RIASS stuff:
Book Review: The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks'(Rating: 
)
A'giveaway of ten (yes, ten) book packs consisting of a copy of'Catch Up with the Sun'and a Book Seat!'(Aussies only, please)
Literary Giveaway Blog Hop: Instances of the Number 3 by Salley Vickers'(open to all)
Are you a nerdy type? My husband is looking for a top-notch web developer to join his company.'Details here.
Other bookish stuff:
Mental illness in YA and why it matters'Magical Madness is characterised by its treatment of mental illness as somehow mystical, paranormal, fantastical, or all of the above.'It often ends with the mentally ill character embracing the crazy, often going off their medications or stopping treatment in order to fully experience their magical powers. This portrayal of mental illness is the most problematic of the three, due to its contribution to the perception of mental illness as other and sometimes dangerous
Sophie Masson, author of Moonlight and Ashes,'interviewed at Booktopia: People often think Russian literature is gloomy, but that's far from the truth: it accepts that life can be tragic, yes, but that doesn't mean it can't be joyful. It's full of life, and eccentric, vivid characters, but also philosophical, with a streak of engaging humour and unexpected insights.
11 reasons why authors get rejected, and why only 3 of them matter: Once in a while, it is actually personal. We've published you before or a friend at another publisher has and we know from experience (or the grapevine) that you're a whiny, demanding, narcissistic, high-maintenance PITA. No one wants to take your phone calls and everyone who's had the misfortune of working with you hates you.'We've had it with you and your diva-like tantrums and we're never, ever, ever going to publish another book of yours again.'Except, of course, if you're making us a boatload of money. Even then, we still hate you and we'll tell everyone (off the record, of course) that your books aren't as good/aren't selling as well as they used to. Payback is a bitch.
Don Winslow on savages and kings of cool:''I was a little tired of people telling me how to write, what's going to sell and what isn't. I felt like throwing some elbows.'Without sounding too presumptuous, I thought I was hearing a new language out there on the West Coast and wanted to see what happened if I put it in a book. I also wanted to play with the fractured way we get our information now.'
An interview with Jacqueline Harvey: Alice-Miranda inhabits a world few of us (myself included) live in.' Apart from her privileged lifestyle, she attends boarding school, which in itself I think holds a great fascination for the fact that most kids don't have that experience.' Children have some really interesting ideas about what boarding school means ' mostly they think that children are sent there because they've done something wrong, or their parents don't care about them.
Lavie Tidhar: Steampunk is fascism for nice people'This was partly borne out from the story below, partly, of course, from the disconnect I feel at what that term, 'steampunk' has come to represent in recent years and the worrying (to me) political and ideological implications of it. There are some fine steampunk critics, such as Ay-leen the Peacemaker (Beyond Victoriana) and Jaymee Goh (Silver Goggles) who have written extensively on the subject of empire, race and colonialism within the context of steampunk, and I can only recommend reading what they say.
Where do you get your book recommendations? (Me, me! From me, right?)'There are some fantastic blogs out there covering every imaginable subject and reading tasteThere are also some fantastic podcasts out there that review books, discuss genres and what is happening in the book industry at the momentAnd of course'traditional'radio book'segments'are also readily available as podcasts so they can be accessed at more convenient times and like newspapers readers can access international radio podcasts about books like NPRThere has also been a growth in online reading communities, the biggest being'Good Reads,'but there is also a locally based one called'The Reading Room.
6 Factors an Agent Considers When it Comes to Choosing a Publisher'Crucial to the author's positive publishing experience is the editor who's acquiring the book. It's important to us that the editor convey sincere enthusiasm for the author and their book(s). We want an editor who has truly caught the vision for the book and hopefully for the author's career; someone who seems to appreciate the author's unique style and wants to work with it (as opposed to immediately offering ideas for changing it).
Margaret Atwood joins story-sharing website Wattpad
Queering The Library: Collecting Downtown, Riot Grrrl, Feminism & You
Repulsive vitriol directed to authors
Biggest Publishers' 2011 Revenue Hits $68bn, But Dwarfed By Tech Companies
Are you the worlds biggest Harry Potter fan? Bloomsburys running a competition where you can prove you have the chops.
Inspiring Letters From Authors to Young Fans
Events:
The lovely Ebony McKenna will be'presenting a workshop at the Nunawading Library, Melbourne on Tuesday, 3 July from 2.30 to 3.30
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