Mea Maxima Culpa

"Mexican Crow" by Jason Feiler

"When you realize you've made a mistake, make amends immediately.

It's easier to eat crow when it's still warm.

- Dan Heist

Last month I went on a little diva rant about what I find to be a/the disturbing recent trend of online Ebook romance/erotica publishing companies' releasing/selling very short novellas for novel prices. I stand by my belief that charging $7 for a 55 page Ebook is obscene gouging - especially since we romance/erotica ebook readers are very loyal. However, I must humbly eat crow for the following comment: "55 pages to develop a nuanced, page turning [read], that has you salivating for more? - not possible." (my emphasis). 

Recently, I found myself in a dire pc situation (EEK!). Thankfully, I was able to resolve it successfully. But my experience also encouraged me to delve back into my long neglected treasure trove - my Ebook library. I started wandering up and down my virtual aisles, sending several books (okay an even dozen, maybe two) to my iPad and - lo and behold! - I re-discovered a few 'shelves' worth of short stories. They are fully developed, nuanced, page turning, and have me salivating for more...still. 

But here's the thing, I purchased each of these amazing stories for $2.00-$3.00 - from Ebook publishers (i.e. Ellora's Cave and Total-E-Bound) that had specific novella sections; clearly marked with section titles like: Quickies and Lust-Bites. I decided to do a bit more research (yeah, it's a historian thing, we just can't help ourselves ;-} Most of the authors published in these sections also offered hott short stories and free reads on their individual sites (yes I will too, hopefully soon).

And while I was pleased at the vindication, of sorts, my mea maxima culpa has inspired me to start a new section at this blog. I have not come up with a title yet, but I know what the theme is - novellas. And my inaugural title? Queen's Surrender (38 pages).

Queen's Surrender by Nadia Aidan, Ellora's Cave, 2010

Blurb

Queen Sumatra is used to bending men to her will. Her harem is overflowing, but she has grown bored and restless with them. She desires a challenge, a man she cannot so easily command, and she finds one in Adaire.

Ten years her junior, Adaire may be in the queen's employ, but he cannot be manipulated by her. He is not her servant and certainly not one of her whores. Adaire is adamant that in their bedchamber Sumatra will not be the one giving orders, for behind closed doors she will not be his queen, but his woman. And Adaire will accept nothing less than her complete surrender.

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Who knew that eating warm crow would be so yummy?

Happy reading!

'Til we meet again,

Temple

Newtown, Connecticut

"It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy?...But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even the darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines. It will shine out the clearer.

Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. Because they were holding on to something...There's something grand in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for."

Samwise "The Brave" Gamgee

The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers

J.R.R. Tolkien (1954)