Book Releases
Released on: April 3 2012
Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Released on: April 3 2012
Released on: April 3 2012
Released on: April 3 2012
Released on: April 3 2012
Released on: April 3 2012
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Released on: April 1 2012
Above by Leah Bobet
Released on: April 1 2012
Released on: April 1 2012
*Once again, a huge thank you to Stories and Sweeties for providing an excellent guide toward compiling this list.
Book World News
Cyn Balog, YA author of Touched, has called in her Swan Song. Balog has, in the past, had a very rocky relationship with the blogging community after a series of posts ill-received by reviewers. Balog has now decided to leave the writing business despite having a book on the precipice of release.
The post has since been deleted and replaced with an announcement that the blog will no longer be updated. The gist, however, was such:
For fans of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, there’s some good news. Fox News has optioned the film rights.
From Publisher’s Weekly:
After switching his representation in Hollywood, author John Green has closed a deal with Fox 2000 for his new YA novel, The Fault in Our Stars. The deal comes shortly after Green moved from William Morris Endeavor to United Talent Agency for his film representation. It also comes on the heels of the publication of his new book, which Green promoted, over the summer, by announcing he would sign every first edition in the hefty 150,000-copy initial printing from Dutton.
And, because the blaze of glory that the Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy is currently having, doesn’t seem to be stopping, it’s time to report that it too has been optioned and the rights sold to Universal Pictures and Focus Features.
From Entertainment Weekly:
Universal Pictures and Focus Features announced this morning they have acquired film rights to the novel authored by TV executive and mother of two, E.L. James, with plans to create a trilogy out of the novel and its two sequels. “At its core, this is a romance of the most emotionally resonant, but delicate, order — and we look forward to working with our colleagues at Universal to transform E.L. James’ vision into a great film,” says Focus Features chief James Schamus.
Fans of Harry Potter are going to be delighted to learn that the books are finally available as Ebooks from Rowling’s Pottermore site.
Books can be purchased either individually or as a bundle.
Also, Pottermore sneak peak Video? Have a look! Pottermore will be available to the general public early April.
In the larger, professional world of book reviewing, the place and propriety is being called into question – as evidence by this article by Arthur Krystal. This prompts Ron Charles gives an impassioned endorsement for professional reviewers to use more vitriol and bile. I personally applaud this effort and will be researching ways in which to do this.
Best quote:
And speaking of zombies: Bland plot summaries, worn out compliments and the requisite quibbles have surely done more than excess bile to drain the life out of the nation’s book review sections. I look longingly at the fist-fights in British newspapers and wish we could roll up our sleeves more often in this country. But that would require aggrieved authors to fight back, instead of quietly enduring critics’ abuse. I can’t quite accept Krystal’s complaint about negative book reviews, but I’m all in favor of his concluding advice to writers: “Make noise. Call attention to the offending review. In fact, write that letter to the editor that everyone enjoins you not to write and in a few deft strokes outline the reviewer’s bias and how he or she misread, obfuscated, and distorted your work.”
At the very least, we’d all have more robust review pages.
-Ron Charles, The Washington Post
Scandalous Scandals
This one is almost too long and convoluted to get the full story, but here at Cuddlebuggery, we don’t understand statements like “This author will threaten libel lawsuits like they’re going out of fashion, so be careful.”
It’s all just nonsense words to us!
So it’s starts with the release of The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton from her own press, Immortal Ink Publishing. It gets some good reviews.
Then it gets some average reviews. So the author ever so innocently tweets the negative review.
Which, surprise, surprise, means that Hamilton’s small fanbase heads over to attack the reviewer. On another review, the author and some of her fans try to reach out and try to explain where the reviewer is getting it wrong. Which goes about as respectfully and positively as it always does.
Hamilton later believes that people are purposely downvoting positive reviews and so does the professional, clear-headed response of…requesting people upvote the reviews?
The author also takes to Fangs For the Fantasy to explain where they, too, are getting it wrong. This leads to an argument, angry tweets and eventually a blog post by Hamilton.
But this is all fine because, as Hamilton explains in her own words below, she wasn’t arguing with the review or reviewer, she was arguing with the person! Never mind that the entire discussion over the term “crazy” began with Hamilton correcting the reviewer over their opinion of her representation of minority groups…
But the fun and frivolity doesn’t end there, because as far as complete and utter public meltdowns go, she still hasn’t matched Kony’s founder, Jason Russel.
Hamilton gets into a discussion on Absolute Write regarding her new Publishing company. I should point out that this thread is in a section of Absolute Write designed for vetting publishing companies for the benefit of authors looking to ensure they’re as informed about the company as possible in regards to viability, professionalism, and ability to make authors money without bottoming out and finding themselves in debt to their clients (the authors). Things turn sour very, very quickly when AW’s request basic information about Hamilton’s credentials – and Hamilton starts a fight over it. The thread spans 10+ pages.
It ended with Hamilton threatening libel and a possible lawsuit both on the thread and this tweet here:
I want everyone to know that this is ALWAYS the responsible and proper way to end an argument on the internet that centers on proving your professionalism.
Accusations fly from Hamilton that Absolute Write is personally attacking her, lying, and editing/deleting posts to make her look bad.
Some favourite responses:
Eventually, Hamilton apologizes – only, not really because she’s still completely missing the bloomin’ point on what it is to be professional.
The culmination of all this is a blog post by Rebecca Hamilton, which shows that she has learned… absolutely nothing. Brilliant. But she does has some fantastic advice for authors intending to use Absolute Write which is, in no way, another subtle attack meant to reiterate her supposed innocence.
Kat Kennedy
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[...] week’s post about Rebecca Hamilton sparked controversy with several blog posts, tweets and comments [...]