For Those Who Kindle...

If you've succumbed to the shiny, shiny lure of the Kindle e-reader and are looking for reading material, Samhain books are available in Kindle editions. Including mine! Check them out at the following amazon.com links:

Starchild

Earthchild

Interesting Article on Language Evolution

This article, about the evolution of the English language as it collides with other cultures, appealed to the linguistic geeky side of me.

It's an interesting thought--how much will the language change in the next few centuries? Will readers of the future look back at today's books and be perfectly capable of reading the text, or will they struggle with it and need copious notes to understand what's being said? Will it be equivalent to a 21st century person reading Jane Austen, or to a 21st century person reading Chaucer? Or, even more extreme, equivalent to a 21st century person reading untranslated Beowulf? Or will all fictional experience be beamed directly into the brain, making the entire question irrelevant?

One has to wonder... Well, one doesn't have to, but it's still an interesting thought. If you're a geek.

Submissions

Well, I finished a book rewrite and submitted it to my editor. We'll see what happens--I haven't heard back yet, but if there's any news I'll be sure to let you know. In the meantime--on to the next project!

New Cover!

The cover for Where There's a Will is officially posted at Samhain now, so I can share it here.

Publication Date: October 7, 2008
Cover art by Angela Waters

The terms of the will seem crazy…until she meets the man to fulfill them.

When Chloe Sullivan’s great uncle dies, leaving her his house and a not-quite castle in the Highlands of Scotland, Chloe’s more than willing to take a vacation across the pond to check it all out. When she gets there, she finds out there’s a catch—if she wants to keep her inheritance, she has to marry a Scot.

And her great uncle even left her a suggestion as to who.

Malcolm MacTavish is taken with the lovely, straightforward Chloe the moment he sees her at the airport. But they can’t enjoy more than a brief fling, since she’s planning to go back to the States. The more he gets to know her, though, the more he wants to try to change her mind.

Until he finds out about the will…

Adventures in Reading

About a month ago or so, I bought an eBookwise e-reader. I've since devoured several books and a boatload of fan fiction on it, and I have to say I'm really enjoying having a portable library in my purse everywhere I go. Also, I've discovered that turning off my bedroom light and reading for a bit in the dark is a really good way for me to wind down and go to sleep. Although I've also discovered that the backlight attracts moths....

New Business Models--and Good Music, Too!

I've been following Christine Kane's music for a few years now, ever since I ran across her CDs in the library (I was looking for Christian Kane, but that's an entirely different story). She's a singer-songwriter with a folkey bent--I'd compare her to Patty Griffin in style and vocal quality. And she's really good.

She's also an independent artist trying out a new business model with her upcoming CD. On Be My Record Label, she's asking for pre-orders from fans to finance the release (packages include everything from just the CD itself to a package that includes a private concert and a song written just for you). In return, she's offering a fascinating look into her creative process, discussing all the steps of how a song comes together, and even vetting early draft versions of the songs to be included in the album, so those who have pre-ordered and are financing the album can comment on them as they come together.

I've been dropping by her site for a while (and yes, I have pre-ordered my album), and I'm finding it fascinating, both from the perspective of her creative process and her business model. At the same time, I've been thinking about how this might apply to publishing. The Internet has completely changed all the ways we can get our work out there, and the ways we can interact with readers. More and more creative folks are taking advantage of this to find a path outside the traditional big publisher/author relationship (or big record label/musician relationship--I find it interesting that more musicians than writers seem to be experimenting with all these exciting possibilities).

So drop by Christine's blog and her Record Label site. She's got free music for download so you can check out her stuff. If you like what you hear, buy a CD or two, and think about pre-ordering the new CD. Because I, for one, want to hear it--and many, many more in the future.