Welcome Spring Scavenger Hunt

YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS! In celebration of the grand opening of the new Books We Love Reader's Group at yahoo, BWL_Readers@yahoogroups.com, we're asking you to get acquainted with some of our authors by participating in a fun scavenger hunt. We promise it isn't hard. You just have to follow the provided links listed on the loop the morning of March 20th and answer some really easy questions. The answers are all there...you just have to find and collect them all to be entered into a drawing for one of eighteen books. Some will even be personally autographed. You'll have two days, with the contest ending Saturday at midnight. All entries must be received by Ginger Simpson at mizging@gmail.com by noon on Sunday, 3/22. Winners will be announced shortly after.

Whether you come to play or not, we hope you will join us in celebrating the beginning of what we hope will be a stimulating and pleasant group experience. If you aren't familiar with us, please visit http://www.bookswelove.net and get an idea of who we are and what we're about. I'm sure you may have already played in a contest or two there. Jude Pittman has assembled a wonderful group of talent, but without readers, we don't have much purpose. Come join us, won't you. Remember, Saturday, March 20th.

Join us in welcoming Spring!

Reading an EBook

A few years ago, there wasn't much choice available if you wanted to read a non-traditional book. I had one of the original Rocket eBooks and I loved it. But, alas, parts became hard to buy. Since I edit also, I opted for an iPaq Pocket PC so I could read for pleasure, or work on a manuscript and sync back to my computer. Eventually, it's battery wouldn't recharge, and you know how hard it is to find batteries for technology more than a couple of years old!

I can read on my laptop, although it is a little less transportable than either of my first two readers. Now there are Kindles (available at this point only in the US right now) and the Sony eBook Reader (already with a new version), the eBook Reader from Bookwise and coming soon a new reader from Plastic Logic. I can also download and read on a Palm device, mobile phone of some kinds (like iPhone), and I'm not sure about the new netbooks.

There are plenty of options to the traditional book, although many still like it. I find, especially with a hard cover, that my hands will ache after holding a book for a while, and reading in bed with the light on is a worry for me since my SO has to get up quite early each weekday, so a backlit reader device is a good bonus for me.

Time to look around for a replacement!

Over on the Make Mine Mystery blog at www.blogspot.com, there's a post about having lots of books around and it got me to thinking about my books and their place in our life. Books are everywhere -- family room, living room, bedroom, office, bathroom -- often the dining room as well. I have them on shelves, in book cases, on tables, on vanities and nightstands, even a couple in a lovely woven basket, some in drawers and on desks! There are magazines, books, catalogues -- if it's in print, it's reading material. I've read a cereal box while eating breakfast!

I come by it honestly -- both my parents read a lot -- my Dad read to me before I was born. And to this day, Mom and I tell each other about good books we think the other would like to read.

I like fiction, but have a sizeable collection of non-fiction, too; mostly related to the crafts of writing and editing.

I have books I'll re-read, authors I wait for their next release and books I'm willing to share with others. I have a box already packed to take to my sister's cottage next time we go because the whole family reads, and a cottage is a great, guilt-free reading zone!

I'm getting a lot of books from the library these days, but I live in a small town and our indie bookstore closed. To me, a very sad day. But I order books online and usually have a few books in my shopping cart or on my wish list at the online bookstores!

And ebooks make it super-easy to get all the reading I can long for! My publisher, Amber Quill Press, regularly runs discounts on their books -- a nice perk in this economic climate to get something on sale!

To be honest, about the only thing I don't care to read are instruction manuals!!

It's cool and chilly with overcast skies -- perfect reading-by-the-fireplace weather.