That’s right, New York City. At the end of May I’ll be on you like a lion on a gazelle. A commission-only employee on a customer. An ebook reader on a low-priced — scratch that, free — e-book. A reading junkie on an insanely awesome book convention! A…well, you get it.
I’m sure you get these kinds of threats all the time, but never from the Southern U.S. reading opulence that is Lurv a la Mode. Muahahaha!
It’s official: I will be attending BookExpo America and the first ever Book Blogger Convention at the end of May. I’m excited! A lot! Woohoo!
I’m already a little confused by BEA’s site, but that shall pass, I’m sure. Perhaps I forgot to don My Super Smartness Enhancer this morning. I simply hope, while at these events, to see great authors, meet awesome bloggers and generally have fun my first time in the Big Gynormous I’ll Eat You Alive City. I’ve been in such cities before, but never NYC. It is it’s own unique monster. Grroowwwlll.
So if you’re going, too, hopefully I’ll see you there! And if you’re just a reader of Lurv reading this, hopefully I’ll be bringing back some books with which to possibly give to you. Or you. Or you and maybe you. Oh, and you too. I do hope to be bringing home the goods. I’ve heard there are goods. I’ll be in the Goods Section! What? I AM shameless. I thought yall realized that. Don’t worry! I won’t be greedy. I see you don’t believe me. Sigh.
In the meantime, if perchance thou art traveling to yonder metropolis for this event most exciting, you might enjoy the links below. They feature some excellent advice on how to go about tackling a sitch like this.
7 Easy Tips for Enjoying NYC, Book Expo America & the Book Blogger Con
Book Expo America and Book Blogger Con 2010 (And since Babs got to go to BEA last year, be sure to follow up with her links on that experience at the bottom of her linked post.)
Do you have/know of a link full of good info for people attending these events? Feel free to leave it in the comments section and I’ll add them to the current list.
See you there, you crazy wild rapscallion book bloggers!
I. Love. This. Cover. I’ve got the first (The Drowning City) in the TBR pile, waiting. Need to catch up quick! The Bone Palace releases August 2010 from Orbit. Author’s site here.
Death is no stranger in the city of Erisín, but some deaths attract more attention than others.
When a prostitute dies carrying a royal signet, Isyllt Iskaldur, necromancer and agent of the Crown, is called to investigate. Her search leads to desecrated tombs below the palace, and the lightless vaults of the vampiric vrykoloi deep beneath the city. But worse things than vampires are plotting in Erisín–a long-dead sorceress is making a bid not only for renewed life but for the throne as well, and Isyllt’s former lover is caught in her schemes. Soon Isyllt is torn between the living and the dead, between the man she still loves, and the royal family she’s sworn to defend.
As a sorcerous plague sweeps the city and demons stalk the streets, Isyllt must decide who she’s prepared to betray, before the city built on bones falls into blood and fire.
A comic book featuring the ever-horrifying Stephen King alongside two other authors. Or maybe one’s an illustrator? Releases September 7, 2010. See here for full info.
Celebrated short story writer Scott Snyder and artist Rafael Albuquerque will launch a new monthly comic book series from Vertigo in March 2010 with a unique contribution from New York Times bestselling novelist Stephen King. The new ongoing series, AMERICAN VAMPIRE, will introduce readers to a new breed of vampire—a more muscular and vicious species of vampire with distinctly American characteristics. The series’ first story arc, to be told over the course of five issues, will feature two different stories, one written by Snyder, the other by King.
Releases April 27, 2010. I’ve seen another griffin-based fantasy while looking for covers. Newest creature fad, perhaps? Book 1 in a new series.
Griffins lounged all around them, inscrutable as cats, brazen as summer. They turned their heads to look at Kes out of fierce, inhuman eyes. Their feathers, ruffled by the wind that came down the mountain, looked like they had been poured out of light; their lion haunches like they had been fashioned out of gold. A white griffin, close at hand, looked like it had been made of alabaster and white marble and then lit from within by white fire. Its eyes were the pitiless blue-white of the desert sky.
Little ever happens in the quiet villages of peaceful Feierabiand. The course of Kes’ life seems set: she’ll grow up to be an herb-woman and healer for the village of Minas Ford, never quite fitting in but always more or less accepted. And she’s content with that path — or she thinks she is. Until the day the griffins come down from the mountains, bringing with them the fiery wind of their desert and a desperate need for a healer. But what the griffins need is a healer who is not quite human . . . or a healer who can be made into something not quite human.
Releases February 16, 2010. Appears to be book 3 in a series, and an interesting one at that. Not to mention, all the covers are gorgeous. Check them out at the author’s site.
A DEADLY MENACE IS BREAKING THROUGH THE GROUND. THE PEOPLE OF ABASCAR MUST ABANDON THEIR STONE REFUGE AND FLEE INTO VULNERABILITY IN THE FOREST. BUT THEIR KING HAS HAD A VISION…
Following the beacon of Auralia’s colors and the footsteps of a mysterious dream-creature, King Cal-raven has discovered a destination for his weary crowd of refugees. It’s a city only imagined in legendary tales. And it gives him hope to establish New Abascar.
But when Cal-raven is waylaid by fortune hunters, his people become vulnerable to a danger more powerful than the prowling beastmen––House Bel Amica. In this oceanside kingdom of wealth, enchantment, and beauty, deceitful Seers are all too eager to ensnare House Abascar’s wandering throng.
Even worse, the Bel Amicans have discovered Auralia’s colors, and are twisting a language of faith into a lie of corruption and control.
As his faith suffers one devastating blow after another, Cal-raven’s journey is a perilous climb from despair to a faint gleam of hope––the vision he sees in Auralia’s colors.
If there is any hope for the people of Abascar, it lies in the courage of Cyndere, daughter of Bel Amica’s queen; the strength of Jordam the beastman; and the fiery gifts of the ale boy, who is devising a rescue for prisoners of the savage Cent Regus beastmen.
A young adult title releasing July 13, 2010. Thought it sounded pretty interesting in a darkr Pinocchio (Remember how he’s led to that island with all the misfit boys?)/Peter Pan kind of way. Author’s site here.
Ever since the floods came and washed the world away, survivors have been desperate to win a place on X-Isle, the island where life is rumoured to be easier than on what’s left of the mainland. Only young boys are in with a chance, the smaller and lighter the better. Baz and Ray are two of the lucky few to be chosen, but they soon discover that X-Isle is a far cry from paradise. Ruled by Preacher John, a dangerous religious fanatic, it’s a violent, unpredictable place where terrible things can happen at any moment. The boys hatch an extraordinary plan in order to protect themselves – the construction of a mighty weapon of defence. But can they complete this weapon in time, and are they really prepared to use it in order to secure their freedom? Powerful and compelling, “X-Isle” is a fast-moving thriller that will keep you guessing right to the very end.
Anthology featuring several renowned authors. Releases March 9, 2010.
DANGER LURKS IN THE HEART OF THE CITY . . . BUT NOT ALWAYS WHERE YOU EXPECT IT. From New York to Los Angeles to Bucharest, fifteen never-before-published tales by some of the world’s finest fantasy and horror writers celebrate the newest incarnations of an age-old terror that strikes when the moon is full . . . the werewolf. No longer confined to the forests, these modern monsters can be found in places you frequent every day—and never before thought to fear.CARRIE VAUGHN’s popular werewolf radio host Kitty Norville is drawn into a controversy as to whether it’s fair to ban lycanthropy from professional sports. New York’s famous Plaza Hotel is the setting for ESTHER M. FRIESNER’s tale of one very grisly little girl, while Beverly Hills may never quite recover from RON GOULART’s middle-aged Hollywood screenwriter who falls prey to a most unusual problem. Celebrated fantasy author PETER S. BEAGLE tells a chillingly lyrical story of three Louisiana loup garoux locked into a deadly dance of death. Plus many more biting tales from award-winning authors:HOLLY BLACK • P.D. CACEK • GREGORY FROST • TANITH LEE HOLLY PHILLIPS • MIKE RESNICK • DARRELL SCHWEITZER • LISA TUTTLE IAN WATSON • GENE WOLFE • CHELSEA QUINN YARBRO
Another anthology! Releases August 15, 2010.
The Devil is known by many names: Serpent, Tempter, Beast, Adversary, Wanderer, Dragon, Rebel. His traps and machinations are the stuff of legends. His faces are legion. No matter what face the devil wears, Sympathy for the Devil has them all. Edited by Tim Pratt, Sympathy for the Devil collects the best Satanic short stories by Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Stephen King, Kage Baker, Charles Stross, Elizabeth Bear, Jay Lake, Kelly Link, China Mieville, Michael Chabon, and many others, revealing His Grand Infernal Majesty, in all his forms. Thirty-five stories, from classics to the cutting edge, exploring the many sides of Satan, Lucifer, the Lord of the Flies, the Father of Lies, the Prince of the Powers of the Air and Darkness, the First of the Fallen… and a Man of Wealth and Taste. Sit down and spend a little time with the Devil.
Yet another anthology! This time thar be dragons. Releases June 15, 2010.
Dragons: Fearsome fire-breathing foes, scaled adversaries, legendary lizards, ancient hoarders of priceless treasures, serpentine sages with the ages’ wisdom, and winged weapons of war… Wings of Fire brings you all these dragons, and more, seen clearly through the eyes of many of today’s most popular authors, including Peter Beagle, Holly Black, Orson Scott Card, Charles De Lint, Diana Wynne Jones, Mercedes Lackey, Ursula K Le Guin, Dean R Koontz, George R. R. Martin, Anne McCaffrey, Elizabeth Moon, Garth Nix, and many others.
Releases July 27, 2010. The cover’s grabbed me. The story sounds interesting. Author’s site here.
Cloaked in silent winter snow the Kingdom of Rolencia sleeps as rumours spread of new Affinity Seeps, places where untamed power wells up. Meanwhile, King Rolen plans his jubilee unaware of the growing threat to those he loves.
By royal decree, all those afflicted with Affinity must serve the Abbey or face death. Sent to the Abbey because of his innate Affinity, the King’s youngest son, Fyn, trains to become a warrior monk. Unfortunately, he’s a gentle dreamer and the other acolytes bully him. The only way he can escape them is to serve the Abbey Mystic, but his Affinity is weak.
Fiercely loyal, thirteen year-old Piro is horrified to discover she is also cursed with unwanted Affinity. It broke their mother’s heart to send Fyn away, so she hides her affliction. But, when Fyn confesses his troubles, Piro risks exposure to help him.
Even though Byren Kingson is only seven minutes younger than his twin, Lence, who is the king’s heir, Byren has never hungered for the Rolencian throne. When a Seer predicts that he will kill Lence, he laughs. But Lence Kingsheir sees Byren’s growing popularity and resents it. Enduring loyalty could be Byren’s greatest failing.
Another YA title that grabbed my eye with its cover and blurb. Releases July 13, 2010. Author’s site here.
Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry.
After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all.
But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.
Releases March 9, 2010.Author’s site here.
The wounded maidservant thrust the knotted blankets at him; instinctively, Brys stepped forward and caught the bundle before it fell. Then he glimpsed what lay inside and nearly dropped it himself.
There was a baby in the blankets. A baby with a tear-swollen face red and round as a midsummer plum. A baby he knew, even without seeing the lacquered medallion tucked into the swaddling—a medallion far too heavy, on a chain far too cold for an infant who had not yet seen a year.
A fragile period of peace between the eternally warring kingdoms of Oakharn and Langmyr is shattered when a surprise massacre fueled by bloodmagic ravages the Langmyrne border village of Willowfield, killing its inhabitants—including a visiting Oakharne lord and his family—and leaving behind a scene so grisly that even the carrion eaters avoid its desecrated earth. But the dead lord’s infant heir has survived the carnage—a discovery that entwines the destinies of Brys Tarnell, a mercenary who rescues the helpless and ailing babe, and who enlists a Langmyr peasant, a young mother herself, to nourish and nurture the child of her enemies as they travel a dark, perilous road . . . Odosse, the peasant woman whose only weapons are wit, courage, and her fierce maternal love—and who risks everything she holds dear to protect her new charge . . . Sir Kelland, a divinely blessed Knight of the Sun, called upon to unmask the architects behind the slaughter and avert war between ancestral enemies . . . Bitharn, Kelland’s companion on his journey, who conceals her lifelong love for the Knight behind her flawless archery skills—and whose feelings may ultimately be Kelland’s undoing . . . and Leferic, an Oakharne Lord’s bitter youngest son, whose dark ambitions fuel the most horrific acts of violence. As one infant’s life hangs in the balance, so too does the fate of thousands, while deep in the forest, a Maimed Witch practices an evil bloodmagic that could doom them all. . . .
Releases August 1, 2010. Author’s site here.
Steven de Selby has a hangover. Bright lights, loud noise, and lots of exercise are the last thing he wants. But that’s exactly what he gets when someone starts shooting at him.
Steven is no stranger to death-Mr. D’s his boss after all-but when a dead girl saves him from sharing her fate, he finds himself on the wrong end of the barrel. His job is to guide the restless dead to the underworld but now his clients are his own colleagues, friends, and family.
Mr. D’s gone missing and with no one in charge, the dead start to rise, the living are hunted, and the whole city teeters on the brink of a regional apocalypse-unless Steven can shake his hangover, not fall for the dead girl, and find out what happened to his boss- that is, Death himself.
This week, our Giveapalooza takes a trip closer to reality with contemporary romance. If you love relationships that are easier to relate to, pretty much current with the times and filled with characters and situations you might actually see day-to-day, this is your bag, baby. The five titles you see below all go to one winner:
Talk of the Town by Sherrill Bodine – ARC version, never been read
Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella – partially read, cover creased
Catch a Mate by Gena Showalter – ARC version, cover slightly creased
For the Love of Pete by Julia Harper – ARC version, never been read
The Girl Most Likely To by Susan Donovan – new copy
Giveaway Rules
Open to U.S. residents only.
Contest opens today and ends February 11 at noon, eastern time. I’ll announce the ONE winner later that day.
There are two ways to enter (giving you two total entries/chances to win):
1. Leave a comment here, any comment.
2. Share the contest info on Twitter (@KMont Contemporary Romance Giveapalooza + contest link, etc.); in a separate comment here, leave me a link to your tweet (which you can access by clicking the “5 minutes ago, etc.” link below your tweet. Copy/paste the url from that page) or I may not see it and count it as a second entry. If you don’t see your Twitter link entry pop up in the comments below, it might be caught by my spam filter. I will check it regularly to make sure all entries get through.
Good luck!
Howdy, folks! It’s time to announce the winner of Lurv’s sixth Giveapalooza. As you can see below, the prize this time was six historical romance titles of varying time periods and topics, but all hopefully satisfying the winner in the romance/HEA department. And speaking of the winner, that person is…
Margay!
Congratulations! I hope you enjoy all the titles. I’ll be getting them mailed out ASAP.
And the Giveapalooza train is still, at this time, going full steam ahead. Come Sunday or Monday, there’ll be a seventh Giveapalooza for you to enter. This time it’ll be either erotic romance or contemporary romance. So stay tuned! Hope to see you there.
I’m currently reading several books (which you can see the covers for on my sidebar under Currently Devouring), all of which rely on worldbuilding to an extent. I love worldbuilding. I want to visit fictional realms full of imaginative new technology, wildlife, cultures and the like. If done well, it will easily infuse the rest of the book. The author will have painted a marvelous canvas on which the rest of the book can unfold.
I’m already familiar with Barb and J.C. Hendee’s style due to reading their first Noble Dead saga last year, so while getting initially into In Shade and Shadow, I’m once again immersed worldbuilding-wise. They are just naturals when it comes to shaping the world for this series. It’s Lord of the Rings level worldbuilding. LOVE.
Except the Queen by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder has one of the best worlds for a faerie-esque story that I’ve read. So far. I’m a little bogged down with it character-wise. So far, though, I feel the world they’ve built for the book is pretty clear. Normally I run into problems with books based on this kind of people/mythology because the worlds have felt just as airily elusive as the fae characters. Not quite in focus. Except the Queen is very different and I can visualize it perfectly. It also reminds me a lot of this book I loved as a kid.
A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire – I have the benefit of already being familiar with this author’s world as well, having read and loved the first book. I’m not sure yet if those unfamiliar with the first book would know exactly what McGuire tries to do worldbuilding-wise, should readers just jump into the second book blind, but then again the author already has, at nine chapters in, managed to explain pretty well what is going on with her world. I say read the first book first, if only to get a sure handle on how awesome her series’ world really is.
And then there’s Shadow Blade by Seressia Glass, a fantasy/urban fantasy novel talked up last year. I bought it yesterday and am only 21 pages or so in, but I’m already throwing flags on the worldbuilding plays. For one, the book has several points that remind me of other books or movies. For example, a power the heroine has, and how she goes about learning to control it, remind me very much of Rogue in the X-Men movies and her experiences at Dr. Xavier’s school for hellaciously gifted children. The book uses the term Normals to refer to non-magical humans, reminding me immediately of Muggles in Harry Potter books and films. There is even a vague Hellboy feel as the heroine belongs to an organization similar to Hellboy’s, in which certain magical beings are policed.
I don’t really mind these similarities so much as I do the fact that none of it has been really explained yet or expanded on. Sometimes authors are excellent at giving out worldbuilding explanations in small bites. A great example of this kind of worldbuilding is the Ilona Andrews team book, On the Edge. Readers are treated to an ever-burgeoning and interesting world as the book progresses, as opposed to learning about everything up front.
Other times, explanations earlier in the book can work too. One good example – and a beautifully realized one at that, is Ann Aguirre’s first Sirantha Jax book, Grimspace. In the very first few pages, we learn a hell of a lot about Jax and the world she lives in, simply by March coming to bust her out of jail. It’s not necessarily a deep, expanded explanation, but it’s given to us in a beautiful voice through Jax, and tells us a lot about what to expect from there. The point is, we get that worldbuilding right up front. True, it does continue to be built upon as the book progresses, but we proceed to those points well aware already of the worldbuilding.
With Shadow Blade, I think perhaps the seeming conglomerate of mishmashed influences via other books or films is making the book a little disjointed for me so far. And I know it’s still early – my opinion of the worldbuilding could very well change – but the book is a fantasy at its heart and I really, personally, need a good solid world base in order to get what’s going on. I’m not getting that yet, and I feel even at 21 pages in, I should feel a little more cohesive in the reading experience.
When yet another capitalized Word of Major Importance keeps popping up (Normals, Chaos, Shadow magic, Gilead Commission, Chasers, Shadow Avatars, Shadowchaser, – ALL introduced in the manner of someone that has already heard of them, would be familiar w/them and all given very brief, yet nonsensical reasons for being at this point, and in a space of very few pages) , I’m starting to get a little impatient for some good, firm worldbuilding explanations. Give it to me in a paragraph, give it to me via dialogue, or give it to me through a flashback – I don’t care, just give it to me so I can accurately imagine this book, it’s characters and their world. And since it was all mentioned so soon in the book, well, I’d like to now, please.
Actually, Kira, the heroine, does have a kind of flashback that takes her back to Egypt when she touches a magical blade, but this too makes no sense. Not yet. I dunno, had chapter one not tried to cram in every Word of Major Importance into it, again told as if we already ought to know some insider info, then perhaps I wouldn’t feel so jarred. As is, I feel as if these Words of Major Importance have no connection to the story at this point. They’re simply floating on the fictional breeze.
I find I’m craving more worldbuilding explanations for Shadow Blade. Now. Alas, the heroine is off to some apparent action. We’ll see how it goes. And this could all just be me, too. You might get a very different feel for those first 20-something pages.
How do you prefer your reading’s worldbuilding introduced? Can you name some books that you felt were particularly stellar – or not – in the worldbuilding department?
It’s finally here, the cover you’ve all been waiting for. And it’s not that bad. Actually, hardly any of the covers for these hoaky-sounding books have been that bad, design-wise. They seem to try to stick with a classic feel, and something just barely noticeably quirky in there to spice things up. Like those blood spatters and the scary shadow. Heh, I’m still not sold. Releases May 4, 2010. Now what’s this I hear just today? Monsieur Hood, Friar Tuck and some zombies?
ETA: Oh! Almost forgot to tack on that author Lori Handeland is doing one too – Shakespeare Undead (I believe HE is a vampire in her version…).
A literary landmark—the original, suppressed draft of the classic novel!
Little Women is a timeless classic. But Louisa May Alcott’s first draft—before her editor sunk his teeth into it—was even better. Now the original text has at last been exhumed. In this uncensored version, the March girls learn some biting lessons, transforming from wild girls into little women—just as their friends and neighbors transform into vicious, bloodthirsty werewolves!
Here are tomboy Jo, quiet Beth, ladylike Amy, and good-hearted Meg, plus lovable neighbor Laurie Laurence, now doomed to prowl the night on all fours, maiming and devouring the locals. As the Civil War rages, the girls learn the value of being kind, the merits of patience and grace, and the best way to stab a supernatural creature in the heart and cut off his ugly, slavering head.
By turns heartwarming and blood-curdling, this rejuvenated classic will be cherished and treasured by those who love a lesson in virtue almost as much as they enjoy a good old-fashioned dismemberment.
Includes the original letter from Alcott’s editor, telling her not to even think about it!
Lucy A. Snyder
Spellbent
Del Ray
ISBN-10: 034551209X
ISBN-13: 978-0345512093
Urban fantasy
December 29, 2009
Jessie Shimmer’s roguish lover, Cooper, has been teaching her ubiquemancy, the art of finding the magic in everyday things. But things go terribly wrong when the couple try to call a rainstorm in downtown Columbus. A hellish portal opens, and Cooper is ripped from the world. Worse yet, a vicious demon invades the city. Jessie barely manages to slay it, but she’s gravely wounded and the capital’s center is destroyed. As if losing an eye and a hand isn’t bad enough, the city’s ruling mage, Benedict Jordan, brands her an outlaw. With only her ferret familiar to help her, Jessie must find the dimension Cooper’s trapped in and bring him back alive before sinister machinations make both of them vanish for good.
Books With Balls is a special reviewing segment here at Lurv where an author goes where no other author can, meaning this author’s style is unique. It’s a book with balls. Big meaty ones.
Number of Balls (scale of 1-5, 5 being best): 5
Why is this book ballsy?
1. The heroine loses an eye – she loses a damn hand! The author isn’t interested in giving it to the reader in a pretty way, and I love how severely she tested Jessie. There really doesn’t need to be any other reason. This heroine rocks for all she goes through, still managing to come out on top.
See that cheeky little ferret on the cover’s bottom right? That’s Palimpsest, or Pal for short. He’s Jesse’s familiar – and so much more. I thought he looked so out of place on that cover when I first saw it, but Pal (who has his own POV told several times) proved to be a very important character. Overall, Spellbent was, oddly, a disturbingly pleasant surprise. read more…
This week’s Giveapalooza theme is the much-loved and lauded historical romance! Knights, kings, chamber maids and interesting scenery via horse. Among other things. A LOT of other things. This is history, folks! I was able to correctly answer some test questions in high school (and Jeopardy too) as a result of recalling details in historical romances. No joke.
Below are six titles all going to one winner.
What a Scoundrel Wants by Carrie Lofty – Only slightly read and in very good condition.
Laird of the Mist by Paula Quinn – never been read
The Privateer by Dawn MacTavish – never been read
To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt – ARC version, several pages folded down
Temptation of a Warrior by Margo Maguire – one folded down page
Vanquished by Hope Tarr – never been read
Giveaway Rules
Open to U.S. residents only.
Contest opens today and ends February 4 at noon, eastern time. I’ll announce the ONE winner later that day.
There are two ways to enter (giving you two total entries/chances to win):
1. Leave a comment here, any comment.
2. Share the contest info on Twitter (@KMont Historical Romance Giveapalooza + contest link, etc.); in a separate comment here, leave me a link to your tweet (which you can access by clicking the “5 minutes ago, etc.” link below your tweet. Copy/paste the url from that page) or I may not see it and count it as a second entry. If you don’t see your Twitter link entry pop up in the comments below, it might be caught by my spam filter. I will check it regularly to make sure all entries get through.
Good luck!
To balance out the anger you’re about to read, I thought the LOLCat above would be a nice addition. Heh.
I tend to not get all up in arms here on the blog because I’m never going to be the most knowledgeable person on what the heck is currently bursting into WTFery. Not that a post here will make that much of a difference, but I think I’ve come to a point where enough is enough. I’m writing a letter to Amazon and I’m calling them out on their most recent shitty practice.
They’ve removed any and all Macmillan published titles, ebooks and print editions alike. They are royally screwing consumers because of their price war with publishers, one that’s been going on for a while. You know the one. Amazon and others like Target pricing books as low as $9.99, ebooks the same, for Amazon at least, when usually books like those would be going for as much as $15 (for trade size) or $20 plus for hardbacks. You can still buy these books at Amazon, but only through their 3rd party Marketplace sellers.
Sure, as a consumer I like the lower price points. But this isn’t doing customers any good, by taking away their buying power. I feel for publishers and authors should those prices hurt them, but surely there’s a better way to fix all of this then to put authors and consumers at the bottom to catch all the shit. It’s like two parents going for each other’s throats, and the kids are looking on.
Last year some wrangling of Amazon ranking systems, somewhere, somehow made it so that gay-themed books disappeared from rankings. This made such books unsearchable. If people can’t find them, they can’t buy them. Oh yeah, it looked mighty suspicious. The story is much deeper,of course, but those were the basics. Basics that were understandably booed and hissed at. It was not cool at all.
I myself didn’t see sufficient evidence that Amazon itself, had deliberately manipulated anything. I tend to want to see some proof (And maybe there was eventually? If so, I missed it.). In the end, the rankings were fixed and these books could be found again. Cool. Let’s move on, it is possible for mistakes to happen (sure, that sounds Pollyanna, but I’ll take it over yelling and stressing every single thing like this that happens), and I did.
By purchasing from Amazon.
I love purchasing from Amazon. They have what I want. I can get it shipped for free in a very reasonable amount of time. It has been, for the most part, a consumer-centric business and I’ve been pleased with their customer service. I stress for the most part. I’m aware that something like this price war crap affects me on a more personal level than the gay-books-ranking fiasco, but that’s the way it is. Eventually we all break at some point. The latest happens to be my personal gushing dam of why the hell do they have to keep doing crap like this. Enough is more than enough. From their ass end to the end spewing the crap…which really could be either end…it’s time to say no to Amazon. It’s time to quit them.
Until Amazon brings back all editions of Macmillan titles, I will not be purchasing from them. Taking away the ability for consumers to purchase books, in order to punish a publisher is just about the lamest thing I’ve ever heard. It’s also downright disturbing. Turn off your flow, will you? I can turn it off on my end, too. Had they not fixed the gay-themed rankings problem, I would have been hugely disappointed (more so than I already was) and refused to buy then, too. Let’s hope this whole price war crap is fixed soon, or at the very least focused away from consumers and authors, who are the ones paying the ultimate price. It’s too bad Amazon no longer wants my business.
Shame on you, Amazon, for seeming to care so much about what your customers pay that you in turn make customers suffer for your inability to care any longer about them. To instead care more about your greed. To do so in a way that is blatant to one and all. I’m a practical person and I know business is business, which makes my next statement perfectly sensible.
Until such time as you come to your senses, Amazon – Fuck You.
I was going to link a bunch of other articles available on the subject, but author Jackie Kessler already has a good list of links on her blog, along with a good breakdown of the situation. Dear Author also covers the situation. Enjoy.
ETA: The day after posting this I still can’t get the topic off my mind. What if Amazon went the same route with most other major publishers, and most of the books I want were only available through Amazon’s Marketplace sellers (and Amazon acting as if this is just as good a solution as buying directly from them feels like a joke). I admit I don’t like to buy via the Marketplace sellers if I can help it (shipping costs often aren’t as high as what I have to pay, so I wasted money there). Should I use Amazon as much as I can until such a time as something like this might happen? My daughter is already asking for items that would be far esier to get through Amazon. I’m fickle in the sense of doing what is easiest, cheapest and just plain more convenient. I’m doubting myself on this issue and I hate that.
ETA Dos: I got a response from Amazon regarding my email to them:
We are working with the publisher to make their titles available as soon as possible and at the lowest possible prices for our customers. We will e-mail you when these titles are available, which we hope will be soon.
Well…that sounds…nice. But if they were really interested in working something out, wouldn’t they have tried more to do so in the beginning, as opposed to yanking books off of figurative shelves? The book yanking still strikes me as the equivalent of an emotionally immature move. But so does a lot about this, including Macmillan’s My Way or the Highway maneuvers. Wait, both are being that way. Bah. I say get an arena, some weapons and a crowd lusting for battle and pit them against one another. At least there would be more action that way.
In the meantime, they sent me an email notice of all the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, as something I might be interested in based on prior purchases. Not sure Amazon’s helping their case any with me. Not like that.
Apologies for not announcing the winner yesterday. I had some issues that came up and by the time they went down I was practically snoozing on my feet. We had lots of entries again tho and without further ado, the winner (picked via Random.org’s integer generator) of all the books you see below is…
BERNIE!
Bernie left an interesting comment:
Boy I would love to win! Always looking for good reads to have when my husband is getting treatment in hospital. NOT pulling the pity card just stating fact. I sit many hours a week, and boy its nice to lose myself in my books.
Bernie, no pity here (though I wish your husband the best), but I’m glad these books will be bringing you some distraction and hopefully some entertainment.
Thanks to everyone who entered, pimped the contest and stay tuned because there will be another giveaway going up this Sunday or Monday. Probably historical romance this time with four or five titles.
Nalini Singh
Archangel’s Kiss (Guild Hunter #2)
Berkley
ISBN-10: 0425233367
ISBN-13: 978-0425233368
Paranormal romance
February 2, 2010
Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control—even when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority…
They’ve barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing—and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena…
*based on copy provided by author.
Let it be known far and wide – I be loving me some Singh. Don’t you just love it when you can say an author’s name and there’s that connection with other readers that this author’s work is so universally liked and loved, that you just need their last name to identify with. Going to get the new Singh, etc. When a Singh release hits the shelves, I’m there.
Let it also be known that this is probably the first Singh that I had a couple of serious issues with. That being said, it’s amazing how the book rebounds and manages to change the perspective of that situation. I’ll explain as we go on. read more…
OMG – DROOL. I love this cover! At first I thought, whoa, Jax has had a little plastic surgery, not so sure about that…but I love it. It’s great. I want it. I will have it. I will consume it. Muahaha! Releases to ME September 2010. OK, to you, too. Go here for an excerpt.
TALK IS CHEAP WHEN LIVES ARE IN JEOPARDY
Sirantha Jax is a “Jumper,” a woman who possesses the unique genetic makeup needed to navigate faster than light ships through grimspace. With no tolerance for political diplomacy, she quits her ambassador post so she can get back to saving the universe the way she does best—by mouthing off and kicking butt.
And her tactics are needed more than ever. Flesh-eating aliens are attacking stations on the outskirts of space, and for many people, the Conglomerate’s forces are arriving too late to serve and protect them.
Now, Jax must take matters into her own hands by recruiting a militia to defend the frontiers—out of the worst criminals, mercenaries, and raiders that ever traveled through grimspace…
March 23, 2010
May 25, 2010
April 1, 2010
October 26, 2010
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September 2010
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