Welcome to this week’s news post! I apologise for the lack of  a post last week, but I was battling issues with my computer and a bad cold.  But no fear! In this this week’s edition which is full of spats between Simon and Schuster and Barnes and Noble which seems to be getting worse, Sexism in the SFWA and more news!

First up, it looks like the disagreement  between Simon and Schuster and Barnes and Noble is not going to end anytime soon, and in fact looks like its becoming worse. I saw via Twitter and a few blog posts this week that authors have complained that their books are not listed on the B&N site or shelved at their stores as well. This is harming both companies as S&S has basically lost the support one of the largest booksellers in the country and vice versa for B&N which is definitely forcing customers to shop to their competitors. I really hope that this disagreement does get settled soon but it is very frustrating for authors and readers who are caught out in the battle between the two companies.

The past few weeks has been epically awful in SFF and attitudes towards female authors. Two SF authors, Mike Resnick and Barry Malzberg wrote  bemoaning about the backlash they received  from the comments they made  in the SFWA 199th edition  and in the  200th edition of the magazine. They commented they felt they were being confined and restricted and was being censored but hey the irony of referring female authors/editors as lady writers and  lady editors just says it all.

 This brought out some fantastic responses from Ann Aguirre who wrote about her experiences in one con panel and encountering one SF author who demeaned her. It was very disappointing to hear but the backlash she received was much more awful. But I am glad she spoke out along with a few others like Foz Meadow’s great post on this blow-out and backlash.

Barnes and Noble UK Nook site  has also been caught up in a bit of censorship or listing blunder scandal with hundreds of erotic romance and even general romantic titles being delisted and removed from the store. Although there is some reports that titles can be found by adding erotic tag with the search of the title and author. But it doesn’t explain why some titles have been removed which do not have any erotic content but overall this is a clumsy approach in listing books and hiding a subgenre which is deemed to be too racy for their general search. But I suspect this will be reversed in the near future since Amazon has learned that delisting books didn’t help in garnering sales especially for a genre which is quite popular.

Kobo has reported a huge rise in growth in the first quarter of this year. They stated they 98% in growth with another rise in sales of their devices which includes their new Aura HD ereader which was released earlier this year. Kobo also announced that their stock of books has grown and with their recent opening of the Japanese store – it looks like Kobo has strengthened its position in the international market as a huge player in the ebook market.

News in Brief:

George RR Martin’s Companion to his Game of Throne series – The World of Fire and Ice has been delayed because he has written an epic 250,000 words and is still cranking out more details and material which includes brand new information.

And finally fans of Susan Ee can rejoice – the long awaited sequel which many fans have been waiting for has  been slated for released later this year. The title of the book is called World After and you can check out the blurb here!

And now for books to watch out for!

Larissa Ione’s 10th Demonica book – Reaver which is slated for this December has a cover and a blurb. I so cannot wait for this installment as it promises to be epic!

 

WARRIOR OF HEAVEN

Reaver is an angel with a past, a record, and a less-than-heavenly attitude. Powerful enough to fight alongside the fiercest battle angels-and crazy enough to risk his wings on a one-way mission to hell-he’s agreed to go where no angel has ever gone before…to steal the most seductive and dangerous prize of Satan himself.

ANGEL OF HELL

Harvester is one of the Fallen, a once-heroic angel who sacrificed her wings to work as an undercover agent in hell. But now her cover has been blown, and she’s been doomed to an eternity of agonizing torture. Even if Reaver can snatch her away from Satan’s lair, even if they can fight their way out of the underworld’s darkest depths, there is one thing Harvester can never escape-her newfound thirst for an angel’s blood…

 

Thea Harrison has posted the cover and blurb for her latest Elder Races novella –  The Wicked.

 

 

 

 

The adventure of a lifetime might just end in turmoil, but when it includes meeting your future mate, who gives a hoot?

A Novella of the Elder Races

For a librarian with a focus on rare magic books, Olivia’s new job is a dream come true. She has been hired as part of a team to help manage the safe transportation of the collection of books owned by the Vampyre sorceress Carling Severan. The fact that the library is located on a mysterious island in an Other land only heightens the adventure.

Head of security for the expedition, Sebastian Hale is tired of his rootless life of adventure and finds himself attracted to the calm, beautiful librarian. But he is living a personal nightmare. He has been hit with a curse that is slowly taking away his sight, and he doesn’t know if he will survive the results.

But the powerful feelings growing between them, along with Sebastian’s inner turmoil, take a backseat when they learn there is a traitor lurking among their expedition team. With Elder Races politics and a priceless library on the line, they’ll have to rely on each other to survive the experience.

Warning: When a librarian who likes to nest meets an owl Wyr who has always lived for adventure, their romance won’t just be fly-by-night…

And finally we have The Golden City which has set my book radar a’tingling.

 

 

For two years, Oriana Paredes has been a spy among the social elite of the Golden City, reporting back to her people, thesereia, sea folk banned from the city’s shores….

When her employer and only confidante decides to elope, Oriana agrees to accompany her to Paris. But before they can depart, the two women are abducted and left to drown. Trapped beneath the waves, Oriana’s heritage allows her to survive while she is forced to watch her only friend die.

Vowing vengeance, Oriana crosses paths with Duilio Ferreira—a police consultant who has been investigating the disappearance of a string of servants from the city’s wealthiest homes. Duilio also has a secret: He is a seer and his gifts have led him to Oriana.

Bound by their secrets, not trusting each other completely yet having no choice but to work together, Oriana and Duilio must expose a twisted plot of magic so dark that it could cause the very fabric of history to come undone….

 

So what do you think of Barnes and Noble delisting erotica books? And what about the issues surrounding SFWA and  attitudes in SFF about women writers and readers? 

About Has

Has is a bookaholic and feeds her addiction whenever she can. She usually can be found lost in a Romance or an Urban Fantasy novel. Her favourite sub genres are Paranormal, Fantasy and some Scifi. Her most treasured authors are, Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews, Ann Aguirre, Lisa Kleypas and Tamora Pierce. She loves that discovery of finding a brand new author and falling in love with their books. Has also blogs a The Book Pushers - Book chatter and reviews

• View all posts by Has →
• Blog
• Twitter
• Facebook