Hello and welcome to Good Karma Reviews.

My name is Chandra, and I was never a cheerleader in high school. Probably this is to do with my lack of athletic ability and coordination, as well as the fact that my school didn't have a squad. Despite that, I still see the value and importance of encouragement and support. Since the beginning of this journal, I have been "adopting" books that remind me why I love to read and trying to help them reach a wider audience. (An ambitious goal for a small, unknown journal, but a worthy one.)

To be published is an amazing accomplishment, one that should be celebrated and supported. Through positive reviews and gentle suggestions, GKR is striving to change the way we think about critiques. Yes, there is always room for improvement, every author knows this, but every book has something worthy in it.

However, each step of the process and every victory is something to celebrate. That's where our "Celebrations and Libations" entries come in—good news about writers collected over the week, so we can all lift a glass of cyber-champagne to celebrate everything from the first 30,000 words to the release day.

I need your help—please send your good news or news of your fellow writers to me so we can share it. If you have a book that you would like to be reviewed, please email me. I enjoy reading speculative fiction (fantasy and scifi), but I am willing to give almost anything a try. If I should decline to review something, please understand it is because I worry that a preference will cloud my ability to fairly assess the material.

I apologize that reviews are sporadic at the moment because of some professional writing that requires my priority.

This will be a promotion-focused blog, so the majority of my personal entries are friend-locked unless it is news that can be shared. There's always Dreaming in Red if you really wanted to know. ;)

Everyone, let's do our best!
C. Rooney

(See below for recent entries.)

First of all, a belated thank you to kazdreamer who has created an LJ Feed for my writing blog, Dreaming in Red, which has been getting way more action in the "quality content" category and twice as many Doctor Who references.

Sorry for the sporadic posting of C&L entries. It is my hope after oh, June 16th, they will return to something resembling a weekly schedule. There's been a lot of activity, and this is by no means the entirety of it. Let's just say there are a lot of excerpts and contests out there on the interwebs.

Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely has made the YALSA list of nominees for the Teen's Top 10. You might recall that the paperback edition of Wicked Lovely is out, as well as the hardcover edition of Ink Exchange. Melissa's been on tour, so check out her journal. A special congratulations for Ink Exchange going into its THIRD printing and debuting at #8 on the NYT Bestseller list!

Here's an interview with Jeaniene Frost re: One Foot in the Grave's release. (The winner of that contest was The Oxford Comma.) As for Jeaniene's Get Your Grave On contest winners, say congratulations to: rissatoo, eternal_moonie, shina_laris, and the other two winners. A big gin & tonic to Ms. Frost for her AMAZING placement on the lists—including #9 on the NYT Bestseller list!

jmprince pointed out there's a new Query Shark on the web, and ophelialaughs has created an LJ Feed. (Just a note that this is a very frank review query letter review blog. Read at your own risk.)

Here's an interview webpetals did with Gena Showalter for her new novel THE DARKEST NIGHT. The winner for the contest attached to that interview is ladyvampire2u. On the same book topic, Rachel Vincent's The Darkest Contest Winner was B. E. Sanderson. Oh, and Gena's on like every list in America. *G* Congratulations on that Borders Romance #1!

If you're interested in participating in a writing exercise, christinarundle is running one with a deadline of May 12th. 500–1000 words. Any genre welcome. Prompt: "A boy selling raffle tickets door to door stumbles upon a crime scene." C'mon, it'll be fun. :)

Another Good Things list to share and trade, this one from cristalia.

Congratulations to Rachel Vincent, who has completed her draft of Werecats 4 (Working title: PREY.)

Here's an entry that will link you to various neat lists on swan_tower's website. (Business advice with a glossary of terms and some world-building info.)

desperance has sold a short story to Nature magazine!

oracne has a cover flat complete with an ISBN!

Suzanne Baren has posted her second entry on the new yahoo music blog, As Heard On. If you've been wondering what that great new song on the iTunes commerical (not the MJB one, the "shut up and let me go" song) she'll tell you all about it.

Please buy tigerangel_hel's shirt design at genki gear. (1) She's super talented. (2) She needs money so she can her hubby can meet me in Japan again sometime in the nearer future. (Again, Happy Anniversary to you and Scott!)

Happy (Surprise) Release Day to Marie Brennan, whose debut Onyx Court novel Midnight Never Come hit the UK shelves on May 1st! Those of us on this side of the pond still have to wait until June 9th.

Leah Bobet is in the Mammoth Book of Extreme Fantasy, whose ToC reads like a who's who in fantasy.

webpetals posted some writing opportunities for young writers.

Would you like to see Jocelynn Drake's apocalicious cover? Clicky for The Dark Days Series book one, NIGHTWALKER's cover art.

relliott4 has posted some snippets from a conference she went to in OK.

Welcome back, magicnoire!

If you're going to WisCon 2008, May 23–26th, here's where you can find oracne and cristalia.

Hooray! Today you can finally read Ink Exchange! After getting an ARC as an unexpected and much appreciated Solstice gift (for being a part of the WickedLovely.com site crew,) I can tell you this book moved me in a way few books have recently. It is a brave book of emotional truth—plus it has Niall and Irial. *g* A review will be coming next week.

Today is also the release of One Foot in the Grave, the second Night Huntress book and follow-up to Jeaniene Frost's super-steamy Halfway to the Grave. I think I can speak for half of livejournal, it seems, when I say I've been dying to get my hands on this book and see the reunion of Cat and Bones.

Congratulations to both Melissa and Jeaniene!

Hello all! It's been a long two weeks—we'll try to time travel through them here, but there's a lot of good news out there that I might have missed, so please feel free to add a mention in the comments. (I am in need of a companion to aid my hijinks... or at least a new policy about someone else covering C&L when I'm revising.)

First up, the final six winners of Melissa Marr's ongoing contest:
• Allie won a Rath & Ruins tee
• Jackie supplied a playlist that won her an INK EXCHANGE jacket proof
• Navah's poetry won her an INK EXCHANGE jacket proof
• Crimson made some poetry suggestions that won her an ARC of INK EXCHANGE
• Lucile won a paperback flat of the US Wicked Lovely cover.
• "April wins an Ink Exchange jacket proof with her poetry, and photos, and  lyrics, and sheer  thoroughness.   As  an extra thank you, April gets one of the new INK  tees that my tattooist designed." (from Melissa's LJ)

Angela Consolo Mankiewicz, a poet from the Mid-Wilshire Writers group, has a new poetry chapbook As If available now. As If is a book of poems dealing with a battle with breast cancer and survival. She also has four poems available in the online Sketchbook literary journal.

Yahoo.com started a new music blog recently, which is being written by local LA author, Suzanne Baran. Suzanne also has a review for the Savages up on Big Take Over. Her essay, "Rochelle," will be appearing in a future anthology with the proposed title of MEMOIRS IN THE LIGHT OF DAY. (More details to come.)

jmprince interviewed Maureen Johnson, author of SUITE SCARLETT.

So many photos and reports of RT are circulating, and it sounds like everyone had a wonderful time. Rachel Vincent's website has been update with her collection of photos if you want to take a look.

Renee Sweet took the time to take notes at the Agent/Editor panel at RT, and here they are. You should read them because Miriam Kriss, who's the best agent ever, was on the panel. While we're on the subject, here's some 'query no nos' from Agent Rachel Vater.

Results of Rachel Vincent's Rogue photo contest are in. Congratulations to the winners! Rachel scored some great autographed books at RT that she'll be giving away over the next few months with tasty chocolate. You can still enter today in her The Darkest Giveaway!

Vicki Pettersson gave away an ARC of THE TOUCH OF TWILIGHT on her blog. Actually, it was being given away on her messageboard, but she caves to peer pressure of people who love her to bits but can't follow directions. *g* Congratulations Pam K!

Congratulations to the brilliant Jeaniene Frost on her RT Reviewer's Choice award for Best Urban Fantasy! Jeaniene is interviewed here by Marta Acosta. There's another interview on Ramblings on Romance. Both interview have (had?) book giveaways. Oh, and Jeaniene announced that her third book will be called AT GRAVE'S END.

Congratulations to Melissa Marr, whose forthcoming INK EXCHANGE has already gone into reprint, as well as the paperback for Wicked Lovely. INK EXCHANGE has been included on the Book Sense 2008 Children's Picks List, and Wicked Lovely will be released in Spanish.

jmprince brought to our attention that her friend Juliet Bond is looking for autographed books for a school fundraiser.

International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day happened this week. Marie Brennan has an excellent offering "Silence, Before the Horn."  I have an article about Blogging with a Purpose, and I found this lovely little short story by Rinda Elliot. (It wasn't part of the day, but you should read it anyway.)

Novel meme: fabulousfrock, melissa-writing, sarah_prineas, swantower, oracne, and me. (The purpose of the novel meme is to display that most authors didn't sell their first finished novel.)

Marie Brennan has posted the LJ-suggested interview questions and answers for MIDNIGHT NEVER COME. She also had a contest to win an ARC, and here are the results.

Folio Lit Agency has a blog now. (Yes, one separate from Rachel Vater's LJ.)

Don't forget that the official start of DOCTOR WHO series 4 is tonight on Sci Fi. You want to watch, because while boys don't kiss as often as they do on TORCHWOOD, the Doctor is filled with glee and it will make you happy to watch him save the universe (that he probably endangered in the first place.)

Looking ahead to next week: ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost and INK EXCHANGE by Melissa Marr come out on Tuesday! (Remember, preorders and books bought in the first week help bump the author's numbers for the bestseller lists.) Clicky on the titles to go to the websites were you can get at the excerpts. :)

Stole this from swan_tower. It's more for my own interest than anyone else.

The idea of a list of novels you've written and how it relates to the novel/s you've sold. Mine is interesting because I've not sold any novels yet, but I appear to have a great deal of entires on the list. I've probably done it incorrectly. XD

Many of these were never finished, but the ones that were completed are in bold. If you'd like to feel better about yourself, note that the book I'm getting paid for writing is the seventh manuscript I've completed, and the one my agent is going to shop is the sixth.

1) REALMS (1998 or 1999)—A 30-chapter novel that definitely was fanfiction. My friends and I were characters in it. Awesome. I am shamed and refused to tell you what fandoms it involved. (Yes. FANDOMS, as in the plural. Shamed.)

2) REALMS #2 (1999 or 2000). A shorter sequel to #1. More focused on being original.

3) DARKNESS: DREAMS, SONGS, CHILDREN OF THE PHOENIX (1999–2004?)—A series of YA "novels" (re: novellas) because I still had no idea how long a book was supposed to be. The important thing is it wasn't fanfiction. I wrote three, started a fourth and thought I could wrap it up with a fifth. Paranormal romance/urban fantasy. Grew to epic proportions because the characters were too powerful to begin with. I blame Neil Gaiman's THE SANDMAN. The first 2500 words of this got a professional critique from Terry Brooks, Robert J Sawyer and Matt Hughes at a writer's festival. (I won a contest to get in on the private crit with 3 other unpubbed writers.)

4) SHADOW ANGELS (2000 or 2001?)—unfinished cyberpunk that someone said reminded them of William Gibson's IDORU. Probably the roots of my current YA. Heavily anime-influenced. Had to do with rewriting people's brains to make them into other people, cyborgs, gods trapped in robot bodies, and LARP-ing. (That means Live Action Role Playing for those of you who don't speak geek.)

5) REALMS #3 (2000 or 2001)—About when I realized I couldn't finish this project because I was so not interested in fanfiction anymore.

6) FOX HUNT (2004–2006)—First novel finished for publication. I wrote it because a small press in Canada was interested in it. I showed them the first chapter and had to admit I didn't have anything else. That's why I don't show people things that aren't finished. Redrafted like 7 times and *shudder* queried to agents on. It wasn't ready. Neither was I. It was a mythic realism about Japanese fox spirits.

7) Sequel to FOX HUNT (2006) It was delightfully weird and originated the Shiro in Drag joke that only KT or Rae would get. (Yes, Kaz, I'm aware I'm going to Buddhist hell. I'll save you a seat.)

8) WOLVES OF WAR (Early 2007)—Unfinished first attempt to salvage something from #3 set in #4's world. I decided Valentine should have his own novel because he is sexy and we like sexy guys hunting werewolves that aren't really werewolves in future cities on alternate worlds.

9) UNTITLED possible spin-off to #6. (Early 2007) Had Shiro as a protagonist. Stopped writing it when I realized that #6 and #7 were not going to get picked up by agents. Probably because of the Shiro in Drag thing I mentioned in #7. (And that they were really not ready for publication.)

10) DESERT GHOSTS (August 2007)—Unfinished attempt to slavage something from #8. Restarted as a mythic biopunk thingie. Still had Valentine, but not nearly enough of him. I also realized the mythology was still too complicated. KT has read it. Says it's meant to be something longer than a novella. So I might eventually remove Valentine from it and try to finish it as a separate thing.

11) THE TALE OF ARIAKE (2007–2008)—complete tear down to the foundations and rewrite of #6. Shiro wanted to be a protagonist and not ever be in drag. I am unable to deny him things, because if I try, he makes my CP take his side. Rewrote the second half of it twice. This is the manuscript that Miriam will be shopping once I get around to returning revisions to her. Yes, it's still mythic realism. Yes, it's still about the  myobu (white foxes who work for Inari.)

12) FRAGMENTS OF VALOR (Nov 2007)—Attempt to salvage #8 by changing it to YA. Worked on it during NANO. It crashed and burnt.

13) Work-for-Hire/Magical Secret Project of Mystery (2008). First "novel" I am getting money for. I have no idea what it is. Currently reads as mythic realism to me. Was probably supposed to be a paranormal romance.

14) RUNA (2008)—Stubborn refusal to abandon #12. Restructured as first person, MC switched. Mythology hashed out. The working title refers to the MC who is the "I" in the narration, although I more often refer to it as "that YA thing with Magic Death Wings and Valentine."

Looking into the future....

15) THE BELOVED OF INARI—planned book #2 for the myobu series (which starts with #11.) Pretty much got its summary worked out in my brain.

16) Sequel to #14.

17) THE SWORD OF KANNON—#3 of the myobu stuff. All I know is it's set in Japan.

18) Whatever the hell that weird collection of ideas rolling about in my head becomes. I think it's YA.

(LOL. I'm thrilled that I have to carry-over this heading from last week and add a new one.)

Rachel Vincent News

Rachel Vincent announced this week that she's sold three YA books to Mira, which means soon we'll get to read about her teenage banshee's world (and I can uncross my fingers that she's going to sell.) Her spread the word contest for Rogue has produced two winners: Kelly Barnes and Kirby Keammerer. As for her Favorite Character Contest? That was won by bstagner.

Rachel Vincent is on Facebook now. Along with...well, most of us, so add her if you haven't yet. Rinda Elliot, too. frost-light is running this week's good news list in honor of Rachel and Ilona Andrew's news.

Sale News

Leah Bobet's "Kryptionian International Remembrance Day" is live on Oddlands Magazine. Mark your calendars, as Pseudopod will be featuring a podcast of her "Furnace Room Lullaby" on May 2nd.

Marie Brennan sold "A Heretic By Degrees" to Intergalactic Medicine Show.

Book News

Melissa Marr has posted some Wicked Lovely extras.

Marie Brennan got an excellent review from PW for MIDNIGHT NEVER COME, as well as a new part in her continuing excerpt.

Jeaniene Frost shared the teaser snippet for ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE.

I'm so glad watchmebe has finished her revisions and can stop listening to "Cruisin' " by Huey Lewis.

Marjorie M Liu announced her involvement with Ace Books on an anthology called INKED. (Jan 2010.) Read the announcement to learn of the other authors involved and a little bit about Liu's novella.

Wendy Roberts' Dating Can Be Deadly is now available in French.

Ilona Andrew's second novel, Magic Burns, hit #32 on the New York Times Bestseller list!

Award News

Congratulations to Denyse Bridger and her publisher Edge Books, on the 2008 Prix Aurora nomination in the Long Form Best Fiction English category, as well as OnSpec magazine for their nomination for Best Work Other (English.)

Misc Good News

Jocelyn Drake and Kim Harrison met up.

Welcome, Leah Bobet, to the world of 11 am breakfasts!

Have fun on vacation, magicnoire!

Misc Links of Interest

Edge of the Forest is up, as you know features reviews by jmprince, who has a new website.

Rachel Olivier has a couple reviews in the April 2008 issue of Illuminata magazine.

Here's an interview Urban Fantasy Fans did with Vicki Pettersson, who has her own message board now.

kissukissu is in need of our help to raise funds so she can do the Classical Animation course in Vancouver. Anyone who's ever wanted to see one of their characters brought to live or just wants to help out a young artist for as little as $5—here's your chance.

Leigh Purtill, author of the YA novel Love, Meg—the paperback edition is out this week—has a new book YA book this week called All About Vee.

I haven't had a chance to read either of Leigh's novels, but having met her at the West Hollywood Book Fair and seen her at the Mid-Wilshire Writer's group, I can tell you she's a pleasant professional.

Love, Meg is about a 15-year old Meg Shanley, who moves around with her older sister and writes fan letters to Jennifer Aniston. After Meg moves to Hollywood, the letters stop coming and a guy shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her brother. Meg packs it up and moves to Queens, hoping that this family she never knew she had will help her find happiness.

All About Vee (according to amazon.com):

"Veronica May (“Big Vee”) is a bubbly, gorgeous, confident, eighteen-year-old theater actress from Chester, Arizona. She is also two hundred pounds. She puts off college, her life, and her questions about her mother’s death twelve years earlier to care for her widowed father.

Then Daddy announces that he’s going to remarry and Veronica feels replaced. She decides, then and there, it’s time for Big Vee to shine! She escapes Arizona and follows in the footsteps of her mother, who was an aspiring actress, to Hollywood."

Leigh, being a resident of Los Angeles, can definitely give you the feel for how LA really is—so if you'd like to see it through either Meg or Vee's eyes, check out these books.

 

Since I spent a large chunk of the past week unaware of reality, I'm going to do this, as it makes it easier:

Rachel Vincent-related News

Rachel had like a 107 contests running. I, unfortunately, don't know who won half of them, but I congratulate the newsletter winners, and point out that a couple of the contests are still running—Jeri Smith-Ready's contest closes tomorrow, and the photos with Rogue contest runs until April 7th.

She also had many good interviews. Ok, that middle one is actually an interview with Faythe and not Rachel, but it was good, too.

Rachel's second book, Rogue, hit the shelves—receiving much love and positive reviews... which may have helped it hit #32 on the New York Times Bestseller list! Which means to keep her humble, I have to share this video with you.

Now she has a store, too. Like Rinda Elliot—well, not as full of STUFF as Rinda Elliot, but y'know. They're both stores. On Cafe Press.

Contest news

Melissa Marr's contest is winding down—six prizes remain! Here are the most recent winners:
• Alexia won an INK EXCHANGE cover proof for her art suggestion for Keenan.
• Elizabeth Holland received an ARC of INK EXCHANGE for her literary suggestion for Dona.
• TL Cadence submitted six song choices for Seth. Her prize is a UK Cover Flat of Wicked Lovely.

Book News

oracne  has a story in a Lesbian erotica anthology that came out recently. (Oh, I'm sorry, that wasn't an intentional pun, I swear!) You can read an excerpt.

Marie Brennan's MIDNIGHT NEVER COME has been picked up as the June selection for the Science Fiction Book Club.

Revisions have been going around over the past couple weeks. Guys, it's like we're passing each other a cold bug or something. Keep at it, everyone, you'll be finished before you know it. :)

...I think Rinda Elliot finished her proposal, which means her manuscript can be shopped around sooner. I'm going to say she did and link  to her blog.


Award News

If you haven't heard, Melissa Marr will be attending RT now, as Wicked Lovely is a RITA finalist in the YA category.


Misc Good News

A Belated Happy Money Day to oracne.

I also celebrated a money day this week, so maybe I can buy coffee mugs or this completely accurate t-shirt.

Misc Links of Interest

Revising is like Cake. Jackson Pearce has returned with her video blogs!

Deleted scenes from Jeaniene Frost's Halfway to the Grave have been posted on her site.

There's also been some reviews of One Foot in the Grave and a creature guide added.

Marjorie M Liu's post about query letters and a post about inspiration. Oh yes, and pictures from her Radcliff signing.

Speaking of signings, here's the post about Vicki Pettersson's visit to the Nellis Air force base.

I pass links on from Marie Brennan regarding The Theory of Relativity in words of four letters or less and funny thing about time travel.

Lux Magazine's blog has been interviewing authors who will be at RT. Jeaniene Frost and Kim Harrison to name two.

Rachel Vincent's good news had prompted the building of a good news list over at Melissa Marr's journal. Take part. It'll make you feel better.

Oh my god, you guys, so I was reminded it was both April Fool's and the release day for Rachel Vincent's Rogue. I had this wonderful plan to April Fool's all of you buy making an LJ cut that claimed to contain spoilers for the book... and then declaring that in Rogue, Faythe's brother Ethan and his best friend Jace realize their deep, sexy masculine love for one another is far more fulfilling than their meaningless flings with most of Texas. (Or Is it half the Pride territory, Faythe? I've forgotten.)

Until I realized that someone might not understand it was a joke, and I don't want anyone who has..."strong opinions" to take my fun and make it into negative press for a really good book.

So I'm not going to ship Ethan and Jace for you, and instead I'll send you to Rachel Vincent's cafe press store, so you can buy her stuff. I saw some youtube video that implied she was no longer in high school and that means she'll need money for college tuition, right?

Happy Release Day, Rachel! :D

Thanks to a kind reminder from my co-presenter, I recalled that I'm supposed to be working on a presentation for our writing group about author/writer blogs at our April meeting. The presentation is proposed to cover the benefits of blogging as a web presence and way to interact with readers/fellow writers, the dos and don'ts of blogging, and examples of writer blogs that are doing things well.

While I can offer my personal experience, I think the presentation would be stronger if it went beyond just what I know, so I'm in need of testimonials (and your permission to use them in the presentation) from both published and unpublished writers regarding blogging. Or if someone can remind me if they've already posted about this topic and would give permission to be included in the presentation as a resource URL. Even if you can speak as a reader of writer's blogs, that would be helpful, too.

So....

1) Has your LJ/blog helped you on your writing journey? How?

2) What draws you to a writer's blog? For example, is it because you've read their book or they've left a comment on your blog?

3) What turns you off of a writer's blog?

4) What, in your opinion, are the three blogs that every writer should be reading?

5) Er... whatever it is I'm forgetting that you know I should mention.

Thank you!

Last summer Rachel Vincent made her urban fantasy debut with Stray, the first book in her planned six book werecat series from Mira. Admittedly, I had mixed feelings about some of the aspects of Stray—mostly the love interest, who just didn't do anything for me. (I almost felt sympathetic for him in the second book, and that's worth a hat off to Vincent.)

I can happily say that Rogue, the second book that is now on shelves all over North America, shows vast improvements in Vincent's plotting and technical writing skills. Sentence by sentence, Rogue is a tight, well-written, compelling novel. Faythe's voice is solid, strong, and believable. She reads like an English post grad student who had her academic life interrupted. I believe her actions are realistic and feel that she's showing more maturity, although she has a lot of growing and maturing to do in the upcoming books.

Rogue, if you need a short spoiler-free summary takes place a few months after Stray, and opens with Faythe working to prove herself as an enforcer for her Pride. She stumbles upon a string of murders involving the werecats, another string involving some strippers, and is brought face-to-face with some unforeseen consequences of events from book 1. (Special note you will understand later: Faythe's mom is brilliant.)

I admit a preference for books that have a solid ending, but the werecats series tendency to leave something open isn't enough of a "to be continued..." to get hung up on. Although, it does seem less wise now that PRIDE is coming out next year instead of this fall.

The bottom line is I enjoyed Rogue far more than I enjoyed Stray. I wish Rogue had started the series, but I'm aware the reason I like Rogue so much better is because I can see the improvements. Rogue had me going "yes, this is urban fantasy."

If you loved Stray, I'm sure you've already bought Rogue. If you weren't sold on Stray, you should still give Rogue a try.

Contest News
beccaajoy won kazdreamer's anniversary contest!

To celebrate Rachel Vincent's new low-volume quarterly newsletter, she's having a contest with two prizes up for grabs. You have until 11:59 pm EDT to enter.

Agent News
Congratulations to rhonawestbrook on her latest full request.

Most of you know the big news over the past week belonged to Rinda Elliot. In addition to welcoming her to the Irene Goodman Agency, and congratulation her on how it sounds like she's working well already with our agent Miriam Kriss, I'd like to say Happy Birthday!

Good luck to those of you querying. Hang in there. Your time is coming.

Book News
Melissa Marr received an author copy of the INK EXCHANGE hardcover.

The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance cover is floating around the internet. It has many many authors in it, including Vicki Pettersson and Rachel Vincent.

webpetals, aka Marjorie M Liu will be at a book signing on March 29th Anya Bast and Debby Giusti at The Bookstore in Radcliff, Kentucky.

Congratulations to Jocelynn Drake on completing her second book.

Award News
The Roar Awards are circulating! Congratulations to everyone who's participating in rewarding powerful words, and thank you again to ravelda and reneesweet for Good Karma Reviews' nomination.

Misc Good News
It sounds like things went well for watchmebe at her film rights meeting.

Misc Links of Interest
I like art. So look at these drawings by fabulousfrock and ktcoope. Oh yes, and this sexy one Andrew "2Hands" Tunney did of my character Valentine.

Leah Bobet has been updating her website. Oh yeah, and her right hand appeared in Wired.

Speaking of websites, Jeaniene Frost has a snazzy fansite with MUSIC and forums!

ravelda  and reneesweet nominated me for a Roar award! Thank you, it really brightened my day. :)

The rules are:
Link back to the person who tagged you. List three things that you believe are necessary to make writing good and powerful. Tag five others and comment on their blog informing them that they’ve been tagged with this award.

What I think makes writing good and powerful:
1. Believable, emotionally complex characters with understandable motivations.

2. Purpose, opinion and carefully woven threads of Truth.

3. When it engages a reader and brings them into its world—while making them reconsider how they see their own.

For five more people who deserve Roar Awards, I nominate:

1.rkvincent, because being one of the oldest blogging friends I have, she is at fault for pretty much all the others I've made. She can write like 3000 words a day, make a gingerbread city, and still find time to inform and encourage others.

 2. melissa_writing, whose books contain Truth and have important things to say. Plus she runs Sentence Sundays which encourages others to share from their WIPs and get/give feedback.

 3. kazdreamer: her writing roars, and she's the bloody best CP I've ever had—and she never fails to cheer on me or the community.

4. Vicki Pettersson for being an inspiration, a back for all of us to try to catch, and never failing to kick my ass when it needs kicking.

5.rhonawestbrook she is joyful, encouraging and never fails to delight and inspire everyone who reads her blog.

Contest News

Congratulations to Aussiesue 17 who won the copy of NIGHT LIFE and frog truffles rkvincent  gave away in her March giveaway and Reema, who won signed copies of Stray and ROGUE.

Congratulations to the 100 winners of Barbara Vey's anniversary party. (I love you guys, but there is no way in hell I am listing 100 individual names. I have a deadline to meet.)

Congratulations to the latest round of Melissa Marr's contest winners: Aprilynne, who won a Wicked Lovely tee for her book suggestion for Donia; Scarlet, who won an ARC of Ink Exchange for her song suggestions for Ash; Cyrese, who won one of the Ink Exchange jacket proofs for her song suggestions for Keenan. 10 prizes remain!

Sale News

lkmadigan  has a two book YA deal with Houghton Mifflin. (via a comment on frost_light  's journal.)

lisa_schroeder  author of I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, has sold her second novel-in-verse FAR FROM YOU to Michael del Rosario at Simon Pulse.

Robert Szeles's first sale: an erotic short story entitled "Cat and Canary" sold to Lucrezia Magazine for their April issue.

Suzanne Baren has had her first piece appear on Six Sentences. Read The Illustrator here.

Book News

Marie Brennan announced a change in plans for which Onyx Court book she'll be writing next.

You can read an excerpt of Vicki Pettersson's THE TOUCH OF TWILIGHT over on her site. Have a look at the UK cover for The Scent of Shadows while you're at it.

Happy Debut again to blackaire  , aka Caitlin Kittredge.

Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely has been listed on the New York Public Library's "Books for the Teen Age 2008" list.

Award News

Congratulations to Canada's Dragon Moon Press for winning the 2008 EPPIE in Nonfiction for their Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction: Volume 1, which is also a finalist for the Foreward Magazine's Book of the Year. Information about the guide to writing series can be found here.

Misc Good News

Welcome to the Mac side, Vicki. :)

Marie Brennan will be at ICFA.

Jeaniene Frost is going to RT, and she has a newsletter now, too.

Christina Rundle and I will be at World Fantasy Con 2008. I am strongly encouraging others to join us so hijinks can ensue, as I will likely be high on soon-to-be-released glee.

Congratulations to tigerangel_hel  as her and her husband's home was approved, and they were awarded a new lion bunny. Have a look at this great piece of art posted of some of her anime characters.

Enjoy your time off between quarters, ravelda  .

Congratulations to Barbara Vey, who celebrated a first year anniversary for her blog over at PW online.

Welcome back to LJ, kt_coope  and jmprince  , who has good news! She's now the membership coordinator for the Arizona Region of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and has earned a place among the editorial staff of The Edge of the Forest.

kazdreamer is a superhero. She knows why.

Misc Links of Interest

Rachel Vincent shares 5 Things A Reader Might Not Know about the publishing industry, and guestblogs at Witchy Chicks.

watchmebe  talks about Voice/Point of View and here is her first vlog! It's about balancing writing with a day job. This is her second about tips for getting readers to connect with writing.

fabulousfrock  discusses research for the purpose of description.

Vicki Pettersson has been sharing photos from her Neon Boneyard tour.

Melissa Marr discusses the new Fox comedy The Return of Jezebel James.

Marie Brennan speculates on why writers want movies made of their books over at SF Novelists, and Daryl Gregory talks about the book cover process.

Rachel Vincent is guestblogging at Witchy Chicks today. I highly encourage you to read her topic "When to Turn off your modem." Why? Because, I think (humbly) the best manuscript I've ever written was accomplished by following her excellent advice. (Of course, I generally think Rachel is brilliant.)

If you comment before midnight tonight, you could be the winner of a copy of ROGUE, the second novel in her Werecats series, and get to read it before all your friends.

So those who know  me, know I think Andrew 2Hands Tunney is the bee's knees when it comes to art. Probably because he nailed the character design for a character no one else could draw properly (see icon,) and because he can draw Kenshin Himura looking manly whilst having not yet read Rurouni Kenshin.

Well... he can also write. So you should read his blog post about the Noise Festival launch party at 11 Downing Street. It might just move you like the earthquake moved his house.

Wendy Roberts is a fellow Canadian author and client of Miriam Kriss whose name popped up during a conversation Miriam and I were having. After I spent a few days on Wendy's blog, I knew I wanted to read her novel. Which my grandmother finished in 5 hours one afternoon, so I'll offer her enjoyment as unbiased second opinion.

Remains of the Dead is the first in Wendy's paranormal mystery series, Ghost Dusters. The novel focuses on Sadie Novak, who runs Seattle's only crime scene clean-up company, Scene-2-Clean. If that doesn't make icebreaker conversations awkward enough at parties, Sadie can also hear/see the dead. (I guess the premise is similar to Ghost Whisperer, but I can't really comment since I've only seen half an episode of the show.) Sadie gets a thrill out of helping people pass over, but it's a bothersome ghost at her latest cleaning gig—a murder-suicide in an affluent Seattle neighborhood—that draws her into the mystery of what really took place.

Mystery-wise, it seems standard from what I can tell. (It's admittedly been a while since I read the genre.) There are red herrings, a really lovely twist or two, and clues that a reader can put together with Sadie. The mystery element is cohesive and Roberts ties it up nicely. There's also a well-handled romantic subplot (or three) and the implication of an over-reaching one. What I enjoyed most about Roberts is how balanced and grounded her book is—Remains of the Dead is a mystery novel with a paranormal twist, not a paranormal romance with a mystery subplot.

Part of how this is achieved can be found in the details of both the setting and the process of crime scene cleaning. Roberts' research deserves a mention, as she is thorough without being overwhelming or obtrusive.

There's a quickness to the pacing and dialogue and interactions that propels a reader through the novel, you want to keep turning pages—it's almost like the book is chasing you and finishing it is the only way to escape. Thus Roberts easy prose and simple phrasings work to the novel's advantage, while her dry wit promises you a few chuckles along the way.

My favorite series of character interactions involves Sadie and psychic Maeva. They have a great dynamic and I look forward to seeing how it evolves in the next book, as well as what's in store for Sadie and her loyal employee Zack Bowman.

The second Ghost Dusters mystery will be available from Obsidian in December.

That's right, everyone, today's the day to rush out and get your copy of Caitlin Kittredge's debut Night Life—here's where she dwells on LJ.Under the username of blackaire , and most of you have probably seen her "bollocks" icon around. Go here to read the first chapter.

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Happy Release Day to Melissa Walker for Violet by Design, the sequel to her YA Violet on the Runway. Thanks to Caryn, the book lady, for this bit of news.

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If you're like me and can't wait until May 27th for THE TOUCH OF TWILIGHT by Vicki Pettersson, then pop over to Vicki's site, where she has an excerpt up to mercilessly tease tempt your reading tastebuds.

Contests

Congratulations the first three winners of Melissa Marr's ongoing contest: Liz E, whose submitted photo won her a Rath & Ruins tee, Dani, whose list of songs for Keenan won her a UK Copy of Wicked Lovely, and Chelsea, whose list of songs for Donia won her a proof of the INK EXCHANGE dustcover.

Sale News

For the month of March, Pen Noir is hosting 3 poems and 1 short story by Rachel V Olivier.

Book News

There are now less than 100 days until Marie Brennan's MIDNIGHT NEVER COME is released.

Just over 30 days until Rachel Vincent's ROGUE is released. Congratulations on the early excellent reviews!

57 days and a few hours until Melissa Marr's INK EXCHANGE and Jeaniene Frost's ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE are released.

Vicki Pettersson's TOUCH OF TWILIGHT is available for pre-order.

Award News

Leah Bobet's short story "Fitcher's Third Wife" earned an Honorable mention from Ellen Datlow for the next Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. Also, her story "Three Deaths" has been nominated for the 2008 long form Rhysling Award.

Misc Good News

It was magicnoire  's birthday this past week.

tigerangel_hel  welcomed a new bunny to her home.

Balls are funny. Ask rhonawestbrook.

Vicki Pettersson celebrated her one year anniversary of being published.

kazdreamer has been on livejournal for over a year now.

watchmebe<