The Next Best Thing

The release of my first novel, Knight Dreams, came out this month. What a grand day! It was almost...almost as exciting as the birth of my two children. Granted, having my first book published is cause for celebration. My children, however, take the award for the celebration of life changing events.

As the week went on I found myself explaining what an E-Book or even an E-Reader was and how it worked. And why would I ever choose to have my book published that way? Some of my darling family, friends, and even strangers can only imagine holding a book made of paper. I had indeed traveled to the dark side. Ah. I wonder if that is what we thought when manufacturers brought out those other silly inventions.

Do you like your car? Do you remember your very first vehicle? Heck, I was impressed with my first car that came with power steering. The cars of yesterday didn't have the bells and whistles that they do now. Where would some of us be without power steering and brakes, the radio, the CD-Player, GPS, and Lo-Jack? Tired, tuneless and lost.

Do you love your laptop? Do you remember your first computer? Can you imagine life without it? Or can you imagine hauling the larger versions around on your back?

How about your cell phone? Can you recall the first cell phones? They came in a bag and you plugged it into the car. Or better yet, remember the first cordless phone? It was like holding a brick to your head.

How about your IPOD? Before it, came the 45's, 33's, the 8-tracks, the cassettes, and the CD's. And should I bring the memory of the boombox back to mind?

Each improvement didn't really negate the one that came before it. (Okay, I admit, I'm thankful the tangle of 8-tracks are gone.) The inventors enhanced the product and brought more choices to the table.

Rest assured, I don't plan to give up my tree-books forever. They are marvelous for research and there is something wonderful about holding them in my hands. But when I'm traveling and don't want to pay the airlines another surcharge for the weight of my many books, the E-Reader is the way to go. If I'm at the gym and I want to workout both of my arms instead of using one to hold the book and the other to move the machine, I'm going to use my E-Reader. If I'm sitting beside my darling man and he wants the lights off to enhance the movie and I want to read, I'm going to sit beside him and read with my Sony E-Reader's little light on.

Ah...life is enhanced! And life is enjoyed!

So come on over, discover the E-Reader that fits your lifestyle. I've attached a link to help you on your new adventure. Be sure to check out the latest Digital Book Readers. AKA / E-Readers.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1929387,00.html?xid=rss-topstories-cnnpartner&imw=Y

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1929384,00.html

You know you're gonna want one!

First Book Review

Oh, Happy Day! My first review! Gulp! I wrestled with wanting to know what a book reviewer wrote about my book. It's exciting, thrilling, and very scary. Do I want to know what they thought? Will I have this crazy need to crawl into a cave and never come out?

I bring myself to push the keys on the laptop. And scroll down the screen. There it is. The beautiful cover of my book. And then...the review.

An excerpt from LASR's Book Review:
"C. C. Wiley enchants with admirable imagery and a compelling writing style. All the characters of significance are satisfactorily accounted for before the story ends. Even though traumatic times have been endured along the way, the promise of living happily-ever-after looks bright.

This is a wonderful 15th century romance with a touch of history and imagery that thrills the senses." LASR awards FOUR BOOKS

Four Books out of Five! Not to bad for a new author! Not to bad at all! The the thoughts come in. Why didn't it get the top score? My mind spins. Next time, I want my stories to get the Five Books Award. I need to get cracking on learning all I can about my craft. I almost forget to enjoy the moment. Almost. I take a deep breath and realize that for right now, this very minute, I'm going to enjoy the glow of the first review of my first novel.

Can you see the smile on my face? I'm grinning from ear-to-ear and looking like the cat who drank a whole bowl of cream. I think I'm going to plaster my office walls with all the great reviews. When I'm down or fighting to pull a single word out of my head, I'll read those kind words and all doubt will wash away.

How do you conquer the doubt that sneaks its ugly mug into your thoughts? What do you do to keep yourself motivated? For me, I'm going to keep smiling and take another peak at that review.

If you want, you can read the whole review by following this link. longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2009/10/knight-dreams-by-c-c-wiley.html