Recs!  I love reading reviews – sometimes I find a gem in a genre that isn’t exactly my cup of tea, like Steampunk and YA.  I just bought a used copy of Kathleen Givens’ Historical set in 13th century Scotland, Rivals for the Throne.  Historicals aren’t among my usual suspects, but this book was highly recommended by a book blogger and her readers – I bought it before I left and it was waiting for me on my porch when I returned.  I wish I could remember which blogger featured the book…sorry!

Interaction!  Book bloggers like to…well…let me qualify that…many book bloggers like to interact with authors.  They are happy to read and review our books, and feature interviews, guest blogs and givaways.  They make me feel welcome!  It’s a quid pro quo kind of thing – very participatory and I love that!  Susi over at Book Lovers Inc. gave my coming sci fi book, Daughters of Persephone, a plug in her new releases post – I believe she plans to post her interview with me today or tomorrow as the book comes out tomorrow…fingers crossed!  http://book-lovers-inc.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-releases-week-of-july-12-18-2010.html

Hilarity!  Jessica over at Read React Review and her ROTFLMAO review, or rather, nuview, of Passion, by Lisa Valdez.  I just about peed my pants reading her post!  http://www.readreactreview.com/2010/07/06/review-passion-by-lisa-valdez/#comments

Education!  Rebecca, at Dirty Sexy Books, Jessica at Read React Review, Chris at Stumbling Over Chaos, Kelly at Five Agents and a Funeral, and everybody at Dear Author – are all really smart as opposed to snark.  They manage to enlighten without insulting. I’m likely to come away from one of their posts with a new perspective on an author or a genre or the publishing industry in general.  Thanks, ladies!

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Meeting new people.

Have you been watching the World Cup?  I have, along with Susi, The Geeky Bookworm, over in Berlin, Germany!  We’ve watched together, screamed, hooted and hollered, and cheered over google chat.  It’s been great!  Well…except for the United States losing, that is.  Susi and I agree that the vuvuzelas have to go.

Speaking of Germany, an author contacted me about my post on the true identity of Will Shakespeare entitled, The Dark Lady.  Lev Raphael left me this erudite comment regarding the article I quoted:

“It’s a lovely fantasy, but Reform Judaism’s editors should have been more thorough and done some fact checking.  Bassano Lanier was not a Jew, first  of all.  Her mother wasn’t, and there’s no proof whatsoever that her father was.  As for the rest of the story, it’s a lovely fantasy constructed out of half-facts and suppositions and starts from a false premise: Shakespeare couldn’t have written the plays.  This premise took root in the mid 1800s, more than two hundred years after Shakespeare died. That should give people pause.
Interested readers should check out James Shapiro’s “Contested Will,” Irvin Matus’s “Shakespeare in Fact,” and http://www.bibliobuffet.com/book-brunch-columns-322/1304-anyone-but-shakespeare-062010

Mr. Raphael is the author of My Germany.  He’ll be speaking in Berlin this fall.

http://www.levraphael.com
Watch an excerpt of the book at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFhrajH-6AE

Yes, I’d like to think that Shakespeare was a woman – it’s a very romantic notion, ah well…

Thanks to the blog hop, I’ve met some great new book bloggers, like Steph at Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust.  We’ve been discussing True Blood.  http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspot.com/

And today I was thrilled to find a new-to-me site, (it’s a long story), Kelly and Five Agents and a Funeral – a name I find hilarious!  http://www.fiveagentsandafuneral.com/

News:  Little by little, I’m doing better.  I’m no longer crying all the time.  I can’t wait to see the puppies, but that won’t be until we get back from ten days in Montana – leaving on Friday.  Author Stacey Espino has had a great week with her new release, Saving Grace.  I think she’s like, um, numero uno over at Siren.  I’m sending many positive thoughts to my friends, authors Regina Carlysle and Paris Brandon who’ve faced some tough personal challenges lately.  All right, going to bed, night.

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