I slacked off on my post yesterday, but after resting all day I feel ambitious now.

Here's the latest book news:


From Steve Vander Ark on Facebook:

Calling West Michigan Potter fans and friends of fans!
Can you help out on a video shoot this Friday at 10am?
Even if you can't be there, please pass the word to the Potter fans you know who might want to be part of this fun project.
Have them email me at steve.lexicon@gmail.com

To repeat the link posted yesterday by Sylvanawood yesterday:
Severusbigbang ~ Rules Here.
 
The preliminary sign ups are from June 1st to June 30th.
This for authors and artists to celebrate Snape's 50th birthday next January 9th, with entries due in autumn.
Sylvana adds: "Crafters are very much invited, too. And we'll ask for beta readers and 'cheer leaders' in the sign ups as well, so it's hopefully something there for everyone."
You can join Snapedom on InsaneJournal or add the RSS feed to your Friends page to get notifications here on Livejournal.

I've written a review of lemon_ashwinder's book A Shunned Man on Amazon. It's a great summer read, but there are adult situations and isn't for anyone under 18.

For the grown-ups, I think you might enjoy the main character. Um, he will seem quite familiar due to his appearance and personality, and . . . well, that's all I can say beyond my review, but he gets to have more fun than a certain character we all know. Happily, the author may also be working on a sequal, too, so this is just the beginning.

Finally, Shameless Promotion: And of course, don't forget to pre-order Mugglenet's Harry Potter Should Have Died which is due out in June. Pre-Order price is only $10.76.

As my friend Bluestocking has written on her blog today, we have something new and controversial to talk about from the "Real Number One Harry Potter Fan Site."

On June 1st, Ulysses Press will mark the release of a very special book that I've had the privilege of helping with for over a year:

Mugglenet's Harry Potter Should Have Died
Pre-Order it on Amazon
Read the Back Cover Here


Emerson Spartz and Ben Schoen came up with the concept for the book because they realized that people were still heatedly debating issues from Deathly Hallows. Let's face it - many people were disappointed and downright angry with the way the series ended. After seven books, JKR didn't tell us everything we wanted to know, but she told us a lot of stuff some people now wish they didn't know. And alot of things in the last book left people confounded by new magical details. So for anyone who thinks they will be bored by reading someone else's view of the books, please think again. This isn't a book that is going to tiptoe around a bunch of sacred idols and rigid ideas, but will show both sides of every controversy in a blunt and opininionated manner.

I am lucky enough to have seen a copy of the Introduction and perhaps this quote will give you a better sense of what Emerson and Ben hope to achieve with this book:

"So if you have both a pulse and at least a modicum of knowledge of the
Harry Potter books, we’ll be very disappointed if, upon reading some of our
verdicts, you’re not inspired to challenge us to a duel or something."

Exactly. Go for it - get fired up about it. But please read it first because you might be surprised!

And check out the legal disclaimers - one on the front, one on the back. Will that be enough? Well, Bluestocking is Wondering if a certain author will be fuming about it, but since this book is entirely opinion, then it surely passes the Fair Use test with room to spare. And it may even have enough footnotes to please the most nitpicky among us.