I threw a book at the wall the other day. Okay - I actually tossed it onto the desk - but it was from a distance of a couple of feet. I don’t usually treat books that way, not my dear friends and companions.

So why the fit of pique?

Overload - that’s why! A huge honking overload of information, all in the first two chapters.

Now, I love me a good helping of things-that-go-bump-in-the-night, honest I do. I read a lot of paranormals. I’m cool with devils and witches and demons and succubi and faeries and Sidhe and elves and goblins and imps and trolls and shifters. Well, of course, I write fantasy. Duh!

For heaven’s sake, I even wrote a paranormal story about a devil and a banshee. Come Howling, in Ellora’s Cavemen: Seasons of Seduction 1 I don’t write vampires, because unlike the incredibly wonderful Joey W. Hill, I can’t think of anything new to do with them.  Besides, they’re D.E.A.D. *whispering*

But this book? Aaaargh! There were demons and vampires and succubi and Goddess knows what running around. And either they were related to each other in extremely convoluted ways or they were having mad alien-monkey sex, breaking up, killing each other and then starting all over again. The author must have a brilliantly detailed world living in her head - with the emphasis on detailed. This is the first of a series, so to be fair, she had to set up not only the story arc for this book, but for the series as a whole.

Nonetheless, I completely lost patience with it. Couldn’t be bothered going on. I don’t have much time to read anymore and I want to be hauled headfirst into a tale so gripping it won’t let me go. Perhaps if I’d persevered I would have had my reward. But hey, I didn’t, I was tired. My internal Picky Bitch from Hell was yelling in my ear, “Life’s too short!”

And no, I’m not going to name names. I’m being mean enough as it is. Suffice to say, this series is doing quite well. And you’ll notice I’ve travelled far enough up my own fundament to think I’m beyond info-dumping. Hah! (Don’t tell me, okay? I don’ wanna know!)

This is something I think is particularly endemic in paranormals. Do you agree? I wonder if it goes with the world-building territory and I should suck it up? Is it just me? Perhaps I’m being unfair. How long do you keep going before you launch the book across the room?

Okay, here it is - the lowdown on the very first Australian Romance Readers Convention! Yeehah! It was da bomb!

It was such a total blast! For the first time, I had readers come up to me with wide eyes, saying how much they love my books and would I sign - pretty please? Well, gosh, let me think about that for an entire nano-second… I can’t imagine the thrill of it would ever get old, not for me, anyway.

Hardly any of these pictures are actually mine - I stole ‘em from other blogs all over, but I’ve linked to them further down so you can go read about all the stuff I missed. I’m such a doofus - or possibly such a gasbag (ya think?) - that although I carried my shiny new camera everywhere, I clean forgot to take photos. Well, duh!

Best memories?

• The absolutely incredible, ear-shattering noise as I walked into the Friday night welcome reception. Hundreds of women, all shrieking with joy as they greeted each other. A tree full of screaming rainbow lorikeets had nothing on it.
• If MaryJanice Davidson gets tired of writing, she could make her living as a stand-up comedian. That woman is seriously FUNNY!
• Sherrilyn Kenyon describing her Deep South family - “We ain’t real bright,” she said in her Southern gal drawl. The word bogan springs to mind. (The Aussie version of redneck for you Over There.) She was so gracious and giving. The readers just ate her up!
• Amy Andrews talking about the man who came into Emergency with a can of hair mousse shoved up his rectum. Yep, that was funny enough, but the looks on the faces of the American authors - MJD, Susan Grant and Liz Maverick - were priceless. “Moose?” they said. “You mean with…antlers?” OMG, it’s all in the pronunciation!

 This one time, at band camp… Authors share anecdotes about where their story ideas come from..

Left to Right:  Liz Maverick, Amy Andrews, MaryJanice Davidson, Susan Grant

• I moderated a panel, “Love and Alternate Realities”. The panelists were Susan Grant, Keri Arthur, Tracey O’Hara and Angela Verdenius. Gulp! I was a tad nervous, I must admit, but the panelists were so responsive and so damn funny, and the audience so warm, I forgot all about the nerves after a while.
• Tracey showed off her dragon tattoo, Angela talked about her eleven beloved cats, Keri confessed her Labrador dog weighs 50 kilos (almost 8 stone) and Susan, the fearless fighter pilot, is afraid of ants. Go figure.
• The conversation rapidly became very um, interesting, ranging from centaur sex to vampire sex to alien sex and also to that alpha male soul mate thing - as in, “You are my mate! I shall now ravish you - and you will enjoy it!” Yeah, well - I have news for you, idiot. See this frying pan? DONG!

Urban fantasy, Sci-fi, futuristic - Love and Alternate Realities

Left to Right: Tracey O’Hara, Susan Grant, Keri Arthur, Angela Verdenius and me (moderating)

• The Author Signing sessions were great. I sat next to Stephanie Laurens. (Not bragging, oh no!) Poor woman had no choice, I simply plonked myself down next to her. I signed my books and conversed with my charming, though very short queue - but mainly I chatted with the long line of readers waiting patiently for Stephanie to sign. Was  fun!
• And in another Brush with Fame, I was on a panel with Sherrilyn Kenyon. I actually sat next to her! Yep, no kiddin’.
• The duelling cameras were a hoot. That was when I finally recalled I possessed a photographic device and pointed it at Harlequin author, Paula Roe. Being Paula, she pointed hers right back at me.
• I’m in awe at the organising skill of the ARRC gals. The whole thing went like clockwork. And they raised over $7,000 for the Bushfire Appeal with a silent auction!
• The Jasper Hotel itself constituted a highlight. Each floor was painted a different very VIVID colour - as in eyeball searingly vivid. My floor was purple, others tangerine, neon green, electric blue. But the best was what the girls called the “Barbie Exploded” floor - a hot pink so completely unrepentant, I winced every time the lift doors swished open. Ouch!But the rooms themselves were soothing and comfortable, and the staff delightful.
• The gala dinner was luverly. Everyone got gussied up and I wore my favourite red hooker heels. Go me! Picture below courtesy of Erica Hayes’ blog. Erica is about to hit the romance world with her dark underworld of fairies and Things That Go Bump in the Night. Can’t wait!

From Left to Right: Me, Keri Arthur, Tracey O’Hara, Erica Hayes

If you’d like to see and read more, visit Liz Maverick’s blog. She even has a couple of videos!

Then there’s Kat and Wundergurl on Book Thingo. They did the Twitter thing.

Marg’s Reading Adventures and Tez Says. Not to mention the ARRC site itself!

There was much talk about the NEXT ONE! Oh, I do hope so. Sydney in 2011 was the buzz. We’ll see…

Don’t you wish you’d been there? *chuckle* I should mention, BTW, that everyone staggered away with armloads of free books. So - who’s on board for 2011? How many of you go to the Romantic Times Convention? Did you enjoy yourselves? I’m actually considering it for next year in Nashville. Woohoo!

Interested in the Sexual Journey? Well, let’s face it, most people are!

But how does this journey unfold in erotic romance?

JANUARY 16th and 17th, 2009

Come participate in a Romance Divas workshop with an in depth look at the way successful Erotic authors have created a story that’s not only HOT but also meaningful.

Join myself and fellow authors, Jasmine Haynes, Joey W. Hill, Zane and Tina Burns (publisher, Liquid Silver).

Readers and authors are welcome! And speaking personally, I’d love to see some friendly faces, uh, names!

NOTE: You need to do TWO things to participate.

1. Click the link to the Romance Divas Forum and Register. It’s a teeny tiny link up the top of the page. Huh!

2. Once you have an account,  contact an administrator HERE. Because the workshop will be held in the Diva’s Secrets Steamy section which requires special permission. There are no requirements other than your statement that you are over 18.

I thought this was hilarious (also clever), but then we all know I’m a twisted little person. Thanks, Elaine! *snork*

The boss had to fire somebody, and he narrowed it down to one of two people, Tracy or Jack..

It was an impossible decision because they were both super workers.

Rather than flip a coin, he decided he would fire the first one who used the water cooler the next morning.

Tracy came in the next morning with a horrible hangover after partying all night.

She went to the cooler to take an aspirin.

The boss approached her and said:

‘Tracy, I’ve never done this before, but I either have to lay you or Jack off .’

‘Could you jack off?’ she replied, ‘I’ve got a headache.’

If you know other jokes like this, that depend on a wordplay, I’d love to see them! Maybe we could put them together in a post.

A few weeks ago, I bought a pink T-shirt with “honeyfuggle” written right across the front in big friendly letters. I have a honeyfuggled bust.

“Honeyfuggle? I hear you ask. “What’s a honeyfuggle when it’s home?”

I’m not going to tell you straight up because I’d like you to roll the word around your mouth. I love the subliminal associations sounds and syllables make in our minds. I bet you have some ideas already! Honeyfuggle always sounds a bit naughty to me. But that could just be my dirty mind. *whistles innocently*

My other favourite shirt from this company says “wordnerd“. I like that one so much, I’ve almost worn it out. And before you ask, they don’t sell online and I only see them at this particular festival, from year to year. Very frustrating.

I wanted to buy bibacious for My Beloved, but unfortunately it didn’t come in a size big enough, which seems a little foolish when you consider what the word means. Fond of drinking. My Beloved loves his wine.

Here a few others:

• slubberdegullion ~ a slobbering or dirty fellow; a worthless sloven.
• blatherskite ~ a blustering, talkative fellow.
• graphospasm ~ writer’s cramp.
• tatterdemalion ~  a person in tattered clothing; a ragged or beggarly fellow; a ragamuffin.

As for honeyfuggle, what sort of visions did the word conjure in your mind?  Something sweet and a bit wicked? Or perhaps you saw Winnie the Pooh with his hunny pot.

Would you wear a T-shirt with honeyfuggle printed on the front? Or on the back for that matter? What about wordnerd? Or any arcane/archaic word?

Do you have a favourite T-shirt, and if so, what does it say?

And the meaning? Honeyfuggle is a verb. To honeyfuggle someone is to deceive, dupe, swindle or wheedle.

With honeyed words. See?

Did you guess?

No, no not that! Tsk, tsk. Anyone would think you read erotic romance…

This is what it feels like to achieve your heart’s desire, your greatest ambition.  Unpublished writers refer to it as “The Call”. And here’s my good friend, Tracey O’Hara, to share every heart-stopping, squeal-out-loud moment with you.

It doesn’t really matter if you couldn’t care less about seeing your name on the cover of a book in Borders. Because everyone has something they want very, very badly, so much so that achieving it would fill them to the absolute brim (and over) with joy and delight. I bet you do!

This is how it feels. Live vicariously, my friends. *smile* You go, Tracey girl!

From Gold to Spice to Sold: The Diary of a New Author by Tracey O’Hara

Well, what a roller coaster ride I have been on in the last couple of months! Mainly the downhill, adrenalin-pumping, hands in the air while you scream with giddy delight kind of ride.

First, my manuscript  Night’s Cold Kiss made the finals in the paranormal category of the Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® contest. I’ve had contest finals in the past - but this was the big one. The one I wanted to final in most of all. And hopefully my last contest. [This is a Humongous Big Hairy Deal, okay? DR]

So already on a high from my final, I sold my very first piece of writing in June -a  short story to Harlequin Spice Briefs that I wrote on a dare from my very good friend, Melissa Haack.  It was dark, it was scary and it was sexy with a capital SEX. Too dark, too sexy for Harlequin I thought, but I got my agent, Jennifer Schober of Spencerhill Associates, to submit it anyway. What was they worst they could do - say no? Editor Susan Swinwood read it and LOVED it! She loved it so much she offered me a two Spice Brief deal.

[I’ve persuaded Tracey to  give us a tiny taste. This is from Tonight My Love, out May 2009, from Harlequin Spice Briefs. Oooh… DR]

Whitechapel, London 1888

Her eyes closed and a moan escaped as she slid down the leather seat, forcing him deeper inside.

“What did you say this place was called again?” she asked, her breath coming in pants.

“Whitechapel.” He worked two of his fingers in and out, varying the rhythm, playing her like a fine instrument.

“Such a pretty name for such a filthy place, don’t you think?” She screwed up her face and he couldn’t resist dropping a kiss on the tip of her button nose.

“But every now and then you can find a diamond in the dirt. Now choose, my love,” he said.

Isabelle leaned forward a little and sighed. The movement changed the angle of his penetration, trapping his fingers in her hot, wet quim. She pushed aside the red velvet curtains just enough to see while he bent to run his tongue over the swell of her breast before looking out the window himself. Outside the carriage mist swirled low to the ground, caressing the skirts of the whores peddling their bodies for a few meager pennies.

I will be publishing the Spice Briefs under the pseudonym of Tracie Sommers. [Watch for it - and them! DR] I’m saving my name for when I publish my single title novels.

Wow - my first sale! It was only a short story - but I sold it to Harlequin.  BIG TIME!

They welcomed me into the fold like any other HM&B author. I got to go the Harlequin party in San Francisco [at the RWA Conference. DR] - my first published author event. It was fantastic and wild and lots of fun. In fact, fun was very much on the agenda in San Francisco. I met new people, met up with people I had known both on and offline line. For a week I got to bask in the golden glow with my fellow finalists - the Pixie Chicks of 2008.

[Here’s Tracey (right) with Cathleen Ross, another great Aussie author published with Spice Briefs (left).  DR]

And I hugged. Romance writers are such huggers and I loved it. Everywhere I turned there was an Aussie or a Kiwi. It was fantastic. I even ran into our fabulous Ms Rossetti with her famous shoes a couple of times.

I didn’t take out the Golden Heart - but I was not in the least disappointed. The experience was beyond everything I had ever imagined. I got home feeling exhilarated, but only for a few days. When you are that high, you have to come down sometime. And I did - crashing to a real low about four days later, suffering from PCSD - Post Conference Stress Disorder.

 [Tracey with her “Golden Boot” Certificate - for Golden Heart finalists who are no longer eligible for the unpublished contest, because they got The Call. Happens often! DR]

It lasted for about three days - then I had the Australian conference in Melbourne to look forward too. This one I would be able to share with the Go-go girls (my critique group).

But after my first Harlequin dinner in Australia I sat up late drinking champagne with friends, courtesy of Robyn Grady, and crawled into bed at one in the morning. At 6.30 am I woke up and was talking to my roommate, Jo, about what we would be doing that day, and I was checking my emails on my phone at the same time. There were a number of emails marked Urgent from my agent and one that simply had “OFFER!!!” in the subject line.

And boy, what an offer! A three book deal from Eos Books (Harper Collins).

I screamed (I think). I scared Jo (I think) because she asked me what was wrong. Then I told her “I think I’ve sold!” We both got excited. I couldn’t tell people until the next day.

It was so hard trying to keep quiet. The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do - well maybe not - but you get the picture. I wanted to scream it from the rooftops but was reduced to random bursts of squeeeeing! when in private.

Finally, the next day my agent said I could tell people. She’d accepted the offer on my behalf and I could tell whoever I wanted. Anne Gracie (President of RWAustralia)  announced it with the other first sales on the Saturday morning and I was able to go up to collect my first sale ribbon along with the rest of the girls. I was extremely happy to have been able to share it with all my writing friends. It really was the best place ever to receive The Call.

And now I get to publish under my own name.

Thanks, Tracey. So now you all know how it feels, huh? *grin*

Tracey writes dark, sensual paranormals - her books are shudderingly wonderful. You can keep up with all her doings  on her website and blog.

Join with me in congratulating Tracey on achieving her heart’s desire, and in asking all sorts of nosy questions. For example, I’d like to know what Tracey did for her own private celebration… *smirk* Oh, and ask her to tell you about her gorgeous tattoo. Perhaps she’ll even let slip a little more about Night’s Cold Kiss, the first in her three book series for Eos Books.

What would you do if you had more money than God? More money than you could ever spend, no matter what you did with it? So much money that it just kept making more of itself?

What William Randolph Hearst did (among other things) was to build the house to end all houses, with every luxury imaginable (and more!). He then invited everyone entertaining, beautiful or important - Cary Grant, Charlie Chaplin, Joan Crawford, Winston Churchill, Charles Lindbergh, Greta Garbo, Errol Flynn. Even George Bernard Shaw. And lots of others.

Hearst Castle is at San Simeon, near Cambria, overlooking the Big Sur coast of California. Hearst was one of the first great media moguls, but he also inherited a mining fortune. The film Citizen Kane, starring Orson Welles, was loosely based on his life.

First thing to say is - I’m not posting any pictures. Why? you may ask. It’s not permitted, that’s why. *sigh* But I found this short film on Youtube. Just spend a few moments with it. The weather we had was very similar. Or go to the official website for Hearst Castle. The Wikipedia entry is also excellent and it has a great photo gallery. (Scroll down.)

But just to give you some idea. The house/s took almost 30 years to build. Architect Julia Morgan (that’s right, a woman) travelled by train and car down to the site from San Francisco every weekend from the beginning. Casa Grande, the main house, was modelled on a Spanish cathedral. It has 38 bedrooms and 30 fireplaces. The whole concept (there are two guest houses as well) was intended to be Mediterranean Renaissance in feel. To this end, Hearst purchased antiquities like there was no tomorrow - there are coffered ceilings, medieval tapestries, paintings and statues ranging from classical Greek and Roman to Renaissance and Egyptian. Where you see gold gilding, it’s real gold. The gardens are exquisite and impeccably maintained.

I didn’t much care for the bedrooms, too heavy and dark for my taste. But I loved the two pools - the outdoor Neptune Pool and the indoor Roman Pool. Johnny Weissmuller (probably the most famous Tarzan) is supposed to have swum laps there.

What my writerly mind found most intriguing was the insights into the character of William Randolph Hearst. He was a workaholic, a man of tremendous energy, vision and focus. He was involved in every facet of the building project, right down to the design of teeny-tiny tiles and his word was law. He also changed his mind a lot. Projects were continually modified and some abandoned.

He had very definite ideas of how he wanted his guests to behave. No drunkenness - and no bed-hopping either! Everyone was to be bright, happy and energetic - horse-riding, playing tennis, swimming etc. In the big dining room or refectory, where guests gathered for meals, was a long table. As you fell further from favour, or new guests arrived, your place card was moved further and further away from the centre of the table, where Hearst and his mistress, Marion Davies, sat. After a while, you realised it was time to go!

Immediately, I could see a character like that in a book, a strong, driving personality blessed with both money and power. Don’t you think someone like that would end up with an “emperor complex”? Imagine where that could take a character! Oooh, from good guy to villain, one slip at a time. A villain we could understand. Not psychotic, not a serial killer or a sociopath, but spoiled in a particular kind of way. Like Orson Welles, I’m inspired by the whole concept of a “Hearst” character.

In complete contrast, we visited the beach that afternoon and watched the adolescent elephant seals snoozing on the beach. Huge piles of mouldy blubber - they come at this time of year to moult and to practise their huffing and puffing.

You can see that this one hasn’t grown his nose properly yet. But they were already ginormous! And these were just the teenage boys! I couldn’t imagine the size of a full grown male. Sheesh! A dose of reality from Mother Nature.

So - what would you do if you had as much money as William Randolph Hearst? Build? Donate? Travel? Buy?

I know I’d love to travel and to have homes in several different places. Somewhere near Florence, in London, maybe Vancouver Island, here in Oz, of course. And I’d love to be able to donate to support the arts. I love glass and textile arts and I adore opera, but it’s such an expensive art form. Then there are literacy programs and libraries and education programs. Oh yes, and archaeological digs. And goddess, what about animals? And medical research? It would be totally involving. Plus, I admit I’d love to be able to afford handmade underwear and shoes. Ah…

What about you?

Okay, now I’m asking about newsletters, the kind that land in your inbox on a regular basis, maybe monthly. You know the sort - usually a Yahoo group you subscribe to. Your comments on the Great Bookmark Debate and the Care and Feeding of Books were incredibly helpful, so I thought I’d ask for your opinion again.

Lots of writers have newsletters, me included. They vary enormously, in content, in intent and in regularity. Mine’s here. If you’re curious but don’t want to commit, by all means subscribe, have a look and then unsubscribe. I’ll understand. Just ignore the pathetic farewell message. It’s designed to make you feel guilty. heh heh

All I know is that it takes a lot of time and energy for me to put my newsletter together, time I carve out from my other writing obligations, my family and my day job. Don’t get me wrong, I purely love doing it, but sometimes I wonder if it’s worth the hours I put in. Mine is announcement only, so it’s not a discussion loop in any sense, but I really do think of my newsletter readers as a kind of extended family. They’re very special to me.

So first - do you actually read the things? Perhaps you skim. ‘Fess up!

If you do read, beginning to end, what is it that gets you in? What makes you smile with anticipation when you see an author’s newsletter in your inbox?

Conversely, what turns you off? What doesn’t work? Hoo boy, I really want to know about this one!

Here’s a list of features to get you started. What works for you? Anything else you’d like to suggest? What sort of tone do you like?

• Sneak previews of upcoming books, excerpts
• Contests
• Freebies - like stories, or podcasts, or giveaways
• Personal info (but not too personal) about the author, some insight into their life/personality
• Photos of the author/family/holidays
• Photos of gorgeous men
• Book or movie reviews
• Articles and info about how to write/get published
• Exclusive rewards - eg special stories, pictures
• Being the first to know
• Regular features - eg a story, or a FAQ spot.
• Reviews of the author’s books

Would you prefer?

• A regular newsletter, say monthly
• A newsletter more like an occasional update, when there’s something important to say
• A blog, no newsletter

When I launched my newsletter, it was months ahead of the release date for my first book, GIFT OF THE GODDESS. I didn’t have anything to offer readers except entertainment. I certainly couldn’t afford to be handing out too many contest prizes. (I still can’t.) So I started a very silly, very sexy story.

Every month, I write a chapter of that ongoing story. The current one is called Rackety Kate and the Pirates. I’ve already finished The Amorous Adventures of Alice. Alice turned out to be the size of a decent novella, 30,000 words. Those are words I could have sold to a publisher, but I didn’t. I gave them away. Kate is meandering along the same way.

I try to make the story interactive by involving readers, asking them to vote on what happens next, or getting them to suggest a plot twist or a name for something. I leave every chapter dangling, like the Perils of Pauline. I don’t just write the thing off the cuff -I try to be funny, I try to be erotic. It takes time and concentration, not easy when I’m on a deadline.

I’ve also written an Epilogue for STRONGMAN, in which Griff turns the tables on Fort and thereby achieves his heart’s desire. I’m going to offer it exclusively to my newsgroup, a reward for loyalty and an inducement for new folk to sign up. Of course, they could bail out straight after they’ve read, but I have to gamble they’ll be entertained enough to stay.

Lora Leigh has over 60,000 people in her newsgroup. I think I have a way to go!

So, what do you think of author newsletters? Hmm? Am I wasting my time?

Not much time left! One lucky commenter in June will win an autographed copy of A Red Hot New Year, four sizzling stories to ring in the New Year, including my contribution, Coming on Strong!

Last week, I asked you all what you thought of bookmarks. The post was called The Care and Feeding of Books. The response was wonderful, everyone had an opinion to offer. Thanks so much to every single one of you. I found it fascinating, and it definitely helped to crystallise my thoughts.

So here’s a short summary, which I hope is helpful to writers thinking about promotion. Mind you, I’m not saying it’s particularly conclusive, but there was some interesting stuff…

First off, there was some correlation between using bookmarks and being careful with books. People seemed to split into two broad groups - the book trashers (raises a sheepish hand) who basically love their books to death and the sister-carers of the book who take such exquisite care of their books that one reader divorced a husband because he creased her Asimov collection and another buys a second copy if she intends to lend it out.

Beyond that, those who enjoyed bookmarks far outnumbered those who were indifferent - by a factor of 3 to 1, in fact. Okay, most of you like pretty bookmarks, but whether you use them - or whether they’re effective for name recognition is a different matter entirely. A few of readers are amazingly particular, displaying bookmarks on cork boards, or matching them to the book itself, but for the majority, it’s just a thing you grab to mark your place - anything would do as well, even an old credit card, a tissue or a receipt.

A couple of readers said they would notice a bookmark if it was from an author they already knew, which is good, but not so much the purpose of the exercise. Others wanted the bookmark to say something meaningful, to stand for something. Then there were suggestions for different types - magnetised, book thongs, with cut-out “lips” to slide over the page. One idea, which I thought was brilliant, was a “lending” bookmark, with a place to write your name and a stub you could detach and keep. Sadly, they sound expensive.

Here were the sites recommended. In the USA, http://www.westsky.com In Australia, http://www.stuckonyou.biz and http://www.worldwide.com.au Vistaprint don’t do bookmarks, but some folks put two on a standard postcard and cut it down the middle. Clever.

My conclusion?

It’s horses for courses - that is, whether you use or like or notice bookmarks is a completely personal matter. What? Did you think it was going to be easy?

But if you are going to use a bookmark, it needs to be both sturdy and glossy - hard, laminated card.

However, I do believe a bookmark can be another effective way of getting a writer’s name in front of readers. It boils down to expense and design smarts and whether you can be bothered, really. I don’t think they’re obligatory by any means. I know I like something a little wider. I tend to lose skinny things (which is why I still have My Beloved). A number of us agreed flight boarding passes are great. So, for the time being, I might stick to postcards of my covers. At least I know how to do them. And they’re cheap!

We did say during the discussion that marketing lore says you need to get the brand name in front of a consumer 8 to 10 times to make a connection, let alone a sale. Every way you can find to do that has got to help, right?

So, folks, there you have it! Any further wisdom to add? And once again, thanks for your input. It really did help!

One lucky commenter in June will win an autographed copy of A Red Hot New Year, four sizzling stories to ring in the New Year, including my contribution, Coming on Strong!

How precious are books to you? Yeah, yeah, I know you all love to read - I mean the book as a physical object. I blush to confess the container the story comes in isn’t terribly important to me. I’ve bought a lot of books second-hand in my time, maybe that’s why I’m so rough. I don’t do that any more, BTW, because now I truly understand about royalties!

Elaine, if you’re reading this, you’d better stop now. I can see you wincing from here. I was VERY careful with the books I borrowed from you. You know I was, ‘cos you made me promise and I was scared. But you were right to be so stern.

Books I own myself, though - I’ll shove them in my handbag, chuck them on the back seat of the car, drop them on the floor next to the bed, absent-mindedly put a cup of tea on top of them. I particularly like mass-market paperbacks, because they’re such a convenient size for shoving.

Oh - I’m VERY kind to the books I’ve written, of course. And Joey’s and Christine’s. Anyone else’s - yeah, well… Unless they’re autographed.

I know I’m awful, okay? So beat me (gently).

To mark my place I’ll dog-ear a page. Okay, OKAY, don’t all shriek at once! I said I know I’m awful. Most of the time I use a postcard of Mr Gorgeous. Big enough not to lose (well, he would be, wouldn’t he?) and pretty enough not to be careless with.

Or I’ll use a receipt or a petrol docket. I’m hopeless with normal bookmarks. I don’t know how it happens, but they just…disappear. I wouldn’t mind a bookmark like the one on the right, though. I wonder if he singes the pages?

Sometimes, I’ll get impatient and flatten a book out til the spine cracks so I can read while I’m eating. I’m a shocker. *sigh* But I never, ever tear or mutilate pages and those twits that write their own stupid corrections in books borrowed from the library drive me insane with rage.

On a parting note, I’ll leave you with two contrasting shelf arrangements ad a question. The first is my study (and you can see that tidiness is not a virtue I cherish, nor is flower arranging). But the novels are in alphabetical order by author, I have to give me that. And the reference books and files have their own sections.

Here we have an alternative scheme, books arranged by colour. Words fail me. I wish any room in my house looked so pretty… And don’t you love the rug? Not to mention the pug? *giggle*

So here’s my question. I have to think of ways of promoting my books that readers will enjoy and that won’t break the Rossetti bank, which is not a particularly flourishing institution. I’m thinking about getting bookmarks made, but I’m so hopeless with them myself, that I’m having doubts.

Help me out here, guys.

What do you think of bookmarks? Do you use them? Like them, collect them? Do they help you remember an author’s name? Have you ever, ever, checked out a writer because of her bookmarks?

If there are enough answers, I’ll write up a quick summary for any writers who drop by. (You know who you are!)

I’ll be announcing the winner of everything droolworthy as soon as I can get My Beloved to pick the name. Something different for June, I think…. Keep the comments coming!