Ebook Scheduling

© Saniphoto | Dreamstime.com

Everyone who knows me knows I'm an enthusiastic advocate of ebooks. I have a Cybook Gen 3 ebook reader as does my husband. (Like the device shown in the picture.) My dad has a Kindle 2. We all adore our ebook readers, and all of us buy even more books than before we moved to an electronic format. Ebooks and ebook readers are big business--just ask Amazon.com. Estimates are that Amazon.com sold between 300-400k Kindles in their first year. (Cnet.com said estimates were 380K. Read the article HERE.)

Read more about the Kindle, as well as see an on-screen demo of it, HERE.

I'm a proactive reader. When books aren't available in ebook format, I search out the publisher's webpage and email them to ask that they consider putting the book in ebook format. I've been told by a number of publishers that the money just isn't there for them. The real issue is that most publishers are worried about the ebook discount price set by Amazon.com...that is, they sell all new release titles for $9.99, where as the new hardback in the brick and morter store might sell for as much as $35.

I do understand this issue. I'm a published writer, and I've been around the business long enough to know that publishers have costs in paying authors, editors, marketing and publicity, etc. And that ebooks must be produced somewhere, by someone--that while they aren't printed in paper and ink, they do require some degree of work to produce across the variety of ebook formats. (That is, for Kindle, for the Mobipocket readers, for the Sony readers, etc.) However, having watched how the music industry reacted to digital music and music downloads, I firmly believe that any publisher who is not publishing books in ebook format is going to miss out, and may be squeezed out of a fast growing market.

Ebooks offer publishers some very nice advantages. They can make backlist books available and keep them available. They can offer older books for free or at reduced prices in order to hook new readers to an author's work. (Amazon.com currently has "His Majesty's Dragon" by Naomi Novik available for free. It's the start of a multi-volume series, and so I'm sure they hope to hook readers who will buy the sequel books.)

Now I read in the New York Times that some publishers are purposely holding back their ebook release, because they are unsure of how the ebook sales (at 9.99) will affect sales of the hardcover. To this, I have to say "Say What?"

(Read the New York Times story HERE.)

Because here's the thing--while ebook readers are more popular than they ever were, ebooks are still not a major part of the book market. The ebook reader owners, however, are typically avid, voracious readers. (As I am.) Ebook readers owners would be the type of reader to buy your new release title for $9.99, and then immediately buy all the author's other works. And those who own ebook readers typically don't, and won't, buy many hardcover books. (That's why they have an ebook reader, after all...because they didn't want the print books.) To say that one format (ebooks) will interfere with another format (print) seems a bit silly to me. If we were talking releasing the paperback and hardcover at the same time...well, obviously the hardcover sales would suffer. But the electronic book market and the print book market do not overlap in the same way.

Let's hope publishers soon figure this all out, and lose their wariness of ebooks. Some publishers have, and are jumping into the market with both feet. (Baen books, for instance, has offered older books for free electronically through their website for at least a couple of years.) Ebooks will not soon replace print books, but the ebook market is not going to go away. If publishers have something to say about the pricing, the way to address this is not by holding back, but by publishing books in both print and ebook formats and to start comparing sales numbers.

I won't buy a print book unless I'm very desperate. (I did buy a new print version of the Bible, but that's a book that doesn't work well in ebook format in my opinion.) Ebooks are my new format of choice, just as I no longer by music CDs, but prefer buying digital downloads. Ebooks are here to stay, and in my opinion, they should be available as soon as the hardcover is released. The pricing is another issue, but I'll just say (for the record) that I won't pay $35 for a print book, and have discount shopped for years. I think that states my opinion on book pricing without me having to spell it out more fully.

A Good GF Pizza Recipe

For a while now, I've looked for a good gluten-free pizza recipe that I can make quickly, without the use of a bread machine. (My previous recipe is made in a bread machine and cooked on a pizza stone. Yummy, but messy and it take about 2 hours to rise.)

I've been experimenting, and here's the recipe I've come up with that seems to work the best for me. The trick for this one is finding gluten free corn flour...Bob's Red Mills sells a corn flour, but be warned--not all their corn flour is gluten free. Those packages that are gluten free are labeled gluten free. Some of the Bob's Red Mills corn flour is processed on the same process line as their wheat products. These packages do not have the gluten free label.

For my purposes, I found corn flour in the ethnic section of my local Meijer's store. The corn flour is labeld "Masa Brosa: Harina de Maiz (Instant Corn Maize). This product is 100% ground white corn. This product is made in Mexico.

Typically, with products produced in Mexico for the local cusine, wheat cross contamination is not a problem, as corn products predominant as the food of choice. I tested the pizza crust on myself, eating it first, however, before passing it along to my son (also a celiac). I had no reaction to the corn flour at all, and when my son tried it, neither did he. My husband, not a celiac, deemed the pizza crust to be "good." That's good enough for me. :-)

Easy Gluten Free Pizza Crust

1/4 corn starch

1/4 tapioca flour

1/4 cup rice flour (brown or white)

1/4 corn flour

1 tsp baking powder

dash of salt

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 egg

up to 1/2 cup liquid, either water or milk

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl by hand. Add the oil and egg and stir.

Add about 1/4 cup of the liquid. Stir by hand. Dough should be moist, but still crumbly. Add scant amounts of liquid, stirring each time, until dough is workable and firm, but not gooey. (This is the part that takes a bit of practice, and be aware that humidity, etc, will make the amount of liquid needed slightly different each time.)

Spoon the dough onto a cooking sheet or non-stick aluminum foil. (Reynolds makes a good variety of this...lovely stuff.) Spray your hands with non-stick spray, and then press the dough out into your pizza shape, about 1/4 inch thick.

Bake pizza crust for 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Remove from oven and add sauce and desired toppings. Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes more, or until toppings are hot and the outer edge of crust is golden brown. Remove from heat, and eat!

This makes a personal pan sized pizza. You can double the amount to make a larger pizza.

Enjoy!

All About Coffee!

Coffee. If you know me well, you know that morning does not start without it. Yet, over the years people have tried to tell me the evils of coffee. I would not, of course, believe them. In recent years, I have been happy to see that studies are proving what I already know--that coffee is Good Stuff.

The latest study, one from Harvard Medical School, shows that women who drink coffee have a reduced risk of stroke when compared to women who don't drink coffee. (I don't know about how this pertains to men, but since I'm a woman, who cares?) The more coffee they drink, the more reduced the risk. The results, released in the March 3 issue of Circulation are summarized here.

Another article on the health benefits of coffee from Harvard Medical School is found here. This article tells us that coffee may not increase your risk for higher blood pressure, it may protect against cancer and diabetes. Okay, so yes, some chemicals in coffee may raise your cholesterol, but my cholesterol was at 170 last year, and I think that's pretty good.

Coffee is morning. Coffee is sunshine. Coffee is the elixir of bright happy morning faces, of bright happy eyes. (If you doubt this, then you should see my morning face before coffee. It's not a pretty sight.) 

If you like coffee as much as I do, perhaps you want to buy your coffee where I buy mine. (Reason: I buy in bulk.) 

The place? Coffeebeandirect.com. Try the Costa Rican Tarrazu Cariblanco, found uner "regular coffees." Delicious!

Pearls Before Swine

I'm a fan of Stephan Pastis' "Pearls Before Swine" comic strip, but this one I thought was particularly well done. (Poor pig!)

View the strip on the web at Pearls Before Swine.

Helpful Printing Utilities

One of my responsibilities at the library is creating library displays, and over time, I've discovered some helpful printing utilities that can assist you printing out unusual items. One utility is on the web, and allows you to cut out before printing any section of a webpage you don't want to print. The utility is Print What You Like, and is found at PrintWhatYouLike.com. This utility allows you to cut out sections of a webpage, and leave only those section you'd like to print. Once you have the webpage cut down to size, then print away!

Another useful utility is titled PosterPrint. This utility is not free, but only costs $25. For me, this has been a lifesaver, as this utility allows me to take any image or webpage, and enlarge it to poster size. You can see what this utility does by viewing the PosterPrint demo. All information, including a free trail download, is available at the PosterPrint website.

Ebooks on Cell Phones and Self-Publishing

Anyone who knows me at all knows my (continued) frustration with the publishing industry. Write a children's story or novel--a big task in and of itself--and then you must begin the lengthy and stressful journey of getting the daffy thing published. As a writer, you of necessity work alone. The only way you can know if you're on the right track with your work is to get feedback. The way the publishing industry currently works, getting feedback on any one story is an iffy prospect at best.

For example, I write a novel. I revise and proofread and have two beta readers give me comments. I revise and proofread some more. Then, at this point, I say to myself, I have a good book. At least one I and my beta readers like. 

Now, the research begins. I go to the library or buy publishing market guides, and I find the names of editors and agents who might have an interest in my work so I can send this puppy off. I make my list, I check it twice, and then off my book goes, into the great beyond. 

And I wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. If I'm lucky, I'll get one or two personal comments from the 30 or so editors and agents I've submitted to. The rest are form letters. And I may have to wait to hear back from all of them for a year or more. 

Say an editor wants to see my book. (I sent query letters out, because editors don't want your full book unless they ask.) Happily, I send it to her. Then I wait. And wait. And wait, and wait and wait. 

(You see the trend?)

If I'm lucky, I'll get more than a comment like "This just didn't work for me" when I finally get the rejection back months later. (I once waited 18 months to get a rejection on a requested book.) Then, since I'm apparently insane, I begin the whole process again. I finish another book, and start revising....

Now along comes the Internet, and the fanfiction on the web, then ebooks and electronic self-publishing. Some journalists are now saying this is the wave of the future, for writers to self-publish electronically, so their books can be downloaded onto ebook readers, cell phones, and PDAs. I like the thought, but I worry about the implimentation of the process.

I worry that I would self-publish my work, and then I would have no way to promote or market it. Does one do this through Facebook and MySpace, or through in-person author talks? Do you pay for ad space in cyberspace, or do you take out an ad in your local newspaper? Maybe I'm too much a child of the "older generation," because I'm ignorant of just how to sell something in this new medium of the Internet. 

I'm going to have to come to grips with this sooner rather than later. I'm working on a novel at the moment that is progressing very well. I know myself well enough to know I will finish it, and want to send it somewhere. Do I start first with the print publishers, and resign myself to the waiting, or do I jump into cyber-publishing with both feet? I honestly don't know. 

To read more on this issue, and to see the types of articles that are provoking this particular train of thought, Computer World magazine's article does a nice job of summing it all up. 

In the meantime, I have to pick up dry cleaning and then I plan to spend the rest of the afternoon writing. That part of the process, at least, I understand.

Beef and Onion Stir Fry!

Ingredients!

For this recipe you will need:

A 2-3 pound beef roast. In this case, the roast I used was a 2.82 pound beef round tip roast cap off from Meijer. Another good roast is a London broil.

4-6 yellow onions, the sweeter the better

1 tablespoon sugar

molasses

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

corn starch

What you do: 

Slice the beef into thin, fairly short slices. Peel the onions and cut them into first quarters, then into eighths. You want the onions to be chunky rather than diced for this recipe. Pour a liberal amount of oil olive (I think I used about 1/8 of a cup.) to your skillet. (I use a Presto brand large electric skillet because of the size.) Add the beef and cook at about 350, or medium heat, until almost browned--only a bit of pink remains.

Add the onions. Stir them into the beef and cook, stirring regularly, until the onions are almost soft. Add the sugar, and about 1/8 of a cup of molasses. Add about the same amount of balsamic vinegar. Stir until all the beef and onions are coated. Put a couple of tablespoons of corn starch into a small bowl, cover with water, and stir until the corn starch disolves. Add the corn starch mixture to the stir fry. Stir until the meat juices thicken and coat the onion and beef pieces. Remove from heat and serve with a rice of your choice.

NOTE: This makes a very large portion, enough for two meals for 2-3 people. I don't like to cook every day and so I rely on the leftovers.

The almost finished product. This is just before adding the corn starch.

The finished product! Yummy!

The Big Picture

Recently, I ran across a marvelous site on the web titled "The Big Picture." Hosted by the Boston Globe, this site shares the news through astoundingly beautiful photographs. The images are of a quality that I would expect from such magazines as National Geographic or Life. I particularly enjoyed the "Sailing Around the World" gallery, as well as those that covered the inaugeration. 

Go to "The Big Picture" and enjoy the view yourself.

The Graveyard Book

The cover from "The Graveyard Book."

Every once in a while, I run across a book that I am so excited about that I have to recommend it to all my friends. ("Push onto my friends," is more like it. Is it a crime to be a book pusher? I hope not.) But I digress. The book.

I ran across an early promo online of "The Graveyard Book" well in advance of the book's official release. Now, I like Neil Gaiman's books, and I've read (and enjoyed) "Coraline," his previous book aimed at younger readers. (He has published some picture books as well, one of them being "The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish," a very lovely book.) But often, I find Gaiman's work lacking in a kind of character development and depth that would cause the book to linger in my mind for days afterwards. But, because I liked the concept, I picked up the book. There is nothing lacking in the "The Graveyard Book," nothing at all except that it had to end. This is a book that still lingers in my mind, and I finished it well before Christmas. 

In "The Graveyard Book," Nobody Owens comes to live in a graveyard due to tragic circumstances. Yet, his life is far from tragic. And while many of the characters are dead, the story is one of life and the living. (And I think I'm partially in love with Silas.) 

Truly, I don't want to spoil the book. If you want to read a full description, go to Amazon.com and read one. Yet, you should still read the book. If you want to hear the book, hear the first chapter instead of read it, go to http://www.mousecircus.com/videotour.aspx to hear Mr. Gaiman read the book, chapter by chapter. (He read sequential chapters on a 9 city tour.) Marvelous stuff, though I'd recommend you read the book yourself first. 

This is a book to treasure. If you ask me what my favorite book is, at least this year, my answer will be "The Graveyard Book." I suspect it will be a favorite next year, and in many years to come.

Crayon Physics!!!

A screen shot from my game of Crayon Physics.

OH MY GOSH! I have discovered the most WONDERFUL PC game! Anyone who knows me, knows I can't play first person shooter games, or other games with a lot of motion on the screen, 'cause I get nauseous. I tend to play games of strategy or puzzle games, with some favorites being Startopia, Zeus, and Dungeon Keeper 2. Well, this game has to join my favorites list. How much fun is this?

To download the demo and/or buy the full game (only $19.5) go here: http://www.crayonphysics.com/index.html

I hope you enjoy this as much as I am enjoying it!

Puppy Love

In spring 2008, I found a tiny black kitten while my husband and I walked our dogs. The kitten was very young, very wet, and very cold. None of the neighbors claimed him as theirs, and so he became a part of the family. For most of 2008, he lived outside and in the garage with our other cat, Smudge. When Smudge went missing, the tiny black kitten came inside. Now, any other cat would have been doomed to live outside, for my husband had decided that, and I quote "We'll have no more inside cats!" 

Thing is, my husband loves our cockapoo, Lucy. And Lucy loves the little tiny kitty. And so, the little tiny kitty came inside.

Here is a video of Lucy and Seely (or Tiny, or Tiny Kitty, or Mr. Boo), playing. They are bestest buds, BFFs for ever and ever. :-)

Awwwww...isn't that cute?

Iron Man 2!!

A scan of a page from Iron Man vol. 4, issue 23, page 20, drawn and inked by Jackson "Butch" Guice, a piece that happily hangs on my family room wall.

Okay, so this really is a daily ramble, with no other point than to express my joy over the Iron Man movie franchise from Marvel Studios. I'm a huge Iron Man fan, having read the comic book from about the time I was 12. I used to buy issues, as well as issues of "The Avengers" at Waldenbooks, a much missed bookstore that once resided in the Markland Mall. I still have most of those issues, many purchased for something like a quarter a piece.

So when the first Iron Man movie came out, I was understandably nervous. How often does Hollywood mess up comic book movies? (The answer is "Often, with as much cheesiness as possible.") But Iron Man was wonderful. Truly. The movie remained true to the comic, and was also a good movie in its own right. Robert Downey Jr. was perfect as Tony Stark, and how cool did that armor look?

After Iron Man 1, I had actually read rumors saying that John Favreau was not necessarily going to be hired as director for the second movie. (Say what???) Of course, that rumor was happily unfounded. John Favreau is back, Robert Downey Jr. is back, as is Gwyneth Paltrow. Here is a good update article on the second movie, and from what they are saying, it is all good! Excelsior!

Link to Article: http://www.reuters.com/article/filmNews/idUSTRE5070ME20090108

Google Book Search

Recently, Google reached a settlement with the Authors Guild, the Association of American Publishers, and a handful of authors and publishers who filed a class action lawsuit against Google Book Search. As a result, Google plans to continue with Google Book Search, expanding the services they currently offer.

A link to Google's statement concerning the settlement is here:  http://books.google.com/googlebooks/agreement/

The Association of Research Libraries has info on this agreement on their home page, and they also offer a guide outlining what this agreement means for book readers, buyers, publishers, and in my case, libraries and librarians. 

Here is the link to the ARL info bit: http://www.arl.org/pp/ppcopyright/google/index.shtml

A direct link to the guide, titled "A Guide for the Perplexed: Libraries and the Google Library Project Settlement." is here: http://www.arl.org/bm~doc/google-settlement-13nov08.pdf

Google plans to expand their Google Book Search services in a couple of very interesting ways. One, they plan to offer many in-print books, as well as out-of-print (but still under copyright) books for purchase through their site. Most articles I've read seem to indicate this price will be typically low--$5.99 or under. Books would be readable through your Google Books library interface, and so would still be copyright protected. 

Also, Google plans to put public access terminals in every academic library. (One per library, from what I've read.) If the library subscribes to Google's book database, then those library users who read books through the public access terminal would have full access to ALL of Google's book content. (As opposed to limited previews, as we now find for many books available on Google Books thru the web.) Users would be able to print material from these books, for a fee, though Google may also watermark the printed pages. 

I am very excited by these plans for expanding Google Book Search. While Google's online offering of full book content may be detrimental to other book database providers, Google's book reader and user interface is wonderful--heads and shoulder above most other interfaces offered by other book database providers. Google manages to protect content (you cannot print book pages from Google Book Search if the content is copyrighted, at present), and yet allows you to read with ease and speed. 

For researchers, keyword searching through millions of sources allows them to undercover facts and information they would never have uncovered by reading the print books on the shelves. For example, I recently put in the names of a couple of my great-grandparents into Google's Book Search, and was astonished to discover that their lives (and the lives of some other relatives) are discussed in some books that cover the early history of the Fort Wayne area. I never would have found this information by looking at print sources. 

The New York Times highlights what Google is trying to do with their book search in a recent article They discuss more fully what Google's plans are for allowing users to purchase books, and how this might benefit publishers and authors alike.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/05/technology/internet/05google.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=google&st=cse