Some People

Some people think it's weird to celebrate the birthday of a dead guy. If that dead guy happens to be Elvis Presley then it's understandable, if not still weird, to some. Some don't understand why people would want to focus on something positive, like his birth, instead his sensationalized and humiliating last hours. Some don't understand how his music and his campy, feel-good movies can be appreciated by those who had yet to be born themselves. Some won't admit he ever had that raw, unattainable something that made them weak in their knees. Some don't understand how his legacy translates into memories of a simpler time for generations of people who fear those days of innocence will never return.

I know some people. I am not one of them. Happy birthday, Elvis.

I also decided the telephone booth was so squee-worthy and my website was in dire need of updating, so be sure to pop over and check it out. Its simplicity is so much more me. Let me know what you think.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Traditional or Enhanced?

Author websites have evolved. From the basic just the facts ma'am five page parking spot to a completely interactive experience that brings the author's work alive, who's to say what's most effective at snagging a potential reader's attention? Guessing here, but the closer the author gets to the saturated multi-media world, the more likely return visits translate into growing legions of fans.

Here are some I've stumbled across. Add your own and we'll take the tour together...

Random House's website for author Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club and seven other novels, delivers the web browser a taste of his work. From what I can piece together, the site is most closely related to his book Rant, although it contains more information on the author than the book. Contrast that to Chuck Palahniuk's author site, which seems as over the top as the porn queen premise for his latest book, Snuff.

Lisa Jackson's Left to Die characters get their own webpage complete with a Darth Vader-ish metallic wheeze for ambiance. Is that Chris O'Donnell alongside an orange reptilian alien? Also available, a map of Grizzly Falls, Montana, the fictitious site of the novel.

Powerhouse Nora Roberts sticks to a more traditional web presence, the only bling a small inset commercial by Penguin Putnam touting her latest release, Tribute.

Cherry Adair, romantic thriller author, brings her T-Flac world to life. Ladies, check out her operatives.

I can't list websites without plugging Rae Monet's work, a designer who created the cover art for Love, Texas Style, and whose author sites are breathtaking. While different from her typical art, her design for Colleen Collin's romance/mystery/PI blend seems perfect.

What kind of author site is most appealing to you?

Next up: I've been tagged...six unspectacular quirks about me. Seriously? Only six?