It's Wine O'Clock Somewhere

Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.
Ernest Hemingway
Death in the Afternoon

The virtue of the grape (and chocolate, but that is another post) is often extolled by writers. This got me to wondering, what is your favorite wine and why? For me, there is no competition for sparkling wine. Napoleon said it best, "Champagne! In victory, one deserves it; in defeat one needs it.”  Although, a close second is red wine - any kind will do.  Oh, but let us not forget our good friend white wine.  About a year ago I learned that Pinot Grigio left in the freezer makes an amazing wine slushy. But, I digress.  

So, please share your favorite wine or wine story with me.

Video Q & A with Author Suzanne Johnson

This video features excerpts from author Suzanne Johnson's Q&A at the July 2012 Southern Magic meeting.  She starts off with a tough question - what is the difference between urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Enjoy!

Feeling Good

In honor of a new month and it being Friday!  Feeling Good :)

Reviewing Reviews

How many times has the wise Laura Hayden cautioned, "Friends don't let friends read reviews."  Following that advice, who does read reviews? 

Don't worry, this isn't a post ranting about evil reviews.  Rather, I'm interested in starting a discussion about the benefit (or harm) that comes from reviews.  Without a doubt, a positive review from a major publication can generate good buzz for a book, but what benefit do reviews really serve?  Who is reading them?

My mother is a voracious reader.  She finds new books based on librarian recommendations and word of mouth from her friends.  The same is true of most of my lawyer friends.  When I started rattling off book review sites and asking them if they read reviews on Amazon/Barnes & Noble, they laughed, patted me on the head and told me I needed to leave work at an earlier hour because I was frying my brain.  In comparison, most of my writer friends devour blogger reviews, Goodreads reviews, etc. like the words were the very air they breathe.  Do only writers care about reviews?  I'd love to hear your review of reviews.  Do you have any favorite sites or trusted sources? 

Theme Music - Part 2 - Play List for Spellbound: A Magic City Mysery

As promised, here is the playlist for Spellbound.  I am working on my next playlist (i.e. procrastinating).  I would love for you to share your playlist in the comments.

Uprising by Muse

The Highwayman by Loreena McKennitt

Mesmerizing by Liz Phair

Numb by Linkin Park

Never Saw It Coming by The Jesus & Mary Chain

Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap

#1 Crush by Garbage

My Immortal by Evanescence

Lullabye by Concrete Blonde

Where Do I Begin by The Chemical Brothers

Song for Whoever by The Beautiful South

The Stolen Child by Loreena McKennitt

Theme Music - Part One

In a very entertaining (wicked is probably a more apt adjective) Twitter chat with M.V. Freeman and Katherine Bone the subject of theme music for our WIPs came up.  The one song that runs throughout mine is Uprising by Muse, so I thought I'd share:

I'll be back over the weekend to post my playlist.  In the meantime, I'd love to know what one song or songs would be the theme for your latest work.  Baby needs to load up her iPod!  Post a comment (with your email address), and I'll select one winner for a $10 iTunes gift card.  I'll announce the winner in the comment thread by Sunday morning.

A Ghost of a Chance

I love ghost stories, especially Southern ghost stories.  My elementary school librarian told my mother I used to check out Thirteen Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey by Kathryn Tucker Windham at least once a month.  To this day, when I go to Montgomery, I drive by Huntingdon College and remember the tale of the Red Lady, and you bet your sweet bippy every time I have court in Pickens County, I swing by the old courthouse to take a peek at the "face in the courthouse window."

What is your favorite ghost story?  Share it with me. One commenter will win a copy of SUMMER GOTHIC, a collection of summertime ghost stories from Alabama authors (I was fortunate enough to help with the editorial process - it is a great anthology if I say so myself).  The book includes stories from Suzanne Johnson, Margaret Fenton and loads of other great Alabama authors.  I will announce the winner  in the comment section on April 11.