Atlanta Highlights Part Deux: Bones, Crabs, & Devils
No, not THAT kind of crabs! Shame on you. I knew most of you would bypass the ‘bones’ and jump on the crab, so I’ll blog the crab first…but it does come with one type of Bones.X treated me to a fabulous dinner at Bones Steak & Seafood Restaurant in Atlanta last Tuesday evening. She had the crab cakes but shared a bite. Lex and I had the Alaskan King Crab legs – and OMG, talk about huge. Then there was this delicious red wine from Chile. I *think* it was Cousiño-Macul.
Bones is located at 3130 Piedmont Road Northeast, Atlanta, Georgia 30305, and I HIGHLY recommend the food and atmosphere…and not just the dining area. Go to the loo while you’re there (where else can one go but the south to find a lavatory and a commode in the same ‘water closet’???).
While it didn’t come from Bones, I posted a Crab Cakes recipe over on the recipe blog, for anyone who is interested.
Now for the ‘other’ bones. One workshop I attended was called Drowned Dames, Mauled Men, & Crispy Critters, and the speaker, Jeanne Adams, was brilliant. I found out the process from a body’s discovery to morgue and from there what ‘could’ happen during an autopsy or cremation. I’m talking Y incisions to the cement used in caskets. It was quite interesting. If you ever get the chance to hear Jeanne speak, take it – she’s fabulous. I can’t find a link to her at present – but she looks to be in her 30’s-40-s, tall, blonde, lovely, and has had 12 yrs or more working for morticians and has all this fascinating information and the ability to convey it. I’d love to have spent more time listening to her.
Murder, intrigue, women in jeopardy stories, romantic suspense – these are huge now. Got to meet Cherry Adair again (she’s lost weight – almost didn’t recognize her – but she looks terrific). I always enjoy seeing Cherry. Met her partner in crime and can’t for the life of me remember the writer’s name, but it’ll come to me…got a book signed by them both. My apologies now to this woman's fans - I'll think of her name (unless you beat me to it and send it to me) and post it later on.Didn’t even know Bump In the Night existed until last Saturday, but I got a book signed by all 4 authors in the anthology – Nora Roberts (as JD Robb), Mary Blaney, the fabulous Ruth Ryan Langan, and an author I’ve admired for ages…Mary Kay McComas. I was so thrilled to meet them all at once and get that book – thought I’d read it on the return trip home but got distracted by hunger and sleep. (I did manage to dip into Mary Blaney’s “Poppy’s Coin” a bit before we took off, though, and I can’t wait to read that one!)
While I’m hawking Nora & friends, as if they need my input, have you seen “the book store”, Turn The Page? They have a book signing I’d love to attend coming up in October. *sigh* IF ONLY. Nora, Dennis Lehane, & Michelle Monkou will be signing.
Picked up Nora's Angels Fall while I was there - this one looks intriguing. Read an excerpt. Or view the Angels Fall TV Commercial. What I'm sure many of us are waiting for is the release of the first book in her new vampire (you read that correctly - Nora writing a rather 'hot' vampire) trilogy. This one is Morrigan's Crossing and should be in stores on August 29th.
And that sort of leads me into the 'devils' bit of this blog. MANY books on witches, vampires, weres, and other chilling characters of demonic type still seem to be going strong. Nocturne, of course, one of the newest lines at Harlequin, features the paranormal - but even lines like Silhouette Intimate Moments, Spice, and others are including para' elements. Used to be that you could only submit a para manuscript to certain publishers, but it's pretty much across the board from what I could see in Atlanta and by reading publishers' guidelines prior to the trip.
Thinking of Bump In the Night, I recall several anthologies making the rounds in the free books that were signed. One of them was Berkley's Mysteria, with authors Mary Janice Davidson, Susan Grant, PC Cast, and Gena Showwalter. Someone (don't recall who, but I only read it yesterday) said that these stories have been published before but that they've been revised under new titles. I haven't read the 'orignals' myself - not sure how I'd feel, though, if I'd actually purchased a 'new' book that had already lived a shelf life under a different name. How do the rest of you feel about that? Seems MIRA did that (maybe they still do - I dunno because I haven't purchased one in a long time) and caught flack for it by readers. I did see, when visiting Nora's website, that she has a disclaimer of sorts for readers - the NR in the upper right corner of her books indicates first-run editions.
Anyway, the sight of all these demonic heroes and heroines was intriguing. Used to be only the villians possessed such powers, and now literature and movies are blurring the lines as to what/who is heroic, which is fine. Just intrigues me and tickles me that there's such a demand for this form. I guess what is in the back of my mind is that writers are given license to do so much more than they were even ten years ago. Maybe we're blurring the lines (there's that phrase again) between genres, which only enriches our fiction. I've heard writers of specific genres offer catty comments as to "that's not really science fiction if it has romance", or "it's not really romance if it has erotic elements", and...well, bullshit. Sounds to me like somebody feels threatened, but what do I know?
More in a day or so.
posted by Bobbie (Sunny) Cole @ 12:43 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Cool post, Sunny. I bought Mysteria. Really enjoying it so far. I'd have loved to have been at that workshop!
Take this for what it's worth. I think Para is leveling off--I dont think it did or will see the glut and burn of chick lit and probably erotica will see, maybe because I know as a reader, paranormal and futuristic romances were a long LONG time coming.
Nora's booksignings are a blast - I've been to four and FYI, the bookstore is called TURN THE PAGE. I met several authors there, including Ruth and Mary Kay (and Beth Harbison & Linda Howard and, and, and...), as well as Nora's husband, one son and a daughter-in-law (before she was a DIL).
Nora's books are reprinted, but not re-written. Many established authors are going back and re-writing their old works - I don't really care for them and try to avoid them as much as possible. Reprints are fine, re-writes seem sort of...I don't know - misleading?
I am loving reading your "Hotlanta" adventures - keep 'em coming!
Thanks, Trace. It looks good!
Amie, I think you're right, but I do hope the para sticks around a while, especially since Leslie asked me for a Nocturne submission - LOL.
Merry, I'm glad you're getting something out of my ramblings. I missed seeing you there - but at least I had Mother's Day! *grin* Nora looked lovely, as always, and she was really laid back, IMO. The political atmosphere, for one thing, was NOTHING like it was in Reno, and she was surrounded by friends every time I saw her. She and Ruth palled around a bit, I think, because I saw them together twice.
And Mary Kay looked great - I used to read her Loveswepts all the time. Was really nice meeting her. She's really a sweet lady.
I have a chat tomorrow, if I can remember to go to bed before the butt crack of dawn - lol. Already have the next post on Atlanta written - probably should go ahead and post the sucker, but I need to wait and upload the photos.
more later...
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