Down the Rabbit Hole to Book Awesomeness.

It's been a long time since I thought of this one...but in a fit of late-night procrastination that involved:

1) a search to see how likely it was that Sandra Bullock could be rewarded for her most recent pain and suffering (is that Jesse James a dillweed or what?!) with a marriage to George Clooney,

2) the discovery of this incredible timesuck (Findthebacon.com), and

3) realizing that Kevin Bacon was in a movie that I somehow have never heard of called Pyrates...

I remembered that I've always wanted to do a blog post about George MacDonald Fraser's book The Pyrates (no relation to the KB movie, which, I might add, looks awful). The Pyrates is one of those books that you read, you love, you reread, and you still love, but it's so different and so odd that you always forget to mention it when people ask you to name your favorite books.  Am I the only one who does this?  Please tell me I'm not.

It's hilarious.  And not in that, "Oh, that's funny" kind of way. It's uproariously funny and ironic and it's the perfect mix of classic hero and stereotype and history and Hollywood and...yeah...whatever I say here will not do it justice.  This, I promise you.  In this case, though, I will tell you that you can judge a book by its cover...at least, it's UK cover.  I bought my copy when I was in High School at a bookshop at Heathrow before I got on the plane to come home after a summer in England.  I bought it 70% for the cover and 30% for the cover copy.  Oh. And the title.  Because who doesn't love pirates?

Anyway...this one is in the must read pile.  You.  Must read it.

Today, in Things that Make Me Smile.

Via the fantabulous Coe Booth.

Release Month Celebration! Nine Rules Excitement!

Tomorrow makes it March!
Release month!

I am so excited, y'all...as you know, I've wanted to write romance novels for virtually my entire life, and this month...I get to be a bona fide romance novelist! I'm thrilled that in T-minus 30 days, my first romance novel, NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE, will be on bookshelves all across the country! SO. EXCITED.

Even more exciting is this: For the month of March, there are going to be all sorts of surprises, giveaways and excitements here at MacLeanSpace...free books, goodies, and, my very favorite thing...a series of guest posts by some of my favorite authors--each giving his or her NINE RULES to live by! I'm so very honored that so many good friends have agreed to celebrate with me!

If you'll do me a favor and bear with me, I also have to squee for a second or two...because the first reviews for NINE RULES have started coming in...and I really really have to share!

ROMANTIC TIMES gave it 4.5 stars and named it a TOP PICK for April...MacLean has penned a fast-paced, funny tale with a marvelous cast of characters who captivate and enchant. This book should come with a warning: Once you start, you won't want to put it down! (Yes...I'm calling that "my Times review." Forever.)

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY called it: An entertaining Regency debut, and said, The 19th-century clothes are luscious, the 21st-century sensibility is raunchy, and it’s all implausible, escapist fun. And, while I cringed a little at that raunchy the first time I read it, I'm now considering putting it on bumperstickers. :)

And...my favorite...A STARRED BOOKLIST REVIEW!!!--MacLean’s devilishly fun debut novel is an absolute delight: rich in supple wit, suffused with sensuality, and enlivened with a wonderfully engaging cast of characters.

SQUEE!!!

Ok...I swear, I won't post reviews often...so thanks for sticking with me on this one! I hope you'll come back over the course of the month and celebrate this amazing time with me!

And one more thing...I want to thank you all...for your patience, and your encouragement...and for being so willing to go on this crazy journey with me!

Much love...

Sunday Awesome: Gail the Goldfish!

I just discovered this awesome easter egg in The West Wing...then discovered that someone awesome has created an entire website as an homage to Gail the Goldfish!

Gail first appeared on The West Wing early on in Season 1...Since that episode, Gail has become more than a prop on a set, she’s become the focus of private jokes between the West Wing production team and eagle eyed fans of the show. In most episodes her bowl contains some object that alludes to the plot, and this web page catalogues as many of these as possible.

For the record, I noticed Gail's special decor in Six Meetings Before Lunch, which is about panda bears and the national zoo. Gail gets two in her bowl!

I am now through being a West Wing nerd.
For today.

Sunday Awesome: Tigers in a Tub

I don't understand it either.  But I love it.

Jisetsu!

Ok...when I looked up "Season" at this free online translator, it provided six different Japanese words for it: kikou, jisetsu, kou, kisetsu, jiki and jibun. I don't speak Japanese, so I chose the one I most like saying. I'm sure one of my brilliant readers will tell me which of these words I should actually be using.

The point is...OMG THE SEASON JUST SOLD TO JAPAN!!!

Alex is a jetsetter--rumor has it that she's going to be rejacketed with love for release in Japan in the next 18 months (they don't tell authors anything, really), by the incredible Japanese publisher, Shogakukan!

Domo Arigato, Shogakukan!

My friend Dave is the awesome.

He sent me this:


Which makes me happy.

Apparently it's called The Tea Party, but we can't find any info about the artist. Maybe you can help?

ETA: Thanks to newport2newport's mad googling skillz, I now know that the artist is Frederic Soulacroix!

Katherine Howard Gets Kanyed

Dear Person Who Made This,

I think I might love you. Like, in a totally inappropriate, stalkery kind of way.

Much Love,
Sarah

ETA: The internet is AMAZING! The maker of this awesomeness is rroughmagic! Go give her love!

Where I will be on September 21st

On my couch. With yummy takeout (cuisine TBD). For the TWO HOUR premiere of HOUSE, MD. You can't stop me, Internet. Neither Twitter, nor Facebook, nor the latest in viral video will keep me from the TWO HOUR premiere of HOUSE, MD. I'm not even going to wait the normal buffer period that is required in our home to be able to fast forward through commercials. I'm watching every ad during the TWO HOUR premiere of HOUSE, MD. Every. Single. One.

Oh, and did I mention it's TWO HOURS LONG?

Squee.

Send a letter today...by post.

Via the amazing Ze Frank, here's something that will put a smile on your face. Two artists handwrote 467 letters and postcards to the residents of a tiny village in Ireland. They're awesome.

I guarantee this story will a) reaffirm your faith in humanity and 2) make you want to send a letter.

Twists. And why we love them.

Last night, I had a fantastic dinner with the lovely and talented Lisa Ann Sandell. Lisa and I have been friends for ages and, whether it's the author in us or the reader in us, we always end up talking about books (and not always our own)!

After a long and winding discussion last night, we landed on the subject of twists in novels. We chatted for a while about them...and I marveled at the skill it takes for an author to really pull one off. I mean...really really pull one off. Like, gasping for breath, OMG, shock the pants off you kind of twists.

Here's the part where I confess a super-duper respect for mystery authors. There's nothing like a great red herring.

As part of this post, I was going to list the five best twists I've ever read or seen. I wasn't going to explain them...obviously, that would ruin the fun. But...now I'm realizing that maybe the best part of a twist is that there is a twist at all. The ones where you audibly gasp are always the ones you REALLY weren't expecting. Right?

Hmm...ok...so...here's my list... but Beware: TWISTS AHEAD! Highlight at your own risk!

1. Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card (First on the list for a reason)
2. Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
3. The Usual Suspects (film)
4. The Game (film)
5. The Others (film)

So...What did I miss?

Things that are Awesome: Obama <3s Romance

President Obama with a romance novel.


Want the whole story? Read it here on Geri Krotow's blog.

Things That Are Awesome....Colleen Pencils

Some people like gadgets, others like first edition books...me? I'm a paper and pencil gal. And O. M. G. I want these. BAD.

Twelve years ago, the Colleen Pencil Company recognized that pencil slats could be made from any wood that the machinery could cut, and created a varied set as an artistic exploration....Twelve pencils are presented - each marked with the number in the series, the HB grade, the bilingual (English and Japanese) wood species and country/area of origin, and a most unusual number - the specific gravity of the pencil’s wood. Some species are familiar, and some are more exotic.

Colleen, unfortunately, is now out of business. And all we can do is stare longingly at these pictures.

Covet with me, will you?