Say what?

I got this link to some Amazon reviews for a Harlequin Presents book entitled The Life She Left Behind via a Retweet from Victoria Dahl.

Two of the reviewers are annoyed that Maisey Yates, the author of the book, has taken writerly liberties by having the middle eastern hero treat the heroine with respect, *shock, horror*.

One of the reviewers, L.Smith from Carmel, CA, writes:

“This is a short story (novella). It is the most incredibly unbelievable story about an Arabian sheik falling in love with a Texas debutante. I have a feeling this author has no clue of the Arabian culture and women (falling somewhere below cattle). What planet are you on?”

So L. Smith from Carmel in California, we’re expected to believe that hot, gorgeous men can stay faithful to one person for the rest of their lives, but an Arab man can’t treat a woman with respect? Surely both of the above are romance urban myths? You can’t suspend disbelief for one and not the other surely?

If you really wanna complain about something, how about having an heiress heroine who decides to ditch her diamonds to go work as a nanny for other people’s kids, without it being a reality TV programme? I mean come on, how realistic is that????

I was going to post this over at Erecsite, when I saw Emily Veinglory’s survey, but why waste a perfectly good potential post on somebody else’s blog? *g*

I think here in Romanceland, we tend to label any blog posts that attract a lot of commenters as blog rows, or flames. I don’t necessarily agree with those labels. I think It’s fantastic to have blogs where people feel passionate enough to air their opinions, I really do.

Sometimes there’s no telling what’s gonna get people talking, for instance when I’m feeling that way inclined, (doesn’t happen very often) I’ll post what I think to be quite an indepth informational piece and get ten or twelve comments, and other days I can post one paragraph and get shitloads of people wanting to air their views. I think that’s kinda cool.

Also, I’m always pleasantly surprised by the response I get, when I do a football (soccer to you Americans) related post, for example the one I wrote when I was feeling lower than a snake’s belly due to England being dumped out of next year’s European Cup.

What I tend to find more and more these days, is that comments within a mostly innocuous post will as likely start a heated debate, as an inflammatory blog post. There’s always one person, who will say something that will piss a whole bunch of people off, and those people will then rush to air their own views, until you get to a point where everybody wants to have their tuppence worth.

I think that’s fab, and I’m pretty sure that a lot of people out there feel the same, otherwise why bother having blogs with open comments on them? Or even, why bother having blogs at all?

What tends to annoy is when people try to attribute motivations as to why I post about certain subjects. The thing is, nobody but me will ever really know, so speculation is often fruitless, and the verdict, mostly wrong.

When I read how fed up people are with blog dramas, I am often amused, because I then see those same people taking part in the so-called flame fests, or posting about how fed up they are with the blogs that constantly attract drama.

Another reason that I’m amused is because these so-called blog dramas tend to happen on fewer than four blogs, on any kind of consistent basis. (Admittedly in Romanceland, mine tends to be one of them, but I should think that by now that people know what to expect) This is a minute percentage, considering the actual number of Romancentric blogs out there. It really is.

I have over 100 blogs listed on my Google Reader, and I purposely tend not to include the ones that are likely to give me high blood pressure, so I just assume that other people do the same thing. Apparently not.

I guess what I’m saying is that there are probably thousands of book blogs out there that are nice, and balanced, and fair, and sweet and funny, and rarely use the ‘f’ word. These blogs are also relatively easy to find. So for those people who are fed up of the drama, there are plenty of other choices out there. Ya feel me?

By the way a big thanks to all of the people who took the time to comment on the Incest, Twincest, Daddy/daughter Play posts. I love that you guys feel free enough to air your thoughts on here, regardless of whether or not your opinions gel with mine, and long may it continue.

Without great debate, and difference of opinion, the world and Romanceland would be a much more boring place methinks.

And Jane, rock the fuck on, mate.

Holding one’s self up to a higher standard than others is always a difficult path to tread, especially when one is far from perfect. Check the halo at the door, if you’re going to sling mud…

Taking The High Road only works if there’s nothing in your way…

Some people really should go and look up the true meaning of ‘libel’ and ‘defamation’…

Book editors, agents, and publishers know how to use Google…

Stalkers are sometimes the very people who accuse other people of stalking them…

Disabling comments can be very liberating…

People are often judged by the company they keep…

Google cache is a Blogger’s best friend…

Some people really should utilise the Spellchecker option in Word…

Don’t visit the blogs that you know will induce high blood pressure, that way leads madness…

I actually missed talking about book stuff…

Turn The Other Cheek, is a phrase that should only be used during the application of make-up…

I’ll never take The High Road again, too many potholes…

Private e-mail and IM are good friends, people should use them more, especially for those not-fit-for-the internet type discussions…

Do As I Say, Not As I Do rants, rarely ever go down well with the masses…

No matter how shaky my belief in God is, childhood bible classes still come in useful…

My Authors Not Behaving like fucktards list reduced by one. That didn’t take long…

Jane, Candy, and Sarah are good people…

Blogflames aren’t characterised by the sheer number of posts and comments, they are characterised by the fucktards who forget to take their meds before posting their comments…

My quote of the week, “The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.” – Sophocles (Gwen at the SB’s blog)

Romanceland is full of nutters, and crazies not too dissimilar to The Right Honourable Betty Boozer.

Carol Lynne responded perfectly to my review. She said nothing. I admire that.

I’m not the only person who doesn’t understand what the Lotus Circle is about.

Reviews are not for authors. They are for readers.

The subject of reviewing will never die.

A Newbie author who’s book gets ripped apart will realise in five years time, that the blogger was probably right. That book did indeed suck Great Big Hairy Donkey Balls.

Some authors truly believe that bloggers / reviewers buy books just to rip them to shreds.

Until the crap that was Ben’s Wildflower, I hadn’t posted a negative review since November 2006. This must not happen again.

I’m not the only person who’s fed up with Vampires, Shapeshifters, Paranormals,and effing BDSM books.

Racism in romance isn’t considered as big an issue as homophobia in romance.

Awarding a 12-book contract to unproven newbies is not sound business.

Some authors will happily stick their tongue up your arse, and take a long lick, as long as it’s not their book or their publisher that you are dissing.

I’m suspicious of anybody who peppers their posts with “Lololololol!!” all the freaking time.

Some people are better at sucking up than others.

People who take the trouble to post that they wont be visiting your blog ever again, are usually lying.

Just because you got published, doesn’t mean that you deserved it. Your editor may have been high at the time.

Romanceland is full of passive aggressive women, and hypocrites.

Authors will always Google themselves, no matter how much they say they don’t.

I’m not the only person who thinks EC standards have gone waaay down.

Some popular bloggers seem to feel threatened by other popular bloggers, and refuse to mingle with them. You know who you are.

Some people should not be let out in public, without being fully medicated. You know who you are.

The Slash and Burn Reviewer/Blogger is an urban legend, cooked up by authors who’s book (s) got dissed, and dismissed.

Reviewers/ bloggers who personally attack authors are also an urban legend, cooked up by the same group of people.

Authors can be trolls too. You know who you are.

Some authors can be snarky too, they are just less honest about it. You know who you are.

Negative reviews will always generate more column inches, than positive reviews.

Nobody ever remembers gushingly glowing reviews.

There are certain people who always seem to hijack other people’s blogs. I recently got rid of at least one of these PWTTAFBA – types.

Anybody who writes that “Snarks go for an obvious joke just because it’s funny, not because the book really doesn’t work.” just doesn’t get it.

Some authors don’t understand that it’s not all about them.

‘Nice Girl’ Review sites hate bloggers like me.

I hate pussified bloggers who hold themselves up as a shining example of how other bloggers should behave. You know who you are.

A lot of authors hate bloggers like me.

Women don’t rule the world because we cry far too easily and exhibit pussy-like behaviour in the face of adversity.

Some books suck more than others.

Authors should understand that readers like me don’t really care how much effort they put into writing a book. All they care about is whether they enjoyed it or not.

It should take longer than two weeks to write a book. Unless you are Nora Roberts.

Rabid Fangirls will always tell you that “You’re just jealous because you’re a frustrated writer with no talent!”, if you diss their favourite authors.

I hate the phrase “If you can’t say anything nice”. People who believe that, have no business reading this blog, yet they continue to do so.

Some ladies in Romanceland will talk about respecting other people, whilst they secretly send e-mails trashing you to their buddies.

Good editors are worth their weight in gold.

Bad reviews wont kill you, but the Rabid Fangirl stalking you might.