Vixenwriter

I’ve got a PDF copy of Vengeance Due here (my dead hard drive ate the author copies in other formats and I’m not at home to beg Martha to send me other ones).

So I’m going to choose a winner from the commenters to this entry between now (July 29 to Monday July 31 at noon pacific/3 eastern)

Let’s see- to make it interesting – do you like paranormals? If so why and do you have a favorite? If not, what genre is your fave?

My computer died yesterday. Totally dead, as in couldn’t even manage to throw the blue screen of death at me. Sigh. So the lucky guys at the computer store are looking at it (cringes at the thought of something they might see) and I so hope that it’s somethng that didn’t kill all of my stuff (downloads, WIP, etc)

Anyway, I’m going to have less access than usual (the occasional wireless trip to Starbucks, etc) until I get it back so if I’m not around as much, it’s because of that!

I’ve resisted joining the RWA for a few years now but finally sucked it up and joined a few months back. I can’t say my life has changed drastically but I joined Passionate Ink and do now receive my copy of the RWR monthly. I’ve heard this is like the bible of the industry but I can’t really say I’ve found it to be true. It hasn’t been noxious though until this most recent issue.

An issue in which Jan Butler writes a letter extolling the dangers of the homosexual agenda (cue to scary DUH DUH DUHH! music) in the romance genre. Kate Rothwell, who is marvelous on a hundred different levels first addressed this Saturday in her blog. (Smart Bitches, Sybil and Karen S have also now posted about this letter oh and Selah too - if you see it elsewhere let me know and I’ll add to the list). This makes me seriously mad.

I’m going to put the bulk of her letter here because Kate posted it at her blog and I don’t want to have to type the whole darned thing myself:

. . romance isn’t about just any “two people” celebrating “love in its many forms.” Organizations such as the Man-Boy Love Association would certainly refer to themselves as celebrating love “two people” (or more) finding love in one of its many forms” . . . while they actively promote pedophilia.

There’s an old saying, “Go home with the one who brought you here.” What brought romance fiction to its present level of success is a collection of decades’ worth of one-man, one-woman relationships stories, in all their richness, variety, and power. RWA should be the first to endorse that, rather than attempting to placate fringe groups trying to impose their standards upon the rest of us. If anyone’s in danger of being “censored” here, it’s believers in “what comes naturally”: one-man, one-woman romance. We in RWA owe it to ourselves not to let that happen. Jan W. Butler

I’m a college educated, married, middle class moral person and I love to read and write romances with MM contact and with menages or more just as much as I love to read romances with just a man and a woman. The key isn’t about which parts go where, but about the connection between the characters. I don’t care if Jan doesn’t like my books. The simple solution is for her not to read them (although she totally thinks about them, a lot apparently).

But that’s not what she wants. She wants to be sure that the books I write can’t be bought and can’t be called romance because while talking about us imposing standards on her, she’s busily advocating that very same thing. Only I’m not trying to stop her from writing and reading what she likes and I can’t say the same about her. Just leave me alone to write my books Jan, I promise we don’t have to be BFF and braid each others hair now that we’re both in the RWA.

Oh and Ms. Butler has the right to say she thinks what I write is immoral and evil and bad for western civilization. She’s even entitled to spout hateful, inaccurate rhethoric about gays being pedophiles, the kind of rhetoric that gets gays and lesbians attacked daily. She does not have the right, however, to shut me down. Now that I pay dues, I plan to be even more vocal on this issue.

Just to be clear, using facts and all – NAMBLA is no more representative of gays as a whole as the creepy guy who dresses like Santa to molest the neighborhood children is representative of the heterosexual community. That’s just the kind of hateful and lazy lack of decent argument that I’d expect from someone with Ms. Butler’s position. Pedophiles are overwhelmingly heterosexual (like in the high 90%). The consistent attempts to try and demonize gays and lesbians with damaging misinformation that they’re somehow out to rape our children is irresponsible and hateful and the worst kind of rumormongering. It gets people killed. It has people lose jobs and apartments. And it’s not true.

It’s my RWA too now. And I’m not going anywhere Ms. Butler. My readers aren’t either. Those women and men you’ve just referred to as uneducated, immoral, gay lovin sluts probably wouldn’t be flattered by that. Although I’m totally a gay lovin feminist left winger, so clearly I’m already in your “groups who need to stop making me think of boysmut that makes my naughty parts tingly” list anyway.

Ms. Butler, honey, you need a hug. I’m serious. You need to stop worrying so much about everyone else’s heart and mind and worry for your own. It’s a big genre, I can always braid Megan Hart’s hair.

I’m stunned and beyond thrilled! I was in Eastern Washington to see a concert (in 116 degree weather, man did that suck. More about the whole awful experience later) and I knew the JERR mag came out today and had a review for Giving Chase in it. I saw it in the “reviews in this issue” promo they did last week. My cover was up in the promo and I said to my husband, “wouldn’t be cool if it gets a great review and like a silver star,” just jokingly but I knew it probably got a good review because the other time my cover was in the promo I got a five star review for Second Chances. Anyway, it came today and when I returned from the hell that is The Gorge (which I shall never return to, even if it is Pearl Jam), I went to look and WOWOWOWOW!!

KayleeMarie Walker said in part:

“When you read a Lauren Dane book, you know to expect the best and that’s exactly what she delivers with Giving Chase, the first installment in the new Chase Brothers series. This wonderful erotic romantic suspense is enthralling and literally begs not to be put down once you’ve picked it up. The storyline is emotionally charged and the character development is evident throughout.”

“I’d have to say that this is one of my favorite Ms. Dane books to-date and I have no problem recommending it. Giving Chase is definitely deserving of a Gold Star Award!”

What a nice thing to come home to!

When did you start blogging and why? October of 2004. I started out just wanting to sort of mark my journey as a writer.

What don’t you talk about? I’m an incredibly opinionated person (I know! Shocked aren’t you?) and I’m very passionate about certain political issues. I generally don’t talk about most of them here. Or religion.

Are you and your blogging persona the same person? Pretty much, yes. I’m more blunt in person when people can see my face and hear my tone of voice. But it’s pretty much what you see is what you get.

How do you use blogging to build friendships? I’ve met a lot of people online and some of those people are folks I consider to be very good friends. It’s like anything else, you meet people and get to know them. Some are fun and I chat from time to time, others I talk to several times a week.

How would you describe your writing style? My blogging style? Uh, I’m sort of like one of those crazy assed jello salads my grandma’s friends brought to church socials – usually it all works together but sometimes there’s weird shit in there like raisins or shredded carrot. (Just as a totally unrelated side note – Once, my father-in-law’s wife (a very unpleasant woman) served jello with spaghetti noodles in it, I’m not kidding and neither was she. )

Who shall I tag?
Anya
Megan
Lori
Shelli
Lacy
Shelley

I’m going to be having a List Mom day at the EC Reader Chat on Tuesday July 25 - Powerful Paranormal Women – to celebrate the upcoming release of Witches Knot Book Three: Vengeance Due on August 2! I’ll be manning the board from 8 – 1 pm pacific/11 – 4 eastern!

Simone Charvez admits she’s high maintenance, but she’s also more than the pretty piece of fluff everyone seems to take her for. When Kael Gardener walks into her shop, tattoos, piercings and bad boy attitude she knows she’s in for trouble. For Kael, the news that not all vampires are like the monsters that slaughtered his entire family is nearly as hard to take as his all encompassing attraction to a witch with a family that includes one.

Simone fights to get Kael to let his guard down and love her and Kael fights to keep his emotional distance from a woman he’s sure he has nothing to offer to. All of this as they race to find and kill the Oathbreakers who threaten not just all of New Orleans but Simone’s very soul.

I’m pretty excited about this one, it’s the first new Witches Knot book to be released in a year!

Anyway, I’ll have great excerpts and sneak peeks from upcoming books and other fabulous EC authors like: BJ McCall, Tawny Taylor, TJ Michaels, Shelley Munro, Jory Strong, Rod Casteel, Katherine Kingston, Cynthia Williams and Anya Bast. So Save the Date! July 25 from 11 – 4 eastern time/ 8 to 1 pacific!

I don’t claim to not be opinionated. I have strong beliefs about a lot of things, most of which I try to keep off this blog but one thing, as a writer, I won’t be silent on is censorship and this strange compulsion by certain groups to attack what they haven’t even seen, read or heard.

From this month’s Details magazine comes this little factoid:

ZERO: The number of the 4,211 complaint emails the FCC received about an episode of CBS’ Without A Trace that were sent by people who had actually seen the show. The messages came via the Parents TelevisionCouncil and the American Family Association in response to a brief “teen orgy” scene. (The FCC has sought to fine hte show $3.3 million for indecency).

You know there are several things that bug me about this – firstly the glaring fact that none of these people saw the show they’re complaining about but are complaining about it. WTF is that all about?

Secondly, if the people who actually SAW the show didn’t complain, not a one, where’s the problem? Doesn’t that mean that the show is in its correct time and place?

If our society gives in to this terrorism, and it is terrorism when bands of people who have no first hand knowlege or even offense at something will get together and complain about something they never even saw to censor things for the rest of us – if we give in, we’re losing the very thing that makes us special.

I didn’t see the show. I don’t know if it had a teen orgy scene in it. I highly doubt it, but again, I didn’t see it. But neither did a single one of those 4200 people who may get the show fined over 3 million bucks.

There’s something really wrong with that.

I usually do this at my loop but I thought it might be nice to bring it over here from time to time.

1. A release date for Reluctant (9/27)

2. A release date for Tri Mates (11/08)

3. Nearly done with Taking Chase! (1/30/07)

4. Pearl Jam in two more days!!!!

5. My vacation with my husband is quickly approaching, yay!

6. Wonderful reviews of my books

7. Great friends

8. Continued ability to come up with new ideas

9. Being down to just one kid has given me some really nice quiet
time with my husband!

10. My sons having a great time with their grandparents

11. My husband, who is seriously the most wonderful man in the world
and my very best friend.

12. Cupcakes, sigh.

COMING SEPTEMBER 27 TO ELLORA’S CAVE!

Layla Warden had a ten year plan and it sure as heck didn’t include a mate. She had her flashy car and her corner office and all was right with the world until Sid Rosario sat down at her table and turned her life upside down.

Sparks fly right off as the two werewolves flirt over dinner and it’s no surprise to either of them when they end up back at his hotel room, naked and sweaty. But what is a surprise is that Sid is her mate and they don’t figure it out until the bond is sealed.

Angry and off balance, Layla asks Sid for some time to think and he gives her a day and a half to get herself straight. Any longer than that and the lack of the anchor of the tri-bond, the stabilizing third bond for a werewolf female, will begin to take its toll on the female mate’s sanity.

Layla, driven by confusion and fear, heads out of contact while a frantic Sid looks for her. What comes next helps a reluctant wolf find her way to acceptance

COMING NOVEMBER 8 TO ELLORA’S CAVE!!

Werewolves mate for life. For every wolf, there’s a mate out there. So Tracy Warden is thrilled when she discovers Nick Lawrence, the sexy Enforcer for another Pack is her mate.

But sometimes, lucky wolves get to double dip in the form of the extremely rare Tri Mate Bond. And so it is when Tracy discovers that her Anchor bond with National Pack Mediator, Gabe Murphy is far more.

Suddenly Tracy finds herself with two Alpha males whose hunger for her never seems to wane. But their bliss is marred by the heavy hand of Warren Pellini and the werewolf mafia and his reach goes very high up indeed.

Money laundering, kidnapping, assault and other general mayhem can’t mar the intensity of their bond but it sure can threaten their lives.

Anya, Megan and I will all be at Ecataromance tomorrow, July 20, so come and join us!

I’m sure it’ll be the usual hijinks, prizes, excerpts, all sorts of fun.