Juno Books

According to Dearauthor.com, e-publisher Samhain has closed for submissions. “When it re-opens, it will be accepting only romance oriented submissions.” But a quote from the press says they will “focus only on Romance and all the various subgenres such as romance/erotic romance/erotica as well as the following with romantic elements: fantasy/urban fantasy/science fiction/paranormal/etc…”

Am I the only one confused here?

Samhain continues to say “we’ve come to realize is that we don’t have the resources to do it all, as much as we’d like to. We’ve discovered that most of the mainstream, non-romance genres don’t do as well with us, and we’ve decided to refocus our efforts on romance. We’re still a fairly new company, still discovering who we are, so to speak. We’ve realized that it’s unfair to the authors to continue to contract non-romance genres when the sales aren’t there for you at this time.”

I think I understand what they mean — they want to focus on romance — but if this is the intent, then why say they will still publish fantasy/urban fantasy/science fiction/paranormal/etc. with romantic elements?

Do hope you and yours are enjoying this holiday season. I am, really, taking some time away from the desk, but have also been catching up a little with the news and thought I’d share:

CBC article on how “[p]ublishing houses across North America are creating new lines of romances aimed at people of Asian and African descent.

A Queensland University of Technology senior lecturer who says ‘Mills and Boon’s Bombshell line, a 2005 release which introduced female martial arts experts and “kick-arse” lady cops to the genre, has modernised romance.’ The fellow and some other academics are also doing some research into modern romance.

Nora Roberts–who supposedly sells 21 books every minute — is starting a bed-and-breakfast in Boonsboro, MD.

Mills and Boon now has an office in Mumbai, India and will be printing books there — five new titles every month with plans to have more Indian settings and characters in the romances published from now on.

Julie Bindel, in the Guardian, expresses her “horror [that] the genre is not directed towards either the women who write or, indeed, read them. I do not believe in blaming women for our own oppression. Women are the only oppressed group required not only to submit to our oppressors, but to love and sexually desire them at the same time. This is what heterosexual romantic fiction promotes — the sexual submission of women to men. M&B novels are full of patriarchal propaganda.”

(We think she should read OUR books.)

Cynthia Ward offers a review Hope for Heterosexual Feminists: Sylvia Kelso’s Amberlight:

Early feminist SF works didn’t give a reader faith in the future of male-female relationships. Suzy McKee Charnas’s Walk to the End of the World (1974) and Motherlines (1978), and such James Tiptree, Jr. stories as “The Women Men Don’t See” (1973), “Houston, Houston, Do You Read?” (1976), and “The Screwfly Solution” (1977), offered no possibility of men and women ever getting along. Joanna Russ’s The Female Man (1975) portrayed men and women as condemned to a literal war between the sexes, while Sheri S. Tepper’s The Gate to Women’s Country (1988) saw men and women as biological enemies. Then there were the works in which all men had died off, and all women were as sexually pleased with this development as bivalves with the high tide.

Even male authors offered no hope for the heterosexual future. In Samuel R. Delany’s Trouble on Triton: An Ambiguous Heterotopia (original title, Triton: An Ambiguous Heterotopia; 1976), a man became a woman, and still didn’t understand women. Theodore Sturgeon’s Venus Plus X (1960) postulated that both sexes had to be replaced with a new, hermaphroditic sex. John Wyndham’s “Consider Her Ways” (1956) resolved the battle of the sexes with a perfect society born from the extinction of men.

Not exactly happy choices for women who enjoy f*ck*ng men.

I wonder if this is one reason why “paranormal romance”-style fantasy novels have become so popular. Female characters get to be the heroes, and they get to win great-looking guys who’re great in bed.

That’s the sort of novel I expected from Wildside’s new imprint, Juno Books, which publishes “fantasy with a focus on the female.” It’s certainly what you get in their Carole Nelson Douglas release, Dancing With Werewolves (11/07), the first book of the Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator series.

It’s not what you get in Juno’s next release, Australian writer Sylvia Kelso’s Amberlight (12/07).

This novel is feminist SF.

Its title is derived from its setting, a city-state named for one aspect of the sentient alien stone, qherrique, which gives Amberlight its dominance among nations. In contrast to its qherrique-seeking, war-like, male-led neighbors, Amberlight is female-dominated, because only females can quarry qherrique.

The Head of one Amberlight House, Tellurith, finds a deathly-wounded man–a foreigner, and perhaps an enemy agent—in the streets of her city. She saves his life at the behest of qherrique and her own humane impulse. The brutal sexual assault has wrecked his body and mind, but as strength and memory return, Tellurith and Alkhes (as she names him) match wits‑-rapier sharp ones. Alkhes would make an extremely dangerous enemy. He also makes an extremely attractive man.

I suppose I’ve made it sound like Amberlight drifts into romance-novel territory. I don’t know, having read all of two genre romances. Still, I know some articulate genre-romance fans, and I’m familiar with the romance elements that show up in all genres, from action-adventure to Western. And Amberlight makes me think Kelso has never even heard the name “Harlequin.”

Amberlight has many strengths. The one I’ll mention here is Kelso’s beautiful, detailed style, which creates a complex mosaic of meaning and feeling, and characters of complex and contradictory depth. The style demands a careful reading. And, since you’re reading it so closely, you’ll only be more thoroughly shattered by a key incident. (I’m not going to give it away. You’ll know what it is when you get there.)

That must sound grim. It is grim. But the novel ends on a note of hope for Tellurith and Alkhes, and for women and men. Including heterosexual feminists of both sexes.

And, oh, yeah. Amberlight is the best new fiction I’ve read in 2007.

COMMENT: Cindy brings up several interesting points. One is that feminist genre fiction seems to be devoid of heterosexualism and that the current popularity of paranormal/urban fantasy may be partially attributed to its rampant theme of such. Interesting theory and probably at least partially true.

Another is that Amberlight is SF. I disagree here, although definitions of what is and is not SF and/or fantasy are ongoing areas of discussion and always have been. I like Gene Wolfe’s idea on the subject. When asked in a 1994 interview with Brendan Babar: “What is the difference between science fiction and fantasy?” Wolfe replied:

Plausibility, really. Science fiction is what you can make people believe; fantasy is what people have to suspend disbelief for. Many physicists believe that there will never be a faster-than-light drive — it’s impossible. But you can make people believe in one, since they don’t know much physics. And there are some physicists who believe it is possible. If you talk about somebody genetically engineering unicorns, it’s probably fantasy, because people don’t believe in it. But it’s so close that you can almost touch it; we’re almost at the point where we can make a unicorn.

So it’s all a matter of plausibility. Do people think, “The future might be like this?” If so, it’s science fiction. If they think, “This could never happen,” that’s fantasy. (And when questioned about “magic realism” he said: “Magic realism is fantasy written by people who speak Spanish.”>

My guess is that Cindy sees that qherrique is scientifically valid. I don’t want to spoil it Amberlight if you haven’t read it (and I know very few of you have), but I don’t think this is a spoiler: Qherrique is a sentient substance that can be mined that “speaks” to women and this substance provides energy to power everything from tools to vehicles to lights to heating and air conditioning.

If you can accept that as plausible, then maybe it is SF. I don’t, so it is (for me) fantasy. Further, the novel has the “feel” of fantasy.

Okay, THIS review of AMBERLIGHT *is* from OUR Chris Howard (author of the forthcoming SEABORN):

I read Amberlight in a day. It’s a downhill-without-brakes on an unknown very steep undreamt of street sort of story. It’s a story of trust, the search for lost memories, nations at war, the demand for something so valuable some of those nations cannot survive without it; it’s the struggle against a culture as hard as stone, but at every turn–and there are a lot of them, very real and tender and heartbreaking.

Amberlight is the story of Amberlight–the city and its place in the world, of Tellurith, head of one of the great ruling Houses of Amberlight, Alkhes, the mystery, and qherrique…

Qherrique, a stone with remarkable abilities, sentience and choice among them. Qherrique is “the core and crown of Amberlight.” It can only be mined by women in Amberlight, and outside of Amberlight, it can only be used in one of its forms. The rulers of other lands use qherrique to maintain power, order, control their unruly elements. Naturally, there’s demand…and discontent.

The story begins in the streets of Amberlight…

High moon over Amberlight, commanding the zenith, radiant, imperial, the city’s fretted-ink porticoes and balconies gnawing that torrent of aerial snow. Domes shed it, men’s towers drip with it. Under the vertical black rampart of the citadel wall, the qherrique outcrops glow to their depths with it: cabochon slabs girdling the hill’s waist, broad as cathedral floors, zones of luminous milk slanted between ragged frames of earth and grass. Qherrique. Pearl-rock. Moon-stone. The core and crown of Amberlight.

Tellurith and her entourage find a man in the night, bleeding, raped, on the cobbles…

Sweet Work-mother . . .” Her hand creeps out. One finger, reaching to the blackness on the cobbles, dares to touch.

One turn of kindness that turns on a point when the man wakes with a Dhasdein salute.

He’s a mystery, even to himself. His injuries have taken his memories and left him with hints that come out as the story progresses, sometimes as reflexes–the salute. Other indications of who he may be in his manner, language, his skill as a soldier, the boots in which they find him.

You shadow Tellurith through her own desire to discover who the outlander is, why he’s there, wringing your hands when your level of trust doesn’t equal hers. But you will be charmed by Alkhes as much as Tellurith–by his strength, his drive for identity…and justice, and you will share in Tellurith’s power struggles, her love, her defense of the outlander, battling the intrigue of the other Houses of Amberlight.

All of this and so beautifully written. I loved the fast, up-to-your-neck-in-action-and-ideas style, the gorgeous mix of vivid, very bold imagery, speed scenes, places where it seems sort of stream of consciousness, and what I would call “parenthetical drops.” Kelso drops words, whole lines–without parentheses–right in the middle of dialogue–names, information, quick who’s or what’s–kind of like road signs when you’re speeding by in a car; there there for a second to let you know you’re on the right track–or which road you’re on–and then you’re rolling through the dialogue again.

I immediately fell in love with Sylvia Kelso’s river world, the strength of her characters, her magic use of words.

Looking forward to Riversend.

Review of WIND FOLLOWER from Chris Howard (not OUR Chris Howard:

Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell is undoubtedly one of my favorite books of the year. As I sit down to write this review I find myself faced with the same problem I had earlier this year when reviewing The Time Traveler’s Wife…How do I do this book justice? Wind Follower is a complex yet very readable book; an epic story that tells a powerful tale that imbibes the soul and is filled with passion in each page.

The story is set in a wonderfully unique world that’s not often seen in fantasy literature. I’m not totally certain you’d classify this as fantasy, but it has the epic feel of a high fantasy novel and certainly has some fantastic aspects to it, so that should work. The world as I pictured it is a rich desert-like landscape somewhere in the African region. Three tribes abide in this region: The Theseni, the dark skinned original natives of the land; the Doreni, the lighter brown skinned people of the land who conquered the Theseni 500 years ago, and the Ibeni who I took to be people of Asian descent but I could be way off there. With each tribe, McDonnell has created a rich history and beautiful customs. Each tribe is wholly believable as a tribe that actually existed in our Earth’s past as McDonnell so skillfully and masterfully describes their ways.

Loic is the son of Taer, the head of a Doreni clan. At the age of eighteen, Loic lays eyes on Satha, a Theseni woman who is 26 years old, and wants her for his wife. It’s an unlikely marriage. Satha is beyond normal child bearing years and comes from a poor family. She is dark skinned and from a different tribe than Loic. But Loic has eyes only for her and swears to take her as his only wife and so he weds her and makes her part of his powerful household.

This unlikely union has many obstacles to face just in being what it is. But there are many other things that it will face. Loic has “the falling sickness” or epilepsy as we know it and he is considered weak for it, though few talk about it. This is one of many things that he must overcome to prove himself a strong leader. He must father a child to show his strength. And with that the couple faces more issues.

I really don’t want to go much more into the plot because the book tells such a strong and gripping tale, a powerful tale that is so emotionally engaging. McDonnell takes on issues of rape, race, slavery, war, religion, and so much more and nothing is held back. She faces these issues head on and handles them in a way that is raw and honest yet leaves the soul satisfied.

It leaves the soul satisfied because one of the major themes of the book is spirituality. There is plenty of Christian allegory in this book, but you certainly don’t have to be a Christian to enjoy it. The tribes in the novel are all steeped in their individual religious practices, some of them very raw, some very beautiful. They reminded me of Native American and Mayan religious practices. Loic and Satha go through quite a bit of trauma in this book. I’m not going to go through it because I don’t want to spoil the plot, but they are separated and endure a lot. But there is an enduring spirit there and it comes from a power higher than man. It’s truly beautiful and Carole has a true gift in being able to write such touching prose.

I can’t say enough about Carole McDonnell’s writing. It just blew me away! She created a world that was so incredibly complex with it’s own slang, scenery, caste system, races, etc. and made it feel so comfortable. I fell into it easily. I fell in love with her characters instantly. Loic and Satha will both stay with me for a long time. They are both incredibly strong, amazing characters and I’m glad to have met them. Her use of language is just phenomenal. I found the novel painting a picture in my head as I read it, her words are chosen so perfectly. She certainly has a career ahead of her that I look forward to following.

Wind Follower was published through Juno Books which is a very cool publisher. I had never heard of it before finding this book, but Juno publishes books that focus on strong female characters! How cool is that?

[Editorial Comment: Yes, we are tres cool. And, dag nab it, I don’t know what you’d call this if not fantasy…]

From Tia Nevitt at Fantasy Debut

MASTER OF SHADOWS by Janet Lorimer begins like this:

Once upon a time, toward the end of the 20th century . . .

With a single sentence, Lorimer establishes the mood of the entire novel. And there, she starts a familiar story–Beauty meets the Beast and goes to live with him in his enchanted castle. Or, he COULD be a beast. Since he is always shrouded in a cowl, she doesn’t know for certain.

In the story, Louvel hires Ariel to categorize the books in his extensive library. Ariel has a master’s degree in Liberal Arts–a proper degree for a the daughter of a wealthy man–and she is delighted to have a chance to actually use it. Also, since her father’s mysterious death, she rather desperately needs the money. While she is doing the job, Louvel insists that she stay in his mansion. There is no good road to and from the mansion, and staying elsewhere just is not practical. Louvel has very specific, odd and mysterious rules that he insists she follow. However, when her curiosity gets the better of her, Louvel begins to fear that she will uncover his secrets.

In fact, the story is bursting with secrets. Everyone has them; Ariel’s father, Ariel’s former fiance and her future father-in-law. And some of them are left to the reader to figure out.

At times, I wished that the timeframe of the story was clearer. All I know is it is “late in the 20th century”. I’m thinking early 90s. Computers were available, but their use was not yet widespread. Ariel must write letters; she cannot send emails. The setting is also unclear, with references to “the city” and “the village”. I believe the author did all this on purpose, to promote a sort of fairy-tale vagueness.

Late in the book, Louvel says this:

. . . “my secrets are dark ones that would devastate you. I cannot bear the thought of your love spoiled by the hate, the disgust, the horror you would taste if . . .”

After reading this, I expected nothing short of Louvel having a demonic nature. The truth turns out to be rather less dark.

In an earlier post, I said that this story reminded me of an old Kathleen Woodiwiss story. That comparison did not hold true. However, the comparison I made to Victoria Holt proved to be close to the mark. This novel is romantic suspense written like a fairy tale, although the prince is unlike like any hero I’ve ever read before. (No rippling abs here!) This fairy tale has a dark and entirely modern underside. The villains in the story operate very much in the shadows. And it has two mysteries, neatly woven together.

Lorimer is a seasoned writer, with years of experience writing children’s fiction under her belt. And it shows. I loved the way she adapted her metaphors to the current setting. For example, if the characters were eating, she might compare something with a golden color to melted butter. Her verbs are all active (”a stab of guilt”) and her dialog effortless to follow. The novel shows solid research, some which I fact-checked and found to be true.

I can call it a fairy tale, but I hesitate to call it a fantasy. It has moments that seem like magic, like when in Silas Marner by George Eliot, Silas finds his stolen gold. In this novel, Beauty discovers just who is the true Beast. I’ve always loved stories like this, where the mundane seems magical. If you enjoy reading delicious little romantic suspense novels that keep you up late at night, this novel would work for you.

[Editorial Comment: Well, there are elements of this novel that, to me, make it fantasy. First, without spoiling anything, things happen that are never fully explained that are closer to supernatural than to real. Second: This is, indeed, a fairy tale. Fairy tales are fantasy. Third: I’m not even sure you could call it magical realism as it is not grounded in realism.]

This is from Jerry H. at Romance Junkies, but I don’t see it posted there yet,so I’ll just give the pull quote and link later:

…MASTER OF SHADOWS is filled with twists and turns the reader does not expect. It has every thing a great book must have - mystery, intrigue and a great amount of wistful romance. Reading this book is a great way to spend several hours, and I recommend it for everyone.

I hope that I have notified anyone I had contacted about permission to reprint stories. There were others who had not yet been contacted (I was still buried in word counts — did I have too much? not enough? would it fit? etc. Yes, I was behind.) All is now moot as we are canceling the anthology.

We simply could not interest the chains in the book.

Although I regret not being able to showcase some great stories from great authors and hate to lose a beautiful cover (the artwork inspired the theme for the anthology) — I’d rather cancel than produce a good book that no one ever had a chance to buy.

Tant pis!

There’s heaps of snow here now — nothing horrendous, just snow. But it DID remind me of our COLD QUIZ. No one (other than a smarty-pants who won an earlier contest) has given it a shot. C’mon, kids! Give it a try!

Earlier this year, federal authorities approved the sale of absinthe if manufacturers could prove that thujone levels were almost undetectable, and if they added a qualifier to the word “absinthe,” such as “absinthe superieure.” Many other countries, such as France and Switzerland, also have lifted their bans. A French brand, Lucid –based on a formula by New Orleans chemist Ted Breaux who reverse-engineered an old bottle of absinthe to devise his formula — won legal approval earlier this year and went on sale during the summer, followed soon after by Swiss-made Kubler and the Brazilian Absinto Camargo.

St. George Spirits of Alameda, CA has now, after seven applications, received approval for its brand, St. George’s Absinthe Verte. On December 3, the small artisan distillery sold its token first bottle, becoming the only American company since 1912 to sell absinthe in the United States.

And what is the allure of this liquor thats taste has been described as a “complex Luden’s cough drop”? (From personal experience, I’d say: Distilled and fermented licorice with a touch of Vicks VapoRub.) Like most legends, absinthe doesn’t quite live up to its hype. As The Virtual Absinthe Museumstates: “Absinthe — because of its beautiful and ever-changing green colour, its air of danger and seduction, and above all because of its allegedly psychoactive properties — was romanticized and captured in artwork and writings by countless artists, playwrights and authors. The surrealist Alfred Jarry, Vincent van Gogh, Henri Toulouse Lautrec, Verlaine, Rimbaud, Baudelaire, Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allen Poe, Picasso, Hemingway and many others all featured it prominently in their works. All these artists were celebrated not just for their work, but also for their often outrageously bohemian lifestyles. Some even went mad, or at least behaved as if they were (facts that would later be used by prohibitionists as proof of absinthe’s evils).”

Dirk Lachenmeier, a scientist at the German food surveillance laboratory CVUA Karlsruh, explains absinthe’s popularity with all those artists and writers is ineluctably unromantic. “It was the psychotropic drug (due to ethanol, of course) with the highest availability and lowest price in this time frame,” he says. In other words, it was Belle Epoque Thunderbird. “I presume that Van Gogh, Degas, and consorts would have been equally excellent artists if they had drunk nothing or other beverages like wine, gin, or vodka.”

There’s also the fascination of the traditional absinthe-drinking ritual. Although you can drink absinthe by the shot or as an ingredient in numerous cocktails, the traditional way is to place a flat slotted spoon across a tulip-shaped glass with a “dose” of absinthe in it, balance a sugar cube on top, then trickle cold water on the the sugar cube. This gradually melts the sugar and it drips, along with the water, into the absinthe, causing the green liquor to louche (French for “shady”) into an opaque opalescent white as the essential oils are released from the alcoholic solution. Seeing the swirl of the louche and the drink gradually change color from deep green to white is all part of the coolth.

[Experts claim the “so-called Bohemian absinthe ritual” — where alcohol-soaked sugar is set alight — is not a
traditional method, but developed less than 10 years ago and is a historical travesty…and tastes yucky.]

Absinthe was eventually banned primarily due to its popularity. It started as as fairly expensive, but by the second half of 19th century, it was — as mentioned — the Thunderbird of the the time. During the same era, there was a shortage of French wine (vineyards had to be replanted after infestations of aphids and a nasty mildew) and a consequent rise in its price. Affordable absinthe became the working class drink. As the wine industry recovered, it lobbied for prohibition of “unnatural” products like absinthe.

There were pseudo-scientific claims the drink caused “absinthism” (a syndrome that led to madness, criminality, depravity, and worse) that came to be generally accepted as true. Now “absinthism” is seem as an effect of the alcohol and, perhaps, poisonous chemical adulterants used in cheap absinthes.

Now that it is no longer a forbidden high and has no more a connection to creativity and bohemianism than any drug — will absinthe become as mundane as the cosmopolitan? Perhaps. Decadence requires a certain elegance and absinthe, if imbibed with all the ritual and paraphernalia, is still more stylish than swigging Bud Light from the can.

The Virtual Absinthe Museum: An excellent Web resource on the subject
A cute litlle multimedia production: “Absinthe: Demystifying the Storied Drink”
NYTimes: A Liquor of Legend Makes a Comeback
NYTimes” Connections: Absinthe Returns in a Glass Half Full of Mystique and Misery
SFChronicle: Alameda distiller helps make absinthe legitimate again
All About Absinthe
Boston Globe: Green Light: Absinthe, illicit and alluring, is now available in Boston

[Art: (TOP) Privat-Livemont’s 1896 poster advertising absinthe; (BOTTOM) “L’Heure”, a photograph by Damian Hevia (2004)]

In response to Stacey comment, my mood is “multiple personalities” each with their own”
:-D :-/

And I am listening, at the moment, to the original Broadway cast recording of SWEENEY TODD. (And, yes, I look forward to December 21.)

On to truly important matters…our ongoing investigation into cover similarities. Ahem.

THREE from Luna:

One with a slightly less “magic” feel (by John Jude Palencar) from Tor…

…and, of course, our own…

This blog confuses enough people as it is. I’ve had folks complain they don’t know *who* it is for: writers? readers? people interested in book biz? The answer is, well, yeah — any and all. Even when I was writing an e-newsletter for “horror writers” it was for “horror writers and others.” I had a considerable number of regular readers who didn’t give a “boo!” about horror, but enjoyed it anyway.

I also figure (1) there’s nothing about me or my personal life that is of any interest to anyone who reads this blog and (2) call me an old fogey, but I just don’t think it is exactly professional for an editor to regularly air — via blog — her personal angst, food (or other) fetishes, shopping habits, armpits, love life, etc. Once in awhile, sure, I’ll mention major life events or share something but, for the most part, I try to stick to topics or comments that have something to do with publishing.

I’m making an exception here because I consider it a sort of public service message. I might even justify it as publishing related since many creative types use Apple computers.

Anyway –

I upgraded to Leopard — Mac OS 10.5 — last Friday. Being the cautious sort, I seldom adopt a new OS this early. I wait for the bugs to be dealt with. But my current iMac is less than six months old and at least 10.5.1 is now out, so I thought it would be a good idea to go ahead for several reasons. (Plus, truthfully, I really wish I could have waited until this fall to buy a new iMac with Leopard already installed, but I couldn’t. I needed a new machine last spring. So, maybe I was pushing a little.)

I did my homework. I discovered the best bet would be to “archive and install”, not just upgrade and I knew to back up my hard drive. I read a lot of posts online about problems, but I also discovered reasonable fixes. Perhaps 20 years up flawless upgraded had made me overconfident. After all: they DID put an Intel chip in this machine . . .

Cutting to the chase, once Leopard was installed I started having a series of problems. I won’t go into the gory details since (knock wood and perform other useless superstitious rituals to ward off evil) everything appears to be not only copacetic now, but I have to admit Leopard is one elegant cat with some useful new features. And yes, even the speed of my already-speedy machine is faster.

My advice is about the same as anyone else’s:
(1) Backup your hard first. Make *sure* you have.
(2) Do an archive and install, not an upgrade. If possible, do a clean install.
(3) If things go wonky, reinstalling may help.
(4) If you use Adobe CS3 and have trouble after installing Leopard, pay attention to advice like that they give here. If everything else works after troubleshooting — except Acrobat Professional 8 — do you have an earlier version on your HD? Get rid of it.
(5) Don’t try an upgrade of anything if you are facing a drastic deadline or schedule. Make sure you check with the manufacturers of any of your “must have” software to make sure it is compatible. Even if it is, make sure you have your discs and serial numbers.
(6) Ignore most of the problems people are posting on forums. Over and over I discovered that valid solutions had already been given through either Apple Tech Support online or the software manufacturer. If you have trouble with an Adobe product, call technical support. They are helpful and speedy.
(7) Do not assume this is a normal upgrade. Things may go smoothly, but I’ve been on Macs for . . . well . . .the first one I *bought* was an Apple IIGS. I may not be super-savvy, but I’m not a complete moron. (I know enough about computers to impress most teenage boys.) I’ve never experienced *anything* like this. I would have been a lot more upset if I hadn’t had a functioning laptop to get information online AND still had AppleCare so I could get free help from Apple. As it was, I still lost a lot of time and experienced some frustration.
(8) Remember: at least it is not Microsoft.

It probably would have been best for me to wait, as I usually do, for more bugs to be worked out. I wish Apple had been a little more straightforward about this OS and, instead of emphasizing how simple it was supposed to be, to actually have mentioned a few warnings. Even Apple is now saying to do an archive and install rather than a simple upgrade. Previously, all it took was an upgrade.

Now, want to know my mood, what music I am listening to, what I am having for lunch, etc.?

I thought not!

as a great sf/f gift by Jeff VanderMeer on his Amazon blog along with The Metatemporal Detective by Michael Moorcock (read Fantasy review here — scroll down), The SFWA European Hall of Fame: Sixteen Contemporary Masterpieces of Science Fiction from the Continent edited by James Morrow and Kathryn Morrow, and omnibus Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook

Final Cover

If you are seriously interested in writing science fiction, fantasy, or horror, you might be interested in the Odyssey Writing Workshop. The 2008 workshop will be held from June 9 through July 18 at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. I’m a fan of only a very few workshops, and Odyssey is one of them. More information can be found on their Web site. The director, Jeanne Cavelos, is always happy to answer questions and discuss the workshop. She can be reached by email at jcavelos@sff.net.

Nancy Kress is the writer-in-residence next year. Guest lecturers for 2008 guest lecturers are award-winning authors Barry B. Longyear, Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman, James Maxey, and Craig Shaw Gardner; and Jenny Rappaport, literary agent with the L. Perkins Agency.

Sylvia Kelso’s fantasy, THE MOVING WATER (BOOK 2 OF THE RIHANNAR CHRONICLES) - has been shortlisted in the fantasy novel division of the Aurealis Awards recognising the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers! Congratulations!

The full list of shortlisted works can be viewed here.

The winners will be announced at the Aurealis Awards Gala Ceremony in Brisbane on
Saturday, 26 January 2008 at the Judith Wright Centre for Contemporary Arts.

The newsletter has been sent to your email box (if you subscribe). Of course as SOON as I sent it, I noticed I’d left out some URLs. Oy! Well, the newsletter is also online here — I hope with proper links.

The biggest news: If you check the “home” entry page — you will see three new books listed there:

[more]

[more]

[more]

(They are all available direct from Wildside, too.)

There’s also a new contest: The Juno Books Cold Quiz

…and a new bookmark available and a new Backlist Page (because all the books no longer fit on a single page)…

But hey, go read your email or read it here for all the news!

GenreGoRound:

AMBERLIGHT is a character driven fantasy that examines the culture of a matriarchal society in order to raise the issue of selling weapons of mass destruction (qherrique) to unscrupulous abusive rulers (foreign military sales to deadly despots like Hussein during the Reagan era or the present Mid East plan). The powerful plot also looks closely at the impact of rape with the twist that the male is the victim. Sylvia Kelso provides a colorfully refreshing tale starring two likable fully developed lead protagonists.

Breenibooks:
Unveiling the Sorceress takes advantage of Walker’s talent for imagery and allows the romance to complement the storyline rather than commandeering it. The novel is a shining example of Walker’s creativity and talent, and draws on the reader to participate emotionally during periods of loss and melancholy. It is evident that Saskia Walker has the ability to branch out and master many facets of literature.

Bookloons
Though mystery fans might be disappointed by its ending, Dancing with Werewolves is a good paranormal for readers who want a little more than steam in their romances.

Midwest Review of Books:

This is a smartly written, plot driven, original novel that deftly combines the elements of fantasy, mystery, and romance to the well sated delight of the reader. “Dancing With Werewolves” is enthusiastically recommended and a welcome addition to personal reading lists and community library collections.

Don D’Ammasa:
“…one of the smoothest and most satisfying of the current flood of contemporary paranormal romances or whatever the category is calling itself these days. A second adventure is already in the works and I’m sure it will be a good one.”

BlogCritics:
Carole Nelson Douglas’ writing is crisp and edgy. As I read Delilah’s voice came through loud and clear, a perfect mix of hard-nosed reporter and small town girl. She’s a likable character, the kind that you would quickly become a best friends with. Dancing with Werewolves is a wonderful addition to the paranormal genre and I can only hope that we’ll be seeing Delilah again.

The BLOG TOUR for Carole McDonnell’s WIND FOLLOWER has started.Christian Fiction Review Bloggers and The Writers of Color Bloggers are involved. What log Tour? Check it out.

There’s also “a different sort of tribute to the novel”: a digital art series inspired by this “wonderful piece of Christian fantasy”. The first is shown below and there is also a wallpaper version.