I'm about to hyperventilate

I finished the first draft of this book in January, 2001. Today, it's officially on sale at Amazon, and at Barnes & Noble. Other eBook platform editions will be uploaded right after the first of the year.

I am so excited!!!!!!!

If your Kindle download came with no cover illustration, go to your Amazon account, click on Kindle, Click on Manage Device, Click on Purchases, and then to the right of The Nut Hut, click on Deliver To whichever device. The cover will download (the first few purchases didn't get the cover). It won't cost more, it's just an update.

Knit One, Felt Too- the Electronic Bugaloo

I am absolutely thrilled to announce that Storey has made Knit One, Felt Too available for Kindle and Nook, starting today! This was my first knitting book, published in 2003, and it's still going strong.

You can order the Kindle version here.

Here's the Nook version.

Everything that's in the print version is in the eBook...and you can fit it in your purse!

Cold Front is now available for Kindle

Cold Front, the 5th Tory Bauer Mystery, is now available from Amazon for Kindle download! I'm so excited! I assume it'll be up and running for Nook tomorrow, and for Sony and at Smashwords within a few days.

Woohoo!

Thanks, as always, to Ryan Boettger and his students for the formatting, Abby Reilly at Dystel and Goderich for wrangling the uploads, and Curtis Taylor for the amazing and wonderful new cover!

Books

16 Hours in airports (both ways) leaves me with a lot of reading time.

 I finished Robert Kroese's Mercury Rises, which is a sequel to Mercury Falls, and while not quite as laugh-out-loud funny as the first, I still enjoyed it. and the main characters (an angel, a writer, and The Antichrist, as well as a whole bunch of other Heavenly, and The Other Place, whackdoodles). It looks like  Mercury Swings, a free short story (or maybe a novella), is a prequel to the other books. I didn't know it existed until just now, but it's safely on my Kindle already, so I'll let you know.

 Our favorite sociopathic serial killer is unaccountably dense in Double Dexter. Even for a guy who isn't quite up on actual human emotions and reactions, he seems awfully slow to catch on to a few really large hints. That said, I enjoyed this journey into his twisted mind.

 I did not love all of the short stories in West Coast Crime Wave, but I liked enough of them to make the read enjoyable. I especially liked Steve Brewer's contribution to the collection. There was a bit of formatting weirdness in the book, one story was completely underlined, but I imagine they'll work those kinks out soon.

 Just in case I got stuck in strange cities, I loaded up the Kindle before I flew out. I bought several of Christopher Moore's novels, starting with Practical Demonkeeping. I only just started the book, but I'm pretty sure that his twisted sense of humor is right up my alley.

 J.D. Rhoades' two short stories in The Caretaker were both quick and satisfying reads. I didn't love the Courier Font, but I adjusted pretty quickly.

 J.A. Konrath's The List is described as a technothriller (one word). I started reading it last night but it's not striking my fancy at the moment. I think I'll put it aside for awhile, and try again later.

 My good friend Ann recommended Mary Stanton's series, so I started with the first, Defending Angels. It's probably the polar opposite of The List. I'm enjoying it but it's maybe just a tad too cozy for me. We'll see.

 I've been listening to Tarzan books as I treadmill, for the past couple of months (letting the Kindle read them out loud to me).  In Tarzan the Untamed, Tarzan is a very very busy Lord of the Jungle: he becomes a widower, he reverts to his savage roots, he takes on the German Army single-handed, he rescues a downed English pilot, he is wary of a pretty German Spy (who, of course, falls in love with him)(and of course, he doesn't even notice), he tames a wild black lion, he crosses deserts, he discovers a hidden city of maniacs, he rescues his friends, and finally he learns something that we probably knew already. Whew...


This is the seventh Tarzan book that I have listened to in a row, and they're all a hoot. At least once in every book, I laugh out loud (and an out-loud laugh while you're dripping on the treadmill is a very good thing). This time around, after having been previously warned that shooting a lion with a pistol would only piss the lion off : (Lieutenant Harold Percy) "Smith-Oldwick drew the pistol from his shirt. 'If he has made up his mind to kill me,' he thought. 'I can't see that it will make any difference in the long run whether I infuriate him or not. The beggar can't kill me any deader in one mood than another.'"

Next up is Tarzan the Terrible, which is the last book in the Tarzan Omnibus. Though I try not to learn too much about the books before I listen to them, I am pretty sure that there are dinosaurs in this one, y'all.

There are many more Tarzan books (I think there were 24 total), but after I finish listening to Tarzan the Terrible, I'm going to switch to Burrough's John Carter of Mars series. From what I can tell, John Carter is another gorgeous hunk of invincible man-meat. I suspect I'm going to enjoy these books every bit as much. In fact, I just bought a 5-book collection. Just this minute.

The Kindle is a wonderful and dangerous thing.

The Hotel South Dakota- the Kindle Edition- and the Nook Edition

It's Here!!!!!!!! Or to be more accurate, It's There!!!!!

The Hotel South Dakota. The Kindle version isn't linked to the Kindle versions of Funeral Food or Sex and Salmonella at the moment, but that'll be fixed soon.  And it'll be up for Nook probably by tomorrow.

CafePress items with the covers of all three books are available in the link to the upper right of this page. I have an HSD tee shirt, a beer glass, and fridge magnets coming. Once I get them, I'll do a magnet set giveaway with all three covers.

Once again, I want to thank Dr. Ryan Boettger and his students for the fantastic job they did in formatting the first three Tory Bauer mysteries for Kindle, and Abby Reilly for getting the files ready for the other platforms, and for handling all of the uploading. And I especially want to thank Curtis Taylor for the fantastic new covers!

The final three books in the series won't be available until next spring. They'll be sporting Curtis Taylor covers too. I can't wait!

Added in this afternoon: the Nook Edition is now available! Find it here!

Drum roll please...

I'll be heading out to NCFF soon. It's going to be a weekend full of friends, fun, and wool fumes. I'll post pics and commentary here (and if you're on Facebook, I'll be posting some pics on both my personal page, and my *author* page) (throughout the day, if my phone works inside the big metal building... which is unlikely).

In the meantime, Curtis finished the cover for the eBook release of The Hotel South Dakota.

 Beautiful, is it not? I especially love the little TA + NB in the heart, written on the desk.

The book will likely be ready for Kindle, etc, sometime next week, and I'll be sure to announce when it's available. I'm also sure that Curt will add the cover to his CafePress store, if you're in the mood for tote bags or doggie jackets with the design. I see another tee shirt and beer glass in my future, not to mention fridge magnets (at which time I will have a giveaway for a few sets of all three).

I think this post on the evolution of all three of the covers is fascinating. Art is like writing- a lot of false starts, and then the lightbulb moment.

The last three books in the Tory Bauer series won't be ready for eBook release until next spring, but Curt will be doing the covers for those books too. I can't wait to see what he does with them.

Less traumatic stuff

I have to stick around this morning, because my replacement Kindle will arrive (I know this because FedEx called yesterday, to make sure I would be here to sign for it). I don't know for sure what time they'll get here, so I just have to wait. On the other hand, except for swimming, there is not a single thing that I plan to do outside today anyway. I got up at 5:30 to run before it got hot, but it was already too late: 75 degrees and 94% humidity. I treadmilled instead. This is the only currently scheduled Heart Attack Day (our heat index is predicted to hit 110 this afternoon), and then a cool front will come through and dry things out a bit. It'll still be warm, but with much lower humidity.

Anyway, I'm making good progress on the never-ending wedding shawl.

The beads don't show up well in most of my photos, so I took it outside and tried there. They sparkle beautifully in the sunlight.

 I have about 11' left to knit. After I finish the knitting, it'll take an evening to Kitchener the blasted thing together (well, the *thing* is not blasted, but I would happily blast old Kitchener), and then another evening to block it. Did I mention that we're leaving July 12? If all goes well, I'll be done early. Keep your fingers crossed.

You might notice the new link on the upper right of the blog page- my amazing and talented son has listed lots of cool items with the new Tory Bauer eBook covers for sale through CafePress. Full disclosure here- I do not profit from the sale of these items. Curt did the designs, and he owns the copyright to the covers, and I didn't pay him for them (plus, he agreed to design all six of them for me- he's A Good Boy), so I'm more than happy to let him keep whatever profit there is from sales. Chances are, I'm the only one who really wants a Sex and Salmonella apron (which I ordered the minute it was available- the pic is from the website, but I'll post one of mine when it arrives), but just in case: the store is open. Tee shirts, aprons, cups, tote bags, note cards and other hilarious things are available (if you have a hankering for a doggie tee shirt with the Funeral Food cover, you got it). I seriously need a set of beer glasses with my covers on them, but the pint glasses are on back order. As soon as they're in stock, I'm ordering some.

And speaking of Sex and Salmonella- the Kindle files are done and sent off. The book could be available for download as early as next week, with Nook and other formats to follow immediately. Woohoo!

YIKES!, and other things that are much more pleasant

I finished proofing the Sex and Salmonella Kindle files on Monday evening. Tuesday, I worked all day, getting a lot of things crossed off my To-Do list. After I swam laps yesterday afternoon, I sat on the back deck swing and opened up the Kindle case (I have a snazzy little leather folding cover for it), to read (for fun, not for work), and this is what greeted me:

And no amount of plugging and unplugging, or turning on/off changed the screen. In fact it looks like that this morning still. After feeling sick for a moment or two, I followed Amazon's process for calling Kindle tech support (which involves putting your phone number into their system and they call you), and within 2 minutes I was talking with a first level tech person, and within another 3 minutes, I was talking with the next level tech person, and less than 3 minutes after that, my replacement Kindle was on the way. It should arrive tomorrow. That was the fastest and smoothest customer support resolution I've ever experienced. I was surprised how bereft I felt, even though I could still read the current Kindle book (Connie Willis's All Clear) on my phone, or on the computer (and, you know, there are a few thousand paper books still in the house...).

In better news, however, Curt (my son, who designed the eBook covers for Funeral Food and Sex and Salmonella, and will also do the other four) sent me 12" x 18" poster printouts of the covers. They look fantastic! I do believe that I will have them framed.

Curt also has a CafePress shop for merchandise from his HopHeadSaid beer blog. I ordered a tee shirt and a mug (and a hoodie, which should arrive in a day or so). They're great items, high quality. And of course, I like the artwork just fine.

Speaking of which, I think Curt is also going to add the new book covers to his other CafePress shop. I feel the need for a Sex and Salmonella beer glass...

The Sex and Salmonella ebook cover!

Ta da!!!!!

I am more excited about the ebook release of Sex and Salmonella than any of the other Tory Bauer mysteries because it was the first one to come out nationally (though it's the 2nd mystery in the series- long story). It only had one printing, and it's the rarest of the titles. For awhile, back in the 90's, used paperback copies of the book were selling for over $100. Don't worry, the ebook price will be $2.99, just like Funeral Food. I think there are a lot of people who never got to read this book, and soon (like, within a couple of weeks), it'll be available again!

And yes, there is a carnival in the story.

Many thousands of thanks to my son Curtis, who is doing the covers for me, even though he has plenty of his own work to do.

Drum Roll Please- Funeral Food is now a Kindle Book!

Check it out here.

We'll get the typo in the character name fixed asap (she's Tory Bauer). In the meantime, I'm going to do the Happy Writer's Dance for a little while! (and the Proud Mother Dance, since my son designed the cover!)

Sex and Salmonella and The Hotel South Dakota should be available within a month!

Apologies

I'm sorry that I've been quiet lately. In addition to coping with a really miserable heat wave (we've had temps in the high 90's, with matching humidity- we're talking middle of July heart attack weather, not the first warm days of summer ), I've been finishing up work on the Kindle formatting of Funeral Food.

Non-writers probably don't realize that writers have to read their books at least a dozen times before publication. By the time a book hits the stands, nothing seems fresh, or funny, or readable. Long before actual publication, I never want to see the book again (well, unless I am gazing proudly at it on bookstore shelves, or on bestseller lists)(HAH!). Except for carefully selected excerpts that I would trot out at appearances, I have managed not to re-read any of my mysteries.

Until now.

The first version of Funeral Food was published as The Missionary Position in 1993, in a limited trade paperback edition. The revision came out as a mass market paperback in 1998. Since then, I had not so much as peeked at the pages, until the Kindle file for the book arrived. But a new version demands a new reading, even though I am the world's worst proofreader. And this book had to be read, not only to check for errors, but to make sure that the Kindle formatting was correct. (Speaking of Kindle- hearing my book read out loud by the computer voice was worth the price of admission all by itself.)

I expected to cringe at every word. And you know what? I did cringe a little bit (my first editor was right- I needed an adverbectomy), but I also chuckled once in a while. I had forgotten major plot points and whole characters, so though it was not exactly like reading a new book, it wasn't exactly like reading my own book either. I still wish I could revise the whole thing (and take out a passel of adverbs), but on the whole, it's.... okay. (Side note- the book went into 4 printings- check Amazon for reviews from people who didn't write it. Most of them liked it).

So today I have to write the book description (which is, in some ways, harder than writing the book itself- how do you condense a year of work into two paragraphs that will entice someone to part with hard-earned cash?), and then the files will go to my agent, who will get this thing moving. I think that the book will be available in all e-book formats, not just Kindle.

In the meantime, the Sex and Salmonella files will be ready for proofing very soon, and Curt is nearly done with the cover (I don't know what he's going to put in the middle of the frame, but I know it'll be cool). S&S only had one paperback printing so it's the rarest of the titles, and it's pretty hard to find. I'm glad it'll be available again.

And when I'm not working on old books, I've been moving ahead slowly with the revision of the new book. And working on Cassy's Wedding Shawl (the wedding is barely a month from now... Yikes!)... and okay, I confess... I've been reading a little bit (I'm on the 3rd book of the Game of Thrones series... wowsers... it pulls you in and doesn't let go).

Anyway, I'll try to post more often.

Almost there...

There is still work to do (proofing, catalog description, cover blurb, amending the acknowledgements), but we're one step closer to the Kindle release of Funeral Food!

I warned you...

That I was going to be doing a bit of reading, rather than posting. Though I'll start with the printed book first.

I love Connie Willis, and I especially love her time-travel books. Blackout is set in Great Britain, in the past and the future, but primarily during WWII. The plot is complex and I won't give any of it away except to say that three historians (read: university time travelers) are stuck in London during The Blitz. The historical background is fascinating, and heroism is an every day occurrance.

I will say, though, that even though I knew that this story and All Clear were arbitrarily divided into two books, rather than being published as one very long volume, I was still not prepared for the abrupt ending of Blackout.

Luckily, I'm coming to this pair late in the game, so I don't have to wait months to find out what happens.

Speaking of being late to the game, I'm only about 14 years late to A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin. This is the first book I purchased with my new Kindle, and by cracky, I chose a good one. We don't have HBO, but the books came to my attention because of that series (though I have always liked George R. R. Martin- his Sandkings remains the most frightening story I've ever read). This is a huge, sprawling epic, set on a world where seasons last years, and as they say in Winterfell, winter is coming. It probably goes without saying that there is family drama, political intrigue, and magic. Oh yeah, and sex. Queen Ceresi said it best: in the game of thrones, you either win, or you die.

There have been four books published in the series, and the fifth is due out in July. I have done pretty much nothing but read since I bought the first book, and I am certain that I'll whip through the rest (though there's no whipping through any book that must have 600 pages... I can't tell on the Kindle because all you see are percentages. But I've been working on this one for maybe 8 hours and I still have 30% of the book left, which tells you how long it is). After that, I'll have to wait five years in between installments, just like everyone else.

During the few moments that I'm not immersed in Winterfell, I noticed that we have some free-range irises blooming. I love irises and I'm so glad that these have survived my neglect.

Okay, back to the book...

Why you may not hear from me for a day or so...

Thank you, eBay buyers of old knitting magazines!

Final doesn't mean what we think it means...

Curt is still tinkering with the cover of Funeral Food. The Kindle version of this book (and of Sex and Salmonella, and The Hotel South Dakota) will be ready for release soon, which means that pretty soon, *final* will actually BE final.

Once again, the changes are small, but wonderful. The artist is a genius. Read about the changes and take a peek at the Sex and Salmonella cover work in progress here.

Cool, no? I can't wait to see what Curt puts inside the frame.

The e-book cover for Funeral Food

Most of you know that before I started writing knitting books, I wrote six mysteries in the Tory Bauer series. The books were published as paperback originals by Avon (I shared an editor with Dennis Lehane and Laura Lippman, which is some pretty amazing company). The books have been out of print for quite awhile, but the first three are being readied for release in the Kindle format (with the Nook version to follow shortly thereafter). My son, Curtis Taylor,  is designing the covers for the e-books. He has two blogs, Curtis Taylor, Artist and Illustrator, where he details his journey as a new writer (and sells his own original artwork and note cards), and Hop Head Said, a beer-blog that he writes for Ventura County. I love his work, and one of the pleasures of releasing these books in a new format, is that I got to choose the cover artist. I did not hesitate.

We expect Funeral Food, Sex and Salmonella, and The Hotel South Dakota (which is the correct reading order- ignore their original publication order) to be available next month. If you're completely unfamiliar with the series, the Amazon reviews will give you a notion of what to expect (hint: bad words, and no knitting).

Curt has been working on the covers for a few months, and yesterday, he sent me an almost-final draft of the cover for Funeral Food. There may be some minor tweaks, but this one is pretty well finished.

I don't know about you, but I love it!

More rolling of the drums

Presenting another Kindle e-book by author and illustrator (and oldest son) Curtis Taylor!

Lost is the story of a little boy, and a shopping trip, and though I don't remember it, the writer tells me that the book was inspired by a real incident. (What kind of Mom am I, that I don't remember losing him in a store? Sheesh)

 Anyway, I've seen this book in several versions over the years, and in assorted media, and I think this one is smashing!

It's available as a Kindle download from Amazon, for a measly $1.99, just like Pet My Dragon?

(Don't have a Kindle? You can get a free Kindle app for your computer from Amazon. There are also versions for the iPad, Blackberry, and Droid.)

Pet My Dragon?

Okay, some things are worth a revision interruption.

Can I have a drum roll please?

Pet My Dragon?, writer and illustrator Curtis Taylor's first book, is now available from Amazon's Kindle store, for a pittance, a mere $1.99!

You don't need to have a Kindle to download or read this book (I don't have one... yet). Amazon has a free Kindle PC download (and Kindle apps for the iPhone, and Droid, and Blackberry, and iPad), and this book looks wonderful right here on my laptop.

If you note a slight similarity in our names, rest assured that I would love this book even if I wasn't the author/illustrator's mother.

Go- buy it! It's cheap. It's wonderful! You won't be sorry.

P.S. I forgot to say that it's a lovely, rhyming picture book for preschool-early elementary age kids. It's perfect for reading out loud