Writer's Diary

Interview with Author Jessica Brody - Contest, too!

2009-11-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

About the Author

Jessica Brody graduated from Smith College in Massachusetts with degrees in economics and French. In 2005, she left her job at MGM Studios in Los Angeles to become a full-time freelance writer and producer. Jessica currently lives in Los Angeles, where she is working on her next novel. Visit Jessica's website at: www.JessicaBrody.com

About LOVE UNDER COVER

In her job, she’s an expert on men. . .

In her own relationship, she doesn’t have a clue.

Boyfriend behaving badly? Suspect your husband of straying? Jennifer Hunter can supply the ultimate test. She runs a company which specializes in conducting fidelity inspections for those who suspect their loved ones are capable of infidelity.

An expert on men, Jennifer can usually tell if they're single, married or lying. . . Unfortunately, her new boyfriend, Jamie, is one of the few men that she's never been able to 'read.' Has she finally found the perfect man or is he too good to be true?

A captivating new novel from the bestselling author of The Fidelity Files.

Available November 10, wherever books are sold.

Praise

Currently in development as a TV series by the executive producer of Crash!

"With a complicated, sympathetic protagonist, worthy stakes and a clever twist on the standard chick lit narrative, Brody will pull readers in from the first page." -- Publisher's Weekly

"Those who enjoyed Brody's debut will be eager to catch up with Jennifer, but newcomers will be intrigued, too...an honest, witty portrayal of modern love." -- Booklist

"With her usual smart, deft, and witty prose, Brody delves deep into the psychology of a woman who tests the fidelity of strangers for a living but struggles with commitment in her own life." -- Joanne Rendell, author of Crossing Washington Square and The Professors' Wives' Club

Trailer:

The Interview

What was your inspiration behind Love Under Cover?

As soon as I finished writing my first novel, The Fidelity Files¸ I knew that Jennifer's journey wasn't over yet. Although she had seemed to find her happy ending there was so much more fun stuff I had in mind for another book. Setting Jennifer up with an entire agency of fidelity inspectors was definitely the first and foremost on my mind for the next instalment.

Plus, I really wanted to explore what a fidelity inspector would be like in a committed relationship. After everything she's seen—all the cheating, dishonesty, and betrayal—would she really be capable of settling down herself? So that's what I set out to focus on in this book.

What is the most memorable first line you've ever read in a novel?

There's a very powerful young adult novel called The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams that I read last year. It's about a fifteen year old girl who grew up on a polygamist compound and it opens with this: "If I was going to kill the Prophet," I say, not even keeping my voice low, "I'd do it in Africa." I read that line and didn't put the book down until the end. I knew from that line that it was going to be a heart pounding read. And it was.

Which scene (or scenes) in your novel did you love writing? Why?

I love writing any of the scenes with Jennifer's friends. They're all fun in their own way. Zoë has a terrible road rage problem and she has a habit of talking on the phone while driving so those conversations with Jen and Zoë on the phone are always really entertaining for me. I get to channel my inner turrets patient. Sophie is totally neurotic. I love going over the top with her.
And John is the flamboyant gay boy from West Hollywood who is always quick with his sarcasm and wit. Sometimes I don't know where his remarks come from. I must be channelling my inner gay man because I'll write something that he says and think, "That's really funny. Where the hell did that come from?"

Which 'craft' book has inspired or helped you the most throughout your writing career?

SAVE THE CAT, by Blake Snyder. It changed my life. People tell me my books read like movies. Well, that's probably because SAVE THE CAT is actually a book for screenwriting. But I've found it translates exceptionally well to novels. A well-told story is a well-told story, regardless of the medium and a fast-moving story keeps the pages turning. Blake Snyder lays out a simple (yet effective) step-by-step beat sheet of how to tell any story and I'll never write another book without it! He's very well-respected in the industry and I know many writers (screenwriters and novelists alike) that utilize his books. Plus, the book is extremely funny and entertaining to read!

Since becoming a writer, what's the most glamorous thing you've ever done?

When my first book, The Fidelity Files, came out in France last year, my French publisher actually flew me out to Paris to promote it! It was a dream come true! I speak French almost fluently so I was able to conduct all my interviews in French, which was both nerve wrecking and exciting at the same time. Paris has always held a special place in my heart. I was a French major in college and I lived in Paris my junior abroad. Plus, I spent a month in Paris in 2005 finishing the novel so it was all very magical and kismet to be back there to see it in French book stores!

If you could be a superhero, what would you superpower be?

Calorie Immunity. That would definitely be my super power. The ability to eat anything I want and be completely unaffected by the calories contained within. That would be really awesome. And I guess that would automatically make my nemesis cupcakes. Although, if this were a comic book, he would be called "Dr. Cupcake" and his side kick would be called "Sprinkles."

Do you have a sample chapter posted?

Absolutely! www.jessicabrody.com/loveundercover_excerpt.html

What's the main thing you hope people take away from your book?

Entertainment. That's all I seek to do. Entertain people. The reason I started writing was because of Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding. I read that book in college whenever I would go to the gym and I remember looking down at the elliptical and thinking, "Seriously? I've already been exercising for thirty minutes!?" The time would FLY by. I was so inspired and awed by the fact that a book could take me away from my life like that. I knew from that day on that I wanted to be a writer so I could attempt to do the same. So if my book can help pass the time of a long flight or a boring workout then I've accomplished my goal. And if some of the issues about relationships and love and trust that I've delved into get people thinking, than that's just icing on the cupcake.

If you could only own and read 5 books for the rest of your life, (excluding your own) what five books would you choose?

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella to make me laugh.
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult to make me cry.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger to make me believe in fantastical love.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer to give me a hot vampire to fantasize about daily.
Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding to remind me of why I write.

What's next for you?

Although I strive to live in the moment, I can't help but be excited about the future! I've got three young adult books scheduled to come out in the next three years from Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. The first, THE KARMA CLUB, releases on April 27 and I simply can't wait! It's about three teen girls who are tired of waiting for Karma to get off its butt and do its job, so they decide to give Karma a helping hand by getting revenge on their evil ex-boyfriends. But they soon discover that when you mess with Karma, Karma messes back. It's a story I wanted to tell for years and I'm so glad it's finally going to be put out to the world. The teen voice feels very natural to me (not sure what that says about my inherent maturity level, but whatever!) and the YA novels are such a blast to write. I think the teenage years resonate with everyone in some way. For me, my teen years were very painful so it's somewhat therapeutic to be able to "go back" and relive them with all the knowledge and wisdom that I have now!

I've never been able to choose just one favorite food, but do you have a clear preference?

People tell me I have an obsessive personality. Meaning, I get hooked on one thing and stick with it for weeks, months, sometimes years and do nothing else. It's very much apparent when it comes to my food. When I find something I like, I'll eat it every day for months until I get sick of it and eventually replace it with something else. Right now, it's Sushi Sunday and Nacho Monday. My boyfriend and I order sushi delivery every Sunday night and we go out to our favorite Mexican restaurant for Nachos every Monday. And now I actually look forward to Mondays!

What's one piece of writing advice you've found valuable on your journey to publication?

Jump and the net will appear. Although I think this applies to any career you're trying to get into. You have to jump in with both feet. Right into the deep end. You can't wait for the perfect opportunity to come along, you just have to go for it. When I decided I would be a published author, I made the decision and I leapt off the cliff…without a parachute. I quit my high-paying, corporate job at a move studio, started taking odd jobs off of Craigslist to make ends meet, downgraded my car, my apartment and my lifestyle to save money and just went for it. I never looked back. I turned down three job offers from other studios, all which paid even more than I was making when I left my previous one. I sold my first novel a year and a half after I quit. Now I write full time and this year, for the first time since I quit my corporate job in 2005, I'm making more as a writer than I was making as a "suit." Do what you love and the money will eventually come. I'm a big believer in this. And I am living proof that it works!

What do you think readers might be surprised to know about you?

I'm a total techno junkie. I love technology and gadgets. iPods, digital cameras, computers, Tivos, Sling Boxes. . . those are my weaknesses. My toys. I would die without my blackberry and my Kindle. Unlike most women, I hate shopping for clothes and shoes. To me it feels like a huge waste of time. In a perfect world, I would just wear my sweat pants and Ugg knock-offs all day, every day (okay, maybe I already do that), but set me loose in a Fry's Electronics or a Best Buy and you probably won't see me for a week.

Which fictional character would you most like to have dinner with?

Um, Edward Cullen, of course! Although after dinner, I'd probably ask him to stick around for a drink, a movie, coffee, and then who knows where it might lead. I'm not to be held responsible (or accountable) for fictional dinner dates with hot vampires.

What is your favorite word?

Hmm. . . that's a tough one. I don't know if I have just one favorite word, I like so very many of them, but I definitely have a least favorite word and that's "panties." God, I hate that word! I cringe just writing it here!

Why do you write?

I once heard someone say, "Dancers dance because they have to." I really loved that and I think it's the same for writers. I definitely have to write. Like I have to breathe. If I don't, I get very stir crazy. All of that energy has to come out somehow and for me, it comes out in words. Lots and lots of words. Some of them are actually worth publishing.

The Contest

You could win a copy of Jessica's Love Under Cover. Here's how. Leave a comment by Friday November 13 in which you mention the superstition you just can't get over. Or say something about Friday the 13th. Do you love it or not? If you don't leave me a way to email you if you win, then commit to checking back here over the weekend to see if you're the winner.

Go forth and comment.

I can't be silent about this either

2009-11-08T21:26:00.000-08:00

This what my father told me.

In 1957 (before I was born) my father started his medical Residency in San Bernardino California. San Bernardino is in Southern California. Not that far from the Mexican border.

In 1957, abortion was illegal in California.

Every Wednesday, my father told me, the Emergency Room was filled with women who had been to Mexico for an abortion the previous weekend. By Wednesday, they were dying of septic shock. Like clockwork.

He treated women who did the following things because they were desperate not to be pregnant:

Threw themselves down stairs

Immersed themselves in tubs of near boiling water

Used knitting needles and coat hangers on themselves

Here's the truth. When abortion is unavailable or illegal, pregnant women die.

My father is one of the most politically conservative men I know. And he is Pro-Choice because he personally saw what happens when that choice does not exist.

The U.S. Congress wants to put us back to those days.

For shame. For shame.

Do you have a daughter, sister, mother or wife?

Books I've read or Am Reading Now

2009-11-08T14:10:00.000-08:00

Prime Time, Hank Phillippi Ryan

Air Time, Hank Phillippi Ryan

Face Time, Hank Phillippi Ryan

SEALed and Delivered, Jill Monroe

I LOVED the Ryan books. I keep wishing there were more to pick up because the Voice is so wonderfully conversational. And every book had 2-3 lines that just impressed the hell out of me.

The Monroe book was my very first Harlequin Blaze that I didn't get free. It was cute and fun and I'll be looking for more of her work plus reading more from Harlequin, too.

In Progress

Demon Forged, Meljean Brook

Skin Tight, Ava Gray

How To Supress Women's Writing, Joanna Russ

These three books rock. The last one is interesting but I do think she missed the point of Bronte's Vilette. I have a way to go, but it's actually in line with some interesting and hyperbolic conversation that's been going around on the Interwebz lately. I'll be posting on that in a day or two I think.

Off to post chapter 1 of The Last Paranormal which I have tentatively titled My Beloved Assassin. I have started work on The Next Paranormal and am wondering if there is any hope of catching up in NaNoWriMo.

Winner of Nalini Singh Book!!

2009-11-07T11:42:00.000-08:00

Through the magic of Random.org, Catie_ar you're the winner! Please email me (either through the contact form on my website or directly at carolyn AT carolynjewel.com) with your mailing address and any instructions about a signature so I can forward the information to Nalini.

If I don't hear from you by, say, Friday, November 13, I'll choose another winner.

I'm off to select a winner from my newsletter list!

RWA 2009 Workshop Review - Carolyn's recommendations

2009-11-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

For Reference, here's the ones I've already reviewed, just so you have everything in one handy blog post. But, I've added a few, too.

Note: I'm only mentioning the ones I thought were really helpful. For me and what I'm stressing about in my writing. There were a lot of great workshops that aren't on my list because they're not relevant to where I am in my writing career. Your Mileage Will Definitely Vary.

And I'm not mentioning ones that Did Not Work for me, so actually, this isn't a review of all the workshops.

14-001 Opening Keynote Session, Janet Evanovich. Looking for career inspiration? She tells a great rejection letters about-to-give-up story.

14-002 Keynote Luncheon - Linda Howard OMG, her stories are so funny I could hardly breath. The lawn mower story....

14-009 Homeland Security: was actually REALLY interesting. The speaker had some really great stories and she just loves her job so much you can't help but catch the enthusiasm. Great details to be tucked away in the brain vault.

14-011 Google Book Settlement - informative. Probably worth a listen if the settlement is still alive or not substantially changed by the current negotiations.

14-012 Pro Session: Make sure you listen to Madelaine Hunter. She gave a GREAT talk. The rest is pretty good, too, but for me she was a standout. The agent panel was good, too.

14-015 Writing Dark Love Stories, Anne Stuart. Entertaining. Ways to think about the hero, heroine relationship and risk taking.

14-034 Writing the Hot Historical - everything Pam Rosenthal said was fascinating and thought provoking, whether you write historicals or not.

14-035 Secrets of the Best Selling Sisterhood- SEP and Jayne Ann Krentz. Worth a listen.

14-039 - Joan Johnston - Writing the Breakout Novel. Lots of interesting tips and things to think about.

14-042 Buy this Book - Gardiner, Poelle - Give this a listen. Top agents.

14-047 Under Their Skin and Straight To The Heart: Creating Emotion With Significant Detail, Robin Wells- Very good. Give a listen.

14-054 Intellectual Property - Moderated by Nora Roberts. Make sure you listen to Nora's story about how she was plagiarized. Riveting. You'll get angry and want to cry on her behalf. The speakers were good, but hard to understand at times (heavy accents, unclear diction).

14-056 Eloisa James Awards luncheon. Her speech will make you cry.

14-062: The Fire in Fiction. Donald Maass. Will def make you think. Some is kind of obvious but he tells a story (toward the end I think) and the room was COMPLETELY silent while he told it. A masterful example of show not tell. Have a listen. I have already listened to this one a second time.

14-071 Why we Love Mr. Darcy. Brenda Chin, Julia Quinn, L. Ghurke: Recommended. This quickly veers off into career decisions and discussions. Worth a listen for everything Quinn says about her career.

14-072 One, Two or Three. Kristin Nelson, Natasha Kern. This one is a MUST listen. Chilling bad-agent story. Great discussion of the thinking behind agenting a book deal. FYI, Kristin Nelson is my agent.

14-076 Setting as Character. Jade Lee. Worth a listen. She says some very interesting things. Plus she's funny and a great speaker.

14-082 Mauled Men etc. This one is about what happens after someone dies mostly in re funeral homes. I recommend listening because the speaker is good and there's all kinds of unexpected interesting facts and information in this that will probably come in handy one day.

14-084 Spotlight on St. Martin's. I consider this a MUST listen. Jennifer Enderlin in particular has some GREAT tips and insights. You probably won't have to listen to all of it, but don't miss the first half.

14-088 The good the bad the ugly in New media. Depressing, but do listen. It's about marketing and having a publicist. The min. budget of $7500 for EFFECTIVE marketing is just freaking depressing and out of reach for must authors. There are some good ideas and tips.

14-092 Make it Happen. 10 Tips to Breaking in. Christie Craig's story was inspirational. I heard about this one at the conference -- she made quite an impact and I can see why.

14-094 Legal Flavored Research. Some interesting stuff here.

14-101 How to Sell to Harlequin's London Office. Despite the title, there was some truly awesome story advice in this one. I gave this one 5 stars.

14-102 Anatomy of a Best Seller. This was good. Chris Keeslar of Dorchester is a great editor and I think writers need to sit up and pay attention when editors are speaking.

14-106 Turning Points, Jennifer Crusie. I'm looking for new ways to think about story, and this gave me some.

14-108 - Spotlight on Sourcebooks. Listen to this one.

14-112 - Evil 101 - Where True Crime Meets Terrific Fiction, Sherri Lewis Wohl. This is one of the ones shortened by the Fire Alarm (RATS!!) but there are some great stories if you're interested in the criminal mind.

14-117 - Chemistry: How to Create The Sizzle That will Keep your Readers Glued to the Page - Sherry Thomas This one is also Fire Alarm shortened, but she was able to come back and go through more material. Give a listen.

14-125 A&B No Holds Barred, JR Ward, Jessica Anderson Both authors have interesting and insightful things to say about writing and the writing process. Plus it's funny to hear Ward say she's a plotter and then describe a process that sounds to me like it's seat of the pants.

14-130 The Scoop! Using Television's Secrets and Techniques For A Top Notch Novel, Hank Phillippi Ryan I've listened to this one a couple of times. Good stuff about deadlines.

14-133 A Look Inside the Editor's Mind, Leslie Wainger. She's an editor. Of course you should listen to this one.

14-136 A&B More How to Make a Living Writing Romance Novels, Stephanie Bond. As you might expect, there is some great stuff here. I do feel, however, this is not really one-size fits all.

14-145 Digital Initiatives With Your Publisher, Various Presenters. Keep yourself informed. Listen.

14-146 Spotlight On Kensington This might be one of the best spotlights I heard. There's some great information about how to think about and manage a career.

Over There

2009-11-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

At The Riskied. Scaring kids.

Interview with Nalini Singh Plus a Contest!!

2009-11-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm totally Psyched to have New York Times Bestselling author Nalini Singh visiting my blog today. Yay!!!! She has a brand new book out and I'm pimping her right here. That's right. Nalini Singh. Right here at my blog! squeeeeeee! Plus, there's a contest. You could win a free book. Read through to the end of the post to see what you need to do.

And, if you happen to subscribe to my newsletter, one of you will win a book, too! Because I'm awesome that way, and so is Nalini. Need proof? Read on.

Carolyn Poses Important Questions to Nalini

Carolyn: Eric Northman or Vampire Bill?

Nalini: I think Eric. Or maybe Bill. Eric. Bill. Do I have to choose???

Yes. You have to chose. I'll put you down in the Eric column.

Carolyn: You're walking along the forest path when an amazingly hot elf blocks your way. (Assume he closely resembles Orlando Bloom after a 16 week workout regimen rigorously observed.) After you admire his impressive sword with jeweled hilt, he offers you one of two gifts, your choice. Which do you choose, the Elixir of Immortality or fluency in any language?

Nalini: On the face of it, this one is a no brainer - the Elixir, of course, because if you have a millennium or two, learning languages isn't going to be a problem.

However, I'm not sure I'd like to live forever - especially if it was only me who was changed. Can you imagine what it would be like to watch everyone around you grow old while you remained forever young? It would be different if those I loved were also given the chance to be immortal. (The gift and price of immortality is actually something I've considered a lot, as it's one of the threads in my Guild Hunter series.)

You raise some good points. Plus, what if the Elixir didn't confer eternal youth? Elves can be tricky that way.

Carolyn: Which creeps you out more? Spiders hanging from the ceiling (right over your bed) or eyes that glow in the dark (in your closet)?

Nalini: The spiders, hands down! (Have you seen The Grudge? That scene where all that hair is hanging down from the ceiling? Creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepy!)

I spend many nights staring at my closet.

Carolyn: Dark chocolate or milk?

Nalini: Chocolate in any form is a winner for me.

Glad to hear it, Nalini. It's important to be open minded and flexible about these things.

Carolyn: For the purposes of this question, assume these two items are equal in value. I know you wouldn't want to be cheap. You're shopping someplace exclusive with someone else's bucket o' cash. What do you get me? Diamond earrings (highest quality and exquisitely cut and set) or a brand new top of the line Jag (insurance pre-paid for life of car)

Nalini: Well, if it's someone else's (endless) bucket o' cash, why not both? *g* But if I had to choose, I think I'd go for the diamonds - you could wear and enjoy them 24/7 if you so wished. (Though I suppose you could live in your Jag if you wanted to.)

You are my BFF.

About the Book

BLAZE OF MEMORY
BERKLEY BOOKS
Out 3 November 2009

Nalini Singh returns to the Psy/Changeling world and its "breathtaking blend of passion, adventure, and the paranormal" as a woman without a past becomes the pawn of a man who controls her future. . .

Dev Santos discovers her unconscious and battered, with no memory of who she is. All she knows is that she's dangerous. Charged with protecting his people's most vulnerable secrets, Dev is duty-bound to eliminate all threats. It's a task he's never hesitated to complete . . . until he finds himself drawn to a woman who might yet prove the enemy's most insidious weapon.

Stripped of her memories by a shadowy oppressor, and programmed to carry out cold-blooded murder, Katya Haas is fighting desperately for her sanity itself. Her only hope is Dev. But how can she expect to gain the trust of a man who could very well be her next target? For in this game, one must die. . .

Excerpt

More about Nalini's Books

Reviews

...When it comes to delivering stories that grab you by the throat and don't let go, Singh is in a class by herself! -- Romantic Times

...BLAZE OF MEMORY had me in tears with the tenderness that Dev and Katya exposed in each other. This story adds immensely to the series . . . You will want to revisit this love story again and again. -- Romance Junkies

Contest

Leave a comment with your answer to the question below by midnight (Pacific Time) on Friday November 6 to go into the draw to win a signed copy of Branded By Fire, the previous book in the series.

Read an excerpt of Branded by Fire (warning, excerpt may singe your eyebrows off).

Contest Question: If someone wiped your memory and left you on a hero's doorstep, which hero would you want it to be?

(Carolyn's answer: Eric Northman. Doh. Others of you may disagree which just means more Eric for Carolyn!)

W00t!!! The Fork is Out!

2009-11-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

Oh frabjous day!

My book is done and turned in. And here's something I LOVE about technology - I can email my manuscript. To my agent and my editor at the same time. No having to be done a day or more in advance so you have time to print and fed ex the monster. No need to buy expensive bond paper.

Yes folks, it's time for the fork:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kt/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

How am I celebrating, you ask? By going to see Paranormal Activity. We're leaving in about an hour and a half.

Next up:

The synop for Iskander's story
Starting NaNoWriMo because I would LOVE to have 50K of that book done by December.

Off to celebrate.

Pirates -- ooh arghh! Oh wait. Not Those Kind.

2009-10-28T16:17:00.001-07:00

This is pretty much the text of my comment on the Piracy threat over at Dear Author. The post is worth reading. So do that.

If you're an author, please read this post. Alternatively, you could continue to be both Chicken Little and an ostrich. But do you want to be? Really?

I think I'm kind of pissed off.

Whatever. Here's my comment:

Until about yesterday (seriously) I was undecided on the issue of piracy. Today, I am closer to forming my opinion, which I will get to in a bit.

There is hysteria and dogmatic opinion on both sides of the issue. And both those extremist positions tend to give me a headache.

Until yesterday, I had never seen any evidence to support either side. I haven't yet seen any author or publisher come forward with numbers that prove piracy hurts their bottom line. But I've also been at the torrent sites and come away feeling like the file uploaders know perfectly well that they've done something unethical and illegal. The downloaders know it, too.

[ETA: I am NOT saying pirating isn't illegal or unethical. It's both.]

As a midlist author, I feel my chest go tight when I see my brand-new just released book on a torrent site. If those downloads represent lost sales, at my level, that's my career going down the toilet. But I also understand I can't prove it.

It is not, at this point, possible for anyone to know whether piracy hurts or helps or does something in between. There is not sufficient evidence to be sure one way or the other.

By way of background, at this point, just about all of my books are on torrent sites unauthorized by me or my publishers. I know that on October 4, someone was at a file sharing site asking that my October 6th release be uploaded. Which would mean illegally obtained. So it's not that I'm not affected by piracy. I am a midlist author and I'm as worried as any writer today about whether I'm going to stay published.

The question is, HOW am I affected by piracy?

To my knowledge, only one person has undertaken a reasonably rigorous study of the effects of free and of piracy on books sales. That person is Brian O'Leary, who wrote "Impact of P2P and Free Distribution on Book Sales" for Tools of Change For Publishing (O'Reilly). It is available for download for $99. Yikes!

I emailed Mr. O'Leary earlier this week and told him I thought he should contact RWA because the organization would be a rich source of the data he's looking to acquire. (He's revising his report.) Apparently, RWA thought so too (before I so brilliantly suggested it!) My understanding is that they are discussing matters.

Mr. O'Leary was kind enough to send me a copy of his report. I'm almost done reading it. It's taking me a while as I want to be sure I understand his methodology and his conclusions and what I think about the rigor of his work. I have a few questions, but I do think it's fairly solid. On the other hand, I am not a statistician.

Fiction WAS included in his data set.

The EARLY evidence points to these results, which I am paraphrasing.

If you are a debut or midlist author, piracy *increases* your sales by 18-42%.

If you are an established, best-selling author, piracy looks like it hurts.

These conclusions may not, of course, hold up when there is more data, better data or if circumstances change (number of piraters and downloaders, for example) or when others have had a chance to take a look at his methods and data.

So, what do I think?

I'm not all that surprised by the results. The anecdotal evidence of an increase in sales has been pretty persistent for at least a decade in gaming and software.

I think authors who are up in arms over the issue need to take a deep breath. Really.

I think publishers need to rethink their strategies about digital formats and to help researchers like O'Leary gather the data that will help them make a reasoned response to piracy and, frankly, understand consumers a little better.

So. There you have it. I fully recognize that nothing is resolved yet and that the issues are complex. I urge authors to come out of the extreme position and press for the data and analysis that will give us a fair shot at understanding what's going on and what the consequences are.

I urge readers to, well, please keep reading.

Contest Announcements

2009-10-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

Two contest announcements:

The winner of the signed copy of Meljean Brook's Demon Forged is Addled Alchemist.

Dear Addled: email me with your mailing address and the details of how you'd like the book inscribed so I can let Meljean know. (carolyn AT carolynjewel.com, or use the contact form on my website.)

Congratulations Addled Alchemist!

The winner of my newsletter subscriber-only contest is Stanislava (from Bulgaria!) Your books are in the mail! Thanks to everyone who entered. I love all my newsletter subscribers. You guys rock.

I NEED this book

2009-10-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

NON-FICTION: HEALTH
Harvard neurologist Marie Pasinski, M.D.'s BEAUTIFUL BRAIN, BEAUTIFUL YOU, with Jodie Gould, showing how to turn "Bad Brain Days" into "Beautiful Brain Days" -- days when we are at the top of our game mentally, emotionally, and physically; combining research in neuroplasticity (the brain's ability to remodel itself), with lifestyle-changing advice from her Brain Health Initiative in a program that will alter the chemistry of your brain and take years off your mental age and, yes, make you more beautiful, to Gretchen Young at Voice, by Linda Konner.

From Pub Lunch. How soon will it be out?

Not soon enough because I need that right now.

Deadline approaching. Watch out.

Interview with Meljean Brook -- Plus a Contest!

2009-10-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Woot!! Meljean Brook is here! In case you don't know, Meljean's book Demon Forged hit bookstores the same day as Indiscreet. What you may also not know is that there is a character in Indiscreet whose last name, by a huge, amazing coincidence, has the last time Brook. Hard to believe, isn't it? Hah. I was desperate for a name for this guy, and there was Meljean's book. . . Brook. That name is teh awesome! said I. So I stole her name. It's in my book now. Forever.

Meljean writes the awesome Guardian series, and if you like paranormal I really do urge you to read her books if you haven't already started. I love this series. I really really do.

Read on to the end of this post to find out how you can, if you're really clever, get yourself in a position to win a signed copy of Indiscreet AND Demon Forged.

Demon Forged, by the way, was a Romantic Times Top Pick, so you know it's good. (Hoo boy is it!)

Carolyn Interrogates Meljean

1. Thinking back to yourself at, say, five years old, were there any clues then that you'd end up writing novels? If so, what were they? When did you know you had the writing bug?

At five, definitely not. By sixth grade, though, I was reading constantly and making up my own stories. Most of them remained in my head, though I scribbled out ideas and scenes. By eighth grade, I was practicing my pseudonym autograph all over my notebook covers (it looks almost exactly the same as it does today.)

For a long time, though, it wasn't something I seriously pursued. I wrote all of the time, but I didn't think of it in terms of: I'm going to be published and make a living this way. I just really enjoyed writing, and I especially enjoyed writing the kinds of things that I loved reading. After a while, though, and a few trips through other (sensible) career choices, I decided: I'm going to try to do this. And then I got a little unexpected help in that area, and actually did it.

2. Regarding your fan fiction, can you talk a little bit about how, why, when and how long you were writing it?

As I mentioned above, I'd been fiddling with stories for a long time. I'd already noticed that I had a tendency to include romance and fantasy elements in my work, but I didn't really finish anything. I'd have great ideas that just petered out along the way. For a long time, this didn't bother me, because I was just having fun ... but then it started irritating me more and more. I wanted to write a romance (not as a career yet, but just to write it) but I knew I needed to finish it. But something just wasn't clicking.

And at the same time, I was in college, and the writing was kind of a side-thing. So were comic books, and reading fanfiction. And it just happened that I read a fanfic that inspired me, and I became obsessed with a certain couple -- Batman and Wonder Woman -- and so I wrote a chapter in a fanfic romance. Then another. And I said to myself: This is it. This is where we find out if you can finish a novel-length story. It took me a couple of months, but I did ... and I loved not just the story, but the process. So I wrote another fic, and another, for about two years.

But I realized I wasn't satisfied with writing these characters anymore, because I'd begun writing mostly alternate universe fics (where the characters are different versions of Batman and Wonder Woman -- alternate timelines, different worlds, etc). I still had a lot of BM/WW stories to tell, but I wanted to start writing my own characters. I also decided that I was going to finish the story, and submit it, and work toward being published. So I began altering and expanding on of the alternate universe fanfics, and that eventually morphed into the Guardian series.

And in what might have been the luckiest moment of my life, my fanfic caught the eye of my editor, who was a BM/WW fan. She asked if I had anything original to submit at the time I was working on what would become Demon Angel. That story wasn't strong enough yet for a contract, but she offered me a spot in the Hot Spell anthology.

3. Your style of story telling reminds me of some of the Epic Fantasy writers, whose complex characterizations unfold with such incredible richness. Is this a deliberate choice or is it just the way it works for you?

It's both, I think. The simple answer is that it's just the way it works for me -- it's the way my style and my voice just are. But it's also a choice as I'm writing. I love to peel away the layers, I love characters with complexity, who aren't easily defined. I love digging into them, and hurting them, and making them laugh and love. Plus, this is romance, and love is rarely simple -- so I do my best to show every side of a character, so that I am convinced (and hopefully the reader is, too) that the love is deep, and true, and will truly last an eternity.

4. How the heck did you come up with the idea of someone who looks in a mirror and sees Hell instead of his face? (Colin from Demon Angel) And a blacksmith/metalworker heroine (Irena in Demon Forged) explain that one, too.

For Colin, it was a combination of playing off of the classic "vampires can't see themselves in a mirror" myth, and me trying to think of the absolute worst thing that I could do to him. He's incredibly vain, so not seeing his reflection might have been enough -- but throwing in a curse and making him uncertain about whether the hell that he sees is a reflection of his soul (until he discovers the truth and learns that he's just seeing another realm)? Ah, the pain. It's delicious. And it adds another dimension to his vanity, one that makes his character a little more sympathetic, and ties into the plot of the books. It was just one of those ideas that started out very small (me, wondering whether I should let vampires see their reflection) and just worked on several levels.

Irena's character began in a similar way: just a tiny idea that grew into something bigger. In Demon Night, I introduced her, but didn't even mention her by name. She creates a little metal piano for Charlie (which was more about Charlie at that point than Irena), and Charlie describes her as, "a hard-edged female." And that was it.

But I knew I wanted to use this character, I knew she was going to be important in the series (I knew I was going to need a female character who fills the role that Irena eventually takes in Demon Forged) so I began developing her backstory. Once I did, the pieces just fell into place, and much like Colin's curse, her Gift played into both her character and the plot on several levels. I ended up making her into exactly what I needed from that one tiny line in Demon Night.

5. Since we're on the subject of Demon Forged, can you talk a little bit about the ideas and characters of the book? Have you had them bumping around in your head for a while?

To answer the second question first: Yes and no. In this series, I have a general outline of Where I Am Going and What Needs To Happen On The Way, but I don't have a habit of introducing or creating future heroes and heroines before I need them (with a few exceptions, like Michael). So I am usually about two books ahead when I begin deciding who is going to do what, and how they are going to do it. My process of creating Irena is a good example -- I've known from the beginning that I need someone to [avoiding spoilers] do what she does at the end of Demon Forged. I had a vague idea of what kind of a character could do it. And so I'll begin to shape the character as I go along, and I might begin to define and refine that shape in the books that come before hers -- so in that sense, they are in my head for a while, but not from the beginning of the series. Irena wasn't in my head at all as a character when I was writing Demon Angel, for example; there was just a Female Who Fulfills This Role Eventually blank to fill in.

And I think Irena filled that blank spectacularly. She's one of my favorites so far -- a sixteen-hundred-year-old former Roman slave turned Guardian, who has a Gift to manipulate metal, who is rough around the edges and blunt to a fault.

Then there's Alejandro, who is essentially her opposite: subtle, quiet, and with an aristocratic background. No, actually -- "opposite" is probably the wrong word. He's her complement. What she isn't, he is, and so although this makes for some wonderful tension and friction, they fit together wonderfully.

6. If you had a bazillion dollars, what would you get me? What would you buy your daughter?

I'd scour the world for a man who looks like Michael, pay for his wings to be surgically implanted, and then airlift him to your doorstep. Or, you know, just a drink at RWA, because I think that would be awesome to hang out.

I'd probably buy a bunch of plane tickets for my daughter, so that we could travel together. But she'd rather receive a pink unicorn doll or, "a dress with rainbows and stars and hearts on it, and rainbow socks, and sparkly heart shoes, and a ribbon with rainbow colors."

7. You write the most amazing, strong heroines. Please explain how you go about creating your heroines. The more detail the better because I need tips.

Pffft. I've read your heroines. You don't need tips.

But it's basically just starting with an idea, even a stereotype -- a heroine who is a demon, a geek, a recovering alcoholic, a Victorian-type of lady -- and then piling on the layers. I think that when the book is finished, it probably reads like I've been peeling away layers, but it's really just a matter of piling them on as I go and then digging into them.

So for Irena, I had my basic idea, and then I had to make a decision which adds kind of a shallow layer: She's angry.

Then I have to ask: Why is she angry?

And the answer might be as simple as: Because a demon hurt her.

But then it's: But why did that affect her so deeply?

And that's where I get to the fun stuff with my characters. It's not just knowing what happened to them, because everyone has crappy things happen -- but some things, we can shrug off more easily than others. So it's figuring out why it matters so much. What did that demon touch inside her that all of the demons she fought and killed before didn't?

When I hit that, it informs so much in the story: her character, of course, but also how she interacts with other characters, how she views the world, what issues she has to overcome or address when she falls in love, how and who she trusts ... and so even though I have plot points that I have to hit in this series, that I would have made happen no matter what character ended up being the heroine in that book, the way that the character approaches that plot point is so personal, it feels organic rather than just: Okay, this is where Some Random Female Fights A Dragon. At that point, it's not just about getting my series from point F to point G -- it's about Irena winning, and how she wins, and what it means to her.

At least that's how I hope it works.

8. Just why do you love Wonder Woman so much?

I can't deny that some of it is nostalgia. I loved Wonder Woman in Superfriends and I loved Lynda Carter's show, and so the character holds a special place in my little-girl heart.

But I know it's more than that. Part of it is that I've always been drawn to female superheroes and strong female characters on TV -- Charlie's Angels, the Bionic Woman, Firestar in the Spider-Man cartoon, Diana in V (even more than Julie, the heroine of the series), just to start. Why am I drawn to them? I couldn't say. But I do know that Wonder Woman seemed to represent the best and the strongest of them all.

So I think it's fair to say that for a long time, it was just that she represented something. It wasn't the character herself. But then I began reading comic books, and found more there to love. The idea that she will fight, but first she'll try to find a way to solve problems without violence. That she's not about making people better, but about people making themselves better ... whatever "better" means. Which, when written down, sounds really corny -- but I also think it's something that resonates with me. I'm like Mulder, I guess: I want to believe. Not believe that Wonder Woman is real, but that whatever she represents can be.

Then again, maybe it's no more corny that believing that romantic love can be a powerful, transformative, wonderful, complicated, and GOOD thing, and writing a series of books exploring that idea.

But it's not just feelings and ideas -- she's had some kickass stories, too. There's a great series on livejournal that talks about them: When Wondy Was Awesome (http://bluefall.insanejournal.com/13190.html#cutid1) by bluefall. I don't agree with everything bluefall has to say about the character and her adventures, but I do a lot of it.

9. Complete this sentence: Michael belongs to Carolyn because . . . If you can't explain (or won't because it's just so obvious) then can you tell us about how his character evolves through the series? Any hints about what happens to him and when his book is coming up?

Michael belongs to Carolyn because ... I'm afraid of being hurt if I say he doesn't.

Ha, I love questions about Michael, because I just can't answer a lot of them. Michael is a difficult character to write because he's SO old, and he's so powerful, and he's seen so much ... and yet I have to imagine all of that and what it would be like. So as much as I love his character, I also recognize that he's kind of unknowable ... and that I'm going to have to make him knowable in order for his romance to work. So, to that end, I'm completely destroying him (so that I can show what he's made of when I put him back together.)

...and that's all I can say about that.

His book has always been planned as the last book, and I've known who his heroine is since Demon Angel. His book should be the eighth full-length book, which is only three away: first is Demon Blood, then another untitled Guardian book which will feature a h/h from Demon Blood, and then Michael's book.

10. What else are you working on? I understand you have a Steampunk book coming out.

The steampunk series is something that has been germinating since I first submitted my Demon Angel manuscript to my editor. If she didn't like that, I was going to write a steampunk proposal. So that's been in the back of my mind for years now, and so last year, the chance came up to propose it again. I pitched it as League of Extraordinary Gentlemen meets The Pirates of the Caribbean, called it the Iron Seas series, and my editor gave me the go-ahead.

The pitch isn't accurate, although the basic elements are there: There are pirates, and there's an alternate Victorian atmosphere with clockwork and steam-based technology. There's also giant squid, nanotech, zombies, dirigibles, and some sexy, sexy times.

And I love writing it. I don't have a release date yet for the first novel, The Iron Duke, but the first novella will be coming out in August 2010, in the anthology BURNING UP, with Angela Knight, Nalini Singh, and Virginia Kantra. Huge, huge fun.

The Contest Low Down

For a chance to win a signed copy of Meljean's Demon Forged, all you have to do is leave a comment. If you want to add in something about why Michael belongs to me, that would make me feel happy, but not affect the chances of your being the winner, who will be randomly chosen on Friday, October 23. If you don't leave me a way to contact me, then check back here Friday or Saturday to see if you won.

For a chance to win a signed copy of Indiscreet, head on over to Meljean's blog. I'm over there today where I'm sure she's being super nice to me.

Drive by Post

2009-10-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

Deadline panic is in full force.

Ack!!!!

That is all.

Oh, and when I bought MacFang (because I suspected my Dell laptop was nearly End Of Life) I gave the Dell to my son. Today, the Dell's hard drive failed.

Well, ok that's bad for him because he was using it a lot. But when it went to turn on his desktop, nothing. Apparently, the video card has failed. On his desktop, that's built into the motherboard. Sigh.

He has a paper due end of the month so I'll be buying him a new laptop. If I have the cash. I need to call my accountant Monday to find out how much estimated tax I have to send to Uncle Sam.

Ooh, a short story -- Did I crash and Burn?

2009-10-16T17:49:00.000-07:00

Author Cynthia Eden is having a Month of Monsters blogstravaganza for which I did a monstrous guest post. I wrote a short story. Yikes! Check it out. Heck, the whole month of monsters thing is awesome. Cynthia Eden's Month of Monsters Blog What do you think?

New Word!

2009-10-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

Chachbag

You can read about it there.

Some people. I swear.

Can you Spot The Hero?

2009-10-14T07:06:00.000-07:00

Today I'm over at the Riskies with a challenge for you: Can you Spot The Hero?

Just how experienced are you? Check it out.

RWA 2009 Workshop Review part 1

2009-10-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

I consider the $100 cost of the RWA Conference workshops money well spent. Worth every penny. I have now listened to all the workshops, other than 2-3 that I knew I had no interest in.

I am NOT going to comment on all the workshops since some, for whatever reason, I did not care for or the subject matter wasn't one I'm interested in at this point in my career. YMMV.

Workshops I end up not mentioning you may love. Ones I loved you might hate. Also, this is only part 1 because I already had most of this noted so it's a quick post for me. There are more workshops to talk about. (For what it's worth, right now I'm most concerned with story and character -- making them bigger and better.)

One surprise was how much GREAT information was in the publisher spotlights. Not so much about what they're buying but about story-telling -- amazing stuff in each and every one. (NB, I did not listen to the Avalon or Steeple Hill spotlights since I don't think I'll ever write inspirational. Given that all the other spotlights were fantastic, this may be a mistake.) The Harlequin workshops were also really good. I did skip the one about moving from category to single title, as those issues don't apply to me.

14-009 Homeland Security: was actually REALLY interesting. The speaker had some really great stories and she just loves her job so much you can't help but catch the enthusiasm. Great details to be tucked away in the brain vault.

14-011 Google Book Settlement - informative. Probably worth a listen if the settlement is still alive or not substantially changed by the current negotiations.

14-012 Pro Session: Make sure you listen to Madelaine Hunter. She gave a GREAT talk. The rest is pretty good, too, but for me she was a standout. The agent panel was good, too.

14-034 Writing the Hot Historical - everything Pam Rosenthal said was fascinating and thought provoking, whether you write historicals or not.

14-035 Secrets of the Best Selling Sisterhood- SEP and Jayne Ann Krentz. Worth a listen.

14-039 - Joan Johnston - Writing the Breakout Novel. Lots of interesting tips and things to think about.

14-042 Buy this Book - Gardiner, Poelle - Give this a listen. Top agents.

14-047 Under the Skin - Very good. Give a listen.

14-054 Intellectual Property - Moderated by Nora Roberts. Make sure you listen to Nora's story about how she was plagiarized. Riveting. You'll get angry and want to cry on her behalf. The speakers were good, but hard to understand at times (heavy accents, unclear diction).
14-056 Eloisa James Awards luncheon. Her speech will make you cry.

14-062: The Fire in Fiction. Donald Maass. Will def make you think. Some is kind of obvious but he tells a story (toward the end I think) and the room was COMPLETELY silent while he told it. A masterful example of show not tell. Have a listen. I have already listened to this one a second time.

14-071 Why we Love Mr. Darcy. Brenda Chin, Julia Quinn, L. Ghurke: Recommended. This quickly veers off into career decisions and discussions. Worth a listen for everything Quinn says about her career.

14-072 One, Two or Three. Kristin Nelson, Natasha Kern. This one is a MUST listen. Chilling bad-agent story. Great discussion of the thinking behind agenting a book deal. FYI, Kristin Nelson is my agent.

14-076 Setting as Character. Jade Lee. Worth a listen. She says some very interesting things. Plus she's funny and a great speaker.

14-082 Mauled Men etc. This one is about what happens after someone dies mostly in re funeral homes. I recommend listening because the speaker is good and there's all kinds of unexpected interesting facts and information in this that will probably come in handy one day.

14-084 Spotlight on St. Martin's. I consider this a MUST listen. Jennifer Enderlin in particular has some GREAT tips and insights. You probably won't have to listen to all of it, but don't miss the first half.

14-088 The good the bad the ugly in New media. Depressing, but do listen. It's about marketing and having a publicist. The min. budget of $7500 for EFFECTIVE marketing is just freaking depressing and out of reach for must authors. There are some good ideas and tips.

14-092 Make it Happen. 10 Tips to Breaking in. Christie Craig's story was inspirational. I heard about this one at the conference -- she made quite an impact and I can see why.

14-094 Legal Flavored Research. Some interesting stuff here.

14-101 How to Sell to Harlequin's London Office. Despite the title, there was some truly awesome story advice in this one. I gave this one 5 stars.

14-102 Anatomy of a Best Seller. This was good. Chris Keeslar of Dorchester is a great editor and I think writers need to sit up and pay attention when editors are speaking.

14-106 Turning Points, Jennifer Crusie. I'm looking for new ways to think about story, and this gave me some.

14-108 - Spotlight on Sourcebooks. Listen to this one.

That's it for now. This is roughly 3/4's of the workshops with some great ones yet to come. But I think I missed a few.

FTC Disclosure: I don't have to disclose a damn thing. I paid for these workshop recordings. Plus there's no advertising here.

Indiscreet!!

2009-10-06T07:17:00.000-07:00

Today, you can buy my historical Indiscreet. Please do. I would be so happy if you did. My publisher would be really happy if you did.

You can Read about and order Indiscreet at my website.

Not sure? you can Read Chapters 1 and 2

Buying my book means there's a better chance that you will be able to buy other books by me in future. Not only do you get to Help An Author Out, you get a really great story that will entertain you as many times as you care to read it.

Indiscreet has love and adventure and a pasha; there's intrigue and cross-dressing, too. I mention Alexander the Great and Darius of Persia. All in the same book. I don't think you can afford to pass this one up.

OK, so that's my pitch to you. If you do read it, I hope you enjoy it!

Interview with Author Courney Milan - Plus a Contest

2009-10-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

The funny and fabulous Courtney Milan stops by today to talk about her debut, her attack cat, some future books and all manner of other things you'll enjoy hearing about. She'll be giving away some copies of the novella, so read through to the bottom to find out how you can come away with one for yourself.

Courtney Milan
This Wicked Gift in THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS, HQN, October 2009
PROOF BY SEDUCTION, HQN, January 2010

The Interview

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I was born in a Russian gulag, and learned to read by scraping twigs against the....
Oh my God! Courtney, you too? Didn't those twigs really--

Oh. Wait. You want me to tell the truth?
Well, only if it's no trouble.

All righty then. I've held about nine or ten very different jobs, ranging from sales to graphic design to administration of a Linux cluster to animal training. Also, I'm a liar, so some of the things I say may not be 100% true.

Q: Why historical romance?

This one is easy: I can't write contemporaries, because I know absolutely nothing about popular culture. Nada. Not a thing. This is not to say you need to be a pop culture maven to write contemporaries, but it's just one of those little things I've learned: Never lie about subject matter to someone who knows more than you do. You'll never fool them.

Q: Team Eric or Team Bill? Edward or Jacob? (If you answer Bill and Edward, I won't hold it against you. Promise.) Why?

Um, who are Eric and Bill? (See above question.) As for Edward versus Jacob, that's easy. Bella can keep Edward. She deserves him. :)

I will email you some references. Because I'm just generous that way.

Q: Did you train your cat to be an attack cat or did you just get lucky? Do you have a picture you can share?

The cat came pre-trained to attack. We were very lucky with this cat; we got him because a "friend" asked us to watch him over his vacation. Vacation ended and the "friend" never showed up to pick up his cat. Needless to say, we kept the cat and ditched the friend.
Good move. An attack cat is invaluable.
You can see a picture of him, prepared to attack my carefully-built fortress of author copies of my novella

Q: Are you a plotter or a pantser or somewhere in between?

I'm definitely a plotter. And I plot by writing. The way it works is that in order to really get going on a story I need to know the beginning, the middle, and the end. That may sound like the whole story, but really, it's about 30,000 words--there's the part after the beginning but before the middle, and then the part before the middle but after the beginning and after the part after the part after the beginning.... trust me, it's just as confusing inside my head. So I basically have three scenes in my head when I start writing. Everything else I figure out in writing.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the kind of stories you write?

Some people write stories about good people who have bad things happen to them. I write stories about good people who make bad mistakes. In some sense, I think my characters always bring the meat of the story upon themselves, by making choices that while often well-intentioned, are fatally flawed. This is not to say that my characters get into bad situations by their own stupidity--quite the opposite. In fact, if anything, I think that relying too much on intelligence and overthinking are more likely to get my characters in trouble than, say, foolish choices made without thought.

I like writing stories like that because I feel it really pushes my characters to grow emotionally, to discover things about themselves, to rediscover the notion of honor and to decide that they are worthy of respect and love. I really believe it's hard to love another person if you don't love yourself, and so it's crucial that during the course of the story, my heroes and heroines learn to trust themselves as well as the people around them.

Q: I'm pimping you, Courtney. Tell me about your upcoming single title.

On January 1, 2010 (that's a lot of 1's!), my single title debut, PROOF BY SEDUCTION, is coming out. Proof by Seduction is the story of Gareth Carhart, the Marquess of Blakely, an inveterate scientist who is stunned to find out that his cousin and heir has been visiting a fortune teller for advice. He decides to prove Madame Esmerelda is a fraud. But what he assumes will be a simple task becomes drawn out by a simpler occurrence: He sees her almost naked. And once he's seen behind her disguise, he realizes that she is far more complex than a simple fraud. False as Madame Esmerelda's predictions might be, the woman who plays Madame Esmerelda, Jenny Keeble, is more compelling than any of the fortunes she manufactures. And before he can understand what's happening, he realizes that the way he feels about her can't fit inside a scientific proposition.

To put it in visual terms:

xkcd

PROOF is also the story of Jenny Keeble, an illegitimate byblow who has never known her parents, and who's struggled for respect all her life. She's found a measure of that respect telling rich people what they want to hear. She has money, security, and people who look up to her. But when she meets Gareth, she begins to realize that all of that means nothing if she can't respect herself.

That sounds so awesome. I can't wait to read it.

Q: What else do you have for us to look forward to?

Sometime in 2010, after PROOF BY SEDUCTION, the follow-up, TRIAL BY DESIRE, will be released. TRIAL BY DESIRE is the story of Ned Carhart, the cousin of the hero of PROOF BY SEDUCTION.

But before we even get there, sometime in late November/early December I'll be posting a free read. You know how Harlequin Historicals sometimes have titles like, "Smashingly Drunk Lord, Feisty Maiden?" This will have a similar title. Completely similar. Except... totally different.

Smashingly Drunk Lord, Feisty Maiden was one of my fav reads of 2005.

Q: Can you provide a fun fact or two about your story?

Fun facts! Oh, man, whenever I hear "fun facts" my brain automatically translates that into "lies." What does that say about me? Nothing I haven't already said, I suppose, but alliteration sounds so immediately hyperbolic that it gets me thinking about all kinds of things that are fun. And you know what else alliterates with "fun" and "fact"? Yeah, you got it. Fake. So I will tell you three fun facts about my novella, but one thing I say in this section will be completely fake.
We here at Writer's Diary are all about really good lies. Lie on, Courtney. Lie on.

I named the hero of my novella after a famous football star.

I originally described this novella as Dickens's A Christmas Carol meets 419eater.com, but it really ended up being more like The Damnation of Faust takes polite tea with 419eater.com, but then goes on its merry way to a happy ending.

Hidden inside this Christmas novella is a shocking truth: My novella almost never mentions Christmas. Hidden inside the lack of mention of Christmas in this novella is an even more shocking truth: Chapters of the novella parallel the libretto of Handel's Messiah.

What's the lie? Identify it in comments--and two people who correctly identify the lie will win a copy of my novella! (If nobody correctly identifies the lie, I will give out three copies at random.)

The Important Stuff

Read an Excerpt

Buy a copy of This Wicked Gift

And leave a comment. You could win big!

Maybe you'll want to skip this post. Or not. Your Choice

2009-10-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

There are times when silence must not be tolerated.

There are times when choosing not to speak is a moral failure.

This is one of those times. I cannot stay silent. And I won't. If you choose to read this post, please consider your own opinion, the state of your knowledge of these events, and whether you can stay silent, whatever you think.

Probably most of you know that I have a book due Nov 1, which means I've had my head down working and not paying attention to much but writing.

So, it's been a few days since director Roman Polanksi was arrested in Switzerland, and yeah, I heard about that. But I kept working and didn't really think too much about it.

But over the last few days it's been impossible not to notice there was something more going on.

Oh, the French are all mad. The French are always saying something about Americans so I didn't pay much attention to that either.

But then there was more. To be honest, I didn't believe the first twitter reports (which these days seems to be where I get my first clue that something I need to pay attention to is going on) about the statements in support of Polanski.

But I clicked around the web and read articles, op-eds and blogs. I read articles in the newspaper. And then I went over to The Smoking Gun and I read the Grand Jury testimony of the 13 year old victim. If you have doubts about Polanksi's culpability, I suggest you read that testimony.

Here's what happened. This 13 year old girl's mother took her to meet Roman Polanski so he could take some pictures of her daughter outside. The mother left her there. Alone.

Polanski took pictures of the girl outdoors and some of the shots were topless. She was not comfortable with this, but her mother was not there.

Because the light was fading, he then asked her if she wanted to go to Jack Nickolson's house to take additional pictures. They went there, and she called her mother for permission to stay there and obtained it.

There was a woman present, who either left, or vacated the part of the house where Polanksi was. Once she was gone, Polanski and this girl appear to have been there alone.

He gave her a glass of champagne and took photos of her drinking the champagne. She testified that she continued drinking champagne because he wanted her to for the photos. More of them were topless. And then just in her panties.

He got her into the jacuzzi but when he started touching her, she got out.

She went back inside and got dressed.

Then he gave her half a quaalude.

Where he then removed her clothes and performed oral sex on her even though she said no. More than once.

He asked to put his penis in her and she said no. More than once. He did anyway.

While he was doing this, he asked her when she had her last period. She said she wasn't sure. And he said he didn't believe her. When she told him she thought it might have been a couple of weeks, he asked if he wanted her to go in the back way. She said no. More than once. He did anyway because he didn't want to come in her vagina. (If she's mid-cycle, then she was probably fertile. Draw your own conclusions about why he asked.)

There were multiple times when she told him no.

A woman came to the door, knocked and asked what was going on in there. (You might want to think about that, too.)

She wanted to go home and eventually she went outside by herself and sat in the car. Because there was no one but Polanski to take her home.

You tell me. Does this sound like a seduction to you? She was 13. Polanski understood, and saw with his own eyes and ears, that her mother needed to drive this girl to meet him. He understood that this girl needed to call her mother for permission to go elsewhere than the original meeting place. He knew that she had no way to get home without him.

Do you believe for even a minute he didn't know exactly how old she was?

Do you believe for even a minute that if somehow he didn't know her exact age that there wasn't ample evidence that she was too young to consent? Or that, later, she wasn't in any condition to consent even if she happened to be 21?

He gave her alcohol and told her to keep drinking because of the photos he wanted to take. He gave her drugs.

He heard her say no multiple times. And he had oral, vaginal and anal sex with her anyway.

Her mother left her 13 year old daughter alone with a famous 43 year old man who was in a position to put her daughter into movies.

Do you honestly think he didn't understand he was taking advantage of his power and position?

To everyone who has blamed a 13 year girl for what happened to her or who has excused Polanski because he's rich and famous and talented, for shame. You are adults and you should know better.

It's not rape-rape? Whoopi Goldberg, I tell you right now, bullshit. I hope what you said was based more on your support of Polanski than any real belief you hold about rape and violence against girls. Oh, and women, too. And I hope you've had time to think about what that says about you as a person.

I'm really sorry a man other people admire creatively is a rapist, but no amount of talent or brilliance excuses what he did. None.

I really thought we'd moved past the days when we blamed women for the violence committed against them. I really did. I didn't think anyone in America today could stand up and blame a 13 year old girl for the actions of a 43 year old man who gave her alcohol and drugs before he got around to having sex with her -- because, damn, she kept saying no!

Something that makes me Mad - Reasonably or Not

2009-10-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

So, I was checking my Google Alerts, which, it turns out, is a way to perform Stupid Web Tricks while at the same time achieving plausible deniability. It's a total win for authors, in a passive-aggressive way that completely appeals to me. There are also some unintentional chuckles.

Historical readers may know that two of my books are Lord Ruin and The Spare. Google Alerts on these first of those two titles are quite often links to role playing boards where Lord Ruin is a favorite character name. Who knew? Or else really strange religious poems. A fair number of people seem to pray for the Lord to ruin them or something. Alerts for The Spare often end up at pages talking about spare change or the spare room or something equally silly and uninteresting to me.

Today, however, I got a Google Alert that led to a pirate-torrent site where someone wrote, more or less:

This is my first request to this board. If someone could please upload My Wicked Enemy by Carolyn Jewel I would be grateful

This post completely exploded one of my main reasons for not objecting to pirate copies of my books. Don't worry (or do, depending) I have reasons for objecting, too. That reason is that some of my books are not available in digital versions and/or are impossible to find at reasonable prices used.

My Wicked Enemy, however, IS available in multiple digital formats and, in fact was not so long ago offered as an Ebook for $1.99. This book is also easily and cheaply obtainable in paper (but they kill you on the shipping if you buy on line.)

What am I to conclude except that this person wants something for nothing? At my expense. And I'm not talking about some amorphous lost sale of a new book.

To be brutally honest, my first thought was Lady, if you like my books, for the love of all that you hold dear, go buy my book, because I need every damned sale I can get if you want there to be more books by me.

Really. My ability to stay published is dependent on two things: 1) Writing a really good book and 2) Sales.

It doesn't matter how good my book is, if sales are poor, my publisher, rightly, will be saying to itself, this is not an author we should publish again. And they would be right. They're in this to make money. Trust me, at this point in my career, future books are NOT assured. At my level, every single book sold counts. It really does.

That was my knee-jerk reaction.

What I wish is that some independent 3rd party would do the study that determines whether pirating helps or hurts an industry. There are arguments made both ways and I find some of each to be persuasive in varying degrees. To be honest, the helps side seems to point to the same tired examples of the same exceptional cases and adding in that pirates won't buy your stupid book/album/software anyway so why bother. The exceptional case, of course, with books, is Cory Doctorow, an author who 1) does NOT write romance (his market is completely and utterly different from mine) and 2) is already at the top of the author heap.

You can be pretty damn sure that Cory Doctorow must have a sweet deal with his print publisher such that he can make digital versions of his books available for free. There aren't many authors who are going to get that kind of deal, and if they tried to insist, there wouldn't be any deal.

It's not like publishers don't get that giving away books stimulates sales. Hachette gave out loads of free copies of My Forbidden Desire prior to and immediately around the release date. They don't, however, have a constant and unending supply of free books for people.

I don't have any answers because I recognize that I do not have sufficient facts to reach a conclusion.

Interview With Author Marilyn Brant - CONTEST!

2009-09-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

This week I'm interviewing author Marilyn Brant, who'll be giving away an ARC of According to Jane. Read through to the end for instructions about how to get your reticule in the ring for a chance to win!

About Marilyn Brant

Marilyn Brant is the award-winning women's fiction author of ACCORDING TO JANE, the story of a modern woman who receives dating advice from the spirit of Jane Austen (October 2009), and her second forthcoming novel about three suburban moms who shake up their lives and their marriages (October 2010), both from Kensington Books.

As a former teacher, library staff member, freelance magazine writer and national book reviewer for Romantic Times, Marilyn has spent much of her life lost in literature. She received her M.A. in educational psychology from Loyola University Chicago, dabbled in both fiction and art at Northwestern University, studied the works of Austen at Oxford University and is an active member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. Her debut novel won RWA's prestigious Golden Heart Award© in 2007.

Marilyn lives in the northern Chicago suburbs with her family, but she also hangs out online at her blog "Brant Flakes." When she isn't rereading Jane's books or enjoying the latest releases by her writer friends, she's working on her next novel, eating chocolate indiscriminately and hiding from the laundry.

Check out her website: www.marilynbrant.com

About the Book

In Marilyn Brant's smart, wildly inventive debut, one woman in search of herself receives advice from the ultimate expert in matters of the heart. . . It begins one day in sophomore English class, just as Ellie Barnett's teacher is assigning Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. From nowhere comes a quiet "tsk" of displeasure. The target: Sam Blaine, the cute bad boy who's teasing Ellie mercilessly, just as he has since kindergarten. Entirely unbidden, as Jane might say, the author's ghost has taken up residence in Ellie's mind, and seems determined to stay there.

Jane's wise and witty advice guides Ellie through the hell of adolescence and beyond, serving as the voice she trusts, usually far more than her own. Years and boyfriends come and go--sometimes a little too quickly, sometimes not nearly fast enough. But Jane's counsel is constant, and on the subject of Sam, quite insistent. Stay away, Jane demands. He is your Mr. Wickham.

Still, everyone has something to learn about love--perhaps even Jane herself. And lately, the voice in Ellie's head is being drowned out by another, urging her to look beyond everything she thought she knew and seek out her very own, very unexpected, happy ending. . .

Praise for ACCORDING TO JANE

A warm, witty and charmingly original story.
--Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author

An engaging read for all who have been through the long, dark, dating wars, and still believe there's sunshine, and a Mr. Darcy, at the end of the tunnel.
--Cathy Lamb, author of Henry's Sisters

This is a must-read for Austen lovers as well as for all who believe in the possibility of a happily-ever-after ending.
--Holly Chamberlin, author of One Week In December

An October "Fresh Pick" from Fresh Fiction!!

Jane Austen fans will revel in this modern day unique twist on a classic, as well as learning interesting facts about Jane herself. There is just enough mystery of ‘why’ to keep you guessing, and the ending is thoroughly satisfying. This was a truly, irrevocably inspiring novel.
--Kelly Moran, Bookpleasures (5 stars)

Just when you think Jane Austen could not appear in anything new, a refreshing reincarnation occurs as Marilyn Brant provides an engaging modern day take on the writer. Ellie is a terrific lead character as she adapts to the voice in her head while Sam is her nemesis...readers will thoroughly enjoy this fun contemporary romance that also provides insight into Jane Austen and her characters.
--Harriet Klausner (4 stars)

According To Jane is a delight from beginning to end...a definite keeper that I can see myself returning to time and again, just for the happy pick me up feeling it gives me. I’m eagerly looking forward to Ms. Brant’s next book.
-- Manic Readers (4.5 stars)

All I can say is, again without any spoilers is that Marilyn Brant you have a new super fan and I am singing your praises...5 STARS--LOVED IT! COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN.
-- Book Junkie (5 stars)

According to Jane is an intriguing, appealing story full of warmth and wit...a fast read, perfect for the busy woman and the author has a definite gift for keeping you turning those pages. This is a book you don’t want to miss if you’re a fan of Austen, romance, coming of age, women's fiction, or if you’re just looking for a highly entertaining story from an author with superb style and fresh voice.
-- Working Girl Reviews (5 shoes/best book)

The Interview

Q: Tell us about your latest release and the inspiration behind it.
My debut novel, According to Jane, is the story of a modern woman who--for almost two decades--has the ghost of Jane Austen in her head giving her dating advice. I first read Pride & Prejudice as a high-school freshman. Like my heroine Ellie, I raced through the novel way ahead of the reading assignments. I loved both the story and Austen's writing style immediately. Her books changed the way I perceived the behavior of everyone around me, and I spent the rest of freshman year trying to figure out which Austen character each of my friends and family members most resembled! Also like Ellie, I had a few (okay, a lot) of less-than-wonderful boyfriends, and I would have loved to have been given romantic advice from the author I most respected and the one who'd written one of my all-time favorite love stories.

Q: Any great fan/fan mail stories you care to share?
The book was just released on September 29th, so first impressions are still coming in, but I've gotten some truly wonderful emails from people who read the ARCs this summer. One of my favorites is from a woman who won a copy of the book in a contest and emailed me to say that she'd finished the book in a day and was on an emotional high from reading it. She added, "Sometimes I go through phase where I'm so blase about reading fiction and focus mainly on non-fiction (my usual staple), but once in a blue moon, a book grips me and makes me fall in love with fiction again. Thank you. A very grateful reader." I will always, always love that message!

Q: Which scene in your novel did you love writing? Why?
One scene I had a lot of fun with was the bar scene in the first chapter where my main character runs into her ex-high-school boyfriend for the first time in four years. It was a situation I had never experienced personally, but I could imagine the comical possibilities so clearly and feel and the frustration of my heroine as if I'd been the one standing there, facing the jerk and his latest girlfriend, while Jane Austen ranted about how "insufferable" he was.

Q: What were some of your favorite books as a kid?
In junior high and early high school, I loved The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, Love Story by Erich Segal, Illusions by Richard Bach and, of course, everything by Austen. When I was an elementary schooler, I also loved Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink, Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key and all the Nancy Drew mysteries.

Q: Which 'craft' book has inspired or helped you the most throughout your writing career?
I'm a BIG fan of craft books, so I have more than one! I used Blake Snyder's SAVE THE CAT! almost religiously in the plotting of my past several books. I'm still very sad that he's no longer with us. As far as a great reference guide, Robert McKee's STORY is incredible. It has more information about writing craft than I can ever internalize. Also, whenever I need a more emotional pick-me-up, I grab the Ralph Keyes book THE COURAGE TO WRITE. I recommend it to everyone.

Q: If you could ask one author (in all of history) for one piece of advice, who would you ask and what you would want to know from them?
Oooh, getting to be like my main character here! If I could have asked Jane Austen for advice before I was married, it would have definitely revolved around which type of man was the right one for me. (She would intuitively know the answer, I'm sure.) However, even without Jane's help, I was fortunate to find "my Darcy." J Now, I would ask her for her thoughts on the crafting of a perfect novel. What were the qualities she felt a great piece of fiction should possess? What was she consciously trying to achieve with her novels?

Q: Do you have a sample chapter posted?
Yes! On my website I have a segment of Chapter One available for anyone interested in reading. Also, if you go to the Amazon page for According to Jane there's a "Search Inside This Book" feature, and people can read samples from scenes throughout the novel.

Q: What is your author fantasy?
I'm secretly, unrelentingly ambitious, even when I have no right to be. Of course I want to hit the NYT bestseller list and get a movie deal. Also, I'd like an Oprah invitation and a few RITAs. However, these are not quite enough to satisfy every daydream I've ever had. I'd greatly enjoy winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, a Tony and an Olympic gold medal (in both ice skating and gymnastics). The fact that I'm pathetic on skates and terrified of the uneven bars is, in no way, a deterrent from these unrealistic fantasies. My simple ability to imagine them, makes them almost real. Furthermore, I like shiny things (although I don't like to dust them), so I hereby promise that if I win ANY heavy golden statuettes--ever--I will dust faithfully. Especially that Grammy award. Really.

Q: What's next for you?
I get to visit a number of book clubs that chose my debut novel, According to Jane, as their monthly book pick--wildly fun!--while also starting the production/promotion process all over again for my next women's fiction project. That second book is done, but we're still working on finding the right title. It's a modern fairytale about three suburban moms who shake up their marriages and their lives when one woman asks her friends a somewhat shocking question… That comes out in October 2010.

Q: Name 3-4 of your favorite musical artists/groups. Did you use any musical references in your novel? If so, do they play a significant role?
Oh, yes! I use an '80s soundtrack through the entire novel and songs of that era play a pretty significant role in the story. "True" by Spandau Ballet, "Make Me Lose Control" by Eric Carmen, "I Want to Know What Love Is" by Foreigner and "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi are four of the biggies, but there are so many... I think high school is always a time in a person's life where the music is especially memorable. What's on the radio when we're teens becomes the soundtrack of our youth, so the lyrics of those popular songs tend to take on heightened meaning and get all wrapped up with our burgeoning adulthood. The result of this combination can be delightfully melodramatic. '80s music aside, I love the songwriting of Rob Thomas/Matchbox 20, Coldplay, Rascal Flatts, the Goo Goo Dolls, Keith Urban, Eagles and post-Eagles Don Henley, Jackson Browne and just about anything Andrew Lloyd Webber composes.

Q: What's one piece of writing advice you've found valuable on your journey to publication?
Don't follow trends just because you think it'll be an easier sell. And write the books that fit your voice. If what you love writing happens to be a hot-selling genre, great. If your writing voice happens to be perfect for the genre you want to write in and love to read, that's awesome, too. But--if not--write long and hard enough to find what DOES fit you and your style best. Because then, even if it takes longer to make that first sale than you expect, you're writing the kinds of stories you most enjoy, and that passion has a way of working itself into the projects you're creating.

Q: Did you have any input on the cover, and are you happy with the finished product?
I was asked for input on the cover by my editor, and I sent Kensington pages of possible scene ideas, plus a plot summary and descriptions of the main characters. In the end, I have no idea whether or not my notes were helpful, but the cover didn't look anything like I'd imagined it--it looked far, far better! I couldn't be more pleased with the way our cover designer, Kristine Mills-Noble, envisioned the look of the book. I'm really excited to see what she'll come up with for my second novel.

Q: What do you think readers might be surprised to know about you?
This has absolutely nothing to do with writing (which is, perhaps, why it'll be surprising), but I was a member of a touring dance group in college and spent six weeks dancing through Europe the summer I was 19. We performed at festivals in France, Spain, Switzerland and Italy, and I met some absolutely fascinating people. That experience solidified both my love of travel and my lifelong adoration of the jitterbug. It also greatly aided in my appreciation of European men...

Q: Where do you write? Describe your writing space – is it a cluttered mess or minimalist heaven?!
I write in my home office--a messy, absolutely cluttered place--I won't deny it! There are stacks of paper and towers of books everywhere, but also a very nice window overlooking our backyard. Sometimes I'll write at a local coffee shop (either with my laptop or, most often, just with pen and notebook paper), and that location has the advantage of endless cups of coffee and occasional snacks.

Q: What are you reading at the moment?
Some entertaining Austen-inspired fiction, like Beth Pattillo's Jane Austen Ruined My Life, and the amazing Shaffer/Barrows novel The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Q: Are you a member of a writer's group? If so, how has it helped your writing?
I'm a member of Chicago-North RWA, and it's an incredibly strong critique chapter. Every month, three members have the opportunity to have up to 20 pages of their work critiqued by those attending the meetings (usually between 25-30 published/aspiring authors). The feedback is excellent, and it really helped me when I was a newbie to hear what more experienced writers were saying about some of my earlier work. Not only what confused them or what they thought was structurally unsound, but also what they felt were some of my writing strengths. That's priceless insight when you're just starting out. I can contrast this experience with semester-long university-level fiction workshops, which I personally didn't find to be nearly as constructive. In my opinion, if a new writer ever finds herself surrounded by people whose main objective is to show off how clever they are or to alter a piece of writing in a way that messes with her author voice, she should sprint, not merely run, to the nearest exit. It worth hunting for a group that will help you build upon your writing talents while, at the same time, assisting you in strengthening your weaknesses.

Q: Could you please tell us a little about your writing background and how you made your first sale (including the title and publisher)?
Aside from being on the newspaper and yearbook staff in high school and publishing some academic work in college, I didn't take writing seriously until I was about 30. I was a stay-at-home mom with a baby and desperately in need of a creative outlet, so I began writing poems, essays on being a parent and educational articles for family magazines. I wrote my first book having never taken a creative-writing class or even having read a book on the craft of fiction. (The lack of craft is very evident when I reread chapters from that first book, btw! I don't recommend this level of ignorance. . .) I got some feedback though--mostly negative--from a prominent literary agency, which led me to study fiction formally, delve into craft books and, eventually, go to my first writing conference. It was there that I heard about RWA. I joined, wrote three more unpublished manuscripts and, then, came up with the idea for According to Jane. My agent signed me on this book and submitted it to editors, but it needed to be significantly restructured before it sold. Nine months after it won the Golden Heart and was revised (again), it finally did sell--to John Scognamiglio at Kensington--on a sunny and surrealistic day in April 2008

Buy the Book

Title: According to Jane
Author: Marilyn Brant
Publisher: Kensington Books (trade paperback)
Price: $14.00 U.S./$16.95 Canada
Release Date: October 1, 2009 (on-shelf date: Sept. 29, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7582-3461-2
Pages: 288

Kensington's page about the book

Buy from Amazon

How to get your chance to win an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of According to Jane

Leave a comment to this post in which you tell me what advice you wish you could get from Jane. Like, say, should I wear the pelisse or the spencer? Or maybe, does this carriage dress make me look fat?

If you don't leave me a way to contact you if you win, then you must commit to checking back on our about Monday, October 5 to see if you've won.

Easy! Go forth and enter.

Head Down Writing Hard

2009-09-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

The Next Paranormal is due November 1, so I have my head down and my fingers to the keyboard. I may not be posting too often between now and them. We'll see how desperate things get.

Anyway, my tentative title is My Beloved Assassin but they've hated all my titles so far so I expect that to be shot down.

I also need a series title. Carolyn's Paranormal Extravaganza is the best suggestion so far.

Am in big trouble.

Back to work.

Workshop at Romance Divas

2009-09-22T16:24:00.001-07:00

This week (9/21-26) I'm doing a workshop on writing historical fiction over at Romance Divas.

Head on over and ask questions or read what I have to say. The link will work even when the workshop is over and I'm not answering questions there.

Ahoy There Me Hearties!

2009-09-19T11:20:00.001-07:00

Today me friends, is International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Google in Pirate: have Google search in pirate. Just click the link. You'll see what I mean. If you use iGoogle, by the way, there is a setting where you have have your searches rendered in Pirate. Fun!

Videos to help you out: