My book is now up on Kindle. 

The Nook is available at Best Buy, as well as Barnes and Noble stores, and of course via mail-order.

Looks like the Kindle folks have declared a price war, because now the wi-fi Kindle is $10 cheaper than the wi-fi Nook, and the 3G + wi-fi Kindle is (you guessed it) $10 cheaper than the 3G + wi-fi Nook.

The new Kindle has some nifty features, and a lot to recommend it.

But what finally sold me on the Nook was that, unlike the Kindle, the Nook is compatible with e-books checked out from public libraries online. Since I have library cards at 5, count 'em, 5, public libraries statewide that all have slightly-differing e-book collections, this capability is very important to me. Why buy a book if I can check it out of the library?

And by borrowing library copies of just one or two books, rather than buying them, I made up that $10 price differential almost immediately.

If, on the other hand, all you want to do with a reading device is buy books, download and read them, either device should work just fine for you.

A couple more advantages of the Nook. One, you can expand the memory by adding an SD card. Two, and VERY important, YOU, the user, can replace the battery yourself. Apparently with the Kindle, you have to send in the device to get the battery replaced.

Just learned that Target is the ONLY nationwide "brick-and-mortar" store that sells the Kindle in-store:

If you're tempted to buy the popular e-book reader from Amazon . . . but want to try it out first and perhaps compare it to Barnes & Noble's Nook . . . Target is the place to go: It's the only national brick-and-mortar retailer to carry it. The brand new Kindle 3, which is smaller and lighter than previous models, will sell for $189 at Target, the same price as at Amazon.com. "Look someone up in the store who knows how to work the device, so you can get a feel for it," suggests James McQuivey, a media technology research analyst at Forrester Research. If you've never seen someone use it, it can be a little bit tricky to figure out on your own.

 Just another public service announcement, for your perusal.

I did it! After searching lists of e-publishers, checking websites (lurid covers with naked bodies--no), reading sample contracts, etc.-- on May 12, 13, and 18 I submitted the Dark Lady's Stone to three likely ones. I tried to send it to a fourth but my submission bounced. (Scratch them!)

To my amazement, one editor got back to me in an hour with a question. I mean . . . when I've submitted other things to NY publishers, agents, and even e-zines it can take up to a year for a response. Fortunately the editor took the trouble to ask, she liked my answer, and didn't reject my mss out of hand. I should hear back in a couple of months.

I don't know why I've been shy about posting this but I guess it's kinda scary to send my baby out into the world. It's not that I'm afraid of rejection, it's more like I'm afraid of success--and the concomitant loss of privacy. I just Googled my name and was horrified at all the places it showed up on the web. I even found an artist and a poet with the same name! I'm thinking of taking a pen name.

I've been dying to get a Kindle but couldn't afford it.

I've got several e-books and stories on my Palm Zire 21 (convenient when I have to wait somewhere) but I have to squint at the fuzzy type and it's hard to maintain continuity on the small screen.

My E-Bookwise Reader is heavy and there's an awkward bulge on the side. Further, every time I look for a book I want they don't carry it, either in E-Bookwise or Palm format. When I look at amazon.com, Kindle does--and cheaper.

Last week someone showed me an iPod Touch. It's beautiful! A clear, readable screen. It has the features of an iPhone without the phone--address book, calendar, scheduling (synch with iCal and Address Book), web browsing, iTunes (listen to music)--and you can get free apps for Kindle books, Palm format, Barnes & Noble. And the price is comparable.

I posted queries to BroadUniverse and MacWomen. Have you tried Kindle and Touch? Do you like them? Any caveats? So far, the votes are all for iPod Touch. People who have them love them. Why spend the $$ for a device that only does one thing when you can get one that does lots?

Next month I'll have enough WorldPoints to cash in (like found money) and treat myself to the iPod Touch.

Harlequin is celebrating its 60th year by offering 16 free titles for e-book download.

The offer is probably time-limited, but the limitation is not specified on the website. Get them while they're available!

Yes, we were. At today's chapter meeting.

The Smart Bitches book review site had this little tidbit a couple of days ago:



Reporter Claire Duffy from MSNBC happens to be the sister of Kate Duffy, editor at Kensington. Kate also appears in the segment.