So last week, just as I was finishing up JoAnn Ross’s Blaze—which I read as research…yeah, that’s it, research…because of it’s South Carolina setting :cantputdown —I noticed in the TV guide that Sandra Brown’s Smoke Screen was going to be on Lifetime.

Did you know Sandra Brown’s Smoke Screen had been made into a TV movie?  I either didn’t, or did, but forgot. :tongue

I thought it would be fun to watch it, but I really like to read a book first before I see the movie version.  At least when it comes to romance novels; not so much when it comes to other stuff I probably wouldn’t read, anyway, like The Count of Monte Cristo (yum! :cupcake ) or the Twilight saga (blech! :spikey ).

And I was very excited, because I knew I had Smoke Screen somewhere on my teetering TBR pile & could start it right away!  So I quickly dug it up & started reading.  Yay for me!

Now ask me what it is that I’m currently reading.

Oh, that would be:

Uh-huh.  I totally grabbed the wrong Sandra Brown book! :knock I think I blame the proliferation of Ss & similarity in her recent titles.  That’s right, Ms. Brown, my confusion is all your fault! :wink

I can’t complain too loudly because it’s really good, but this doesn’t exactly help me get Smoke Screen read so that I can watch the movie, does it?  Sigh.

Now it’s your turn—

Have you ever started reading a book that you thought was something else?  Or picked up a book by one author, when you thought it was by another?

And if you remember the incident well enough, was it a happy accident (i.e. you ended up really liking the book, even though it wasn’t what you expected or you ended up discovering a great new author you might not have otherwise) or a sad one?

Word of the Week: celebrahate — To pretend to share joy with another, while secretly experiencing strong feelings of jealousy, and doing a poor job of concealing said jealousy.  Giving disingenuous compliments while sipping a large cup of Haterade. This action is almost always painfully obvious to others. Derived from a combination of the words “celebrate” and “hate.”  (For example — Angel Heidi: “Did you hear that Rachel Romance Writer is a RITA finalist this year?” Devil Heidi: “Oh, yeah…good for her.”
Angel Heidi: “Girl, you are so celebrahating on her!”

Welcome to the First (possibly Annual) No RITA for ME-ta Party here in The Dungeon!

But don’t let the title fool you—Golden Heart non-finalists are welcome, too.

That’s right, this is a party for those of us who did not get “The Call” last week informing us that we’re finalists in Romance Writers of America’s esteemed RITA & Golden Heart Competition.

This is the day we gather together & shout, “We don’t need no stinkin’ RITAs!”

Oh, yeah, they’re wonderful & fabulous, & if we had gotten a call, we’d still be bouncing off the walls with excitement.  But we also know that not getting a call means absolutely nothing.  Admit it—we’ve all read RITA finalist & even winning titles that were so-so at best.  And we’ve all read books that never made it close to finaling that were so awesome, they should have forgone the entire ceremony & simply handed the author an award right then & there.  (I fall into the latter category, of course. :Pretty )

In fact, I would actually love to see everyone share their stories of why not finaling in or winning the Golden Heart or RITAs means absolutely nothing when it comes to the success or longevity of your publishing career.  Who’s game?

So if you’ve finaled this year in the “No RITA (or Golden Heart) for Me-ta” Category, come on in!

The fruity, frilly girly drinks are flowing like a waterfall…Cosmos, Apple-tinis, Sex on the Beaches…  (But no margaRitas or Manhattans.  Those are strictly forbidden in The Dungeon today, for obvious reasons. :devil )

The music is loud & a-rockin’, starting with your favorite & mine—Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.”

And the full bevy of our very hot Dungeon Hotties are on hand, awaiting your every pleasure.

Want one of them to bring you a drink?  Done.

Want one of them to oil up and do a little striptease to distract you from your woes?  Done.

Want one of them lift you into his arms & carry you off to one of the back cells, where he’ll do things to you that will make you forget your own name, let alone that of the little gold statue up there? Done, done, & done!

So come on in…grab a glass & a hottie, & let’s get this party started!

Happy Sunday, everyone!

As you may (or may not) know, Romance Writers of America announce the finalists for its RITA & Golden Heart contests this week, which are sort of like the Academy Awards of the romance writing world, if you’re into that sort of thing. :party

And I just have to give a shout-out to a handful of friends who were lucky enough to get “The Call”:

Delores Fossen for The Baby’s Guardian

Jill Shalvis for Simply Irresistible & “Friendly Fire“

Erica Spindler for Blood Vines

Virginia Kantra for Immortal Sea & “Shifting Sea“

Lori Handeland for Marked by the Moon

Maureen Child  for “The Wrong Brother“

and most especially, the very sweet still-unpublished-but-not-for-long Sharon Wray for Juliet’s Rogue

Congratulations, ladies!!!  The nominations are, without a doubt, very well deserved, & you know I’ll be rooting for you in June! :yougogirl

Pulling a full one-eighty, I have to say that I did not get a RITA call…to be honest, I can’t even remember if I entered this year; you can see how seriously I take these things :happyjoy …which means there is absolutely zero pressure on me to attend Nationals :dancing & that I finally get to launch my very Dungeon-esque idea for a “No RITA for ME-ta” Party tomorrow (Monday, March 28th).  Open to Golden Heart non-finalists, as well, of course. :winkwink

So mark your calendars, my Darlings, & spread the word, because this is going to be a blast.  And as though you need anymore temptation to whet your appetites, let me just say that there will be music, an open bar, & half- (or maybe even all-) naked Dungeon Hotties at our beck & call.  Definitely not something you want to miss.  You’ll cry, if you do. :blinkie

Now to announce this week’s Free Book Friday giveaway, Up Words for Down Days by Allen Klein:

:dancing Hollie!!! :dancing

Congratulations, Hollie!  :congrats Please contact me with your full name & mailing information, & I’ll get your book out to you as soon as I can!