Happy Birthday to Me!

Usually I'm not very excited about my birthday. Perhaps because I've always shared it with my brother, David. Happy Birthday, bro! But this year is special to me, because ten years ago my doctors said I wouldn't make it past two years. I made it and kept on making it. This month I have to take an exhaustive list of tests. It comes with the territory, but I'm good about it. I exceeded my expectations. My doctor's are happy with my progress and the ticking clock has been removed from their mouths about me. So this is a happy, happy birthday for me. I hope you share it with me today. I will be on Facebook hosting my own e-party so to speak. Thanks for being my friend and praying for my success.

Trailer Park Tuesday: The Graveyard Book

This week's Trailer Park Tuesday is the 2008 Newberry Award for children's literature, Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book

Read an excerpt here.

Monday Book Mention: Tiffany L. Warren's In the Midst of it All

This week's Monday Book Mention is Tiffany L. Warren's In the Midst of it All(Grand Central, Feb. 2010.)

Synopsis: All her life, Zenovia has struggled with the burden of caring for her schizophrenic mother, Audrey, alone. Until one day, God seems to offer support in the form of two members of a church called the Brethren of the Sacrifice, who knock at the women's door preaching an unconventional version of the Gospel. Despite having questions, Zenovia agrees to join the church along with her mother. Soon afterward, Audrey stops taking her medication when fellow churchgoers deem her illness a demonic possession. Unable to watch her mother's mental deterioration, Zenovia flees town, only to receive a fateful phone call several years later telling her of her mother's suicide. Heartbroken, Zenovia must now make a soul-altering choice: accept "God's will," or return home to confront the demons she's worked so hard to leave behind.

Weekend Chatterbox: Does Amazon own Your Publisher?

If you've been hanging around Amazon much, then you noticed some weird things happen after Steve Jobs announced the iPad, particularly the iBook feature in it. Some St. Martins Press books and their sisters and brothers living in the Macmillan house have disappeared from Amazon. According to The New York Times they didn't just disappear they were yanked. Apparently Amazon is standing firm on its point to keep e-books under $10. The i-books are around $12-15. As a reader I admit I like the reduced price, but I am concerned that the selections on the Kindle would be reduced. Moreover, I'm a huge fan of Farrar and St. Martin's Press, so now Amazon is pushing me toward the iPad. Not coll.
As an author I'm also concerned. Ooh the conundrum. Most publisher's pay a small royalty percentage to authors for e-books. Don't know if there will be addendums made to contracts for i-book sales. If not, then it doesn't matter what price is set, the author gets the slim pickings. But what it does set forth is a problem for authors on the part of distribution. Since online book sales continue to increase, and we know Amazon is one of the top reasons why, then if our books become ghost over there, how large of a chunk will that suspension take out of our sales? An even larger question--one I open up to the community--what does that mean for the publishing industry? Are they owned by Amazon? If so, then the ramifications about the future of publishing,especially whether authors would benefit from being independent over being published by a major publishing house matter anymore? Can we make money writing stories anymore? If you discuss over Twitter or Facebook, please use the #iYank hashtag


Related posts:

• 4 Questions for the ibook from an Author's POV
• iThink Thursday: iBookstore vs Amazon

Related Blogs Chatting About this:

• http://digitalbookworld.com/2010/more-reactions-to-the-amazonmacmillan-battle/
• http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/bookselling/macmillan_and_amazon_report_round_up_150534.asp
• http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/30/technology/30amazon.html
• http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/login.php/lunch/archives/006196.php
• http://www.tobiasbuckell.com/2010/01/31/why-my-books-are-no-longer-for-sale-via-amazon/

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Dinner & a Movie Night: Carleen Brice's Sins of the Mother the Movie

Our dear author friend Carleen Brice's novel Orange, Mint & Honey will air on Lifetime TV Febrary 21, 2009 as "Sins of the Mother." The movie will star: Jill Scott(Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married)  If you haven't read the book, this is a great time to before the movie. Or a host a bookclub/movie night to watch the movie.

Hmmm...maybe I should do that for my birthday. If you live in Atlanta and would love to view the movie with me, let's make it happen. We can do it nationwide at our girlfriend's and Mama Nem's house. Online Facebook and Twitter. Wachoothink? Whatweeatin? Don't forget to bring your book. You can purchase it online here.

iThink Thursday: iBookstore vs Amazon

This morning my newstream buzz is all the Twitter over Apple's Steve Jobs announcement of iPad yesterday. Below are the most interesting thoughts, all regarding e-book pricing and ending Amazon domination.

1. Flavorwire's 5 Ways the Applie iPad Could Change e-books...
   

   if Amazon ends up as the primary distributor and sets the prices for ebooks — well, that leaves publishers pretty scared they’ll be cut out... But — for now — it looks like the iBook store may allow publishers more say in setting the prices of ebooks. Which puts Amazon’s marketshare squarely in Apple’s sights.
   

   This is a huge concern for authors. Not predicting the future, but let's be real eventually ebooks/ibooks will begin to profit, but will authors?
   
2. Washington Post's "Think iBooks Looks Familiar? You're Not The Only One"...Was the iBook interface copied from Delicious Library. Delicious Monster Founder Will Shipley says, "yes."This story interested me most. I don't understand why there wasn't a nod to Delicious Monster like there was to Amazon.
3. Economist's Steve Jobs & the Table of Hope... The funniest title by far
4. Mashable's 4 Reason's the Kindle is Dead, 4 Reasons It's Not.
   

   "In fact, because the iPad can run any iPhone app with no modification, that means even the Kindle for iPhone() app will run on the iPad, giving iPad users instant access to Amazon’s library of Kindle-formatted books."
   

   
   

Please discuss here or on Twitter. Use hashtag #iThink.
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Photo credit Engadget

Wildcard: Yolanda Adams Points of Power

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Yolanda Adams

with

Lavaille Lavette

and the book:

Points of Power: Discover a Spirit-Filled Life of Joy and Purpose

FaithWords (January 5, 2010)

***Special thanks to Valerie M. Russo of Hachette Book Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Yolanda Adams is listed among the artists who have achieved the greatest critical and commercial success in blending R&B styles with gospel music. She has released twelve albums, two of which were certified platinum, one gold, and has won over twenty awards for her music. She currently hosts The Yolanda Adams Morning Show and makes her home in Houston. You can find out more about Yolanda at

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $19.99
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: FaithWords (January 5, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446545783
ISBN-13: 978-0446545785

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER: