures known as the draug, the vampires of Morganville have been freed of their usual constraints. With the vampires indulging their every whim, the town’s human population is determined to hold on to their lives by taking up arms. But college student Claire Danvers isn’t about to take sides, considering she has ties to both the humans and the vampires.

To make matters worse, a television show comes to Morganville looking for ghosts, just as vampire and human politics collide. Now, Claire and her friends have to figure out how to keep the peace without ending up on the nightly news…or worse.

 PROPHECY GIRL by Cecily White (Angel Academy, Book 1)

Amelie Bennett. . . . Ending the world, one prophecy at a time.

I was born to slay Crossworld demons.

Big black flappy ones, little green squirmy ones. Unfortunately, the only thing getting slain these days is my social life. With my high school under attack, combat classes intensifying, and Academy instructors dropping right and left, I can barely get my homework done, let alone score a bondmate before prom.

Then he shows up.

Jackson Smith-Hailey. Unspeakably hot, hopelessly unattainable, and dangerous in all the right ways. Sure, he’s my trainer. And okay, maybe he hates me. Doesn’t mean I’ll ignore the wicked Guardian chemistry between us. It’s crazy! Every time I’m with him, my powers explode. Awesome, right?

Wrong.

Now my teachers think I’m the murderous Graymason destined to bring down our whole race of angelbloods. Everyone in New Orleans is hunting me. The people I trusted want me dead. Jack and I have five days to solve the murders, prevent a vampire uprising, and thwart the pesky prophecy foretelling his death by my hand.  Shouldn’t be too difficult.

Getting it done without falling in love. . . that might take a miracle.

Do you have questions about the agent/author relationshi...

Do you have questions about the agent/author relationship? Want to know what it takes to write, and SELL, a successful media tie-in novel? Keith R.A. DeCandido and I will be answering your questions on Twitter at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time today and giving away prizes to boot!

Keith has authored book adaptations for various media properties such as Marvel Comics, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek, World of Warcraft, and Farscape. His latest release, THE ZOO JOB, is based on the hit television series Leverage.

WHERE: Twitter. Moderated by @KnightAgency HOW TO CHAT: Use the hashtag #knightauthor to join the conversation