Smugglers’ Stash and News

Hello and a good Sunday to all!!! Getting ready to watch the England x Germany World Cup match? We know we are! But before:

Giveaway Winners

The winner of one signed copy of Shades of Gray by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge is:

Jocelyn Z.(comment# 32)

Congratulations! Please send us an email (contact AT thebooksmugglers DOT com) with your snail mail address, and we will get your book out to you as soon as we can.

Meanwhile, on the Internets:

A couple of really good articles:

The first article comes from John, a 15 year old reviewer (who reviews for Dear Author and on his own blog, Dreaming in Books) who wrote about being a guy who reads romance and how there is nothing even remotely wrong about that. It is well worth a read: He’s Reading WHAT?! The In’s and Out’s of a Guy Who Reads Romances.

Second article comes from author Mark Charan Newton, entitled “Sexual Healing”, on the subject of writing sex scenes (both straight and queer) and how people react differently to each but also to the violence in books and how sex scenes seem to warrant more warnings than violent scenes. Two great quotes:

I wrote a few sex scenes in the book, but deliberately made the homosexual scene the mildest – because I was interested in seeing if there were any reader prejudices. I’ve seen on one or two dark corners online where people muttered, “Did we really have to see the gay scene?” To which I would say, if I cared to converse with them, “Yes you did. You didn’t complain about the straight sex, which was far more graphic. Deal with it.”

But it’s the perception that we feel we need to highlight sex and make a point of it, not violence and killing (and the more culturally damaging issues such as gender in Twilight as linked above) that I’m interested in.

And the comments are pretty interesting too. Check it out.

Videos!

1. Zombies coming to AMC

Television chanel AMC is adapting Robert Kirkman comic “The Walking Dead.” This is a series of comics that we both love and we are so excited about this for several reasons:

A) Zombies. ON TV.
B) AMC produces Mad Men which is FREAKING AWESOME.
C) Dudes. The series is going to be written, produced and directed by Frank Darabont of Shawshank Redemption fame. Seriously.

Check out this video where Darabont talks about the show:

2. The Green Hornet’s Trailer

Seth Rogen to play The Green Hornet in upcoming 2011 superhero-action-comedy film! But is Seth Rogen Superhero/Vigilante material even if he totally can pull off the comedy part of it? Only time will tell:

3.Super Hilarious Video: Gandalf Goes to the World Cup

No words to describe. Just watch it:

This Week on the Book Smugglers

On Monday, we have our Guest Dare of the month: Kris from Voracious YAppetite reads Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

On Tuesday we post our June edition of Cover Matters:

On Wednesday, it is Harry’s turn to write his A Dude Read PNR column, reviewing Gena Showalter’s story in The Deep Kiss of Winter anthology, followed by Thea’s review of The Magician’s Apprentice by Trudi Canavan.

Thea comes back again on Thursday to review of one her most anticipated reads of 2010: Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness, third in the celebrated Chaos Walking trilogy.

Finally, on Friday Ana reviews Demon Blood by Meljean Brook, 7th in the Guardians series – one of her top favorite series.

And that is it from us today! For now, it’s good luck to England and we remain, as usual:

~ Your Friendly Neighborhood Book Smugglers