Lovely, isn’t it? And, it really embodies what Quartet aims to be all about. We want to be a hub for the bookish community, and we really want to get to know our readers.

So, we’re starting with getting to know someone who we hope already feels at home in our community: Lori Green!

Recently I asked Lori a few questions about books, and ebooks, and reading, and publishers, and writing, oh – and winning contests! Read the interview below. And once again, thanks to Lori, and thanks to all of you who entered the Quartet Press Tagline Contest!

~ Kat

Q: How’d you find out about the Quartet Press slogan contest?
A: Saw the contest announced on Twitter and went over to see what it was. I’m a contest ho and was following Quartet Press and it’s founders. Just seemed fun. I’m really grateful for the variation of my slogan being picked (as is my daughter who grabbed that package out of my hands so fast you’d think she was a frog and the ipod a fly).

Q:What’s your literary poison (or should I say, passion)?
A: I’m a huge fan of contemporary and paranormal romance written with humor. Also, I love literary fiction.

Q: Do you write?
A: My own writing is a pastiche of the three genres which explains my unpublished status.

Q: When it comes to dealing authors and readers, what are publishers doing right?
A: I’m a huge fan girl of Angela James and Samhain, simply because her authors stay with her even once they move to the big New York sales. If some of the top names in romance are still writing for Samhain, you know they’re doing things right.

Harlequin also embraces its readers and writers with remaining contemporary and market savvy as well as treating their authors and readers respectfully.

Q: What irks you about publishers?
A: I love imploding publishers. Makes for great reading on the writer’s blogs!

Q: What are you currently reading and how are you reading it?
A: I’m reading Witch Heart by Anya Bast (Book 3 in the Elemental Witches series). It’s a paperback. After that I’ll be reading either Friday’s Child by Georgette Heyer, or Too Good to be True by Kristan Higgans or … well, the pile of books is daunting.

Q: What’s your all-time favorite book?
A: To Kill a Mockingbird is the finest book I’ve ever read and reread. Elegant, deep and makes me cry even after the 100th reading. My all-time favorite romance is Crazy for You by Jennifer Cruisie: it’s hot, funny, and I think I love every character in it.

Q: Any thoughts on pricing of ebooks?
A: I know epubs have overhead, but ebooks need to be priced cheaper. Otherwise why would I buy an ebook when I can get a paperback and either resell or trade it, something I can’t do with an ebook. And trust me, I am a great fan of paperbackswap, resell book stores and Amazon customer sellers.

Q: Do you read ebooks or print books exclusively, and if so, why?
A: I mostly read paperbacks because I don’t yet have an ereader (I will with my next tax refund check). But I do have a number of ebooks on my computer although I’ve read more e-novellas and short stories than full length books because I hate reading at my computer.

Q: What would your ideal ereading device look like, do, and cost?
A: I’ll probably buy a Sony because as much as I crave the Kindle I don’t like that it doesn’t take pdf files. And I think they’re all priced too high but I want one anyway.

I’d like to add that myself and some of my friends are very excited about Quartet Press. Seeing people with the backgrounds that you and Kassia and Kirk have are making us eager to see another quality publisher coming to the table.

People (well, the judges on “TopChef,” and also Tyra Banks when she’s announcing “America’s Next Top Model” anyway) always say, “you all did such a great job, this was a really tough decision.” And, I am relating to Tyra in so many ways right now. I can assure you, choosing a Quartet Press tagline winner from the fantastic entries we received — it was a REALLY TOUGH DECISION.

Like ANTM, there can only be one America’s Next Top Quartet Press slogan. Yes, I hold only one slogan in my hand, er or on this piece of yellow notebook paper.

The winner of the Quartet Press tagline/slogan contest is:
Lori Susan Green with a slightly modified version (to allow for the potential of non-Romance-specific titles at Quartet) of her entry: “For the reader. For the writing. For the story. For the romance.”
Our official slogan will be:
“For the Readers. For the Authors. For the Stories.”

Congrats and thank you Lori!!! Please use the contact form to submit your address as you are now the happy new owner of an ipod shuffle and the first ever commemorative Quartet Press T-shirt.

And, congratulations and thank you to all of you who entered. Please use the contact form to send me your emails and addresses and you’ll all be receiving a small token of our appreciation as well!

In the spirit of what Quartet is all about, we’re asking you — the people who make the bookish world go round, the community of our (soon-to-be) readers and authors — to try your hand at creating our motto/tagline/slogan.

What should our tagline express? Well, we want to be reminded every day that it’s all about our readers. We believe, you, like us, are:

Passionate. Fresh. Fun at parties. Bookishly geeky, but not immune to the lure of a fantastic shoe sale.

(And, it could also say something about digital — maybe. Maybe not. What do you think?)

You can do this. Of course you can. You can come up with a great slogan for us. I mean, if not you, then who?

SO, thanks!

Oh, (almost forgot) — there’s a prize involved. (I know, like having your tagline appear with our logo isn’t enough of a reward…) Yes, the creative genius among you who fits us with the perfect tagline will also win an iPod Shuffle and a very cool, brand new Quartet Press t-shirt!

So enter our tagline contest — do it. Now! YAY!

RULES:

1. Ideas must be original. Slogans found to be used elsewhere will be disqualified.
2. If two or more people come up with identical or very similar slogans, and that slogan is selected as the winning slogan, the earliest entry will be deemed the winning entry.
3. Submit your entry by adding it to the comments section here.
4. Entries become property of Quartet Press.
5. You may enter as many slogans as you would like. There is no limit on the number of entries.
6. DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES EXTENDED!!! Entries must be received by midnight EST, Friday, June 12 2009 Friday, June 19th.
7. Winner will be notified via email and winner will be announced on Monday, June 22, 2009.

PRIZE:

Winner will receive an iPod Shuffle (w00t) and an official Quartet Press tee-shirt (emblazoned with our logo and brand spanking new slogan)!