Movie News: One For the Money Casting

As you know, the 3 of us here are/were pretty big Stephanie Plum fans. It's been announced who will be playing Stephanie in the upcoming theatrical release of One For the Money....Katherine Heigl. Now, I like her, I do, but do I think she's right for Stephanie...Um NO!! I think this is where the 3 of us agree. It's not that I think she's flat out the wrong choice, I mean they could have gone with Britney Spears Ya'll but I think there are better suited actresses for the role.

Jenn thinks that Zooey Deschanel or Caroline Dhavernas (Wonderfalls: Fox TV show) are good picks. I tend to agree with her.

I think that Sandra Bullock was a shoo-in for the part but maybe she's 1) too old (don't get me started on this) or 2) Stephanie is a little to close to Gracie Lou Freebush from Miss Congeniality. I also think Jennifer Garner would have made a great Stephanie, but she's probably too tall. Before her untimely death I actually think Brittany Murphy would have been a good Stephanie.

Who would you like to see as Stephanie? What are your thoughts about Ms. Heigl. Of course this leads to who should play Morelli and Ranger?

My votes:

Morelli = Jeffrey Donovan (YUM!!)
Ranger = Dwayne Johnson aka The ROCK (Double YUM!!)

A New Line of Books and a Writing Contest

A little while ago we were contacted by Accomplice Press about introducing their new publishing venture and a contest ~ and we said SURE! Accomplice Press is a small independent publisher dedicated to providing material to readers of all ages and tastes. They have books available in both print and e-book format.

So without further ado...

Curvalicious: A New Venture for Accomplice Press

Accomplice Press is more than just a publisher; we are an accomplice to our authors and readers. As a small independent boutique-style press we are afforded the luxury of making a difference with the projects we choose to pursue. We are proud to announce a new romance book line called Curvalicious and are kicking the launch off with a writing contest. Curvalicious offerings will be short novella length romance stories that showcase plus-size heroines who always get the man of their dreams without changing their curvy figures. These inspirational women are beautiful, strong, confident, intelligent and last but not least voluptuous.

Curvalicious is the brainchild of DJ Alling, our fearless CEO, Co-Founder and Editor in Chief. She has been in the publishing business for years on both sides of the table and saw a need for a different kind of love story. Her motivation for creating this series is summed up in this quote: "Society and the media have convinced women that men won't find you attractive if you wear double-digit sizes. This is reinforced by the romance book industry. The leading terms used to describe a heroine are slender, thin, lithe, small, and tiny. Real women read romances, and real women deserve to be able to relate to the heroines. Romance stories are about fantasies, and as a large woman, I personally do not find it satisfying to fantasize about a man touching a body that I can't relate to. I also happen to know that men love women of all sizes. Sexy comes from within. That is why I created Curvalicious."--DJ Alling

At Accomplice Press we are committed to excellence and offer print and e-book formats showcasing originality: in fully developed characters, deep plots, intelligent voice, and intriguing dialogue. Curvalicious will be the epitome of all these things with a focus on positive life affirming relationships between plus-size heroines and their attentive suitors. Romance is all about the fantasy so our stories will end with a "happy ever after" or "happy ending for now". Curvalicious will be available in e-book format with periodic print anthologies.

Curvalicious will have two distinct categories based on the character's relationship's heat level. At Accomplice Press we realize that the word "romance" means different things to different people. So, we are creating Curvalicious Sweet which is romance with sweet or sensual love scenes, but no explicit language or sex and Curvalicious Spicy which is erotic romance containing explicit language and sex scenes. The first book released in this series is a spicy but touching romance called A reason to Stay by Delinda Jasper. The heroine Ellie is ready to move far away from the home and man she loves because she doesn't feel her best friend Jake will ever feel the same way. After an amazing evening together she wonders if she's lost him forever.

The most exciting part of this project is that we are holding a Curvalicious writing competition. Beginning on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2010 and ending at midnight on May 14, 2010, we'll be accepting submissions in two different categories, one sweet and one spicy. On May 28, 2010 two winning entries will be announced on Accomplicepress.com, then contracted and published in e-book format by the publisher. The top three submissions of each category will also be included in the first Curvalicious print anthologies. Curvalicious contest entries must be sent to curvecontest@accomplicepress.com. The specific guidelines for sweet and spicy submissions, word count and formatting requirements are all available at our website accomplicepress.com

Accomplice press is NOT a self-publishing company; we are a full service publisher dedicated to providing our readers with exceptional stories that are often over looked by large warehouse style publishers with the bottom line in mind. At Accomplice Press we publish because we love the written word.


Happy reading and writing…good luck authors!
Karen Jones
Promotions Manager for Accomplice Press
kjones@accomplicepress.com
accomplicepress.com

Random Musings

So my husband and I were discussing books and why some books are initially published in hardcover and then move to paperback; and how others are just published in paperback.

That got me wondering, why is this? Why are some books published in hardcover initially? Who/how/what determines what fashion they are published in?

For answers, I asked a contact in the publishing industry to give me some insight. Here is their answer:

"There are many variables when determining the format of a book. A lot of times it is based on the author and what genre they are publishing in. Several of our upcoming trade paperbacks are first time authors who’s books are attractive to niche markets. There are instances where a book may have more book club appeal and publishing in trade paperback means they won’t have to wait a year for the conversion."

Anyone else ever ponder this?

Giveaway: Middlesex and Run for Your Life

Thanks to a good friend, I have a couple of gently used paperback books to giveaway. Run for Your Life (Michael Bennett) by James Patterson and Middlesex(Oprah's Book Club) by Jeffrey Eugenides.

To be entered in the giveaway, you will need to leave a comment with the reasons why you want these two books and you must also be a follower of our blog.

You have until Monday, February 15th at Midnight EST to enter the contest.

Good luck!!

Jenn's Review: Beguiled

Summary: In the shadows of Charleston, someone is watching her... Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston's wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area and worse, someone seems to be targeting her. Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything. As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything?

Review: This is a nice simple read that takes me back to my first contemporary adult mystery read, Mary Higgins Clark. Gist and Bertrand seem to work well together, and though perhaps not as funny as the Mayer/Crusie pairing, it is just as seamless.

The tale is well woven, though not without some thin patches. While it wasn't terribly taxing to figure out the "whodunit" of it all, there were only so many characters, it was still an enjoyable journey to the end. The characters are amiable and you root for them the whole way through.

A great read for the airport, the waiting room, or the beach. (I started this while waiting for my H1N1 vaccine in a cafeteria full of overtired parents, over exuberant kids, and a myriad of disgruntled adults and it managed to distract me quite nicely.) I look forward to more from this pair a well as Mr. Bertrand's first solo work.

3.5/5

Julie's Review: A Black Tie Affair

Summary: Fashion curator Athena Smith will do anything to get her perfectly manicured hands on the Clayworth family's celebrated couture collection for her exhibit. So when she's called in to make sure the gowns are the real deal, she's ecstatic...until a dress she's examining turns out to be loaded with toxins (talk about killer threads!) and Athena faints, only to wake up face-to-face with the One That Got Away, notorious Chicago bachelor Drew Clayworth. Drew still believes Athena betrayed him all those years ago, and he's sure he can't trust her. But when the priceless gowns go missing, she offers to help track them down. Reluctantly allied in the quest, Drew and Athena are soon stunned by the barely restrained passion still sizzling between them...and memories both bitter and sweet. Is their new partnership just a business arrangement? Or is this something more than...~amazon.com

Review: 2 words - Bodice Ripper. Not that those don't hold a place in my heart because in my teens and early 20s I read my fair share of Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steel and even Ivanka Trump, but I find I like these types of books in small doses. A Black Tie Affair is a bit more than just a romance, it does have the air of mystery to it as well. Plus well I really read it because it's set in Chicago. Having lived here my entire life, I love going into the city. It's quite obvious that Clayworth's and Company is the iconic Marshall Field's and Company.

We meet Athena and her sisters, Venus and Diana who are the gems of the Chicago Society pages. We also meet Drew Clayworth and his cousin Connor, who are of course, Chicago's most eligible bachelor's. We find out very quickly that there is history of both the very recent kind and teenage years between Athena and Drew. As soon as the author described Drew as "Paul Newman from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", she had me hook, line and sinker.

It's not like we don't know that Athena and Drew are going to end up together right? It's the journey they take us on to get there. I have to give Ms. Bodine credit, she saved the clothes ripping towards the end of the book.

I'm not into clothing so I didn't get all the vintage references, except to mean that they were expensive. Although they did sound exquisite when described. You can tell that Ms. Bodine did her research on the subject and/or is a big fan of vintage couture.

Besides, where the vintage dresses disappeared to, the biggest mystery is why Athena's father, up and retired from Clayworth's and Company. Did he embezzle money, lose the company millions? We never really find out and I was a bit disappointed in that. I think it would have been great to have that resolved.

This is a perfect book to curl up with when feeling a bit low or in need of a quick, fun read. I highly recommend taking a nice bubble bath with it. Trust me, you'll finish it during that time.

I want to thank Dana at Kaye Publicity (website) for sending me a copy of the book to read and review. It was a nice change of pace from my typical reading.


Final Take: 3.5/5