I made the jump to Kindle Unlimited and want to share the news with you!! Check out my super short, free on kindle unlimited story, Starting Over!
Starting Over by Wendi Zwaduk
Contemporary Paranormal Fantasy Romance
Short Story
Megan Slayer Publications
Music soothes Levon Blackfoot’s soul. He lives for the rush of the crowd and the high of performing, but something’s missing. The music he loves isn’t working. It’s time to make some changes.
Good thing it’s almost the New Year, the Haudeshaun. There’s no better a time to evaluate and pursue the woman he loves—Callie.
Callie King has loved Levon since the moment they met, but a misunderstanding destroyed their relationship. If she can open her heart, they can have a second chance. She loves and needs him.
Maybe Haudeshaun is the perfect time to get what she wants—Levon.
Two broken people with a chance to start over at Haudeshaun—if they’re willing to try.
I can't believe how long this winter has felt. And some folks are still getting hounded with snow. Just so not right! So when the news came in that Decadent Publishing were bundling my Tales from the Coffin books, I instantly felt cozy and warm.
Not because any sane person would want to be bundled up with Estella and Lucy--the story tellers from this series--but because it sounded like such a deal for my readers. Under a dollar for each book? AWESOME!
And they make great winter stories. Not because they're so steamy they'll heat the frostiest heart (yeah, they are steamy, but that's not the reason). And not because the romance is so endearing you'll get warm fuzzies (the stories are romantic, but void of all HEAs so, yeah). The reason why I think they are perfect reads for the winter? Because they make you grateful for the roaring fire you are sat beside, and for the cozy warmth of your home. And they are perfect reading material while snuggling under a blanket with a hot cup of something tasty.Yeah. Estella and Lucy are cold bitaches who would see you in their basement given half the chance. And trust me, that is not a fate you want for yourself.
Not sure what I mean... yeah, come take a walk into my weird and wonderful world of Estella and Lucy's basement and let me 'show' you.
SNIPPETS FROM
All The Pretty Faces
SNIPPET ONE, from Estella's story
The bimbo knew nothing about the paranormal and thought an EVP meter was a “flux capacitor ghost-catching thingamabob.” A dumb fake-blonde fresh out of acting school. Maybe it’s actors I have a problem with? Nah. She’d known others, but Debra was the only one she ever wanted to smack over the head with a clapper board while shouting “cut the bitch.”
“We’re out of time. From the York Castle Prison, it’s good night from me and good night from Debra. Wishing you all sour dreams and hoping the bed bugs bite...hard.”
“And we’re out.” The show was now off-air.
Walker cheered, his whoop void of excitement. “And yet again, we didn’t catch anything. Surprise. We’re in the most haunted city in the UK, and we’ve got nothing. Not even in a thousand year old castle turned prison where people died
4All the Pretty Faces
heinously. Dick Turpin, the highwayman, didn’t even make an appearance to hold us up. It’s a joke.”
“One of these days, we’ll experience something so supernaturally spectacular it will beat the skeptic out of you...maybe even leave bruises.” She made a beeline for Walker.
SNIPPET TWO, from Estella's POV
Stopping at Walker, a sly grin broke free. “Got a little greedy for paranormal proof, didn’t you?” She stuck out a long, spindly finger and pointed at his nose. “See where that got you. A VIP invite to supper at Estella’s. She leaned forward and touched his lips with hers. “Hmmm. I forgot what a man’s lips feel like.” Her canines pierced plump flesh.
Sinking. Warm. Tasty.
Blood streamed down onto her pink Victorian dress, and metallic fluid swirling in her mouth, arousing her hunger. She stepped back and cocked her head to one side to evaluate her feelings. Fuck or feed?
“How odd. It seems as if your little adventure tonight has me all horny.”
“Lady, I don’t know who you are, but orgies aren’t my style, so we’ll be leaving now.” A waver in his words betrayed his cocky stance.
She shot out a hand and gripped him around his neck, lifting him off the floor, his feet dangling. “Pfft. Leave? I do believe you are mistaken. You’re never
14All the Pretty Faces
leaving. Not alive anyway. All right, back to food. Who’s first?” “This one has talented fingers, so I think I’ll start with her.” Lucy spread her
jaw wide, dived head first, and snacked down on Debra. Gnawing at her arm, she tore at the epidermis with her blunt teeth and gulped down the slivering chunks. Then bit deeper into the layers, down to the fat and bone. Debra howled, tried to free herself from the feeding frenzy, but Lucy was zoned-out in the land of brain lust. Frantic. Desperate. Lucy ate on, regardless of the struggle her dinner was putting up. Blood squirted over her face and across to YOU, just missing your foot.
“Your table manners suck, dear Lucy. Do I need to get you a steak knife? And for goodness sakes, close your mouth when you chew.” Ignored by the noshing zombie, Estella released Walker, who collapsed in a heap on the floor and gasped for breath. She then turned her attention to Lindsay. “You’re debating making a run for it, leaving the team behind. But you’re also wondering if there’s any point to escaping. Poor little Lindsay. She conquered her last fear only to have another added...me. Bored now.” Sigh. “Run. Run. That’s right, I’m giving you a free pass.”
So. Now you see. They are not my typical stories. I reached out and tried something different with these ladies. FYI all my other stories are romances. HEAs and all :)
Talking of which, book one from my selkie romance series should be out later this year. Now that is one super romantic story! SEAL THE DEAL.
Didn't want to get up but dang, it's been so nice out I feel like I'm missing something! :) Gardening, that's it, I want to play in my garden. Soon, soon. Got to get the leaves away from everything first...
In the meantime, I'm sitting here scrolling through Yahoo news and spotted the Consumer's Report on the new iPad and its comparison to a few rivals. Wow! do people really use all those apps? I like things simple which means the first Kindle is just fine with me. Talk about behind the times, I still basically read on my mini computer. I did have an iPhone once and believe it or not, I really used it to make phone calls. *laughing* Finally couldn't justify monthly payment when I could do the same thing with my less than modern phone at 1/3 the cost.
Now, I don't need a new eReader, but I'm feeling ancient when I pull out my thick old flip phone to make a call. I actually feel eyes boring into me when I snap it open. There are muffled coughs, and surprised whispers when folks actually see me use it! I'm expecting, eventually, some youngster will ask, "Lady, what's that?"
Anyway, I've done some checking and if I do spring for a gadgety phone, my bill will more than double. Do I need that? And will I use the newer phone to its full advantage if I do get one? Here's the deal: I can buy 10-15 more $4 eBooks a month with what I'm NOT spending on a newer, fancier phone.
Hmm, let me think about this some more...
Growl and roar-it's okay to let the beast out.-J. Hali Steele
A few days ago, Moira Rogers tweeted about Kindlegraphs. I had no idea what that was, so I Googled it and found their website. (You can check them out here.)
It turns out, this particular service is new, but it's not an unfamiliar concept. I'm sure you've seen authors signing autographs on readers' Kindles in lieu of traditional pen to paperback. This idea is similar, but it's something you can do from home to interact with readers (or your favorite authors).
You can watch the video here, which explains the process. It's surprisingly simple.
How you do it:
For the author–Click “authors sign up” at the bottom of the page. Then enter your books’s Amazon ASIN #
For the reader–Click on the “request Kindlegraph” button. Then register your Kindle and sit back and wait.
What it does:
For the author–It allows you to connect with readers. You’re emailed a notification whenever someone requests your autograph.
For the reader–It allows you to connect with authors by getting a personalized message from your favorite authors.
It's a fast and painless way for readers and authors to interact. I highly recommend it. While there are a few issues (tiny signature is one of them), the designer said he's working to develop his product and hopes to have new features and updates implemented soon.
For authors, once you sign up, you're emailed a link to your author page. Your bookshelf will look something like this. (My book looks lonely there. LOL)
Oh, and this is what a Kindlegraph looks like on the reader's end.
Dawn, the beta reader who blogged about her Everlong/Evermine experience, was my first victim. You can barely see my signature, but the rest is bold and clear. It's got a lot of potential. I'll be keeping my eye on its development for sure.
I love, love, love the Amazon Kindle. It has (almost) nothing to do with being an author of ebooks, and everything to do with being a voracious reader. (Though people reading my books on their Kindles is pretty darn cool.)
*cough*cough*
Okay, okay. It also has about 80% to do with being able to hide my purchases from my husband. Granted, he doesn't say a word about how many books I buy. He just gives me "the look." In order to avoid "the look," I buy ebooks and we're both happy. He gets to pretend I've gone 24hrs without a new purchase, and I get to horde to my heart's content.
This post is about accessorizing your Kindle. I'll probably do these posts often, because the Kindle is something I'm passionate about, and is a device I've seen through each generation.
Okay, here we go. We're going to touch on cases and lights today. Here are my top picks.
There are several designer cases made for the various versions of Kindle. Some make my fingers curl with want, but the elastic strap meant to hold my eReader secure…keeps me from coughing up$70 or more for a designer name when the cases suffer such a basic design flaw.
Granted, times are a changin’. There are other methods to secure your Kindle. In addition to elastic straps, there are a few more options. Such as a hard plastic shell secured to the case back, allowing your Kindle to snap into place and he held secure. This Speck case was popular for K2, and I like it. It has the hard plastic shell-snap, and a built-in stand.
I will admit, when I got my b’day surprise of the K3, I went a little nuts in the comparison shopping department. I have loved Kindle from day one, stolen Dad’s repeatedly, but this was my first mine, all mine, reader.
I wanted the very light and very thin K3 as secure as I could get it without the awkwardness of elastic or fabric cupped corners. Amazon, amazingly enough, created the perfect solution. For once, a manufacturer listened to their customers and took their requests to heart. (It took three versions of Kindle before it happened…but that’s neither here nor there.)
This is the case in question. It’s leather, made by Amazon, and has hooks in the bend. The K3 is manufactured to fit this case. It’s such a simple thing to hook it in, then you’re golden. That Kindle isn’t going anywhere. I like the case itself, too. It’s a nice pebbled leather exterior with a very soft gray interior to minimize damage to your screen. The version I liked above is without a light.
ETA: I have been made aware of an issue with the Amazon case. The same hooks that hold it secure also seem to be causing spontaneous resets among other issues. Instead of my full endorsement, I'll have to downgrade this to a "buy at your own risk." Sad, considering how much I love that cover. If you've suffered the same issue, then contact Amazon's Kindle Support.
Yes, I know. It’s hard to believe it gets better, but it does! This is the same case, just the lighted version. I wanted that case in a bad way. Since Kindle isn’t back lit, which reduces eyestrain, I knew a light was a must. I love the way the light is built into this case. It’s so handy, and really just perfect. The hooks on this model are metal instead of plastic. The metal is conductive, and uses your Kindle to power its light, so you never have to worry about batteries. You do, however, have to worry about draining your Kindle’s battery in the process. BUT–and you knew there had to be one–the coolness of the light is offset by the fact it super illuminates the upper right hand corner while leaving the lower left hand corner in darksville. This can’t be changed, since the plastic light arm has some flexibility, but nowhere near enough to fix this issue.
Although my OCD nature rebelled, it’s still rebelling actually, I bought the standard case. This decision was due largely to the staff at Best Buy. They not only encouraged me to pick the case that was right for me, they took the box to the service desk and opened it so my Kindle could try on her new coat (don’t judge me) before I shelled out any money.
They also carry M-Edge products, which are pretty fantastic. I would have gone with their covers if not for the whole hook=safety thing. Anyway, the customer service lady picked up their most popular M-Edge light and asked if I was interested in it. I was still pouting, considering how important the whole “light” thing was, when she opened that box and turned the light on. All I could say was “whoa.” It was brilliant. Plus, the flexible neck meant I could bend it any way I wanted to. It has a flat piece of plastic on the back, which I slip behind the Kindle and it’s held there as securely as if I were using it in a regular paperback.
There are two cool things about that light. One, it uses AAA batteries instead of some funky watch battery you would kill yourself looking for a replacement for. And two, I can angle it so that my entire Kindle is bathed in the exact same level of light. I love that. I am so compulsive, I require that kind of perfection to function. So while I wish I had the built-in light, it only takes one night spent reading to appreciate the beauty of my M-Edge.
The plain Kindle case is $34 or so. The lighted is $54 more or less. The M-Edge light is around $20. If you mix and match, you’re still out the same amount of money, but I believe the M-Edge is a much better investment for my money. I’ve been very pleased with it.
Since I like people to judge for themselves, here is a video of someone reading with their built-in Kindle light.
And here is the M-Edge case with the M-Edge light.
I will say, that video shows a bright pinpoint of light, but I adjust so there is the same level of lighting with no issues. I guess it’s about your preference and how much work you’re willing to put into perfection.
Other favorite case options include most M-Edge products as well as anything by Oberon. Their designs are hand tooled leather and just gorgeous.
While I'm thinking about it, you might be interested in these resources as well:
Kindleboards - An online community geared towards all things Kindle. It covers everything from reviews of the devices and accessories to book reviews and recommendations to device malfunctions and possible solutions. There are also hacks--like the one for a custom screen saver.
eReader IQ - Who doesn't like a freebie every now and again? Sometimes a free first book in a series leads to the entire set being purchased by happy readers. This site shows Amazon's daily free read offerings. They also offer an email option if you'd like the titles/authors emailed to you as they become available.
