Jane Litte's Blog, page 922

Authors Guild v. Google (Whether scanning and showing book text is fair use)

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Introduction

In 2004, Google undertook an ambitious project to scan and preserve every printed piece of material in the world. This eventually caused great consternation with copyright holders and led to The Authors Guild filing a lawsuit, among others, alleging that Google’s scanning and subsequent book text index was an impermissible infringement on copyright. The suit appeared to reach a resolution in 2009 when The Authors Guild and other plaintiffs agreed to a settlement with Google. This...

Daily Deals: When We Touch (Whiskey Creek) by Brenda Novak and other romances

[image error] When We Touch (Whiskey Creek) by Brenda Novak. $Free.

From Jacket Copy:

You’re invited to a wedding in Whiskey Creek, Heart of the Gold Country

Unfortunately, it’s the wrong wedding. Olivia Arnold is arranging the festivities—and it’s the hardest thing she’s ever done. Because she should be marrying Kyle Houseman. They were together for more than a year?. But her jealous sister, Noelle, stole him away—and now she’s pregnant.

All their friends in Whiskey Creek know as well as Olivia does that Kyle...

REVIEW: A Lady Never Lies by Juliana Grey

Dear Ms. Grey

I was sent this book by Berkley with a note that they know I like unusual historical settings. The book takes place in Italy in 1890. The set up is a little strained. Three male friends – the impoverished Duke of Wallingford, his brother, of Lord Roland Penhallow, and their friend Phineas Fitzwilliam Burke decide to lease a Tuscan fortress advertised in the newspaper.

[image error]Burke actually leases it with his “sordid millions” made from his patents and inventions and bullies his two frien...

First Page: The Red Dress

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. You can submit your own First Page using this form.

Note: This first page submission was marked “romance” and is presented as the author requested.

She was a hot chick in a red dress. I could smell the faint odor of last night’s sex on her, a combination of smoke, booze...

Daily Deals: Romance novellas and YA under $2.99

Kobo Books:

75% off Youth Fiction Titles with code percyartemis75 These are for Rick Riordan and Eoin Colfer books.

Other Deals:

[image error] The Real Real by Emma McLaughlin, Nicola Kraus. $2.99.

From Jacket Copy:

The bestselling authors of The Nanny Diaries introduce a new heroine to root for: Jesse O’Rourke, coffee barista, high school senior, and unwitting reality TV star.

Imagine there was never a Laguna Beach, a Newport Harbor, the shimmering Hills. Imagine that your hometown—your school—is the first pla...

REVIEW: Cherished by Maya Banks,Lauren Dane

Dear Ms. Banks & Ms. Dane,

Both of you are “auto-buy” authors for me, although lately, I’m having much better luck with Ms. Dane than with Ms. Banks. Generally speaking, I avoid novellas of any sort because I find that the build up to “I love you” is not drawn out enough for my tastes. But given that generally I enjoy your writing styles so much, I was happy to give this duology a shot.

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Exiled by Maya Banks

Talia Monteforte is a young woman who worked at the palace in Cristofino, a fictional kin...

REVIEW: Playing for Keeps by R. L. Mathewson

Dear Ms. Mathewson:

I purchased this book a few months ago when Has from the Bookpushers recommended it. I believe I started it and set it aside because I couldn’t get into the first chapter. When the book hit the Times list, I pulled it out to read again and pushed through the first chapter to find an engaging and funny romance but not one without its problems.

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Playing for Keeps is the first in a series titled “A Neighbor from Hell” and it features two opposites: Jason Bradford and Haley. They...

Friday Film Review: Geordie

[image error]Geordie (1955) (aka Wee Geordie)

Genre: sweet romance/athletics

Grade: sentimental B

“Come away wee Geordie!”

Marianne McA mentioned this film in the comments on “I Know Where I’m Going” as one she fondly remembered. I checked into it then but at the time it was unavailable to me to watch and, frankly, I sort of forgot about it since then until I revisited that review. Following up, I discovered that it has since been released on DVD and is a rental at Netflix. Now I can say I see what she sees i...

Friday News: Social media identity theft on the rise; bundling taking off; and eBay luring Amazon rivals

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Image via Big Stock Photo

How a lying ‘social engineer’ hacked Wal-Mart – ” A Wal-Mart store manager in a small military town in Canada got an urgent phone call last month from “Gary Darnell” in the home office in Bentonville, Ark. Darnell told the manager Wal-Mart had a multi-million-dollar opportunity to win a major government contract, and that he was assigned to visit the handful of Wal-Mart stores picked as likely pilot spots. First, he needed to get a complete picture of the store’s oper...

Daily Deals: Romance, YA and Lit Fiction

[image error] Scandal of the Black Rose by Debra Mullins. $1.99.

From Jacket Copy:

The dashing gentleman and the determined lady both pursue the secrets of the Black Rose Society. But what they discover is forbidden passion and a dangerous desire.

The jacket copy for this book is shockingly anemic. What I’ve gleaned from the reviews is that the heroine lost her twin brother and seeks to discover the reason for his death. Disguised as a prostitute in the Vauxhall Gardens, she is discovered by the hero who is...