Say it ain't so: Mr. Techno Phobe now reading a Kindle?

A few years back I came across a few accounts here and there about those little devices called e-readers. Most of you will know them by their brand name, the two most popular of which are the Kindle and the Nook.

I found a few folks online who used them, then I did a bit of research on the new-fangled things. My initial thoughts were that these might be neat little toys for computer-nerds, but they would never really catch on with the general public. Come on, who wants to be reading novels on a little screen? Who wants a supposed book that's nothing more than electrodes on a thin electronic device? Virtually no one is going to give up on the feel of a real book in their hands.

Then I joined the 21^st century and got a cell phone. I had it for a couple of years before giving it up this winter for various reasons (cost and simply wanting to be left alone at times chief among those reasons). However, over the time I had the cell phone I found myself using it for more than simple telephone service. I gradually came to rely on the thing for monitoring e-mail. Then I started checking my Facebook account periodically. 

Next thing you know I was using it to...gasp...read! Whenever I was stuck somewhere, maybe waiting to pick up one of my kids, or in an office waiting on an appointment, I'd whip it out and check the latest stories on ESPN.com or Fox Sports. If a major news event broke and I wasn't around a computer or television, the old cell phone would do.

So much for not wanting to read on a little screen, huh?

Still, that's a far cry from reading a book on an electronic device, right? Besides, while my family isn't exactly destitute, with five kids in the household we watch our pennies. A Kindle was simply a luxury we couldn't afford.

Just before Christmas I entered a contest being sponsored by writer Michelle Garren Flye and the prize was the winner's choice of a Kindle or Nook. Guess what? I won! I received the Kindle about six weeks ago. In the time since my wife has probably downloaded and read 50 or more novels (she is a voracious reader). My youngest, a 10-year-old, loves downloading and playing games, and she does a bit of reading on the Kindle (there is, however, a dearth of good, modern children's work in e-books.) I've even come to enjoy reading on the Kindle. Since owning it, I've read about four paperback novels, two novels on Kindle, and two non-fiction books on Kindle (I'm a sloooooow reader with a short attention span).

The other night my wife was lying in bed, reading as she normally does before drifting off to sleep. She put down this big old honkin' hardback and picked up the Kindle, then looked at me. “Reading in bed with this is just so much easier,” she said, holding up the Kindle. Then she picked up the hardback. “Reading this big thing is just so awkward.”

So much for the feel of a real book in your hands.

It's no secret, or at least I try not to make it a secret, that I'm now turning my attention from attempting to break into traditional publishing (paperback and hardbacks) to e-publishing. Sure, I'll continue to submit short stories to small press publications, but even many of those have gone to pdf and online formats.

For my novels and other longer works I'm going with e-pub. While I've been kicking around the idea for nearly a year, it wasn't until holding a Kindle in my own little hands, seeing how convenient and easy it is to use, that I've been able to fully grasp onto the idea.

Truth be told, despite my earlier objections (and suffering from a bit of techno-phobia), as a reader I think I now prefer the Kindle to paper.

P.S. Despite my burgeoning love affair with e-readers, I still like paper, so don't forget you can be entered into a drawing for a free trade paperback copy of either the Stoker-nominated Horror Library Vol. 3 anthology by Cutting Block Press or the recently released Night Terrors 2 published by Blood Bound Books. I have a story in each collection, along side some great writers. Remember, in order to enter into the drawing you must join my blog as a follower AND leave a comment on one of my blogs this month. You have to do BOTH. If you've joined the site prior to the start of this contest, simply leaving a comment will enter you. 　
　

A sweet deal for February

The calendar has rolled around to Cupid's month, and I've got a sweetheart deal for you (yes, that's cheesy, but I just couldn't resist).

I'm going to give away a couple of fine short story collections this month to two lucky readers of this blog.

To qualify, you need to join my blog, and then leave a comment at least once during the month. For those who are already members, just leave a comment on one of my blogs this month and you're entered as well. You don’t have to write a novel, or even a long sentence. I’d like to get your thoughts and reactions to the blogs and interviews, but even a simple “Heya!” will do.

Before we get into the prize, let's take a look at what we have coming up this month -- trust me, it‘ll be worth returning even without the prizes. In addition to my random thoughts on writing, publishing and life (which may or may not be enough of a tease to keep you coming back), I have a few interviews lined up with some folks you're going to want to read.

Among those to be featured are Stephen Mark Rainey (author of nearly a dozen novels and short story collections, nearly 90 published short stories and, more recently, an audio series based on the 1960s era ABC show Dark Shadows); Boyd Harris, owner and publisher of Cutting Block Press, one of the most successful and critically acclaimed specialty presses over the past half decade; romance novelist, mom, and former horror writer (how's that for a combination?) Michelle Garren Flye; and R.J. Cavender, editor of the critically acclaimed Horror Library series and, as of just a couple of days ago, staff editor at Dark Continents Publishing. Folks, that’s a killer line-up, and we might even slip in another surprise or two during the month.

Now for the prize. All those who join the site and leave a comment in February, (or for existing members, just leave a comment), will be tossed (well, their names will be -- it's been some time since I actually tossed a person) into a drawing at the end of the month for your choice of either a trade paperback copy of the Stoker-nominated Horror Library Vol. 3 (follow the link to read some sample pages) from Cutting Block Press or a paperback copy of the just-released Night Terrors 2.

If we get at least 50 qualified entries, I’ll have a second drawing for the anthology not selected by the winner!

The Horror Library 3 features fiction by best-selling novelist Bentley Little, Jeff Strand, Gary Braunbeck, A.J. Brown, yours truly (that‘s me!), Kealan Patrick Burke and two dozen more writers. Night Terrors 2 includes work by Christopher Hawkins, A.J.Brown, David Bischoff, another one of my tales, and two dozen other writers.

If horror is your thing, then you’ll definitely want one (or both) of these. Even if horror is not your thing, you should take a look at these anthologies. They might just redefine what you believe horror is.