FarSeen Snippet 3

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In less than two weeks, my novella, FarSeen, will be released from Total-E-Bound. On October 18, 2013 to be exact. And to be more specific, FarSeen is available fFarSeenor pre-release download right now from the TEB site. It’s the general release that isn’t until 10/18/13.

FarSeen is part of TEB’s Wanton Witches collection. Which coincides perfectly with the Halloween holiday. Because FarSeen has three witches and it involves All Hallows Eve. Magic and menage, a fabulous combination. So without further adieu, here is the blurb followed by an excerpt. The third of my promised four. The fourth snippet will be posted on the day the book is generally released. Until then, enjoy excerpt the third. 😀

 

Blurb:

Taking a break from finding the cure for a magic sickness killing witches, Evangeline (Evie) Parker picks up Drew for a night of hot sex. One night is not enough, however. In strange twist of fate, Trent, Drew’s partner also comes into Evie’s life. One night is definitely not enough when two becomes three. As they come together, they realize while separately they are good, together they are great.

All Hallows Eve is the time when the cure to the magic sickness is predicted to make itself known. Combining magic and sex on that special night cures more than the magic sickness afflicting the witch community, it also cures three lonely hearts.

FARSEEN is hot and sweet in a small tasty bite. It is filled with sex magic, lit up chakras and hearts slowly opening up to each other.

 

Excerpt:

Before she could answer, her grandmother returned with a large man. Even though she had left Drew’s bed that morning, this man took her breath away.

He was large. Not tall but stocky, built. Big. He had light brown hair, threaded with golden highlights, but it was the stormy grey-green eyes that really captured her attention. He was almost too rugged-looking to be considered classically good-looking, but his eyes turned him from nondescript to stunning.

“Evie, honey, this is Trent,” her grandmother introduced the large man. “He’s going to help you find the source of the sickness.”

“Ummm, okay, Grandmother.” Evie was distracted again. At this rate, she was never going to figure out the cure. Between Sara’s interest in her hook-up last night and her grandmother bringing hot guys to her stillroom, Evie was going to be off track for days.

“He owns a computer security company but he’s agreed to do some consulting work for the coven,” her grandmother offered.

Evie’s brain finally caught up to the conversation with her grandmother. “Umm, I already have some help, Grandma.”

“Not as good as Trent, child,” her grandmother informed her primly.

“Oh, well.” She looked at Trent and shrugged her shoulders. “Umm, hi. I’m Evie.” She held out her hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Evie,” he told her as he took her hand.

Oh snap. Her body shivered when he took her hand. The last guy she had had this reaction to was Drew and she had got all naked and sweaty with him.

 

FarSeen Banner

 

Current Projects 2

Status

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So I have a lot on my plate. Took almost a month and half off this summer. I had a few non-writerly things that needed doing. I got ‘er done. But it pushed back my schedule a bit. Which means, I have to race to the finish line now. I have several goals I want to meet before the end of the year. So instead of a full blog post, I thought I’d use the nifty little feature my post page is showing me and just do a brief status update on my current projects.

1. I’m trying to learn Scrivener. Many writerly types have told me that I will think writing is revolutionized by this program. So far so good. I’ve imported several manuscripts into it and I’ve been cruising right along.

2. I’m awaiting edits on the first book in a new series call LG Custom. It is a series with standalone novels. About some dudes who do custom body work and the women they end up meeting and falling in love with.

3. I am finishing up a novella in my OtherKind universe. Cat shifters, MFMM menage and romance all thrown in together. Giving a little depth and context to the world I am building. This series is gonna start out all paranormally, but by the end, it should have crossed over into Urban Fantasy.

4. I am about 1/3 done with Book 2 in the Name of the Game series. A soccer player, a secret baby from a one night stand between two people who don’t really like each other. It’s been fun so far.

5. I am outlining the first Book of the Steel & Stilettos. Zoe, Deke and Nathan are going to be getting into some trouble as they try to navigate their relationship. They get thrown some curveballs by bad guys who have nothing to do with skips and guard duties. The genre will be Romantic Suspense with some whodunits and whyfors and whatnots. All that stress can put pressure on any new relationship. But when there’s a triad minefield as well, it’s just complicated.

 

So that’s the bi-yearly wrap up for me. If I can get these things done before the end of the year, I’ll call it good. Cause next year is looking like it’s going to be even mo’ busy.

Winners Announced- Open Road

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I got so excited about this Blog Hop, I picked two winners for an ebook of Open Road.

By random drawing, the winners are:  strawberryrosered and Julianne

I’ve sent you both an email. Check your inboxes.

Thanks to everyone else who participated!!!

If You’re Against Blowjobs, I Can’t Vote For You

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I moved to Virginia from Alaska not too long ago. I didn’t know I was moving to crazy. I mean, shit, I’m from Alaska. Alaskans have DEFINED crazy in many instances. Seriously. I love Alaskans, don’t get me wrong. They are warm-hearted and resourceful and just all around fabulous people. But they’re just a little nuts, too. I mean where else are there gun-toting citizens riding around in pickups with shotgun racks and bumper sticker with both Libertarian Party kudos and marijuana leaves? Yup, you got it… pot-smoking rednecks. Gotta love ’em.

So I come to Virginia expecting normal regular rednecks. To a place where people are proud to be in a state which was… part of the original 13, with land grants given to them by peers of the British realm, Daughters of the American Revolution, all raising horses and sitting around drinking tea. Instead, what do I find?

no blowjobA frickin’ Attorney General, Cuccinelli, who wants to reinstate the sodomy laws so that no oral sex can be had by consenting adults. Any consenting adults. Even those who are married and LIKE oral sex. Even if you’re gay and that’s just how you have sex. Even if you’re 60 and want to try it without the dentures on your 70 year old widowed neighbor. No munching at the Y. No blowing the horn. No trips on the hershey highway. He wants oral and anal sex to be against the law, and offenders to be sent to jail and listed as registered sex offenders for the rest of their lives.

Can we say loco, boys and girls?

And disingenuous. Any first year law student knows those types of laws are unconstitutional. Have been for a while. Most other states’ Attorney Generals know it, too. The previous Virginian Attorney General knew it as well. I can’t help but wonder if Ken objects to getting his dick sucked, or if it’s his wife who abhors the practice. Cause I gotta say, most in their right minds, are PRO-BLOWJOBS. At least, if you’re doing it right. And a lot of times, even if you are doing it wrong as long as there is some enthusiasm behind the act. Same goes for rug munching. Gung ho goes a long way even when technique just isn’t there. So I can’t help wonder what Ken and his wife have been doing in the bedroom for Ken to hate oral as much as he does. And to hate on the Constitution as well.

As a writer of  the smut and the smex and naughty stories that get people to go bump in the night, I can’t even begin to wrap my brain around his stance. Blowjobs are a staple in my books. They should be a staple in all of our lives. Oral lives on. And for real… it ain’t going anywhere.

He’s running for Governor. But his stance on blowjobs is why I would never, can’t ever vote for him. Let’s not even talk about his stance on making divorce HARDER or his anti-choice stance on abortion even to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape and incest.

Virginia. Cuccinelli. Welcome to crazy.

Fall Flavors- Arugula, Ahi and More

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As stated in an earlier post, fall already began for me when kids went back to school. But the Autumnal Equinox this past Sunday marks fall seasonally, with the moon and stars and such. In keeping with the Fall theme, I thought some recipes that celebrate fall produce would be both appropriate and appreciated.

The first recipe is one of my favorites at a local restaurant. It’s Ahi tuna on a bed of arugula with a killer black olive vinaigrette. The black olive vinaigrette is also delicious on steak. I have a ritual. once or twice a month, I take myself out to lunch. A special me date. I began doing this when I read and did the exercises for An Artist’s Way. And lunch dates with myself are something that I’ve kept up ever since. It makes me feel good and I get to explore eateries that other members of my family don’t share an interest in and are happy to let me go by myself. It works out well. Especially when I get to eat yummy things like Ahi Tuna- something my other family members abhor.

Ahi Tuna with Arugula, Mushrooms and Baby Potatoes

3-4 Ahi tuna steaks
16-20 baby potatoes
4 large portabello mushrooms, sliced in strips
1 large package argula
1/4 sundried tomatoes packed in oil
2 ounces goat cheese
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 cup+ 4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup red wine or champagne vinegar or vinegar/lemon juice combo
1/2 kalamata olives, chopped or torn in pieces
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
salt & pepper

1. In a skillet over medium heat, saute onions in 2 tbsps olive oil until almost caramelized. Add garlic and cook until onions are caramelized and garlic is cooked but not burnt.

2. While onions are carmelizing, in large bowl whisk together remaining olive oil, vinegar or vinegar/lemon juice combo with the dijon mustard. Add sundried tomatoes and kalamata olives.

3. Transfer onions and garlic to bowl with dressing. Add 2 more tbsp of oil to skillet and saute mushrooms until soft and tender. Transfer to bowl with dressing. Stir everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let dressing sit for at least 2 hours so flavors meld.

4. Boil potatoes until just done to fork tender. Cut into quarters. Set aside. While potatoes are boiling, quick sear the Ahi so only the outside is cooked. Slice Ahi once seared to serve.

5. Toss the arugula and potato quarters in in the dressing. When plating, mound arugula and potatoes on plate along with Ahi and dollops of goat cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

 

Figs are a wonderful yet underrated fruit. Cooked figs are a perfect accompaniment to cheese plates. Almost as perfect as grapes or pears. The recipe below is delicious on vanilla ice cream or over a chunk of blue cheese. It’s a terrific fruit sauce for roasted pork tenderloin as well. Very versatile.

Honey Bake Figs

12 fresh figs
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
4 tsp honey
2 tblsp cold butter, cut into 12 pieces
2 tblsp water

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Cut the stems off the figs. Rub the oil over the figs and put them in a baking pan, stem-side up. Cut a cross (X) in the top of each fig, cutting almost to the bottom.

2. Drizzle the honey over the figs. Top each one with a piece of the butter. Bake the figs until they open up like flowers, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.

3.Put the figs on plates, add the water to the pan, return the pan to the oven for 1 minute, and then stir to make a sauce. Drizzle the sauce over the warm figs and serve.

Six Pack Stud-A-Thon Blog Hop and Giveaway

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Six pack Stud-a-thon

Welcome to my Blog. And Thank You for participating in this blog hop. I hope you have a lot of fun and win some GREAT prizes!

I’ve always been an admirer of the male form. But it wasn’t until I started writing romances that I truly appreciated it in all its glory. I follow some great photographers on Facebook, both on my author page and on my personal page.Some do both fitness and fashion, while others focus on one or the other. What they have in common is the absolute clarity they bring to the human form. The male form, umm, cause I like dudes, yo.

I knew the human body was sensual and seductive. A veritable delight for the senses. But to see that shown with such skill is amazing. But skill alone doesn’t create all this goodness. Oh no. The owners of the bodies themselves are to given a LOT of credit. Because without these beautiful bodies as the foundation, incredible photographs that allow me to perv wouldn’t exist, couldn’t exist. And yes, women perv. Seriously. Don’t let anyone tell you differently. If they do, they’re lying. Totally lying. As a red-blooded heterosexual woman, I can attest that I like nothing better than a fit male body.

I was going to talk about a specific model or male body I though was fab-u-lous. But as I started trying to pick out just one, I couldn’t do it. I pick and choose the models I think are perfect for the story I’m currently working on. As a result, my choice in perv material changes– from day to day, minute to minute, story by story. Plus, if I chose just one, I felt bad about leaving out others. So instead, I picked up some pics without faces. Not because I think that all a man is good for is his… ummm… body… part… ummm… like his… *whistles as I think*… six-pack. Yeah, that’s the body part I’m thinking about. 😀 But really it’s that line on either side of the abs. You know–the V line– that leads to all things good in this world. Yum-frickin’-O. And let’s not forget the double veins that traverse that same direction right below the belly button. OMFG, I have this thing for veins. I must… MUST… lick them. Want to nibble compulsively. I think I have a vein issue or fetish or something because it drives me wild. Mad, even.

So in honor of all the male fitness and fashion models, who worked so hard to have such nice abs to look at, I’m giving away an ebook copy of OPEN ROAD. It first came out in the Hot Bods, Hot Rods anthology through Jupiter Gardens Press this past July. Come September 26, 2013, however, it will offered as a standalone novelette. It is a short story about three individuals who weren’t expecting each other. And it is the introduction to their lives together. Zoe starts out as a motocross racer and becomes a stunt woman. Deke and Nathan are bounty hunters. This story is about how they meet, with more stories to come. Because, one stunt woman and two hot bounty hunters in a menage as they hunt down criminals is too good to stop when they met. They story has to continue. And it will.

So… in addition to the grand prize you  are eligible for by clicking on the Rafflecopter link below, if you leave me a comment about your favorite male body part or anything else, you can get a ebook copy of OPEN ROAD and read as  Zoe, Deke and Nathan meet. I’ll announce a winner after the blog hop ends. Make sure to leave me you email addy and what format you want.

Also, don’t forget to check out the other blogs listed below for a chance to win other great prizes. Seriously, it should be fun for everyone. I mean, prizes and hot, hard men and their six pack abs at multiple sites? Come on now… it just doesn’t get any better than that!

Grand Prize

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Smutty Sunday 9/22/13

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NetGalley Roundup

 

1. Jagged by Kristen Ashley

Colorado Mountain Men series by Kristen Ashley is probably one of my favorite KA series. The other being the ‘Burg series. Individually, I like some of her other books, but not the whole kit and caboodle. I was so excited to get my advance copy of Jagged. I pushed everything aside just so I could read it as soon as it hit my grubby little fingers. I was expecting a GREAT read in line with Sweet Dreams and Lady Luck. Instead, I got a story I was able to put down at will. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem. But for me to be able to STOP reading a KA book and walk away was telling. And all that it was saying wasn’t good.

Now don’t get me wrong, the book was good. And if some other writer had written this story, I would hazard to say it would have been a solid read for me. But I expect certain things from a KA book. One is length. And this book is about half of her other books in this series in word count and pages. Right there, that was a HUGE let down. And the drama was missing. Not that there wasn’t drama, but it was not high octane-can’t put the book down- must know what happens next- kind of drama. It was run of the mill kinda drama.

I liked Zara. I liked Reece. I didn’t like their pet names, Cookie and Ham, respectively. Most of all, I didn’t buy their relationship. I didn’t like them together. Don’t get me wrong, they had a certain amount of chemistry together. But it wasn’t the deep, all the way to the marrow of the soul deep. Not like say Joe and Vi. Or Tate and Laurie. It just felt like they were just at the right place at the right time to get together. The whole, even if it isn’t the right time, it isn’t the right place and this is the crappiest shit going on ever, I can’t stop myself from falling into you, grabbing onto you and keeping you forever and ever. Amen.

Maybe my expectations were too high. I dunno. But something was missing for me in this book. And it wasn’t just pages. From another author, I would be gushing cause this was a good book with decent characters and well-plotted story. But from KA? Not so much.

 

2. Mine To Keep by Cynthia Eden

Skye and Trace are back making another appearance in Mine to Keep after a riveting performance in Mine to Take. I’m pretty sure that this series will focus on two other main characters as it continues to play out. But it was good that Skye and Trace got this story because there were some loose ends that definitely need to be wrapped up.

One of those loose ends was Trace’s past. In Mine to Take, it was Skye’s past that came back to bit them on the ass. In Mine to Keep, Trace’s past was front and center in the drama unfolding in their lives.

I knew going into this book that I like these two characters. That they had GREAT chemistry, plus an entwined past and some demons that they needed to excise. So there wasn’t any of the angst I get reading a story about whether I’m gonna like the hero or the heroine. If the author made one too weak or whinny or in some other way portrayed them with characteristics I find annoying. Nope, I KNEW I liked these two and I like reading about them.

I also expected that once it was Trace’s past coming back to haunt them, that it would be about his time in the military- when he was away from Skye. Trace really didn’t want Skye to know about that part of his life. He wasn’t exactly proud of that period. But crazy was finding them and that very crazy made sure Skye knew exactly what Trace didn’t want her to know. What I didn’t expect was the twist that came. Surprised the hell out of me. Cause I thought I knew who the bad guy was. I was wrong.

Now, reading a story- a romantic suspense- is about the only time I will say this and mean it. I LOVE when I am wrong. It means the author did her job and did it well.

 

3. Hell Without You by Ranae Rose

All the pieces to Hell Without You were in the story to make it a good read. However, their combination still fell flat for me. I didn’t buy the reason that Clementine and Donovan were apart for so long. Once they were away from the town, they should have been able to get back together or just get in touch without any threat hanging over their head. With that said, if I suspend my rational mind and go with the premise, I can buy that they get back together when she comes back to her hometown and runs into him at her grandmother’s old house. A house that was sold off after her grandmother dies. To… you guessed it, Donovan.

The sale of grandma’s house to Donovan was the part I was able to believe the most about the story. Except… her parents hate him and would never sell to him. Ever. Okay. So I suspend belief for that and the rest falls pretty much in line from there. It seems like the plot turns are all plausible… on the surface, but once you really think about it in the context of the story, then not so much.

I get that fiction is about suspending belief, but it should at least fit with the characters as they are portrayed. And that was the problem in this story, at least for me. No amount of suspending reality was going to make the characters’ action believable. Not given the back story for each character. And the slight suspense at the end? Trite. I didn’t believe the initial reason for  the suspense and I DEFINITELY didn’t believe the resolution.

This book wasn’t terrible. The editing was good. The timeline was spot on. But it was the characters’ action in the context of the situations in which they were placed that made this book a so-so read for me.

 

4. Midnight Lies by Ella Grace

Midnight Lies is the second in Ella Grace’s Wildefire series about three sisters in a small southern town. Overall, the plotting was tight, the editing great and the characters sympathetic. I thought the suspense was well-done and the story kept me engaged.

But I had the same problem with this book as I had with the first book in this series. I thought the heroines were both fairly spineless and WAY too forgiving. WAY. There were many times I would read something asshole-ish the hero would do and the heroine would be all immediately forgiving. Samantha forgave Quinn way too easily. And fell into bed with him way too fast. Especially given what he’d done to her the last time they were in bed together. Seriously? And in my opinion, in this book as in real life when you don’t hold a person’s feet to the fire, they keep repeating the same actions towards you again and again. Quinn would push Sam away or be an ass and then be contrite. And Sam would immediately forgive him. End of story. It made me not respect her at all. And hello… the level of her guilt for thinking he’d done something when he hadn’t in the course of DOING HER JOB was not understandable. Dude, she’s  a cop. She HAS to ask questions when a crime’s been committed. It’s not about you.

There is so much to like about this story. There is so much to like about the series. So much. But wimpy heroines killed it for me. I just got fed up.

 

Non-NetGalley Books

 

5. Nocturne by Andrea Randall and Charles Sheehan-Miles

Okay. Now I’m back and ready to give my thoughts on the book and Savannah and Gregory. Let me start by saying that I wasn’t prepared to like this book. I’m not a big fan of adultery in novels. Not at all. It squicks me out. If I want real life shit, I’ll crack open a newspaper or watch E!. And I won’t go so far as to say that it was just fine and dandy in this book. What saved this sitch for me was that I felt like Gregory’s wife was the other woman. Yes, yes I know he was married to her and not to Savannah. But still. There are love links that can’t be bridged even when someone else gets to the vows first.

Gregory was socially retarded. Seriously. And Savannah, the youngest of the three of these mooks, was the most mature. I didn’t totally agree with all her decisions, but then again I don’t totally agree with anybody’s decisions. And you just knew when she and Gregory got back together, their connection was too deep to be denied. And yes, Gregory’s wife knew how he felt about Savannah and married him anyway. Get a clue. You can’t marry Romeo and expect him to deny Juliet when she comes back in the picture. Just. Not. Gonna. Happen. EVER.

Overall this read was awesome. The world building in the classical musical world was spot on. The characters were more than three dimensional. And the plot rocked.

I highly recommend this book. HIGHLY.

Open Road Release, Cover Reveal and Snippet

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OpenRoad_200Just a quick note about Open Road. It was first published in Jupiter Gardens Press’s anthology Hot Rods, Hot Bods back in July of this year. The story by itself will be releasing on September 26, 2013. It’s a little longer than a short story and a little shorter than most novellas. The term I’ve heard bandied about is novelette.

In any event, Open Road will be available as a stand alone story with it’s own beautiful cover. The cover is being shown here for the very first time. How awesome is that? I don’t have links to the individual story yet. As soon as I do, I will add them to this page and the home page where I announce stuff as well as the Titles page. Meanwhile, in celebration–even though it truly isn’t a first time release, I thought I would add a small little snippet from it in advance of it’s individual release date.

I know the story’s short. It was meant to be. But there’s more coming. Because like many of my stories, my brain works in series. And with these three people, Open Road is just the beginning. It tells the tale of how Zoe, Deke and Nathan met, what has propelled them toward each other and their future that will be teased out in yet-to-be written books. Because unlike my other series that I’m currently working on, the books in this series will be about Zoe, Deke and Nathan as they navigate their new relationship in addition to their careers as a stunt woman- her, and bounty hunters- the boys. A motocross racer turned stunt woman and two hot bounty hunters couldn’t get into any trouble… could they?

Starting Monday, if you leave a comment on the post about the Six-Pack Stud-A-Thon Blog Hop and Giveaway, I will randomly pick a winner to get a copy of Open Road. Click on the Home Page button to see the prizes being given away as part of the Grand Prize- one of the listed prizes are undies! OMG. Seriously? I hope they are clean… ! lol

Blurb:

Zoe Akio is a professional dirt bike racer who decides to ride her motorcycle across the country and think about a future post motocross racing. Her manager hires two bodyguards, Deke and Nathan, to travel with her. The three weeks with the three of them in close quarters changes all of their lives as a new, unexpected road opens up.

Excerpt:

“Finish her,” Deke commanded. “I’m dying over here.”

Nathan slid his finger forward and began to work her clit. Fast, furious without being too hard. He paid attention to her reaction. As soon as he could tell he had the proper pressure and speed, he kept it up until she came with a deep shudder. Nathan swallowed her moans with his mouth.

When he pulled back she was dazed. And incredibly aroused even though she had just come, as if the adrenaline rush wasn’t doing enough to ramp up her body. Those two were a lethal combination. She couldn’t believe they had brought her off in the parking lot of her favorite bar. And she had wanted it. More than enjoyed it.

She wasn’t normally so free with her affections. At least not to strangers she’d just met in a bar. But Deke and Nathan weren’t really strangers. They were her bodyguards. Besides, she’d lived her life in a tight, narrow bubble for so long, she’d never had wild and crazy like many of the other women she knew.

She’d never even had a one-night stand or picked up a guy in a bar. Her life, up until this moment, was defined more by what she hadn’t done than what she had.

She wanted to start a new chapter in her life. Part of that was grabbing for the brass ring when the ring presented itself to her. All tied up in a bow with Deke and Nathan underneath it. She could have stopped and pulled back. Withdrawn. But to hell with living her life confined. She wanted to experience life in large, joyful gulps, not take tiny sips.

Hot Rods, Hot Bods Buy links:

HotRodsHotBods_200
AllRomance
Barnes and Noble
Coffee Time Romance
Amazon
BookStrand

Random Thoughts- Author Comment on Reviews

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So much talk about this subject. So many words flying around the internet and swirling around the inside of people’s minds. Jesus, you’d think this was something serious and shit.

Look authors write. Readers read and, sometimes, review. That’s just the way it is. People get butt hurt about a lot of things. So is it any wonder that authors get butt hurt about less than stellar reviews? No. Is it any wonder that readers get butt hurt about being called to the carpet over their less than stellar reviews? No. It is what it is.

The debate flying around is whether authors should reply to reviews- at all. Some take this even further and say authors shouldn’t even look at reviews. La-di-fucking-da.  Are you frickin’ kidding me? Really? This is akin to telling teens to just say no -or- to wait until marriage to have sex. Not. Fucking. Gonna. Happen. EVER. If you are of the opinion that it could/should/would… I have some swamp land in Alaska to sell you. No, no, I really do.

Now, keep in mind that the internet is full of rude, obnoxious people who are able to hide their identity. So… starting from the premise that not only are there assholes in the world, but there are relatively anonymous assholes that inhabit this world and you begin to see the dilemma before us. Being faceless on the web seems to give people the courage and/or stupidity they would not have or exercise otherwise. Because these people allow an endless amount of drivel and shit to spew from their fingertips.

Look, just because we can’t see each other–can’t see the hurt on the faces of people as we cause pain with our words– doesn’t mean the normal rules of polite discourse should be ignored. It shouldn’t. Childish rhymes notwithstanding, words can hurt and wound. Plus, you never know, the person you are directing your vitriolic garbage to might be unhinged and hunt you down like Predator did Alien.

That’s not to say that honesty shouldn’t be part of the internet opinion exchange. It should. If you think a book sucked. Say so. If it was great. Say so. Just don’t say it like a dick. And maybe focus on the book or the cover or that the moons didn’t align, and not the author. And if a reviewer is being dick and not focusing on the book or dim chakras or the use/non-use of a word, then I actually think it’s okay to call that reviewer out. But don’t be a dick back. A few non-dickish words to point out the focus of the the review wasn’t the book under review might be appropriate, or a hey sorry you didn’t like the book. Again, emphasis on not being a dick. By authors, readers or reviewers.  On the other hand, sometimes, it just spools up the dickish behavior even more. It’s a judgment call. On the part of the people involved in the book and the review. The rest of us can have an opinion on what’s happening, but really we should stay out of the fray and just watch the train wreck as it happens. Rubbernecking is a spectator sport, not a participant activity. Plus, when the spectators jump in, well, we become the de facto dicks. Don’t be a dick.

It should be the guiding principle on both sides of this debate- DON’T BE A DICK. And if you can’t figure out who the dickish asshole is in the melee… well, it’s probably you.