This weekend was Moonlight and Magnolias, the annual conference thrown by my local romance chapter.
I didn’t win the Maggie–that went to Tanya Michaels who won for her Harlequin Next, the Good Kind of Crazy (Congrats, girl, I hate you) but it was a fantastic weekend nonetheless, and I’m about to tell you why.
Friday morning I have to get to the hotel at 8AM for a volunteer shift (not necessarily the best shift for someone not staying at the hotel or caffeine-deprived) Somehow I managed to get there in plenty of time to order a large caramel macchiato and get properly caffeinated before having to welcome people at registration. Halfway through the hour-long shift I get the routine down (and my macchiato) and I’m feeling good, but realizing I have a lot of the day stretching before me before the PAN area opens or I get to go out to lunch. Continue Reading »
This book has gone through more obstacles than B-Listers on those old Battle of the Network Stars programs. But yeah for it finally being available on Amazon–with the right cover!
If youre curious, I will be signing copies at Georgia Romance Writers’ Moonlight and Magnolias conference THIS SATURDAY at 3 PM. We’ll be at the Hilton Atlanta Northeast, 5993 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Come check us out!
It’s been a while since I’ve done a real post, so here you go to start your Monday off right:
I finished the edits on my contribution to the sequel to the Vegas Bites anthology. My story in Vegas Bites Back (catchy, ain’t it?) is called Channeling Moonlight. I had so much fun writing it that I went over, and had to cut 35 pages from the story. Now, cutting 35 pages from a novella is no easy task, and I must admit, it was hard. Damned hard. And not damned hard in a good way, either. But I finally succeeded–sorta. I managed to cut 29 pages, and the lovely ladies at Parker let me keep the other something. (Something about dogs and sympathetic wailing on the other side of the country, but I’m not so sure.) You can read an excerpt here. Vegas Bites Back will be out this winter.
Then I had to complete another novella for Parker. Let me say that I love novellas. It’s great to have the discipline of the shorter format, you get projects done faster, and you can try your hand at something that you may not necessarily do normally. For instance, Vegas Bites enabled me to dip my toe into the paranormal pool, something that I’ve wanted to do for a while. I found the waters quite welcoming indeed. But that’s not the project that I just finished.
The new project takes me back to my roots, but in a different way. Yes folks, I’ve got another interracial story coming out early in 2008. The whole anthology is IR, and some of the names should be familiar to fans of the category. My story is called Sex on South Beach and may be somewhat familiar to a few ladies who attended the Romance Slam Jam in Miami Beach this past March.
I get to take a break this week as I ramp up for Georgia Romance Writer’s Moonlight and Magnolia’s conference. My last contemporary, Through the Fire, is up for a Maggie Award. I’m truly excited to be a finalist in my home chapter’s contest. Wish me luck! Oh, and we’re having a major signing on Saturday at 3pm at the Hilton North on Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Come by and see us–I’ll have the last few new copies of Through the Fire for purchase!
Harlequin announced yesterday that from this point forward it is making its complete frontlist catalogue available in e-book format. Active in the e-book marketplace since October 2005, with an initial publication schedule of nine titles a month, Harlequin will now be releasing more than 120 titles per month in both print and digital formats.
Harlequin’s e-books will be priced slightly lower than their print books and be available in Adobe, Microsoft Reader, MobiPocket, Palm and Sony formats. The company said it is launching this initiative because its customers embrace the immediacy and portability of the format and the titles do not go out of stock.
By now, you may have heard about the fallout from comments made a Glamour staffer during a presentation on dos and dont’s of corporate fashion at the law firm of Cleary Gottlieb. In case you missed them, here are a few of the gems as noted by Vivia Chen The American Lawyer onAugust 27, 2007:
First slide up: an African-American woman sporting an Afro. A real no-no, announced the Glamour editor to the 40 or so lawyers in the room. As for dreadlocks: How truly dreadful! The style maven said it was “shocking” that some people still think it “appropriate” to wear those hairstyles at the office. “No offense,” she sniffed, but those “political” hairstyles really have to go.
Some people may think this is racist, but really the staffer was stupidly clueless more than anything. Really, what’s political about dreadlocks and braids? Maybe she should try living in Atlanta during the summer with black folks’ hair and see how long she lasts! But then, we’re talking Glamour magazine. I haven’t used the magazine as a resource for my fashion, makeup, skin, and hair care in…ever. Besides the general dearth of articles relating to black hair and skin care, there’s nothing for plus size women or women not willing to spend a third of their paycheck on a skirt. Even the recent issue of the magazine that a friend left at my house, the issue with Queen Latifah on the cover with Mariska Hargitay and Claire Danes, had a stunning lack of articles helpful to women like me.
And I sure as hell ain’t giving money to a magazine that spends 200 pages telling me how my hair, clothes, weight, skin, hobbies, and sex life all suck.
But never fear, Glamour is doing damage control. From Angela, a black romance reader, comes this letter from the Editor of Glamour:
Hello,
I read your post about a Glamour editor’s comments on hairstyles for work, and I’d like to share with you our thoughts. First, we regret the comments were made. The employee, a junior staffer, not a beauty editor, spoke to a small group of lawyers at a private luncheon without her supervisor’s knowledge or approval, and her comment — that Afros are not work appropriate — does not represent Glamour’s point of view.
Secondly, immediately upon learning of it, we sought to rectify the situation. The editor has been dealt with in a very serious manner, and the entire staff has been reminded of the magazine’s policies and procedures for making public appearances.
Glamour is proud of its diverse readership and celebrates the beauty of ALL women. We have responded directly and openly with readers to assure them of this fact. We have also apologized to the law firm, and we extend the same apology to you.
If you know others who were offended by this incident, To ask you to please pass along this letter. So they, too, know how sorry we are.
Sincerely,
Cindi Leive
Editor-in-Chief, Glamour
Wanna bet they do a whole series of articles and beauty advice for black women? More than likely it’ll appear in the February issue. You know, during Black History Month.
EDIT: For the sake of clarity and disclosure, I work in a corporate office here in Atlanta. The black women here wear their hair in all manner of ways. I’ve worn my hair straight (which it is now) in braids (which it was during the summer) and sometimes in its naturally curly form. I’m actually thinking about going to Sisterlocks but since that’s an almost forever-choice (and upfront expensive) I’m cautious about it. But I’ve never had anyone tell me I should change my hair, or that I can’t advance by wearing braids. I make a damn good living at my day job, more than I’ve seen from writing, and I appreciate the fact that they care more about my work than my hairstyle.