The Artist's Quandary (or at least mine)

The most popular website I've created

So here’s my quandary, Blog:

On the one hand, I have this passionate desire to create things that are so uniquely, brilliantly original and captivating that they manage to please “most of the people most of the time.” In other words, I want to be the creator of something popular enough that it will naturally also result in some amount of fame.  Isn’t that any artist’s ultimate goal?

However, I’ve experienced--just a little--what fame is like; and that’s the other hand. The public always possesses a sense of ownership towards the famous.  They feel entitled to know whatever they want to know about you. They believe their affection for you ought to be reciprocated, at least a little. Although some of them respect your time and privacy, the majority aspire, however well-meaningly, to rob you of both.

MY favorite website I've created

Meanwhile usually there are others whose success depends upon your fame, and these people will drive you mercilessly…as undoubtedly you would drive yourself even without their demands. Becoming and staying famous is very hard work—hard work that can be utterly inescapable.  Unless, of course, fame abruptly abandons you.

My most famous crafted creation

Yes, don’t forget that any passion your devotees feel is subject to being doused in the next week or day or hour, either by familiarity or some new distraction. Meanwhile, of course, they have lives of their own, and for all their temporary interest in yours, theirs naturally take precedence. The adage “fame is fleeting” the truest of old saws. And as much as I’ve been annoyed by the demands of my flirtations with slight fame, being forgotten or ignored is just as unpleasant.

The creative will create, and if they have talent, will doubtless create some beauty. It is impossible for artists to desire that their work not be too beautiful, lest it attract too much attention. We can’t help but want our art to be admired, and be driven by that yearning. So either an artist will be annoyed by the costs of fame, or disheartened by the lack of it. I want my work to be loved, but I don’t want to suffer anything by consequence. Isn’t that just like a human being to only want the upside?

MY favorite crafted creation

There is another problem—yes, yet another! Sadly for the creator, there is no fairness or justice as to the popularity of art. We’ve all heard the countless stories of unrecognized genius that clearly demonstrate it’s folly for an artist to base his self-worth upon public recognition. The most exquisite work may not attract the slightest attention, the smallest validation, particularly if circumstances do not put it the public eye. “Putting it in the public eye” is, of course, marketing--the most precocious, frustrating business there is.

Marketing is a mysterious science even the greatest expert cannot decisively understand or apply. I’m one of those people who rather like marketing, but even I agonize over it. Who are the people who would enjoy my creation? Where are they? How can I reach them using my limited powers and resources? How can I shout louder than my competitors? Should I shout louder--or is morally wrong for me to try? How much shouting can I do before I exhaust myself and come to loathe my own creation?

Who wants to make life into the equivalent of a high school popularity contest? Didn’t I start this just wanting to create something wonderful?

My most popular book

So, to sum up: I want to be loved but not too famous, I’d rather be famous than unnoticed, and either way I want not to lose control of my time, effort, and creative license. Oh, of course I know it’s ridiculous to hope for all this--there’s no such thing as a free lunch, especially at my level of talent. But my problem is, I don’t even know what’s most important to me, or most likely to make me happy. I’m almost 56 years old, and I don’t even know what my dreams and aspirations should be!

I’m sure a guru with a far higher consciousness than mine would give me this advice: Simply create what you wish, and enjoy it yourself! I know I could try this...but there’s something inherently unnatural about that, isn’t there? Would it have been good for Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of his private home rather than the Sistine Chapel? Or for that talented star of the local theater production you enjoyed to not try out for the part? Or for your Aunt Sue to only bake her fantastic apple pie for herself? Of course not--even the humblest works of human minds and hands, such as mine, are worthy of sharing with others. Human society wants and needs such things to be shared.

MY fave book (of course)

I suppose there is another approach, although it’s not the easiest to pull off: create and share, by the simple means at hand, but don’t judge yourself based upon the praise you garner. If there is praise, enjoy it, but if there is not, you can still delight in what you’ve created, and be glad that you have the good fortune to be able to do so.

Maybe that last bit is the most important thing of all. If you are born with a skill, have had the opportunity to cultivate it, to train and practice, then be grateful. There are others around you who would trade a great deal to have your ability. Try not to focus on what you wish you could do, those lofty goals you are highly unlikely to achieve, and think instead how fortunate you are to be gifted with your talents.

It is a cliché that artists are tormented—a cliché based in large part on the truth. But if I want to be a happy artist rather than a tortured one, perhaps there really is a way to make that a reality. As in so much of life, it may depend far less on action, and far more on attitude.

Aggie FTW! (Hollywood Book Festival, that is)

Awesome news, Blog...and I couldn't wait to share it! The Hollywood Book Festival just announced the 2011 winners of its book competition, and Aggie's Nine Heroes won honorable mention in the Fiction book category. And they say it was a huge field of competitors this year!

Winners are chosen based on the author's storytelling ability (blush, blush) and the book's deserving  recognition by the film, television, game and multimedia communities.

So far Aggie is one-for-one in book competitions, so let's hope this will encourage more people to find out what makes it such a great book. Hey, don't take the author's word for it...ask the judges! :-)

Five reasons to get yourself Aggie, some of which are weird

Blog, I'm sure our readers have gotten the idea now that I'm releasing a new novel. ("Oh, you mean from the constant posts mentioning it and the character guest blog and all that? No, who knew?!?") Well, the time has come for them to pay the awful price of following this blog and listen to the official pitch...because the book is now out and available in paperback and ebook (Kindle, nook, Kobo, pdf, etc.) from your favorite online retailers!

No, not your favorite online retailers, Blog...the readers'. Track with me here.

Oh, and here's the final cover design for you all too!

What's the book about? A young girl determined to realize her dream of creating a real-life team of heroes. Her awesome grandfather, and his sometimes terrifying/sometimes wonderful "handicap." Life growing up in the 80s and 90s. Figuring out what love is. A trio of winsome computer hackers. A Care Bear named Bono. Helping others to triumph over mean corporations and crappy luck. A snowman dressed like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Wow, Blog...it sure sounds like a good book.

But why should each and every one of our bizillion several readers get a copy? Here are a mere five reasons why....

1. It just came out and already the rave are rolling in:

Hey, we just love "inspirational and entertaining ride," don't we, Blog? Thanks, J. Brown, for the five stars!

2.  You'll become part of Aggie's heroic team. That's because all proceeds of the book go to support Kiva.org in its microlending to deserving, underprivileged entrepreneurs around the world.

3.  It teaches some excellent life lessons and also has attractive guys in it. Both important elements to the female reader, don't you know, Blog.

4.  It includes computers, comic book references, martial arts, and hot chicks. Guy stuff because A9H is not just for females.

5.  Aggie's here in comic-book form to invite you herself! Yep, I drew this portrait of the heroine as a comic book character (because she grew up a comics fan like her Grampa)... and how can you resist that face, right?

I rest my case. So, just how can you obtain your copy? Visit the official Aggie's Nine Heroes page where you'll find purchase links to a bunch of online bookstores, including current prices.

Thanks from me, the Heroes, and Kiva.org for your support!

Aggie's on Facebook!

Heyo, Blog, I'm stoked about this:  my novel Aggie's Nine Heroes now has a Facebook page!  For our friends who want to Like the page, we're making it super easy:

And in the interest of making more things easy, here's a little checklist to help our readers determine if they really should Like Aggie on Facebook. If you are into three or more of these subjects, you will find real value in being a fan of the A9H Facebook page:

• Being a hero in a small way
• 80s pop culture (esp. if you were born in that decade)
• Science nerdiness
• News about the book (like where to get it)
• Movies and/or live theater
• Entrepreneurialism
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and other things Whedon)
• Martial arts
• The work of Kiva.org
• Comic books (esp. X-Men and The Sandman)
• Diana Laurence's writing
• Being organized
• Fads
• The Chicago Cubs
• Consumer protection
• Computer geekiness and technology
• Event planning

Blog, you should go now and Like Aggie's page...you love the 80s, are definitely a techie, and I've seen you practicing your karate chops.  Do. It. Now.  Thanks.

How my heroine Aggie will help the real world too

Blog, I've got some super exciting news. I just completed arrangements for the proceeds of sales of my new novel, Aggie's Nine Heroes, to go to a great charity called Kiva.org.

You see, Aggie's Nine Heroes has more going for it than quirky characters, suspense, adventure, romance, and a Care Bear named Bono. It also explores themes related to responsible living, charity, and benevolent entrepreneurship. Aggie's grandfather Bernie is a model for using one's gifts and financial success to make the world a better place. Meanwhile, Aggie and her team of heroes create a business dedicated to serving the needs of people in trouble. So, I wanted likewise to use the proceeds of this book in a manner that Bernie and Aggie would approve.

In Kiva, I found the perfect charity to support the concepts explored in the novel. Kiva is an 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that allows people to lend money via the Internet to microfinance institutions in developing countries around the world in the U.S., which in turn lend the money to small businesses and students.

Kiva enables people who otherwise would be "unbankable" to start businesses and become productive members of their local communities, while bringing themselves and their families out of poverty. The loans provided by supporters of Kiva are paid back in full about 98% of the time, so everyone wins. It's a brilliant concept that is being embraced by more people all the time, through Kiva and other organizations like it.

25% of the proceeds of my book sales will be donated outright to Kiva for ongoing administrative expenses. 75% of proceeds will be provided to investments through Kiva. I'm so excited to see what lives I and my readers can touch through this project! And it will all start after Aggie's Nine Heroes is released in June. Blog--and blog readers--stay tuned for the fun!

My books are for sale in Chinese!

Blog, they are! And here are the covers to prove it! You can see with your own eyes here.

As I mentioned here in a post last November, last year I was approached by a literary agent (Chengdu Rightol Media & Advertisement Co. Ltd.) in the People’s Republic of China about the translation and Chinese publishing rights for my two vampire romance novels, Bloodchained and Bloodchained II: The Secret of Secrets (www.bloodchained.com). The deal went through successfully and was thrilling to me both financially and as an awesome cultural experience. I even exchanged Facebook messages with the translator of BCII, Ning Qian, a wonderful young woman who taught me a lot about Chinese culture.

Well, yesterday I decided to try googling the titles on Amazon China, and lo and behold, there they were! Some of the artistic elements drawn by my daughter Katie for the English book covers are combined with those gorgeous Chinese characters...I love them!  Both books are indicated as “Editors Choice,” and they are currently selling better than the paperback versions on Amazon.com!  (Now if only China would get the Kindle...)

So now you can see how “Bloodchained” translates! According to Google translate, it’s literally “Blood Bound.” I’d love to know what else these covers say, if anyone out there can read them for me! I’m expecting eventually to receive some sample copies from my agent, so that will be amazing. And here’s my name in Chinese (assuming you all have the font installed): 戴安娜•劳伦斯 Too cool!

In googling the books, I found they are offered for sale all over the internet, at countless Chinese sites that are remarkably similar to online book distributors in the Western World. Considering the population of the People’s Republic, it should come as no surprise that there are droves of Chinese booksellers.

What is a fairly new development, from what I can gather, is the PRC government’s willingness to encourage and endorse free enterprise like this. My publisher, New Star Press in Beijing, has official authorization to find Western titles like mine, translate and distribute them. That means lots of new opportunities for agents like mine, and translators, and booksellers both online and brick-and-mortar style. There is more demand for recreational reading material than the People’s Republic can currently provide from within, and with increased openness to the principles of capitalism, situations like mine are the result.

What really rocks about this, Blog, is that it means more communication between citizens of the West and those of the PRC. That can only be a good thing. I’ve learned, for example, that young Chinese people now enjoy tons of American television via the internet. Clandestine though it is, this it teaching them how much we all have in common. Apparently there are tons of people in China just as interested in Bones and Booth getting together on the Fox drama series as I am!

Meanwhile, I experienced perfect courtesy and professionalism from my dealings with my agent and my translator. Establishing a relationship like this, which by necessity required some trust on both sides (it’s not like I can go to their offices and accost them!), also builds bridges.

Blog, all I can say is, it’s a great time to be an author, a publisher, and a citizen of Planet Earth!

Put yourself out there

Blog, today I've got a nugget of advice to share with my blog followers who are aspiring artists of any kind.  Yeah, it's those four words in the title of this post, and I'm living proof that if you put yourself out there as much as you can, something good always comes of it.

It's funny how life works.  You can push, push, push, with no results:  send out query letters, enter contests, buy advertising for your stuff, etc. and achieve nothing but a lot of rejections slips and flat website tracking on your Google Analytics charts.  But then out of the blue, from some little thing you did so long ago you forgot about it, big fat results occur.  In fact, it's likely you'll never even know what it was you did that brought those magical results!

Blog, let me illustrate with a few examples from my experience.

An Amazon bestseller

I started writing erotic romance fiction as Diana Laurence in 2004.  My first published book was the ebook version of Soulful Sex: Erotic Tales of Fantasy and Romance.  In 2004 I did an awful lot of things to try to promote my work, but nothing generated sales even close to one completely freakish fact:  When you searched for "erotic romance" in Amazon's ebook store, my book showed up right at the top.  I suppose that was due to the title, but I was never sure why.  Consequently though, that book was in the top ten romance ebooks sold on Amazon for 18 months.  (I like to think the fact that it was good and received an Eppie nomination--the Oscar of ebooks--helped, but to be honest, I don't know!)

A convention appearance

In 2005, when I was still just starting out writing romance, I got an email from the publisher of Romantic Times Book Review magazine, a very famous lady in the biz.  She wanted to know if I would appear on a panel on erotic romance at the upcoming annual convention that the publication sponsors, the best-attended in the romance field.  Trust me, Blog, among the names of those invited to appear at this con, I was absolutely an upstart.  To this day I don't know what I had done to attract the woman's attention, except that back then I tried to promote my books in every way I could, including blogging and doing guest essays and columns.  I may have given the impression I was more of an expert that was truly accurate....  But at any rate, appearing at the convention in Florida with those famous authors was quite a thrill.

Bad news becomes good

Also in 2005, my publisher went out of business, just as I was about to release the third volume of Soulful Sex stories.  Was I bummed?  You bet, Blog.  But on the advice of my publisher I decided my best course of action was to start publishing my books myself, ebooks and print books and all.  It was a lot of work at first, but all became worth it very fast.  My profits were suddenly like five times more per book I sold, plus I had complete control of editing, production, promotion and sales.  That bad news turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to my writing career.

A Google hit and handy coincidence

In 2007 when I released my novel Bloodchained, I encountered another fortuitous search engine situation.  At that time, when you googled "vampire romance," my book came up on the first page.  Why, I can't begin to guess.  However, by sheer coincidence, it was right about then that another vampire romance, Twilight, maybe you've heard of it, was becoming a hit.  So a whole lotta peeps were googling "vampire romance," Blog.  For a time that book sold even faster than Soulful Sex had.  I wish it still came up that high on Google....

One online essay, one sweet publishing deal

In 2009 I was contacted by a midsized independent publisher and invited to write a book for them on taming vampires.  The editor had searched on that term to find an author to flesh out the idea she had for a new title.  The search turned up an essay I had written years before for the Novelspot website.  My treatment of the subject matter impressed her.  I got the gig, and How to Catch and Keep a Vampire turned out to be the biggest book this publisher had ever tackled.  I earned a nice big advance, the book sold in countries all over the world, and it even got picked up by Target stores.  All because I wrote an essay and offered it for free to a website.

An email from China

This year I was contacted by a book agent in China about the translation and publishing rights for my Bloodchained books.  I still have no idea why she picked me and my books as having appeal in the People's Republic, Blog.  But I signed a contract and in no time flat she had found a publisher for both books.  I was paid royalties up front on the full press run for the two titles, quite a wonderful sum, especially when I didn't have to do any additional work!  And now I'll have my first titles translated into a foreign language...Chinese, of all things!

Just because I put myself out there, Blog.

internet phenomena and failed completely.  I've sent countless article proposals to magazines without a nibble.  I've won a few contests, but lost dozens.

It certainly seems that the harder I push, the fewer results follow...while when I'm just going along doing my regular writing thang, miracles drop from the sky.  Well, one clarification there, Blog:  I'm not saying laziness is the way.  I'm saying that you just have to keep doing things, putting your art out there wherever and however you can, like sewing seeds.  I've worked my butt off, in fact.  However, what amuses me no end is how success comes when I least expect it, and from the most surprising sources.

Aspiring artists out there in Blogland, keep on keepin' on!  Love what you're doing no matter what results you see, and someday something really amazing will happen to you.  You just watch.

My gift: "Gift of Flesh"

Blog, I haven't posted in what is sometimes referred to as "a coon's age."  And you know how old coons can get.  Anyway, I feel really guilty so I decided I needed to do something nice for our faithful readers.

Not everyone out there in Blogland (named, of course, after you, Blog) is aware, but I offer a number of my books for free via a little something called the LBR Press READ FREE Project.  It's some of my erotic romance stories, a couple less racy romances, and my Star Wars romance novel.  Yeah, you heard that right.  It's not like I can charge for it without R2D2 and C3PO's lawyers coming after me.  Anyhoo, they are offered free to be read online or downloaded in pdf and lit formats if you sign up.

However, the truly cool formats of today happen to be ePub (for nook, Kobo, Sony eReader, iPad, etc.) and Kindle.  So, just to make it up to our readers, I've just today published my uber-popular erotic romance novella Gift of Flesh in ePub and Kindle and you can download them from those very links!  (By the way, I discovered that in many cases a person downloaded the ePub version may find it arriving with a .zip extension.  Don't unzip it...just change "zip" in the file name to "epub" and you'll have a dandy epub book.)


In Gift of Flesh, Miakaela, who was raised as a concubine, now finds herself chosen by the Monarch of her land as a Gift of Flesh for a neighboring king. Envoy Naissun is commanded by that king to bring her safely through the rough journey to his harem. Tormented by his conscience and a growing affection for Miakaela, Naissun struggles to find a moral and practical answer to this quandary. But of course, first they must make it through the trip alive... In a medieval fantasy setting, two complex characters are torn: should they choose pragmatism and duty, or rebellion?

Enticing, eh Blog?  But wait...Blog, are you over 18?  Because you need to be before you download this novella.  That's something more than a coon's age, you know.

In the Library Reviews called Gift of Flesh "a riveting story with a thrilling conclusion."  Ecataromance said it was "a superb gift."  Fallen Angel Reviews called it "a story that will hold readers from the first word to the last."

And personally, I'm very fond of this story and of its two lovely protagonists.  I hope there are plenty of people out there with ebook readers (or just install the nook reader or the Kindle reader on your computer or smartphone for free) who will accept my repentant offering and download Gift of Flesh.  Meanwhile, you can also visit the LBR Press READ FREE Project to see the other free titles I offer there (online read, pdf or lit only).

And I promise not to let another coon's age pass before I post again, Blog!  Or I may have to offer MORE free nook and Kindle stories!  Not that there's anything wrong with that...

The strange and twisted tale of my publishing business

Sting...Carl Jung...a failed Canadian publisher...a little guy named Shinny...Star Wars erotica..."Soulful Sex"...what a long, strange journey it has been. Get ready, Blog, for the story of a tiny publishing house called Living Beyond Reality Press.

Sting and Carl Jung. In 1990 I developed a peculiar fascination with Sting.  In my efforts to explore All Things Sting, I came upon his mentor/inspiration: Carl Jung, the inventor of psychoanalysis. Feeling that I myself could use some psychoanalysis, I studied Jung for over a year. In the process I developed a sort of pop, self-help version of some of his theories, which I put in a book called Living Beyond Reality: A Jungian Primer for Enhancing Your Life. I also realized the Jungian implications of my unpublished novel The Resurrection of Captain Eternity, and buffed that up a bit as well.

My Canadian publisher turns out kind of "eh." In the mid-90s I sought a publisher for my two titles, and managed to find one at last. Edmonton-based Commonwealth Publications seemed the answer to my prayers, until shortly before Living Beyond Reality went to press, the company folded. Being a never-say-die sort of chick, I decided to publish both books myself in a short run, and that I did in 1998. Thus was founded Living Beyond Reality Press.

That crazy place called the Internet.I also launched www.livingbeyondreality.com in 1998, the platform by which I would promote, sell and distribute my two titles. Sales were not exactly booming, but the site became a hit nevertheless, especially that little corner of the site dedicated to hockey humor and dubbed "Hockey Snacks." In no time I was publishing a new issue of this little ezine every week. It was hosted by Shinny, my left index finger with a drawn-on face and tiny plastic goalie mask. Told you this story was weird.

My writing takes an interesting new turn. In 2003 I posted something new to www.livingbeyondreality.com: a couple pieces of Star Wars fan fiction. One of these was an erotic romance story. Maybe you're aware of the virulent popularity of Star Wars fan fiction, particularly of the erotic variety. I wasn't. But to my shock, I was getting emails from readers all over, raving about this story. I will admit I had been writing erotica privately since high school, but it had never occurred to me to actually publish the stuff. But now that total strangers were suggesting it, I thought the idea might actually be a good one.

Diana Laurence is born. Meanwhile, the web and the publishing industry had been changing like mad. Suddenly there were lots of new ebook and small press publishers seeking new authors, so in late 2003 I submitted my work to a couple of them. Unlike back in the 70s, 80s and 90s when I was freelancing, this time I found a publisher in a couple of weeks. In fact, I found two, and in spring 2004, I released ebooks under my new pseudonym Diane Laurence via these publishers. Alas, one of them proved to be less than honorable about their contracts and I dropped them. But the other, New Age Dimensions, was great to work with and became the home of Diana Laurence's "erotica with soul," including the Soulful Sex anthologies.

It only took me 35 years to become a success. When I was 13, 'Teen magazine published my short story "The Orange Crate with No Second Floor." While I did make some money freelancing during the ensuing 35 years, I never got close to that kind of exposure again. However, the Diana Laurence books took off: they sold like hotcakes, won awards, and I became New Age Dimensions' bestselling author. The internet and other technological changes made all the difference. I had found my audience and life was great!

What is it with me and publishers? Then in early 2006, my publisher New Age Dimensions decided to close business. Being a never-say-die sort of chick, I looked at this as a great opportunity. So in a whirlwind of effort, I took back the rights to my titles and determined my ever-present tiny publishing company, Living Beyond Reality Press, would re-release all of them at once along with the third collection of Soulful Sex stories.

Go, LBR Press, go! In the four years since then, all kinds of crazy things have happened to me and my little company.  I've published a bunch more of my own books of course, both in paperback and ebook formats.  I was approached by a traditional publisher to write the book How to Catch and Keep a Vampire, a terrific experience that nevertheless did not make me as happy (or successful) as publishing my titles myself.  A Chinese company contracted with me for the translation and publication of my two Bloodchained vampire romance novels.  People have done fan art and fan fiction based on my books, and a guy wrote a college paper about one of my stories. 

Embrace the change. And the publishing industry has evolved so fast it's incredible.  I've learned the most efficacious promotion is the stuff that is free or nearly free.  Whereas I once made the most money on my paperbacks, now it is the nook and Kindle books bringing in amazing profits.  Google Books came into being and is a big source of referrals.  Whereas I once felt I had to post constantly to user groups, now I blog and use Facebook.  Barnes & Noble has caught up to Amazon as a revenue source.  I sell ebooks on eBay.  And while traditional publishing is fading fast (as my own experience with it confirmed) to an unsustainable business model, self-publishing is coming into its own, and making people like me money and (even better) lots of new fans.

So I can't tell you what's coming for my little publishing business...but I do know it will be a blast finding out.

The bizarre origins of my next novel

As an author I'm not much for dry spells, Blog, but I had a doozy this year. Releasing five titles in 2009, including all the promotional work for How to Catch and Keep a Vampire, left me worn out, I guess. But you can only keep a writer quiet for so long. Besides, one of my biggest fans expressed on Facebook how she was pining for another book, and that kind of thing is hard to ignore: people who actually notice how long it’s been since you published something.

I've honestly been trying to come up with something for months, but every idea I had petered out fast. Meanwhile, I was reading a lot of really good books, books that combined compelling, clever plot ideas with wonderful characters and moving themes. Comparing my ideas to these excellent novels, I seemed to fall short every time.

A couple weeks ago, Blog, I had a really vivid dream about this extremely attractive guy. Not anyone I've ever known or seen before, but in the dream he told me his name and I actually remembered it. Jason Colton. Jason was in his early 30's I'd say, and really tall, like 6'3", and really slender. Lanky. He had my favorite kind of hair: curly, longish, and dark brown, like Frodo or Neil Gaiman. Biggish nose, thin lips, and sapphire blue eyes. A really low voice. He had a pretty serious manner about him too: no-nonsense. And in the dream I was just obsessed with him.

People familiar with my work know that I'm a Jungian and I believe in the animus. The animus, in a nutshell, is a feature of the unconscious mind, the constellation of a person’s opposite traits (and therefore the opposite sex), and in spite of being part of you is also utterly autonomous. The only way to interact with the animus is when he projects himself onto others, whether they be people you know, celebrities, or characters from books, TV and movies. Whenever that happens, you pretty much have to fall in love.

This Jason was my animus for sure, and it so happened I had just been thinking that day how frustrated I was not to have had a crush for ages...well, since 2009 for sure. It’s hard for me to write when I’m not crushing somehow; I need a muse. So, when Jason showed up, I figured he was there because I asked. I also figured he might be the key to finding my next book.

And then this friend and fan of mine posted her plaintive plea. Blog, I figured I really needed to take this synchronicity seriously.

That night in bed I had some imaginary conversations with Jason. Brainstorming. We probably worked through three ideas and they all quickly bombed. This was not going well, and I wanted to get some sleep! Finally I said, "Look, Jason, I got nothing. Maybe you could give me a good dream or something? This is gonna have to be all on you."

I woke up next morning unable to remember any dreams. "Sometimes I wonder about this Jungian stuff," I thought. I did my morning computer stuff, and then I worked out in the basement, and then I took my shower.

As I toweled off, it came to me. Like six ideas at once that dovetailed perfectly, and I loved them all. For the next hour (getting ready and driving to work), great chunks of the opening chapters, images of the characters, details and anecdotes flooded my brain. A girl raised by her grandfather, his specific "gifts," her eccentric aspirations, and crazy elements from the Korean war to hula hoops to the X-Men to a sprawling mansion to the Chicago Cubs to Jason Colton, who would of course be a character. Names, locations, dates. And all of it, in my humble opinion, really good stuff.

It was Aggie's Nine Heroes. A novel I was just dying to write. Where did all this come from, after my nice nine month drought of ideas? Well, Blog, you know who gets the credit in my opinion.

I have written almost three chapters already and I like it better all the time. It's going to take quite awhile to write as there is a lot that has to happen and a lot of characters to develop, but they are all going to be a blast to get to know. I already think Aggie's grandfather completely rocks, and if you’ve been following the meaning of this post, you know that statement is not me bragging.

The most oft-asked question of authors by their fans is this one: "Where do you get your ideas?" Well, now you know where I get mine.

Sorry you asked? LOL

Contest winner...And you go, Seth Green!

Yay, Blog, we have a winner in our who-was-your-celebrity-crush-when-you-were-15 contest.  Rachel Bland will receive a paperback copy of my novel The Resurrection of Captain Eternity.  And I think our Random Number Generator was tapped into karma or something, because she was having a bad day and really needed some cheerful news.  So double yay for that!  By the way, Rachel's crush was the inimitable Michael Jackson, and who can argue with that pick.

Between the comments on the blog post and my Facebook page, Blog, I heard some wonderful and fascinating stories about how these infatuations affected the lives of young women ever after.  Some of them had as much impact on their lives as the Captain did on the heroine of my book!  Very, very cool.  It was also interesting for me, being super old aka 54, to learn how many of these young'uns were drawn to the very same guys I was.  Clearly Rick Springfield crosses all age boundaries!

But it would appear the guy mentioned most often was, of all people, Seth Green.  15-year-old Devin is mad for him right now, and another Rachel adored him nine years ago when she was 15, and heck, about that time I really dug him too!  I was an Oz ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") fan but you can also enjoy Seth as Scott Evil, Mitch from "The 70s Show," or any of his dozens of other roles in film and TV. Never underestimate the power of the cute and geeky guy.  Although he shore don't look geeky in this photo, Blog.  Swoon.

Thanks to all who entered, and if alas you craved a copy of my book, on this page on my website you can find all the info to order it from your favorite retailer.  But remember, if you want the paperback, you gotta order from the publisher!

So, let's spend some quality time today thinking about that cute guy we were so into in our adolescent years.  Oh sorry, Blog... I know you're just not anywhere near 15 yet.  Although I wonder how exactly one calculates age in blog-years...

15-year-old you and your celebrity crush (and a contest)

Blog, you’re not 15 years old yet, but a lot of us passed that milestone awhile ago. And it’s to those folks that I pose the non-musical question, who was your celebrity crush when you were 15? Post your answer in the comments and you might be glad you did. But more on that a little later.

There are a couple of reasons why I choose the age of 15. One is the fact that 15 is in that interesting transitional period between childhood and adulthood. Most people have passed puberty, but not by much, so are still confused and overpowered by their new desires and attractions. Many people still cling, at least on some level, to childhood beliefs like knights in shining armor, magical princesses, and wishes coming true. There’s nothing like a celebrity crush when you’re 15. That rock star, athlete, or TV actor can make a mighty big impact.

My second reason is that Maria Grandinetti was 15 when she fell for Captain Eternity. She and her friend Sue were having a sleepover for the occasion of Maria’s 15th birthday, way back on June 22, 1974, when they discovered a late-night science fiction movie show on a local Milwaukee TV channel (remember UHF?). Said show was hosted by one handsome, sexy, mysterious space alien character who called himself Captain Eternity.

The cancellation of the show in the fall of that year did not deter Maria, like many teenagers, from clinging to her devotion to the Captain. He captured her imagination in a way that she never got over, not even 16 years later when the opportunity arose to track down the actor who played the role. Since this story is a novel I wrote, Maria was successful in the attempt. And the man she found was just as compelling, enigmatic, and attractive as Captain Eternity was.

Okay, now back to 15-year-old you and your celebrity crush. (“You” meaning our readers, Blog, not you, who sadly are not yet 15.) Picture yourself having the opportunity today to get to know that person, even have a relationship with him or her. Opens a whole weird can of worms, doesn’t it? The other day I read that a women who crushed on Eddie Munster back in the 60s (of “The Munsters” sit com) actually finally met him and they are currently dating. And taking it slowly, as any wise person would, and indeed, as Maria Grandinetti also knows she must. How exactly would you deal with the real person behind your imagined beloved hero or heroine? How can you really integrate fantasy into reality in such a dramatic way? And wouldn’t it be scary and fun?

Well, it is scary and fun when it happens in The Resurrection of Captain Eternity. I wrote this book circa 1990, which is when it takes place (Maria is a reference librarian in the days before the internet brought us all the info we can google). I published it in 1998 when the publisher slated to do so went out of business before it could be released, and I first opened my little publishing house, Living Beyond Reality Press. Being then too poor to pay for ISBN numbers, till now I have not been able to sell the paperbacks anywhere but through LBR Press.

But happily, I just published the novel in ebook form at long last! (It was a bit tricky utilizing files from 1990.) It’s available in pdf, epub and mobi formats, from LBR Press as well as Barnes & Noble’s nook store, Amazon’s Kindle store, and coming soon to Border’s ebook store. Woo hoo! In celebration of this spreading of Captain Eternity fever, for every ten people who tell me their celebrity crush from when they were 15, I will give away one copy of the book in a drawing. Your choice of formats, even the good old paperback one of which I still have plenty of stock!

It may be 20 years old, Blog, but I just reread the book and it is still utterly relevant to the experience of celebrity adulation and how we deal with it. Every generation has its Elvis Presley, Leif Garrett, Corey Haim, Jared Leto, or Rob Pattinson. And most of us have experienced that exquisitely painful longing for the unattainable idol. The dream that attaining him or her just might be possible is one we’ve all harbored. And what if it was?

What if, indeed, Blog?

So post away, readers, no later than midnight, Tuesday, August 31. I’ll contact the winners on September 1.  And if all else fails, the paperback’ll cost ya a mere $5.95 plus Media Mail postage, while the ebook is only $3.95! (See what a cheapskate I am with my contest prizes?) All you need to know to buy a copy is on the Captain Eternity page of my website.

Oh, and my celebrity crushes back in 1971? David Cassidy, Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka (wow)...

and Malcolm MacDowell in “A Clockwork Orange” even though I was too young to see the movie. (He’s kinda dreamy to this day....)

Ah, fifteen....

Blog interviews Living Beyond Reality Press

Blog, I feel if I have successfully anthropomorphized my blog, there’s no good reason why I can’t anthropomorphize my publishing business as well. The way Living Beyond Reality Press came to be is pretty quirky, so I’m hoping some of our readers will enjoy hearing how I came to choose self publishing and why I‘m glad I did. Rock it, Blog!

Blog: I’m happy to be talking with another amorphous being that sprang from Diana’s twisted brain! Welcome to the blog, LBR Press.

LBR: Thanks. Wow, love what you’ve done with the place.

Blog: Um, thanks! So, I’ve heard your beginnings had something to do with Sting, and something to do with Canada. Do tell!

LBR: The Sting part is easy to explain: Back in the early 90s, Diana had a bit of a Sting obsession, which led to her studying his favorite guy, Carl Jung, which lead to her writing a self-help book about Jungian psychology called Living Beyond Reality: A Jungian Primer for Enhancing Your Life.

Blog: Interesting. So the tantric sex had nothing to do with it?

LBR: The tantric--oh, you mean Sting and Trudy? Uh, no, not really.

Blog: Go on.

LBR: So, in 1997 Diana found a publisher for the book, an Edmonton-based company called Commonwealth Publications.

Blog: Oh...Canada.

LBR: Right. And publication of that book as well as her novel The Resurrection of Captain Eternity were in the works when Diana got the news that they were going out of business.

Blog: That’s kind of “eh,” eh?

LBR: Another Canada joke? Are you going to work in poutine and beavers here somehow too?

Blog: Sorry. I should have said “that stings,” I guess. But seriously, what a bummer.

LBR: It was. But Diana determined to make lemonade out of lemons and did a short print run of both books herself. Set up the book blocks in Word and worked with a local printer, and filed the paperwork to start me up in early 1998!

Blog: How exciting!

LBR: And to promote the books, she started http://www.livingbeyondreality.com/, on that relatively new thing known as the Worldwide Web.

Blog: And the rest, as they say, is history?

LBR: Well, the next several years that was pretty much it, the two books selling occasionally off the website. Not a really big sales channel. So in 2004 Diana started submitting manuscripts to small independent publishers and that’s how she hooked up with New Age Dimensions. They released several books for her over the next year or so, both as those new things known as ebooks and as paperbacks. She became the publisher’s biggest seller and it was quite thrilling.

Blog: Success at last!

LBR: Well, yes and no. NAD also went out of business, just before a new Diana Laurence title was due to be released.

Blog: It’s enough to make an author feel like she’s the kiss of death.

LBR: Indeed. Time again to get out the lemon juicer. She hadn’t forgotten about me of course, and with the encouragement of her former publisher, she decided to republish her backlist herself, in both ebooks and paperbacks. Those were heady times...

Blog: Were they?

LBR: No actually, they were exhausting. She had a month (the due date set by advance publicity for her new book) to publish four ebooks and three paperbacks and get the old website set up to sell them. But it got done and there was much rejoicing!

Blog: And the rest is history!

LBR: Yes! And you know the best part?

Blog: What?

LBR: I don’t ever have to go out of business! At least as long as Diana’s around.

Blog: That is very nice! So how had the bookselling business changed from 1998 to 2005?

LBR: Dramatically. In 2005 there was Lightning Source, Inc., a subsidiary of Ingram, which not only prints paperbacks on demand but handles their distribution to all the major book retailers. Like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, in fact any bookstore that wants to stock them or sell them online. There’s a charge for the printing of course, but the profit we make is WAY bigger than a traditional royalty payment. Like ten times bigger.

Blog: Sweet. And the books look just like what the big houses print?

LBR: You can’t tell any difference. Then there’s ebooks. Lightning Source does the distribution of ebooks for Borders, Kobo, and many online retailers like Diesel Books and eBookMall.

Blog: What about the big name ebook stores, like Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s nook?

LBR: We have direct contracts with those retailers, and they pay very well.

Blog: But you still sell off the old website? How does that work?

LBR: We purchase paperbacks from Lightning Source and handle orders and fulfillment ourselves. Meanwhile, we use PalPal’s Payloadz service to host and sell our ebooks automatically through the site.

Blog: Very slick.

LBR: We also just signed up with a new program through Lightning Source called the Espresso Book Machine. It’s an awesome contraption that is installed in a bookstore and prints a perfect single book for you while you wait. All our books are available through Espresso Book Machines now too!

Blog: Holy cats! Sounds like there are lots of ways to buy your books all right. But how do people hear about them?

LBR: Well, all the fun challenges of promotion are something that could take another whole interview to discuss, Blog. But I do want to talk about an aspect of promotion in the current publishing world that is dear to my heart.

Blog: What’s that?

LBR: There’s a paradigm shift--ooh, I love working “paradigm” into conversations--from push marketing to pull marketing. Push marketing is like when a bestseller gets lots of press and advertising and product placement in stores. It’s the publishing business telling readers: “This is the book you should buy!”

Blog: It seems to work pretty well.

LBR: It sure does, for the big name authors. But small name authors have an audience too, which finds them by pull marketing. That is, they are looking for a book on a certain subject or with a certain theme or genre and simply find it via Google, or Amazon, or some other means. The mere fact that the book is around and visible finds some readers.

Blog: I get it.

LBR: Our books get found in online stores this way, and also through channels like Google Books and Ingram Digital/Summon, where they are all searchable and thus findable by readers.

Blog: So do you really think things are changing for tiny publishing houses like yourself?

LBR: I’ll put it to you this way: Back in 2005 some of the big name retailers refused to offer self-published books. Meanwhile, this month Kobo (the system used by Palm and others) invited publishers to contract with them to offer their ebooks, and they stated, “self-published titles are welcome!”

Blog: Awesome! And you save trees, right?

LBR: You like trees? Me too! Yes, ebooks and print-on-demand paper books do save trees. Did you know that thousands and thousands of Diana’s traditionally published book How to Catch and Keep a Vampire were destroyed by bookstores because they didn’t sell in the first nine months? LBR Press has never put a book into the trash.

Blog: Well, it sure is nice to see the opportunities for books today. It hasn’t been very long since there was only one way to get a book published and sold, and now there are lots!

LBR: After 12 years in the business, I’m really thriving, Blog. Sales just get better every year. Today we have 13 ebooks and 11 paperbacks for sale, and none of them are going away.

Blog: Sting would be proud. And Canada too. Thanks for all the infos, LBR Press, and here’s to many more years of bringing books to readers everywhere! Oh, and for readers interested in all the details of self-publishing via the LBR Press model, you can get Diana’s ebook Do-It-YourSelf-Publishing (writing as Diane Lau) for a mere $2.99 from Barnes & Noble, Borders or Powells Books, or $2.54 directly from LBR Press.

Good grief, Pat Conroy.

Blog, as an author, publisher and reader, I do keep up fairly well with the book biz. And I just read something I find utterly baffling. I'd love to have our readers provide their responses to this situation so I can see if my own opinions are way off base.

So here's the thing: an author I've enjoyed a lot in the past, Pat Conroy, admitted that he hasn't a clue about ebooks. The 64-year-old author of such wonderful books as The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini said:

"I was at a signing in Georgia, and a guy came up to me with a Kindle and he pressed a button and there it was, my book (South of Broad). I'm a complete ignoramus when it comes to everything about the Internet. I kept noticing people in planes and shops were reading these things. I couldn't understand these instruments. I didn't know what they were." (Full story here.)

A part of me says, "Look, to each his own; not every author approaches his career like you do, ducky," But a part of me says, "How can someone be oblivious to something so significant to his career?"

The irony of this is intensified by the fact that I have been busy the past week publishing a novel I wrote some 20 years ago in formats for Kindle, nook, Kobo, etc. I've been publishing ebooks myself for five years now, ever since my publisher went out of business and I took back my backlist. But in the past I've published in pdf and lit formats, and learning to create ebooks for the latest technologies required no small effort on my part.

I hardly expect every author to have this depth of understanding of the technology. What I would expect is that Pat Conroy might be interested enough in the business to have tried the ebook experience once or twice, or talked to his agent to see if his titles were being sold that way in a manner that was bringing him the income he ought to expect from this revenue channel.

They were not, as Conroy's astute agent eventually pointed out to him. At least she was paying attention. I suppose you could say that it's her job, so he needn't worry about it, but to me that's a bit of a copout.

It's important to me to understand the reading experience that my fans have in whatever way they interface with my writing. It's one thing to read a book in paperback form, another to read it on your desktop computer (say, in html), another to read it on a handheld device like a Blackberry, and another to read it on a dedicated ereader like a Kindle. My readers experience my books in all these ways, and certainly there are formatting, bookblock, and even cover design issues that one considers when making books for these different media. Sure, these are publishing issues rather than author issues, but shouldn't the author care as well?

A part of my says, "Look, ducky, the guy's old fashioned. A lot of people are. It's not a crime." But a part of me says, "Quit calling me 'ducky.'" No, seriously, a part of me says, "Pat Conroy is only ten years older than me! He's 20 years younger than my dad, who spends hours every day on the Internet!"

It's no crime to be old fashioned, but you also can't use it as an excuse. Can you imagine a musical artist, even someone contemporary to Pat Conroy like Linda Ronstadt, Jimmy Buffett, Dolly Parton or Cher, saying "I just don't understand these iPods of today. You mean people can download my songs from Amazon? What's Amazon?" Even if your preference is to listen to vinyl, you are going to give new technologies their due and have at least a basic understanding of what they are.

And I'll grant that Pat Conroy "accepts" that some people read ebooks. Conversely, I'm not about to tell him (or anyone) to stop reading books on paper. I truly am a live-and-let-live kind of girl. But as an author, I'm fascinated by storytelling, the reading process, the many and varied ways in which authors interact with their fans, and everything having to do with books. These days, a whole lot of that involves technology. Sure, an author can choose to ignore all that. Well, one lucky enough to be established with a big, traditional publisher can, but I ought to mention that's a business model that is losing more money every year and not long for this world. But anyone else in the writing business simply must have a care for how s/he is affected by things like Amazon, the nook, Facebook, Twitter, blogging, etc.

There's a point when "old fashioned" ceases being a charming and endearing quality and starts to come across as laziness or even self-centeredness. Give me a guy like Stephen King (only two years younger than Mr. Conroy) who embraced the coming of the ebook and uses technology in creative and exciting ways. Do you think that has made him more approachable to readers? You bet it has.

To me that's not only good marketing, it also shows respect for your readership. It indicates that an author cares not only about how s/he reads books and appreciates them, but how each and every one of his or her readers do.

That's the kind of author I try to be. I'm just sayin', Blog. Opinions, anyone?

A dream of Ben, a spark of creativity

Blog, I'm here today to fulfill the A Creative Dreamer's July Creative Challenge, and let me waste no time in sharing my contribution.  First look at it...and then let me explain:

Is it an "art"? Is it a "craft"? Does it really qualify?  And what the heck is the story here?

Let us begin at the beginning, Blog.  The theme of this month's challenge is, simply, "Dream." And I have to say, that's one mighty broad category.  I've been struggling since the theme was announced to figure out where to go with it.  Some "dreamy" piece of beaded jewelry?  Some work in polyclay somehow expressing the topic?  I couldn't come up with anything that really inspired me.

Then a couple of nights ago, I was treated to one of those really vivid dreams about romance that I am fortunate to have a couple times a year.  Even though I haven't thought a whole lot about Benjamin Linus since "Lost" aired its series finale, he was the star of this dream. 

I know I have more than a few readers who understand how such a thing could have happened.

I've blogged a lot in the past about the strange but affective appeal of Michael Emerson's portrayal of this conflicted, engaging character.  There are lots of aspects of Ben Linus that strike a chord with this or that female (perhaps this or that male as well).  In my dream, Ben was more like his "off island" self, the wise and kind high school teacher, Dr. Linus.  He was some sort of college professor, and I was his intern or teaching assistant, and there was this unspoken chemistry between us.  I found myself totally, profoundly smitten with him...and much to my joy, I came to believe my feelings were returned, even though no words to that effect were expressed.

I woke up from this dream pretty dang happy.  I think if I could have dreams like that at will, I'd never get out of bed.  And within a day's time, it occurred to me that somehow I had to celebrate this dream for the Creative Challenge.

In my book Living Beyond Reality: A Jungian Primer for Enhancing Your Life I talk a lot about the animus, a sort of embodiment of our desires that can manifest itself in celebrity crushes.  I discuss ways to tap into or connect with that "spirit," including writing about the personalities that so strongly attract the soul.  I also mention another approach that I've found effective, and that's to draw or paint or otherwise focus on the physical image of the animus-bearing person.

Creating this digital art of Professor Linus was that sort of exercise, complimented by my little bit of free verse explaining what the portrait signifies to me.  Doing it, I did revive some emotions I had felt in my dream.  Which I assure you, Blog, was quite fun.

Meanwhile, it's a bit of a nutshell expression of my belief that if you are infatuated with an imaginary person, then real or not, that person matters.  The importance is not really the actual celebrity or character, but rather what he signifies to you and your psyche.  So there you go.

But does this digital art--a little interpretive Photoshopping and graphic design--constitute a creative craft?  All I know is, it most certainly served as a creative way of celebrating the theme of "dream."

Well, Blog, I hope I explained myself okay in this post!  At any rate, I was probably more successful than I've ever been at explaining to my husband why I'm attracted to Ben Linus...

Blog interviews Cranny the nook

As you know, Blog loves to interview gadgets. So he’s taking over the blog today to introduce you to my new Barnes & Noble nook ereader. Take it away, Blog!

Blog: Cranny, welcome to the blog and to life at Magic House.

Cranny: Thanks, Blog. I’m really here representing both myself and my twin, Nicher, who is Davie’s nook.

Blog: I heard Davie came up with both your names. I get “Cranny,” but what’s the deal with “Nicher”?

Cranny: Well, Davie was thinking about various synonyms for “nook” and thought of “niche.” Being a French word, it put him in mind of French-Canadian hockey players. And in hockey, player nicknames often are derived by adding “-er” to the last name. Hence, Nicher.

Blog: Fascinating explanation.

Cranny: I tend to be fascinating. I’m just sayin’.

Blog: As do all ebook readers, I’m sure. So, how is Diana liking you so far?

Cranny: She says I’m easier to hold than a book, and page turning is less effort too. And she’s already excited about one day in the future having most of her personal library portable in my memory. I can hold about 1,500 books.

Blog: Pretty sweet! I like your cover, too.

Cranny: It’s functional for protection, but also expresses Diana’s fun and funky personality. Davie went for more of dignity and elegance for Nicher.

Blog: Not that Davie would claim to be either dignified or elegant, of course. But Nicher is very sharp-looking, that’s sure. Now I’m curious...Diana has waited a long time to get an ereader. Why did she finally pull the trigger?

Cranny: I’m the new Wi-Fi version of the nook, and cost only $149. That made her and Davie sit up and take notice. Davie reads tons of books and was looking both for a way to save money and shelf space.

Blog: He’s not a pack rat.

Cranny: Not in the least. So an affordable ereader seemed just the ticket. Diana reads away from home a lot and just wanted the portability. I fit in her purse easily and am really light.

Blog: Tell us a bit about E ink. That’s what makes you different from using a smart phone or iPad as a book reader, correct?

Cranny: Indeed, Blog. The Kindle and the nook both use E ink technology. That means the screen is not a backlit LCD screen like on phones and computing devices. My screen is like electronic paper: black and white and doesn’t give off light. Which means you can read me outside in bright light. And I’m easy on the eyes. And I don’t use a lot of power.

Blog: Speaking of using power, obviously you’re a green technology in more than one way.

Cranny: If everyone read their books, magazines, and newspapers on an ereader, it would save ridiculous amounts of trees. Do you know what traditional book publishing does in this regard? Books that aren’t sold in stores in a limited time typically are not returned or redistributed in some way--they are destroyed. It’s understood in any print run that a large percentage of copies will end up as trash.

Blog: I’m not an eco-maniac, Cranny, but I hate to think of all that waste.

Cranny: Digital content is so cheap to produce, store and distribute. That means older titles can stick around for decades, finding new readers.

Blog: I’m sold. But I noticed before you brought up the “K” word. Why was Diana sold on Barnes & Noble’s nook rather than Amazon’s Kindle?

Cranny: There are a ton of reasons. For a very fair comparison of the attributes of each, you can visit this comparison page on the Barnes site. But Diana’s main reason stems from her experience publishing books sold for the two ereaders.

Blog: Are these reasons that would matter to people who simply read, rather than sell, books?

Cranny: Most certainly, Blog, and I will explain. Some years back, Amazon used to sell ebooks in several formats, including pdf and Microsoft lit. Diana sold many books that way. But then Amazon decided to make their own ebook reader, and pulled all those hundreds of thousands of titles from availability.

Blog: I don’t get that.

Cranny: They wanted to control the market, so they weren’t going to sell any formats of ebooks other than the format designed for their machine. If buyers wanted to get ebooks from Amazon, they would have to buy a Kindle to read them. And if they wanted ebooks for their Kindle, they would have to buy Kindle versions from Amazon.

Blog: I’m not sure that’s the American Way.

Cranny: Happily, I have anecdotal proof it’s not. Barnes & Noble launched nook two years after Kindle appeared. They already offer more ebooks than Amazon carries, and at least in Diana’s case, they already SELL more. It’s only logical. Customers can install free B&N Reader software on their computers or smart phones and read B&N ebooks on any such device, not just the nook. And publishers can provide their titles to Barnes in simple pdf or ePub format. Diana has told me what a challenge it is producing titles in Kindle format; she didn’t even bother with one of her novels to go through the trouble. It’s the same for other publishers, which is why B&N has more ebooks to sell.

Blog: So in a sense she bought the nook for ethical reasons.

Cranny: Ethical AND practical. Which horse would you back in this race?

Blog: Gotcha, Cranny. Well, you have many reasons to be proud to be a nook.

Cranny: I have easily customizable wallpaper and screensavers, and a built in mp3 player and speakers, too.

Blog: So Diana can rock out to “Code Monkey” by Jonathan Coulton while reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest?

Cranny: Well, she could...had she not already bought it in hardcover.

Blog: Hmmm, a shame.

Cranny: It’s really good, but it would be better weighing nothing, rather than over two pounds. That’s three times what I weigh.

Blog: Even if you were loaded with 1,500 books.

Cranny: Even if.

Blog: Sweet. Well thanks, Cranny. I’m convinced the publishing paradigm needs to shift your way, and I think it will. Very exciting stuff.

Cranny: One more thing, Blog. Diana told me to tell readers that nearly all her books are available for nook as well as the-ereader-who-shall-not-be-named.

Blog: And they are damn cheap that way.

Cranny: Starting at $1.71, Blog!

Blog: Rock! Let’s get reading!

Cranny: You read, I display.

Blog: Right.