Julia Barrett's World

And she’s Mia Watts!

So Mia’s here and we’re getting along great, both typing away on our laptops while honey-bun watches baseball – because you know, baseball been bery bery good to me!  She’s just as crazy funny as she says she is, and you get another stream of consciousness post!

No, actually, for a laugh head over to Mia’s site – she should have her new post up soon!  Her brain is very scary, even off drugs!  http://miawatts.blogspot.com/

Anyway, here’s my Scottish post:

This is Nigel.  Nigel is my Scottish friend.  Actually, he’s one of a triad, Nigel, Karen and Janice.  Janice and I are partners in crime – we get into big trouble when we ride horses together.  Karen follows our lead, leaving Nigel behind to yell at us.

Way up north in Montana, Nigel and Karen have a room next to ours. All last week after riding, Nigel sat in a chair right outside my door, downing his beer, calling…

“Arrrrrrre ye wrrrritin’ yer smut, now, lassie?”

“No, Nigel, I’m editing my smut.”

“Ah, lassie, I hearrrrrd ye prrrrracticin’ last night.  Werrrrrre ye worrrrrkin’ on a scene, then?”

“Nigel!!!”

“Weel, I couldna help but hearrrrr ye carrrrryin’ on!”

“Nigel!!!”

“Dunna think to be puttin’ me in one o’ yer smutty novels then.”

“You’re going into my next novel in full kilt, Nigel!”

“Ye wouldna darrrrrre!”

“And you’re going commando beneath it and I’m going to write you into a scene where the wind is blowing, a gale force wind!”

“A trrrrue Scot is no’ afearrrrred o’ the wind!”

“When I blow your kilt over your head in front of the Queen you will be!”

“The Queen knows a rrrrreal Scot wearrrrrs nothin’ but what God gave him beneath his kilt.  Go on with ye, wrrrrite yer smut!”

Ah Nigel…I can’t wait until next year when we can pick up our conversation where we left off!  And you are going into one of my books!

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Note the size difference….

According to neuropsychiatrist, Dr. Louann Brizendine, romance writers have had it right all along, a man does think with what’s between his legs!

She says, and I quote, “Women don’t always realize the penis has a mind of it’s own – for neurological reasons.    The male brain has an area for sexual pursuit 2.5 times larger than female brains.”

Her book, The Male Brain, was released last week.  My question for women is – Does this come as a surprise?  Anyone?

In other news, as ebooks and ereaders become increasingly popular, authors in all genres are going to have to make sure to hook a reader in the first twenty pages…I’ll go a step farther.  I say authors had better hook the reader in the first ten pages or less.  If you own a Kindle, as my hubby does, you can download the first twenty pages of any book for free – even with my novella, Captured, you can download the first twenty pages for free via Amazon.  My husband said there was a work of nonfiction he was interested in so he downloaded the first twenty pages to check it out.  He knew within five pages that he had no further interest in the book so he didn’t buy it.

Those of us already in the epublishing world have been working under the premise that we must hook publishers, editors, and readers within the first few pages, sometimes in just a paragraph or two.  Do I dare venture to say that we may have a leg up? Let me put it this way – a few months back I bought an expensive hardcover book based on a friend’s rec and Amazon reviews.  The book wasn’t available on Kindle and there was no look inside feature.  The book sucked and I felt totally ripped off.  If I’d had the opportunity to read the first twenty pages, I would have known immediately that this was not the book for me and I would have skipped it altogether.  So yes, I believe ereaders will change buying habits, especially if you can download a free excerpt from the book.

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