November 15, 2001
Volume 1 No. 25
ISSN 1530-5287
eBook Ecstasy
eBook Ecstasy is a free monthly newsletter aimed at introducing readers to great ebooks. In upcoming issues, we plan to include information on e-authors, ebooks and the latest ebook news.
So, epublishers can feel free to send us their press releases about innovations, authors should send notification of book signings, awards or other achievements and readers should provide feedback as to the features you would like to see added to eBook Ecstasy. This is *your* newsletter.
For those of you who missed the October issue, feel free to read it online.
http://www.ebook-ecstasy.com/ebook-ecstasy/nl_24.html
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Content
Special Announcement
ePublishing News
Sponsors
E-Book Corner
New Releases
Classifieds
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Featured e-author: Kate Saundby
Featured e-author: Jan Strnad
Featured e-publisher: David Hallum
Behind the scenes: J. Knight
Featured reviewer: Harriet Klausner
Featured reviewer: Cindy Penn
Featured reviewer: S. Joan Popek
Featured reviewer: Amanda Schmidtt
Featured reviewer: Conan Tiger
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***Special Announcement***
E-authors and E-publishers - If you would like to contribute an article
to eBook Ecstasy, please contact me so we can highlight you and your web sites. E-book reviewers, I am especially interested in four star reviews of upcoming releases.
Lida E. Quillen 
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Dana Atchley Scholarship for Digital Storytelling, a new program
that is part of the annual Independent e-Book Awards. Applications for
the Dana Atchley Scholarship are being accepted through December 31, 2001.
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NetLibrary assets may be purchased by Online Computer Library
Center.
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AllAboutMurder announces their newsletter, AAM in the News.
"We have a bit of something for everyone. Like murder, suspense, thrills,
and a bit of romance? Check out our monthly updates. You need not be a
member of AllAboutMurder to subscribe! Hope to have you join in the fun!"
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The Casebook of Doakes and Haig, by Patrick Welch. Stories about
the adventures of an unlikely pair of detectives who reside and practice
in an alternate England which remains a colonial power.
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With the explosion of new titles in digital format, WOM saw a need to
provide a place for readers to browse for reading material. Brick
and mortar bookstores have not begun to carry e-books or print-on-demand
titles in a meaningful way yet, so Word of Mouth BOOK BLURBS BI-WEEKLY
has stepped into the gap.
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The Future of Ebooks
By Katharine C. Krueger (aka known as Kate Saundby)
In my opinion, short term ebook sales will remain low for the forseeable
future and I see no changes coming within the next six months. However,
when combined with Print on Demand and more widely available user-friendly
wireless e-readers, that picture could change dramatically. In the long
term, however, ebook and POD editions will probably far outstrip those
of their print counterparts for the simple reason that their shelf life
is indefinite. Ebooks are not subject to conventional print publishing's
'make or break' 90 day marketing window and there's no such thing as a
return or a remainder bin.
On the other hand, while there's no shortage of content, commercial
ebook distribution has been and continues to be a serious problem and at
some point this "us and them" conflict between the major print publishers,
their name authors, certain booksellers and the independent ebook publishers
has got to come to an end.
Hopefully, the situation will resolve itself without the latter having
to resort to litigation on the order of the Toby Press suit against Amazon.
However, if they continue to find themselves frozen out, and probably within
the next couple of years, the increasingly aggressive indies will eventually
target a major bookseller and/or distributor and file formal complaints
against them with the FTC for monopolistic practice and restraint of trade.
On another front, the long expected shakeout in independent ebook publishing
is finally occurring. Several well-known imprints, i.e. Wordbeams,
Bookmice, Clocktower and CrossroadsPub, have either ceased operations or
are in process of closing and the industry as a whole is becoming leaner
meaner, and a whole lot less folksy than it has been up until now. Houses
like Double Dragon Publishing, LTD, Awestruck and Hard Shell Word Factory
are already severely limiting submissions and their screening and editorial
processes are even tougher than those of the major commercial print publishers.
What the independent electronic publishers understand very well, and
the major entertainment/print publishing conglomerates obviously do not,
is that the business of literature is and always has been a niche market.
While it should be self-evident that books are not brand-name cereals and
their authors are neither farmers nor assembly line workers, that is exactly
how they're being treated by today's major print publishers. Hence the
Big Six and a virtual spate of multi-million advances to whatever
celebrities are presently enjoying their fifteen minutes of fame.
It's richly ironic, therefore, that the legal catfight between Random
House and Rosetta Books has nothing to do with the electronic rights to
new titles or the latest occupants of the New York Times' Bestseller list.
In fact, I'm not sure it has to do with authors' rights at all. Because
of who they are, Rosetta Books has about as much in common with the average
independent
The whole squabble is based on the electronic rights to the Random House
backlist. Thanks to ebooks giving it new life, this backlist has suddenly
become valuable property. On the one hand, the authors see no reason to
share their coming bonanza with a publishing conglomerate which hasn't
paid them the slightest attention in who knows how many years. On the other,
a
In summary, I agree with Piers Anthony's prediction that independent
digital publishing could return the literary community to the golden days
of American publishing in the early 20th century. But that will only happen
if the major print publishers don't get their way, and heaven knows, they're
trying hard enough.
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Kate lives in rural northwest Tennessee with her husband Herman and
a laid-back orange cat named Clifty. Her black and tan Coon lab dog, Jessie
Mae, joined her ancestors two years ago and she's still greatly missed.
Her first and second trilogies in the Nublis Chronicles saga, The
Wages of Justice, The Wages of Sin, The Wages of Greed,
and Golden Silence, Dark Angel and The Artemesian Mandate
will be coming soon from Double Dragon. They will be followed by The
Orion Property and Fortune's Hostage . The final titles in the
Nublis saga, The Spirit Dogs of Sirius and its sequels, Aase's
Daughter and The Wages of Deception, were originally released
in June 2000 by Starlight Writer Publications and will be re-released soon
by Double Dragon.
The forthcoming editions of the Nublis Chronicles have been extensively
revised and contain additional material suggested by Piers Anthony and
Steve Lazarowitz and new cover art by Nicholas Krueger and Tony de Luz.
Copyright © 2001 Katharine C. Krueger
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First Look: TreeBookMan Reading Device
By Citizen 555-N975B (aka J. Knight)
When I first received word of the new TreeBookMan on my trusty old WristReader2050,
it sounded too good to be true. Here was a reading device that cost a mere
$29.95, required no batteries and sported the biggest display screen to
date, a whopping 400x600 standard pixels! Naturally, I ordered one.
Delivery was slow, taking nearly an hour to reach me from across country,
during which time my anticipation grew almost uncontrollably.
I opened the box eagerly, withdrew the TreeBookMan and searched among
the packing peanuts for the accessories. At first I thought there had been
a packing error since I could find nothing more in the box except a thin
piece of plastic approximately 75x225 standard pixels in size. I later
learned that this was the only accessory that ships with the basic model
TreeBookMan. I
The TreeBookMan weighs about a pound. I say "about" because the weight
varies from model to model. (More on this later, also.) The resolution
of the display screens is razor sharp. In fact, so are the edges. If you
slide one of these things under a fingernail, expect excruciating pain
and copious bleeding.
BTW, that's right, I said "display screens," plural. The TreeBookMan
sports not just one but literally hundreds of displays! Again, the exact
number varies from model to model. Mine came with 368 individual displays.
Why so many? Here's the kicker and the reason for the TreeBookMan's
low cost: The displays are non-changeable! Yes, incredible as it sounds,
the displays on the TreeBookMan never, ever change. The words on each display
are there for good. To read the book, you progress in a linear fashion
from the first display through to the last.
What happens if you have to interrupt your reading session? That's where
the 75x225 pixel piece of plastic comes in. You slip it between the last
display you read and the next one to mark your place in the TreeBookMan!
Here's a tip: I lost my plastic strip and ended up folding down the corner
of the display I wanted to mark.
The non-changing display has other drawbacks. Older readers will be
disappointed to learn that the font size of any particular TreeBookMan
is fixed. It is what it is. If you want a larger virtual size, you need
to use a magnifying device, adjusting your sight to the text rather than
adjusting the text to your sight as with a normal reading device.
There is no "search" function in a TreeBookMan. To search the TreeBookMan
you have to manually flip through the displays, scanning the text visually
looking for the text string you want. An "index" in the back display screens
helps by listing words and their display screen numbers, but it's still
a tedious, manual operation.
To annotate a passage in a TreeBookMan, you need a special stylus capable
of depositing graphite on the display screen. If you want to highlight
a passage, you can underline it with this stylus or purchase another stylus
with a broad felt tip that delivers a layer of transparent colored ink.
Warning: Once you mark a display screen with either of these devices, the
marking is there forever! It cannot be cleanly deleted! (I found the "erasing"
device on the end of the graphite stylus to be woefully inadequate.)
What if you encounter an unknown word? TreeBookMan offers no "look-up"
function. You must purchase another TreeBookMan which lists a large number
of words and their definitions and locate the word manually. If you want
a synonym, a third TreeBookMan is required.
So now you're carrying six items: the initial TreeBookMan, two styli,
a magnifier, a dictionary TreeBookMan and a thesaurus TreeBookMan. But
it gets worse, and here's the most important drawback to the non-changing
screens: For every book you want to read, you need a totally separate TreeBookMan!
You can well imagine the weight of carrying around, say, a normal semester's
worth of college textbooks! If you want to collect a large number of books,
you will need hundreds of feet of shelf space, a separate room or plenty
of boxes and a storage locker. (Good luck finding the TreeBookMan you want
once you start packing them up!)
Oh, and you'll want to carry a table lamp, too. The TreeBookMan has
no built-in lighting, a feature that would have required batteries or an
external power source. Thus, you can only read the TreeBookMan outdoors
during the day, indoors near a window or under a separate lighting source.
Do not plan to read in bed without disturbing your spouse!
An attachable TreeBookLight is available for the TreeBookMan, but I
found it awkward to use and, of course, it required batteries or another
power source, obviating the TreeBookMan's non-powered "advantage."
By the time I had thoroughly evaluated the TreeBookMan, I understood
why it cost so little, given its lack of functionality. And your savings
disappear with every book you purchase. A small library of only a hundred
titles would cost $2995 as separate TreeBookMen!
I also have to question the TreeBookMan environmentally. The display
screens are made of a material derived from trees (hence, the name). As
there are only forty or fifty trees left in the world, this use of them
strikes me as a little insane. I know that they serve no purpose but they
are kind of nice to look at. Besides, they can't last forever, and then
what will the company do?
They claim to have anticipated this latter problem with their next-generation
device, the SoylentBookMan, which I will review when it is released.
Product Rating: * for novelty (out of *****)
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Citizen 555-N975B is a direct descendent of J. Knight, an obscure fiction
writer of the early 21st century. Remnants of his only surviving work,
a thriller titled Risen, can still be found on the website http://www.atombrain.com.
Copyright © 2001 Jan Strnad
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Publishing for Palm brings new life to aspiring horror writer
By J. Knight
Aspiring horror writer J. Knight credits the internet and the growing
field of electronic publishing with saving his life, literally.
He found salvation with the publication of his first novel, Risen,
as an electronic book, or "ebook," on the internet. Risen tells the story
of a small town that begins to experience miraculous resurrections. Of
course, there is a dark side to the miracles.
"I was incredibly naive," Knight says. "I thought that if you wrote
a good book, it would get published. I was wrong."
It took Knight nine months to write Risen. It took him fifteen
months to find a New York agent, Stuart Bernstein, to represent the novel.
Bernstein shopped Risen to publishers for over a year before breaking
the news to Knight that his manuscript was "dead in the water."
At a time when publishing houses were consolidating and concentrating
more and more on celebrity authors, even established horror authors were
finding themselves dropped in what Knight describes as "a midlist massacre."
"Stuart was told repeatedly, 'The public only buys the big names' and
'We can't sell horror from an unknown writer.' I dropped into a deep, deep
depression. I consulted with my doctor about it and she asked if I ever
considered suicide. 'Every day,' I said."
Knight tried self-publishing Risen and met with limited success.
"Everyone assumes that, if a book is self-published, it must not be
any good," he says, "despite the success of previously self-published books
such as The Celestine Prophecy and The Christmas Box."
In March of 2001, editor Paul Witcover of Warner Books' newly-created
iPublish division, a division of AOL/Time-Warner devoted to ebooks and
print-on-demand paperbacks, purchased Risen. Says Witcover, "Risen
was a thoroughly professional and gripping story, a real page-turner. I
was delighted to add it to the iPublish lineup."
Still, sales remained sluggish.
In September, iPublish released Risen in Palm Reader format.
"I went to the Palm Digital Media site to ferret out the listing for
Risen,"
Knight says. "I figured I'd find it somewhere deep in the listings. I clicked
on their 'horror' category and immediately the cover of Risen popped
up. It was in the number six position among their bestselling horror titles."
Risen rose to number four on that list behind books by Stephen
King and Peter Straub, and ahead of ebooks by notable horror writers Anne
Rice, John Saul, Brian Lumley and others. It remained in Palm Digital's
Top Ten Horror for two weeks.
"You can't imagine what a kick this has been," Knight says, "to see
my book right up there with the king!"
Ebook sales are still dwarfed by sales of traditional print books, but
the success of Risen as a Palm edition has given Knight hope that
one day he will see his work as a mass market paperback.
"There's a wealth of excellent material out there that will find publication
as ebooks," says Knight. "I'm working on a second novel now and feeling
incredibly lucky and optimistic.
"Like the characters in Risen, I'm alive again."
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Mr. Knight is a writer living in Los Angeles, California. He is originally
from Kansas, where his ancestors settled when they came over from Czechoslovakia.
He writes comic books, cartoons, live action TV and movies and novels.
Copyright © 2001 J. Knight
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If You Are Thinking of Publishing An eBook...
David Hallum, publisher of the "eBook Catalog"
When Was The Last Time You Read A Scroll?
I asked the question to make a point, because I'm feed up with people
comparing ebooks to printed books. Folks, they are
With the advancements in technologies people have come from lugging
around heavy stones (that were known as tablets), to carrying rolls of
cloth (known as scrolls), they then advanced to the lightweight wood product
paper (known as books) which can be quite heavy actually in certain circumstances.
The first books were done by hand, then came the printing press. And now
we come to the next generation of storing and distributing text and pictures
(ebooks). I'm a true believer in the "KISS" (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle,
as an entrepreneur that happen to be in the publishing business, I have
too.
Why Do You Want To Complicate Things For Yourself?
I ask you this to answer your question about which format you should
publish your ebook in. As I said above I'm an entrepreneur that happen
to be in the publishing business. So let's look at it this way, what if
I was in the automotive industry, what type of cars would I produce? I
wouldn't, I'd make the parts for all the manufactures. Why? Because, I'd
have a ready made market. So ask yourself, what market do I want to reach
and what type of vehicle do the vast majority of them drive (computer,
or handheld device). Then make your part (ebook) to fit their vehicle.
Here's a tip, work on one vehicle (format) at a time or you could make
a product like tires (PDF) that would fit on most makes and models. Then
expand your product line in the future, after your first product has been
branded and sent out to pasture to get fat for market.
What Do Cattle And eBooks Have In Common?
They both need to carry your name or mark on them. As a Texan, I know
the importance of "Branding" or "Tagging" you do it not only to mark your
property, but also so that others will know your name or mark. Sure there
are rustlers (hackers) out there that will attempt to alter or remove your
name/mark, but if you brand your name/mark in enough people minds it will
be hard for these thieves to sell your stuff. And if they can sell
your stuff you can bet they will not be getting top dollar for it. Plus
they will not be doing it for a long period of time because sooner or later
they will get busted.
Why Do You Keep The Lights Turned Off?
Please turn them on, I want to see your pretty face. This reminds me
of the statement most every business owner has heard at least once in his
or her lifetime. The statement is "Not advertising is like winking at a
pretty girl across the room with the lights off. You know what you are
doing, but she doesn't" Folks there have never been a truer statement made
about advertising.
There are basically two types of advertising, passive and aggressive.
When you are first starting out you will want to use "Aggressive Adverting"
and here's why. Remember I told you about those rustlers? Well, you need
to brand your name in as many people minds as possible to head off those
rustlers. To do this you will have to aggressively advertise. If you hate
to "advertise," hire someone to do it. This is a thief prevention task
that will have to be done. That's why in the old west the ranch owner would
hire cowboys, they had to be an aggressive type, they had to wrestle up
to a 1000 pounds of animal to put the owners mark on them. Boy has "BRANDING"
changed.
After you have branded your name in a good many of the public minds,
it's time to start your passive adverting campaign, now that you don't
have to worry about loosing your entire stock to those no good rustlers.
"Passive Advertising" is done to inform the people about your brand that
you may have missed during your branding, and to remind or keep up to date
those that do know your brand.
Summary - I think I've explained in this article what an ebook is, what
format is best, and as an extra I've touched on marketing, branding, and
advertising. I wrote this article to answer some of the most FAQ's I get
and to point out how important it is to advertise a new ebook.
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David Hallum is the publisher of the "eBook Catalog." Get a free copy
of the email version of this catalog by sending a blank email to eBookCatalog@referralware.net.
List your ebook/s FREE. Details are in the catalog. Visit his ePublishers
& ePublications Resource Directory
eBook News - Covering the Electronic Publishing Industry. In a totally
interactive manner! http://ebooknews.netfirms.com/?MSIG
Copyright © 2001 David Hallum
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At Your Command
Maggie Yates possess a Masters of Science degree and a graduate assistantship
in psychology. Two days before her wedding to the professor she assists,
Maggie leaves him a message on his answering machine saying she'd changed
her mind and he should stay in L.A. In an equally impersonal response,
Chet sends her a telegram saying he needs an assistant with whom he can
work closely and he will find someone else.
With no money, no job and no plans, Maggie's at a loss. Four weeks later
a package arrives from her great aunt. Within is a jinn. They are now unexplainably
linked as surely as he has a silver collar around his neck. Until Maggie
banishes him to the obis or she dies, he belongs to her. Maggie thinks
she's loosing her mind, although she can't help but admire the rather hunky,
naked man that has mysteriously appeared in her bedroom. Now she has three
wishes before he disappears forever.
But soon Tom, as the jinn calls himself, has his own wish. He wants
to remain close to Maggie and keep her happy. From warming her toes to
providing the most erotic nights of passion, he's happy to please, unlike
with his previous masters whom only doled out cruelty. Now Tom hopes to
trick Maggie out of her third wish until she's an old woman, so that he
might enjoy living. He even finds himself wishing she might love him enough
set him free.
Christine Murphy creates an entrancing romance in AT YOUR COMMAND. Certainly
any woman would delight in the physical pleasures and potential for wishes
that this sexy jinn presents. Yet there's a deeper motivation, as Maggie's
growth and maturity bring a sparkle to the tale, balanced by Tom's sizzling
journey to learning to love and trust humans. Sensual, evocative and amusing,
AT YOUR COMMAND comes very highly recommended.
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Cindy Penn has been writing for over twenty years, including essays,
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and reviews. She pays the bills working as
a technical writer. Cindy is the Web Wizard behind Wordweaving, having
designed and built the site.
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In the early 1980's, on the first day at Excelsior Comics, Richard MacAllister
finds himself at a retirement party for Matt Payne, the legendary artist
that created the Mighty Centurion over 50 years ago. Sterling Sanborn III,
the owner of Excelsior Comics, wants to drop this American icon from the
lineup because the sales just aren't there anymore. Northrop Matthews
suggests to Sterling that they not drop this title, but they do something
that has never been done before...they kill an American icon.
Northrop heads up the crew of four which includes Richard and three
other well-known artists and creators. After creating some horrific images
of the Centurion getting killed, some of the pictures end up in the hands
of Matt Payne, and cause him to go into a serious asthma attack, which
almost ends up killing him. Other images are leaked to the press which
causes the stock of the company to soar. Mitch Gerber, Matt's understudy
for 30 years, expected to take over the duties of continuing the tradition
of the Centurion, is very disappointed when he finds out that he won't
be involved with the title at all. But when he finds out that the Centurion
is going to be killed, he goes ballistic.
As the news gets out, one of the team is found dead. Then another dies.
Richard figures out that the killer is imitating what happened in a four-part
series in the Centurion comic book back in 1939. The only questions are;
who is the killer and who is next to die.
This book is a Thriller that revolves around the comic book industry.
The idea for this story was based upon The Death and Life of Superman where
the writers killed off the most famous superhero in American comics and
then brought him back to life a few months later. The book goes a step
further and lends credence that some maniac just couldn't handle the thought
of the Centurion being killed and takes matters into their own hands. Could
a fan ever feel such a tie to a superhero to take their fanaticism to the
ultimate extreme? This book answers that question.
Having been an avid reader of comics in my past, especially the Superman
titles, and still dabbling with a few titles, I was anxious to read this
story. Right away, I found that I didn't want to put the book down as I
immersed myself into the storyline. Since I had gone through the angst
of losing my favorite superhero when Superman died in the mid 1990's, I
couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.
As the body count increased, I tried to figure out who the killer was.
I knew it wasn't the obvious choice...couldn't be. And when the mask was
finally removed...color me surprised. I had no idea. This story slowly
build to a wonderful conclusion that kept me up late into the night, as
it only took me a little over a day to read it because I just couldn't
put it down. Mr. Misercola has created a wonderful thriller that keeps
you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out who the killer is.
This is a great first effort and I really enjoyed this e-book. I can't
wait to see what he will write next.
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Ever since seventh grade, when he read The Lion's Paw, Conan
has been hooked on reading. He soon discovered Edgar Rice Burroughs and
read everything he ever wrote...which was an awful lot. Now, Conan mostly
reads Science Fiction and Fantasy, but also dabbles with Westerns, Mysteries,
Fiction, and Horror. Every once in a while some Non-Fiction works its way
into his hands. Starting late in 1998, Conan started writing book reviews
for BookBrowser.
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Destiny brings the genie Kane and the human Therese Hunter together.
She holds Kane and a second being responsible for her husband's death.
Yet as she and Kane draw closer together, odd memory occurs for Therese
as she recalls essential customs and traditions that feel both familiar
and natural. Kane won't leave, and she can't help questioning whether her
response to him is trust or dementia.
Kane knows that they must stay together -- that their lives depend upon
it. Desire is unwise, but he can't resist this strong woman filled with
surprises. But he's not going to entrust sacred secrets to a mundane; especially
not a woman who's linked to his destiny and one that he needs. Indeed,
Kane is a study of contrasts. Sometimes his sincerity disarms Therese,
other times she knows there's much he doesn't tell. He boldly confronts
punks and protective brothers, yet gently offers comfort at the death of
a pet.
Therese grows tired of being pursued by a being he only shows himself
in the "dark and secrets parts of her life." Indeed, Ifreet Dijinn feeds
on these places. He delights in toying with Kane and Therese, exhibiting
his superior strength, intellect and skill. He will not accept his enemy's
surrender and will not quit the game until it runs its logical conclusion.
He intends to kill his prey after he's orchestrates the end.
Author Gracie McKeever creates a fantastic romance in DESERT DREAMS.
While external conflict helps keep the tension tight, it's the struggle
between the woman and the genie-man that keeps the reading hot. A tight
plot, perfectly revealed motivation, and a crafty blend of gritty realism
with the impossible make this awesome escapist fiction. Indeed, sparkling
dialogue as well as a multicultural blend of family and friends reveal
McKeever's trademark gift. This author once again creates a memorable combination
of multicultural and paranormal elements that make the journey toward love
a fascinating tale. DESERT DREAMS is very highly recommended.
- - - - - -
Cindy Penn has been writing for over twenty years, including essays,
poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and reviews. She pays the bills working as
a technical writer. Cindy is the Web Wizard behind Wordweaving, having
designed and built the site.
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Are you a Fantasy fan? I'm not. I shy away from such under normal circumstances
because I find many books labeled "Fantasy" to be pretty much the same.
However, Prophecy Be Damned blew my preconceived notions about Fantasy
right out of the water! This is not your usual fare of fairies, goblins
and elves. The characters are unique and vary from ordinary peasants to
magicians reminiscent of Merlin and a brave knight willing to die to keep
his word. After reading this tale, I must have the sequel.
This masterful storyteller gives us non-stop action, unequaled suspense
and characters you can't help loving--or hating. All of this and more make
this one of the most heartwarming and exciting books I've ever read. Ms.
White creates imagery that takes you into the heart of an enchanted forest
where you can smell the leaves and taste the cool, sweet water, then into
the unforgiving desert where you can feel the burning heat of the unrelenting
sun.
She introduces you to magical, mystical creatures, both good and bad.
The gods have turned their backs on Mankind and only the fulfillment of
Prophecy will bring them back. In this classic tale of good and evil, you
will fall in love with Sam, the orphaned young man mistreated by his caretakers
since childhood, who seems to be the catalyst to bring the gods back to
mankind. But he doesn't want to be a hero. He doesn't know how to fulfill
prophecy--or does he? The surprise ending will leave you panting for more.
This is a book that you must not miss if you enjoy masterful story telling
and continuing sagas that take you into the world of what might be. You
will meet enchanted creatures and a beautiful little girl that defies logic.
You will meet evil and twisted creatures from your darkest nightmare. You
will meet one of this generations' greatest story tellers, Patricia L.
White.
Prophecy Be Damned is destined to be a classic in the same class
as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
- - - - - -
Joan is the author of Jump Start Your Writing Career with Electronic
Publishing. She has been an editor of The Roswell Literary Review,
Millennium Science Fiction & Fantasy Magazine, and FYI Magazine.
Joan is an accomplished fictionist, essayist, instructor, and lecturer
who is regularly invited to speak to various writers' groups and writers'
conferences.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Humans are not alone on earth. Majerians share the planet. The species
lives for thousands of years and act as protectors of the humans. Centuries
ago Trayjon lent his guardian talisman to his best friend Dante, who abused
the powerful device. This misuse led to the death of the parents of Trayjon's
betrothed. Unable to face what his neglect caused, Trayjon fled without
speaking with his future wife, the preadolescent and future guardian Arianna.
Over the years he watched her grow up from a distance and yearned to hear
her say she forgives and loves him.
Arianna lives among the humans working as a guardian while running a
medical clinic. Don, a Majerian, begins to court Arianna. She remains hesitant
because she feels his darker nature beneath his handsome smiling visage.
At the same time she senses Trey and actually confronts him in a friendly
manner. As Trey and Arianna begin to fulfill their destiny as soul mates,
Don, who is actually Dante, escaped from the void through the aid of a
demon Gulil, plans to steal both their guardian talismans.
EYES OF THE JACKAL is an excellent romantic fantasy that makes the possibility
of another humanoid race living amidst Homo sapiens seem plausible. The
story line provides insight into a different culture within our own and
the tale also contains plenty of action and two strong lead characters.
Fans of speculative romance and fantasy will delight in Joni Latham's powerful
tale and want more novels starring the Majerians.
- - - - - -
Harriet Klausner was born in the Bronx where she obtained a Masters
in Library Science. Her thesis topic was the Impact of Science Fiction
Reading by High School Seniors on Standardized Reading Scores. Harriet
met her spouse Stan when he read her palm in a Bronx outdoor cafe. She
takes immense pleasure informing other readers about newcomers or unknown
authors who have written superb novels.
Copyright © Harriet Klausner
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Elisabeth Ryan is a white woman who survived seeing her family massacred
by Indians while en route to Oregon Arakashe is an Indian warrior of the
Crow Tribe. They meet when Arakashe kidnaps her right after the slaughter
of her family. Though neither he nor his tribe are in any way responsible
for what has occurred, it is not easy for Elisabeth to trust him. After
all she has seen and endured, she cannot accept that he means her no harm.
However, she cannot ignore the strong pull of attraction to Crow Warrior.
Even though Arakashe and Elisabeth come to accept their feelings for
each other and the tribe welcomes Elisabeth, there are many obstacles that
each must overcome. They are not alone in their quest for a lifetime love.
Arakashe and Elisabeth are guided along on their love quest by a special
spirit who shows them they way. Can they cross the two cultures of white
and Indian for a lifetime of love together? Can Elisabeth learn a new way
of life with the proud warrior by her side?
Shadows of the Eclipse is not all sweetness and light, but is
a captivating read. Intense issues are tackled with grace and realism,
making for there are some heavy issues brought up, it is a memorable story.
I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre.
- - - - - -
Amanda discovered that she loves the historical romance genre preferably
stories set amongst the upperclass of England in the 18th and 19th centuries. But she also like ones which are set in Scotland and also ones set in Russia.
Occasionally she will branch out into the dark romances. She says she
is a sucker for any romance that has a vampire in it. Amanda will also
read most any type of historical biography and/or book dealing with the
Romanovs and Russia itself.
Amanda Schmidtt, Simply eBooks reviews
***************************************************
Atlantic Bridge Publishing
Prophecy Be Damned: Book One of the Tales of the Penitent
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Selena's Seduction
The Agreement
The Dreamstalker
The Knights Trilogy, Book I: Keeper of Dogs
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mad
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Amy--Plain & Simple
Apotheosis
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Breaking the Chain
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Children of the Wind
Saving Kennedy
Zublinka Among Women
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A Circle of Arcs
Suspicions of the Heart
The Wages of Justice
The Wages of Sin
The Wages of Greed
Westchester Station
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Assault on the Gods
Orphan of Creation
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C.O.P. Out
The Rehumanization of Jade Darcy: Jade Darcy and the Zen Pirates
The Silver Sun
Thorns
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At Your Command
Beasts Are Us
Dark Salvation
Electronic Publishing Q&A
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Sins of the Flesh
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A Witch for Good Luck
Censored by Earth Command: Arrows and Lasers
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Desert Dreams
The Anonymous Amanuensis
Trouble Or Nothing
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Heaven and Hell
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Eyes of the Jackal
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Hope for Utopia
My Name is Laura
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Prophecy: The Awakening
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Return to Madrona
Shadows of the Eclipse
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hotline to Heaven
Lisa, Her Demon & Her Lover
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Awe-Struck E-Books. Oldie but Goodie Sale! All of our titles
released in 1999 will be discounted to just $3.00 per download through
December, 2001! All titles released in 2000 will be discounted to $3.25
through December, 2001 as well!
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Thank you for subscribing.
Founder of E-Book Ecstasy ~ Glenda D. Tudor
Community email addresses:
Shortcut URL to Yahoogroups:
eBook Ecstasy is a free monthly newsletter aimed at introducing readers
to great ebooks.
Editor's note: Permission is granted to distribute the eBook Ecstasy
Newsletter
eBook Ecstasy Newsletter, Volume 1 No. 25
ePublishing News
http://www.e-book-awards.com/indie2002/scholarship/storytelling.html
Double Dragon eBooks (a division of Double Dragon Publishing)
is seeking reviewers for its growing inventory of ebooks.
http://double-dragon-ebooks.com
Dream Realm Award finalists in the categories of Science Fiction,
Fantasy, Horror, Action/Adventure, Anthology, Spec. Fiction-Romance, Young
Adult and Cover Art in Electronically Published Books
http://www.samandi.com/Dream-Realm-Awards/
Independent Publisher Book Awards, conducted each year to honor
the year's best independently published titles, will accept entries until
March 1, 2002 for titles with 2001 copyrights (or released in 2001). $5000
in prize money will be divided equally between the Ten Outstanding Books
of the Year, and winners and finalists will be chosen in 49 categories.
Guidelines and entry form: http://www.independentpublisher.com/baentry.html
Interesting article, "Will We Ever Want E-Books" in E-Commerce
Times. Express your opinion at the end of the article.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/14735.html
Linda Suzane has officially launched a new web site: Midnight
Blood, Vampire Fiction with a Difference. A free serial e-novel, Bloody Captivity is now available.
http://www.midnightblood.com
NonfictionReviews.com is looking for reviewers. They publish
reviews that cross the wide range of nonfiction, from health to history to entertainment. They accept reviews of both new and backlist books.
http://www.NonfictionReviews.com
Pendulum Press has just launched their new web site. They are
a new electronic publisher of mystery and suspense and we wish them great
success in all their endeavors.
http://www.pendulumpress.com
Random House folded its e-book imprint, AtRandom.com, and dispersed
the titles among other imprints at the publishing house.
http://www.randomhouse.com/atrandom/
Sapphire Award nominations are open for the best Science Fiction
Romances published December 2000 - November 2001.
http://www.sfronline.com/sapphire.htm.
The Chaos Scroll by Larraine Stacey recently ranked among the
top ten bestsellers in Children's eBooks at Amazon.com.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005R1ZP/
Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition is accepting entries
of 1,500 words or less. All entries must be postmarked by December 3, 2001.
http://www.writersdigest.com/catalog/2001shortstory.asp
Rumor Mill
http://www.oclc.org/oclc/press/20011115.shtm
SPONSORS:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AAM_in_the_News
ebooksonthe.net is currently putting forth between twenty and
thirty new titles each month. With the new eBOOK CLUB you will be assured
of getting all new and exciting titles that are added to their eBookstore
at a discount price of $1.00 off each title! Joining the eBOOK CLUB couldn't
be simpler. Send an email asking to join to goodreading@ebooksonthe.net.
http://www.ebooksonthe.net
iBookTime.com -- where print books meet ebooks. iBookTime.com
is seeking reviews and interviews. Hand-to-hand selling is essential. Part
of our available inventory are ebooks from various publishers. In
the third year of business, Scribblers has acquired distribution rights
for over 3,000 unique titles including all genres, fiction and nonfiction,
children and adult.
http://www.ibooktime.com/
Recent releases from Twilight Times Books, a publisher
of quality speculative fiction, mainstream and New Age works. Check out the current Catalogue.
Prophecy: The Awakening by Ardy Scott. A New Age realm where
the characters travel the astral planes, converse with gods and use computers
to gather info. Multi-media CD-ROM.
Death to the Centurion by Mark Misercola contains corporate
intrigue, insider trading, underworld ties, and murder.
http://www.twilighttimesbooks.com/
Word of Mouth BOOK BLURBS BI-WEEKLY lists book blurbs,
back cover descriptions, review snippets, sample chapter links, cover art,
and purchasing links from new and already published e-books and print-on-demand
titles.
http://www.xcpublishing.com/WOMbookblurbs.html
(1) FEATURED E-AUTHOR
electronic publisher as Gloria Steinem does with the Taliban and personally,
I don't even regard them as legit.
well-heeled literary agency is planning to cash in by digitally publishing
a bunch of its clients' big name titles from the Random House backlist
for peanuts which, except for the inevitable formatting, won't require
a lick of work from them to produce. Does anyone besides me get a whiff
of 'conflict of interest' here?
Author Info:
http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/Authors/KateS.html
http://www.realmofnublis.com
(2) FEATURED E-AUTHOR
will describe its function shortly.
Author Info:
(2) BEHIND THE SCENES
"I was deeply depressed," says Knight. "I'd written a good, mainstream
horror novel, and no publisher in America would touch it."
Author info:
Risen can be sampled at http://www.atombrain.com
(1) FEATURED E-PUBLISHER
May I Ask You A Few Questions First?
basically the same when you think about what they DO. Both printed
books and ebooks hold text and pictures and are used in the distribution
process, it's as simple as that. Here's something else to think about,
before paper people stored their text and pictures on stones.
About the author
http://ebooknews.netfirms.com/cgi-bin/search/ilink.cgi?MSIG
E-BOOK CORNER
Christine Murphy
Hard Shell Word Factory
http://www.hardshell.com
ISBN: 0-7599-0420-0
Romance
Reviewed by Cindy Penn for Wordweaving.com
Reviewer info:
http://www.wordweaving.com/
Death to the Centurion
Mark Misercola
http://www.markmisercola.com
Twilight Times Books
http://www.twilighttimesbooks.com
ISBN: 1-931201-24-2
Thriller
Reviewed by Conan Tiger for BookBrowser.com
Reviewer info:
http://www.mtbca.com/books.html
Desert Dreams
Gracie C. McKeever
http://www.authorsden.com/graciecmckeever
NovelBooks, Inc.
http://www.novelbooksinc.com
ISBN: 1-93169-61-01
Paranormal romance
Reviewed by Cindy Penn for Wordweaving.com
Reviewer info:
http://www.wordweaving.com/
Prophecy Be Damned: Book One of the Tales of the Penitent
Patricia Lucas White
Atlantic Bridge Publishing
http://www.atlanticbridge.net/
ISBN: 1-931761-16-7
Fantasy
Reviewed by S. Joan Popek
Reviewer info:
http://www.sjoanpopek.com/
Eyes of the Jackal
Joni Latham
http://www.byjoni.com/
SynergEbooks
http://www.synergebooks.com
ISBN: 0-7443-0303-4
Fantasy romance
Reviewed by Harriet Klausner for Sime~Gen
Author info:
http://harrietklausner.wwwi.com/index.html
Shadows of the Eclipse
Bonnie Napoli
http://www.bonnienapoli.com
Wings ePress Inc.
http://www.wings-press.com
ISBN: 1-59088-039-0
Genre: Historical romance/paranormal
Reviewed by Amanda Schmidtt for Simply eBooks reviews
Author info:
http://simplyebooks.tripod.com/
NEW RELEASES
http://www.atlanticbridge.net
Patricia Lucas White
Fantasy
Awe-Struck E-Books, Inc.
http://www.awe-struck.net
Jewelann Butler
Historical romance
Trace Hathaway
Romantic suspense
Mari Bailey
Vaughn Heppner
Historical romance
Booklocker
http://www.booklocker.com
Doctor Sean (aka Sean Kenniff, MD)
Psychological thriller
DiskUsPublishing
http://diskuspublishing.com
Leta Nolan Childers
Romantic Comedy
Jim Farris
Science Fiction
DLSIJ Press
http://dlsijpress.com/
C. D. Ledbetter
Suspense
Domhan Books
http://www.domhanbooks.com/
Lynda-Lee Roux
Don L. Clark
Thriller
Robert Wexelblatt
Double Dragon eBooks
http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com
Kate Saundby
http://www.realmofnublis.com
Science Fiction
Rita Hestand
http://ritahestand.com
Romance
Kate Saundby
Science Fiction
Kate Saundby
Kate Saundby
Patrick Welch
http://www.sff.net/people/patrickw
Fantasy
Embiid Publishing
http://www.embiid.net
Stephen Goldin
SF
Roger MacBride Allen
Fictionwise
http://www.fictionwise.com/
Nancy Herndon
Mystery
Stephen Goldin & Mary Mason
Science Fiction
Nancy Springer
Fantasy
Robert Silverberg
Science Fiction
Hard Shell Word Factory
http://www.hardshell.com
Christine W. Murphy
Romance
Atk. Butterfly
SF
Jennifer Dunne
Vampire romance
Karen Wiesner
http://www.karenwiesner.com
LTDBooks
http://www.ltdbooks.com
J.C. Wilder
Paranormal romance
New Concepts Publishing
http://www.newconceptspublishing.com
Louise Crawford
Atk. Butterfly
Science fiction erotica
NovelBooks, Inc.
http://www.novelbooksinc.com
Gracie C. McKeever
Paranormal romance
Judith B. Glad
Regency Romance
Joanie MacNeil
Contemporary romance
Speculation Press
http://speculationpress.com/
Jody Lynn Nye, Susan Sizemore,
Michele Hauf, Jacqueline Lichtenberg,
Jennifer Dunne, et al.
Anthology
SynergEbooks
http://www.synergebooks.com/
Joni Latham
Fantasy
The Fiction Works
http://www.fictionworks.com/
Guy Hasson
Science Fiction
Jay Hughes
Fantasy
Twilight Times Books
Ardy M. Scott
New Age fantasy (multi-media)
Wings ePress Inc.
http://www.wings-press.com
Marilyn Nichols Kapp
Paranormal Suspense
Bonnie Napoli
http://www.bonnienapoli.com
Historical romance
Wordbeams
http://www.wordbeams.com
Darrell Bain
Romantic Comedy
Michelle Marr
Paranormal romance
CLASSIFIEDS:
http://www.awe-struck.net
Babel Magazine, an online literary, political and philosophical
journal is looking for stories, poems, commentaries, insights, rants, favorite
(or worst) moments, humiliating experiences, etc.
http://www.babelmagazine.com/
Colorado Spitfire in paperback on sale now by author
Glenda D. Tudor.
http://i.am/glendatudor
Dark Moon Lilith is a new literary journal dedicated to the
wondrous strange seeking high-quality fiction, poetry, nonfiction, &
art regarding the mystical, magical, supernatural... First issue:
Spring, 2002. Deadline: January 31, 2002.
http://www.darkmoonlilith.com
eBooks N' Bytes, brought to you by Eva Almeida, is jammed packed
with useful resources for electronic authors, gathered together in well-organized sections. Includes: where to promote your e-Books, links to send out free press releases, e-book
publishers accepting submissions, and e-book reviews.Don't forget to list your e-Book in the directory.
http://www.ebooksnbytes.com/
Final issue of Electric Wine is now on-line.
http://www.electricwine.com/
Holiday eBook Sale at Wordbeams. Each book (yes, every
single title) is only $1.95 per download from now until the end of the
year!
http://www.wordbeams.com/
RFI West invites you to immerse yourself in the magical world
of fantasy. As a special offer, any order containing one of RFI West's
fabulous fantasy books will also include--Free--a download in HTML
of the award-winning The Triskelion, Book I of The Guardians Of
Glede fantasy/adventure series by author JennaKay Francis.
http://www.rfiwest.com/FantasySpecial.html
The Dragon's Loft is now open for business. Current selections
include
Death to the Centurion by Mark Misercola, The Casebook
of Doakes and Haig by Patrick Welch and WolfPointe by Rick Buda.
http://www.drgnscave.com/dcLoftmenu.html
The Electronic Publisher's Coalition (EPC) and EPPRO have joined
hands to promote e-publishing as a valuable and reputable resource within
the global community.
http://eppro.homestead.com/
Twilight Times Books maintains a Freebies
page with listings of Free ebooks from various publishers.
http://www.twilighttimesbooks.com/freebies.html
Word of Mouth BOOK BLURBS BI-WEEKLY
You don't need a bookstore to browse the best e-books and print-on-demand
books! Subscribe now for a bi-weekly dose of book blurbs, review snippets,
back cover teasers and cover art from the best publishers of the new millennium.
Take a look at a SAMPLE issue.
http://www.xcpublishing.com/WOMbookblurbs.html
Writers Exchange Epublishing has permanently dropped the price
of Writers Exchange 2000: Writing Advice by Writers - from
$9.95 to $4.95! A saving of $5.00!
http://www.writers-exchange.com/
E-Book Ecstasy Online: http://www.ebook-ecstasy.com/ebook-ecstasy/
Electronic Mail Distribution ~ Lida E. Quillen
Publisher ~ Lida E. Quillen
Copyright © 2001 Lida E. Quillen. All rights reserved.
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