Monday, June 25, 2007

Blog Karma

So let us now allow Blog Karma to float us out of the unpleasant Land of Over-Stroked Divas and carry us away to the Realm of Class Acts...

Class Act I: Michele Hauf
Back in March, I was squeein' all over the internet about Michele's upcoming book Wicked Angels and Triskelion's agreement to use the guys from Thunder From Down Under as cover models. (See "*Fangirl Scream*" and "The Power of the Mighty Fangirls") At the time, Michele said she wanted to send me a copy of Wicked Angels when it came out as thanks for starting the fangirl ball rolling. An unexpected, but totally appreciated gesture.

Well, as many of you know, first Triskelion announced that they were placing a temporary hold on print books- their plans just outpaced their abilities. But that left authors like Michele in limbo and, for many of them, also out the costs for the promo materials that they'd already paid for. Any planned joint events with TFDU were also abandoned. Then rumors started spreading that authors were no longer receiving royalties due them. After the first announcement about the print books, I was just going to go ahead and buy the ebook of Wicked Angels from Trisk, but after the later royalties rumors, I decided to wait and let the dust settle first.

Well, last week, Trisk's death knell sounded and they will be filing for bankruptcy on July 2. The best way I've found to follow what's been happening is through Dear Author. In addition to the links I've provided below, you'll find more events leading up to this announcement on the right side of the page these posts appear on:
06/20/2007 Triskelion Publishing Closes Its Doors
06/20/2007 Triskelion Bankruptcy Update- Contract Clause
06/23/2007 Triskelion Update: RWA Responds to Closing
06/24/2007 Author's Rights When a Publisher Files Bankruptcy

So, as it stands right now, it will be up to the bankruptcy court whether any authors receive royalties due them. And, depending on their specific contract, the court can also decide whether individual authors get the rights to their books back or whether those rights will now be owned by any successors of Trisk.

Today I received a package in the mail from Michele. It contained a lovely jeweled book thong that she handmade AND a signed copy of her upcoming Silhouette Nocturne release, Familiar Stranger (August 1, 2007) which sounds like a story I'm going to really enjoy. In the midst of all this frustration and heartbreak with Trisk, she remembered me. THAT'S a class act! I have high hopes that someway, someWHERE she will soon be re-releasing Wicked Angels. And I will be watching for it.

Class Act II: Jaci Burton
Last week, Jaci blogged "What I need is to hear from those of you interested in receiving an ARC of Hunting the Demon. First, you need to have a (verifiable) blog. Second, you need to vow not to blog about it until close to release date (August 28th). Third, you have to promise to read the book before then. (Duh).
So if you’re game, post here and when I get back in town after this coming weekend, I’ll choose some winners. How many? Don’t really know yet. I’ll see how many people are interested.
"

Here's today's blog post, "Okay, here’s the deal. If you posted on my Hunting the Demon ARC contest blog entry that you have a blog and you’re willing to read the ARC and post your thoughts about it, you win!"

That's it. No promises or expectations for a favorable review. No requirements for minimum blog readership. Hell, she didn't even ask if we had read and/or enjoyed the first book Surviving Demon Island (although I DID find it very enjoyable- see my Jaci pimpage). Her only requirements to be deemed ARCworthy were that we post our comments on our blog close to the August 28th release date and that we WANT to read Hunting the Demon. Another class act.

♥ BTW, I finished Jaci's Wild Wicked and Wanton and will pimp it post my commentary in the next day or two as soon as I can quit panting out loud long enough to write about it.

♥ And speaking of Class Acts, Annie Dean's new book, Your Alibi, released today over at Liquid Silver. It sounds delish, although she'll probably make me cry again, dammit!
ADDED: ACK! I almost forgot, have you read Annie's freakin' brilliant anti-promo, 13 Reasons Why You SHOULDN'T Buy "Your Alibi" ?

8 comments:

Ann Aguirre said...

Yep, but you'll laugh too.

Rhian said it had some "fall off your chair laughing" moments.

Anonymous said...

OH, that reminds me of something I meant to include in my pimpage!

*runs off to get the link from Annie's blog*

Ann Aguirre said...

The first review is in. Mrs Giggles gives it an 84. :D

Anonymous said...

Uh-oh... maybe we should be nervous. Mrs. G and I almost never like the same books!

;p

Rhian said...

QB - trust me - you'll like it! You like yer wenches feisty.

Got Jaci's Hunting ARC too and i'm beside myself with joy - especially since i missed the WW&W one due to being off blogland during that run. I beat up the Border's sales staff for a copy a few days before it was due to release. grin. LOVED WW&W!

okay - off to take bridal portraits in 95 degree weather. fuuunnnn.....

Anonymous said...

Ooops, sorry,Rhi. I missed your post in here. I hope you survived the photo session.

I remember Jaci's WW&W ARC contest, but I don't enter them unless I'm sure it's a book I want to read. Since I'm not much of a straight contemporary reader, I usually wait until they're released and I can do more research on them. But her giveaway paid off, because it created the word of mouth that enticed people like me to buy it.

Now, with Annie, I bought her first, "Guide", because I was curious to hear her voice, but I'll buy "Her Alibi" because I now know I probably WILL enjoy her voice- particularly after that anti-promo of hers!

Devon said...

The upcoming Michele Hauf does sound good. It's good she had other stuff going on with the Triskelion nonsense.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, she probably had a softer landing than some of the other Trisk authors because she has that cushion to fall back on. But it still has to be upsetting.

I've been keeping Familiar Stranger in my purse and only pulling it out to read when I'm waiting somewhere. That way, I can draw out the time until it's closer to it's actual release date before I comment on it. So far, though, I'm finding it really intriguing with some unique world building.

I'll probably read Jaci's Hunting the Hunter just as slowly since it's got an even later release date.

I know, I know... why don't I just read it, draft my commentary, and then not post it until release time? Well, because I ENJOY pimping books I like and it will be hard to wait!