Dying For Mercy winner
Thanks to everyone who entered our Dying For Mercy giveaway. The winners are Katherine Ryan and Michelle Magill. Congratulations, Katherine and Michelle! I’ve sent you an email with instructions on how to claim your prize, but in case you don’t get it, please email me ASAP.
We’re hosting another giveaway in a couple of days, so watch this space. In the meantime, here here are the winning entries. Katherine’s non-romance recommendation was Bill Bryson:
My favourite non-romantic author is by far Bill Bryson. He takes a genre I previously thought of as boring or mostly irrelevant to me, travel writing, and takes it to a whole new level with his wit and warmth. I started by reading Notes from a Small Island (about his arriving in England, meeting his wife and starting a life there) and was very lucky one Christmas to receive almost all of his published works from my lovely partner.
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Photo by kesh (via morgueFile)
Regular readers might have noticed that the Book Bizzo hasn’t been posted in the last few weeks. I originally came up with the idea of a weekly news round-up because I thought it would be easier and faster to do than posting each item separately. As it turns out, I was completely wrong. The time it takes to put a Bizzo together is equivalent to posting a review. So after some deliberation, I’ve decided not to keep going with the Bizzos on Saturday. (Although I have a quick round-up in this one—mainly for Aussie romance authors and book news.)
I’m tossing up alternative ways to post news items. In the meantime, I post interesting items as I encounter them on my Twitter feed, so feel free to follow @BookThingo. I try to post mostly on topic, although it wouldn’t be Twitter if I didn’t digress occasionally. I might start posting shorter, more frequent round-ups on the blog, but we’ll see…
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Through The Clock's Workings (Anthology)
Tempted All Night giveaway winner: SonomaLass
The winner of our first book giveaway is SonomaLass, whose biggest temptation is
…just one more chapter in a great book. Late at night, when I know I should be getting to bed because I have to work in the morning….
SonomaLass, I’ve sent you an email, but in case you don’t get it, please email me your address. Thanks to everyone who entered! It was fun judging this one, and the results were very close.
Remix My Lit Anthology
Through the Clock’s Workings, the world first remixed and remixable anthology of literature, is now available:
So how do you use a remixable anthology? Simple.
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Romance Book of the Year finalists
The Romance Writers of Australia has announced the finalists for this year’s R*BY Awards:
Short Sweet
Claire Baxter — The Single Dad’s Patchwork Family
Melissa James — A Mother in a Million
Marion Lennox — His Island Bride
Fiona McArthur — The Midwife’s Baby
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In Bed With... (Anthology)
Isn’t that just the most luscious cover? Designer Allison Colpoys (Penguin) was named young designer of the year at the Australian Publishers Association Book Design Awards last week. I picked up this book the last time I was in a bookstore, and the only reason I didn’t buy it was that I’m very picky with erotica. Here’s the blurb:
Hot sex, anywhere, anytime, anyone?
Here is the hottest, raunchiest collection of romance, love, fantasy and – let’s be honest – sex.
Designed to tantalise and tease, these quirky adult-only tales are sensual and surprising, always imaginative and unashamedly risqué. Featuring a sex addict, a Spanish percussionist, a topless gardener, a Kiwi farm-hand, virgins, prostitutes, ballerinas, college research assistants, new ladettes and a spanking dominatrix;
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Romance authors in the media
Australian romance author Anne Gracie was interviewed on the 9am show with David & Kim (click on Entertainment, then Books).
Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan, the women behind popular romance blog Smart Bitches, Trashy Books and authors of Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels, were interviewed by Alan Brough on ABC Radio in Melbourne. Hilarity ensues.
Coming not so soon
I’ve been told that the Australian release date for Anna Campbell’s next novel, Captive of Sin, is December 16. Just in time for Christmas, but still so much longer than the US date. I don’t know if I can wait that long, to be honest. I haven’t seen any images of the cover yet.
Parallel import restriction debates continue
The Productivity Commission was due to hand in its report regarding restrictions on the parallel importation of books to Australia on Wednesday, but they’ve asked for and have been granted an extension until June. Until then, I expect we’ll hear more about the issue in the media. For some good arguments from both sides:
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Swan & Edgar bar (via the Booktagger blog)
First things first: Happy Mother’s Day to all you mums, nannas and mums-to-be! I hope you enjoyed a good breakfast in bed and that the kids’ arts and craft project churned out something useful or appealing or edible or easy to hide. :-D
Apologies for slacking off last week with the Bizzo, but this one is absolutely chockers with good romancey stuff, so I hope it’s worth the wait.
ARRC09 audio recordings
Audio recordings from the Australian Romance Readers Convention in February are now available. Click here for more information and an order form.
International Association for the Study of Popular Romance
The IASPR is offering yearly, 5-yearly and lifetime memberships. Click here for more information. The IASPR, University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, and the Romance Writers of Australia are sponsoring an academic conference on Popular Romance Studies.
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Anzac biscuits - a link to the recipe is included below (source: Penguin Books Australia)
Top Aussie writer blogs
CopyWrite has posted its list of top blogs by Aussie writers. Romance writers who made the list:
#16 Romance Bandits (Various authors)
#34 Christina Phillips
#38 Romance, Rumours and Rogues (Nicola Marsh)
#52 Outback Romance (Fiona Lowe)
#54 Ramblings of a Romance Writing Mama (Rachael Johns)
#58 Yvonne Lindsay
#68 Bronwyn Parry
#69 Lexxie Couper
#85 Cassandra Cornell
#91 Alison Stuart
#99 Writing Romance (Sandie Hudson)
#102 Elisabeth Rose
#108 Sami’s Scribbles (Sami Lee)
#109 Stumbling along the path to publication (Monique Wood)
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Photo by circulating (via Flickr)
The battle of the petitions: responses to Productivity Commission closed on Friday
Look, I have a confession to make: I haven’t read the full draft of the Productivity Commission’s discussion draft on parallel importation restrictions. But over the last few weeks, there’s been a buzz on the blogs, on Twitter, and to a smaller extent in the mainstream press about what the draft recommendations would mean to authors, publishers, booksellers and consumers.
Dymocks’s strategy of emailing members of its Booklovers program came under fire (here’s why I didn’t sign it), but I think it worked. I’m planning to write about this some more (next week, I hope!) but, essentially, they framed the issue for consumers, who until now haven’t really been involved in the discussion. And if this opinion essay (The Australian) is any indication, Dymocks has done its job well. (Not to mention that The Australian’s editorial quality is on the decline. Because really—research much?)
On the opposing side, Australians for Australian Books has been using social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter to encourage people to sign their petition opposing
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On Thursday, I wrote a post on why I wouldn’t be signing the petition that Dymocks urged its Booklovers subscribers to sign. I never imagined it would get as much attention as it did, so a big welcome to new readers and visitors. If you’re interested, children’s author Sheryl Gwyther is organising a protest against Dymocks on Thursday, April 16, at 10.30am at the Brisbane Dymocks store (cnr Queen and Edward Sts). Click here for details. (Via Christine Bongers)
To clarify: I’m not trying to foist my personal opinion on parallel importation on anyone else, but I’m encouraging people to hear more than just one side of the debate before signing the petition (or not).
Romance book sales are up
You may have already seen this in various blogs, but according to the NY Times: “In a recession, what people want is a happy ending.” Sales of romance books are up, and there are some very good quotes and insights on the buying habits of romance readers: “Romance readers are considered among the most loyal fans,
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