I Love My Kindle

It's a new year, a new dawning and yes; a new reason to buy eBooks.

Now, I know what you're thinking, EVERY day is a good reason to buy books. And if you're a devoted (and slightly psychotic) bibliophile like myself, you don't really need coaxing to grab that latest thriller or romance novel.

But for those of you who have summoned the minions of hell to punish all those who choose eBooks over print copies, you don't know what you're missing. Why are those crazy people destroying the brick & mortar book stores, sending established companies like Borders Books the way of the Dodo?

Let me s'plain:

1) Storage:

How many book shelves do you have? Yes, good. And now, how many book shelves do you NEED? If you're anything like me, you have more books than space. A lot of my books are still in the boxes I packed them in when I moved into my current residence. Why? I HAVE NO WHERE ELSE TO PUT THEM. Yes, I have a few book shelves, but I'd need to make a shrine to my books to have all the space I'd need to keep them neatly filed away in full view. Ideal, but certainly not practical. With my Kindle, I can hold hundreds of books all in the palm of my hand. Now THAT'S efficiency.

2) Moving

Speaking of moving: Ever try to move hundreds of books from one house to another? On my last move this is what I discovered; I had more boxes of books than boxes of anything else COMBINED. I kid you not. Of course I need to use smaller boxes to transport my books, because a large box with 50+ books would simply be too heavy to carry, which means more boxes. And once I got them here... Well. See #1.

3) Convenience

As a person who travels a lot for work and leisure, I love bringing the latest New York Times best seller with me. And the current thriller I'm reading. Oh, and that latest 1,200 page "novel" by Stephen King, what was it called? Ah, yes "Crushed Under this Tome". Oh! And my school books. Can't forget those. Maybe a crossword puzzle book and -- Hmm, I can't seem to fit all these in my suitcase. And let's never mind the ones I'd like to bring with me on the plane to read. Hmmm, but all these and more fit neatly on my little eReader. Hmmm. Yes, hmmm.

Now don't get me wrong. I love the feel and smell of the printed page as much as the next person, and having my beloved eReader certainly doesn't negate the desire for me to have a book in my hands. I buy both hard copy and electronic books. (Gasp! You can DO that?) But this little gadget has more than made up for its cost in convenience and savings. You did know that a lot of eBooks are cheaper than their printed counterparts, didn't you? Of course you did. ;)

While my reasoning for purchasing my Kindle might not be convincing to all, but as a reader, writer and all around book lover, I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

Some eBooks I'd recommend:

Survival of the Sickest by Sharon Moalem and Jonathan Prince (Science)

My Custom Van by Michael Ian Black (Sick, twisted Humor)

Happily Even After by Lena Matthews (Erotic Romance)

Persuasion by Jane Austen (Historical Romance and FREE!)

Who's That Voice Again?

Being a huge Simpson's fan, this Inside the Actor's Studio interview was pretty great. I just wish they'd had a clip of Julie Kavner doing Marge. I didn't realize Hank Azaria was the voice of Apu. Whaddaya know?

New Release Today: A Summer Rain

Hey folks!

Pop on over to Amira Press today and check out my latest release, A Summer Rain.



Blurb:

Shana Sanders was moving on with her life after the only man she ever loved walked away from her with no explanation. One rainy Chicago afternoon, she's stunned to find him standing at her doorstep begging for forgiveness.

Robert wants her back in his life as he tries to convince her that his departure had nothing to do with his feelings for her but everything to do with his bigoted father and brother.

Can Shana forgive him and recapture the love they shared, or will hatred and ignorance keep them apart forever?

Excerpt:

“Why are you standing out there, silly?” Shana asked, holding the door open for Robert in the entryway. “Come on in. I made your favorite, chicken Marsala and mashed potatoes.”

He smiled.

“I can’t stay,” Robert said in an almost inaudible tone. “I just—I wanted to see you.”

“You just got here. Where do you have to go?”

“Shana, I… I can’t really talk about it.”

Shana eyed him curiously. It was obvious there was something amiss.

“What’s wrong, Robert?”

“Nothing. Just trust me, okay? I’ll be back soon.”

“Robert…”

“Shana!” Robert exclaimed with mild impatience. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. Shana noticed the bruised knuckles on his right hand. She thought to inquire about their origin, but pushed the thought from her mind.

“Trust me. I need you to do that for me. Can you?”

Shana backed up and viewed the figure in front of her with confusion. What was he doing?

“Yes?” Robert asked.

“Yes,” Shana said shyly. “But what…?”

Robert cut off her inquiry with a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her tight, lingering there as if it would be their last. He rested his forehead on hers and kissed her nose. He finally broke their embrace and turned to leave.

“I love you,” Shana said with an abruptness that made Robert freeze in his tracks.

It was the first time either of them had uttered the words to each other. They spilled forth from Shana and hung in the air like a billowy cloud. She held her breath and waited for his response. After seconds of nothing but silence, the three words that had patiently hung above them seemed to evaporate into a distant memory.

Shana felt chilled at Robert’s lack of response. How could he not say anything? She stood there, vulnerable, wishing he would reciprocate her words. But silence was her answer. She’d wanted to tell him this so many times in the past, but never had the courage. They’d been together for over six months, and tonight, she had decided she was going to say what she had wanted to for so long. But even if he didn’t feel the same, she still deserved a response.

From behind, Shana watched his shoulders hunch. He still hadn’t turned around to face her. The fact that he couldn’t return her glance spoke volumes.

“Robert? You have nothing you want to say?” Her lips trembled at the words. “At all?”

Robert turned and stole a quick glimpse toward her, then looked down to the ground. He was quiet—too quiet. Shana knew he always got that way when he was thinking.

He walked back up to her, as if he had finally figured out what he wanted to say. His eyes widened, and his face looked sad. He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.

“I have to go. I’m sorry.”

Shana’s eyes welled with tears as she stood aghast at the man in front of her. She wanted to yell and scream, but she couldn’t think of anything to say. No words could convey the anger and hurt welling inside her, so she stood in the doorway, dazed. Soon, all she heard was the thunderous beating of her heart. It was rapid and out of rhythm. Her vision dimmed in slow increments, and soon, everything had gone dark. It wasn’t until his voice broke the silence that she realized her eyes were closed and she felt the sting of hot tears stream down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” he said again. She opened her eyes only to see him standing in the doorway looking lost and confused. “I’ll be back, I promise.” He gave her a pained smile and turned out the door.

Cereal with Your Water? Yes, Please.

I'm a kook. I know this and I make no apologies for it, but yesterday I did something I've never done before...

First, let me give you a little background on myself. I'm what is called a "Super Taster". In other words, I am a VERY PICKY EATER. I hate bitter, sour and super sweet tasting foods (although I have taught myself to like vegetables. This was no easy task, let me tell you.) I hate foods most people enjoy. If you want to see me run faster than Jackie Joyner Kersee, just put a plate of mashed potatoes in front of me. (Oh, yes. I went there.) And for the record, I also hate alcohol, eggs, bananas and pretty much anything that's too sweet for its own good.

Got it?

Now. Couple that with the fact that I have a lot of food sensitivities. Milk being the number one culprit for any gastrointestinal problems I may have. It also has a tendency to cause my skin to break out and it is the sole cause of arthritis in my hands.

Still with me?

Now. Triple that with the fact that I'm somewhat of a health nut. I try to eat nutritious foods and I exercise at least 5 times a week. Watching what I eat and trying to maintain a healthy weight are vastly important to me.

Take all these things and what you've got is a person who has a limited number of choices at the supermarket. In my on-going search for a suitable beverage to enjoy my whole oat cereal with in the morning time, this is what I've encountered:

Cow's Milk - Nix. Allergic to it. And not just to the lactose so the lactose-free milk does me no good either.

Soy Milk - Nada. Well, it's soy. If you haven't heard yet, it's not very good for you. Stay away -- FAR away.

Rice Milk - Nope. NASTY AS ALL GET OUT. (Might be my super taster side making an appearance here.)

Coconut Milk - Uh-uh. Way too sweet.

Almond Milk - I love it! But for some strange reason it makes me bloated. I feel like I'm carrying an inflated balloon around in my stomach all day.

I was at the end of my rope. I love cereal, but I hate it dry so what's a woman to do?

So, yesterday I was in the kitchen and not really wanting to "cook" breakfast, I reached for the box of cereal in the cabinet. I poured a bowl. I knew I had a container or two of Almond milk in the fridge, but not really wanting to feel like the blueberry girl from Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, I paused.

Then I noticed the bottled water sitting on the refrigerator shelf. Hmm... "Should I?"

Well, fast forward five minutes and I couldn't believe what I was tasting. I thought for sure it was headed straight for the garbage disposal, but to my surprise -- I actually LIKED it. Not too sweet or thick. No bloating, acne or any other adverse affects I normally get with other drinks.

It may be too early to call right now, but I think I'm hooked. Heh. How you like dem apples?

Just goes to show you, challenging the status quo might change the way you look at life. And cereal.

Who knew?

Kindle Universe

I finally decided to join the eReader world and purchased an Amazon Kindle this weekend. It's set to arrive on Wednesday, so I'm excited and curious at the same time. I already have a list of books I want to download, so Wednesday can't come fast enough.

I'll give a brief review of what I like / dislike about it and if I believe it suits my needs at the present time. It was a tossup between getting this and Apple's iPad, but being a computer geek and self-proclaimed "gadget girl" with four computers and a blackberry already in her possession, I figured I need not invest in yet another computer. Being the bibliophile that I am, what I really wanted was just a more convenient (and less back breaking) way to lug my extensive library around.

Kindle seems to be the best choice for now. Can't wait until it arrives. I will let you all know how it goes!

-Raq

It's Here!

The day has finally arrived! Just Beneath the Surface is now available for purchase at Amira Press.

Read an Excerpt here: Excerpt

Many thanks to all my readers who give me so much love and support. I really appreciate it!

-Raq

New Book and Publisher

Hello folks,

It's been a while since I made a blog post, but I'm back with good news! I'm now an author with the publishing company, Amira Press and I have a new book to be released soon entitled, "Just Beneath the Surface". To the left is a preview of the cover.

Here's to new alliances and here's hoping to a happy and productive 2010.

I'll keep everyone updated on the release date of my book.

Be well...

-Raq