A Slice of Heaven

Boy meets girl. Boy and girl go ga-ga over each other, but fight the attraction. Boy and girl give in to their feelings and fall madly in love. Something happens to break boy and girl up. Boy and girl reunite and live happily ever after… Oh so sweet. Oh so simple. Traditional romance fans read this scenario time and time again, yet never tire of it.

Many can’t see the appeal of romance books. As a proud romance reader and author, I hear it all the time—Romance novels are too predictable—They’re nothing but female porn—They aren’t realistic—They don’t touch real issues…. Readers and authors of romance are often times made to feel like the unwanted bastard child who refuses to just disappear.

I’m sure some of you have felt it or perhaps seen the disdain when whomever you are speaking to says, “Oh, you’re reading romance…” I’ve been known to say, “So what do you find so wrong with reading about two people who fall in love, respect each other, complement each other, solve their issues and live happily ever after?” I’m sure you all have a few dozen defense of romance battle stories.

I know at times I could just scream. Or better yet, how about finding a romance readers paradise? Somewhere where other avid readers of romance gather to commune with people who actually LOVE a great LOVE story? How about meeting your favorite romance author—scratch that—how about meeting your favorite romance authors and actually getting to hang out with them instead of being rushed through the book signing line?

How about if you are one of the “lowly” romance authors? Imagine a place where you are welcomed and shown appreciation for your talent instead of being shunned as “not a real author.” This romance readers’ paradise is also a romance authors’ paradise because you are able to connect with your readers with real quality and a large quantity of time. In this place literary agents and publishing houses seek you out.

Ahhhhhhh yes, Romance Reader and Author Heaven.

Allow me to tell you about a slice of Heaven called the Romance Slam Jam Conference, an exciting, power-packed conference for readers and authors of Black romance. Sixty published authors, numerous aspiring authors and hundreds of avid readers are expected to attend the 2008 event. Thirteen years ago, Emma Rodgers and Ashira Tosihwe, owners of Black Images in Dallas, and Best Selling Author Francis Ray began the conference to demonstrate what Nikki Giovanni describes as “The Power, Passion and Pain of Black Love.”

Big names such as Beverly Jenkins, Donna Hill, Francis Ray, Rochelle Alers and other top notch authors will be in attendance, but the Romance Slam Jam conference is much bigger than the names of authors who attend. For a few days each year, readers and authors of Black romance come together and celebrate our love of the romance genre. We discuss books, industry trends, make new friends, catch up with old, conduct workshops, party… This conference has become more than a conference, and the attendees have become more than attendees. The attendees have become a family and the conference has become a reunion. It’s impossible to explain the depth of the relationships formed at this reader and author event. This is something you must experience.

The next Romance Slam Jam will be in Chicago from 30 April – 4 May 2008. To learn more about the Romance Slam Jam Conference, visit the website at http://www.romanceslamjamconference.com.

Much Joy Peace and Love

Deatri King-Bey

Proud Romance Reader and Author

http://www.deewrites.com

Man, look at this lady go.

Laura and I pitched an urban fantasy series a couple of weeks ago. I’m sure y’all remember me mentioning Good Touch from time to time. It’s along the lines of Patricia Briggs, but with my own voice / twist on the genre. Anne Sowards, my editor for the Jax books, compared me to Ms. Briggs. Of course, she also compared me to Jim Butcher, and I nearly melted into a puddle of boneless goo. They’re two of my favorite authors!

On Friday, Anne offered for my urban fantasy series on pre-empt — three book deal! She and Laura did some negotiating and they’ve worked out an amazing deal. We’ve officially accepted the offer now, so I’m free to squee about it.

And that’s on top of her other series. I’d say she’s the luckiest person I know, but it ain’t just luck with this lady. It’s blood, sweat, tears, and grit. Oh and motherfucking pure unadulterated talent. Hardest working woman I’ve ever met. She is a leaf on the wind. Watch her soar. Except without the ka-chunk part, I mean (those who saw Serenity know exactly what I’m talking about. I haven’t forgiven you yet, Whedon).

Darragha Foster is known for her… um… rather unique storylines to say the least. She’s given us a were-whale for a hero, an incubus with a penis made of ice, and a series involving horny Norse gods messing with us poor mortals. She’s known for her funny, quirky writing… so it stands to reason that her interview… would not be so normal.

Q: I hear you’re getting cut. You know…not circumcision or anything like that, but weight loss surgery. Tell me about it.

A: I am having lapband surgery on 9/19. It is not exactly getting “cut.” It’s more like “being poked.” But in a good way that doesn’t involve the bony fingers of Yentas or my husband’s penage. Of course, when the husband and I were asked to explain three things we are looking forward to after I lose some serious (and humorous) poundage, is elevator sex. He’s a big boy. 6′4″ and very strong. He’s gonna slam my back against the wall of a moving elevator and we are going to rock and roll up 30 floors. But I digress. Way too often. A lapband is laproscopic. No re-arranging of intestines or full-belly incisions required.

Q: What are you writing?

A: The sequel to The Orca King. Big Tom (the Orca King, himself) and his son, Tommy, meet Rule Jentry–an erotic romance reviewer hell-bent on destroying the good name of the author of The Orca King and any vestige of romance on Orcas Island. Yeah…I’m poking (what’s with all the poking?) fun at myself–and, ah…YOU…and some other nameless former and/or current reviewers in this book. I just wrote the “Rule sandwich on the forest floor in the rain” scene. Know what I mean? Well, do ya?

Q: What do you have coming out?

A: Of the closet? Oh, you mean new releases, huh? September: Mooncusser Cove. Mooncusser Cove — A modern day retelling of Frankenstein with a Brigadoon twist. Ghost ships! Curses! Land pirates! Vampires who feed on sexual energy! The persecution of witches! Just another day at Vespers by the Sea bed-and-breakfast at Mooncusser Cove. Molten Silver: kinks: public sex, the abuse of English cucumbers, antique car sex, alternative personal orifice sex, vampirism, possession, trickery, deceit and general acts of piratey mayhem.

And in October: Of Flesh and Blood, a “vampire” anthology with Tina Holland and Celine Chatilion. My tale is Polishing Saber.

Polishing Saber is not your average vampire tale. These ain’t your mama’s Carpathians. In Iceland, the vampires are tall, blonde and environmentally-minded. Vampires in the land of fire and ice is nice! Molten Silver: anilingus, consumption of sheep’s blood, the wearing of human skin.

Q: You are kind of the Liquid Silver Psychic Queen. You’ve been giving freebie quickie readings for a couple of years on the House of SiN forum. And man, you are scary good. I heard you’ve started giving full readings for $5.00. Why?

A: Because baby needs new shoes! I’m going to lose 70% of my fat (but never my PHAT) over the next year. I need some extra spending money for new clothes–even though one of my goals is to walk into Value Village or GoodWill and be able to buy funky clothing off-the-rack (which I can rarely do now). So, the deal is: one question for $5.00 or buy one of my books and email me the receipt to darragha @ gmail.com. My experience and a link to drop me a five-spot is on my blog: www.chameleons-on-plaid.com. You want a reference? Ask Bam!

It’s true. I’ve never been to believe tarot-readings or anything, but on a whim, I asked Darragha to give me a read. And damn, it was scary accurate. The lady has talent.

BFF Ann is giving away a bunch of stuff at her site including free downloads, free books, and oh, free bookstore money. Check this out.

But wait, there’s more! If you sign up for Action and Attitude, you’ll also have a chance at a $50 Amazon Gift certificate. To make things more interesting, if ya’ll act as my street team and get the word out there for me, so that we hit 500 names in the list, one month from now–that’s August 15–then I’ll double the prize money. That’s a shot at a free Benjamin in books just for telling folks to sign up. Not too bad, huh?

And all in celebration of the launch of her Google newsletter, Action and Attitude. Go to her site and check it out now.

Remember May’s Contest? Our friend Bettie Sharpe was one of the finalists with this entry:

In another time and place, they would have been lovers. If they’d met on the street or in a smoky bar some Saturday night, Arden wouldn’t have hesitated to lock his gaze, lick her lips, and move in for the metaphorical kill. But tonight, the kill was all too literal.

He was asleep, but his eyes snapped open when she tightened her garrote. God and the Devil, what a beautiful man! Coal black hair; ice blue eyes; firm lips that she longed to taste before the life went out of him. He even struggled beautifully.

“I’m sorry.” She’d never apologized to a kill before. “I wish things were different.”

His last breath came with a sputter of blood. She kissed his parted lips. He tasted of coppery cold blood, of smoke and whiskey. His heart was motionless beneath her hand, but Arden imagined she felt it beat. She closed her eyes.

And then she was on her back, pinned by the muscled weight of his body. Below his square jaw, the mark of her garrote had healed to a thin pink scar that curved upward toward his ears; a gruesome parallel of the smile that curved his blood-flecked lips.

Apparently, this little bit mobilized her to write a 25000-word novella that she submitted to Samhain. Well, guess what? Bettie’s piece got chosen to be a part of their 2008 Valentine’s Day Anthology, Strangers in The Night. How awesome is that?

CONGRATS, BETTIE!

See what happens when you enter my contests? ::smirks::

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