Skip to main content

Lady Wynwood #7 early release Kickstarter

I worked on my first Kickstarter and it got approved! It’s for the Special Edition Hardcover of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 1: Archer and the release of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 7: Spinster. I contacted my graphic designer about the Special Edition Hardcover of vol. 1: Archer—it’s going to be SO beautiful! The Kickstarter focuses on the Special Edition Hardcover, but it’ll also include vol. 7: Spinster so that it’ll sort of be like a launch day for vol. 7, too. A third special thing that’ll be in the Kickstarter is Special Edition Paperbacks of all the books in the series. They won’t be available in stores, just in the Kickstarter (and later, from my website, and also in my Patreon book box tiers if I decide to do them). The Kickstarter is not live yet, but you can follow it to be alerted when it has launched. (You may need to create a free Kickstarter account.) Follow Camy’s Kickstarter

eBooks

Captain's Log, Stardate 05.21.2008

I admit, I have Kindle envy.

Lots of my friends have got Kindles. I haven’t even seen one yet, but everyone says the screen is amazing.

Now, my love of ebooks comes honestly. I’ve loved ebooks ever since I could download them from Fictionwise.com, and I’ve gotten PDAs specifically so that I could read books on them and never be without something to read.

In fact, I will confess that one reason I don’t want an iPhone is because I can’t read ebooks on it.

But Captain Caffeine always advises (and quite rightly, most of the time) not to buy the first version of any piece of technology because there are always first generation bugs.

So another reason not to even put the Kindle on my Amazon wishlist is because there might be a second version in another year and it will probably be even better.

(Another reason is that price tag—yowzers! Uh, no, I’d like to be able to afford groceries this month ...)

So I’ve been continuing to buy my ebooks, but from Fictionwise (which has great prices, by the way, especially if you’re a Club Member), and reading them on my computer or my Palm PDA.

In fact, I prefer reading my Steeple Hill and other Harlequin books on ebook rather than hard copy.

(1) I can make the font REALLY BIG.

(2) I can get the books instantly rather than waiting for shipping.

(3) They’re a little cheaper than buying a hard copy.

(4) In being able to read them on my computer, I can actually knit while reading an ebook, since all I have to do is hit a button to turn the page. Laugh if you dare, but I enjoy being so efficient with my time! LOL

Have any of you bought Kindles? Do any of you like ebooks?

Comments

Ausjenny said…
I have heard of the Kindles but dont have one. I dont have a PDA i think im behind the times cos i dont honestly know what one is. I have a mp3 player. is a pda good for taking on a plane? I have a 15 hour trip coming up in September.
Leslie said…
Have you been assimiliated by the Borg? They are very efficiant with their time :)

I have Kindle envy too - but I'd have to see one before I'd even consider buying it. I wasn't even considering them because I'd heard that you are limited as to how many books you can put on it - and I like to re-read books all the time. But then I read that you can use SD cards to expand the memory of the Kindle - so that took care of that objection.

My other holdback is that I like to be able to share books with my friends who can't afford to buy books - so in that instance a Kindle would be bad too.
All I can say is: hooray for ebooks! I'm super jealous that you can knit and read at the same time. My brain just wouldn't work that way.

It was a dark and stormy (knit one, purl two) night, and all around the (knit one, pur--oh, dropped a stitch.)

Nope, not happening.
Malia Spencer said…
I love ebooks too. I go through phases when I read them and when I don't. It just all depends on how much time I spent on the computer. Lately that's been a lot more than usual and my eyes just can't take the strain of the reading. I actually didn't read for over a whole week, that's how much time I was spending on the computer. Is that sad or what?
Anonymous said…
I own a Kindle, Camy. I've had it just about a month, and I absolutely love it. The charge lasts and lasts, and the fonts are great. It's about the size of a trade paperback. I blogged about it here
and here.

I haven't found anything I don't like about it, even if it is first generation. And this is from someone who has never liked reading on my PDA or on my computer.

Robin

PS If those HTML links don't work, go to my blog and see the entries around the 2nd and 3rd of May.
Gail said…
Thanks for the interesting topic. I was just looking at the Kindle again to see what people are thinking of them now that they've been out a few months. I do admit to being intrigued by them. I have a Palm Pilot and LOVE reading on it. My two favorite features of reading on a palm are not available on Kindle, however, which discourages me.

1) the backlight: I love, love, love being able to read in bed without a night light. Do it ALL the time, every night, often twice a night.

2) the small size: I dislike the trade sized paperbacks because they are too big to fit in my purse, but my Palm fits perfectly, and it small enough to hold and read on a crowded train (I live in Moscow so trains are VERY crowded).

It seems to me like Kindle is the perfect device to convert those who have never liked reading on a device or computer. For me, I'm not so sure. Plus the price is way out of my price range. I'm just a poor missionary who needs to take a paycut because of low support, so I can't afford to buy one for a long time. The price really does seem outrageous when Palms are so much cheaper and do multiple things. I bought my palm years ago and it is also my mp3 player, video player, picture viewer, keeps track of my finances, schedule, phone numbers, contains multiple versions of the Bible and much more.

All in all, even if I could afford it I can't justify buying it, partly because I can't use the books I've already purchased, and I'm not sure it's features would completely satisfy me.
Melissa said…
I think they are a great idea in concept, but it does force you to buy all of your books from Amazon or one other place (can't remember off the top of my head). I trade a ton of books via paperbackswap, and you can't really pass books along.
I suppose it would be great to have one to take on a trip, where you can load a bunch of books on it and have only the one thing to carry around rather than a huge bag of books (like I always do)
Camy Tang said…
I agree, the cost is a bit prohibitive and I love the fact my Palm PDA is the size of a deck of cards versus the size of a trade paperback book.

I love the fact that I can carry like 40-50 ebooks in my PDA when I am traveling. Not that I really read that many books, but I have a huge selection to choose from, so I can read whatever I'm in the mood to read at that moment!

Camy

Popular Posts

Tabi socks, part deux

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.25.2008 (If you're on Ravelry, friend me! I'm camytang.) I made tabi socks again! (At the bottom of the pattern is the calculation for the toe split if you're not using the same weight yarn that I did for this pattern (fingering). I also give an example from when I used worsted weight yarn with this pattern.) I used Opal yarn, Petticoat colorway. It’s a finer yarn than my last pair of tabi socks, so I altered the pattern a bit. Okay, so here’s my first foray into giving a knitting pattern. Camy’s top-down Tabi Socks I’m assuming you already know the basics of knitting socks. If you’re a beginner, here are some great tutorials: Socks 101 How to Knit Socks The Sock Knitter’s Companion A video of turning the heel Sock Knitting Tips Yarn: I have used both fingering weight and worsted weight yarn with this pattern. You just change the number of cast on stitches according to your gauge and the circumference of your ankle. Th

Release day! Christian Historical Romance Anthology!

Today is release day for my Christian Historical Romance anthology, Once Upon a Courtship ! Get it today for only 99 cents! Price goes up next week! https://bit.ly/lissa-spy

Grace Livingston Hill romances free to read online

I wanted to update my old post on Grace Livingston Hill romances because now there are tons more options for you to be able to read her books for free online! I’m a huge Grace Livingston Hill fan. Granted, not all her books resonate with me, but there are a few that I absolutely love, like The Enchanted Barn and Crimson Roses . And the best part is that she wrote over 100 books and I haven’t yet read them all! When I have time, I like to dive into a new GLH novel. I like the fact that most of them are romances, and I especially appreciate that they all have strong Christian themes. Occasionally the Christian content is a little heavy-handed for my taste, but it’s so interesting to see what the Christian faith was like in the early part of the 20th century. These books are often Cinderella-type stories or A Little Princess (Frances Hodgson Burnett) type stories, which I love. And the best part is that they’re all set in the early 1900s, so the time period is absolutely fasci

No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.22.2008 I actually wrote out my pattern! I was getting a lot of hits on my infamous toilet seat cover , and I wanted to make a new one with “improvements,” so I paid attention and wrote things down as I made the new one. This was originally based off the Potty Mouth toilet cover , but I altered it to fit over the seat instead of the lid. Yarn: any worsted weight yarn, about 120 yards (this is a really tight number, I used exactly 118 yards. My suggestion is to make sure you have about 130 yards.) I suggest using acrylic yarn because you’re going to be washing this often. Needle: I used US 8, but you can use whatever needle size is recommended by the yarn you’re using. Gauge: Not that important. Mine was 4 sts/1 inch in garter stitch. 6 buttons (I used some leftover shell buttons I had in my stash) tapestry needle Crochet hook (optional) Cover: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 12 stitches. Work in garter st until liner measures

Toilet seat cover

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Update August 2008: I wrote up the pattern for this with "improvements"! Here's the link to my No Cold Bums toilet seat cover ! Okay, remember a few days ago I was complaining about the cold toilet seat in my bathroom? Well, I decided to knit a seat cover. Not a lid cover, but a seat cover. I went online and couldn’t find anything for the seat, just one pattern for the lid by Feminitz.com . However, I took her pattern for the inside edge of the lid cover and modified it to make a seat cover. Here it is! It’s really ugly stitch-wise because originally I made it too small and had to extend it a couple inches on each side. I figured I’d be the one staring at it, so who cared if the extension wasn’t perfectly invisible? I used acrylic yarn since, well, that’s what I had, and also because it’s easy to wash. I’ll probably have to wash this cover every week or so, but it’s easy to take off—I made ties which you can see near the back of the seat. And

Monterey Memories by Gail Gaymer Martin

Here's another good book to tell you about: MONTEREY MEMORIES - Three novels by Gail Gaymer Martin set in the beautiful Monterey area in the central coast of California. The Barbour anthology includes the novels And Baby Makes Five, Garlic and Roses and Butterfly Trees. Book Description Walk the streets and countryside of Monterey, California, with three couples who are surprised by love in the midst of their busy lives. Chad helps Felisa when she goes into labor in his lettuce field. Juli meets Alan while volunteering at a soup kitchen. Ross takes an overdue vacation at Alissa’s bed-and-breakfast. Can busy people slow down enough to realize the love God has brought into their lives? Reviews from AMAZON Monterey Memories, an anthology, is a must buy. I truly love this book. In each of the three novels, set in the central coast of California, Gail writes of God's love with such ease and weaves His love throughout each story. We see how faith and growth in the Word a

Brainstorm - character occupation

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.23.2009 Hey guys, I could use some help. In my current manuscript, The Year of the Dog , which is a humorous contemporary romance, I have a minor character, Eddie. He’s my heroine’s ex-boyfriend, and they’re on good terms with each other. He’s a bit irresponsible, but not so much so that he’s a complete loser. He’s got a very easy going attitude, he forgets to pay his bills sometimes, he’s friendly and charming. He’s adventurous and fun to be around, but he’s a little forgetful sometimes, and he tends to spend a little outside his income. I need an occupation for him. What would a charming, easy going, slightly irresponsible guy do for a living? He’s not too irresponsible, because otherwise readers will wonder what in the world my heroine saw in him to date him in the first place. She was attracted to his charm, his easy going attitude (her family’s uptight, and he was a nice contrast), and his adventurousness. But his forgetfulness and irresponsibility

Chinese Take-Out and Sushi for One

Captain’s Log, Supplemental My agent sent me an article from Publisher’s Weekly that discussed this incident: Chinese Take-Out Spawns Christian Controversy And here’s also a blog post that talks about it in more detail: The Fighting 44s This is Soong-Chan Rah’s blog: The PCS blog In sum: Apparently Zondervan (yes, my publisher), who has partnered with Youth Specialties, had put out a youth leaders skit that had stereotypical Asian dialogue, which offended many Christian Asian Americans. In response to the outcry, Zondervan/Youth Specialities put out a sincere apology and is not only freezing the remaining stock of the book, but also reprinting it and replacing the copies people have already bought. I am very proud of my publisher for how they have handled this situation. The skit writers have also issued a public apology . (I feel sorry for them, because they were only trying to write a funny skit, not stir up this maelstrom of internet controversy. I’ve been in youth work long enou

A List of my Free Blog Reads

Curious about what my writing is like? Here’s a list of all my free books and the free short stories, novellas, and novels that you can read here on my blog. I’ll update this post as I add more free reads. Christian Humorous Romantic Suspense: Year of the Dog (Warubozu Spa Chronicles series, Prequel novel) (Currently being posted monthly on my blog as a serial novel) Marisol Mutou, a professional dog trainer, finally has a chance to buy a facility for her business, but her world is upended when she must move in with her disapproving family, who have always made her feel inadequate. When she stumbles upon a three-year-old missing persons case, security expert Ashwin Keitou, whose car she accidentally rear-ended a few weeks earlier, is tasked with protecting her. However, danger begins to circle around them from people who want the past to remain there. Can they shed light on the secrets moving in the shadows? Christian Romantic Suspense: Necessary Proof (Sonoma series #4.1, n

Keriah's Narrow Crescent Scarf

In my series Lady Wynwood’s Spies, my character Keriah is more emotional than her friend Phoebe, and so when writing about her in Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 6: Martyr , naturally I described her scarf as having more lively colors than the greens and blues that Phoebe favors. I didn’t really have a particular yarn colorway in mind when I wrote the scene, but when looking through my stash to knit her scarf, I found the Carnival colorway in Knit Picks Chroma Twist Fingering, and it was absolutely perfect for her. Chroma Twist Fingering is discontinued, but you could knit this in Chroma Fingering or any other color-transitional yarn. In the Regency era, a tri-color 3-ply yarn like Chroma Twist Fingering would probably not have been sold in shops, but it also may not have been completely unheard of. It is made by simply dying the wool rather than the finished yarn, and then the dyed wool would be split into 3 parts and each part spun into a single ply, before all three plies