"Vacation, sort of." June 11th blog post.

[freyalorelei.livejournal.com]

I'd like to add that it had been months since Jon and I got to wonder a bookstore, simply browsing, not because I need something for research. Not because we were buying a present for someone, but simply because we wanted to browse the book shop. We got lots of interesting stuff. I did buy some things for research, couldn't help it. GUIDE TO MARINE MAMMALS OF THE WORLD was the main one I got for research. It's actually going to get used on the current book, if not on stage, it's information that I as a writer would do better knowing. But I bought two books that were just for fun, just because I wanted to read them. Like I said, it's been a long time since I went to the bookstore without a work oriented agenda. The GUIDE TO MARINE MAMMALS was just a happy, useful, accident. Serendipity at it's best.

Now, this is actually kind of interesting. Marine mammals as research for the new AB book? I smell a new werecreature in the offing...who wants to take bets on wereseals or weredolphins or even weremanatees? Part of me is intrigued, another part screams GOD NO NOT MORE SUPERFLUOUS CHARACTERS.

...while Trin is gone on vacation with her Grandma and Grandpa, Jon and I are going to be doing what relaxes us. Good bookstores, reading other people's books, eating at nice restaurants that have no children's menus (all you parents know what I mean), have lots of alone time between Jon and myself (yes, I mean sex), but not just sex, also a chance to talk to each other without a half dozen people running in and out.

...Okay. "Alone time" is already letting we-the-readers know a bit too much about her personal life. We can certainly read between the lines and understand that "alone time" is code for sex. Her actually TELLING us that she had sex with her husband this weekend? T. M. I. We don't need to know that! We don't WANT to know that! Don't misunderstand me, I suppose it's good that she and her husband have a successful relationship on whatever level, but...WE. DON'T. CARE. And we certainly don't need to know about their bedroom antics. For God's sake, she bitches enough about fannish speculation on her sex life as is...why add fodder to the debate?

Comments

[oohasparklie.livejournal.com]

I thought she didn't read books by other authors. ;p

[freyalorelei.livejournal.com]

You're kidding. That's really true? She's said so? I know she and her entourage take a very dim view of other vampire interpretations (see: Jon's Underworld rant), but I didn't know she'd actually bragged about not reading other authors, period!

On that note, I'd love to know what her reaction to the White Wolf RPGs would be. "OMG they're not like MY vampires and werewolves so it's ALL WRONG! Mine are the ONLY true interpretations!" You know, despite the fact that the White Wolf games were released first, in 1991. :P

[demoncougar.livejournal.com]

No kidding.

Then again, it's been proven that White Wolf is a bunch of plagarizing idiots...but still.

BTW...Jon's Underworld rant??? I should like to read that...where can it be found?

[oohasparklie.livejournal.com]

No, I was just being facetious, actually. I read how she said she won't read other people's vampires and was making fun from there.

[frabjously.livejournal.com]

At least she didn't write about the cervix grinding orgasms she's going to have, or a description of how to give oral sex.

And for that, I am thankful.

[freyalorelei.livejournal.com]

For that, we are ALL thankful. *shudders* I think the TMI quotient was passed with Anita's slut!cam POV in Incubus Dreams, though.

[saadiira.livejournal.com]

Can I hear an AMEN to that, Brothers and sisters?

-Dira-

[frabjously.livejournal.com]

I see your AMEN and raise you a HALLEJUYAH!

[dwg.livejournal.com]

Marine mammals? She's got enough trouble dealing with the biology of terrestrial animals without tackling the marine ones.

And...um...just as an aside? Books you get from stores, not that brilliant for research. They're a good starting point, but to really know what you're talking about, you have to go to a library.

Personally, I would recommend some high school biology textbooks - which explain the limits of human physiology in an adequate and understandable manner. Never mind the fact that nobody in either series is human, it's just that it's at the point where the sexual antics are that ridiculous, it's asking wayyy too much of anyone to believe.

[freyalorelei.livejournal.com]

I'd like to assume that she does use libraries for research, supplementing with trips to bookstores. She's never said she DOESN'T use libraries (has she? Feel free to correct me on this), so I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Personally, I would recommend some high school biology textbooks - which explain the limits of human physiology in an adequate and understandable manner.

But didn't you know? LKH majored in biology and thus knows EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW about that subject, and never needs, like, a refresher for information she learned 10-20 years ago and that is probably out of date. Her memory is just that awesome and powerful, and nothing new EVER happens in a scientific field. >.

[saadiira.livejournal.com]

O.>O.> *These are Dira's rolling eyes...*

[dwg.livejournal.com]

I'm only going by what I know from personal experience and what's been quoted in her blog.

It's one of the reasons why I was pissed off with the "bibliography" at the end of Seduced By Moonlight because it's basically a high school essay type of reference list - not a bibliography of any use because it doesn't tell me year of publication, publishing house and country. I'm used to the Harvard system of reference.

But near as I can tell, it's never been mentioned that she does go to the library.

LKH majored in biology and thus knows EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW about that subject

As a biology major myself, I have to wonder how the hell she completed her degree. And then started to get pissed off because all the descriptions of corpses had "lying on the back," and "intestines." and very vague stuff. I know that it has to get translated into lay terms for mass consumption, but it doesn't hurt to call a jawbone a mandible.

*feels grimy & headdesks*

[dwg.livejournal.com]

And I just noticed:

I'd like to add that it had been months since Jon and I got to wonder a bookstore

Um. Yeah. I know I speak the Queen's English, but I'm fairly certain that in the US "wander" and "Wonder" have completely different meanings, and y'all haven't changed the spelling of them both to suit your needs. In other words, "wonder" is not the new "aluminum."

Unless she completely means that she "wondered" in a bookstore and marvelled at all the pretty books that didn't have her name on them.

[freyalorelei.livejournal.com]

*imagines LKH at a bookstore*

"Jon, look! These people in these books do things besides sit around and talk! There's, like, stuff happening and progress! And they don't spell words the same as me! And where did the sex go?"

"...That's because they're not GOOD writers like YOU, hon! And Darla agrees!"

"Oh, okay. You and Darla know best, after all!"

[freyalorelei.livejournal.com]

...Okay, and here's where I feel REALLY STUPID because I've written a Labyrinth analysis with footnotes for sources, and didn't know I had to, like, credit specific publishing dates and companies. *facepalm*

But! I know better now. Besides, LKH supposedly has a minor in English (if I remember correctly); even if she weren't published, she should know that as a product of her education.

I know that it has to get translated into lay terms for mass consumption, but it doesn't hurt to call a jawbone a mandible.

Well, she DOES have to interpret those big long words for her vast teenage readership, after all. They shouldn't have to sludge through advanced adult terms; this is PORN, after all, not biology class!

[dwg.livejournal.com]

Don't feel too stupid - it took me about four years to figure this out, and this was after taking an out of hours course on essay writing (which proved to be more confusing than writing an essay) and it wasn't until my biology lecturer spent an entire double lecture talking about "the basics" like how to do a proper biological drawing, how to write a practical report, the conventions for naming oders, generas and species, and referencing. We had refresher referencing lectures later in the semester.

LKH really hasn't got any excuse for not using a proper referencing system - biology hammers it in that you're only as good as your references and you have to be specific enough that any Plebe as well as your lecturer can pick out the book you used and find your reference. English you can get away with fudging things a bit more (I know I once got marked down for putting too much detail into my bibliography) but having a clear reference list helps so, so much.

Just as a tip, you can't really go wrong with the Harvard system. It's like the standard referencing system that everyone EVAR uses.

[dragonfanguk.livejournal.com]

God bless the Harvard System.

[sarcasm] it R0xXoRz my Soxx075 [/sarcasm]

[refche.livejournal.com]

Um, all right... Why did she write "yes, I mean sex" in brackets and then continued with the same context in the sentence after she closed them? I'm not from an English speaking country, so I don't exactly know the rules, but the brackets seem very out-of-place. Even for LKH...

Also, I wish that she'd stop sounding like a 13 year old... "Vacation, Yay! Am gonna have sex! *does the scooby dance* I'll write all about it when I'm finished!" Paraphrasing, bust still...

And whoa, I can't get over the fact that she reads other people's books! I mean, it almost distracted me from the Ewww! I got when I read what else they were doing. And Jon reads? Whoa... *is amazed*

[freyalorelei.livejournal.com]

Your icon is hot. *distracted by teh Neil*

Why did she write "yes, I mean sex" in brackets...and then continued with the same context in the sentence after she closed them?

...Because she can't write or even form a coherent sentence without ten thousand copy editors sitting on her ass?

(And seriously, your grammar and spelling FAR exceeds Laurell's, and she's supposed to be a NATIVE SPEAKER. Bad Suethor, no biscuit!)

Also, I wish that she'd stop sounding like a 13 year old... "Vacation, Yay! Am gonna have sex! *does the scooby dance* I'll write all about it when I'm finished!" Paraphrasing, bust [sic] still...
*snerk* Gods, that's so accurate, and true!

And whoa, I can't get over the fact that she reads other people's books! ... And Jon reads? Whoa... *is amazed*

Well, even magazines count as reading. And she's mentioned J.K. Rowling in previous posts, so we know she can read at at least a fifth-grade level.

[refche.livejournal.com]

*pets GNeil*

Bad Suethor, no biscuit!
*snorts* Indeed.

And ugh, 's' always finds a sneaky way to slither itself in front of 't'...

[frabjously.livejournal.com]

To be really, REALLY picky, these are (parenthesis) and these are [brackets].

But that's more trivia than common English usage.

[refche.livejournal.com]

I knew there was a different term, but for the life of me, I couldn't think of what it was. There. Thanks.