FREE EBOOKS! (And a shameless plug. Well, okay, maybe I'm *slightly* ashamed.)
I got a Kindle as a gift for my birthday and have been just THRILLED with it. I can't tell you how happy I am. We moved a long way out in the country and I don't get to the library much. Plus, when I do, I'm loaded down with kids' books for my daughter to last until we make it to town again, so lugging around a few novels on top of it is torture.
Do you know why I love my Kindle? Because it's tiny, weighs less than a book (so it's easier on my wrists) and I can download a book in seconds. Literally. (I hope you caught that pun because I'm rather proud of it.)
Best of all, there are tons of free ebooks out there just waiting to be downloaded. Some are great. Some are not-so-great. Some are downright awful, but if they are free, you can't complain. Just delete them.
A lot of traditionally published authors are putting up free ebooks for a limited time only to interest readers in their other books. Since these free books can be difficult to find if you're having to look every day, Kindle Nation Daily has set up a free book tool that posts all of the free books from Amazon when they are uploaded. You don't have to search through Amazon anymore. I just check the website every few days to see what's new.
Free Ebooks and Kindle Nation Daily
You can also download tons of free ebooks for nearly any device at Smashwords. You may have to do a little searching here, though. They do list books under a "free" section. Just click the genre you want and at the top of the page click Filter by > Free ebooks.
Smashwords
Can't get the books you really want for free? No problem! BookLending is a new website (still in beta) that allows Kindle users to find books they want online and borrow from each other. Membership is totally free. Check it out!
BookLending
I'll admit, it took me a couple of years to warm up to the idea of the Kindle. I like a good paper book as much as most people, but once I got over my book snobbery, I realized what potential the Kindle has. No trees are cut down to produce the Kindle (though toxic metals are mined to produce it, there is also mining involved in creating paper books) and the device is so lightweight. Plus, I am able to read a lot faster on the Kindle.
Not only that, but I realized the best thing that ereaders offer: FREEDOM. For the first time, authors are now able to publish what they WANT to write. Readers are able to read what they WANT to read, not just what big businesses tell them they should. No longer are we sold prepackaged books a third party has decided would be good for us based on what the current fad is.
Saying that writers shouldn't publish unless their books are professionally edited is like saying we shouldn't read blogs because they aren't professionally edited. We should all read newspapers instead. Ebooks put the power back where it belogs: in the hands of the readers and the writers.
Ebooks allow readers to read cheaply and writers to make an actual living on their hard work. So what if we sometimes have to deal with a few typos? Readers aren't stupid and we know how to overlook little problems in order to enjoy a good story. I could go on an on about the benefits of ebooks - both to the writers and the big publishing houses (yes, it's good for them too, believe it or not).
I wish I could post something about how to get a cheap Kindle, but the fact is: they aren't. They just aren't. Even used Kindles usually go for slightly less than full price. On the bright side, the newer Kindle is much more affordable than the old models and if you're lucky, it's just possible you might score a cheap used ereader on Ebay. Check out the different models as some are less expensive than others.
____________________________
Which brings me to my shameless plug. Did you know I write books, not just blogs?
Haunt is a YA paranormal romance for older teens and young adults. "But I've had enough Twilight crap," you say? Fear not. Haunt is not your typical YA paranormal romance.
Lately, I have been very disturbed by the high number of YA romance books (especially in the paranormal genre) that center around obsessive, abusive and unhealthy relationships. Many readers describe this as being part of the current "rape culture." Young women and girls are often fed stories with dubious male characters that mistreat their partners which are labeled and sold as "romance." Personally, I've had enough of these Stockholm Syndrome stories.
Haunt begins like any typical YA paranormal romance: girl meets freaky guy, girl thinks she's "falling in love" with creepy dude. The similarities end there. In Haunt, the main character actually begins to realize that these not-quite-right qualities in the guy are not healthy. The story develops into another type of romance and ends on a more positive note. The book also deals with other situations such as sex, pregnancy and abstinence based on respect rather than religious reasons for those of you who are not religious. The main character is portrayed as neither strong nor weak, but on equal-footing with the guy she ends up with.
I wanted young women, who may have little or no experience with relationships, to read about a heroine who chooses a positive relationship over a negative one.
So if you're interested, check it out. Haunt is available in any ebook format for only 99 cents. If you love cheap romance and want to support my writing, head over and check it out. You can get more info about the book at my book blog: Amber Delaine
I promise, that's the last time you'll be hearing about my book. :)
Do you know why I love my Kindle? Because it's tiny, weighs less than a book (so it's easier on my wrists) and I can download a book in seconds. Literally. (I hope you caught that pun because I'm rather proud of it.)
Best of all, there are tons of free ebooks out there just waiting to be downloaded. Some are great. Some are not-so-great. Some are downright awful, but if they are free, you can't complain. Just delete them.
A lot of traditionally published authors are putting up free ebooks for a limited time only to interest readers in their other books. Since these free books can be difficult to find if you're having to look every day, Kindle Nation Daily has set up a free book tool that posts all of the free books from Amazon when they are uploaded. You don't have to search through Amazon anymore. I just check the website every few days to see what's new.
Free Ebooks and Kindle Nation Daily
You can also download tons of free ebooks for nearly any device at Smashwords. You may have to do a little searching here, though. They do list books under a "free" section. Just click the genre you want and at the top of the page click Filter by > Free ebooks.
Smashwords
Can't get the books you really want for free? No problem! BookLending is a new website (still in beta) that allows Kindle users to find books they want online and borrow from each other. Membership is totally free. Check it out!
BookLending
I'll admit, it took me a couple of years to warm up to the idea of the Kindle. I like a good paper book as much as most people, but once I got over my book snobbery, I realized what potential the Kindle has. No trees are cut down to produce the Kindle (though toxic metals are mined to produce it, there is also mining involved in creating paper books) and the device is so lightweight. Plus, I am able to read a lot faster on the Kindle.
Not only that, but I realized the best thing that ereaders offer: FREEDOM. For the first time, authors are now able to publish what they WANT to write. Readers are able to read what they WANT to read, not just what big businesses tell them they should. No longer are we sold prepackaged books a third party has decided would be good for us based on what the current fad is.
Saying that writers shouldn't publish unless their books are professionally edited is like saying we shouldn't read blogs because they aren't professionally edited. We should all read newspapers instead. Ebooks put the power back where it belogs: in the hands of the readers and the writers.
Ebooks allow readers to read cheaply and writers to make an actual living on their hard work. So what if we sometimes have to deal with a few typos? Readers aren't stupid and we know how to overlook little problems in order to enjoy a good story. I could go on an on about the benefits of ebooks - both to the writers and the big publishing houses (yes, it's good for them too, believe it or not).
I wish I could post something about how to get a cheap Kindle, but the fact is: they aren't. They just aren't. Even used Kindles usually go for slightly less than full price. On the bright side, the newer Kindle is much more affordable than the old models and if you're lucky, it's just possible you might score a cheap used ereader on Ebay. Check out the different models as some are less expensive than others.
____________________________
Which brings me to my shameless plug. Did you know I write books, not just blogs?
Haunt is a YA paranormal romance for older teens and young adults. "But I've had enough Twilight crap," you say? Fear not. Haunt is not your typical YA paranormal romance.
Lately, I have been very disturbed by the high number of YA romance books (especially in the paranormal genre) that center around obsessive, abusive and unhealthy relationships. Many readers describe this as being part of the current "rape culture." Young women and girls are often fed stories with dubious male characters that mistreat their partners which are labeled and sold as "romance." Personally, I've had enough of these Stockholm Syndrome stories.
Haunt begins like any typical YA paranormal romance: girl meets freaky guy, girl thinks she's "falling in love" with creepy dude. The similarities end there. In Haunt, the main character actually begins to realize that these not-quite-right qualities in the guy are not healthy. The story develops into another type of romance and ends on a more positive note. The book also deals with other situations such as sex, pregnancy and abstinence based on respect rather than religious reasons for those of you who are not religious. The main character is portrayed as neither strong nor weak, but on equal-footing with the guy she ends up with.
I wanted young women, who may have little or no experience with relationships, to read about a heroine who chooses a positive relationship over a negative one.
So if you're interested, check it out. Haunt is available in any ebook format for only 99 cents. If you love cheap romance and want to support my writing, head over and check it out. You can get more info about the book at my book blog: Amber Delaine
I promise, that's the last time you'll be hearing about my book. :)