Now Available: Iron Thirst

We will return to our regular scheduled broadcast shortly, but first, breaking news...

It's release day for Iron Thirst!

Funny thing, too! Last night, I finished all the steps to have it published, and the little message I received said it would take about three days. That seemed fine to me, because DragonCon is this weekend, and DragonCon was my goal. However, when I checked this morning, I was shocked to find it was already sitting happily on Amazon.

This was so huge for me. This may be one of the biggest TO-DO items that I have ever checked off of my list. Every year I get so mad at myself when yet another DragonCon passes and Iron Thirst still is just hanging out on my computer, completely left out of the party. This year it is dressed and ready to go.

Currently, only the Kindle version is available. You can download the sample to see if it's your bag.  I'm working on the details for the paperback version, and I hope to have that available soon for those of us who still prefer to dog-ear pages. I'm not leaving anyone out. Hell, once that happens, I can send a copy to my mom! Don't you think she would love to read about vampires, murder, and mayhem?! (No, no, she wouldn't. She will hate it. But, she would still be proud of it.)

So, if you have a few spare minutes toss this one in your "to be read" pile.

IRON THIRST: AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

Adam Bristow is a sarcastic forensics biologist, who has been tasked to keep an eye on the vampires that are popping up all over DragonCon. He and his team are in charge of keeping the vampires a secret and not letting the costumed fans become lunch. Armed with wit, guns, and a stiletto, he realizes quickly that his team is outnumbered and headed for trouble, although he would never admit that out loud.

Meanwhile, looking for an escape from the norm, Felicity Johnson dresses for trouble, and finds it when she steps into the magic of this pop culture convention. The trip that started as a search for adventure leads her down a path that could leave her either dead or with the ultimate makeover, one that can only be undone with a stake to the heart.

Iron Thirst is a funny, murder mystery, with a love story.  

A special thank you so much to those who have already downloaded it!

You rock!!!

The Kindle Killed My Reading

I am convinced that buying an eReader made me stop reading books. Follow my logic, oh, because I've got buckets full.

I used to tear through books. Archaic books with binding and such, owned them, swore by them, loved them. Under my bed was a long see-through blue box filled with my "to-be read" pile. I would slide it out, pick up a book, turn to the first page, start reading, and if it didn't grab me - I'd toss it back into the pile and pick up another. Rinse and repeat until I found the one that would hold my attention. That book would be finished within 3-7 days.

Then there was everybody else that kept giving the plugs for the Kindle, Nook, iPad Books, etc. I understood the logical need for an electronic way to read and store books. I understood that they were probably cheaper. I loved the idea of downloading the sample to make sure it grabbed me like a good book should. I liked that I could have a new book in an instant with simple clicking and confirming the purchase. I was sold. I needed a Kindle.  As a lover of books, how could I survive without a Kindle?

And that was the beginning of the end. I downloaded sample chapters. I built up a handsome library. That was over a year ago. And I have yet to finish a book on this device.

I'm not knocking the Kindle. One day, maybe a gazillion people will read something written by me on one of these all powerful, technological creations. Ok, probably not - but hey, let the idea float around in the universe. They are just simply not for me.

I miss beautiful books. The cover art, the smell, the weight shifting from one hand to the next as I am pulled deeper into the novel. The anxiety that builds as the heroine is digging herself deeper into disaster, and there is only a tiny bit of space until the end, and I pray she figures it out, but it doesn't look likely. (exhale)  

(My family unpacking a box of books after being in the new house for about 6 mths).
I,mean, seriously, when would this happen with a Kindle?

I'm sure of it. It was the Kindle that killed my reading. Not the hours of schoolwork, not the busy schedule, not the packing and moving across states, oh no. That would be just making up excuses. It is much more logical to blame it on the Kindle. :-)

So, are you an eReader or archaic book reader? What's the last book you read?  Have you been going through an olympic reading sprint or a dry patch?

Considering Self-Publishing eBooks

Good evening all. I'll be brief. I am looking for feedback. I've been having this crazy thought for about a week. I should dust off the ole' book, polish it, have friends scrub it for errors only (no more rewrites), and then I publish it as an e-book. I've found a pretty great service that will format into the top 6 ereader formats. 

My logic is that I am not going to get rich off this book. I know that. But that doesn't mean that I don't love it and want to share with whom ever would like to read it. No need not sharing. I might as well publish it in a way that I can market on my own. I can't afford to publish as a hard back. If I generated just enough off the ebook to cover that, then I could order those at that time. 

What are your thoughts? Has anyone gone this route? 

Anything I should be terrified of? 

I'll leave you with a picture of something I'm very thankful for. My daughter. Today is her 9th birthday. 

Kindle for the Masses

I’m currently reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes on my HTC Droid phone. Why? Well, A) Because I can, and B) Because it’s free. Kindle has now released software for the PC, MAC, iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, Blackberry, and Android. The beauty of these applications is that once you own the book, you can view it on any of these devices via your Amazon.com account.

I stumbled onto this wonderful discovery yesterday while I was checking my Amazon wish list. I saw the words “Kindle”, “Android”, and “Free”, and I was on the site and downloading the app within minutes. It was simple and convenient.

I have always been one of those that refused to switch over to an eReader, planning to hold onto my paper books until the day I was hit by that infamous bus that has been threatening to run me over since I started working in corporate America. Side note—Are there really that many people that are massacred by runaway buses? Seriously, every company or manager that I’ve worked for has a plan in action to be prepared in case I am hit by a bus tomorrow. I am more likely to be ran over by a Prius—you can’t hear them things coming and that is just dangerous. I should know. I drive a Prius and practice sneaking up on people regularly. I digress.

eReader… Right… I started eyeing the Kindle about a year ago, thinking of all the space that I would be saving in my house by storing a big ‘ol chunk of my books on an itty bitty device. Then the iPad fell from heaven, and I began plotting my purchase. iPad—the writers dream tool. Research, writing, and reading all in one. Keep up with blogs, update my own, all on the go. Sign me up! But the question has always been—will I enjoy reading books on a piece of technology? Will I cry if I am not able to smell the words on the page?

Kindle came along and gave me my answer. I downloaded the app for FREE, searched their library of FREE books, and started reading in an instant. And I love it! I can read with one hand and drive with the other. That was a joke. Do not read and drive. Unless you are from the future and have a self-driving car, and then by all means – read away!

First off, pipe down all you Kindle owners that have been reading this way since Amazon created all the gosh darn controversy. I had to get there in my own time, and my own way. (Insert Frank Sinatra song here). Second, all you nay-sayers, I was there, I was griping my books like a Republican grips his guns (Too soon?). But, I think I may be converted. Oh, I will still be scouting my local indie bookstore for any antique finds. They are, by far, the coolest places to kill hours looking for nothing and finding everything.

If you have been on the fence, like me, this is a great way to try it out and see if you love it or not. Many of the classics are available for free, so you can experiment without dropping a dime.

So, where are you on the spectrum of digital books and e-readers? Are you a fan? Or a skeptic?