Every Woman Dreams…

I have spent countless hours today trying to put together a montage of actors who have performed in Jane Austen related movies and who celebrate birthdays in September. At the moment, I am giving up. There must be an easier way of doing this. I have tried Flickr and Rock You repeatedly. I do not think it has anything to do with the sites. It is just that I will be 63 years old in 2 weeks, and my brain does not comprehend the intricacies of so many social networking choices. I will master it, but not right now. If I stay on the computer much longer, it will be flying out the window to rest in the middle of my cul de sac. If anyone out there has a better idea, please let me know. I am at a standstill.

Best Authors on Facebook
By Jason Boog on Sep 02, 2010 04:23 PM

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/galleycat_reviews/best_authors_on_facebook_172455.asp
Who is your favorite writer on Facebook? Share your recommendation in the comments section and help us build a brand new GalleyCat Reviews directory.

Our Facebook page has grown rapidly this summer and more than 100 writers have already posted to our “New Books” section. However, a number of previously published authors emailed us wondering if they could include their work as well. Our Best Authors on Facebook directory will help them–allowing both published and self-published authors to connect with readers.

We’ve started the list with a few writers from our summer reading list, but the directory is hardly comprehensive. Share your favorite author on Facebook in the comments section below and we’ll add them to our growing directory.

Christa Allan: Author of Walking on Broken Glass.

Nicholson Baker: A contemporary American writer of fiction and non-fiction and professor at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland

L.A. Banks: Author of The Vampire Huntress Legend Series

Sonya Bateman: Author of Master of None

Meg Waite Clayton: Author of THE FOUR MS. BRADWELLS and THE LANGUAGE OF LIGHT is

Marcy Dermansky: Writer. Bad Marie, my book, is currently out in stores, occasionally placed on tables.

Morris Dickstein: Author of Dancing in the Dark: A Cultural History of the Great Depression and a distinguished professor of English and Theatre at CUNY Graduate Center.

Scott Edelman: American science fiction, fantasy, and horror writer and editor of SCI FI Magazine.

James Ellroy: Novelist and Death Dog of American Literature.

Robert Morgan Fisher: Novelist/Screenwriter/Musician/ Voice Actor.

Yasmine Galenorn: Author of The Sisters of the Moon series

William Gibson: Zero History, Spook Country, Pattern Recognition, and Neuromancer.

Laurell K. Hamilton: Author of the Anita Blake Series and the Merry Gentry Series

Monica Holloway: Author of Cowboy & Wills, story of Cowboy, the golden retriever puppy who changed her son’s life.

James Kaelan: Author of We’re Getting On and zero emission book tour advocate.

Kathleen Kaufman, author of The Tree Museum.

Karen Karbo: Author of The Gospel According to Coco Chanel: Life Lessons from the World’s Most Elegant Woman and How to Hepburn: Lessons on Living from Kate the Great

Nicole Krauss: Author best known for her novels The History of Love and Man Walks into a Room.

Erik Larson: “Isaac’s Storm (1999), about the experiences of Isaac Cline during the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America”

Mark Laxer: Author of The Monkey Bible

Laura Lippman: Author of fifteen books — the Tess Monaghan series, four stand-alones and a collection of short stories.

Melissa Marr: Author of the Wicked Lovely Series

Tom McCarthy: English novelist and conceptual artist.

Teresa Medeiros: Romance author of The Devil Wears Plaid and Some Like it Wild.

Rick Moody: Rick Moody is the author of eight published books and one forthcoming book (FOUR FINGERS OF DEATH).

Haruki Murakami: the author of Wind Up Bird Chronicle, and many other novels, short stories, and essays.

Amelie Nothomb: A Belgian novelist who writes in French.

Jason Pinter: Thriller writer/literary agent, author of The Mark, The Guilty, and The Stolen.

Nora Roberts: bestselling American author of more than 165 romance novels.

Gary Shteyngart: Author of The Russian Debutante’s Handbook, Absurdistan, and Super Sad True Love Story.

Rachel Shukert: Author of Everything Is Going to Be Great: An Underfunded and Overexposed European Grand Tour.

Clea Simon: Mystery author, most recently of “Grey Matters” with “Dogs Don’t Lie” (first pet noir!) and “Grey Zone” to come in 2011.

Andrew Smith: Author of GHOST MEDICINE and IN THE PATH OF FALLING OBJECTS

Vendela Vida: Author of The Lovers, Girls on the Verge, And Now You Can Go, and Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name.

Jennifer Weiner: Author of Good In Bed, In Her Shoes, Little Earthquakes, and Goodnight Nobody.

Of course, I would not mind my own name showing up this list or the number of comments which follow it, but I will not put my name on there as some authors did. I like the list though and could easily add to it. 

How about you? Whom would you add?

Writers of Jane Austen fiction

cordially invite you to the

Launch

of

‘Austen Authors’

and to share in our passion for her world

… because there’s never enough Jane Austen.

We look forward to the pleasure of your company on

Monday, September 6, 2010,

and daily thereafter.

Throughout September, during our Launch Extravaganza, there will be posts by many of your favourite Austen-related fiction writers as well as contests, quizzes, a scavenger hunt, oodles of information, spotlight guest Amanda Grange (Mr. Darcy Vampyre), new release parties, author introductions, entertainment, humour, polls, secrets, recipes, games galore, and giveaways of gifts and books from the authors and their publishers. Mark your calendar, join us, and be sure to post comments.

“My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.”
~ Jane Austen ~

Yesterday, I had a “me” day. I got up early and walked my 5 mile loop (seeing lots of my former students going off to school … I smiled thinking of retirement). Then I came home to do a little yard work. I shampooed the downstairs’ carpets (got company coming for my birthday in September), laid out in the sun for about 90 minutes, and then I read a novel for the rest of the day. Thank you Adele Ashworth for letting me escape into the world of Victorian England. I love doing this. I read voraciously, but with writing novels now, I have have less time to read. I normally read every night before I go to bed. Ashworth’s book had a compelling plot, interesting characters, some salacious scenes, and a bit of humor…all things to capture my attention.

I hate rewrites, but they are a necessary evil for authors. I have spent the last two days combing over sentence after sentence, looking for errors. I feel like I am back in the classroom again. Grammar is usually not my problem; I have a fairly good grasp of English constructions. For me, it is description and sometimes point of view. Even using an all-knowing narrator, things get boggled at times. This latest book is the first in a series. I needed to plant clues and details in this one, which will play out in the others, but that changes the point of view. I finally just let it go. Only another writer would criticize it, especially if the piece is entered in a contest, but what can I do? Sometimes, contest remarks are very helpful. Often, I enter to just to receive some feedback. If I know something is not working, and I do not know how to fix it, I will enter a contest (usually RWA sponsored) just to have someone tell me what I should fix. Most of the time, I do know; I just do not want to admit it. However, sometimes a person gives me a comment that really puzzles me. For example, I entered my vampire book in a paranormal category, and one judge told me it was in the wrong category. The books has a plethora of vampires, one dhampir, a cemetery slaughter, and several ghosts. How is that not paranormal, I wondered? Oh, well, I cannot judge for someone else. I pretend it does not matter what others say. I say “pretend” because we all care how others judge us.

I spent a good portion of last evening researching herbal cures used in the early 1800s for two separate books. The first is my newest one entitled “The Scandal of Lady Eleanor” (aka “A Touch of Gold”) and the second is a novella I am developing called “His American Heart Song.” Anyway, with both I found a most interesting source by Martha Bradley and written in 1756. It is called “The British Housewife.” The use of leaves of tansy to prevent a miscarriage … two drachms of gum armoniacum dissolved in a half pint of hyssop water for asthma … a mixture of comsrey roots, liquorice, curants, balm, thyme, and garden sorrel for consumption … were fascinating. We all remember such uses of nontraditional medicine. A slice of potato on a boil. Touching one’s chin to his chest to determine if he has the mumps. Silver on an acid blister. It made me start to think of how often those cures and diagnoses worked. So, dear reader if you too remember some such “miracle” to which your parents subjected you, please share with the rest of us. I, for one, would be most anxious to learn what else is out there. By the way, this is what the book says for a sprain. “Take common clay and boil it in white wine vinegar till it is of the thickness of a salve. Spread this upon a linen cloth and apply it to the part affected. Let it lie on till it is dry, and if the complaint is not removed apply a second time, and it will not fail of a cure.” Of course, Martha Bradley had never experienced the red clay we have in the South. If so, she would have known that the application of wet red clay and letting it dry would be equivalent to applying a modern day cast to the sprain. When red clay dries on something, you might as well plan on throwing it out. It cannot be removed from shoes or clothing easily.

Cosmopolitan® recently posted their list of best songs to which to work out. As I am trying to lose some 20 pounds (what women isn’t?), then I thought I would check it out. This is what Cosmo suggested:
“Circus” by Britney Spears
“4 Minutes” by Madonna and Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland
“Disturbia” by Rihanna
“Just Dance” by Lady Gaga
“The New Workout Plan” by Kanye West
“Shut Up and Let Me Go” by the Ting Tings
“Fighter” by Christina Aguilera
“So What” by Pink
“Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie
“Wherever, Whenever” by Shakira
“Ring the Alarm” by Beyoncé
“Send Me on My Way” by Rusted Root
“Like a Prayer” by Madonna
“La Camisa Negra” by Juanes
“Flat on the Floor” by Carrie Underwood
“Lit Up” by Buck Cherry
“Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor
“Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen
“B.O.B.” by Outkast
“Everlong” by Foo Fighters
Although I can say I enjoy lots of these, I have my own list.
Billy Ocean – “Loverboy”
Bon Jovi _ “It’s My Life”
Bon Jovi – “Livin’ on a Prayer”
Bon Jovi – “You Give Love a Bad Name”
The Spinners – “Rubberband Man”
Chicago – “I’m a Man”
Irene Cara – “Fame”
Bachman-Turner Overdrive – “American Woman”
BTO – “Let It Ride”
BTO – “Takin Care of Business”
Spice Girls – “Wannabe”
Young MC – “Bust a Move”
What gets you up and moving??

Have we not all at one time or another felt like a zombie? We work ourselves into a mindless blob of humanity.
My last blog was on vampires, so I thought I would give equal to  zombies. It is true that in the American media that zombies regularly appear, especially in so-called “troubled times.” For example, Night of the Living Dead (1968) came along during the Vietnam era. Zombies are an unfinished portrait of what scares us, and they reflect the crisis of the moment.
I read an article recently, which claimed we are polluted with zombie movies when a Republican is in office and with vampire movies when a Democrat takes over. The idea is that Democrats are afraid of upper class America, and believe the rich are milking the country dry, and the Republicans fear a revolt of the masses. If one looks at it that way, it makes sense that when the first Bush was in office that we had 183 zombie flicks in seven years. During the Clinton years we were given Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Blade, Interview with a Vampire, Bram Stroker’s Dracula, etc.
Where vampire films are often the metaphor for any misunderstood minority (gays and lesbians, etc.), zombies are used as an analogy for society’s bigger ideas (the Cold War, disease, pollution, etc.). They reflect our greatest fear at the time.
Zombies are virtually “unkillable,” are biodegradable, possess a perverse single-mindedness, have no supernatural powers, and are “lovingly” hideous. They are the monsters of the people!

I recently wrote a vampire version of Pride and Prejudice. As my book was set in Regency England (1800-1820), even the legend of Dracula could not serve as a basis because Bram Stoker’s classic came out in 1897. Therefore, it took me some time to sort out how I wanted to handle the “vampirism” in the book. I was influenced by several other vampire stories over the years.
In Dracula, Stoker really is using Count Dracula as a combined symbol of old world superstitions and modern economic improvements. It was the Victorian era, and the people had many fears, among them the fear of sexuality and the British fear of being conquered by an “outsider.” Both are evident in the book. Dracula is a member of the noble class who must mingle with those of a lower class to survive. As far as feminism is concerned, please recall that in Dracula, all vampires are female (except Count Dracula). Vampirism gives them the male trait of being the perpetrator. However, Stoker’s vampires bear little resemblance to humans. Dracula, for example, has an insatiable thirst for blood. When he kills, he does so purely to sustain his own existence. He has no guilt or moral qualms about killing. Dracula’s immortality imprisons him; he has no companions except those he captures and entraps in his home. A stake or a crucifix or clove garlic are the weapons of choice to be rid of the count, where fire does not affect him.
At one time, I read Anne Rice regularly. We all remember Lestat De Lioncourt, Rice’s main character in her Vampire Chronicles. With Lestat, the reader had a different type of vampire. Lestat possessed the human qualities of having a mind and a spirit. We found in him a vampire who did not kill just to kill. The “hunt” was part of the experience. One might find Lestat discussing philosophy or politics. In fact, he has an unusual collection of talents, and we find him to be very passionate. He makes his “lovers” people we might never associate with vampirism (a nun, for example). He seeks friendship from the mortals he turns. Lestat has an eternal soul. Unlike Dracula, Lestat cannot be killed by a stake or a crucifix. Lestat even slept in a church in one of the books. Rice has her vampires killed by fire or by being placed in sunlight, where they ignite into flames.
Vampire legends say that the vampire must be an animated corpse, who claws out of his grave to feed upon human blood. He is dirty and foul-smelling. Yet, the modern vampire is an immortal creature, who retains his youth and lives forever, something very appealing to our youth and sex obsessed culture. He is the eternal bad boy, forever able to indulge in dark desires and sexual urges. The vampire who exhibits self-control is a new phenomenon. Add a bit of compassion, and one has “Twilight.” The post 9/11 world does not look favorably on people or beings who hide in plain sight, yet, have the ability to kill us. Therefore, our recent vampires are less likely to be portrayed as monsters. I, seriously, believe that the paranormal literature we are currently experiencing is an aftermath of our youth growing up reading the Harry Potter series. Paranormal books are a more sophisticated fantasy.

This comes from the summer 2010 JASNA News:

“The latest Jane Austen film adaptation, Pride and Prejudice: A Modern Day Tale of First Impressions, was filmed in May and June of this year and is currently in post-production editing. Scheduled for release in December or January of 2011, the film should be available on DVD sometime in the spring.

“The new Pride and Prejudice is a project of PaperCut Productions and was filmed in Colorado using the state’s mountains, forests, and meadows as the film’s backdrop. Although this version of Pride and Prejudice is set in the contemporary United States, the film will be using the original dialogue from the novel; however, there will be no British accents.

“Caleb Grusing, who plays Fitzwilliam Darcy, says that ‘the script is very fun. There are all the classic phrases that the Pride and Prejudice fans will be waiting for, plus a new modern spin on the text.’ According to the film’s screenwriter, producer, and director Bonnie Mae, who describes herself as ‘a huge Jane Austen fan,’ in spite of the use of cars and the absence of bonnets and riding boots, the novel’s plot remains unaltered: ‘There will still be balls, mansions, proposals, and, yes, a happy ending.'”

I am ready for a little more Jane Austen in my life. How about you?