Seressia's Interview on Blog Talk Radio

Yesterday I had the very distinct and real pleasure of being interviewed on BlogTalkRadio by Dr. Niama Williams for her "Poetry and Prose" show. You can hear the hour-long discussion and reading of No Commitment Required by clicking here.

I think I did all right. I've listened to a portion of it and I'm glad that I managed to sound confident and knowledgeable. And Dr. Williams actually invited me back to discuss my paranormal work! God bless her!

Happy Black Folks Month!

It's that time of year again, the time when people acknowledge the accomplishments of black people then promptly forget when March 1st comes around.

Okay, yeah, that was a little harsh. I've always been of two minds about Black History Month. On one hand, it's the best way to discover little known facts about black folks in the historical context of America. On the other hand, I resent that we have to have a month in which to highlight black people. In my rose-colored-glasses world, the accomplishments of all people would be covered in our schools, history books, and media. But we know that's not the case.

Which means it could and should fall to writers to show just how rich the tapestry of American history is. I personally would love to see more Black historicals.

Unfortunately, when people think of black folks and American History, their minds immediately go to two eras: slavery and the civil rights movement. It's quite easy to ignore that there were free blacks roaming the country. According to BlackPast.org, free blacks came over with Columbus during his second trip to the New World in 1494. In 1526, slaves who'd been brought to work in the Spanish colony of San Miguel de Guadape in Georgia escaped to live among the native Americans. Then there is the rich and proud history of the Black Seminoles.

One great resource was recently published, and I think would be an excellent investment for schools, libraries, and black writers. It's called the African American National Biography, and it profiles some 4000 well- and little-known black folks in American history.

One such figure was profiled in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's coverage of the AANB:


Stagecoach Mary Fields

Photo courtesy of AP Photo/Ursuline Convent, Toledo, Ohio

Stagecoach Mary Fields was a gun-toting, hard drinking, cigar smoking frontierswoman who gambled, brawled and reputedly even killed a man. Well into her 60s, she dependably steered her coach through some of Montana's harshest weather to deliver the mail.

She was also a beloved housekeeper at a convent, tended her own vegetable garden and late in life presented bouquets to men who hit home runs during baseball games in Cascade, Mont.

How could you not want to write a story about this woman?

The African American National Biography is a joint effort of Havard University and Oxford University Press, and is edited by Henry Louis Gates, Hr. and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, both of Havard. The eight volume set covers the lvies of some 4100 well-known and obscure people. You can order it through the Oxford University Press website for $795. I think it's worth part of an advance, and for writers it's tax-deductible. There is an online version forthcoming, and they are soliciting donations to make the collection available for libraries.

Conratulations, Sandra Kitt!

For being one of the five romances in Library Journal's best books of 2007!

Sandra's Celluloid Memories is up there with:

Victoria Alexander, Secrets of a Proper Lady
Eve Kenin, Driven
Loretta Chase, Not Quite a Lady
Jayne Ann Krenz, White Lies

In Celluloid Memories:

A writer goes to L.A. to visit her dying actor father, who deserted her as a child, and gains a new understanding of the man she never knew. With insightful flair, Kitt has written a poignant, thought-provoking, but gently humorous romance that illuminates the black experience within the entertainment industry.

The book is still available on eHarlequin.com or you can order it from Amazon.

Alice Walker's Archives going to Emory University

Local gal (she's from GA) does good. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

From journals and notebooks of poetry written when she was growing up in Eatonton, Ga., to drafts of her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "The Color Purple," Alice Walker saved every scrap along her journey to becoming one of the leading literary figures of the 20th Century.

Her literary and personal archive contains many letters from such friends as Toni Morrison, Gloria Steinem, Quincy Jones and Oprah Winfrey, as well as a remarkable volume -- "Poems of a Childhood Poetess" -- that she composed when she was 15.

By the end of this week, her entire archive -- all 122 boxes -- is expected to arrive at its new, permanent home at Emory University. Emory announced Tuesday it had acquired Walker's archive for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition is a "major addition to Emory's collection," which will help students and scholars learn more about Walker's commitment to social activism, literary and personal growth and spirituality, said provost Earl Lewis.

At Emory's Manuscript, Archive and Rare Book Library, Walker's papers will join those of author Salman Rushdie, the late British poet laureate Ted Hughes and Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney as well as significant collections related to Harlem Renaissance novelists and poets Langston Hughes and James Weldon Johnson.

Walker is the author of eight novels, four major poetry collections and many works of nonfiction. She became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1983 for "The Color Purple," which was adapted into a critically acclaimed 1985 movie as well as a musical that had its world premiere at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre in 2004 and made its Broadway debut a year later.

"I can imagine in years to come that my papers and memorabilia, my journals and letters, will find themselves always in the company of people who care about many of the things I do: culture, community, spirituality, scholarship and the blessings of ancestors who want each of us to find joy and happiness in this life, by doing the very best we can to be worthy of it," Walker said in a statement.

Walker said Emory's relationship with the Dalai Lama also played a part in her decision. The Tibetan spiritual leader joined the university's faculty in October as a presidential distinguished professor and plans to periodically visit Emory to give talks to students.

Emory is "a place where my archive can rest with joy in the company it keeps," Walker said.

Essence to Honor Writers, Help Libraries

From Publisher's Weekly:

Essence Magazine will honor African-American writers and help public libraries by launching two overlapping initiatives this winter: the Essence Literary Awards and the Save Our Libraries campaign.

The nominees for the awards--in fiction, nonfiction, children's, poetry, commentary/public affairs, memoir and photography--will be selected by the editors of Essence and will be announced on December 19th. The winners will receive their awards during Black History Month, on Feb. 7, 2008, at a ceremony in New York city that will also kick off the Save Our Libraries campaign. Emcees Hoda Kotb of the Today Show and Dr. Ian Smith will preside over the event, which will honor the winning writers, as well as a "Storyteller of the Year."

Terry McMillan will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to contemporary African-American literature. McMillan, who is writing her eighth novel, Getting to Happy, added, “There are so few venues for African-American writers to get attention. This is a positive way to draw attention to African-American writers whose work is of high standards and merits attention.”

“We love books,” Bass said, describing editors at the magazine as committed to coverage of African-American authors and their work since Essence launched in 1970. Essence currently dedicates at least 3-1/2 pages to authors and books each month, second among women’s fashion/beauty/ lifestyle magazines only to O: the Oprah magazine.

You can still vote. Go to http://www.essence.com/essence/literaryawards/ and pick your choice, or nominate one.

Harlan Ellison, My Hero

Don't you sometimes wish you could say what you really feel? Well, Harlan Ellison can. Check out this excerpt from the bioflick Dreams With Sharp Teeth. (I warn you, this audio is not work safe.)

Like Free?

Some random tidbits from around the web today:

Liquid Story Binder XE is available for free today only at http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/

Here's the blurb from the website:

Liquid Story Binder XE is a uniquely designed word processor for professional and aspiring authors, poets, and novelists. Writing software for those who require the editing ability of a commercial text editor as well as a document tracking system.

It is for those who want the freedom to create, outline and revise but are tired of losing track of their work.

Liquid Story Binder features: Multi-Window Display, Spell Checking, Thesaurus, Reference Notes, Timelines, Story Boards, Plot Outlines, Dossiers, Audio Recorder, Image Gallery, Reader, Manuscript Formatting, Time and Word Count Tracking, Chapter and Book Backups, Paragraph and Punctuation Cleaning, Toolbars, Templates, Portable Drive Install, Universal Search, Repetition Visualizer, External Editing, Project Goals, Playlists.

Also, if you're interested in winning $1500 to cover your expenses for RWA San Francisco, check this out!

***PERMISSION TO FORWARD GRANTED***

Valley Forge Romance Writers
Present

The 1st Annual VFRW

Writer's Rafflemania!

Benefits the
Sheila A. Conway Memorial Fund

The Prize
$ 1,500.00
To Defray Your Costs For.
-2008 RWA Nat'l Conference Fee
Held In San Francisco, CA
July 30 - August 2, 2008

-4 Nights Hotel Accommodations
-Roundtrip Air To San Francisco

Rules and entry information at www.VFRW.com

Comment for the Cure

Alison Kent - Blah Blog

Author Allison Kent is running a contest in conjunction with Phaze's new anthology Coming Together: For the Cure. Edited by Alessia Brio, the net proceeds of this anthology of erotic fiction will benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.

In honor of my bestest friend and her recent battle, here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to buy copies of this anthology and give them away as prizes here. I will buy one copy for every ten comments. So, yes, if there are 100 comments, I’ll buy 10 copies. And I’ll give them away randomly to people who drop in and help raise funds. I will limit the copies to 25 (250 comments/$175) if we go that high, so let’s do it!

Author Jessica Russell is picked up the challenge. She'll buy a copy of the anthology for every ten comments she receives, up to 100 comments. Go forth and comment!

You can also participate in one of several Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk events around the country.

RWA Changes, Pt 2

Okay, there's very little good in this post today. let's just get right to it, shall we?

Some of your favorite publishers are now Vanity presses, according to RWA.

Here's RWA's new definition of vanity and subsidy presses:

The Board updated the definition of Subsidy Publisher or Vanity Publisher to: “any publisher that publishes books in which the author participates in the cost of production or distribution in any manner, including publisher assessment of a fee or other costs for editing and/or distribution.” This definition includes publishers who withhold or seek full or partial payment of reimbursement of publication or distribution costs before paying royalties, including payment of paper, printing, binding, production, sales or marketing costs; publishers whose authors exclusively promote and/or sell their own books; publishers whose primary means of offering books for sale is through a publisher-generated Web site; publishers whose list is comprised of 50% or more of its books written by authors who are principals in the publishing company; and publishers whose business model and methods of publishing are primarily directed toward sales to the author, his/her relatives and associates.

That's right, dear readers. Thanks to that sneaky little clause (that most people probably skipped over because hey, we all know what a vanity/subsidy publisher is) houses like Ellora's Cave, Samhain Publishing, LooseID, and other epublishers are all now considered vanity/subsidy presses. Why? Because their primary means of distribution is through their websites.

So all of us who thought this opened the door to epubbed authors finally getting their due, I'm sorry to report that as it stands now, the door has been once again firmly shut in your faces. The only way to get around this is for epublishers to not sell any of their books on their websites, but have everything link to FictionWise, eBooks.com, or other places.

This is stupid because: publishers have to pay those distributors, which means less money coming to the publishers. Less money coming to the publishers mean lowered royalty rates because they have to recoup their monies somehow. Or they'll just sign less authors to contracts. Or they'll just not give a rat's patootie because they obviously aren't hurting for submissions so not being able to take editor appointments at National will not faze them. It just means that the author is, once again, shut out--not being able to compete in the Ritas, not being able to be in PAN.

Oh, and some publishers whose owners are also authors might want to look at their author stable. If more than 50% of your books are from the owners, you are a vanity press.

I find it ironic that based on these definitions, EC, Samhain and LooseID are out, and Genesis Press is back in.

Of course, I could be wrong, and the RWA board didn't mean for it to include legitimate epublishers. After all, they've told us again and again that they aren't against epublishers or epubbed authors. I sincerely hope that the scuttlebutt from National is that this is just a misprint/miscommunication and will be corrected shortly. I also hope the houses impacted have already cornered board members and the Executive Director and asked for clarification.

For the curious, here's how Science Fiction Writers of America defines vanity and subsidy publishers. Somehow they forgot to include that whole selling from a website thing.

RWA Changes, Pt 1

Romance Writers of America announced their decisions regarding several major categories of importance to its membership today. If you are a member, log in, then click on the board decisions link. Among the changes were:

• Publisher eligibility


• Published Author Network (PAN) and PRO (career-focused unpublished writers) eligibility


• Rita and Golden Heart contest categories.

There's so much to go into with these changes that it's going to take a while to sort through and organize my responses. But let's start with the easiest ones, the contest changes:

1. Novella is still in for the published author contest


2. There's still no multicultural category


3. There's still no erotic romance category


4. Word counts were eliminated. Instead you now have Contemporary Series Romance, Contemporary Single Title, and Contemporary Series Romance Action/Adventure.

I'm not sure what to think about categories that were changed in which the rationale for the change mentions one publisher in particular, especially when they are the only publisher mentioned by name in these rules. Like the changes were made for them. They may be the largest publisher of romance fiction in the world, but really, it just seems a little...odd.

MC didn't get a category because people didn't clamor for one, certainly not as much as EroRom writers clamored for a category. Erotic Romance didn't get a category because erotic romance is indefinable. Their word, not mine. I would suggest that the erotic romance writers hijack the Novel with Strong Romantic Elements category, based on this definition:

"Novel With Strong Romantic Elements: This category was retained in both the Golden Heart and RITA contests; however, substantial changes were made. The definition and judging guidelines of this category were edited to read as follows:

Definition: A work of fiction in which a romance plays a significant part in the story, but other themes or elements take the plot beyond the traditional romance boundaries.

Judging guidelines: Novels of any tone or style and set in any place or time are eligible for this category. A romance must be an integral part of the plot or subplot, and the resolution of the romance is emotionally satisfying and optimistic."

That whole "beyond the traditional romance boundaries" is what erotic romance writers have been saying their stories are all about. Okay then, you now have a category that you can flood with entries.

~~~

Tomorrow, I'll talk about how the Rita contest is now opened to all authors who have published a romance book, regardless of the publishers' RWA-recognized status.

Or is it?