Lori Devoti, paranormal romance and urban fantasy author

and

What was your last book purchase?

Write More.
Eat less.

I need a nap.

This month’s book from Your Virtual Book Bag is another hot one.
MADE FOR SIN by Celia May Hart. Part of the Kensington Aphrodisia line.

Two very different sisters with one thing in common — the good fortune to find men who’ll show them how heavenly sin can be…

MADE FOR SIN
Celia May Hart
Kensington Aphrodisia
February 2007
ISBN: 0-7582-1465-0

Lucy Waverton’s wild escapades are the talk of the ton. Fleeing the notorious Earl of Radbourne’s carriage after a delicious seduction, she meets a soldier whose hard body and rebellious streak stir her newly awakened desires. Sergeant Michael Hall may be lowborn, but his every caress takes Lucy higher and higher, into a realm of pure carnal ecstasy…

Searching the country for her reckless younger sister, Caroline Waverton instead fiinds herself in the company of the rogue who reputedly ruined Lucy. Alex Radbourne is decadent, depraved, and devilishly skilled at uncovering Caroline’s secret, forbidden desires. The refined Miss Caroline has a thoroughly wanton side, and though each knows the affair is wrong, nothing could feel more right than surrendering to sinfully erotic abandon…

What the Reviewers are Saying
“This is a terrific Regency romance that effortlessly merges erotica into its two subplots; starring a sister in each with the hunk they love. The siblings and their men are fully developed while the support cast, mostly two spouses of soldiers, enhances the tale by better understanding the life of a fighting man.” — Harriet Klausner

“Hart delivers two very steamy relationships in this fine historical romance. Lucy and her soldier and Caroline and her earl are well-developed characters, and there’s plenty of heat to hold the winter chill at bay.” — Kristi Ahlers, Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine.

Check out Celia’s website as well as her upcoming debut on the Spiced Tea Party blog! (Who puts the spice in your tea? The smart bad girls of erotic historical romance!)

My friend, Kristina Cook, had a book trailer made for her latest release–it is tres sexy. In case the player below doesn’t work, here’s a link.

I’m sure you all realize The Amazing Race ALL STARS starts Sunday–if not, well, IT DOES!! But for you die hard reality addicts (unlike myself who could break my habit at any time–truly), did you know you can catch the eliminated teams while they are living in the sequester house? CBS is putting it on the Net. Yeah, it’s true. How entertaining do some moments there have to be?

Right now all CBS has going is Pre Race interviews, etc. but here’s the link.

Sunday! I can’t wait. (although I could…really…if I had to…)

If you’re really bored, I’m also blogging over at Romance Unleashed (on what a romantic I am–or not) and at my Myspace (on the friends thing at Myspace) blog.

There was an interesting article in the LA Times yesterday. It starts with the story of the trial between Clive Cussler and media mogul, Philip Anschutz, who bought the rights to Sahara. According to Anschutz he was told the book had sold 100 million copies and apparently he’s now trying to pin the movie flopping to that being a totally made up number. (If this is all true and the guy didn’t get the number in writing, you kind of have to wonder, don’t you?)

But the main story is how the book industry pretty much lives on falsehoods or puffery if you like. It’s all about the hype. Which means anyone can be made into a “big” name or a “bestseller”–they don’t even need “real” sales.  Here’s a quote.

Even a spot on a bestseller list is not what it may seem: Readers might be surprised to learn how few copies you need to sell to be able to call your book a “bestseller.”

Recently, for example, Martin Amis’ “House of Meetings,” a highly praised work of literary fiction, made bestseller lists in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, plus the national “Book Sense” list from independent stores. According to BookScan, the novel had sold about 5,000 copies in its first two weeks.

Attend a few PAN sessions at an RWA National convention and you’ll know making a bestseller list is all about velocity of sales, not volume, but it is still a little startling to see such a small number making lists.

Does this bother anyone? As a reader, I guess I felt a little deceived the first time I learned the truth behind the curtain, but now I kind of take it as a given. How would things change if lists actually meant total sales–as in what sold at Walmart and the local grocery, not just traditional bookstores? And is that even fair considering the majority of books aren’t available in those venues?

Are books different? Do they deserve a little extra gray space?

with Cataromance. They are talking to authors with the same names. I was paired with Lori Wilde and Lori Foster. Not bad, eh? Unfortunately Lori Foster didn’t have time, but you can read what Lori Wilde and I had to say…

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