Blog Title: What I Know So Far

The end of the road

After a couple of years of blogging on this space, I'm moving the blog to my new website. I want to thank everyone who supported me during my tenure here.

To see what I'm saying now, join me at my new blog and check out my new website. If you link to either to this blog or to my old website, please update your links.

All the best,
Dee

An added note to subscribers, if you want to continue to read my blog, please change your feed to the new one. Thanks you!

Let sleeping bodies lie?

Almost two years after my second book in my Body series came out, two new and rather delicious reviews have surfaced. The first, posted at Michelle Lauren's blog blew me away. The review was totally unexpected and absolutely wonderful. Here's my favorite part:

"Why I Love the Book
Must I count the ways? I haven’t read any mysteries/suspense novels for a long time, but when I received Body of Lies from Ms. Savoy I couldn’t put it down. Suspense is this author’s forte. This story kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters aren’t cardboard cutouts: Although Alex was victimized as a child, she is not a victim. Although Zachery broke her heart years ago, the author doesn’t vilify him. Both characters learn from their mistakes and become better individuals."

"One thing I can say for Savoy is that she doesn’t hold punches. This isn’t your Disneyland version New York or of a serial killer. She didn’t hold back on the reality of violent, destructive forces and gut-wrenching circumstances that affect the lives of everyday, ordinary people–especially your average cop."

Ooops (upside the head, or otherwise)

Forgive me folks. It's been brought to my attention that there is a little confusion involving the class I'm teaching this summer. Apparently in the body of the post it stated that class began the week of May 19, though the schedule for the class lists the first lesson will be posted the week of June 30th. Obviously, that doesn't jibe and May 19th has already passed, so that can't be right. Unfortunately, I had intended to give the class in the spring, but that didn't work out, which accounts for the May 19th date that I forgot to change. Many apologies for that.

So, if you were thinking about taking this course, no you haven't missed anything. Class doesn't start until June 30th. Registration is open until the Friday before the first class. Just in case, here's the complete, revised announcement.


National bestselling, Emma-award winning author for Romance Suspense Deirdre Savoy will be facilitating this month-long workshop set to begin the week of June 30. This workshop is for authors wanting to learn the basic craft of writing romantic suspense or those seeking to add a bit of dramatic spice to any novel.

Course syllabus:

June 30: What is suspense--how do you achieve it and how do you use it:
Jul 7: Dark suspense vs. light suspense--how to create the effect you want
July 14: The devil in the details--making suspense believable.
July 21: Love on the run--how to use suspense to heighten the romance and vice versa.

Each week, a lecture and assignment will be posted. Completion and posting of assigned work for peer review is not mandatory but advised if students want to get the most from the class.

Who should take this course:

--first time R/S authors looking to learn the basics
--R/S authors looking to hone their craft
--any author interested in taking their writing to new levels

How to register: Apply for group membership here. You will receive an e-mail telling you how to make payment. Once tuition is received, you will be added to the group.

Tuition: $25.00 (plus a $2.00 administrative fee).
BONUS: FREE SYNOPSIS CRITIQUE FOR THE FIRST FIVE STUDENTS TO COMPLETE REGISTRATION!

What's a girl, I mean, a woman to do?

Girls want to control the man in their life.

Grown women know that if he's truly hers, he doesn't need controlling.

Girls check you for not calling them.

Grown women are too busy to realize you hadn't.

Girls are afraid to be alone.

Grown women revel in it using it as a time for personal growth.

Girls ignore the good guys.

Grown women ignore the bad guys.

Girls make you come home.

Grown women make you want to come home.

Girls leave their schedule wide-open and wait for a guy to call and make plans.

Grown women make their own plans and nicely tell the guy to get in where he fits.

Girls worry about not being pretty and/or good enough for their man.

Grown women know that they are pretty and/or good enough for any man.

Girls try to monopolize all their man's time (i.e., don't want him hanging with his friends).

Grown women realize that a lil' bit of space makes the 'together time' even more special-and goes to kick it with her own friends.

Girls think a guy crying is weak.

Grown women offer their shoulder and a tissue.

Girls want to be spoiled and 'tell' their man so.

Grown women 'show' him and make him comfortable enough to reciprocate without fear of losing his 'manhood'.

Girls get hurt by one man and make all men pay for it.

Grown women know that was just one man.

Girls fall in love and chase aimlessly after the object of their affection, ignoring all 'signs'.

Grown women know that sometimes the one you love, don't always love you back-and move on, without bitterness.

Girls will read this and get an attitude.

Grown women will read this and pass it on to other Grown women and their male friends

The Roof, the roof, the roof is on fiyah

Normally, I pay no attention whatsoever to Fifty Cents (I refuse to debase myself to call him Fitty or whatever). However, the story of his house burning down with his baby and baby mama inside just couldn't be ignored. Already law enforcement is calling it suspicious, and as baby mama tells it, he vowed to kill her. Now I don't know whether that's true but, like many other things, this event reminds me of the writing of crime fiction.

Please folks, if you are plotting a novel, or arson for that matter, let's make the onlooker have to guess a little. I think one major flaw of young crime writers is not making it hard enough for readers to figure out whodunnit or if they are supposed to know whodunnit make the motivation a little difficult for the reader to comprehend. Every reader wants to work just a skosh for that satisfying ending. Something. That's what makes the ending satisfying (and one of the reasons I'm teaching my class on suspense).

Law enforcement, on the other hand, likes a quick and easy resolution, so Fifty--or whatever name he might possibly be indicted under--might want to try being a bit more mysterious (or hard to find) as the case may be.

Up to no good

Actually, that's a bit of a misnomer. I've been up to a lot of good things but updating this blog regularly hasn't been one of them. Anyhoo, I have to apologize to all those folks kind enough to post in April and be part of the contest for the Amazon certificate. So instead of $10. the lucky winner will receive a $15, gift certificate.

And the lucky winner is . . .




Chicki Brown. Chicki please let me know what email address you want me to send the certificate to.

And in another note, I have officially become the last person on earth to create a myspace page with an actual layout--please visit my page and be my friend.

Summer Suspense Thing Writing Workshop is now accepting students!!!

National bestselling, Emma-award winning author for Romance Suspense Deirdre Savoy will be facilitating this month-long workshop set to begin the week of June 30. This workshop is for authors wanting to learn the basic craft of writing romantic suspense or those seeking to add a bit of dramatic spice to any novel.

Course syllabus:

June 30: What is suspense--how do you achieve it and how do you use it:
Jul 7: Dark suspense vs. light suspense--how to create the effect you want
July 14: The devil in the details--making suspense believable.
July 21: Love on the run--how to use suspense to heighten the romance and vice versa.

Each week, a lecture and assignment will be posted. Completion and posting of assigned work for peer review is not mandatory but advised if students want to get the most from the class.

Who should take this course:

--first time R/S authors looking to learn the basics
--R/S authors looking to hone their craft
--any author interested in taking their writing to new levels

How to register: Apply for group membership here. You will receive an e-mail telling you how to make payment. Once tuition is received, you will be added to the group.

Tuition: $25.00 (plus a $2.00 administrative fee).
BONUS: FREE SYNOPSIS CRITIQUE FOR THE FIRST FIVE STUDENTS TO COMPLETE REGISTRATION!

Vibrant Voices: Debut Author Niambi Brown Davis

Happy Mother's Day

That's all. I don't really have more to say than that. If you're a mom, enjoy your day. If you're a kid, make your mom feel special. If you're a mom and a kid, like me, enjoy having three generations together.

Just in case you're having a hard time accomplishing this, here's something my cousin sent me.

Before I was a Mom

I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom

I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.

Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him
down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't
stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important
and happy.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to
make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,

the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

(Didn't I say that already?)

Read Us the Book that Makes You Cry

Recently, we had an addition to our family. My younger sister and her husband adopted a baby girl, Christiane. So, of course we have to have the baby shower and of course, the author and kindergarten teacher in me demands that the new baby must have a book. My choice--Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. I don't know an adult who can get through this book with a dry eye. In fact, when I was in Barnes and Noble looking for it, another woman, obviously a mother by the child glued to her hip, said, "Oh my children love that book. They say, read us the book that makes you cry." That's what I did. I read the story to my mother and sister in the store and the three of us ended up weeping like lunatics in the aisle. Is there anything as cathartic as a public, communal tearfest? I don't think so.

Anyhoo, I was quite proud of myself presenting my new niece and her parents with a worthy tome--until I read this article in PW. Apparently there are some folks who find the book creepy and detestable. I never would have guessed, despite the mother in the story baring a striking resemblance to Shirley MacLaine's character in Terms of Endearment (emotionally anyway). There are some who suggest that Munsch wrote the book as satire, but that strikes me as the protest of one guilty of mawkishness and lavish sentiment, and well, you've got to tell them something.

Oh, well. I'll go on loving it and you can judge for your own self, but next time I feel the need to indulge, I'll stay out of Barnes and Noble.

The Old Gray Lady's Gone Batty

Recently the New York Times announced its list of the 50 best mystery writers and most of the folks I know went, "huh?" I'll admit, I'm late to the table reading mystery. I can't say I'd picked up anything beside Christie or Hammett and only because I had to for school. That is until a few years ago. Then I couldn't get enough.

But I still have to wonder how they came up with this particular list. Did they stick a bunch of names in a hat and pick out the first 50? And who came up with the cheesy descriptors??? But let me ask you--do you agree with this list? If not, who would you kick off? Who would you add?

1. Patricia Highsmith

Rule-breaking master of amorality

2. Georges Simenon

The Trojan horse of foreign crime-writing

3. Agatha Christie

The original Queen of Crime

4. Raymond Chandler

The most profound of pulp writers

5. Elmore Leonard

The Dickens of Detroit

6. Arthur Conan Doyle

Creator of the ultimate hero-and-sidekick team

7. Ed McBain

Thrilling writer of snap-and-crackle dialogue

8. James M. Cain

Godfather of Noir

9. Ian Rankin

Edinburgh's gritty crime laureate

10. James Lee Burke

American spinner of bleakly lyrical tales

11. Dennis Lehane

A tender craftsman with a tough centre

12. P.D. James

Prolific and cerebral grand dame of British crime

13. Dashiell Hammett

The man who dragged murder back into the alley

14. Jim Thompson

Revered creator of corrupt cops and sociopaths

15. Sjowall and Wahloo

The mother and father of Nordic crime

16. John Dickson Carr

King of the "locked room mystery"

17. Cornell Woolrich

Tortured pulp novelist known for Rear Window

18. Ruth Rendell

Criminal mastermind of unparalleled breadth and depth

19. Ross Macdonald

Raymond Chandler's hard-boiled heir

20. James Ellroy

The most literary of American crime writers

21. Charles Willeford

Aficianados' favourite who is ripe for a break-through

22. Dorothy Sayers

Lord Peter Wimsey's witty creator

23. John Harvey

The man behind the jazz-loving Nottingham cop Resnick

24. Wilkie Collins

Godfather of the detective novel

25. Francis Iles

Pseudonymous writer of radical plots

26. Manuel Vasquez Montalban

Intellectual gourmand whose fiction mapped Barcelona

27. Karin Fossum

Norway's foremost cold-climate crime writer

28. Val McDermid

Influential author of high-grade "Tartan Noir"

29. Edgar Allan Poe

Mould-setter for the modern sleuth

30. Derek Raymond

Hard-drinking, hard-writing British crime legend

31. George Pelecanos

Energetic, music-loving social crusader

32. Margery Allingham

Golden Age sophisticate who can chill or charm

33. Minette Walters

Unflinching chronicler of humankind's dark side

34. Carl Hiaasen

Rapid-fire satirist of Miami vices

35. Walter Mosley

A bold American voice, not afraid to tackle race

36. Reginald Hill

Playful creator of British favourites Dalziel and Pascoe

37. Michael Dibdin

Late, great ironist who investigated Italy's corruption

38. Patricia Cornwell

Shrewd pioneer of gruesome pathology

39. Scott Turow

Legal thriller-writer famous for Presumed Innocent

40. Dick Francis

Former jockey and king of equestrian intrigue

41. Edmund Crispin

Elegant and accomplished Oxford plotter

42. Alexander McCall Smith

Scottish Professor whose Mma Ramotswe has won hearts and minds

43 Andrea Camilleri

Italy's foremost crime export

44. Harlan Coben

Mature metroplitan stylist loved for his twisting plots

45. Donna Leon

American explorer of the Venetian underworld

46. Josephine Tey

Acute 1940s author whose books describe the danger of love

47. Colin Dexter

Former classics teacher who found fame with Morse

48. Nicholas Blake

C. Day Lewis' crime-writing foil

49. Henning Mankell

Swedish novelist with a bleak take of modern life

50. Sara Paretsky

Spirited creator of feminist sleuth VI Warshawski

Keeping it real

I think I'm in love with Lee Lofland's blog The Graveyard Shift, particularly the last entry on "getting it right" in crime fiction posted by literary agent Scott Hoffman. He's discussing why writers should strive to know what they are talking about, with both agents and the general public. You can read for yourself what he says about agents, but as for readers, here's my favorite part.

Well, readers of crime fiction like to feel smart. To the extent that you can debunk closely-held myths in the course of your writing, agents, editors, and ultimately readers will love it. If you can tell readers how things REALLY happen—as opposed to the way they look on TV, it will give your work a feeling of authenticity that’s often missing in crime fiction (and nonfiction.)

That's always been my goal in writing crime fiction--to show what I know that the reader doesn't without making them feel foolish for believing everything you see on CSI.

So, I end by asking you the same question as Mr. Hoffman does his readers--whast are your bugaboos and pet peeves about crime fiction (or even reportage of true crime)? What story line could you do without ever seeing again? Fess up!

That's a spicy meat (no ball)

I have been a long time hater of Spam, since it was that mystery meat that came in the blue can. You see I volunteered one summer at my high school (back in the Stone Age) in a project called Project Hands. It was a camp for deaf kids (way back then I could sign) and therefore underfunded. We had Spam almost every day for lunch. Eventually we got to the point of making up a Dr Seuss-esque rhyme to amuse ourselves (That Spam in can, That Spam in can. I do not like that Spam in can).

What is Spam exactly? I am told it is spiced ham. Spiced ham? I want to know exactly which spice this is to keep it out of the rest of my food.

That being said, the mail variety of Spam has never bothered me too much. It's too easy to click the delete button. But what's with this new spate of spam that's subject line is completely made up of Chinese or Japanese kanji? How am I supposed to know if it's coming from the Australian Lottery or Mrs Ubinga, the wife of the deposed leader of Upper Volta, or wherever, if it isn't writen in English? At least those emails amuse me and I open them once in a while. Does anyone really think I'm going to open stuff I can't understand? I just can't see the logic of it.

Anyway, I've procrastinated enough for today. Back to work.

Stand by your woman?

I happened to be looking at presidential news this morning when I happened on a certain posting at CNN titled why have so many democrats changed their minds.  Before we get any further, let me say that I am a registered independent voter, mostly because I refuse for any political party or other entity to assume I'm on their side.  If you want my vote, you have to earn it.  But when I looked at the big three candidates that hat their fedoras in the ring at the beginning of the primaries, I could have lived with any one of them.  That said, I also had the black woman's dilemma: with the first real opportunity to vote for a black or a woman, which, if either, do you favor.

Behind every great man, there is a great woman.  I think that's a truism none of us would dispute, even though some great men get saddled with stinkers. Conversely, behind every great woman there seems to be either a dead, impaired or non-existent husband.

Okay, I'm being facetious here, but as women have found their place in public and private life, their ambitions are more often derailed by their husband's missteps than their own.  Case in point:  Geraldine Ferraro, who recently was much maligned for a comment that is absolutely true--with the mood the country is in, Obama is the perfect candidate to stand for both change and conciliation.  Granted, she could have done a better job of articulating that, but I admire her gumption for standing by what she said.  Anyhoo, back when she was a vice-presidential candidate, she caught flack for her husband's (supposedly) shady deals.

The same happened a couple of years ago to Jeanine Pirro when she was running for Attorney General of New York, Eliot Spitzer's old job.  Concerns about her husband's dirty dealings nearly cost her her job.   Then when it came to light that she might have crossed the line in trying to spy on dear Albert, it cost her the race.  True, she should have picked a better snooping buddy than disgraced former police commissioner Bernard Kerik, but sometimes a girl's got to go with what she's got. 

Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be floozies

I saw a disturbing report on one of the Morning News shows. Make-up being marketed to girls as young as four years old. I'm not talking about the fake dress up stuff many of us grew up with. I'm talking about real cosmetics coming in kits that cost as much as twenty-five dollars a pop. One popular place gives parties where young girls can dress up false eyelashes, hair extensions and all.

What killed me were the moms on this report. One said she wasn't trying to make her five year old daughter "grown" yet, but this party was to make her feel good about herself. Sorry, but that's a grown up motivation for putting on all that war paint. Here's the report for you to judge for yourself.



I say, what the hell is wrong with us, America? Why do we have this need to sexualize our children at increasingly younger ages? Even Disney has gotten into the act offering spa treatments for children as young as 4. What message are we trying to send to our daughters--you're nobody unless somebody thinks you're hot--even if you're only three years old? So, what happens when they are 13? They're a candidate for that godaful Maury show.

To make myself feel better, I decided to post some sayings by kids that actually sound like kids.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY? (written by kids)

You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.

-- Alan, age 10


No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry... God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.

-- Kristen, age 10


WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?

Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.

-- Camille, age 10


HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?

You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.

-- Derrick, age 8



WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?

Both don't want any more kids.

-- Lori, age 8


WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?

Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.

-- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)


On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.

-- Martin, age 10


WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?

I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.

-- Craig, age 9

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?

When they're rich.

-- Pam, age 7


The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.

- - Curt, age 7

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.



-- Howard, age 8

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?

It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.

-- Anita, age 9


HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?

There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?

-- Kelvin, age 8


HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?

Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck.

-- Ricky, age 10

Moses dead at 83

No, not the real Moses, but the one I remember from my youth. Charton Heston splashed boldly on the big screen by Cecil B. DeMille. I was raised in a house that loved religious stories, even if we didn't believe in them religiously. So The Ten Commandments, The Robe, The Greatest Story Every Told and eventually Jesus Christ Superstar (we played that soundtrack to death, but only when Grandma wasn't around to decry the sacrilege) were staples in our house.

Heston was also Ben Hur, Thomas Jefferson, Cardinal Richelieu and Robert Thorn, police detective in Soylent Green. He starred in Airport, Antony and Cleopatra, Gray Lady Down and Earthquake. the first two Planet of the Apes movies.

Heston always played the heroic figure, the big man, even if the man wasn't completely noble. He was the ultimate romance hero--at least on film. In real life he had that NRA thing going on, and well, that I could have missed. As far as I know, the cause of his death hasn't been released and I'm sure hoping it had nothing to do with guns. That big a fan of irony I am not.

Let's Hear It for the Girls Redux

Those who know me know I'm a big fan of the romance heroine. In fact, my first agent wanted to represent my first book for that reason--most everyone else focused the story on the guy, not the girl. It's not that I've got anything against the guys, but when it comes to telling a woman's side of things, isn't the best place for that a romance? If romances are supposedly written by, for, and about women, who do we still have to obsess about the man?

Angela T. over at Romancing the Blog asks roughly the same question. She's comparing traditional romances, with their emphasis sometimes on male angst and the bumper crop of urban fantasies we've all been enjoying.

Despite the inherent differences between romance novels and urban fantasies, I feel there is room for complementary character arcs. And can we get rid of the word “bitch” regarding heroines who refuse to acquiesce to the hero’s journey?

Can I get an amen, folks? It puts me in mind of the end of the last movie of the second batch of Star Wars sagas (which is really the third story--damn George Lucas). I will NEVER watch another blessed thing the man makes after he took kick-ass QUEEN Amidala and turned into some wimpy-assed wuss that would allow herself to DIE, leaving her children to be raised by God only knows who, simply because the man she loved turned out to be a bastard. Come on, people. If every woman whose guy turned out to be a jerk wasted away the streets would be littered with female corpses.

Anyway, I digress. I'm still not over that travesty, but we're talking romances here. Why can't it be that both hero AND heroine have their own story arcs, their own desires, their own goals and let the man's be subordinate for a change without him being a wimp and her being a, well, you know. I think it's time we women allowed ourselves to be as unabashedly strong in fiction as we must be in our everyday lives without feeling the need to apologize for it or push the man out in front and say, but he's the real hero. Like with anything else, if you don't use it, you lose it and that includes our own impulses to see ourselves as heroic.

Next time, keep me occupied

Killing time in Barnes and Noble today, I was looking through the self help aisles when I stumbled onto this title:
That's right. Sex for DUMMIES, written by none other than world renown sexpert Dr. Ruth. I became afraid, very afraid. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not sure I want to encourage dummies to have sex. I mean, there's a reason people say stupid people shouldn't breed. Think how much better off we'd be if George I and Barbara had been a little better at birth control.

Seriously though, the first time I heard Dr. Ruth speak it was while I was flipping channels on the radio. I thought I'd happened on a Gilda Radner Baba Wawa sketch. God, I miss Gilda Radner.

Actually, I like Dr Ruth. Despite the fact that I can't decipher a word she says, she's the only nationally known figure who's shorter than I am. Now that's saying something.

March Fools

It's the end of March, the time when every young man's fancy turns to thoughts of -- did you really think I was going to say spring? Actually the advent of warmer weather usually tends to bring on a spate of contentiousness in the publishing world and elsewhere. Two recent developments make my point.

Amazon.com flexed it's considerable muscle and decided that only those POD books published through the company's BookSurge program will be sold on Amazon. Other books will be listed, but their Buy Now buttons will be deactivated to prevent direct purchase. You can read more about it here.

You may not have noticed it, but I removed my links to Amazon from this blog and will remove all links to Amazon from my website when that is redone in my own brand of protest. In my opinion, Amazon has acted like the 800-pound gorilla since its inception a few short years ago. Yes children there was a time before Amazon. All I can wonder is, what's next? Now that they have that ebook capacity on their pages, will they only sell ebooks they put out, too?

The second bit of contentiousness comes from the state of Indiana that suddenly has a bee in its bonnet over sexual content in books.

From the Publisher's Weekly article:

The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) has blasted a new Indiana law that requires bookstores to register with the government if they sell what is considered "sexually explicit materials." The new law, H.B. 1042, was signed by Governor Mitch Daniels on March 13, and calls for any bookseller that sells sexually explicit materials to register with the Secretary of State and provide a statement detailing the types of books to be sold. The Secretary of State must then identify those stores to local government officials and zoning boards. “Sexually explicit material” is defined as any product that is “harmful to minors” under existing law. There is a $250 registration fee. Failure to register is a misdemeanor.

I don't know about you, but I think this is a bit extreme. If it is acknowledged that explicit material is not intended for minors and effort is made to keep it from minors, can't the rest of us see it, please? For more information on this ridiculousness, you can go here.

According to IC 35-49-2-2, Indiana Code defines Matter or performance harmful to minors thusly:

Sec. 2. A matter or performance is harmful to minors for purposes of this article if:
(1) it describes or represents, in any form, nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sado-masochistic abuse;
(2) considered as a whole, it appeals to the prurient interest in sex of minors;
(3) it is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable matter for or performance before minors; and
(4) considered as a whole, it lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.
As added by P.L.311-1983, SEC.33.

Given the current heat level of everything but inspirational romance, even the local drugstore will have to register on the sex offender bookseller list. (After all, it isn’t fair for the Borders to have to register and not Bob’s Drugstore.) Or perhaps the store buyer will offer a questionnaire to publisher reps and distributors asking if a title has the sex in it and having them sign a declaration stating that it doesn’t so that it could be sold.

Hhm, maybe this will finally get all those clinches off the covers.

If it's the 29th, It Must Be Blogging in Black

I don't know if all of you know this, but every 29th of the month I blog at Blogging in Black. This month's topic, Famous First Words is about beefing up that first sentence. I hope you enjoy it. While you're there please check out all the other great writers posting.

For next month, I'd like to post something that readers will appreciate more. Anybody got a topic they'd like to see explored either here or there? Let me know.

Now I return you to your regularly scheduled weekend. Enjoy!

Hitting the nail on the head

I had planned to write a rather frivolous post about the hunks on Dancing with the Stars today--until I happened over to Dear Author. The day's post about the trivialization of serious issues in romance intrigued me, since this has been a criticism of mine about the genre since I first started reading it. In romance, tragedy is often nothing more than a plot device to get the hero and heroine to a certain place in the story, without adequate consideration of what real impact such experiences have on people.

This is how the post starts out:

A legitimate criticism of romance as serious literature is it’s often cavalier treatment of important life topics. Too often, war, separation, human indignity, are treated as plot devices, conflict mechanisms, and not given the attention and treatment those important issues deserve. How many romance books are thought provoking? How many challenge your personal concepts of right and wrong? How many portray multi hued individuals as both heroic and villianous? Surely within the umbrella of the romance genre, there is room for these books.

I can't argue with anything that is said here, which does not mean, in my opinion, that no romances deal with important issues head on, but, in my opinion, fewer than should do. In other words, if you've got a protagonist recovering from a bad marriage, missing child, breast cancer, rape, whatever, or you've got a character who's a soldier or cop, nurse or counselor, they experience life in particular ways that are often glossed over rather than exploited properly for the verisimilitude of their story.

This to my mind doesn't mean every story has to be heavy or heavy handed. However, if you're going to bring up the heroine's unkind personal history, or whatever, let the effects of it reverberate in her life on a deeper level than making her wary of the hero's attentions. Almost any serious event injected into a character's life produces a constellation of effects. These can be explored even if you do it in a less than grave way.

300

No, it's not an action movie with sweaty hunky men, it's my 300th post on this blog. In celebration of such, I've equipped the old girl with a new look, a new contest and a new poll. The new look you're seeing already. Please drop me a note and tell me what you think. Be kind, though since I hooked up the graphic myself, lol.

You can find the poll on the sidebar about halfway down. As for the contest, any time you leave a comment you are entered into the contest for a $10. Amazon gift certificate (perfect for purchasing my June release Soldier Boys, but you didn't hear that from me. The winner will be announced May 1, so please check back then for the announcement or make sure to include your email address in your post so I can contact you.

I hope you enjoy the new What I Know So Far . . . Have a happy spring!

Protaga-who?

On some list I belong to, talk turned to exactly how you define a protagonist, particularly in light of all the antiheroes becoming heroes these days. A similar discussion is hosted at Editorrent. My favorite part:

If we define the protagonist as "the character we root for," then this presumes that the protagonist's goals are always worthy. In the case of tragedies, they frequently are not. Really, did anyone actually want Oedipus to marry Jocasta?

My answer: not really. As for stories closer to my heart, she posits: And then there's romance. Can a story ever really have two protagonists? I'm sure it can, but isn't it nice to have someone talk about romance without scorn? A big NY hug for that.

I'm sure the discussion isn't over, but if you want more insight, check out the post.

My blog is thiiiiiiiis smart

I was looking around the blogosphere, something I usually do on Friday's but it was a holiday so what's the dif? I was over at Roslyn Carrington's blog where she had a doohickey telling what educational level her blog catered to (I almost said was at, but you'll see why I changed my mind.

Erin Go Braindead

That's the only excuse why I got only four out of ten right on this quiz. No, I'm not Irish--not even black Irish--but my first name is: Deirdre. Depending on where you look it up, it means the troubler, mother of sorrows, and a few other disturbing meanings (thanks, Ma).

Seriously, I've always loved my name. Google the name Deirdre and my website will come up sixth on the list.

Here's the story of the name Deirdre that I grew up with as a kid:

The most beautiful woman in ancient Ireland, Deirdre was bethrothed to the High King Conchobhar Mac Nessa but she fell in love with his nephew Naoise. Deirdre and Naoise eloped to Scotland where they lived a blissful exile for many years. By offering forgiveness, Conchobhar tricked them into returning to Ulster where Naoise was slain by the jealous Conchobhar. Deirdre threw herself from Conchobhar's chariot rather than live with the man who had caused Naoise's death. It was said that her grave was near to Naoise's and that a yew tree grew from each plot. The yew trees grew toward one another till their branches intertwined, joining the two lovers even after death.

Years later, when my sister was buying a house, her Irish real estate agent informed me that the true Deirdre was a nun who got herself beheaded for her trouble. If it's all the same to everyone else, I'll keep the version where I get to be the pretty, pretty princess, thank you.