Running With Quills: A Tale of Bribery, Betrayal & Blogging...

Welcome to Running With Quills, your online newsletter designed to keep you up to date with what your favorite authors (that would be us) are doing throughout the year. Here you will find the release dates of our new books and get information about our backlists. We'll preview our cover art here long before the books hit the stores and we'll keep you informed about works-in-progress and special projects. You'll also receive advance notice of signings and appearances. From time to time we'll give you a peek at our worlds, tell you what we're reading, and introduce you to some new authors.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

A Tale of Bribery, Betrayal & Blogging...

Note: The following information is CLASSIFIED, TOP SECRET, FOR YOUR EYES ONLY. It is intended to be read only by loyal visitors to this blog site. All other visitors -- especially certain bloggers who sneak over here from Squawk Radio (you know who you are) -- will, if caught, be confined in a small, sealed room and forced to listen to twelve other writers tell you all about their latest plots for twenty-four hours straight.

Attention Loyal Blog Visitors, here is the Top Secret lowdown: On Tuesday, May, 23rd the Quills will take over Squawk Radio (www.squawkradio.com).

Yes, friends and neighbors, we've had it up to here with those flashy Squawkers and their glitzy, high-profile, in-your-face blogging. Yes, we know Squawk Radio is hot. We know it has become the Number One blog spot for those who read romance and romantic-suspense. Sheesh, how could it fail, given the impressive list of writers who blog there: Christina Dodd, Teresa Medeiros, Eloisa James, Lisa Kleypas, Elizabeth Bevarly, Connie Brockway and the fabulous Kitty Kuttlestone.

But the Quills are determined to make it into the Big Time and on Tuesday, we're making our move. The Squawkers won't know what hit 'em. We're going to show them some real classy blogging. We're going to let 'em see us Blog with Style. On Tuesday we're going to be all over that Squawk blog like hair on a turtle. Or something.

How did we arrange this clever coup? Let's just say we had INSIDE HELP. A certain tattooed, pierced, tequila-swigging chicken in five-inch stilettos whose name must remain secret (okay, okay, so her name is Kitty) let it be known that she was open to a bribe. The Quills, never ones to ignore a golden opportunity, immediately issued her an invitation to a Green Ghost Margarita party. Kitty showed up on our doorstep dripping in rhinestones and leather and the rest is history. More or less.

If you want to see the results of this Top Secret operation, check out www.squawkradio.com on Tuesday.

The blogosphere will never be the same...

27 Comments:

Lynn said...: A certain tattooed, pierced, tequila-swigging chicken in five-inch stilettos... LOL!

Dueling blogs.
Covert operations.
Bribery and inside information.
Romance writers.
Cool.

(Will there be chocolate?); 9:29 AM
elizabeth said...: TOP SECRET, huh?

Sheesh.

That's the last time my evil twin tells YOU anything!

*stalks off to mix up a few blue vampire specials*; 10:03 AM
Louis said...: hmmmmm....

should be interesting!!!

writing ladies take over writing ladies....

only the blog reader can benefit!!!

power to the ladies!!!; 10:24 AM
Stella said...: ALERT!!!!

I think one of them has tried to sneak past our super magnetic chicken sucking wall. Yeah, I know I'm the one on guard duty but you all said I'd only have to watch 'em caper and squawk on the other side of the moat. There isn't a single chicken doing a thing on the other side of that moat.

Listen, if they reach our command center it's all over and we'll have to fight them right here. So help me scout around, will you?

Argh! I can hear a squawker.

Don't panic yet. I'm trying to calm down. Okay, so I panic first then think later--it's a coping mechanism--get over it.

PERESCOPES UP AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS!!!

Hah, I told you she was a double agent. There's a long nailed, pierced yellow thing flattened to the outside of our magnificent wall. Wow, its got tatoos and they're melting. But it's still dragging on a butt.

It's Kitty, or my name isn't anonymous. She was trying to scupper us. She's got the loot--told you not to pay her before the job was done--now she wants to do us in then pretend she's a loyal CLUCK!

I'm going to turn on the rotating wall feature right now.

"Power, d-do, to the Quills, d-do-do."

Gimme another of those purple vampire specials. You're sure I'm getting the ones without the "extra" ingredient, aren't you?; 11:37 AM
Tammy said...: :::snicker::::

Have some chocolate they go great with the Green Ghost Sippers.

::hic:::; 12:20 PM
Marg said...: I've always thought you couldn't trust that Kitty!

I hope it's a bloodless takeover; 1:24 PM
Cissy said...: ah'm skeered; 3:00 PM
talpianna said...: You people are SO LAME!!!

Over on the Mayer-Crusie HE WROTE, SHE WROTE blog, we're already taking over the WORLD. Tierra del Fuego and Tasmania have fallen, and we're working our way backwards through the alphabet. After all, one of our Fearless Leaders, Bob Mayer, is a former Green Beret!

DIE, you margarita-swilling varmints! DIE!

----The Rangerettes and the Henchwenches

vbwjwwsq -- Very big war! Jenny, wenches, warriors squelch Quills!; 4:16 PM
Ranurgis said...: Hold your fire. It is only I. I'm a loyal Quiller but, yeah, I've been over to the Sqawkers a few times--even today to talk about opera.

I'm sorry you're mostly first or last on my blogging list. I've got you on my second browser. Sometimes I come here first, sometimes second. But two of the writers I've read the longest are right here and this will be my home.

I'm glad I'm not in on your plans, after all, I don't take kindly to torture. And what do you mean you'll blog with style there. I think you're doing just great here. I guess "the evil twin" was just there today to get the "lie of the land" before the big attack?

I can't wait for the lowdown...uh, showdown. Nope, no appointments that day. You guys are 3 hours behind me. So when will the takeover start? Oops, shouldn't have asked that. Forget I did so please. I guess that's really one of the problems. Most of the time when I start with you you're still sleeping the sleep of the just(I hope?).

About an hour to go for a certain chat. I sure hope I can get in this time. It's always touch and go.

sqmek - Squawkers quietly make every kitsch.; 5:06 PM
Stella said...: This is all about fabulous chickens and sly quills--who are also fabulous, or at least a couple of them:)

No other war will be conducted on our territory. Lame? That is a fighting word, I admit--perhaps we'll have to make an exception for one misguided would-be pugilist.

Meet us behind the hen house. We'll set the time.

Anonymous; 5:45 PM
Jay said...: Ladies, are you leaving a rear guard in case the chickens revolt and come hunting for quills?; 6:43 PM
Julie said...: Hey Ranurgis you are sooo busted. And to think that I almost posted that I agreed with you …on opera that is.
Hey Quills, just try to catch this sneaky Squwkin’ Blogger. Go ahead; try to tempt me with your torrid tales. Fascinate me with your fabulous fiction. Serenade me like Sirens with your stories of sin and seduction.
Make me quiver with the thrill of Quill…if you can.; 6:20 AM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: The Thrill of Quill...oooh, I like that. I like that a lot. My sister Quills, I think we have just found our new motto...; 7:14 AM
Suzanne Simmons said...: "The Thrill of Quill," I LOVE IT!
That's apparently what we've been missing all along: an appropriate motto.

Rear Guard? No problem. The Quills have eyes in the back of their collective heads, not to mention finely-tuned senses that could sniff out a Squawker at forty paces.

Ready your quills, Quills. En garde!; 7:40 AM
LauraT said...: HAHAHAHA you guys are SO busted, you will have to bribe Julie and I with something good to keep us quiet...

wait... we can't be bribed!; 7:50 AM
Julie said...: NO, No, no WE can not be bribed... But maybe ONE of us can be. Hhhmmm?
Sigh,
I can't believe that I gave them a moto.
Without putting up a fight...or getting a bribe!
Sorry Squawkers
and Squakees; 10:35 AM
Lori Foster said...: Being as I'm the newbie here, I'll take an assignment. Shall I stand guard over a window? A door?
I did see some suspicious feathers out back, at the same time that I detected a whiff of foul play.
(Get it. FOUL play.)
:::sigh::::
The rest of you are so good at this, I think I'll just go watch for Squawkers and shout the alert if I see any. :-D

Lori; 11:24 AM
Teresa Medeiros said...: If Kitty was only dripping rhinestones and leather, you guys got pretty lucky. Usually she's dripping Sangria and cigar ashes. Oh, and sarcasm of course.; 11:29 AM
Lynn said...: Always a need for advance scouts. Maybe you can offer corn dogs as bribery. Doesn't that Perdue chicken guy get a letter from his chickens wanting corn dogs?

And, is PERDUE a bad word?; 12:41 PM
Kitty Kuttlestone said...: THe poisons in the pestle...
At the Witching hour...or was that The Bitching Hour... be ready. Brockway has prepared a little welcome but ignore it.; 2:07 PM
Christina Dodd said...: You call that a wall, Stella???

Listen, you Quillers are kidding yourselves. Kitty is totally loyal to Squawk Radio. She would never betray us. Not while I have her by the short hairs. (Stop squirming, Kitty!); 4:15 PM
talpianna said...: In the forepeak of the vessel hapless Squawkers sate alone,
Concentrating their attention on the Lady KUTTLEBONE.
And Quills' raffish crew were sleeping in their barrels and their bunks -
As the HenchWenches came creeping in their sampans and their junks.

The hapless Quills had no eye for aught but merry Squawks,
And the latter seemed enraptured by the literary talks;
Disposed to relaxation, and awaiting no surprise -
But the moonlight shone reflected from a hundred bright blue eyes.

And closer still and closer the sampans circled round,
And yet from all the enemy there was not heard a sound.
Quills and Squawkers battled on, in danger of their lives -
For the foe was armed with toasting forks and cruel carving knives.

Then TALPIANNA signaled to her fierce cerise-clad horde;
With a frightful burst of fireworks the Wenches swarmed aboard.
Abandoning their sampans, and their pullaways and junks,
They battened down the hatches on the crew within their bunks.

Then Kuttlebone she gave a screech, for she was badly skeered;
I am sorry to admit it, but she quickly disappeared.
She probably escaped with ease, I'm sure she was not drowned -
But a serried ring of flashing steel the Squawkers did surround.

The ruthless foe pressed forward, in stubborn rank on rank;
Elizabeth, in vast surprise was forced to walk the plank.
She who a hundred victims had driven to that drop,
At the end of all her crimes was forced to go ker-flip, ker-flop.

Oh there was joy in blogspace when the news flew through the land;
At Crusie's blog and Mayer's, there was dancing on the strand.
Rats were roasted whole in Omaha, and among the Rangerettes
And HenchWenches, a satisfied contemplation of paid debts.

(with apologies to T.S. Eliot)

dnlqo -- Do not let Quills oppress!

Oops!

ibkmd -- I believe Krentz may defect!; 4:55 PM
Elizabeth Bevarly said...: Hey, hey, hey! What are you talkin' about? You're nuts! (I'm talking to Christina, not the Quills.) Of COURSE Kitty would do this. It's for LIQUOR! Open your eyes, Xtina! We gotta get the other Squawkers together and warn them! Now! Run! Run while there's still time! (And please tell me this isn't your pinochle night.); 6:32 PM
Santa said...: Julie!! Julie!!! Julie!!! You gave them a motto?! For shame, darlin'! We have got to band together and it seems there are more interlopers on the way if those Crusie/Mayer loyalists are to be heeded!!

Damn, times like this I wish I knew pig latin!!; 9:29 PM
Julie said...: Santa, I told you that I needed spell check, an editor AND a muzzle.
Those Crusie/Mayer loyalists are channeling TS Elliot. HOW scary is that?
They are so very, very literary.
And all I have is Seuss…
Well, well, well…
I have come to a conclusion.
We Lilliputian Squawkees could fight own war and seek restitution.
But why should we. What we need is some Literary Giant substitution.
If I spin a little confusing Confucian illusion
with the unwitting contribution of Talpianna and her
“ Do not let Quills oppress” call to counter revolution
then the He/She Said Loyalists should be enticed seek retribution!
And We, the Squawkees, could have an easy solution
to those (* ) Running with Quills rude Blogger intrusion.

*= please note that I could have put the word sleazy here ‘cuz it rhymes with easy but I was being tactful. See Christina I can be good…; 7:25 AM
talpianna said...: Julie, you naive innocent victim. Just wait till we start channeling Elizabeth Bishop--you'll never know what hit you.

ukcaxflm -- Kitty's last word?; 3:21 PM
Julie said...: Hey Talpianna,
I figured that as soon as I mentioned Counter Revolution you would start channeling Woodstock and fall into a coma like an Armadillo curled up on the Imaginary Iceberg. But it didn’t work. So next time I’ll use Transcendentalists Have a Hardy Constitution or The Metaphysical Poets Are an Institution.
Julie is quietly seeking poetic justice for all naive innocent victims.
I bet that I know what the Literary Giants are thinking. They're thinking "Yeah right, it'll be A Cold Spring in hell..."; 8:16 PM

Previous Posts

Sunday, May 21, 2006

A Tale of Bribery, Betrayal & Blogging...

27 Comments: