While initially I was too scarred by my abysmal placing last year to even contemplate it, somehow I managed to scrounge up enough self-imposed peer pressure to take part in Dear Author's tournament of romance books.
The biggest problem I face in this tournament is really my own ignorance. Once I've read the list of finalists it usually seems like I haven't read almost 90% of the list. To compensate I go through and read all the Amazon reviews (so helpfully linked from the site) but then have to go by gut. Gut and what I would like to read more. Later on it turns into a battle between what I'd like more and what the public may have liked more, but that's the beginning.
Sigh.
I'm sure I'm going to be abysmal at it but hey, hope springs eternal right? Ultimately my bracket comes down to two heavy hitters:
"Here There Be Monsters" by Meljean Brook in the Burning Up anthology:
vs
Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews
Why? Well first I feel that Steampunk is the new 'it' genre in romance and secondly the husband/wife team Ilona Andrews is possibly one of my favorite authors....EVER. So it's (for me) a good combo of what I think most people will vote for and what I actually love.
Can you guess which one I picked to take the cake?
P.S. - If you're interested in filling out your own bracket you have until 11:59pm tonight!
