erastes

In publishing news, as you may have seen on Alex Beecroft’s or Charlie Cochrane’s LJ – Samhain are going All Change. They are closing down Linden Bay Romance – changing the name to Linden Bay and are relaunching it as a Young Adult line. They are incorporating all of the books that meet their criteria from Linden Bay into Samhain and letting some go. The incorporated books will be re-edited, and relaunched as ebooks, with some going into print in some distant future, around ten months time.

SOOOOOO – I took the step (as they said that anyone could who wanted to) and pulled Frost Fair and Speak Its Name from their catalogue. The main reason for this decision (although there are several) being that I want my books to be primarily – or at the very least – equally available in print and ebook. My sales at Samhain have proved that I sell four times as many print copies as I do ebooks (and I’m quite sure that piracy is responsible for that) BUT when it comes down to it, Samhain don’t print novellas and that’s all I can offer them while I’m under contract with Running Press. I want my books on people’s shelves, that’s the bottom line, really.

But the GOOD news is that another publisher immediately said “GRABBY HANDS” and wants to publish both books in eprint AND print, with a new covers which will be commissioned by me (and in the case of SIN, with charlie and Lee) and the ideas the publisher has for the layout and cover are making me a very happy Erastes.

A perfectly lovely review (with spoilers, so beware) of Transgressions over at Ferret Brain. Thank you Kyra!

I love Kyra’s reviews, they manage to mix humour and no-punches held deep reviewing. I snorted tea through my nose over the surly but passionate gay Puritan refrain.

But I particularly liked the way she discusses and compares the heterosexual tropes of romance with the emerging genre of gay romance. I have never considered having my guys faithful to each other, it seems absolutely right for anyone who is separated “forever” (or so they think) to hook up with someone else, rather than mope forever - and let’s be honest here. They are GUYS. Like gay marriage, the great thing about the genre is that it will be what we are going to make it. One thing I don’t want anyone to start doing—and I hope to goodness that the new RWA special interest GLBT chapter don’t start doing this—is to start laying down RULES what gay romance is and what it isn’t. Hmm. There’s a subject for a Jessewave Column…

And Joyfully Reviewed reviewed Standish. I must be going mad, but I thought they already had, but I’m obviously wrong. They seemed to like it!

I’m absolutely loving the cheesiness that is Legend of the Seeker. With one major proviso – there’s not enough hotness. Kahl should be hot. Evil Overlords need to be SMOKING. Not look like Severus Snape’s less attractive brother.

I watched “Search for Gollum” yesterday – very very good.

And why has no-one told me about Krod Mandoon??? Sean Maguire and Matt Lucas in a Jimmy Somerville Medieval Quest Legend of the Seeker Spoof Sitcom???? With a gay medieval warrior? BLISS!

I have just received Eragon on DVD. Don’t ask me why I ordered it.