Blogvertisement Rules Coming?

Found on Consumerist.com last night, Consumerist says (via Consumer Reports) that the Federal Trade Commission is proposing to require bloggers to post whether or not they have received payment or compensation to post and or discuss an item on said blog.

Personally I think this it's only right that bloggers tell people when they have received compensation to review/discuss/promote items on a blog. Here on my blog, I will put a note in the post and in the tags on the bottom of the post if I've received a promotional copy (arc or galley) of a book. I do very few of these. The majority of books reviewed or discussed here are either owned by me or a member of my family, was a gift or was borrowed from the library.

What do you think?

Graphic Novels & NY Times

Click link in the title above to read article. You may need to register to read it, that's free. The New York Times will be ranking best selling graphic novels, including manga. I read several manga online & I enjoy them quite a bit. They're a little too rich for my blood, especially since they're so quick to read, but I'm hopeful our libraries will buy some series to keep the kids happy. I hope to order some from the library, notably Persepolis (sp??) and Watchmen. I hope to use the list to find others.

There is also a new site, related to Bookreporter.com, called Graphic Novel Reporter that has all kinds of new info, including a blog and a newsletter, all related to graphic novels.

Miscellaneous

First: Found via Walker of Worlds Random House has started a new site called Suduvu, where you can download books from them & they're offering five titles free this month! They are: His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik, Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb, Settling Accounts: Return Engagement by Harry Turtledove, Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson and Blood Engines by T.A. Pratt. If you sign up for their emails they will notify you when they have more free titles (monthly?). I downloaded the Naomi Novik title.

Second: I'm giving up on the Helen of Troy audiobook, strictly because it's too long, I'm too far behind & I keep forgetting them in the car & they go back and forth to work with Hubby. :( I've no renewals left.

Third: I'm currently buried under a windfall of library treasures, most of which are on their second renewal. I just picked up three more today & another is coming via interlibrary loan.

Fourth: My reading pace is slowing down. Like the famous molasses flood in January in Boston- sssslllllooowwwwweeeerrrrr and sssslllooowwwwwweeeerrrr and sssssllllooooowwwwwweeeeerrrrrrrr..

Stomach Flu

Strikes Bookwormom Central. Probably off line through the weekend. :(

New link added

I added a new link I found over on My Friend Amy. It's a new site called Here be (Book) Reviews. It's a book review blog aggregator- a metablog. You can sign up for the feed and add your book blog to the roll.

It's Book Blogger Appreciation Week

This is the inaugural year of Book Blogger Appreciation Week. I found out about it too late to nominate anyone, and then forgot to make a note of it, and thus I've missed the first few days. Looks like Amy's is a place to put on your feed reader or your blogroll or both in order to keep up with the suggestions and ideas.

World Peace

is totally out of reach. Have you READ THIS? This is so ridiculous.

A New Adventure

Last week I was contacted by Access Romance to be a guest Gabber, LOL, one Thursday a month. There are other bloggers in the online romance community who already post on Mondays: KristieJ and JMC, Tara G. and Robin are the others. Tara Gelsomino was managing editor at Romantic Times and Robin is a regular commenter on Smartbitches. KristieJ and JMC are both linked on my sidebar, as is Smartbitches. I'll be joining RfP and Devon and Rosie on Thursdays beginning this month.

I'm excited and flattered and surprised to be asked to blog for them, TBH. I hope it will force my flabby "leetle grey cells" to quote my favorite Belgian detective. Not to mention exercising my soggy writing and observation skills. My first post will be up on Thursday November 29th.

Thanks to the ladies at Access Romance for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts on my favorite genre!

October 15

Please participate. Visit their blog HERE. On October 15 members of the blogosphere, such as ourselves, have been asked to post about an environmental issue close to their hearts. Much like Smart Bitches Day (each Monday) hopes to raise the content and tone of conversations about books, the hope of blog action day is to raise consciousness and concern about our little blue marble and how we're killing her.

Maili- Take care

And return to us soonest. I hope all is well. Brussels must be hectic. Hugs.

In case anyone's wondering, Maili's blog has disappeared. Last I heard she was moving to Brussels in January, but her blog addy was suspended & is now gone. If anyone has heard from her or knows if she has a new blog going please leave a link.

Dry Spell

I'm going through kind of a dry spell with the blog. Not feeling very motivated to post or surf (say it ain't so!) but I've been reading much more than before. So I decided to slow down with the posting a little and only put up my thoughts about what I'm reading. Hopefully, less time in front of the computer will help the creative juices replenish.

Meantime, I hope everyone else out there is ok & doing fine. I have been surfing a little bit, usually from my cell phone which won't allow me to post messages. So I'm kinda keeping track, but I'm not necessarily leaving messages. I feel kinda guilty about not being here every day, but I'm sure I'll be back to form soon.

Public Service Announcement

Below is a request from Karen (link in the title above & in the text below), which I'm happy to pass along.


Racism In Publishing, How Does It Affect You?

Are you an African American author who’s been published for at least one year? If so Karen Scott wants to hear from you.

She’s conducting a survey based on the racism within the publishing industry, and whether or not it’s as prevalent as some believe. She’s looking for black or African American authors who have been published for at least one year.


She would like to know about your specific experiences within the industry thus far. She wants to know how AA authors feel about the current shelving policies, and niche marketing. She wants to know who you feel is to blame for the problems that you face. She also wants your suggestions on how things can be improved upon.


In all, there are twenty questions in the survey, and all that she asks is that people be as honest as possible. Confidentiality is assured if requested, but for the findings to yield more weight, she would request that she be granted permission to directly quote from the answers given by the authors.


She’s hoping to poll at least 100 AA authors, in an effort to ensure that a fair representation is achieved.


If enough authors agree to partcipate, (and depending on the findings) the results may well be sent to representatives within media and press. No promises that Oprah will hear about it, but all efforts will be made to get the message out.


If there are AA authors out there interested in participating in this poll, please e-mail Karen at hairylemony @ gmail. com (without the spaces) with the subject header ‘Please send me the survey'.


The deadline for the survey to be completed and returned to Karen is March 1st 2007

Thursday Thirteen #24- 13 New Links

13 new links added to my roll on the sidebar. All of these people and places have been bookmarked on my 'puter for a while, but I've dragged along about putting them here. So- enjoy.

BTW- If you've posted a Thursday Thirteen leave a link in the comments & I'll link to you here.



1. Paperback Writer~ Great stuff about the writers' side of publishing.

2. Sara Donati/Rosina Lippi~Author site

3. My Cat Hates You~ Hilarious photos

4. Risky Regencies~Multiauthor blog

5. Science Fiction/Fantasy Writers~News and reviews

6. Flylady~ Need more time to surf & blog? Speed up & improve your housecleaning here.

7. Chocolate & Zucchini~ Fantabulous recipies from France

8. Holly~ Reader blog

9. Everyone Needs Therapy~ Family therapist offers great advice for those of who are stressed. And who isn't, these days??

10. Poets.org~ My favorite source

11. Unusual Historicals~ Author blog

12. MeganomicsArticulate & funny blogger, via Sum of Me, who is the source of pupdates.

13. Green Man Review~ Review site

Baaad, baad girl

Sorry about being AWOL yesterday. Husband has been home for two days due to back pain. Poor guy's been sleeping on the livingroom floor. Also- he sent the younger two kids up into the attic to fetch down the Christmas boxes. ALL of the Christmas boxes. Most of which I can't display because the house is simply too small. I have alot of stuff. And NO- I won't part with any of it. SO THERE. lol ;)

He made delicious cream of chicken soup & cornbread for dinner. After that I had to escape. I'm a bad wife, I know. I just couldn't take the stacks of boxes and paper and the kids were all fighting and..Aching back and all there he was, all alone, with all three of the kids, boxes piled up to the ceiling and his wife takes off. The Daughter set up my M&M Christmas village on the piano. As predicted, the piano is barely big enough to hold them. They found the pinecone wreath and put it on the door.

A little more decorating, plus the outdoor lights and they're pretty much done with the decorating. I've not bought cards, although we recieved one yesterday. Some shopping done but not much, really. I could wrap what we do have, I think. I hate to wrap at the last minute.

There's an interesting discussion at Smartbitches about LKH and her Anita Baker series (which I don't read). The outpouring of grief over Anita's changes and anger toward LKH's percieved authorial shortcomings is remarkable. Readers' love for and loyalty to the 'original' Anita kinda warms my heart. That so much affection can be held for a character still surprises me a little. Then again, many people love Jamie Frasier and would gladly kill off Claire to get to him, so...

Speaking of holidays, Marg & Kailana are putting together a Christmas tour. Participants can blog about any holiday oriented theme they like- recipes, memories, traditions, etc. Need not be Christmas specifically- any winter holiday you celebrate. I think they have two days left open. My day is the 20th.

Lovely Salome has started a new Yahoo group devoted to Unusual (read~not UK or Regency period set) Historicals. There are four surveys up too. Go check it out. I for one think Romancelandia needs more diversity in all ways- especially era, setting, etc.

McVane/Maili is back!!!!!

RUN OVER THERE and say hi!!! I kinda got the impression she didn't think anyone would miss her. She' sooo wrong, poor mite (to borrow a phrase from her, lol). I checked her blog daily for months..Anyone who reads steampunk romance, please dash over there & give the girl a recc or two or three. I don't read them, but she wants new ideas.