Juno Books

Laura Miller, a staff critic at Salon.com, wrote a feature “Real Men Have Fangs” for today’s Wall Street Journal. It states, in part:

The vampire novel, once strictly relegated to the horror section, has in recent years infiltrated the romance, science-fiction, fantasy and young-adult shelves of bookstores. Individual authors may specialize in anything from gothic swooning to crime-fighting, globe-spanning action, high-school intrigues, chicklit-style shenanigans and Southern-fried humor…. Vampires have never been more popular. “Breaking Dawn,” the final volume of the “Twilight” series by Stephenie Meyer, sold 1.3 million copies on its release date in August. (The film version comes out Nov. 21.) There are six million copies in print of Laurell K. Hamilton’s series of vampire detective novels, and Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse books have cropped up all over the best-seller lists since being adapted as the new HBO drama, “True Blood.”

These three series are only the most visible examples of a booming fictional genre that’s aimed primarily at women and girls. Labeled “paranormal romance” or “urban fantasy,” it’s a hybrid species that includes dozens of series comprising hundreds of books in which mostly human heroines fall in love with assorted supernatural beings: werewolves, shapeshifters, gods, fairies and, above all, vampires.

Entire Article

BRIMSTONE KISS by Carole Nelson Douglas is #27 on this week’s Nielsen Bookscan Fantasy Mass Market Bestsellers list; #42 in fantasy overall. Just to put that in perspective, out of those top 27 books — Charlaine Harris holds the first seven places in mmp, Gregory McGuire is in 8th and 9th places, four places go to Terry Goodkind books…etc.

Congrats Carole!

Since Matters of the BLood came out last year in trade paperback, there are already reviews blogged for it
here, here,here, and here. But, like the review below there are also some new ones coming in.

Tia at Fantasy Debut discovered that “Matters of the Blood turned out to be an enjoyable urban fantasy. For fans of the genre, I can’t see it disappointing. It did turn out to be more of a vampire novel than I expected, but it held my attention to the end…”

(We suspect Tia will like BLOOD BARGAIN even more as it is less “vampiric” and since she’s “dying to learn exactly what she was and what her family was, and [her] curiosity was left somewhat unsatisfied.”)

And…from Alternative Worlds:

…The story line is fast-paced with no one quite like they initially seem as most of the townsfolk are not purebred human. Readers will appreciate this superb paranormal whodunit with a touch of romance with plenty of interwoven subplots that will elate fans of various sub-genres, but the center holding this superb tale together is the likable Keira who makes the abnormal seem so normal.

And, in print, Romantic Times gave it four stars with “Another kick-ass heroine enters the paranormal arena in Lima’s bloodthirsty whodunit. Feisty Keira narrates with a biting sense of humor. The secondary characters, both supernatural and human, are well done. There’s romance brewing, but it takes a backseat to murder and mayhem. The book’s conclusion satisfies, but there’s enough loose ends for a sequel.”

Fictionwise slipped a fast one by me — changed the deadline for submitting books to be formatted and posted from weekly at 9 AM Wednesdays to every other week by 1 PM on Tuesday. Being totally unaware of this, I was on a “upload before tomorrow” schedule and thus was expecting November 1 publication.

But with this new schedule, it looks like November 17th for the ebook. Sorry folks! I had no idea.

… over at FRESH FICTION. Check it out!

As a special Halloween treat, Juno Books has a FREE ebook (PDF format) for you! Five frightening classic tales–all written by women–that should send a shiver or two down your spine. FIVE CLASSIC GHOST STORIES: A HALLOWEEN TREAT FROM JUNO BOOKS includes:

• “Let Loose” by Mary Cholmondeley (1890)
• “The Striding-Place” by Gertrude Atherton (1896)
• “The Lost Ghost” by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman (1903)
• “Kerfol” by Edith Wharton (1916)
• “Spunk” by Zora Neale Hurston (1925)

Enjoy!

Download now: http://www.juno-books.com/Juno_ghost_stories.pdf

(…and please post the URL on your blog or Web site or wherever and share the goodies!)

The BRIMSTONE KISS Page is now up! There’s an excerpt to read a bookmark to download and, of course, the Brimstone Kiss Cocktail Page. (DANCING WITH WEREWOLVES Page has also been updated.

The (sideways) bookmark

CHRIS HOWARD will be doing a signing at Pandemonium Books in Cambridge with Jeff Carver and Joe Haldeman, 7PM on November 20th
More info here.

He’ll be on a panel with Matthew Jarpe, Alexander Jablokov, Jeff Carver, and Craig Shaw Gardner at the Concord Festival of Authors on Thursday, October 30 at 7:30 pm. More info here.

There is a report and some photos from his Water Street Bookstore reading here.

And ParaNormalRomance.org has a new review:

A new world is born in this fantasy work of art. The sea has alot on offer in this fresh and unique debut book by Chris Howard. With some darkness, a lot of depth and some fantastic characters this is a must read for any fantasy fans who like the sea aspect or who just want to try something a little different. Seaborn was interesting and left me wanting more. Hopefully there will be more on offer soon because even though I don’t like swimming in the sea I certainly like reading about it and the treasures it holds.

ParaNormalPomance.org

Nothing is black and white in Maria Lima’s world, and each character has a multifaceted past with a great deal of complexity. The depth of her characters helps perpetuate the mystery, as the reader can never quite tell whose secrets are dark enough to land them as the criminal. It’s hauntingly realistic for paranormal fiction.

Matters of the Blood is filled with plot twists and artful surprises. Lima builds incredible suspense and allows the reader to savor each revelation. The story is paced well, with fully developed characters and a host of supernatural beings. It’s escapism at its best. There are a few chapters at the end, previewing the second book in the series, Blood Bargain, and it appears the next book will have more romance to it. Matters of the Blood focuses mostly on the mystery. Either way, I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next release.

Breeni Books

NIGHTS OF SIN, the sequel to BLOOD MAGIC, is a fantastic fantasy that will appeal to sword and sorcery lovers. Matthew Cook is a talented author who creates complex flawed characters like Kirin, who struggle with doing the right thing which is not always obvious. She is especially tormented over using her blood magic that could provide the greater good but at what cost to whom; as someone pays the piper; Kirin no longer wants to decide who… There are great characterizations and a strong sense of “realism” which makes for a fascinating tale as Lia fears Kirin is turning to the dark side of the magical force.

Alternative Worlds

Urban fantasy fans are going to love this romantic fantasy especially the Kelly clan, an extended family of supernaturals living within human society. Each of the major characters are fascinating and readers will particularly appreciate Tucker–a Viking warrior who can shift into wolf. The mysteries and the town enhance BLOOD BARGAIN, a strong tale that fans of Kelly Armstrong and Kim Harrison will want to read.

Worlds of Wonder

Filled with kisses and kick-ass action, the second installment of this campy series finds paranormal investigator Delilah Street taking on her first case in an alternate 2010 Las Vegas. When Delilah and her boyfriend, ex-FBI agent Ric Montoya, find the bodies of two teens killed in Sunset Park in 1946, the girl’s ghost appears and claims the killer was her father, werewolf mobster Cesar Cicereau. Vampire mogul Howard Hughes hires Delilah to learn the identity of the girl’s vampire companion, and she also comes under pressure from albino vampire rocker Snow; television producer Hector Nightwine; and the Invisible Man, a zombie merged with Claude Rains’s black-and-white film character. Douglas’s dishy style compliments the twisty plot, and she helpfully includes references for the numerous nods to the silver screen, Egyptology and cocktails. [Starred]

Publishers Weekly

Carole Nelson Douglas has written a wonderful second Street urban fantasy . . . Delilah discovers a new power which enables her to walk through mirrors into other realms where she interacts with the inhabitants. Readers will remain drawn to her even as she still is an enigma. Fans will hope she and her cronies to include normal vampires (duh- I cannot believe I used the word normal) can defeat the enemy. BRIMSTONE KISS is a magical mystery fantasy tour.

Genre Go Round

Andrew Wheeler has an intelligent, accurate blog entry about how a book is “skipped” (not carried) by Borders. (Wheeler was a senior editor for the Science Fiction Book Club. He is now a Marketing Manager for John Wiley & Sons.) Evidently, this has been a topic of late among some SF/F writers.

We know the feeling here at Juno, we’ve had a lot of skips this year, but we also understand (like Andy) that publishing is a business. Yes, there’s the emotional side that any writer feels when her/his book’s chances for success are dashed. As an editor I feel that, to an extent, too: a book may not be my “child” as it is the author’s, but I certainly feel like a loving aunt or a great nanny!

And, let’s face it—from a business perspective, if any publisher suffers too many “skips” they are soon out of business. That’s painful in many ways.

So, as a writer (or reader interested in the trade) make sure you read Andy’s article. You’ll come away informed.

I have a lot to catch up on . . .

My schedule is beginning to settle back down to “normal” — as if my schedule were ever normal to start with — so I need to play a little catch-up…well, a LOT of catch-up, really. But let me get caught up on current books for now:

1) Carole Nelson Douglas’s BRIMSTONE KISS should be hitting stores about now. I think it is already on Amazon. I’ll be doing a new Web page and offering more info as soon as possible.

2) Maria Lima’s MATTERS OF THE BLOOD is available and its sequel, BLOOD BARGAIN, coming in a couple of weeks.

3) Chris Howard’s first book reading and signing was great! He posted about it with some pics here:
http://the0phrastus.typepad.com/the0phrastus/2008/10/reading-at-wa-1.html.

More on reviews, etc. soon.

* * *

And, quickly, some publishing news items:

The September 14 NEW YORK magazine featured “The End”, an article by Boris Kachka on the publishing industry. And that was before we realized how close our handbasket was to hell as far as the overall economy. In many respects, it was the same-old, same-old. (Michael Calder of Publishers Lunch accurately summed it up as “Books sold to stores are nonreturnable, and sometimes publishers have to pay display fees, the same way every other manufacturer deals with retailers. A prominent author left his old publisher after decades of support to get more money somewhere else after his sales flagged. Sometimes books with seven-figure advances don’t earn out. The tooth fairy may be apocryphal.” There were also some inaccuracies and fallacies.

However, for those of you new to publishing, it might be instructional. You old hands who’ve read X number of “the end of publishing” articles will have your own views. Moreover, it provides a base for continued reading of articles like Leon Neyfakh’s “Baby, It’s Going to Be Cold Outside in Book Publishing” (October 14, NEW YORK OBSERVER). Keep in mind, of course, that none of these discussions of publishing ever take genre into account.

GalleyCat contains some links furthering the debate and/or freaking out.

One aside of Neyfakh’s article was the sad discovery that John Oakes is no longer editing. [Quoting Morris Rosenthal:] “Oakes started at Grove Press in the mid-1980s, saw that crash and burn, then joined Henry Holt for a brief period. John then spent 17 years building Four Walls Eight Windows, which was sold to Avalon in 2004. He spent two years as simultaneously the publisher of Avalon’s Thunder Mouth Press and co-publisher of Nation Books. John [was] executive editor with Atlas and Co., Publishers.” According to Neyfakh, financial troubles at Atlas led Oakes to leave the company earlier this fall and he is now working with an an unnamed university in Manhattan on establishing a new summer training program for college graduates seeking careers in the publishing industry. Wherever it is, whenever it is, if you are interested in this crazy publishing business and want some higher education, it will be a good bet. As Oakes is quoted, “I’ve spoken to some potential participants, people who are in the industry, and the reaction has been uniformly warm,” he said. “Even people who won’t give me a job will come speak at my little institute.”

Which may tell you even more about publishing than the rest of it.

* * *

Meanwhile booksellers and publishers at the Frankfurt Book Fair note that while luxuries are increasingly unaffordable, most people still have enough money to buy a book, and booksellers could even use the opportunity to stage a resurgence. Fran Dubruille, director of the European Booksellers’ Federation pointed out: “In these troubled times, the book is something which is a kind of landmark, which is solid reference and value, which is never, ever, ever going to be obsolete. The book is a cheap gift. The book is always affordable,” she said. “Actually, maybe the crisis is a chance for booksellers to reassert their role in the community as providers of pleasure, of knowledge, for a very, very cheap price.”

Hey, it sounds good to me!

sorry for yet another “personal” post, but my elderly mother has been hospitalized with a fractured femur. I really don’t know what the next few days will be like, so this seemed to be the best way to let the largest number know I was not keeping to the regular schedule.

According to Publishers Weekly, Dutton has won the U.S. rights to “Dracula: the Un-dead”, by Bram Stoker’s great-grandnephew Dacre Stoker and “Dracula documentarian and historian Ian Holt”. U.K. and Canadian rights alone went “for a combined total of well over mid-seven figures.” The “first Stoker family-authorized Dracula project” since the 1931 movie, the novel opens in London in 1912, where someone is stalking the chracters who defeated the vampire a quarter of a century previous. Several characters and plot threads previously eliminated in “Dracula”. The writers supposedly had access to Bram Stoker’s handwritten notes for “Dracula” through family connections.

Why does all this disgust me just a smidge? Because I think it is pure baloney. The book’s agent, Ken Atchity, is co-producing a film based on the novel with Jan de Bont. The script was written by Holt and Alexander Galant. This book deal is basically for a novel they think will make money because it is supposedly going to be a big movie. The family connection? Most likely a hook for hype.

Odd about those handwritten notes — 124 pages of Stoker’s notes for “Dracula” were auctioned in 1913 and eventually landed at the Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia. McFarland published “Bram Stoker’s Notes for Dracula: A Facsimile Edition: Bram Stoker” annotated and transcribed by Robert Eighteen-Bisang and Elizabeth Miller in August 2008. It reproduced the handwritten notes both in facsimile and in annotated transcription, included Stoker’s typewritten research notes, analyzed all of the materials, etc. “The New Annotated Dracula,” edited by Leslie Klinger to be published by W. W. Norton in October 2008 makes extensive use of the Stoker notes as well as the 550+ page typescript of the work, owned by a private collector. A detailed account of the Stoker notes appears in Christopher Frayling’s “Vampyres: Lord Byron to Count Dracula” (Faber and Faber, 1991).which was reprinted in the “Norton Critical Edition of Dracula”, edited by Nina Auerbach and David J. Skal (1997) the Rosenbach also published a catalog: “Bram Stoker’s Dracula: A Centennial Exhibition at the Rosenbach Museum & Library”, in 1997. Hardly hidden away by the family.

Why am I skeptical that there were any further notes kept in the family? Because, other than some autographed letters she kept in hopes of getting a better price later, Stoker’s widow, Florence, got rid of not only the notes for Dracula, but other valuable books and papers in the 1913 auction. She seems to have cleaned house.

As for Ian Holt — noted here and probably elsewhere as an “award-winning Dracula documentarian and historian” — have any of you vampire experts out there heard of him?

(BTW: Stoker called his novel “The Dead Un-Dead” at one point.” His contract with Constable & Co., signed May 20, 1897, specified the title as “The Un-Dead”, but when the book appeared in bookstores six days later (!), the title was “Dracula”. Whether the editor or Stoker made the change is unknown.)

…This is the second installment in the Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator series and it’s as enjoyable as the first. Carole Nelson Douglas centers much of the action on a decades old mystery that comes together piece by intriguing piece. Brimstone Kiss has all of the dark, dangerous, and unique paranormal elements readers seek, along with the passion, love and exciting temptations that add spice to the mix. Much of the secondary mysteries continue with an ending that will have me eagerly awaiting the next release, but in the meantime I’d be more than happy to read this keeper a second time.

Darque Reviews

According to Publishers Weekly, Bill Contardi has just closed on a film deal for Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson Books with 50 Canon Entertainment. Published by Ace Books and launched three years ago with Moon Called, the titles grew from cult hits into Times bestsellers and, according to Contardi, there are now 250,000 copies in print. 50 Canon, the production outfit of director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), has optioned the series and will lay out escalating purchase prices, in the “mid six figures” per Contardi, for each title if and when the option is exercised. (Contardi also confirms that Ace Books has contracted for four more Mercy Thompson books and that the first comic book adaptation of the series is due out from Dabel Brothers late this month.)