COMMERCIAL

I realized I'd better get this in before the deal goes off so...

My Kindle ebook, The Warwicks of Slumber Mountain, is on special for 99 cents through October eleventh. It's a romance, kind of a gothic, with magic realism and fantasy elements.

Amazon Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Warwicks-Slumber-Mountain-Cheryl-Dale-ebook/dp/B00NLRXLXW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1444331823&sr=8-1

I LOVE MY KINDLE BUT...

I love my Kindle. I really do. It's so easy to buy a book at night when there's nothing around to read. It's so easy to make the text large enough that I don't strain my eyes. It's so easy to carry scads of books on trips in one tiny container.

But today Amazon sent me a Best Books of the Month ad that showed the book covers over the hardback price and the Kindle price. And I was amazed that publishers still don't get it.

The Still Point of the Turning World - Hardback $14.41, Kindle 12.99
Benediction - Hardback 14.36, Kindle 12.99
Between Man and Beast - Hardback 15.66, Kindle 13.99
The Drunken Botanist - Hardback 11.97, Kindle 9.99

Went into the Mysteries category and the same thing:
Six Years (a Harlan Coben pre-order) - Hardback 15.98, Kindle 14.99
The Golden Egg (Donna Leon pre-order) - Hardback 14.43, Kindle 13.20
Murder Below Montparnassee (Cara Black pre-order) - Hardback 15.71, Kindle 12.99
The Accursed (Joyce Carol Oates pre-order) -Hardback 16.62, Kindle 12.74

And so on.

Why should I pay 9.99-14.99 for an eBook when for 1-4 dollars more I can get a printed copy? And then I can loan it to as many friends as I like, I can donate it to the used book sale for the library, or I can trade it in at the used bookstore for credit to buy more books.

The eBook, on the other hand...Well, I think Amazon allows us to loan it once. And that may depend on publisher permission; I'm not real clear on that. But anyway, if you loan it to your sister, then your mother and cousin want to read it...Too bad!

Not to mention Amazon can evidently take back any of your eBooks stored in the Cloud at any time. Not that they would, I'm sure, but still...

And I don't blame Amazon for the unreasonable prices. It's the publishers. I understand that they're trying to cover their overhead and make a profit. But lots of smaller ePublishers are putting out books for half these prices and less.

So bottom line: I really have to want to read an author before I'll buy their eBooks. And I'm sorry to say, there are lots of authors I enjoy reading, but there aren't that many I like well enough to shell out ten bucks plus for. So I'll wait till the used paperbacks come down to prices I can afford and buy them then. And I'll stick to trying new authors on my Kindle, or wait for old authors I like to go on sale.

So long as I have something to read, I'm okay with that. Publishers might want to get on board with  our reading habits and adjust their thinking. I suspect they could sell a lot more books if they do.

Okay. Rant over. It's safe to come out now.

GOODREADS GIVEAWAY

I gave away two Advanced Reader Copy proofs of TAXED TO THE MAX in GoodReads. The giveaway ended October 23rd. This morning I sent off ARCs to the two winners. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they like it.

The Publishers Weekly review was not bad but not great. Kirkus Reviews was much kinder. Lines from both are going to go on the final book cover, I learned yesterday.

So now I'm thinking since I have more ARCs, why not give away five more on GoodReads? It was really easy to set it up; GR did all the work. The book won't be available till the end of December so why not? Seems to me the more ARCs out there, the more chance for people to recommend it to friends and family.

I also have an ebook gothic with paranormal elements, THE WARWICKS OF SLUMBER MOUNTAIN, coming out in November. I'm wondering whether to try to give away some advanced copies of it, too. A little more difficult since it's an ebook. I'm not sure GoodReads handles them. Guess I'll have to check.

And I'm also giving away earrings on the blog, remember! Anyone who comments with the word 'earrings' somewhere in it will be entered.

A different set will be given away next month, too. I believe they'll be tied in with my re-release of TREACHEROUS BEAUTIES.

A lot going on. And I still have to write!

BLOG INTERVIEW

Desi Moon has an interview with me on her blog today about my new release. Tomorrow she'll review SET UP. I'm hoping she doesn't pan it but if she does...Reading is always subjective so if she doesn't like it, that's okay. I'm fortunate to have relatives who read!

Her blog link is: http://dbmoonauthor.blogspot.com/

Oh, and the link for SET UP is: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=321&category_id=64&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

It's also on Amazon already! I thought it'd be a couple more weeks but no! It's here:

http://www.amazon.com/Set-Up-ebook/dp/B008QWTYIS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343851679&sr=1-1&keywords=set+up+by+cheryl+dale

So much has been happening around here, I've not had time to promote it as I should. Although to be honest, I hate trying to sell people anything!

MUSEITUP PUBLISHING

I have good news. MuseItUp has offered for my romantic suspense, THE MAN IN THE BOAT. It'll be coming out next March if everything goes all right.

The story's about a woman who's retreated to a lakeside cottage to decide what to do about her crumbling marriage. A boat slams into the bank next to where she's sunning, its driver wounded. When she runs for help, he and the boat disappear.

Afterward, people break in on her at the lake, and later at her house.

Then she finds her husband knows more about what's going on that he lets on.

Kind of a woman in jeopardy, with the heroine chased by the bad guys as she wonders whether she can trust her husband or not. Started out as a mystery but quickly turned into romance. Some sex (letting you know ahead of time, Shannon!) for those who prefer it sweet.

MuseItUp is a fairly new epublisher, but from what I can see, they do a good job on edits. That, to me, is most important. I try to turn in clean manuscripts, but everyone needs a good editor. Writers owe it to readers to put out the best products they can. The most wonderful story in the world suffers if the writing's bad.

So I'm off to drink a glass of whatever. Or maybe just to eat chocolate. Yum.

KINDLE vs NOOK vs iPAD

I've decided. I will buy an ereader after the first of the year. Prices are expected to come down when new models appear, and I can take my time making up my mind. So I'm okay with waiting.

After an exhibition by our computer club, I'm leaning toward a Kindle. But I'm still open to other arguments. Right now I've heard from people who have the three in the title. Each one loves his/her device. I'm thinking since I don't really want to do much more than read with one, the Kindle will serve the purpose.

Of course, once I get one, I'll have to wait for our library to get into the ebook business. But they will, I'm sure. Just a matter of time.

EREADERS

eBooks are the fastest growing segment of the book market according to several sources. People can download them to their computers, to their eReaders like Kindle and Nook, and even to iPhones. I'm waiting for the software to shake out before I buy one, but I'm looking forward to one day getting one.

But at the pool this afternoon, I noticed several people reading. Hardbacks and paperbacks. No Kindles or other eReaders in sight.

I bet water ruins an eReader device. So seems like there'll always be a market for regular books. Even if it's confined to people who read in the bathtub and by pools.

Friend's Ebook Out Today

Gonna promote a friend's writing today.

Nan D. Arnold's second ebook, PESTO PACKING MAMA, comes out today.

It's a light entertaining read from Champagne Books. Nan calls her work Quirky Fiction for Boomers. I think it's more like hen lit. She's one of those strange people I talked about in an earlier post, but a real doll in spite of it.

You can visit her site by following the link on this blog. She's also being interviewed June 22 at http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/

Drop in if you get a chance!