Soft Cover, Hard Cover, e-book or Audio?

Call me old fashioned but how in the world could anyone enjoy reading a book on an electronic reader? But with that said I can certainly understand the advantages. For one the cost of an e-book is much cheaper. You can purchase and download a new novel in a matter of minutes. You can also store lots of books on your fancy new electronic thing without taking up space on your bookshelf.

I guess the clincher for me is that when I?m reading a novel I love to take it with me where ever I go. To the doctor, while I?m waiting to pick up my grand daughter at school, sitting beside the pool at the beach, one splash and the electronic thing is toast. I read while riding shotgun traveling down boring interstate highways. I always have a book with me. I love the feel of the pages, the texture of the shiny cover. I have a great need to fold down the corner to mark my place. I find comfort when I walk to my bookshelf and look over my collection. With each title I remember why that book was special to me. I only keep copies of books I really, really like. Others I lend out, not really worrying if they are ever returned. Then there are those I want to keep forever, these are not passed to anyone but my daughter, for fear I won?t get them back.

Oh I know you can take the electronic reader thing with you anywhere too, but I still prefer the feel of a soft paperback to the cold steel of the electronic thing, plus I don?t have to plug my paperback in or buy it batteries!

You can purchase my first novel, ?Guardian Spirit?, in either soft cover or hard cover. If you look at my publishers website, www.luckypress.com, you?ll see their new releases for 2011. If you scroll down you?ll find ?Guardian Spirit?, soon to be released in an

e-book format this month. I am really glad for those of you who have become so attached to your electronic reader thing. Many of you have asked me when my novel would be obtainable via e-book. I?m not sure of the exact date, but I?ll let you know when it becomes available for purchase.

Others have asked me if ?Guardian Spirit? will be released in an audio version. My publisher, Lucky Press says it is very expensive to convert a novel to audio, so the answer to audio is no, for now. If my novel is ever converted to audio I?d like to have someone like Jimmy Stewart (if he was still alive) speak Dr. Lewis Townsend?s part. And Katherine Hepburn (if she too were alive) would be a great speaker for pistol packing Grandma Ann. Now for Millie I can hear the softness of Olivia?s voice from The Walton?s. Sadie would be a young Reba McEntire, and little Sammy would be Opie from the Andy Griffith Show.

Audio versions are the answer for people with vision problems, and great when you?re driving down the road or exercising on the treadmill. There are advantages to all things; you just have to match the right version with the person?s need. For me I?ll stick with paper, looking at computer screens is really bad for my eyes. Did you know that you should blink like a zillion times a minute and when you?re on the computer you tend to not blink half as much or less? This dries your eyes out and can cause some serious problems. Needless to say I have to use the gel eye drops, which leaves my eyes a bit blurry for a while afterward. There are all kinds of emotional needs and wants but for all practical purposes I?ll have to stick with the old timey, paper and ink? hold in your hand paperback!

Tagged as: audio book, e-book, electronic reader, Jimmy Stewart, Katherine Hepburn, Reba McEntire, The Andy Griffith Show, The Waltons, www.luckypress.com