Samhain Publishing Ltd. Weblog

Me and My Palm TX Making Friends

Well, I finally did it. After a ridiculously long time, I broke down and bought an e-reader. Not a dedicated reader but a Palm TX so it has multiple functions. When the new toy arrived a couple of days ago I was very uncertain if we were going to get along together. The screen was smaller than I’d imagined it would be and the process of learning how to sync it with my desktop was a little daunting. But here we are a couple of days later, my Palm and me, making friends.

I read a book on it last night and found that only having about half a page on the screen at a time actually makes it easier to focus for me. Plus a backlit page is far easier on my eyes than print on paper. I’m very excited to be able to read without sitting at my computer, where, let’s face it, I spend enough hours every day.
Yes, I think I’m going to keep her.

What kind of reader do you use? What are the pros and cons of the one you use? What advice can you give someone who may be trying to decide which e-reader or other device to buy? And can anyone tell me why I’m having trouble syncing an Adobe reader program and having it show up on my Palm?

Seventeen Reasons Why DragonCon is a Regency Country House Party

“You’re gonna need Sherpas,” Greg taunted.

The spouse person always says that when I’m compiling my lists of what to pack for a trip. I wanted to flip him off, but this time he was… um, right. When he caught me I was tallying the costumes I need for this year’s DragonCon.

There’s the Pirate Ball, but everything about that costume packs flat. Except the boots, which can’t use for the Steampunk Ball, but I might be able to match up with the costume for the DragonCon attempt on the world’s largest “Thriller” dance. Then there’s the growing contingent of waitresses from Merlotte’s, the bar in Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels and HBO’s True Blood series, assembling for the parade. Alas, my days of playing not so sweet juveniles like vampire Jessica are long past. Still, I’d make a killer Arlene. Maybe I could re-use the top for one of my panels.

But what am I going to do about the high tea?

Oh for the days of capacious trunks and well-sprung coaches. Of footmen to carry your luggage to your room and maids to tend to your every need. Of dancing all night and sleeping ‘til the afternoon…

And if you don’t count the panels, that’s exactly what I’ll be doing at DragonCon. I stared at my list, while my mind cycled through the amusements contained in every Regency novel I ever read. “Well, day-um,” I said, “I’m summering at a Regency house party.”

Greg stared at me.

“No. Really. I’ve got seventeen reasons to prove it…”

(Click the link for the reasons—all seventeen of them.)

RIP: Mourning the Deaths of Fictional Characters

Jen: The first time I remember suffering over a fictional loss was when I was a teenager and went to see the movie Ghost. At the end of that movie when Patrick Swayze says “Ditto” and goes into the light, I sobbed so loud that other people in the theater actually laughed at me {ask Lisa about it, she was with me at the time. (Lisa: Yes, I was there…and laughing at her, too!)} Perhaps it was the teenage hormones at work, or maybe I like to suffer, but I went and saw that movie several more times in the theater—and cried every time. Recently, I caught the ending on cable…and balled all over again.

Why is tragedy and death of beloved characters in popular fiction so prevalent? Is it the shock value? Is it to showcase how life is precious? As a writer, I get why death is necessary. It creates great emotional angst, it allows us to explore the darker side of life. It can create great conflict. But still, from the other side of the table, why do we, as readers and viewers, keep coming back to shows—or rewatch movies and reread books—that rip our hearts out time and time again?

NPR Joins the Shameful Crowd

Last week, I was listening to NPR (National Public Radio) Morning Edition on the way to work, as I generally do. Lots of world news, lots of interesting things you don’t normally hear from most other news sources. I like it. Usually. On that day, however, they had a bit on the tail end of the business news that darn near ruined my day.

It was a bit about Harlequin’s 60th birthday. When I heard that, I got all excited. “Cool!” I thought. “Romance is on NPR!” I thought that was pretty sweet. Until they started talking, and what I got was what everybody else on the planet seems to give the romance genre: scornful snickering. The dreaded term “bodice ripper.” What a disapointment, NPR.

It wasn’t what was said so much as how they said it. Derision and “wow I can’t believe people READ this stuff” amusement dripping from their voices. It made me ANGRY, I tell you. Check out the NPR website to read the transcript of the story and listen for yourself. It’s very short, so it won’t take but a minute.

I shouldn’t be surprised at this point that so many people still believe romance to be beneath them, but I constantly am. And for Morning Edition — a morning-drive friend to me for years — to throw this at me, feels personal. Why, Linda and Steve? Why’d you do it? Our relationship will never be the same.

Recovery mode

Now that I’m back from RWA Nationals in Washington D.C., I’m in full recovery mode. I’m sure the 2000 other women who attended are feeling much the same thing. If you’ve never attended a conference, and especially a conference of this size, you’re probably wondering just what recovery mode entails so I’m going to share some insights with you.

First Impressions

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities (1812 – 1870)

Call me Ishmael. – Herman Melville, Moby-Dick (1851)

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (1813)

Familiar? These are the first lines from some of the world’s best-known stories. We’re always told we have only one chance to make a good first impression, and there’s so much truth in that statement.

Leah Braemel and I have decided to do a two-part blog post. Today, I’m taking a look at first lines from some of the offerings from Samhain. I’ve expanded it to be the first line+, but the concept is the same. Tomorrow Leah will give us the final word from authors.

From the ten stories listed here, how many first lines can you match with the Author/book? Before you go surfing!

Three Wishes

My life has been completely insane for the last few years, and with signs it may now be settling down, I’ve started thinking again about my future. So today we’re going to play the three wishes game.

If you had three wishes, what would they be? And lets just be selfish for the sake of this exercise, no world peace or saving the environment. As women we usually don’t spend enough time being selfish, so today I’m asking, what do you want for you.

Honestly my wishes have changed a lot over the years, but theres a couple that always stay the same, here they are…

My Three Wishes

1. To go to Disney (land or World, I’m not a picky woman lol) for a week, every other month. this place has always been home to me, anyone who knows me know this. I don’t live within walking distance like I did most of my life, but if I could just get away every other month, I think my soul would find a lot of peace in that

2. I want my dream garden. I think when I was younger, this was probably dream house, but now, I have a picture of a garden in my mind. It’s large and filled with flowers and ponds and fountains, tons of wild life and all my favorite flowers. It’s a place to think, pray, escape.

3. And of course, to live happily ever after with Dale. After all, every girl wants to live happily every after with their prince.

Okay, those are my wishes, leave yours in comments and have fun with it! ;-)

While you’re here, don’t forget to check out my Samhain title, One Night on a Balcony. One hot summer night and a scorching balcony interlude light the fuse of hidden attraction between neighbors Jill Reed and Cole Adams.

Samantha Lucas
www.samanthalucas.com
“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” ~ Walt Disney

15 Reasons Why I Hate Winter

All of you lucky buggers living in the Northern Hemisphere may find it difficult to relate to this blog. But since I am sitting in my office, freezing my toes off, I believe I have every right to moan and complain about winter. We’re slap bang in the middle of my worst season. There seems to be no hope of summer ever returning, and all I want to do is feel warm again. I’m drinking about ten cups of tea a day. (Do you have any idea how many trips to the bathroom that translates into?) And for some peculiar reason, chocolate seems to be the only food that comforts me through the low temperatures. (Hmm, go figure.)

So, in an attempt to refine all the reasons I hate winter, I have made a list. Feel free to add to it at any time.

1) It’s cold.
2) My toes are always freezing—no matter how many pairs of socks I wear.
3) There is no way to warm up a cold nose. Believe me, I’ve tried.
4) Doesn’t matter how many boxes of tissues (Kleenex) I buy, there are never enough.
5) Getting out of a cozy bed in the morning is absolute hell.
6) Ever tried encouraging a dog to do his business outside when it’s freezing and rainy?
7) We never get to make snowmen or snow angels.
8) We can’t ski or skate outdoors. (Hey, it’s Sydney. It doesn’t snow here.)
9) There is nothing quite like the shock of cleaning your teeth in frigid, icy water.
10) Sushi does not make for a warm, nourishing meal. (Which is a damn pity, since it makes for a convenient, yummy one, and the kids love it—in summer.)
11) I desperately miss the heat of the sun warming my skin.
12) It rains altogether too much. (Yes, I know rain is a good thing, especially after years of drought. But day in, day out, rain and cloud can be pretty darn depressing.)
13) Ever tried finding cool activities for the kids in the middle of winter? In a city geared towards beach life and the outdoors, there is not much to do on a cold, rainy day. (Which makes winter school holidays a massive pain in the behind. And yes, school holidays begin on Friday afternoon. AARRRRGGGHHHH!)
14) Early morning swimming lessons with the kids are hell.
15) I cannot understand why my kids will not put on warm clothing when I am cold.

On the other hand, there is nothing quite like snuggling up to a warm , loving body on a cold night. It kind of makes up for most of the hardship of winter.

☺
Jess
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Declare Your Independence

When I saw I was scheduled for July 4th, I knew immediately what I had to address – independence. Yes, it’s Independence Day here in the States, but I think this July 4th should be Independence Day for all readers all over the world. Independence from what, you ask? Silly literary stereotypes.

You know the ones: only geeks read science fiction, only intellectuals read literary fiction, only bored housewives read romance… Yeah, those. And erotic romance? Well, we all know what the women who read those are like.

How many out there have tucked one book inside another or in a magazine to hide a cover? Are there certain books you won’t read in waiting rooms or on the train? Yes, I’m guilty, too.

I was raised in a family where romance was considered mindless trash. Didn’t matter who wrote it or how good the plot may be, romance was garbage. I never picked one up until I was in college and found a novel my roommate left lying around. Color me surprised when it was actually good.

I had to let go of a lot of preconceived notions before I could enjoy the book, and even then it was a guilty pleasure. I couldn’t let anyone else see me reading it. I’d always been seen as this semi-intelligent person, after all. I couldn’t let people know that I read stupid romance.

And then I started writing it. Yeah, that went over like a lead balloon with the folks. But I had matured in the years since I hid under the covers to read romance. I had grown and decided I wasn’t going to feel silly or guilty for reading what I wanted to read. After all, my mom reads tons upon tons of nonfiction and I don’t find her the least bit boring.

I finally decided that like most stereotypes, those revolving around what we read are complete rubbish. Still, there are those carryovers from childhood – the ones that tell me I should be ashamed of what I read and write.

So today I am declaring my independence. I will no longer select my reading material based on what someone else thinks it says about me. I’m going to read what I want to, and not care what others think of it.

And how about you? Take those books out of their fake covers. And if the cover’s truly a little too hot for public consumption, that’s what ebooks are for, baby! Read away! And no matter what, remember what matters most is how the words make you feel. And all that says about you is that you are smart enough to choose books that please you.

Happy Independence Day.

I'D RATHER BE LOATHED

“I’d rather be loathed for who I am than loved for who I am not.” While flipping television channels the other night I ran across Dr. Wayne W. Dyer on the local public television station speaking to an audience about his latest book. This quote is his not mine, but it resonated with me and stuck in my head.