tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34046963721034098602010-04-24T08:15:12.358-05:00Annie's WorldAnnie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-78482836051229496392010-04-24T07:43:00.003-05:002010-04-24T08:15:12.377-05:00News of the YearMaybe you thought I'd won a Pulitzer? Got down to a size 2? Sorry, folks, but this news isn't about me.<br /><div></div><br /><div>It's about my all-time favorite under-employed actor crush.</div><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://upload.moldova.org/movie/actors/b/ben_browder/ben_browder.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div>Yup, that's right. Ben. Ben Brower.</div><br /><div></div><div>The 411 is he's doing a pilot for the CW, a "dramedy" called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellcats_(TV_series)">Hellcats</a>. The show is about (wait for it) college competitive cheerleading...! And no, Ben won't be appearing in one of those tiny dresses. He's playing Lancer University's football coach, Red Irvine, who also happens to have backstory with the cheerleading coach. Seems they had an affair while he was still married and after he left his wife for her, she dumped him. Now, he's looking for payback and trying to get her fired. He's described as "a handsome rogue who never lost the boyishness of youth." Can't think of a more perfect part for Ben.</div><br /><div></div><div>The show is on CW so of course the young women on the team are the leads. My fingers are crossed that the two coaches will get some good air time, though.</div><br /><div></div><div>Hopefully, the show will be picked up. And if it does get picked up that they'll keep Ben in the cast. It would be great to see him working again.</div><br /><div></div><div>Give me a B! Give me an E! Give me an N!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-7848283605122949639?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-3944305521251552332010-04-18T10:18:00.006-05:002010-04-22T09:09:43.024-05:00What's Up, Doc?I'll tell you what's up. My final romantic suspense.<br /><br />TWO LETHAL LIES is in its last production throes. I've got the copy edits on my desk and they're done, done, done.<br /><br />Tomorrow I'll overnight the ms to my editor and, hopefully, that will be that.<br /><br />Hard to believe. Eight books.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffcc00;">EIGHT BOOKS!!</span><br /><br />If someone had told me I'd get one book published, let alone eight, I would have laughed in their face.<br /><br />Who's laughing now, eh?<br /><br />Well, the journey isn't over yet. There's still the release to come in October. I want to do another blog tour, so that will keep me busy. And some interviews and chats and whatever else comes my way. I also have a ton of behind-the-scenes stuff to add to my site. Some pretty nifty things, too.<br /><br />But by then I also hope to be deep into <em>Stella Moon</em> and a whole new world.<br /><br />My heart is pounding just writing those words.<br /><br />A whole new world.<br /><br />Gives me goose bumps.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-394430552125155233?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-84272405808224106812010-04-10T08:03:00.005-05:002010-04-10T08:40:30.171-05:00Miss CommunicationI was talking to my daughter the other day about writing. She's a poet, and her work is fun, often child-like, contains beautiful twists of phrase, but is sometimes difficult to understand. Why not make it more accessible, I asked.<br /><br />She responded with an interesting view on literary works. There are some that envelop you in a new world. The reader is cushioned by that world, passive, surrendering herself to what the author creates. This is what I write. I do it consciously, aware of what I want the reader to think and feel and manipulating words to that end.<br /><br />But there are other ways of enjoying new worlds. She prefers to dive in and swim around--surrounded by the work, but not enveloped in it. In this way, the reader imposes herself on the work, testing, wondering, probing its meaning. Two readers may end up in two different places and conclusions. Which is not only fine, but encouraged. This way allows the reader the freedom to create their own world out of hers.<br /><br />Fiction is often (usually?) the former, although there are plenty of books that are prickly and interpretive and difficult to understand (James Joyce). Poetry is often the latter, though again, there are plenty of poets (Ted Kooser, Billy Collins) whose creations take you exactly where the writer wants you to go.<br /><br />Which do you prefer? Or do you now and again like to sample both? If you're a romance reader you've experienced one kind of writerly intention. Here--one of my favorites of my daughter's poems--is another:<br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#33cc00;">Mrs. G's Domestic Tale</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#33cc00;">197 Dolliver Street</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#33cc00;">Apartment 3E</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#33cc00;">Muscatini, Iowa USA 52761</span></strong></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">There lived a man once, who invested</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">himself in the cutting of prime </span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">numbers. "Glynis!" he would say,</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"How I do love those prime numbers!</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">How finely they do cut."</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">"In decomposable," would come Mrs.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">G's retort, which really meant: "Rogers,</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">you will be driving me to distraction!"</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But our man Rogers, he might just</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">whistle or such and eventually Mrs. G</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">would go back to her soft-boiled</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">eggs and other likewise things safely</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">without a point. then</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">what with all apparent, Mr. G</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">would move those prime numbers,</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">and up and over they went.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Past the tomato patch.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Past the tar and chip driveway.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Past the town's 613 stop signs.</span></em><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Until our lady Glynis, when she woke,</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">well, the day would be broken</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">sliced to pieces at the farthest edge</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">where its belly was nice and pliable.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-8427240580822410681?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-10090632277391886482010-04-03T00:01:00.000-05:002010-04-03T00:01:00.962-05:00Cover Up ReduxWay back in <a href="http://www.anniesolomon.com/blog/2010/01/cover-up.html">January </a>I posted about my cover struggles. All's well that ends well, I suppose, since the cover looks great. But in that post I mentioned an article about James Patterson in the <em>New York Times</em> Sunday magazine.<br /><br />Several weeks later, as is their want, the magazine printed reader reactions to that article, and one resonated so deeply with me that I want to post excerpts from it here. The letter-writer, Joe Claro of Irvington, NY, had been an English teacher for 40 years and took umbrage with the article's criticism of Patterson and his readers for "not measuring up to some vague standard of literary worthiness."<br /><br />Claro continued: <span style="color:#33ccff;">"Why do self-appointed critics allow for popular taste in television, music and movies but drift into almost religious solemnity when discussing books?"</span><br /><br />Well said, Joe, and I couldn't agree more.<br /><br />Years ago I was in a book club whose members read mostly "literary" works. When it came my turn to suggest a book, I was a little out of my element. But I chose Elinor Lipman's <em><a href="http://www.elinorlipman.com/isabels-bed.html">Isabel's Bed</a></em>, about a tabloid blonde who hires a bookish, risk-averse would-be writer to author the femme fatale's memoirs. It's a fun read with lots of inside jokes about writing--and Lipman, who is often touted as a modern Jane Austen, is hardly a pulp writer. But you wouldn't have thought so from the group's reactions. Some went so far as to call it "trash."<br /><br />But when I asked them about, say, <em>Who Got Mail</em> or <em>Grey's Anatomy</em>--those they all loved.<br /><br />Like you, Joe, I don't get it.<br /><br />What <em>IS</em> is that makes people go all proper and still when discussing books but not movies?People <em>expect</em> motion media to be entertaining, and if that's all they get they enjoy the ride. But a book that's <em>merely</em> entertaining--there's something wrong with that.<br /><br />And yet millions must disagree because even during this recession, romance is still selling well. And the James Patterson, Inc company has another book on the best-seller lists.<br /><br />I guess the solution is to ignore the bluestockings. Oh--and when you buy one of "those" books, just don't tell your book club.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-1009063227739188648?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-5905138843367632712010-03-27T00:01:00.004-05:002010-03-27T09:46:46.839-05:00The Myth of HappinessThe other day I was in the car with my 21-year-old nieces, and we were talking about books. One of them listed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Flew_Over_the_Cuckoo%27s_Nest_(novel)"><em>On</a></em><em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Flew_Over_the_Cuckoo%27s_Nest_(novel)">e Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest</em> </a>as their all-time fave, despite the "unhappy" ending. In fact, she was miffed with the movie version that Hollywoodized the end. Not that she prefers UHEA (Unhappily Ever After) but that some stories need one to be true to themselves.<br /><br />This is very interesting to a romance writer, whose books MUST include some kind of HEA--or, in the words of Romance Writer's of America--an "emotionally satisfying" ending.<br /><br />But can't a story be emotionally satisfying without the characters walking off hand-in-hand into the sunset?<br /><br /><em>Romeo and Juliet</em>, for example. Yes, it would be nice if Juliet woke in time to prevent Romeo from swallowing the poison and her own resulting suicide. But everything leads up to this ending. The feuding families, the secrets, the deaths of other loved ones. How else could the story have ended? The best the lovers could have hoped for was to run away together. And then what? With their families' against them, how would they have survived? Sad though the ending is, it's fitting.<br /><br />Ian McEwan's <em>Atonement</em>, on the other hand, though beautifully written, concludes with an emotionally UN-satisfying ending--precisely because the author gives you a HEA, then takes it away. Pure trickery, in my opinion. Literary chicanery. (For more on that, see my rant on 9/3/09/).<br /><br />Recently, I came across a discussion on the <em>R<a href="http://www.sherlocksbooks.com/AuthorBookPhotos/DeadShot.gif"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 243px" alt="" src="http://www.sherlocksbooks.com/AuthorBookPhotos/DeadShot.gif" border="0" /></a>omantic </em><br /><em>Times</em> forums about my 2007 book, <em>Dead Shot</em>. The posters complained because I didn't solve the subplot mystery--who killed my main character's mother. Since this murder shaped the main character--both professionally and personally--their idea of HEA meant the killer should be caught. So to them the ending was emotionally unsatisfying, despite HEAs everywhere else. BTW--I chose that ending because solving this 25-year-old murder seemed too pat and unrealistic. I wanted my heroine to learn to live--fully and happily--<em>despite</em> not knowing. Ambiguity is the way of the world. Sometimes we have to choose happiness without certainty.<br /><br />But I do see their point. Maybe the story pointed too strongly to the subplot, leading readers to expect the killer to be caught--an unintended consequence of the way I told the story.<br /><br />So--happy or unhappy? As a romance writer I prefer my HEAs, but not every story deserves one. So, I'm curious--what other books/movies/stories, etc. end badly but in a good way?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-590513884336763271?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-30563922301336926682010-03-26T11:13:00.004-05:002010-03-26T11:19:19.057-05:00Pie in the Face/MarchThe Pie Inspector is in the <a href="http://otherworlddiner.blogspot.com/">Otherworld Diner </a>today, talking about the TV show, "V", which has it's second half of the season "premier" (!) next week. Stop by the diner and say howdy.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-3056392230133692668?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-26196201670129846482010-03-20T00:01:00.001-05:002010-03-20T09:21:10.085-05:00To Be or Not To BeLife has settled down a bit. At least enough for me to have a moment to catch my breath. My Internet service is finally back--I couldn't believe how hampered I felt without it. Hopefully all the bugs are out and connections will continue uninterrupted.<br /><br />Right.<br /><br />But at least I'm plugged in now.<br /><br />On the book front, <em>Two Lethal Lies</em> has finally been given the editorial okay. The cover copy is done and the cover looks quite splendid, in my humble opinion. Now the only thing left is the rest of my life. Will it be more romantic suspense or something of a new and different variety?<br /><br />That, dear reader, is the trillion dollar question to which I have no answer yet. I feel a bit like the cowardly lion--I need the wizard to give me some courage so I can jump off the cliff into Who Knows What Land.<br /><br />My horoscope promises great things this year. But is it because I stick to what I know or strike out in a whole new direction?<br /><br />Hamlet has nothing on me.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-2619620167012984648?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-4043360850501823082010-02-27T08:54:00.002-06:002010-02-27T08:57:43.194-06:00Late NoteJust a quick note to let you know that a family emergency has kept me busy and out of internet access, which is why there was no new post last week. Hopefully, I'll get to a new one today or tomorrow.<br /><br />I also hope your life is smooth, calm, and uneventful. Trust me, the reverse is no picnic...<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-404336085050182308?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-36390121743972769142010-02-17T10:16:00.003-06:002010-02-17T10:20:18.526-06:00I'm in the Club TodayThe Barnes & Noble Mystery Book Club has been featuring romantic suspense authors every day during the month of February. They kindly asked me to participate and today's my day. Check it out <a href="http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Mystery/ANNIE-SOLOMON-Day-17-Month-of-Romantic-Suspense/m-p/480950#M11995">here</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-3639012174397276914?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-33224398946022833812010-02-13T00:00:00.001-06:002010-02-13T00:00:02.355-06:00Playing the WNBALast week's post was about romantic thrillers made by Hollywood. As I was re reading the list, it struck me that there were several that wouldn't be considered thrillers in the typical sense. Which struck another chord, this one from my recent panel participation for the local chapter of the <a href="http://www.wnba-books.org/">WNBA</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />No, not the basketball wizards. The Women's National Book Association. This is a really cool association, started in New York in 1917 by a group of women booksellers who were excluded from the all-male Bookseller's League. The only criteria was that members derive part of their income from books. Teachers, librarians, agents, writers, publishers, booksellers, production people, illustrators--all were welcome. Ninety-plus years later the organization is still promoting the role of women in this field through chapters across the country.<br /><br /><br />What better place to talk about romance--the one genre written (mostly) by women for women?<br /><br /><br />We had a fun and informative night talking about the history of the romance novel (most scholars credit Richardson's 18th century novel, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela,_or_Virtue_Rewarded">Pamela</a>, as the first), the <a href="http://rwanational.org/cs/romance_literature_subgenres">subgenres </a>it encompasses, and the future of the form and format (Kindle anyone?).<br /><br /><br />I was in charge of the subgenre portion and as I look back it's easy to see that there is just as much of a mash up in today's romance novel as there is in Hollywood. Whether it's Jane Austen and zombies or the paranormal Victorian mystery of <em>Soulless</em>, pretty much anything goes. As long as there's that HEA ending--or the implication of one.<br /><br /><br />Which, as Martha would say, is a good thing.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.anniesolomon.com/blog/uploaded_images/WNBA-796415.JPG"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 268px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 196px" alt="" src="http://www.anniesolomon.com/blog/uploaded_images/WNBA-796030.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><p> </p><p>Anyway, here's a pic from the evening. That's <a href="http://www.bethpattillo.com/">Beth Pattillo </a>on the left, whose new book, <em>Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart</em>, is out this month. I'm in the center, and <a href="http://www.jodywallace.com/">Jody Wallace</a>--who is the hoot and a half behind meankitty.com, and who writes paranormals and erotica for Samhein--is on the right.<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-3322439894602283381?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-46005707289782355642010-02-06T00:09:00.005-06:002010-02-06T00:09:00.900-06:00The Thrill of RomanceI decided to take a break from my own work and think about someone else's. So I was cruising around the 'net and came across a topic in Yahoo Answers. The question was:<br /><br /><span style="color:#33ff33;"><strong>What's the best romantic thriller ever made in Hollywood ?</strong></span><br /><br />Sadly, there was only one answer and I didn't like it: <em>The Saint</em> and <em>Mr. and Mrs. Smith</em>. Although <em>The Saint</em> is a great romantic thriller, even with the silly cold fusion plot, but the Brangelina vehicle is too campy to be romantic or thrilling.<br /><br />So, I scroll through my brain for my own picks.<span style="color:#33ff33;"> . . . . .</span> <span style="color:#33ccff;">. . . . . . .</span> <span style="color:#ff9900;">. . . . . .</span> <span style="color:#ff0000;">. . . . . . .</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#cc33cc;">. . . . . .</span> <span style="color:#6666cc;">. . . . . . </span><span style="color:#ffcccc;">. . . .(</span>this is me, scrolling my brain) <span style="color:#cc66cc;">. . . . . .</span><span style="color:#33ff33;"> . . . .<br /></span><br />Okay, so there are probably plenty I've forgotten, but here are the ones I remembered, in no particular order:<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#33ff33;">1.</span></strong> <strong><span style="color:#33ff33;">Romancing the Stone.</span></strong> Romance writer Joan Wilder tries to save her kidnapped sister in Venezuela by enlisting the unwilling aid of a sexy smuggler who his own reasons for helping. Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. 1984<br /><br /><span style="color:#33ff33;"><strong>2. Tequila Sunrise.</strong></span> Childhood buddies, now on opposite sides of the law, and the woman (and drug deal) that comes between them. Kurt Russell, Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer. Written by Robert Towne, of Chinatown fame. 1988<br /><br /><span style="color:#33ff33;">3. The Terminator.</span> The one that spawned all the sequels (and James Cameron's career) with one of the most romantic lines: "I came through time for you, Sarah." Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, and Arnold Schwartzenegger in his career-changing role ("I'll be bahk..."). 1984<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#33ff33;">4. The Bodyguard.</span></strong> Probably my top choice. The romantic and thriller story are intrinsically entwined in this tale about a retired Secret Service agent, skilled to the bone, trying to protect a spoiled, self-indulgent pop idol from a deadly assassin. Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston. 1992<br /><br /><span style="color:#33ff33;"><strong>5. Blink.</strong></span> Not a big movie but I've seen it many times. A newly-sighted blind woman is witness to a murder but the cops assigned to the case don't believe her. Aiden Quinn, Madeleine Stowe. 1994<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#33ff33;">6. Notorious.</span></strong> Another top choice. Alfred Hitchcock directed this story of a "bad" girl hired to go undercover with a dangerous group of post-Nazi Germans. Ingrid Bergman is the amateur spy and Cary Grant her government agency handler. 1946<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#33ff33;">7. The Big Easy.</span></strong> More mystery than thriller, it still has one of the best bedroom scenes ever filmed: when Ellen Barkin's insecure assistant DA says she's never had much luck with men, smooth, easy-going homicide detective Remy McSwain (Dennis Quaid), gives her a slow, sexy grin and says, "your luck's about to change, cher." Sigh. 1987<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#33ff33;">8. Last of the Mohicans.</span></strong> You may not think of this as a thriller, but the race through the eighteenth century American wilderness to evade a vindictive Mohawk is as thrilling as any contemporary cop drama. And it contains another of my all-time favorite lines, as a desperate Hawkeye is forced to abandon his love to the encroaching natives: "You stay alive, no matter what occurs! I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you." Another sigh. Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe. 1992<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#33ff33;">9. Witness. </span></strong>A young Amish boy witnesses a murder and when it turns out the killer is a cop, the only place the boy will be safe is back on the farm. Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis. 1985<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#33ff33;">10. In the Cut.</span></strong> The grittiest one on the list. A serial killer is loose and a closed-off English professor may be the only lead the cops have. Mark Ruffalo is terrific as a tough, sexy detective putting the moves on Michelle Pfeiffer. 2003<br /><br /><span style="color:#33ff33;"><strong>11. Blade Runner.</strong></span> This futuristic sci-fi is another genre-bending entry. But who can resist Harrison Ford's weary, reluctant detective falling for an is-she-or-isn't-she-human beauty, knowing that if she isn't, he may have to kill her. 1982<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#33ff33;">12. Ghost.</span></strong> Love overcomes death in this supernatural thriller that has the ghost of a murdered man coming back from the grave to protect his love from his killer. Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg in her Oscar-winning role as the medium between them. 1990<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#33ff33;">13. Out of Sight.</span></strong> A bank robber plays a roguish cat-and-mouse game with the beautiful federal marshal trying to arrest him. George Cloony and Jennifer Lopez. 1998<br /><br />That's it, folks. All I could come up with. Weird how the most recent one is six years old, and many are in the '80s. Is that a sign of my age, or a sign that Hollywood doesn't do these movies anymore?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-4600570728978235564?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-3730074059683324332010-01-30T00:00:00.002-06:002010-01-30T00:00:00.308-06:00Cover UpI got the cover for my October release today. There's my name, nice and big, and--hallelujah!-- they even managed to include the word RITA-Winner below it. I asked them to include that on the last book and my editor balked. To say the least, I was annoyed, hurt, and pissed off. <div><br /><div>All is forgiven now. Sort of.</div><br /><div></div><div>It's the weirdest thing to have your name up there as if everything from cover to cover is yours. It's not, you know. Although the words between the covers are mine, the story would have been very different if it had been left up to me. It wasn't. Same with the cover. The publisher creates it and even if I have other ideas or objections, it's a done deal. Same with the back cover copy.</div><br /><div>There was an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/magazine/24patterson-t.html">article </a>about James Patterson in the NY Times magazine this past Sunday. At one point it talks about James and his Giant Entourage meeting with the publisher to discuss marketing his empire. They showed him cover mock-ups to get his input. But that only happens when you reach Pattersonian heights. Otherwise, you get what you get.</div><br /><div></div><div>Sour grapes?</div><br /><div></div><div>Hell, yeah.</div><br /><div></div><div>Okay, so it could be worse. I could have to self publish. Or languish around as I did for years, UNpublished. I should shut up and thank The Powers That Be for what I have.</div><div> </div><div></div><div>Yeah, yeah, yeah. And if you come a little closer I'll give you something to be thankful for. Right in the kisser...</div><div></div><div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-373007405968332433?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-9599055482190173042010-01-29T15:20:00.001-06:002010-01-29T15:23:00.505-06:00Pie in the Face/FebThe Pie Inspector is sniffing around the Otherworld Diner again.<br /><br /><a href="http://otherworlddiner.blogspot.com/">Check out </a>what she's up to.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-959905548219017304?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-32177896073596522962010-01-23T08:57:00.000-06:002010-01-23T08:57:00.237-06:00Last week I shared one of two interesting reader emails. Here, in summary, is the other: when is your next book coming out and isn't it a long time between books for a romance writer?<br /><div></div><div> </div><div>Ouch!!</div><br /><div></div><div>First off--yes, October 2010 IS a loooong time from May 2009, when my current book, <a href="http://www.anniesolomon.com/">One Deadly Sin</a>, came out.</div><br /><div></div><div>Second--it ain't my fault!!!</div><br /><div></div><div>Okay, we'll that's not exactly true. I don't set the pub schedule, that's true. The publisher, in this case, Grand Central Publishing, sets the release date. The schedule is based on who they have lined up, how they're going to juggle the available slots (they only release a set amount of books/month), and how fast I can get the manuscript to them.</div><br /><div></div><div>So some of that I can't control. But the latter--yeah, entirely in my hands.</div><br /><div></div><div>And I'm afraid my hands just don't type very fast. When it comes to writing, I am not a quick study. I like to tell myself it's because my books are more carefully crafted than some, but you and I both know Nora's books are terrific and she's no slowpoke.</div><br /><div></div><div>This "crank 'em out" issue is a dilemma. To have a real career in romance, it's an unwritten law. According to the <a href="http://rwanational.org/cs/the_romance_genre/romance_literature_statistics">research</a>, romance readers go through piles of books a week, and they're always hungry for more. They want to be able to go back to the bookstore and read another one by a favorite author. What's this stuff about waiting a year for another book? The faster you can write the books, the faster your career moves.</div><br /><div></div><div>I don't think it's the same with other genres. Michael Connelly doesn't put out more than one book a year, does he? Then again, neither does Susan Elizabeth Phillips. In fact, I once heard her speak at a conference and she said she writes one page a day. </div><br /><div></div><div>One page!</div><br /><div></div><div>Of course, it's a damn good page. But still...<br /></div><div></div><div>I'm struggling with this need for speed. I've got a few ideas for series, but my agent is doubtful I could produce that fast.</div><br /><div></div><div>Maybe she's right.</div><br /><div></div><div>Maybe she doesn't know what the hell she's talking about.</div><br /><div></div><div>In any case, isn't it the turtle who wins the race?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/images/torthare.gif" border="0" /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-3217789607359652296?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-35106711553624289882010-01-16T00:00:00.002-06:002010-01-16T09:10:45.132-06:00Mail Call<a href="http://www.mfa.gov.eg/NR/rdonlyres/FB199AD2-9313-420F-9C1D-1691A428A3FA/3332/LettersMail.gif"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 219px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 124px" alt="" src="http://www.mfa.gov.eg/NR/rdonlyres/FB199AD2-9313-420F-9C1D-1691A428A3FA/3332/LettersMail.gif" border="0" /></a> I received a couple of interesting emails from readers over the holiday. Each one sparked some thinking I thought I'd share with you.<br /><div><div><br /></div><div>First I received a note from a reader named Edie Swann curious about how I came up with the name of my heroine in <em><a href="http://www.anniesolomon.com/excerptonedeadlysin.html">One Deadly Sin</a></em>, which was, coincidentally (for her) Edie Swann...<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My first reaction was, how cool is that? I "invented" a name that a real person already has!</div><div><a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0446178446.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg"></a> </div><div><a href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0446178446.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0446178446.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div>But then I had to answer the "how" and that got me thinking about character names. The christening of "my" Edie began with the kind of woman she was: a little bit rough and rootless--she does ride a Harley, after all--but not so kick ass that she couldn't yearn for the things she didn't have, like family and home. </div><div><br /></div><div>Linguistically, the "E" in Edie is a soft sound, but the hard consonant "D" toughens that up. And the "ie" at the end is informal and casual, which is how I imagined my biker chick heroine. </div><div><br /></div><div>So there was some real method behind the madness, at least when it came to her first name. How I came up with Swann, though, I have no idea. Sometimes I just try out names to see if they "fit."</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, I'm having trouble with names in my upcoming book. <em>Two Lethal Lies</em>. For spoiler reasons which I won't go into here, my editor had a problem with my hero's last name. I've spent weeks trying out alternatives and still haven't come up with anything that works.</div><div><br /></div><div>I just finished Lisa Gardner's <em>Hide</em> and discovered in the Author's Notes at the end, that some of the characters bore the names of people Lisa actually knows. She also runs a contest that gives the winner a chance to name a character in her books.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've never read a book with a character that had my name. Have you? I wonder if it's weird or wonderful. Maybe it depends on the character?</div><div><br /></div><div>I did ask my reader if "my" Edie was anything like her, but alas, she declined to respond.</div><div> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:Webdings;color:#009900;">YYY</span><br /><br /></div><div>More on reader letters in my next post.</div><div> </div><div> </div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-3510671155362428988?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-61356466446737144282010-01-09T10:22:00.009-06:002010-01-09T11:14:31.101-06:00Playing Catch UpMy goodness it's been a while.<br /><br />First there was the holidays, and then there was recovering from the holidays. I don't transition well. This is true in life as well as in writing. I need lots of time between endings, whether it's vacations or chapters or books.<br /><br />In case you're interested, though, here are the highlights of the past few weeks:<br /><br />Finished a first pass on the revision of <em>Two Lethal Lies</em> (October 2010)<br /><br />Went to New York to visit family.<br /><br />Ate TONS (for which I am paying double at the moment...), including:<br /><ul><li><span style="color:#ffffff;">Hong Kong style crab at the Imperial Palace in Queens</span></li><li><span style="color:#ffffff;">The best pizza in the universe at Positano's, Herricks</span></li><li><span style="color:#ffffff;">Wonton soup that actually tastes like it at Jade King, Roslyn Heights</span></li><li><span style="color:#ffffff;">Portuguese churrasquiera (spit-roasted over wood charcoal) from Barraida, Mineola</span></li><li><span style="color:#ffffff;">Ramen noodles and steamed buns at Momofuku</span></li><li><span style="color:#ffffff;">And, of course (because how can you go to NY and not) kosher dogs, mustard and kraut at the deli</span></li></ul>Sat on my glasses<span style="color:#ffffff;"> </span><span style="color:#ffffff;">and had to</span> spend the rest of my time in NY with duct tape holding them up so I looked like a total dweeb<br /><br />Watched lots of snow fall<br /><br />Saw <em>Up in the Air</em>, which is NOT the feel-good movie the trailers make you think, but is thought-provoking character study that made me glad to be me and not him<br /><br />Returned home and saw <em>Sherlock Holmes</em>, which was entertaining enough, but just enough<br /><br />Had a wonderful New Years with friends playing <em>Apples to Apples</em><br /><br />Made a second tour of <em>Two Lethal Lies</em><br /><br />Sent my 3 proposals to my agent, who hasn't got back to me yet on any of them...<br /><br />Watched snow flurry (I think it's the same 90 flakes being blown around and around)<br /><br />Netflixed the movie <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snow_Walker">Snow Walker</a></em>, which I highly recommend<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:webdings;color:#33ccff;">YYY</span></div><br />And now you're all caught up.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-6135646644673714428?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-58610014018560136112009-12-22T08:45:00.008-06:002009-12-22T09:41:19.453-06:00Kindred SpiritThis morning I read the Sunday NY Times Magazine. Yes, it's Tuesday, but I'm at my mother's and in this neck of the woods the Sunday magazine comes on Saturday. By Sunday it's been swept off to recycling with the rest of the Saturday papers. Which means a trip to the garage and an archaeological-like dig through a mound to find it. And being the lazy person that I am, well--let's just say I skipped the magazine this week. But then it magically appeared on the kitchen table this morning--the puzzle done--which meant sometime between Saturday and today my brother did the traipsing and fetching.<br /><br /><div>So...what was I saying? Oh, yes, what I read in the magazine. <a href="http://kenmeier.info/weblog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/holzer62007.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 395px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 283px" alt="" src="http://kenmeier.info/weblog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/holzer62007.jpg" border="0" /></a>It was a profile on artist Jenny Holzer, who puts attention-grabbing statements on everything from T-shirts to buildings, and who lives in a "half-fixed" farmhouse in Hoosick, NY.</div><div></div><div>Here are some of my favorite excerpts from the profile. Just sub "writer" for "artist" and you'll see what I mean:<br /></div><div><strong><em><span style="color:#33ccff;">Fantasy Career:</span></em></strong> To be a divine artist as opposed to a workmanlike one. And to save the world.<br /></div><div><strong><em><span style="color:#33ccff;">Work She'd Take Back:</span></em></strong> How about everything I have done to a certain extent? I disappoint myself routinely. If you are an artist and you are honest, you are never good enough. </div><br /><div><span style="color:#33ccff;"><em><strong>Artwork She Covets</strong><strong>:</strong></em></span><span style="color:#6600cc;"> </span>An all-black Ad Reinhardt would match my heart.<br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 255px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 256px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.tate.org.uk/collection/T/T01/T01582_8.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div><strong><em><span style="color:#33ccff;">Favorite Line of the Moment:</span></em></strong> The future is stupid.</div><br /><div>Ahh..how fun to run across like-minded folk.<br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-5861001401856013611?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-41427983851685899732009-12-18T09:25:00.008-06:002009-12-18T10:58:16.028-06:00Queen of DenialRead a story about the musical "Memphis" in the <em>NY Times</em> today.<br /><br /><br /><div><div></div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 408px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 219px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://ccaggiano.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8345212eb69e2011168c2b2b2970c-800wi" border="0" /> </div><div></div><div>It was mostly about how the story changed over time while in its pre-Broadway tryouts. In one version the lead character was beat up. In another he died. But what never changed was the actor playing the lead. Never a household name, Chad Kimball has been playing this part since the show originated in Boston. But while the show was being fine tuned (and, I assume being financed) it wasn't a steady gig. In between bouts, Kimball did 2 other shows that were flops and that shook his confidence. He also suffered through rumors about the producers replacing him with a "star." By that time he was in L.A. and was so upset he almost thew up.<br /><br />I feel ya, man.<br /><br />Doesn't take nearly that much to shake my confidence.<br /><br />His story has a happy ending, though. The show opened on Broadway to pretty good reviews, and his reviews especially were great. I saw him perform on <em>The View</em> yesterday. </div><div><br /> </div><div>Plunging into the creative world, whether it's performing or writing is a tough journey. Holding onto your faith in yourself isn't easy. Especially if you don't have instant success. I know people in the music business who came to Nashville to make it big and never did. Some of them left, but many stayed, and are still plugging away at it, doing gigs for little or no money. I wonder how they hold on for so long.<br /><br />I wonder how long I'll hold on.<br /><br />Did I mention <em>One Deadly Sin </em>was nominated for a 2009 Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award?<br /><br />Pretty cool, huh?<br /><br />Some days it's not cool enough.<br /><br />Some days it feels as if nothing will be cool enough.<br /><br />Well, here's to you, Chad Kimball. May your road be a little smoother now. </div><div><br /><br /></div><div><span style="color:#33ccff;"><strong><em></em></strong></span></div><div><span style="color:#33ccff;"><strong><em>SHOUT OUT</em></strong></span></div><div><br /></div><div>And as long as I'm talking about confidence and road-smoothing, I want to give a woohoo to my friend, <a href="http://www.marienicoleryan.com/">Marie-Nicole Ryan</a>, whose recent release, <a href="http://mybookstoreandmore.com/shop/product.da/seducing-the-sheriff">Seducing the Sherri ff</a>, is on the Samhain Top Ten Best Sellers List. Way to go, MN!!</div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-4142798385168589973?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-77711366922397248882009-12-10T10:12:00.002-06:002009-12-10T10:15:52.459-06:00Now Appearing...If you're interested in where we authors get our ideas, I can let you in on the secret. But you have to go over to <a href="http://www.romancejunkies.com/rjblog/?cat=9">Romance Junkies</a>, where I'm guest blogging. Stop by and say hello!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-7771136692239724888?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-34726873153670583192009-12-07T10:27:00.005-06:002009-12-07T11:32:14.884-06:00The Idea ContagionIdeas are funny little things. Like germs they're invisible until they take shape in the form of a book, business, or bad cough. And like germs they kind of float around and land randomly. <div><div><div><div><br /></div><div>Take, for example, the plagiarism lawsuit against Stephanie Meyer. It was brought by Jordan Scott, the author of a 2006 book called "Nocturne," which, needless to say, has not had the mega success of "Twilight." Scott accused Meyer of lifting plot lines and other elements to use in "Breaking Dawn," the 4th book in the Twilight series. The suit was dismissed last week, but I bring it up here only as an example of how ideas spread.</div><div></div><br /><div></div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 412px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://celebheroes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/twilight-nocturne.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>On a pe<a href="http://img.flipkart.com/bk_imgs/thumb/583/9780446613583.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 75px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 119px" alt="" src="http://img.flipkart.com/bk_imgs/thumb/583/9780446613583.jpg" border="0" /></a>rsonal level, I, myself have been accused of idea theft. My 4th book, BLIND CURVE, is about a homicide detective who has a stroke that renders him bli<a href="http://www.tv-intros.com/b/blind%20justice.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 208px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 145px" alt="" src="http://www.tv-intros.com/b/blind%20justice.jpg" border="0" /></a>nd. My book came out almost at the same time as the now-defunct TV Series, "Blind Justice." A reviewer on Amazon accused me of stealing my idea from the show. Never mind that my book had been conceived and written nearly a year prior to the show airing. But as I said, ideas are like that. They flutter around, and who knows where they'll settle next?</div><br /><p>In my case, they've settled in General Hospital, where James Franco has taken up the role of "Franco," a weird photographer/artist who captures and creates gory crime scenes of homicides. </p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.meotive.com/cache/5febd5663d231bc01ee5631dc9a69232.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 140px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 230px" alt="" src="http://www.sherlocksbooks.com/AuthorBookPhotos/DeadShot.gif" border="0" />Anyone who's familiar with my book, DEAD SHOT, will see the similarities. So...should I sue ABC?</div><div></div><div>It's been interesting to watch how the soap has tweaked the idea for their own uses. Several of their lead characters are mob-related, so Franco has plenty of crimes to home in on. Does he, like my <em>Dead Shot</em> heroine, Gillian, have a death wish? Or is he just a voyeur who wants to get closer to the object of his affection? Is there a particular crime--one that's very personal--he wants to solve or avenge? It will be interesting to see how many more (or less) similarities to my book pop up.<br /><br />In fact, GH created a piece for the art show opening I wished I had thought of for the book: an actual bedroom set up to look like someone had been murdered there, complete with blood and a chalk outline (which, of course, the police no longer use , but what's realism when it comes to TV?). In <em>Dead Shot</em>, all the scenes were photographed. It would have been cool to have Gillian, create a scene using actual furniture, like a set.</div><br /><div><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 570px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 258px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/show-patrol/assets_c/2009/11/Franco-GH-cast-thumb-570x258-30600.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>But hey--that idea didn't land on me.</div><br /><div>So if ideas are out there, thick as bacteria, what makes something iconic? Do you have to be there first? Well, we know Meyer wasn't the first with the vampire trend. Why aren't they making movies out of Sherrie Kenyon's books? Yes, she made the top of the Times list, but I guarantee she's not a household name like Meyer.</div><br /><div>Were there others writing <em>Pride and Prejudice</em> or <em>David Copperfield</em>? Maybe if we'd had the blogosphere and the media, Jane and Charles would have ended up in court, too.</div><br /><div>Heard about other idea contagions? I'd be interested in hearing about them, too.</div><div></div><div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-3472687315367058319?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-21488243809257577412009-11-27T00:00:00.000-06:002009-11-27T00:00:02.224-06:00GOING SOULLESS<div>The Pie Inspector is back at the <a href="http://otherworlddiner.blogspot.com/">Otherworld Diner. </a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Check out what she has to say about the steam punk book, <em>Soulless</em>.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 485px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Carriger_Soulless-MM2.jpg" border="0" /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-2148824380925757741?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-58401438009060103912009-11-26T00:00:00.001-06:002009-11-26T10:04:43.821-06:00HAPPY IS AS HAPPY DOESLife may be like a box of chocolates--which isn't very comforting as far as I'm concerned--but I hope your Thanksgiving is as predictable as you need and as surprising as you want.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#009900;"><strong>HAPPY T DAY EVERYONE!</strong></span></div><br /><br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 419px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 305px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.lakejunaluska.com/uploadedImages/Lake_Junaluska/Packages/thanksgiving.jpg" border="0" /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-5840143800906010391?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-773887003357044122009-11-23T12:13:00.003-06:002009-11-23T12:20:41.963-06:00ConsequencesGot my first epithet thrown at me for my <em>Precious</em> post. I was surprised. I guess you never know what nerve you'll touch when you write about race and religion. Mind you, I'm happy talking with folks who disagree with me. But I do object to anonymous name calling. Not only is it cowardly, it does nothing to further the discussion.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-77388700335704412?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-71867566836574153092009-11-22T08:18:00.005-06:002009-11-22T08:56:51.503-06:00Precious<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dkAYjn6gU2o/SphFaGvrxFI/AAAAAAAAExg/55ujdzQASoE/s400/precious-movie-photos.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 270px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_dkAYjn6gU2o/SphFaGvrxFI/AAAAAAAAExg/55ujdzQASoE/s400/precious-movie-photos.jpg" border="0" /></a> I saw the Lee Daniels movie, <em>Precious</em>, last night. I understand, via the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/21/movies/21precious.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=Precious%20movie&st=cse">NY Times</a>, that the movie has engendered criticism in the African-American community. I can totally understand how difficult it is to see negative representations of "your" people. The whole <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Madoff</span> thing made me cringe. Definitely NOT good for the Jews.<br /><br /><div><div></div><div>And it wasn't all paranoia either. One of my best friends, well-educated and the antithesis of conservative, made a joke about the religious background of the key players in the financial meltdown, and believe me she wasn't accusing them of being <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">WASPs</span>.</div><br /><div></div><div>So I get it.</div><br /><div></div><div>At the same time, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Madoff</span> IS a scum bag. And there are plenty more where he came from.</div><br /><div>Just like there are plenty of bad people whose skin is dark. It's a fact. But it's also a fact that there are good people, too. And despite the horror that is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Precious's</span> life, she has an innate goodness that only needs a few good people to help bring it to the surface. And those people are also black.</div><br /><div>In fact, I don't think the story is only about black people. Yes, it's set within the African-American community and all the characters are black (except, I suppose, the social worker, Miss Weiss, whose ethnic background is deliberately left unspoken but who is played by the multi-racial <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Mariah</span> Carey), but it's also more universal than its particular setting. The damage parents can do, the brutality that family can become, the way one person's interest can change a life--these cross over all <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">ethnicities</span>. </div><br /><div>So, no, I didn't think the movie was racist. I thought it was what great art is: powerful, thought-provoking, and above all, profoundly human.</div><br /><br /><div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-7186756683657415309?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3404696372103409860.post-92189223265238602702009-11-19T09:48:00.003-06:002009-11-19T10:12:27.171-06:00Mall PrincessI was in the mall the other day, getting money back on a pair of pants that went on sale 2 days after I bought them. It was the middle of the week and the place was almost empty.<br /><br />Now this is what we call an "upscale" mall. Kate Spade, Tiffany, Versace. It's quiet, airy, and always smells good.<br /><br />I was on my out when I realized something.<br /><br />I love the mall.<br /><br />It's peaceful, it has fountains, and when you're there you're surrounded by beautiful things.<br /><br />Shallow? I'm not afraid to admit it.<br /><br />But really, where else can you go and experience the fantasy of being a princess? The place is kind of like a palace, with luxury everywhere you look. Inside each door is someone eager to wait on you. And when you leave it could be with something that makes you feel special and privileged.<br /><br />Sigh.<br /><br />I know there are plenty of people who feel exactly the opposite. But maybe the malls they frequent are more rowdy than royal. (And yes, I enjoy those, too.)<br /><br />But for my princess fix, I recommend the regal variety. And the best thing about it? No purchase necessary. You can sit by the fountain, enjoy the calming fragrance, and pretend you have all the money in the world. Who's to know different?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3404696372103409860-9218922326523860270?l=www.anniesolomon.com%2Fblog' alt='' /></div>Annie Solomonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439330900730765487noreply@blogger.com2