Here's a disturbing story that was posted on the blog Daily Kos:

Lauren Baumbach, an award-winning writer of MM romance novels and a member of the Romance Writers of America (which accepts MM romance as a category, although their magazine, Romantic Times, doesn't review it), had her promotional materials confiscated by the Hyatt hotel where the RWA was holding its conference. The management claimed that Baumbach's material was too explicit, although she collected material from several of the featured MF romances that was far more explicit.

If MM romance is considered so risque, imagine how brilliantly cutting-edge I feel, writing bisexual romance! Of course, MM romance is "risque" only to backwards-thinking organizations like RWA and their publication, Romantic Times. Or is that ass-backwards...

To read the full account:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/5/2/193733/9240

Lambda Rising, GLBTQ Bookstore (the one in Washington DC), is featuring Phyllida among the its top 24 friends on its MySpace page.

Take a look: http://www.myspace.com/lambdarising

And naturally Phyllida is listed on Lambda Rising's online bookstore. Here's the link to their Home/Search page:

http://www.lambdarising.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp

Thanks, LR!

Back in June I was interviewed on Queery, Madison, Wisconsin’s longest-running LGBT radio show, to talk about my bisexual historical novel, Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander: a bisexual Regency romance.

Here’s the link to the page on my Web site with the audio and a transcript.

http://www.annherendeen.com/Interview.html

Since this was my first live on-air interview, I have to admit I wasn’t as sharp as I wish I'd been. The interviewers, Sharon Osterloh and Shawn Neal, were excellent—kind and gentle, guiding me to present my book in the best light possible—but there were some points I should have made and didn’t. If you’re interested, they follow the cut.
( Read more... )

There's a fun little interview in the Riverfront Times, St. Louis's alternative weekly paper. Ben Westhoff asked the questions.

See how the cool people react to the idea of the first-ever bisexual Regency romance:
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/Issues/2006-07-05/news/unreal.html

The one answer I'd like to change: I'd prefer to see Heath Ledger as Matthew Thornby, the hero's boyfriend, when my ideal movie version is made.

And my one quibble: "Cucumber sandwiches"?

Save the date: Thursday September 14, when I'll be back as the guest-blogger on Michelle Buonfiglio's romance-novel blog, Romance: By the Blog. Everybody had a such a good time back in June that we've agreed to do it again, once more people have had a chance to read Phyllida.

I invite everybody who has yet to read my bisexual Regency romance novel, Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander, to try it--it's a great beach read--and then check in to Romance: By the Blog. http://www.romancebytheblog.blogspot.com/

This time I'll be writing about my sexy, spirited heroine--Phyllida herself--and why she's the perfect match for her masculine bisexual husband.

You can also take a look at the previous discussions and comments.

First, Michelle gave Phyllida a terrific write-up on June 15th (thanks, Michelle!)

http://romancebytheblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/oh-would-that-all-regencies-were-this.html

And on June 22nd, I did my first guest blog with a post on the topic: Why a bisexual hero? (Quick answer: hot hot hot!)

It was an informative, funny and thought-provoking conversation. To see the complete discussion:

http://romancebytheblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/ann-herendeen-why-i-wrote-bisexual.html

"Romance: By the Blog" is the companion blog to Michelle's nationally-syndicated romance novel review column, "Romance: B(u)y the Book"
http://www.WNBC.com/romance

She's the expert on all types of romance, so I feel very honored by all the attention, and hoping this will introduce more romance readers to a sexy, laugh-out-loud-funny story with a super-hot hero, a sympathetic heroine and an unusual romantic resolution.

OK, if you’re reading this, I finally did it—started my blog.

I know, me and 20 gazillion others, this week. But it’s a big deal for me. It’s the first sustained writing I will have done for over a year, since I finished writing my bisexual Regency romance novel, “Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander.”

“What?” you ask. “What is that—a bisexual Regency romance?” (At least, I hope you’re asking.)

The easy answer is to check out my Web site, where all is made clear: www.annherendeen.com With any luck, this blog will soon be linked to the site anyway, but until then, please, please, please check it out. The site is all about the book, and the book is beautiful, sexy, intelligent and funny, just like Phyllida herself, the heroine of the novel. It’s a romance, so yes, she’s the “heroine,” not simply the “title character” or “protagonist” or some other wimpy literary term. (And btw, her name is pronounced with the accent on the first syllable, like Phyllis, only longer).

Now, back to your question. The Regency is the period in English history from 1811 to 1820 when the future George IV acted as Prince Regent for his father, George III (yes, he was still alive, about 150 years old, sick and incapacitated). You don’t care? So why ask?

Oh, I see, you want to know about the bisexual part. Terrific! That’s exactly what I want to talk about. ( Read more... )