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CHESS QUEEN
Rowena's Occasional Newsletter |
January/February 2006 |
Welcome to my first newsletter of 2006.
Major mileage: Where: I shall be signing copies of FORCED MATE.
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In this issue: 1. Welcome, Signings & Appearances | |||||||
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Even more major mileage: Hidden somewhere on my website is a fairy logo and link to the Fairy Court page of the RT convention, www.rtconvention.com/2006Parties/FAIRIES/Hunt.htm. The Faery Court is running a scavenger hunt right now, and I believe there is a prize for the reader who locates the most faeries on the websites of Faery Court members. I shall be signing copies of FORCED MATE at the Book Fair, which I assume will be on Saturday May 20th. Where: Daytona Florida
At the moment, I am working on the sequel to FORCED MATE. After that, I cannot wait to begin writing the next installment in god-Emperor Djohn-Kronos's love life. ~*~
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I was lucky enough to sit down with the charming, intriguing and romantic Andrei Claude at the 2005 Romantic Times Convention, before he was voted Mr Romance 2005. His story has become even more fascinating since then, and he graciously allowed me to revise the original interview. RC: Andrei Claude, thank you very much for granting this interview. AC: No problem! RC: What --or who-- inspired you to want to become a model? AC: I cannot recall anything or anyone in particular, but I kind of always felt like modeling was something I'd really like to do. I was always inspired to work out and get in shape though. I guess just like every other kid I watched Rambo and loads of other Sylvester Stallone and Arnold movies with complete admiration. Yeah, I always said to myself I have got to get me arms like those!
RC: Which came first: the diet and working out in the gym, or did you start out as a fashion model or actor (for instance)? AC: I started working out and maintaining a healthy diet, it was in fact after a few years of working out that I actually started modeling. RC: How and where did you take the first steps to make your ambition become a reality? In other words, what was your first ever modeling assignment? AC: Believe it or not the first modeling assignment I did was a professional shoot in West Hollywood for an international fitness magazine. I was discovered by a male talent agency in California back in 2001, and they decided to fly me over that same year and represent me on various assignments. I hadn’t ever modeled before that ! RC: What made you decide to come to America and compete in the Mr. Romance Cover Model Pageant? AC: Like I mentioned earlier, it was an agency in California that introduced me to modeling, and therefore I always felt the United States had a lot more to offer me in this field. The Mr. Romance pageant was something my manager suggested, and prior to that I had no idea this pageant even existed. RC: Looking back to that contest, how difficult was the Question and Answer session for you? English is not your first language. Do you think that was a disadvantage or an advantage? AC: Well, even though English is not my first language, I have been learning the language since primary school. It was more the nature of the question which worried me. I needed to come up with a good answer no matter what! RC: Can you remember what you were asked, and what you answered? Had you rehearsed possible answers beforehand? AC: Oh yeah! I was asked what I thought were the most important aspects of a relationship, and my answer to that was trust and good communication. Prior to arriving in Saint Louis we were emailed a set of questions which could possibly be asked during the pageant. It seems that with these shows there always are quite a few last minute changes, so you never really know what to expect. RC: For the Describe Your Ideal Date part of the contest, can you remember what you said your ideal date was? If so, can you tell us? If not, can you tell us what your idea of an ideal date is now? AC: The ideal date for me was very simple, a quiet meal in a good restaurant, where I could really get to know the person I’m with. It wasn’t a very spicy description, unlike some others, but it was genuine. That’s really what I would do. RC: Do you remember what scene you acted out for your Pose Down? Had you ever participated in a Pose Down before? Or, as far as you know, is a Pose Down unique to the Romantic Times BOOKclub Mr. Romance contest? AC: I didn’t really have any scenes in mind at that point, however we had some time to rehearse for that segment a few days before. That was when we kind of made up our pose down, although I did have to improvise a little bit the day of the show. RC: What difference has winning the Mr. Romance contest made to you? What have you done since then, that you would not have done if you had not won? AC: The Mr. Romance pageant and the entire RT convention has been a very positive experience for me. It was the beginning of a six week trip in the States, and starting off by winning a pageant is a really great start! I made a lot of friends there, and I have been in contact with most of them ever since. I have done quite a few romance novel covers already, a 2006 calendar and I should also be doing a few guest appearances.
RC: What do you enjoy most about being a cover model? AC: Romance novels are mainly fantasy stories, and being on the cover of these books is really awesome because you get to be the hero of the story. Sometimes you’re vampire other times a werewolf. It’s great! RC: I suppose every cover model has a favorite exercise, or one that he finds most effective for sculpting his torso. What do you concentrate on? AC: I have always been a strong believer that quality is much better that quantity. I used different exercises and routines to build my physique, and to this day I still go through an entire workout routine each week to maintain it. There's a lot more to it than just going to the gym and lifting weights. The selection of exercises, weight, and repetitions all play a very important role. I always made sure I kept my body in proportion, symmetrical and balanced, rather than focusing on just building muscle mass. RC: On your website, you mention diet? Do you follow a special dietary regimen? AC: Yes, especially when I'm getting ready for a show, or a photo shoot I need to be very careful with my nutrition. The diet is I follow is very high protein, extremely low in carbohydrates, and fat is simply a trace element. Sodium depletion and dehydration are also other techniques I use to achieve a hard and defined look. RC: Which is your favorite cover (that you are on)? And why? AC: Every time I get a new cover I’m just as excited as my first one. However, the very first cover I did always remains the first. That was a cover with Chippewa Publishing LLC, and the title was The Hunted. It’s a vampire romance by Mari La Croix. Like I said I love all the other covers I did, it’s just that being the very first one kind of makes it a bit more particular. RC: Which cover was the most challenging or interesting to pose for? AC: Shooting the covers for Essence Trilogy by JJ Massa was quite a challenging assignment. The three characters are cousins and each has a unique personality. We had to obtain a different look for each. It was a challenge, but I guess it turned out pretty well in the end !
AC: I like to keep everything linked to my main web site www.andreiclaude.com So once people go there they can then select to either enter the main site or else enter the news site. That's where all my latest stuff can be seen and read about. The links to my calendar, greeting cards, books and everything else can be found in my news section www.andreiclaude.com/news RC: Is there anything I haven't asked that you would like to share? Do you have any television appearances, or personal appearances that you'd like to mention? AC: I will be a guest at the European booklovers convention in Germany next April 2006. After that I should be going to Daytona for the 2006 RT convention. RC: Thank you very much AC: It was a pleasure! ~~~~ I would also like to thank JJ Massa for granting permission
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It's MINE, And I'll Do What I Want With It: The Fallacy of e-book Lore!
The question comes up every so often. Why do people make such a big deal about someone reselling or giving away an e-book? It's just a book! Yes, and no. An e-book is, by definition, an electronic book. Aside from
the formats it's offered in, it varies little from a paper book. They
come in fiction, non-fiction, educational... They are undeniably books,
meant to be read on a desktop computer, laptop, handheld reader, smart
But, they are electronic medium. That means that, in addition to the Intellectual Property Laws such as copyright that protect them, e-books are covered by the electronic media laws and the Millennium Act. The law for e-books is clear. You license the copy you buy for use on
your machine. Now, the fact that I can use an HTML copy or PDF copy of a
book and put it (additionally) on my own PDA is not a problem. You are
allowed to make a boot copy of Windows as well. It's licensed to you, Now, think about Windows for a moment. If I buy a copy of XP and install it on my machine, I cannot take the install disks for 95 and hand them to my sister, so she gets 95 on her machine, even though 95 is no longer running on my machine. Why? It was licensed to me. Not to her. And, MS knows that. But, she can come to my house and use my machine with XP on it, because
who I choose to let use my machine is my choice. In the same way, I
cannot give my copy of someone's e-book to her, because I licensed it,
but she can borrow my PDA and read what is on it the same way she can Copies are constrained even in print books. If you take a print book and make a photocopy of the whole thing (or even a large amount of it) and distribute it, IP law steps in. If you take that book and cut the binding, use a recognition scan and offer it, for free or sale, as an e-book... Well, you are breaking both copyright laws and electronic laws. The reader does not own the right to either reproduce or distribute
copies of an e-book. With any book, e-book or print, the author
initially owns those rights. He or she contracts those rights to the Buying a book of any type, paper or e-book, does not give you the right
to reproduce it. In the case of e-books, it does not give you the right
to reproduce or distribute it. If you have not entered into a formal
contract with the author or publisher of the book in question, you do
not have these rights. Okay, that may sound like a double standard. You can resell a paper
book. No one has ever argued that. You cannot ever resell an e-book,
unless it is a disc copy, unopened and in its original packaging. In
other words, you can resell an e-book that was never opened but no other Now, here is where it gets sticky and some people don't understand it.
Just because I wipe the original from my machine does not make it the
same thing as trading a used paper book. For one thing, unless you have
a garbage overwrite, you cannot ever permanently delete something from
Now, that is a fun portion of this act. It assumes you are guilty! It assumes you have kept a copy, with or without your knowledge. It is your burden to somehow (hint...it isn't possible) to prove you haven't. By sending it on, you have already made a copy of the original, because for that moment at least (when the book has been passed from your machine and not deleted from your machine yet), there are two copies. That is against copyright laws and against the acts in question. You have created an illegal reproduction of the book in question. In addition, paper books have a useful life. There are only so many readings before they wear out. The electronic media laws take this into account, since this is not the case with e-books. Making copies of copies of copies or passing a book on electronically doesn't wear a darned thing out! So, it's electronic media! Someone out there is postulating, at the moment, that it should follow the same rules as a music CD. In other words, that person is postulating that you can buy a CD, listen to it and resell the opened case CD at a swap meet. By that argument, someone is thinking that you can buy a CD copy of an e-book, read it and resell it without breaking the law. Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're still not in the clear. A CD is made to be enjoyed from the CD. You slip it into a player and listen. Though it is technically possible to make a copy of a CD on your hard drive, if you have the software to break the protection (which isn't really hard to come by), it is not the usual way to listen to a CD. A copy isn't expected. Selling the CD is assumed to be selling the only copy in existence. When you purchase a CD copy of an e-book, you don't read it from the CD.
Well, you can do it, if you are reading on a desktop or laptop and don't
mind lags in updating, but it's not the way it is usually done. You
usually buy the CD and save a copy of it on your system, at least long So...that is the law. If you want to know more, ask. |
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LOVE SCENE EXCERPT -- FROM MATING NET by Rowena Beaumont Cherry
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MATING NET-THE AUTHOR'S FAVORITE REVIEW SNIPS ============================================== FOUR STARS ~ Sheryl, ecataromance, http://www.ecataromance.com/reviews?type=&id=565 FOUR STARS FOUR ANGELS Helispeta, an enterprising young princess, has waited a long time for her prince to finally come and claim her. But it is not her intended prince that has come to claim her ? it is his identical twin brother. FOUR MAGNETS What images Rowena conjures up in her short story are powerful ones. A royal who believes he can take what he wants because it is his right. The universal jealousy of royals and the power they have because of rank. Even Helispeta's protected school offered interesting images of young women separated from society so they remain pure for the privileged. Did it capture my attention? Yes, and I would read the novel which this story inspired.
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Winter contest was a chess-centered question: "What is the significance of the MATING NET Cover model The answer I expected was that Djohn-Kronos killed his father, and took the throne and thus the "King"dom, and also seized his brother's fiance for his own "queen". Two readers came equally close to the answer I was expecting, so I was delighted to send prizes to both of them. Congratulations to Jeanette Jackson for: "Is it because he (Devoron-Vitan) is trying to topple/capture the king (his twin, Djohn-Kronos who killed their father to take the throne)" Congratulations to George Zimmerman for: "The Trophy! The significance is The king represents the prize the opposition seeks to win." I would like to thank everyone who entered. The answers were really fun to read.
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JANUARY CONTEST, "Poem For Rowena"
Deadline: January 27th 2006
Write a (publishable) limerick about Rowena.
Prize: Gift Token for box of Godiva Chocolates.
No purchase necessary. No entry fee.
For full rules CLICK HERE
One of my duties as member of the Faery Court is to prance around in fancy dress while an appropriate poem is read aloud. The poem should be five to seven lines long, and should incorporate the words
ROWENA
MATING NET
ALIEN DJINN
To give the poets an idea: for more fragments and rules CLICK HERE
Important to note:
By entering, contestants agree to waive all rights to their poem,
and to grant Rowena Cherry and Romantic Times Bookclub all rights at their discretion to publish, edit, amend, and reproduce their poem or any portion of it in any form whatsoever with no further compensation.
If the winner agrees, the winner's name may be mentioned in Rowena's March/April newsletter, at Rowena's sole discretion.
Entries must be received by January 27th 2006.
Subject line should be Poem For Rowena.
Above the signature line should be the words:
<< I understand and agree that by entering this contest I grant all rights to this poem to Rowena Cherry >>
Entrants' names may be typed.
The poem/limerick may be emailed to: rowena@rowenacherry.com
Or posted by regular mail to:
Rowena Beaumont Cherry PO Box 554
Bloomfield Hills MI 48303-0554
Rowena Cherry www.rowenacherry.com |
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What is this (part of)? Tie breaker. Where on my website can this be seen?
No purchase necessary. Entrants may e-mail me at Rowena@rowenacherry.com Rowena Beaumont Cherry, Prize.... selection of promotional items. One winner will be chosen at random from among all the correct answers.
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Cassie has been having the most sensual dreams for the last month. She dreams of a mystery man and stolen kisses every night and works on creating beautiful gardens for her clients during the day. When Cassie's sister, Tara, gives her a new client, she is less than pleased when he doesn't show up for their meeting. That night she dreams of the most beautiful garden she's ever imagined, The Hanging Garden of Babylon. Cassie begins to wonder if she will ever be able to find a man like him in her waking hours, or if her every desire will only be fulfilled with her dream lover.
Name of the Anthology: Amorous Passageways--The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Visit her website: SandyLynn.com |
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If you would like to hear from Rowena Cherry more often, sign up for her periodic blog at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rowenacherrynewsletter/ or for the blog at: www.rowenacherry.blogspot.com |
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...but her appearance here in the newsletter does not count as finding the link on my site! 
