Romancing the Blog | Romance Authors and Readers Who Blog

The dreams share a common theme. Sometimes, I’m going somewhere to meet a favorite author. When I get there, I realize I forgot to bring books for her to sign. In another dream, I forget to bring a gift I planned to give to the author. In still other dreams, I’m wandering around a shopping center. On some level, I’m aware that time is trickling by and I need to get to a book signing.

When these dreams come, I know it’s almost time for the Romance Writers of America literacy signing.

This marks my third year at the signing. I’ll never forget the amazement I experienced when the doors opened that first year and I saw row after row of writers at tables. Hundreds of romance writers in one place, something I hadn’t seen before. All of them had books that were just waiting for me.

I’m a longtime autograph collector and a lifetime reader, which makes autographed books a double treat for me. At every signing, I get books from several autobuy readers and try a few new authors whose books look intriguing.

With this year’s signing, I noticed a big change—the signing is scheduled for two hours (instead of three). Since I’ve been at the signing until almost the end each of the past two years, I’ll have to adjust my strategy this year. I’ve made a list of must-see authors. I’ll stop there first, then move to my list of want-to-meet authors. Still, I have to admit I’m a little disappointed in the shortened signing time. But maybe I’m the only one who buys books there by the armload. I buy very few books from January through July just so I can stock up at the signing.

If you’re going to the literacy signing, you might be interested in the tips I offered last year. My advice this year? Have fun. If you’re a reader or writer going to the conference, I’ll see you in Dallas. I can’t wait for the doors of the signing to open.

Still have thorns? Smell just as sweet? Wilt if you don’t give it the little additive that the florist sends along with the delivery? All of the above?

Hm… I seem to be getting into the nuts and bolts without properly introducing myself. Hi, I’m Barb. Wait… Barbara… Oh, jeez, if you know me from my young adult books, I suppose it would be Caridad. But in Real Life, everyone knows me as Barbara. Or really, more commonly, Barb. And we won’t even get into the surname issue.

I have a friend who calls me the Writer of Many Names. She maybe has a point, unintentional though it may have been. It started, as these things are wont to do, rather simply. My given name is Barbara and most of my life, people have called me Barb. My maiden name is Ferrer. When I began writing and realized that my books were going to prominently feature Latina characters because of that whole, “write what you know” thing, I decided to use my maiden name as my nom de plume since my husband’s very Eastern European surname didn’t exactly lend itself to Latina-based stories. (Sorry, honey!) More importantly, I chose to return to my maiden name for writing to give the rest of my family a measure of privacy. The writing thing? It’s my gig—no point dragging them along if they don’t want to be dragged. So I figured that Barbara Ferrer would make a great name for writing—very true to my roots and representative of what I was writing and totally me.

Or so I thought until I sold.

When I sold my first book two years ago, it was in a genre I never expected to be writing—young adult. (That’s another column right there.) But hey, I’d had what I thought was a great idea and a publisher had been looking for what I brought to the table in terms of the idea and the multicultural approach, and you know, SALE! So I was absolutely thrilled to be a first time author in the young adult genre. Then the “name thing” came up. Yep—apparently, the marketing department felt that “Barbara Ferrer” wasn’t Latina-sounding enough.

‘Scuse me while I blink, even two years later. I mean, seriously? Hadn’t these marketing cats ever heard of, say, The Buena Vista Social Club? Ibrahim Ferrer? Or the Ferrer acting family? I mean, in Cuba, Ferrer is akin to what Johnson is in the United States.

No, that explanation didn’t fly. Apparently, it was the Barbara that was throwing things out of whack. Didn’t have the right… ring. (I’ll make sure to tell Santa Barbara) Didn’t I have something that sounded a little more… “Spanish?” And yes, it had to be something readily identifiable as Spanish. At this point, I was beginning to feel a little queasy. I mean, yes, I’m a very proud first generation Cuban-American—as far as I’m concerned, my family embodies every aspect of the late-twentieth century iteration of the American Dream. But you know, American Dream also means that I’m far more likely to be found wearing Lucky jeans, chowing down on Mega M&Ms, and singing along with the Police (okay, and Alejandro Sanz) as opposed to donning a Carmen Miranda fruit basket hat, shaking my maracas, and calling out a cheery “babalu,” to anyone who passes by.

Queasy or not, though, I was also still a very nervous first-time author trying to do Everything the Right Way. Not make undue waves. Worried that any misstep might result in that elusive contract being snatched away. Yes, I know better now, but at the same time, publishing is a weird, weird business. Stranger things have been known to happen.

Thing is, too, I didn’t know how I was going to write YA. Was it going to be sweet or dark or somewhere in between? What was the overall tone going to be and what age level was I ultimately going to appeal to? I also was working with the knowledge that my adult work—romantic women’s fic that was still out on submission—was definitely on the steamier side. All things considered, I figured that giving them a different name wasn’t really such a bad thing. Hence, Caridad Ferrer was born—or rather—resurrected.. See, it’s my middle name, given to me as an homage to the Patron Saint of Cuba, La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobra. So it is my name, but not really, you know? Anyone who knew me via the various writing loops and sites knew me as Barb and I never made any secret of the fact that it was my preferred form of address. And we won’t even go into the pronunciation issues. It’s like the first day of school all over again, every time someone tries to say Caridad Ferrer out loud. And I feel so bad for them too, because they’re so often embarrassed that they can’t say it quite right.

Two years down the road, too, I wonder if I’d feel quite so ambivalent about it if I hadn’t been made to feel like I had to change my name. I know there are plenty of authors out there who choose to take on pseudonyms because of writing in multiple and radically different genres. Wanting to keep those identities separate. That makes perfect sense to me. But for the reason I was given? To adhere to some image of “The Latina” that some suit in marketing was envisioning? Yeah, I ultimately agreed to it, but at the same time, it never felt quite right.

Anyhow, now that I know how I write YA and that it doesn’t differ radically from my adult material, I feel really good about the change I’m making with respect to my name, mostly because it’s my choice.

Hi, I’m Barbara Caridad Ferrer—Barb for short. It’s great to be here at Romancing the Blog.

Be on the lookout for:

Aspiring author. In possession of one completed manuscript, multiple contest wins under belt. Hair may or may not be out of control but sense of determination to sell THAT manuscript is palpable. May make various promises that s/he will eventually move on to the next work in progress but direct suggestions that they let the manuscript go and move on to the next book may result in bodily harm. Apply extreme caution when approaching aspiring author and suggesting they work on/complete/submit the next work in progress. May be armed with caustic words and should be considered dangerous.

The one-manuscript author. I’ll bet most of you know or have known a fellow writer like this. Someone who wrote a book. One book. Finished it. Polished it. Maybe rewrote it once or twice (or ten times) to fit the genre trends. At one time it was a paranormal. No wait, an erotic romance. No, a paranormal inspirational. It’s been entered into every contest known to the romance industry and had to be retired from the contest circuit because the judges now recognize it by the opening line.

The author loves this manuscript. This is THE book. Her book. Maybe the book of her heart. But it’s been rejected, refused and recycled so much that every agent and editor has seen it and said no. But still she doesn’t work on something new. This. Book. Must. Sell.

We all know someone who’s been in this place. Someone we’ve wanted to pull aside and really give a good talking to (or shaking). But maybe they’re not hearing you, or not ready to hear you. Maybe you can post the link to this post in a place they might see it and hope a little self-revelation takes place. I’m not an author, so I can’t really relate to this sense of desperation and attachment to a book. But I am an editor and I can tell you what I’m looking for in an author.

Wanted:

Motivated author who never stops growing his/her craft. Looks at writing as their business and their job—part-time okay. Writes as often as possible, explores new worlds and new ideas. Knows that not everything they write will always sell. Not everything they write will always be the best thing they wrote. But keeps aspiring to be better. To write their best book ever. Prior experience not necessary but the drive to keep writing is a must.

When my RTB columnist day loomed large on the calendar once again, I asked for suggestions and got one that I thought made for a great topic: “In the sex scenes, who determines how sexy they are? You or your characters?”

The answer: they do. They dictate everything about the scene, from what language is used to the setting and props and costumes and the key emotion driving the scene. Because different characters have different needs, different preferences, different emotions and primary drives, different motivations.

The first sex scene in a book is always difficult, because no matter how many of them I’ve written before, it’s the first time for these characters. What would they say and do? What would be outside of their comfort zone and what would make them step past that line? It’s always a process of discovery. I find out things I didn’t know about my characters as they reveal themselves to each other.

Some are comfortable in their own skin, some are insecure with their bodies or their sexuality. This affects the dynamic of the scene. Outside of their own feelings, needs, backgrounds, there’s the dynamic of the relationship. Is it playful? Intense? Seductive? Is the sex complicated by their mutual history, or the fresh slate of two strangers? The same character will be different with a different partner because the relationship is different.

Sex scenes are rich with emotions and sensations and driven by the characters, defined by who they are at that time and place. As the relationship progresses, the sex scenes can show the transition as who they are to each other shifts. It’s a beautiful opportunity for showing, not telling. The body language, the physical cues, the way the lovers treat each other. The internal conflicts intensifying as they move towards a crisis point before resolving.

Characters direct the action, no matter the scene or situation. It’s no different if it’s a sex scene or dialog or a car chase or a tea party. How many times have you read something only to stop and say, “wait a minute, he/she wouldn’t do that.” That’s “the plot said so” action. The plot called for it, so the character did it. Nothing inherently wrong with letting the plot direct the story, as long as it takes the character’s motivation into account and establishes the why. Maybe he/she WOULD do that, under the right circumstances. In fact, an out of character act can be very powerful, showing what the hero or heroine is made of by how they behave under pressure, what choices they make.

To set the scene for sex, I don’t have to plot out the wildest scenario I can imagine or choreograph every action. All I have to do is ask the right questions.

Why would the responsible and conservative heroine have sex with a stranger? Why would a woman who felt insecure about her body get naked with a man who’d seen better? Why would a logical person act on impulse? Why are these people here with each other and what do they stand to lose or gain? What’s at stake? What do they want and what will they do to get it?

The higher the risks and potential rewards, the greater the intensity of the scene and the hotter the sex, as a general rule. All determined by the characters and how they react to the situation they find themselves in.

Do you have a favorite author or authors whose next release can never come out soon enough? You read, reread and read yet again their previous releases, biding your time until their next book is available? Of course you do, we all have at least one.

But what happens when your favorite author takes the left fork in the road, branching out into another romance genre, when you’re perfectly content to ride along in the same old grooves? It’s comfortable there, isn’t it? You have a decision to make. Will you follow? Or will you simply wait until they write another book in your preferred, more comfortable style?

I think it probably catches some readers off guard when their favorite authors take that risk and veer off course, so to speak. I think that with paranormal, urban fantasy and erotic romance being so popular right now, it’s only natural that a contemporary author sees others successfully sinking their teeth into those styles and he or she is tempted to follow. It has been predicted that historicals will be on the rise in the near future, with veterans such as Julie Garwood and Tess Gerritson returning to their historical roots. I’ll be interested to see where that goes, and I’m curious as to how many other authors might dip their pens in the historical inkwell.

Authors who have struck out in a different direction, what was the deciding factor for doing so? What reactions have you had from your readers? Have any of them voiced displeasure or absolutely refused to follow you? And your peers – did they offer excited encouragement or were they politely hesitant?

I wondered if authors make these decisions on their own or if agents and editors might give them a little nudge in that direction. When I posed this question to author Lori Foster, who has her own urban fantasy, written as L.L. Foster, releasing this fall, she said that she made the decision solely on her own, but added that she knew of authors whose numbers were in decline, and whose publishers/editors/agents have made the suggestion of trying something new. She said she couldn’t imagine an author actually being coerced into a different genre, but it might come up in a discussion on how to improve sales.

I like to think that I’m a fairly open-minded person. A handful of my most beloved authors have successfully ventured into unchartered territory and I have willingly and happily followed them. So far I’ve had no disappointments. I’m anxious to hear about the experiences of others – have you taken, or are you ready to take, that next big step with your favorite author?

by Marta Acosta

Readers always ask me, “Is your heroine based on you?” Well, yes, there are a few similarities, because you should write what you know. But, because I am a reader at heart, it was natural for me to look to my favorite authors for inspiration, including Jane Austen. After all, her characters have stood the test of time and remain beloved. What better place to seek guidance than from Austen’s six novels?

Here are a few things that I’ve learned from Austen:

1. A character doesn’t have to be the most stunning woman in the room to be the heroine. A good nature enhances personal beauty, and a bad soul diminishes it. The heroine of Pride and Prejudice, Eliza Bennet, is harshly judged as merely “tolerable” when the proud Mr. Darcy meets her. After further acquaintance, he says, “but that was only when I first knew her, for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance.” Chic Caroline Bingley becomes less appealing as her cutting nature reveals itself.
2. Let your characters have a sense of humor about themselves. When proud Mr. Darcy describes the extraordinary qualities necessary for a woman to be accomplished, Eliza Bennet is not crushed by his tacit insult. She brings him to reality, saying with amusement, “I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing any.”
3. Allow the tension build. Austen takes readers through nerve-racking complications before her characters find their true love. Her characters aren’t kept about by one drawn-out misunderstanding, but by a series of incidents. The happy endings may be predictable, but the journey there is terrific.
4. Don’t neglect the minor characters. Austen creates memorable minor characters, from pompous yet obsequious Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice, to loud and garish Mrs. Jennings in Sense and Sensibility, to the overly romantic young officer in Persuasion. But there’s no cruelty to her joshing, and we feel the humanity of these characters. In fact, when Emma casually abuses the garrulous Mrs. Bates, Mr. Knightley scolds her for her unkindness. Personality is revealed in the way the main characters interact with the minor characters.
5. Make your scoundrels deliciously complex. Austen’s handsome scoundrels are full of flattery and high sentiments. Deception is their stock in trade, and they lie to put themselves in a better light, as well as to destroy others. The fun is how Austen keeps us unbalanced, wondering if our suspicions are correct about these sleek characters. These knaves are often perceptive and often the first to notice the admirable qualities of her heroines. In Mansfield Park, seductive Henry Crawford flirts with little, meek Fanny Price as a cheap amusement. The joke’s on Henry when he falls passionately for the sweet girl, who rejects his advances.
6. Reward goodness. I enjoy many books that deal with moral ambiguity, but I am comforted by stories that have a firm ethical structure. I return to Austen’s novels again and again like a child going to a favorite blanket: for warmth, for reassurance. Austen’s heroines will always choose doing the right thing over doing the convenient thing. In Persuasion, Anne Elliot rejects the advances of the wealthy, unscrupulous William Elliot. Fanny Price is thrown out of her home when she refuses to accept Henry Crawford as a husband. In the end, however, truth will out, and our heroines are rewarded for their noble natures with the love of someone who truly esteems them.
7. Trust in your readers. In Austen’s most famous opening line, she writes, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a young man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” She’s sharing a joke with us as her friends, and perhaps this is why we still trust and admire her in return.

– –

Give me a series, I’m in heaven. Grand sweeping, multi-dimensional, several generations and varying character story arcs. If a book is a series, chances are I’m going to snap it right up. Even better when characters introduced in the first book continue to be the focus throughout.

Over the past couple of years–now that I’ve decided to keep a formal reading list–I’ve noticed a trend: I usually get tired, frustrated, and/or irritated around Book 5.

This happened when I read Dune (and its sequels) five years ago. Once the original characters were dead (I hope that’s not a spoiler for anyone–they all die…eventually), I didn’t care to read the remaining books or the prequels. Now, that same icky feeling is happening again.

Which I find so frustrating.

An author writes a book–a darn good one–and I have to have more. As the series progresses, the character(s) I loved so much become unrecognizable. Or can’t pick/keep/find a love interest. Or don’t learn any lesson from the previous book. Or don’t mature…at all.

It makes me want to throw things, namely said book!

Recently, I finished Book 6 of a Series-I-Won’t-Name. When I closed the book and blinked, I couldn’t remember what I’d just read. My mother’s voice rang through my mind: You don’t read for comprehension, Jana. You read to finish reading. It’s an old argument, stemming from my elementary school days, when I was typically tested on the things I had to read. For a second, I agreed. Then I changed my mind.

I read Book 6 of another Series-I-Won’t-Name, and I loved it. I sang its praises to every one of my friends, and even now eagerly await snippets of Book 7, a morsel to tide me over until the thirst can be fully quenched.

But that still leaves a problem.

Is there a point where one should say enough is most definitely enough? How long can an author expect a reader to hang with them to the grand finale? And how many books does it take to get there??

I’ve been following discussions on multiple lists and I can’t believe all the fighting that’s taking place. I know, pretty naïve, eh? Between writers coming out for controversial causes to RWA, it’s been a free for all on the lists. I was going to talk about PAN (Published Author Network) vs PRO, but I decided instead to tell you about when I first joined the Romance Writer’s of America.

The first time I joined was in 1992…I think. I don’t feel like digging the membership card out to find out for sure. I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I had no idea how to get started. I received mailings from RWA and the Romantic Times. (I didn’t have a computer at the time.) I devoured all the information that they gave me. Eventually, I let my membership lapse. I wasn’t ‘ready’ to be a writer yet. I came back to the organization in the late nineties/early two-thousand. I’d taken some writing classes at college and had a better idea of what I needed to do. That was the first time I heard about PAN. Mighty PAN. It was this illustrious place where Greek gods frolicked with multi-published authors. I couldn’t wait until I’d earned the right to be there and drink nectar. *g*

I suppose looking back, PAN was my first benchmark of achievement. Joining it, meant that I’d sold something, that I’d finally ‘made’ it as a writer. (Stop rolling your eyes.)

I guess that I’m strange in that respect. I don’t look at organizations like Published Author’s Network, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer’s of America, the Horror Writer’s Association, Novelist Inc. or Author’s Guild as elitist organizations because they put restrictions on their membership. I look at them as benchmarks of achievement. That’s why I get so confused, when people fight over who should and should not belong. Now don’t get me wrong, I think everyone should have access to information. And they do- -on the internet. I guess I just think that some things should be earned. It makes them all the more sweeter, when you do reach that pinnacle.

Before you shred to pieces, you need to know that I don’t get a whole lot out of my PAN membership. Part of that is my fault for not applying myself more, and part of it is due to the way that PAN is organized. I can accept that. I choose to remain a member. If they decided to kick me out tomorrow because I didn’t meet their criteria, I’d be okay with that too. They do not make my career. No organization does. I think it’s easier to focus on trivial matters, than it is to apply a critical eye to your career and figure out how to get to that next step on your own.

Way back in, oh, I think it was 1992, I had an obsession with eating pizza. It was due to the book Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. One of the main characters was the “Deliverator”, your basic futurist Domino’s delivery person.

Reading about pizza makes me crave pizza. I am probably a marketer’s dream.

Snow Crash introduced the world to the Metaverse, a robust virtual world where real-life (and virtual) business was transacted in a virtual environment. Rather than face-to-face in-person meetings, it featured face-to-face avatar meetings. The line between reality and the Metaverse was fluid. The two impacted each other in the same way that the actions of China impact U.S. policies.

That sort of powerful connectiveness is not, by the way, the case in Second Life, a real-life (hmm, virtual real-life?) representation of Stephenson’s vision. As the reporter I hired to cover Second Life for Booksquare recently noted, the resemblance is so real that “…Stephenson should probably consider suing for royalties. Or at least get his own virtual island for free.”

Of course, Neal Stephenson is too busy in the Baroque era to worry about the manifestation of his imagination. Or maybe he figures it was one of those ideas that was so obvious, somebody would create it.

Second Life, I’m going to tell, you is weird. Not weird as in “the first time you eat sashimi” way, but weird in the anything goes sort of way. The kind of weird that makes you want to leap in and join the fun…or the kind of fun that makes you think, “Hmm, I think I’m going to take my time with this crazy thing.” It is as normal as your basic suburban neighborhood and as strange as you imagine the your crazy neighbor’s garage. Whatever you can imagine, you can build. The laws of gravity and physics and – unfortunately – good taste have no place in Second Life.

Okay, maybe some laws of physics. I never did pay the kind of attention to the hard sciences I should have. The good taste is a matter of opinion, and, well, you have to wonder about people sometimes.

Authors and publishers are naturally migrating to the virtual world, some very successfully, some with the same kind of caution that makes it clear that they are not ready for the experience. In the article noted about, Second Life reporter Ronin Kurosawa (a real human who is seeing his freelance career explode due to his unique beat) looks at the publishing industry in Second Life; he’s finishing up on a second article about what authors are doing. It should be posted on Booksquare next week. I’ve seen the drafts and do recommend that you check it out as there are some cool things happening.

Since he’s going to deal with the reality of Second Life, I thought that I would focus on the possibility of the virtual world. One thing that I think is important to remember is that, unlike other worlds, you, the creator or purchaser of property actually own that property. What you build is yours. People are making money in Second Life just like real life.

They’re also spending money and some of the ideas I’ve had for authors and publishers who enter this virtual world do require some sort of cash outlay. The good news is that the value of the Linden (the Second Life currency) to the dollar is about 268:1. It seems like you’re spending a lot of money, but it’s really not a huge amount. Unless you go crazy.

I don’t advise going crazy. Start moderate and see how it goes.

In addition to using Second Life for writing, authors can use Second Life for world-building. There is a region called “Caledon” in Second Life. I was made aware of it when someone on a readers’ list alerted the group to a virtual exhibition of cartoons about the Prince Regent. Regency fans who couldn’t afford to visit the UK could wander and view these cartoons in great detail. Sure you could go the organization’s website to see these images, or you could interact with them much in the way you would a physical museum (complete with benches to rest your weary virtual feet).

But Caledon itself is fascinating. It is a very detailed – very detailed – representation of a Steampunk village (Steampunk being that weird nexus between Victorian technology and punk rock attitude), done up in Victorian style. As you wander through shops and offices and even homes, you are treated to a rich visual experience. Details from flickering gas lamps to ornate carpeting capture the eye. Walls are textured, paintings on walls are detailed, the crown moulding is three dimensional. Outside the buildings, green space and walkways meander through the village.

If you are a creator of a “world” – be it Hogwarts or a gritty interplanetary adventure – you can use Second Life to build your world beyond the book. Rather than trying to imagine the layout of a house, you can build the house with secret staircases and all. This is a great opportunity for authors who want to extend their readers’ experience beyond the book, to tell the story in a different way. Imagine what you could do with your work if you built out a virtual representation of a fictional place.

I’m sure even the most casual self-promoters among you can see the possibilities for creating new kinds of promotion as well.

Another fun possibility of Second Life is character development. I know one participant who has used his experience to work out the actions and reactions of various characters. He is developing character voice and mannerisms. How does this man walk? What does he wear? What happens when he encounters a walking, talking butterfly on the street? He practices speech patterns as he talks to other members of Second Life.

Rather than endless character sketches, you can use the virtual world to find your character’s voice (note: by voice, I mean written voice; SL is rolling out voice capability very soon, but it’s not the right choice for all participants, reasons being obvious!).

Likewise, you can use the space to plot and block scenes. Even sex scenes. Continuing with the example of a Regency romance, one could recreate a town home, a salon, even young bucks surrounding the roaring fire. You can see the room from the perspective of your point-of-view character. What does he or she see?

If you’re creative, you don’t even need your own virtual property and buildings. If I were writing a historical novel, I might just sneak into Caledon (using the SL search engine) and spend some time in the buildings there. You will also find virtual offices, houses, treehouses, submarines, even true-down-to-the-last-detail airplanes. I think one of the great strengths of this virtual world in the future will be the ability to render objects we interact with in a flat or limited point-of-view in a three-dimensional way.

And by three-dimensional, yes, if your avatar doesn’t dress in a flattering style, there’s a chance that his/her/its butt does look big in that outfit. And everyone can tell.

You can also, with a useful and loving friend, actually “act” out certain scenes to get a sense of dialogue and action.

Oh, yes, Second Life comes with a learning curve. My avatar has mastered the knack of flying, but is not so good with the landing. And in Second Life, as in real life, she is obsessed with shoe shopping. The overall shopping experience in Second Life is not a rich as it could be, especially considering the rich capabilities of the virtual environment. This is, I believe, more a matter of resource (computing) management than lack of imagination.

So go ahead, login, pick a crazy name (I’m Bernadette Voom and my avatar looks amazingly like my Booksquare logo), and fly around.

I remember being 14 and going to Confession, Mom was on a church kick and she wanted each of us to take a turn in the Confessional on a regular basis. My big sin one particular week was “Gossip” and I vividly remember Father Larry’s “Gospel not Gossip” at the top of his lungs, or at least I thought it sounded that way.

These days it seems to be one of my biggest sin again. Not that I pass it on, but I rubberneck at every online romanceland train wreck. I’m not a big believer in the “If you don’t have anything good to say…” mentality, but over the last few weeks I’ve hit the “way, way too much information” wall, and it reminded me of Father Larry’s advice of long ago. Enough already, we don’t need to know intimate and overly ugly details of publishers, authors, editors or readers personal lives. There’s a difference between discussing the merits of snark or bad reviews and the sharing of personal information. I have to wonder how much of this stuff anyone needs to know and would we want it out there if it were about ourselves.

If we hear the latest dirt, we are not required to share it with everyone we come in contact with. And honestly for those not completely familiar with the internet it really does allow information to be shared with the world.

When did the good old days of an author having a hissy fit over a bad review or the resale of ARCs and readers reacting to it, turn into details about their marriages and children? Good info, book info would be nice, the bad and ugly I can do without.

Just a few thoughts…

1. Don’t think if you share intimate details of your life with 200 of your nearest and dearest it isn’t going to reach someone not so near and dear.

2. Just because you are the recipient of TMI doesn’t mean you have to share it with 200,000,000+ of your nearest and dearest.

3. Don’t post blind items and think they’ll remain blind for long. Though it’s probably likely those that post blind items are hoping that they not remain blind long.

4. At what age do we stop playing tit-for-tat?

5. And if you’re trying to outrun the train in order to avoid the inevitable train wreck, don’t post something that will only make the situation worse.

The internet has allowed us to know more than we ever imagined about the publishing industry. It’s allows us to find out interesting information about our favorite authors and books, but the downside to all this is the ugly, sorted details. I couldn’t care less about the Paris Hilton type information, it’s none of my or anyone else’s business.

I think I’ll put my head in the sand, at least until the next train wreck. I can only hope it’s nothing more than a mundane bad review brouhaha.

Maybe ignorance is bliss after all.