- The "Final Four" of Everything American...

The Bracketology book: The Final Four of Everything is out now with my contribution on Best American Romances. As I don't profit from the sales, I figure it's OK to be excited about it.  I had solicited your opinions and am indebted to many for their thoughtful, challenging and helpful responses (I also post on other blogs and asked my Facebook friends to help!).

The Bracketology concept is simply taking what we see every year with the NCAA Basketball playoffs: selecting the top 32 teams & pairing them against each other to get to Sweet Sixteen, the Elite Eight, the Final Four and then the two top players' final match to declare a winner and applying it to things other than basketball. Bracketology is a great decision-making tool, a fund of entertaining argument (you may recall in Diner, the pitting of Sinatra Vs Mathis for who offered the best "music to make-out to," clearly a Bracketology moment) and it's a great way to clarify your own thinking.

Check out p.114 to see where the world of American Romance Novel's square off. I tried to capture samples from what I saw as significant sub-genres (romantic comedies, futuristic, inspirational, time-travel, multi-cultural, etc.) If you don't like the choices and didn't help out, then you have only yourself to blame!

And hey--it (and I) even got mentioned in the May 12 New York Times Paper Cuts by Gregory Cowles.

This book takes the Bracketology concept further, to 150 different segments. Check out categories like Movie Gunfights, Lousy Husbands, Celebrity Mugshots, First Ladies, Untimely Deaths. It's a great compilation from some impressive experts: Roz Chast, Manohla Dargis, Mary Matalin, Henry Beard and Christopher Cerf, A.O. Scott, and of course me. It's guaranteed to make you think, disagree, and want to use the method to build your own version. There's a blank sample to fill in in the book. 

But also, the publisher, Simon & Schuster, has created a truly fabulous site. You can amend the existing brackets or make you own--which are posted and can be send to friends and foes alike.

Check it out--you'll never think about your preferences in the same way again!

Enjoy!

- Some of Leslie Wainger's Pets

In response to the classic "Wassup?" Harlequin's Editor-at-Large Leslie Wainger had this to say:

"I’m mostly being surrounded by pets. I still have cats (three), and attached are pics of my puppy, Kaiya:


and my sugar gliders, Bug and Gobo:


There are definite advantages to working from home!"

And I said...WHAT are sugar gliders? Aside of the cutest things ever! Kaiya is pretty adorable too—looks smaller than a Chow—just young or something different?

And Leslie said, "Sugar gliders are tiny Australian possums. They're marsupials, like our possums, but otherwise very different. They glide (like flying squirrels) and have been kept as pets over here for about 15 years. In this picture you can see the gliding membrane folded up along their sides.


And Kaiya's a Shiba Inu (a Japanese breed). She's 10 months old and small for a female, but not by a lot. The perfect female is 14" at the shoulder and around 17 lbs., so they're a bit like very mini Akitas. They have big-dog attitude, though. She has no idea how small she is.


...And I think—yes, it's all about attitude. On the other hand, cuteness does count!

Trees

My childhood reading of Greek mythology and the Narnia books has meant trees are always magical to me. I love them in the winter, when no leaves obscure the beauty and remarkable uniqueness of their shape--each branch drawing a different line against the sky, gnarly, delicate, twiggy, smooth and reaching for the heavens. So Spring is bittersweet, bringing a future of rustling bushy green blobs.



But Washington, D.C. offers such a feast of spring attire, I thought I'd share. Sure, you've likely heard of the Cherry Blossoms, but D.C. is a citywide feast of flowering trees. Here are a few favorites in my neighborhood: I don't know what kind this is at 3236 N St NW--it has little snowball blossoms.



I love this Weeping Cherry at 3053 P St NW.



Here it is again with its companion Tulip tree. The house is a lovely frame.



The Tulip tree is beautiful against the gray stone of the Lutheran Church on Wisconsin Avenue and Volta Place.



This little Weeping Cherry is very elegant at 3201 P St NW.



I don't know what this red blossoming tree is at 3025 P St. NW, but it is bushy and enthusiastic. It kind of clashes with the painted red brick behind it, though. I fantasize about painting its companion house a dark cream...



Another Tulip tree by St John's Church on O St and Potomac NW. Technically they're called a Tulip Magnolia and are a hybrid. When they lose their petals, the sidewalks can get a bit slimey.



Yes, this ebullient row of Apple (maybe) borders the Georgetown Safeway Parking Lot. No one told them they should be dressing down for the environment.



Here is an alley beside 1235 Potomac St NW that started me off on this post. Just to remind us that "beauty is its own excuse for being" (Emerson) and that trees don't need a proper setting or occasion, they just do their job wherever they are. And I appreciate that.

- Information on the Google Settlement

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) and the Author's Guild launched a lawsuit against Google. Below is some background and information that might impact you.

Authors need to be notified about the Google Litigation Settlement Agreement. In October 2008, AAP announced that a Settlement Agreement had been reached which, upon court approval, would resolve the two pending Google Book Search copyright infringement lawsuits – a class action suit brought against Google by the Authors Guild, and a separate suit brought against Google by five AAP members supported by AAP.

Because it resolves a class action lawsuit, the Settlement Agreement, if approved, will affect the rights of all book authors, book publishers and other persons – both inside and outside the United States – who own a U.S. copyright interest in books or certain other copyrighted works that Google, without permission, has scanned or may scan and display. It is important that such “class members” receive timely notice of the Settlement Agreement so they may exercise their rights and options, including whether to opt out of the settlement or, if not, claim their books.

With AAP, the Authors Guild and Google are coordinating notice efforts to ensure that their combined actions will satisfy the class action legal requirement to provide “the best notice practicable under the circumstances, including individual notice to all members who can be identified through reasonable effort.” This is an effort to provide direct notice of the Settlement Agreement to authors and direct them to the official settlement website at http://www.googlebooksettlement.com.

Please pass this on to anyone you feel might be impacted or interested.

Thanks for your help.

- Check out Harlequin Insider

Harlequin announces the launch of Harlequin Insider, a desktop application that brings the interactive world of eHarlequin.com right to you. Get all the latest news from eHarlequin.com delivered directly to your computer desktop.

It's easy to set up and in just a few minutes, Harlequin Insider will be available at your fingertips. You'll get regular updates of new releases, hot titles, community events, daily reads, special offers and more...

You can also enjoy Harlequin's interactive daily polls and hero of the day feature.

Enjoy!

Sign up here!

Also Check out Harlequin on MySpace
Silhouette on MySpace
Harlequin on Twitter

Get Harlequinized! Too much is never enough....

HQE Press Release: Market leaders to create a series of Mystery Case Files books and Harlequin Presents games

Wanted to share a Harlequin Press Release, FYI...

Market leaders to create a series of
Mystery Case Files books and Harlequin Presents games

Toronto and Seattle, January 23, 2009—Harlequin Enterprises Limited, the global leader in series romance and one of the world's leading publishers of women's fiction, and Big Fish Games™, the world’s leading online destination for games and interactive entertainment, today announced a new licensing partnership.

In the summer of 2009, Big Fish Games will begin publishing interactive games inspired by Harlequin Presents, the most popular romance-novel series in the world, which regularly tops eRetailer and retail bookstore bestseller lists. These games will be sold on line exclusively at www.bigfishgames.com and at all major retail stores.

In the second quarter of 2010, Harlequin will begin publishing a branded series of books inspired by Mystery Case Files®, Big Fish Games’ award-winning franchise with over 3 million units sold. These novels will be written by Harlequin’s bestselling authors. Harlequin will be the first to publish women’s mystery fiction for Big Fish Games.

“We are delighted to be Big Fish Games’ partner in this venture,” said Donna Hayes, Publisher and CEO of Harlequin Enterprises. “Our companies share vast and rapidly growing female audiences. Our partnership with Big Fish Games will allow us to engage our customers in a truly unique manner.”

“The Harlequin and Big Fish Games brands are an excellent match,” said Jeremy Lewis, President and CEO of Big Fish Games. “Harlequin has a uniquely talented team, and we are thrilled to be collaborating with them in bringing these exclusive new products to our worldwide consumer base.”

In 2008, Harlequin sold 130 million books and enjoyed a total of 252 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. Almost half of all romance readers read Harlequin, and the company has some 13 million series readers. Harlequin sold a book every 4.1 seconds in 2008 and has sold 5.76 billion books since its inception. Also in 2008, Big Fish Games served its global customer base nearly 400 million games.

About Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Harlequin Enterprises Limited is the global leader in series romance and one of the world’s leading publishers of women’s fiction, with titles issued worldwide in 29 languages and sold in 107 international markets. The company produces more than 120 titles monthly and publishes more than 1,200 authors from around the world. Harlequin Enterprises Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation, a broadly based media company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TS.B). Harlequin’s Web site is located at www.eHarlequin.com. Harlequin has offices in 19 countries, including offices in Toronto, New York and London. For more information please visit www.eHarlequin.com or press.eHarlequin.com.

About Big Fish Games
Big Fish Games is the world’s leading online destination for games and interactive entertainment. Based in Seattle, Washington, Big Fish Games offers “A New Game Every Day™”. Big Fish Games works with more than 500 game developers and distributes over 1 million games per day to consumers worldwide. Big Fish Games Studios develops and publishes some of the industry’s leading brands, including Mystery Case Files®, Hidden Expedition®, Azada™ and Fairway Solitaire™. For more information, please visit www.mysterycasefiles.com and www.bigfishgames.com.

- Harlequin: Celebrating 60 years of pure reading pleasure

- 60 years
- 5.8 billion books sold
- 2,700 authors
- 34,000 titles
- 640 bestseller placements
- 1 Publisher

To thank our many readers for taking Harlequin into your hearts and homes for 60 years and making us the world’s leading publisher of romantic fiction, Harlequin is giving every woman in America a free book.

In fact, we’re giving away 16 free Books that you can download from our website, starting January 29!

Please share this giveaway with friends, family, neighbors – and with that colleague or acquaintance you know would love a romance if she (or he!) would just read one....

Here's a list of the free books:

Harlequin
Harlequin American Romance, Once a Cowboy by Linda Warren
Harlequin Blaze, Slow Hands by Leslie Kelly
Harlequin Historical, His Lady Mistress by Elizabeth Rolls
Harlequin Intrigue, Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch by B.J. Daniels
Harlequin Presents, Price of Passion by Susan Napier
Harlequin Romance, The Bride’s Baby by Liz Fielding
Harlequin Superromance, Snowbound by Janice Kay Johnson

Silhouette
Silhouette Desire, Baby Bonanza by Maureen Child
Silhouette Nocturne, Kiss Me Deadly by Michele Hauf
Silhouette Romantic Suspense, Stranded with a Spy by Merline Lovelace
Silhouette Special Edition, Dancing in the Moonlight by Raeanne Thayne

Steeple Hill Love Inspired
Love Inspired, A Very Special Delivery by Linda Goodnight
Love Inspired Historical, Homespun Bride by Jillian Hart
Love Inspired Suspense, Hide in Plain Sight by Marta Perry

Kimani
Kimani Romance, Irresistible Forces by Brenda Jackson

Nascar
Nascar, Speed Dating by Nancy Warren

You have to admit that is one compelling line up of great authors and great stories--something for everyone! You can download the books as a PDF or as an eBook. Moreover, in a couple of weeks you will be able to download a version for your iPhone.

Harlequin has a lot more celebrating planned throughout the year for their 60th anniversary including:

The Harlequin Famous Firsts Collection:
– In March, June and September, look for reissues of some of the very first series books written by current New York Times bestselling writers,

The Heart of a Woman:
- Harlequin Cover Art 1949-2009: Harlequin is sponsoring and exhibition of original cover art at the Openhouse Gallery, May 29 to June 12 in New York City.

Series Spotlight:
– Every month a different series is in the spotlight. Look for diamond-themed miniseries, series stars and more from all the Harlequin and Silhouette lines.

Little did Richard and Mary Bonnycastle know what they were starting 60 years ago when they founded Harlequin, but we’ve been satisfying women’s desire for romance, speaking to their hearts and transporting them beyond themselves ever since.

With hopes of continuing to touch your heart and share stories that will inspire, comfort and delight you in the years to come!