Steve Jobs 1955-2011

"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. (Yet) death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life's change agent."

(From his commencement address to a college graduating class in 2005, in which he remarked on having himself dropped out of college)

How many aspiring writers like this one have been influenced, to larger or smaller degree, by this man's creativity?

Countless.

RIP Mr. Jobs.

Library Writer in Residence Programs

Any Gentle Readers out there also aspiring writers?

Apprentice Writer's suggestion of the day for you:

Investigate whether your public library runs a Writer-in-Residence program.

The Toronto Public Library does, and the current author holding the position is Deborah Cooke, also writing as Claire Cross, also writing as Claire Delacroix. Her oeuvre includes historical romance, chicklit, paranormal, fantasy, and dystopia. Her residence program includes panel discussions with industry experts to which the public is invited, blogging about various topics related to publication, and perhaps most enticing for us amateur scribblers, a manuscript critique opportunity (first fifity pages).

The author currently holding the position for the Richmond Hill Public Library is Barry Dempster, whose oeuvre includes poetry, short stories, and novels. His residence program includes a series of workshops, and also the tempting manuscript critique opportunity (first ten pages and synopsis).

Apprentice Writer had the good fortune to have her manuscript excerpt accepted for critique by Ms. Cooke, and spent an excellently helpful hour in the resident writer's library office, high above the North York public performance space and beneath Mel's Bells (an inside joke for Torontonians - Mel Lastman was a mayor of North York, a Toronto burb, and the library is in the same tower as the former North York City Hall which is crowned by a bell tower). Ms. Cooke provided a large amount of micro- and meta- comments about Apprentice Writer's manuscript, and the question of what to do with it now that it's complete. The most memorable of which was "This is good," and "You are not wasting your time," to AW's great relief.

Apprentice Writer now has renewed energy to work through another revision, and see the many-times-read words with fresh eyes. More importantly, she has completed (!) her query letter for sending out into the cold, harsh world of publication reality. Report forthcoming.

If you'd like the opportunity to speak with a Toronto-based author, editor, and/or literary agent, consider attending the public lecture tomorrow night. For info as well as a link to Ms. Cooke's blog, click here.

For info on the Richmond Hill program, click here.

At best, you could receive specific, helpful input on your work. At least, you would spend time with authors -who remain, in AW's opinion, some of the smartest and most interesting people anywhere.


m.

Freshly Squeezed Drama, Second Helping

Uproar ongoing.

For those not following this modern economics/public relations/social media lesson tweet by tweet or post by post, here is the bare minimum of what took place further to events in Apprentice Writer's previous post.

The Boards of Directors of the romance writers, mystery writers, and science fiction writers groups were unanimous in making pubic their strong and swift rejection of Harlequin's decision to open an arm (variously described as self-publishing and vanity press, depending on the speaker) for writers whose work was not up to Harlequin's regular publication standards.

Some of these organizations implemented immediate consequences regarding future recognition of Harlequin authors, some extended a deadline by which they hoped to hear from Harlequin about steps it might take to modify the new venture.

Harlequin issued a statment in which it expressed surprise at the negative reaction, and subsequently announced its decision to remove the Harlequin name from the venture.

For some blogosphere commentators, this was acceptable.

For others, it was too little, too late, considering two ongoing sore spots: Harlequin's original plan to include a reference to the service in standard rejection letters, and Harlequin's original fee structure for the service which are described without exception as much higher than industry standards. As of this blogpost, Harlquin does not appear to have made further public statements regarding these aspects.

Perhaps further developments will be handled behind closed doors, now that the initial storm has passed. Or perhaps this week will see further steps and counter-steps reported in the media.

Until then, Apprentice Writer passes on the following thoughts, shared by people with a helpfully enhancing point of view:

- According to an author-friend with background in Fortune 500 companies: when a company is working on an innovation, everything is very hush-hush and it simply does not occur that input is invited as this would ruin the scoop. Rather, the company anticipates which groups might have concerns, prepares responses dealing with those concerns, and after it unveils its innovation, expects that those groups will approach them and thereby bring about a discussion to lead to mutual satisfactory solution for both. According to this business practice, Harlequin would have expected writer groups to approach and consult behind closed doors, in theory leading to a happy (or at least, tolerant) faces all around.

But the writer groups didn't play it that way. Whether or not that was a good thing is for each onlooker to decide. Apprentice Writer's highly unscientific survey says opinions seem pretty much fifty-fifty on this.

- According to a friend 'on the inside', it seems many layers of employees at Harlequin had no idea this was in the works. That may include editors, and certainly the company's published authors, of which those tied to the Harlequin Historicals line were arguably the hardest hit since their double H logo could be and was easily confused for the Harlequin Horizon one. Something they could have warned upper management about.

- According to L'esprit d'escalier, the breakdown of fees is worth a very close look. For anyone thinking of making the leap to publication and interested in specific figures of what it can take on the road to get there, this is essential reading. Really, Gentle Reader who is also an Aspiring Writer - go look at this.

- The single item EVERYONE agrees upon:

Holy jaw-dropping numbers, Batman! How did they come up with these figures???



m.

Bored? Have some Drama, Freshly Squeezed!

Apprentice Writer's endurance march on wordcount has been sidetracked in the last few days by fireworks in Romanceland.

For those unaware: Harlequin Publishing, a giant in the industry, decided to open a separate arm for those aspiring writers whose manuscripts were deemed not good enough for Harlequin but who still wanted to see their book in print. Harlequin created the 'Harlequin Horizons' brand amid somewhat confusing information about what exactly the brand affiliation and author benefits would be, announced the imminent discontinuation of it's longtime editorial service-for-hire, and announced that rejection letters would commence inclusion of a notice about the new service.

Uproar ensued.

Apprentice Writer has neither the energy nor eloquence at this moment to uncross her eyes and wax poetic. Instead, some links for a crash course on Harlequinfail as it has been described:

For a comment thread about a lightyear long, with with some participants in favor but mostly not, take a look at Smart Bitches Trashy Books.

For an amusing comment on the comment thread, take a look at The Examiner.

For comments from a Harlequin lead hand, and discussion about the difference between self-publising and vanity press, take a look at Dear Author.

For an opinion from other press, take a look at the New Yorker.

For an opinion on what this means to authors and publishing in general, take a look at author Sherry Thomas.

And, if you have time for only one link which clearly breaks the nature of concerns down:

An excellently clarifying cross-section by author Jackie Kessler.

Whither Romantic Social Media?

Recently, the following rmantic fiction grogs (group blogs) gave notice of final curtain:

The Soapbox Queens (group of authors)

Romance Vagabonds (group of aspiring authors/readers)

Love is an Exploding Cigar (group of authors)

Romance Novel TV (group of reader/reviewers and guest authors)

In the blogosphere's natural course of events, blogs come and blogs go. Nothing new about that.

What struck Apprentice Writer this time was the question: what led these faithful bloggers to close shop, and more interestingly (is that a word?) - have they really departed to have more time for writing or other personal projects, or is this another sign of the rising dominance of the almighty Twitterverse? Have blogs and grogs concentrating on, say, fantasy, mystery, or litfic gone through similar changes?

*ponders*

Book Blogger Appreciation Week, 2nd Edition - Day 1

Here we are, arrived at Book Blogger Appreciation Week, Day1.

Ushered in on a wave of kerfuffle, brouhaha, and hubbub. (How Apprentice Writer loves using those words!).

Much cyberspace has been devoted to that excitement so this blog shall not go over the same ground. AW shall simply note that the organizers of this event, which is intended to be a joyous celebration of the book blogging community and its dynamic role in the industry, society, the world!....are extraordinarily responsive to input and have recommended that today's common theme be recognition of blogs that deserve such but for whatever reason did not make it onto nominations and therefore shortlist.

One of the ones that springs to AW's mind is not there due to self-elimination from the process. Due to choice of own exit, AW shall not drag it back in. Instead, she shall salute all those bloggers out there (you know who you are) who devote time, energy, and finances to pursuit and praise of words - regardless whether written in crayon, hieroglyphs, or ink, whether by quill, pencil or keyboard. As a group, writers' efforts elevate us all - and for that, book bloggers are grateful and supportive in our own individual ways.

Authors - write on. Book bloggers - cybercomment on.

CHICKLIT M.I.A.- NOW IT'S OFFICIAL.....

Regular readers of this space will be aware that Apprentice Writer has previously mused about the currect fate of that lipsticked and stilettoed subgenre: Chicklit.

She has now recieved more official notification of the dire state it's in.

A few days ago, she wrote to Harlequin regarding their much-publicized 60th anniversary celebrations. Specifically, she noted the free ebook downloads being offered for all sort of Harlequin lines, and asked what the free ebook for the Red Dress Ink imprint (i.e. their chicklit line) was.

This is what the Harlequin powers-that-be replied:

"We regret to inform you that the Red Dress Ink series has been discontinued."

So there you have it. Straight from the horse's mouth. Though why a horse gets to be the official symbol of authentic authority, AW hasn't a clue. Perhaps it would make more sense if the horse wore lipstick.

The Big Show at Hearts 'R' Us

This past weekend saw the culmination of another Rita ceremony at the Big Show among the professionals in the genre that gets no (literary) respect: romance. 2000+ romance writers descended upon Washington D.C. to celebrate, network, and reward themselves for another year of hard work, and in many cases, success: in a dismal publishing environment, books with romantic content saw sales increase.

And how did Apprentice Writer's predictions go about who would walk away with the Oscar equivalent in the subgenres she's been known to meander?

Let's see:

Best First Book
Her One Desire by Kimberly Killion (historical)
No Good Girls by Jean Marie Pierson (light women's fiction)
Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs (YA paranormal)
Passionate by Anthea Lawson (historical)
Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas (historical)
Strangers in the Night by Kerry Connor (category)
The Secret Soldier by Jennifer Morey (category, suspense)
Your Roots Are Showing by Elise Chidley (light women's fiction)

The only title in this cross-section of genres which AW read was 'Private Arrangements' and she loved it with such passion and conviction that she was all set to be 100% certain it deserved the Rita. Then - she learned of 'No Good Girls' and 'Your Roots are Showing', two books set to resurrect smart chicklit, and was torn; perhaps there should be a Rita each for best first book, historical division and contemporary divisions? Then - she learned that 'Passionate' is partly set in Tunisia. Northern Africa! How cool and unusual and deserving of being encouraged! Even greater tornity. All for naught: the winner was 'Oh.My.Gods.' Somehow, AW doesn't feel an overwhelming desire to rush out and buy it. Not fair to the book, but it is the victim of AW's unfulfilled anticipation. That's the way the whimsical reader cookie crumbles.


Contemporary Single Title Romance
No Good Girls by Jean Marie Pierson
Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson
Out of Time by Samantha Graves
Snowfall at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
Sweet Talk by Susan Mallery
Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves
Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber
Your Roots Are Showing by Elise Chidley

AW has not read one of these titles. Not one. It gets worse: she has not read a single one of these authors, period. Perhaps time to do something about that? Maybe start with the winner, 'Not Another Bad Date'?


Historical Romance
Duchess by Night by Eloisa James
In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine Heath
Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas
Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas
The Edge of Impropriety by Pam Rosenthal
The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne
To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt
Where the Heart Leads by Stephanie Laurens

This looked to turn into a cagematch for AW's affections, with 'Private Arrangments' and 'The Spymaster's Lady' going at it head to head. Given her enjoyment of the 'Desperate Duchesses' series, had she managed to read Book 3( 'Duchess by Night' ) by now it could well have become a three-way fight. AW has never really caught on to the huge fan-love for Elizabeth Hoyt's work, or Lisa Kleypas, or Stephanie Laurens, and has not read Lorraine Heath at all. And in the end, it was another unknown-to-her author and story walking away with the prize: 'The Edge of Impropriety'. Stunningly beautiful cover, though.


Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
Last Dance at Jitterbug Lounge by Pamela Morsi
The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
The Paper Marriage by Susan Kay Law
The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
Tribute by Nora Roberts
Where Serpents Sleep by C.S. Harris

One can almost hear the Gentle Reader saying, "But in this category, AW, your very own after all, you must be 100% well-versed and knowledgable!" The reply Gentle Reader would receive is "Nope. Have not read a single one of these titles, and what's more, authors." Shocking, indeed. Exactly what HAS Apprentice Writer been reading all year??? Obviously, works that fly below, beside or above RWA's radar.

This great little list of titles has the pedigree to push to the top of the TBR. AW wonders whether the other authors contemplated whether it was worth attending the ceremony when they learned they were up against Nora Roberts, whose 'Tribute' won the prize.


Regency Historical Romance
Duke Most Wanted by Celeste Bradley
Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn
My Lord and Spymaster by Joanna Bourne
The Dangerous Duke by Christine Wells
The Edge of Desire by Stephanie Laurens
Three Nights of Sin by Anne Mallory

Of these titles, AW has read the twin to 'Mr. Cavendish, I Presume' (which she has been told more than once is exactly the same book), 'My Lord and Spymaster', and 'The Dangerous Duke'. She enjoyed all three. If pressed for unimaginable reasons to choose only one, she'd have to go with the Bourne title - and lo and behold 'My Lord and Spymaster' won! Hooray! Huzzah! Hip, hip!

Tally
So let's see: of five categories, AW correctly predicted a grand total of ONE.

Perhaps she should shelve any notion to earn her future living as a bookie.

GENTLE READER - thoughts on wins? Losses? Which of the many AW has not read which she really should pick up?

Generation Gap. Part II

Further to the 'apps' method of figuring out which side of the generation divide you are on -

Apprentice Writer is much struck with further dividing lines.

Gentle Reader - do you TWIT? E-READ? CELL?

AW suspects her own "No" answer may need to be reassessed soon. Her Very Good Reasons why she has not embraced these tidal-wave technologies:

Twitter: avoiding due to fear of yet another addictive time-suck
E-read: dedicated e-reader is low on 'most urgent purchase' list and threatens to be hard on the eyes
Cellular phone as message centre: AW's cellphone is of the very basic variety, used for actual speech (yes, it's true - cellphones can be used for talking to another person, not just texting/surfing/games/movies/camera!)

Yet signs of being left behind, like an LP in a cassette world (wait; that's too old) -
like a walkman in a discman world (still too old) -
like napster in an itunes world (getting better) -
have conspired to poke a hole in AW's "comfortable-with-my-level-of-technology-thank-you-very-much' bubble. To wit:

- big author news is broken on Twitter rather than the blogosphere,
- reader contests are held exclusively on Twitter,
- some bloggers seem on a trajectory of decreased time blogging and increased time tweeting
- Twitter shows itself far above a shallow time-killer by profoundly affecting the way people protest totalitarian regimes
- the longstanding slow simmer between romance writers published in print vs. e-presses reaches a full boil with a recent statement from the president of Romance Writers of America and perceived-to-be exclusionary policies for the 'big' industry awards
- Dorchester issued an open call for unpublished authors to submit serial chapters in a contest with a publishing contract as prize, with reader voting to take place via cellphone.

The writing is on the wall.

Writing "THE END"

Big news.

Apprentice Writer has finished her first book,

CUPID AND A TOOLBELT
An Epic Novel of Romance and Home Improvement

The full manuscript is gearing up to go on tour of slush piles everywhere, with the first official scouting trip already sent into the not-quite-wild-blue-yonder (a well-known agency inviting three-sentence 'Book in a Nutshell' pitches, to be precise).

To celebrate, here is the Prologue in its first public appearance. The goldfish welcomes any and all comments. (Seriously. Its scales have been toughened enough from contest entries to absorb constructive criticism, yet are still sensitive enough to appreciate praise.)

"She blamed the goldfish.

With hindsight, Josie could pinpoint the instant when she descended into a life of crime. It was the moment she looked into those trusting underwater eyes, and realized she had no choice. She couldn't live with herself if she didn't take action - consequences be damned. So, really, if the fish hadn't been right there, right then, doing infinite laps round its private little pool, her destiny would probably have taken a different shape..."

CHICKLIT: MISSING PERSONS REPORT

Chicklit has gone MIA.

Once so ubiquitous and easy to spot (Those shoes and tubes of lipstick on the covers! The cartoon images! Neon-bright girly colors!), chicklit has developed such a rampant case of shyness that onlookers suspect it should be declared dead. Let's have a look at the evidence, shall we?

Previously reported:
- An agent putting in writing to Apprentice Writer that (paraphrased) chicklit is toast, nigh impossible to sell to publishers anymore,

- A used book store owner giving less credit for chicklitish titles (including those clearly marked 'Women's Fiction') than any other genres due to difficulty unloading,


New clues:
- Harlequin's much-advertised 60-year anniversary celebration doesn't seem to have sent a party invitation to the genre. As far as AW could tell, none of the 16 featured free books available for e-download included chicklit, nor the featured series to be released during the year. Paranormal, suspense, inspirational titles etc. offer multiple choices for the reader each month; while Red Dress Ink, the chicklit imprint, offers a single December 2008 title as most recent choice.

- Upsurge in titles now described as 'Contemporary/Upbeat/Light/Humorous Women's Fiction'. Author Jane Porter's website divides her work into 'Classic Romance' (referring to series titles) and titles described as 'Modern Lit'.

- Migration. First there was the disbandment of such sites as 'Literary Chicks', now previous chicklitish authors are popping up in other genres:

CARA LOCKWOOD - Young adult series and paranormal title Every Demon Has His Day
ALESSIA HOLLIDAY - writing as Alyssa Day, paranormal series Atlantis
LANI DIANE RICH - Co-wrote paranormal title Dogs and Goddesses
EILEEN COOK- Young adult title What Would Emma Do
EILEEN RENDEHL - writing as Eileen Carr, suspense title Hold Back the Dark and urban fantasy title Don't Kill the Messenger

From this off-the-top-of-her-head and by no means exclusive sample, Apprentice Writer concludes that a) Some people are amazingly good at seeing the writing on the wall and doing something about it, and b) Young adult, urban fantasy, and holy-smokes-its-unstoppable,-Batman paranormal are the rainmakers at the moment.

Is there any hope of chicklit survival?
Well, yes. Apparently a chicklit voice can thrive by immigration to other genre lands and blending in there. Funny, first-person stories have been popping up (as would be expected from above) in Young Adult land, Paranormal land, and Fantasy land. Also, JANET MULLANY'S upcoming title, A Most Lamentable Comedy, is billed as 'Regency Chicklit'.

But, the outlook for chicklit survival in the land of its birth - straight contemporary? Looking doubtful.

Optimists will promise the inevitablity of its rebirth, certain to rise from the ashes anew at some unknown future point. Maybe. But, who knows how far in the future, and under what name?

Until then, AW wishes someone would clue her in about the identity of the NEXT rainmaking subgenre.

EXPERIMENT: The Big H

There are many, many readers whose primary consumption involves the products of that mighty modern empire, Harlequin. Its global expansion, in geography and width of subgenres, is astonishing. Ask a non-romance reader what they think a romance novel is all about and chances are, that person will picture something resembling one of Harlequin's monthly category books, with a specific type of cover and title.

Apprentice Writer has never been drawn to category books, though she hasn't really figured out why. Some time ago, she won a book after enjoyable online chat with the author , and only realized it was a Harlequin title when it arrived in the mail. The story was set in an intersting period, had likable main characters, and for AW's taste was too short on plot developments and too long on introspection, with an ending that felt very quickly resolved for the number of times hero and heroine declared it could never happen. Was this a reflection of that particular author? Or was it a reflection of the tight wordcount and plot requirements set out for this line?

Is it fair to judge an entire line based on one book?

The answer, obviously, is no.

Yesterday was the annual Toronto WORD ON THE STREET celebration of all things literary. Harlequin's tent offered hundreds of titles with all proceeds donated to adult literacy charities. And voila: in between juggling junior apprentice writers #1-3, an experiment was born.

AW scooped up five Harlequin Historical titles, each from a different time period. Her plan is to read them concurrently and see what happens. Will plots follow a pattern? Will heros and heroines seem popped from a template? Will author skill result in uniquely memorable stories?

Tomorrow: Report #1.

Gentle Reader: are you a Harlequin fan? Why or why not?

The Delicate Art of Title Creation

Coming up with the perfect title for one's masterpiece is, as any writer will tell you, not so easy. For authors of some publishing houses, it is not even an option, conferred as their titles are by mysterious editorial/marketing powers-that-be. Some ubiquitous title word inclusions have come to have the power to signify instantaneously what the book's genre or subgenre might be: "savage", "sword", "scoundrel", and "billionaire", to name a few. (Having strung together the previous words, Apprentice Writer is now overwhelmed with the urge to write the first chapter of "The Savage Sword of the Billionaire Scoundrel.")

In some cases, however, one wonders whether the author/publisher took even the briefest moment to consider how the title might sound to browsers who aren't steeped in the subject matter. There are some mighty peculiar but seriously intended titles out there, a phenomenon celebrated by the

DIAGRAM PRIZE.

Over the years, the finalists and prizewinners have included many a humdinger. Apprentice Writer laughed muchly at such gems as

"Big and Very Big Hole Drilling"

"How to Avoid Huge Ships"

"Proceedings on the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice"

The Diagram Prize (aside: why diagram? Is it meant ironically, considering that there are usually only words and no pictures in a title?) is a British creation, unsurprising in a culture that prides itself on eccentricity. In this vein, one learns that the origin of the competition was as a means to break up boredom plodding down the endless aisles of ginormous (AW can personally attest) annual Frankfurter Buchmesse, or Book Expo, and that the actual title conferrer is not the person to receive a reward, but rather the person spotted and sent in the winning title. It all makes delightfully whimsical sense.

To read an entertaining article on the subject, go to
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/aug/30/oddestbooktitleprize.awardsandprizes

As the author notes, "...Oddness is in the eye of the beholder." Wise words to ponder.

SHOMI Contest

Interested in the new SHOMI line from Dorchester?

What's that, you say?

How about: cutting-edge, genre-crossing, speculative action adventure reading entertainment.

The stories range from apocalyptic tales, to time-travel, to cyber-reality, to manga-inspired showdowns.

Apprentice Writer's list of must-reads includes

HIDDEN by Eve Kenin

DRIVEN by Eve Kenin

COUNTDOWN by Michelle Maddox

The Book Binge is having a month-long spotlight on this new line, and challenging readers to give it a try. As an incentive, the Bingers are giving away a seven-book Shomi library.

Take a look atBook Binge: **CONTEST ALERT** I Showed You Mine, Now You Shomi Yours

RITA - or, the Oscar of Romance

This past weekend in San Francisco, a few thousand published and aspiring writers gathered to learn, schmooze, and celebrate all things romantic. The gathering culminated in awards presented to published and not-yet creators of works in many different categories (in the latter, called 'Golden Heart' rather than 'Rita').

Apprentice Writer doesn't know who the original Rita was, nor was she in attendance at the gala (though some of her IRL and cyberfriends were, and seem to have had a blast, one and all). Of the works that made the finalist lists she has only read a few, and regarding these, it seems that her views diverge from those of the romance-judging powers that be.

Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas finalled in the HISTORICAL category. Ms. Kleypas is a Big Name in the industry, all of her titles arriving with much buzz and storms of reviews. Of her previous work, AW read and greatly enjoyed Devil in Winter due to a fantastic hero and unexpected but well-matched herioine. In MTM, the hero is likewise a compelling character, not least due to his Gypsy, or Roma, heritage. AW welcomed such an unusual hero choice, and felt the author did a great job in providing background about a culture usuallly mentioned only in passing and usually derision (in accordance with the then-prevailing view) in much historical fiction. So strongly was the character written, though, that the pendulum began to swing too far in the other direction for this reader. Cam Rohan is not only goodlooking, smart to near-genius level, wildly competent, insanely wealthy, etc. etc. but solves every single problem that comes the heroine's way to the point that the heroine seemed bland and ineffective. It never seemed clear to AW what drew this unique man to a more or less average heroine. Not only did she not stand out to this reader, but at the beginning of the book St. Vincent, Cam's employer and said hero of the delicious 'Devil in Winter' goes so far as to recommend to him that if he is tired of sophisticated fare (referring to his romantic interests) he should try something 'plain' for a change. MTM did not win in its category, but to this reader it seemed odd that of all the titles available, this was considered one of the best historicals. The winning title was 'Lessons of Desire' by Madeline Hunter, which AW has not read.

In the REGENCY category (which is the only time period to get such special treatment), The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn, another Big Name, not only finalled but won. Gentle Readers of this space will know that AW disliked this novel so intensely she did not finish it. In her view, it had the opposite problem of MTM: likeable heroine, unattractive hero. Yet here it is, decorated with a Rita.

What does it all mean?

That people inclined to lay bets on the outcome next year should ignore AW's predictions?
Probably.

That AW is a strange and unpredictable creature?
Definitely.

That AW should not pay attention to the finalist lists at all?
Well, no, she would not go that far. The precise details of who gets included or left off as a finalist will always be a matter of debate, but it has not yet happened that she found no interesting titles to add to her TBR list.

This year, the ones that looked most promising included

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourne (Winner, Novel with Strong Romantic Elements)

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (Winner, Young Adult)

Untouched by Anna Campbell (Finalist, Regency)

and the work of my lovely blogger buddy Julia's cousin -

Surrender to a Scoundrel by Julianne MacLean


What about you, Gentle Reader - what did you think of this year's awards?

Score One for the Goldfish!

Last night, for the first time in her life, Apprentice Writer received a call from Alaska.

Not recognizing the telephone area code, she almost didn't pick up for fear of yet another sneaky telemarketer. Happily, though, she did, and had the pleasure of speaking with a lovely woman named Carolyn Ellis.

Carolyn had called to say that Apprentice Writer won the Alaskan Break Up Writing Contest.

Apprentice Writer made her repeat it three times.

She was understandably (she thinks) confused due to background noise of teething toddler, toothbrushing schoolaged sons getting ready for bed, dull crowd roar from the televised Eurocup soccer match between Switzerland and Turkey (who, BTW, also won), and, most important, her understanding that writers are supposed to enter contests for 3-5 years before starting to final and win. Or something like that.

But no, Carolyn insisted that Apprentice Writers ten-page scene of how the heroine from CUPID AND A TOOLBELT discovers her fiance in flagrante delicto and proceeds to break up with him in a very unusual manner, in which said goldfish has a starring role, was chosen from all entries to be sent to agent Laurie McLean of the Larsen Pomoda Literary Agency for a reading.

Apprentice Writer is in shock. And awe.

Whatever may become of the agent reading, this moment is pretty darn sweet. Do all writers crave external validation? From people not obliged by closeness with the writer to provide it?

Gentle Reader, if you have a sweet validation story - please share.

Julia Quinn / Eloisa James Benefit Auction

Julia Quinn and Eloisa James are authors who hardly need introduction. They are enduring stars in the historical romance sky, who maintain a joint bulletin board with lively reader discussions, and have now decided to direct their popularity towards a deserving cause.

For the month of June, they are hosting an AUCTION to benefit the recently bereaved family of a board member. Many goodies are available, from Advanced Reading Copies of upcoming releases, to autographed copies of bestselling books, to entire series, to items of special interest to writers.

For more information, go here:http://eloisajames.net/board/viewforum.php?f=76

Book Promotion: More Good Ideas

Gentle Readers of this space will recall an earlier post that mused about the increased responsibility offloaded onto authors to promote their books, and the creative response writer ANN AGUIRRE dreamed up: an online quiz determining which of five professions contained in her novel GRIMSPACE quiztakers most resembled, combined with a prize giveaway for those who blogged or posted about it online.


Today, tips of Apprentice Writer's hat to two more creative authors who found inspired ways to shine light on their work:


1. MAUREEN MCGOWAN, women's fiction/chicklit author of THE MISEDUCATION OF APRIL HILLSON, chose to generate interest in her work by the simple device of becoming a semi-finalist for Amazon's Breakout Novel Award.

Talk about getting yourself noticed!

Readers can download her 'Amazon Short' for free at http://http//www.amazon.com/dp/B00122GTICand then share a review if they wish. So far, the review average is 5.5/6 stars. Not too shabby. Apprentice Writer found the excerpt compelling - well-written, refreshingly different heroine, intriguing hints at backstory yet to be revealed, high stakes to be resolved. Also, very cool title - recalls Lauryn Hill's CD 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill', which in turn was named (if Apprentice Writer recalls correctly) for a book titled "The Miseducation of a Negro", in which the protagonist empowers himself to analyze and take control of his life. It is not difficult to imagine that McGowan's character April Hillson will ultimately do the same.


2. Historical romance author JOANNA BOURNE penned THE SPYMASTER'S LADY, which has shot to the top of many a popularity list in the blogosphere.

Claire Gregory is running a contest on her blog called 'Where in the World is Spymaster's Lady?', to be judged by Bourne. Contestants are invited to post a picture of their copy of book in a location that depicts their hometown in some distinctive way. The winner gets a signed copy and something called a 'book thong'. The puzzling need for lingerie for books aside (though it is very pretty), this sounds like a fun, memorable way to create buzz for an already mightily buzzing novel. Take a look:

http://stonesbonesandshells.blogspot.com/2008/01/contest-where-in-world-is-spymasters.html


So, in conclusion:
well played, Ms. McGowan and Ms. Bourne. You are not only gifted authors, but clearly, savvy promoters.

Book Promotion: Good Idea

It can be a vast, scary world out there for authors launching new books, desperately hoping their babies will receive a warm and tender welcome rather than falling unnoticed into the deep, dark void.

Apprentice Writer imagines that carrying the promotion ball (as authors apparently are increasingly expected to do) has caused untold numbers of tension headaches and ulcer flareups. But it has also unleashed some creative ideas.

Ann Aguire is an author Apprentice Writer knows, so far, only from the occasional blog post at various mutually visited sites. For the 26 February launch of her latest book, Grimspace, she came up with an attention grabber:

A fun quiz, and some seriously not-to-be-sneezed-at prizes.

As Apprentice Writer has a half-dozen tasks urgently requiring her attention during the 45 or so minutes junior apprentice writer #3 naps, she of course decided the best use of her time would be to take the quiz.

http://www.annaguirre.com/2008/01/28/the-grimspace-publicity-juggernaut/

"Your Result: Jumper
Grimspace navigator? Dude, you're like interstellar royalty. You're charismatic and possess a forceful personality. You're used to having power and you don't hesitate to use it. You also love to take risks. If it has danger attached, you're first in line, and no, you're not wearing a safety helmet. You live for the thrills, don't care about life expectancy, and expect to go out with a bang."

Is this an accurate assessment? Who knows. The point is, it cleverly gets the reader empathizing with that character and wondering what will happen to him/her even before the book is opened. Didn't hurt that the quiz was funny, either.

So, all in all, well played, Ms. Aguirre. Though Apprentice Writer has little sci-fi background, the creativity of this approach plus the promise of some humour in the story will definitely make her look for this book come launch day.

New Release

Gentle Readers who have followed ramblings on this blog since the beginning will recall that Lani Diane Rich holds a special place in Apprentice Writer's heart. She actually achieved what many a November writer dreams of by getting the novel she began and completed during National Novel Writing Month published. She then went on to write full-time, and took the time to respond to Apprentice Writer's newbie questions on the NaNoWriMo message boards to point her in the direction of what has become her writing group, and was an engaging speaker during one of the group's monthly meetings, talking about 'How to Remain Professional While Working in Your Pyjamas'. Anyone familiar with Lani will be unsurprised to learn that she gave this talk while, yes, wearing her pyjamas. (For people who worry about such things, no need for alarm: a robe and bunny slippers were involved as well.)

But all this and $5 will buy you a latte. The question for readers of this blog is: are her novels funny? Of three novels read from two months to a couple of years back, Apprentice Writer recalls the following:

Time Off For Good Behavior
About a unique single woman with anger management issues who learns to tackle her problems in a way that doesn't involve legal consequences. This novel contained the new word creation 'pencil face', which Apprentice Writer still isn't sure the meaning of but nevertheless loves. The story builds well and is emotionally satisfying. But is it funny? Yes, in a wry, women's fiction sort of way.


Maybe Baby
About a couple who reunite to thwart crime involving an endearlingly odd rare bird. The premise is original, the characters unusual and likable, the story had good tension and was very entertaining. But was it funny? Yes, in a zany caper kind of way.


The Comeback Kiss
About a prodigal son who returns to his hometown to rectify a longago wrong and is drawn into solving arson cases. The main character was a secondary one in Maybe Baby, and it was lovely to get to read his own story. In the 'uh-oh' department, there is a rekindling romance scene which curls toes - unfortunately, with disgust rather than heat. The hero spent the evening in a smoky pool hall, next morning before he has showered or brushed teeth or eaten but not before he has had a cigarette, the heroine turns up and they kiss. Shudder-inducing even now. Still, the mix of characters and pacing keep the pages flying. But is it funny? Yes, based on a lot of the quirky characters' behaviour and manner of speech.

Why is Apprentice Writer taking the Gentle Reader on this trip down memory lane?

On October 1, Lani's latest novel, Crazy in Love will be released. Ever the innovator, she invited her readers to blog about it. Dilemma: blog helter-skelter like a rabid fangirl, regardless of how the actual book turns out? Or maintain integrity and avoid accusations of bias by waiting to form a full opinion?

Apprentice Writer chose the golden mean. Based on a 3 out of 3 rating history in previous books, and an excerpt of the new novel at http://www.lanidianerich.com/, it looks like Crazy in Love will be another winner, humor-wise. Lani is especially adept at doing 'quirky', and so far, it looks like Flynn and Freya (sisters introduced in the first chapter) will get a high rating on the Quirk-O-Meter. Also, Apprentice Writer is fascinated by the names chosen; alliteration is always good in her book (helps to remember which characters belong in the same family), and how is it that one is named for the Nordic goddess of something-or-other, while the second is named for the Irish somebody of something-or-other? Maybe they are half sisters.

These questions and more can be answered at your local or virtual bookstore on Monday.