And that’s a wrap #4

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And that’s a wrap #4

Game of Thrones named the most pirated show of 2012.

And this was a surprise because?

 Jim C. Hines is a poser.  For charity.

Waaay back in the dawn of time – or at least the dawn of 2012 – Jim  Hines, an SFF author, wrote about the way women are posed in cover art.

Jim said

Now I could talk about the way women are posed in cover art … or I could show you. I opted for the latter, in part because it helped me to understand it better. I expected posing like Danielle to feel a little weird and unnatural. I did not expect immediate, physical pain from trying (rather unsuccessfully) to do the hip thing she’s got going on.

I recruited my wife to take the pictures, which she kindly did with a minimum of laughter.

Jim became my absolute hero upon reading this most awesome of posts.  My favourite, that even my husband recalls at every appropriate opportunity, is this:

Jim climbed onto my TBR pile.  EVERY BOOK HE’S EVER WRITTEN.  One of my New Year’s resolutions is to actually purchase and read AT LEAST one or two of his books IN 2013.  I mean, a guy with this much humour and savvy should be an enjoyable read.

I digress.

Jim has had SO MANY requests and comments from his ‘striking a pose’ blog that he is now

POSING FOR CHARITY

In this blog he mentions having raised $11,437.11 for charity already, and the fundraiser continues until ‘the ball drops’ to signal in the New Year.

JIM IS AWESOME.

Support his fundraiser for MOAR covers.

If he raises $15,000 by the end of December, he’ll put out a calendar.  I WANT.

Kate Elliott blogs about sex in fiction

Sex in fiction can be good, bad or a trigger.  I’ve been enjoying Kate’s books because the only mention of date rape has distinct consequences for the relationship – as in, woman reclaims power with a ‘nevar again!’ attitude.  It’s also good to read about positive relationships, none of this ‘we hate each other but we’ll be passionate in LUURVE’ crap or, just as bad, the ‘romantic’ triangle where one person is manipulative and indecisive.  Seriously?  If you can’t choose between two people, you obviously don’t care enough about either, so MOVE ON.  (Please note: I’m not judging poly people, I’m speaking as a monogamous person who is sick of ‘romantic’ triangles.)

Rant over.

Kate talks about sex in fiction.

Interview of Stephen Minchin

Award-winning fantasy author Helen Lowe interviews publisher Stephen Minchin on SF Signal.

Seanan McGuire’s birthday request – just a click away 🙂

Seanan McGuire said,

It’s about to be my birthday. For my birthday present, you could vote for me: http://www.rantingdragon.com/cover-battle-final-blackbirds-vs-discount-armageddon/

Seanan’s book Discount Armageddon is up against Chuck Wendig’s novel Blackbirds for the best cover of 2012.  Follow this link and scroll down to the bottom of the post for a one-click vote.

discount armageddon

Blackbirds

for the best cover of 2012.

I replied to Seanan’s tweet:

@seananmcguire I so dislike authors who say ‘for my birthday buy my book’ altho I know, to a point, it’s a valid request. Yours I like.

 To which Seanan replied:

I can’t embed this twitter conversation in a pretty way. I’m not sure if it’s my software or my ignorance (if the latter, please edify me) but the link is here.  The real point?  Seanan wants a ‘click’ for her birthday.  Sounds reasonable to me 😉