May 7

Borders CEO lays responsibility for Borders’ success at the feet of Publishers

“We know we have a business plan that works, but it requires a lot of support to get it there, and our publishers are going to make or break our ability to transform this company at the end of the day.” ~Mike Edwards (Bolding mine)

And why am I not surprised? Oh, because I spent 7 months getting cheerful “encouraging” messages like this from Edwards almost weekly. Borders has been shifting the blame for a long time.

Sure, the employees should be facilitating sales. But the push quickly came off making more recommendations or pushing add ons and on pushing the $20 member card. To the point where management was supposed to do DAILY “assessments” of each employee and one of the things to be scored on the assessment was “Did employee overcome customer’s protest and sell card anyway?” While these assessments were said to be a reward system (if you got a 100% you got a free drink from the cafe) there were reports of RMs demanding GMs terminate poor scorers.

Also just a hint at the goal numbers- from Black Friday till the week of Christmas we were expect to  sell 50 member cards a day. The week of Christmas the number went up by about 5 a day.

After Christmas a mysterious new policy came out that only managers could ring up employees. Why? Because corporate caught several stores selling things to make their goal to employees who would then return it to other stores.

So really, this demanding that publishers foot the bill so Borders can stay in business is completely typical of the attitude of the CEO. Before you say I’m just bitter, truth is I WANT Borders to come out of this. I’ve always cheered for the underdog. But if their business plan is “sell more cards, close more stores, get the publishers to send us more books we won’t pay for” then screw them, publishing doesn’t need any more of that crap.

 

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April 26

Book Recommendation: Welcome to River Street by Amy M. Levy

My personally policy is not to review (professionally, blurbs on Amazon & GoodReads are a little different) books I pre-read or helped edit (or am in). While these books are rare I do like pointing them out when they hit shelves. Well, I’m a little behind on this one.

Welcome to River Street was written by my friend Amy, who is a darling, sweet woman who isn’t the best at waving her book at the world and screaming “I wrote this, and it’s pretty good, and maybe you should check it out.” So I’m doing it for her.

Welcome to River Street is a novella and two short stories that center around people who live in a home split into apartments. Amy has an unassuming, plain writing style which took me by surprise when it casual addressed some pretty amazing things, like spousal abuse, depression, and even borderline personality disorder. Amy doesn’t sensationalize, but she left me surprised by the powerful effect of her stories (again because her style isn’t heavy.)

Welcome to River Street shouldn’t be overlooked by readers looking for solid, tense tales. Plus encouraging Amy to write more is a great thing since she’s a boon to the writer fold.

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April 23

A Vampire Time Line

If you haven’t already heard it there’s a certain NYT Bestselling author who has claimed a number of times that she “invented” the vampire genre.

What’s that you say? What about Bram Stoker (Dracula, 1897) or Anne Rice (Interview with the Vampire, 1976), or Polidori (The Vampyre, 1819), Varney the Vampire (1847) and Sheridan Le Fanu (Carmilla, 1872)? Or Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (Hotel Transylvania, 1978)?

Usually I assume the intent is “I started urban fantasy”. This came up today because DH and I got a box set of Forever Knight not long ago. Forever Knight? Hardboiled supernatural mystery series staring an angsty but attractive vampire cop. Also, May 5, 1992. Guilty Pleasures, the first book in said “I started the genre”‘s series? Published 1993.

Also, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, starring the quintessential UF heroine (albeit in junior form)–Summer 1992.

Maybe those aren’t bookish enough. How about Tanya Huff’s Blood books, featuring a vampire detective? Blood Price, 1991. Blood Trail, 1992. Blood Lines, 1992. And Blood Pact, 1993. Or P.N. Elrod’s dual series; Jonathan Barrett, Gentleman Vampire (Red Death, 1993) and The Vampire Files (Bloodlist, 1990; Lifeblood, 1990; Bloodcircle, 1990; Art in the Blood, 1991; Fire in the Blood, 1991; Blood on the Water, 1992)

If you want to expand a bit, there’s also S.P. Somtow (Vampire Junction, 1984), Brian Lumley (Necroscope, 1986), Vampire: The Masquerade RPG (1991), Kim Newman (Anno Dracula, 1992), and Mercedes Lackey (Burning Water, 1989). Oh, and Castlevania (1986) and Blade (1st Appearance-Tomb of Dracula #10, July 1973).

And let’s be honest and include a few “cutting-edge/subversive” picks: Dark Shadows (tv show & book series, 1966), Whitley Strieber (The Hunger, book-1981 & movie- 1983), and Poppy Z. Brite (Lost Souls, 1992).

So, you know, utter bullshit.

But really I just wanted a nice solid list someplace I could find it for when it comes up again. And you all might as well benefit too. Plus that’s a pretty good vampire reading list.

ETA: I cannot believe I forgot these two…L.J. Smith (Vampire Diaries, 1991), Caroline B. Cooney (The Vampire, 1991) and Christopher Pike’s Last Vampire misses out by a shade at 1994.

*Thanks to Sara M. Harvey and Dhympna who helped with the formation of this list!

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April 18

Updates all around

I’ve had a rather unenthusiastic approach to life lately because I’m trying to avoid really wild swings between enthusiasm and excitement and the absolute belief that I'[m an utter loser incapable of ever getting another job. Okay, it’s not that bad, but that’s because I’m trying to keep occupied.

Borders Update:  After an absolute nightmare last week where ate one point I was told that I’d already cashed my check we cleared up a case of mistaken identity (um, Michele Lee is my pen name, by the way, not my legal name. But it is listed pretty much every where as a legal alias, mostly because it makes cashing checks sent to “Michele Lee” possible.) But, my check never came, so we put a stop on it and had it reissued.

As of right now I’m still waiting on it (but shouldn’t expect it until late this week). Here’s hoping, right?

Ugh.

So for now I’m splitting my time between spring cleaning, working on writing projects (my goodness there are a lot of them appearing) and putting in and following up on applications.

Uncertainty really kills me. I’m a planner, a goal setter and obtainer. Now I’m doing boring stuff, putting in the work (and the words) in the hopes that at some point it’ll pay off. Laymen, this is what writing is like all the time. Hours filled with tons of boring, slow behind the scenes work which may or may not ever see the light.

Which makes for really boring blogging.

Which is why I’ve been awfully quiet lately.

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