Jane Litte's Blog, page 1060

REVIEW: Blood of the Wicked by Karina Cooper

Dear Ms. Cooper,

Anyone who follows you, me or Jane on twitter or who read this probably caught the tempest in a teacup over the disappearing book. For those who haven't a clue as to what I'm referring: Jane was looking all over for Blood of the Wicked, and realized that she probably sent it to me. I checked through my Pisa-like tower and didn't see it. That afternoon, what should Paul the postman (yes, that really is his name) show up with? A package containing one item (a rare occurrence)...

First Page: The Demon Hour

Welcome to First Page Saturday. Individual authors anonymously send a first page read and critiqued by the Dear Author community of authors, readers and industry others. Anyone is welcome to comment. You may comment anonymously.

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Some women will say that time metaphorically stands still when the man of their dreams gets down on bended knee, but for me time literally did. Of course, I'm pretty sure most people would say the same thing in the face of the most horrifying tragedy they could...

Interview with Tara Parsons, senior editor of HQN.

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Tara Parsons is the Senior Editor of HQN. HQN publishes contemporary, suspense, paranormal, and historical romances. They will publish 87 titles in 2012.

The big news is that current Spice authors are being moved into Harlequin's other single title programs. Harlequin's flagship romance brand, HQN, will absorb the existing Spice novels that meet the HQN promise; the existing Spice novellas contracted will be published through Harlequin digitally under the Spice banner but no new Spice...

REVIEW: Naamah's Blessing by Jacqueline Carey

Dear Ms. Carey,

I'm a huge fan of yours. The original Kushiel trilogy about Phedre and Joscelin rank high among my favorite books. Even when one of your novels fails to capture my heart, I still find myself appreciating what you attempted with your writing. I've said in the past that I wish you'd move on from the Kushiel world and create a completely new traditional fantasy series, but I'm still fond of this setting and eagerly pick up books in the continuity. My love of Phedre carried me...

Friday Film Review: Corpse Bride

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (2005)

Genre: Stop Action Animation

Grade: B-

[image error]Though Corpse Bride doesn't live up to the wonder that is "Nightmare Before Christmas," it still has oodles to recommend it. Fantastic puppets, painstaking animation and the voices of some acting greats to bring these creations "to life" (even if some of them are supposed to be dead!).

Victor Van Dort, the son of nouveau riche fish mongers, is to wed Victoria Everglot, the daughter of nouveau poor landed aristocracy. The...

REVIEW: The Second Duchess by Elizabeth Loupas

Dear Ms. Loupas,

After I finished reading a really depressing and disturbing book, I felt the need for a complete change in direction. Jane had sent me a copy of your debut novel a few months earlier. Seeing that it was a historical mystery, I figured that it was different enough to suit my purposes, and dove in.

[image error]The Second Duchess is based on the Robert Browning poem "My Last Duchess", which in turn was based on real people and incidents in 16th century Italy. Alfonso d'Este, the Duke of...

Thursday Midday Links: Q&A with Maya Banks

I can hardly believe it is already Thursday. The holiday shortened week (for the US readers) and last week's RWA conference has me all mixed up. Hopefully I will get caught up by Sunday.

Item number one today is the news that we are going to host a Q&A with Maya Banks. Why Maya Banks? Because she was high on her dental medication yesterday and offered to answer any question and I took her up on it. Now she's committed and can't back out. In all seriousness, Maya has a lot of publishing...

Interview with Carrie Feron, Editorial Director at Avon

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Carrie Feron is the Editorial Director at Avon.  Avon publishes approximately eight original print romances and four digital-first titles each month .  Morrow Trade is a companion line that publishes a mix of women's fiction and romance.  Avon Impulse is the digital first arm of Avon.  The same team that works on Avon books, including the editorial, production and marketing staff, work on Avon Impulse books.

The original thought was that Avon Impulse would be primarily unknown authors but...

REVIEW: Silk Is for Seduction by Loretta Chase

Dear Ms. Chase:

"He truly did love her. After all she'd told him. He truly believed she could do anything."

That's an amazing showing of love.  He believed she could do anything.  The Duke of Clevedon falls so in love with Marcelline Noirot, shopkeeper, that he believed she could convince the entire world that they belonged together.  Or at least the entirety of the world that mattered.  And if she could not? Then to hell with the world.

But alas, I get ahead of myself.

[image error]Marcelline Noirot is the e...

REVIEW: And One Last Thing… by Molly Harper

Dear Ms. Harper,

While I know that being a woman scorned would suck, Lacey Terwilliger, nee Vernon, makes it seem survivable. Nay, not only survivable but rise above-able. Lacey does what I suspect most women in her place would want to do – she gets her revenge on her cheating spouse. But she also ends up with that other important thing, her dignity, as well as growing as a person and ending up with a wonderful new man to have smoking hot sex with on Wednesdays.

[image error]Lacey Terwilliger honestly...