I Simply Adore Nicki Minaj

It’s no secret that I adore Nicki Minaj. I think she’s super talented, and those who disagree are simply blinded by a baseless, unreasonable hatred for her. It’s one thing to not be a fan of her music; it’s another to outright deny Nicki’s talent.

In any case, the NY Times recently ran a piece written by Jon Caramanica that discussed Nicki’s place in hip-hop and pop culture, positing that she is the most influential female hip-hop artist of all time. It’s an assessment with which I’d agree.

Her sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, drops tomorrow. You better goddamn believe I’m copping it right away. The tracklisting to PF:RR is below.

Vote for Kelly Josephs in Yoga Journal’s Talent Search

Hello, Dear Readers, I need a favor. Please take a moment out of your day to vote for my good friend Kelly Jospehs in Yoga Journal‘s Talent Search. The top 5 winners will receive a $250 gift certificate to Athleta and be given a chance to be featured in Yoga Journal magazine.

“Yoga is my sanctuary for restoration, retreat, and risk-taking,” says Kelly, who’s been practicing Vinyasa for six years. “It forces me to narrow my focus while simultaneously expanding my horizon of possibilities. For work I spend most of my time ‘in my head’ but on my mat I can quiet my mind and let my body think.”

GUEST POST: Author Justin Ordoñez – Marketing; or, How I Proved the Existence of Hell

Hello there, Dear Readers. Once again, I’m participating in a book blog tour, this time for the YA novel Sykosa from author Justin Ordoñez. Please enjoy this guest post from Justin, then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes such as $550 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and autographed copies of the book.

Marketing; or, How I Proved the Existence of Hell by Justin Ordoñez

Self-publishing requires either A) no skills and being totally deluded as to the reality of success in the book market, or B) no skills and the reality you’re going to have to learn a lot. And that’s a simple fact. Between writing, editing, formatting, choosing a printer, choosing retailers, web development, content generation, typesetting, book trailers and the fifty other things I’m forgetting, you’re certain to encounter a challenge for which you are in no way prepared, and not only are you not prepared, your desire to become prepared hovers somewhere near the axis of zero.

I discovered mine on January 11, 2012–Marketing.

Texts About GUESTLIST! #GLIST

As a writer, I’m often worried about how my work will be received, and that has never been more the case than with my novel GUESTLIST. Of course, in my mind, Guestlist is a fucking masterpiece, on par with the greatest literary works known to man. (You can make an informed opinion by going to Amazon and purchasing your copy now.)

So it’s always great when people let you know how much they enjoy your work. It’s simultaneously humbling and confirmatory. It’s a great feeling, let me tell you.

Above is a text message I received earlier today from a satisfied reader. I love that he asked to be cast as Swann should Guestlist be made into a film. Below is another text I received over the weekend from someone lamenting over the fact she’s enjoying the novel rather than getting some work done.