Last Chance for Christmas

Still looking for that elusive last Christmas present?  Well, if the target of your generosity is a reader then now is the time to consider the options.

I'm wasn't going to look at mini tablet computers in this posting, but if your budget does stretch that far then I guess the choice is between the iPad Mini, the Kindle Fire and the Google Nexus 7.  The Apple's the most costly choice out of the three, but you probably knew that already.  It's getting mixed reviews, largely because its screen is 'only as good as the iPad 2 screen', the screen on arguably the most popular variant of the full sized tablet.  My view is that is if the recipient is already embedded in Apple technology then this has to be a contender.  After that its between the Kindle Fire and the Nexus 7.  Google have just raised the bar by upping the memory to 32Gb on their flagship model, but pricewise these two devices are running neck and neck.  Behind them is the Nook HD with only 8Gb of memory and an almost unknown market presence in this country.  For those prepared to tough it out until Christmas Eve you may find the Nook being discounted.  Of course, if you're spending this kind of money you may want to make sure the gift can be returned in the case of multiple tablets being bought for the same person - in the  UK most high street retailers will issue a gift receipt that will allow the recipient to return the item for a full refund until mid January.

For dedicated eReading devices the choices are bewildering.  As I pointed out in a recent blog entry, dedicated eReaders are past their peak, being usurped by the rise of the multi-tasking tablets.  However, right now, there are so many new models on sale in the UK it is inconceivable that some of these won't be discounted.  So if your in the market to buy one for someone, waiting is probably as smart as it gets.  They're not going to run out and they're not going to rise in price.  Choose a price point and stick with it, but be prepared to shop around the various brands.  Unlike tablets, the dedicated eReaders tend to be stuck to one eBook store, although most use the same format of book (EPUB) which is readily available through Smashwords, as are Kindle format books.  Again, gift receipts might be a good idea in case of duplication.

If your gift options don't run to a bit of technology then consider vouchers.  Apple do them for the iBook store (strictly for anything on iTunes, but if the recipient is a reader then perhaps it will be used for your intended purpose).  Amazon also do vouchers, which like the iTunes vouchers can be bought in stores around the country or can be downloaded to your own computer for you to print off.  Add a fancy card, a nice message and your shopping is done.  The only limitation with this is that the voucher can be used against any Amazon purchase - or put another way, against anything that can be bought on this planet.  So don't get too excited if your intention is to persuade your recipient to download that book you've been raving about.

If you do want to gift 'that book' then you could try Smashwords - they have a gifting option, read about it here.  The only downside I can see with the Smashwords version is that the gift will be emailed to the recipient the second you pay, but I guess you can do it on Christmas day.  If you're stuck for books to gift, may I suggest you cast your eyes to the top of the this page - all six books are listed on Smashwords and are currently $0.99 each in my December promotion.

If eBooks are too radical for the target of your generosity then print books are still available and, heck, may be for a few years more.  Just don't let anyone know I said that.  Again, all those books at the top of this blog are available from your local Amazon outlet and are printed to order.  Better be quick, though, because it can take a couple of days from placing an order to Amazon and the Post Office getting it to your front door.  I don't think Amazon supply gift receipts, but trust me on this one, I doubt your present will be duplicated (I've seen the Amazon sales figures for my books!).

Enjoy the holidays.

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I can be followed on Twitter too - @RayASullivan
or on Facebook - use raysullivan.novels@yahoo.com to find me

Why not take a look at my books and read up on my Biog here

Want to see what B L O'Feld is up to?  Take a look at his website here

Worried/Interested in the secretive world of DLFs?  Take a look at this website dedicated to DLFs here, if you dare!

Nook eBooks On Sale in the UK

I posted a few days ago that Barnes & Noble were launching in the UK in this article.  There were two flies in the ointment at the time of writing that post, the first being that the B & N book-store hadn't been launched in the UK, the second that the more interesting models weren't currently on sale.

Well, since that posting events have continued apace.  In the last day or two the UK book-store has been launched, quietly and efficiently, on this URL.  It looks like the full library of books that are available in the US are listed here, as far as I can tell.  I'm certainly aware that the full Smashwords catalogue has been ported across, including my own books.

From what I can see the search engine is slick and intuitive.  More importantly, the company has announced the device line up, which is pretty much the same as I suggested a week ago, but has added two important extra pieces of information.  The first is that the two tablets in the range, the 7" and 9" Nook HDs, are now slated for launch with a firm date: 22 November.

The second piece of information released today is that in addition to the stores named as stockists for the Nook product range in my earlier blog is that Asda, the UK subsidiary of Wal-Mart, has taken the range on.  As has been noted by Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords, this is a big deal.  Selling eReaders via book-stores seems to be a sensible way of working, but really only works for those who frequent bookshops.  In reality, bookshops can be daunting places for non-bookish types, whereas Asda is the port of call for millions of people in the UK weekly.  Plus, let's not forget that some of these devices will appeal to a lot of people as a classy Christmas present.  It isn't the only eReader Asda are selling - they already sell the full range of Kobo eReaders and tablets plus, on-line at least, they also sell iPads and the Nexus 7.  Hopefully they will stock a number of tablets and eReaders in-store for customers to feel and play with.

For me, the most interesting of the tablets is the 9" Nook HD - I need to explore the spec in more detail and the ominous sounding 'from £229' doesn't fill me with competitive confidence, but on pure looks it wins already.

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I can be followed on Twitter too - @RayASullivan
or on Facebook - use raysullivan.novels@yahoo.com to find me

Why not take a look at my books and read up on my Biog here

Want to see what B L O'Feld is up to?  Take a look at his website here

Worried/Interested in the secretive world of DLFs?  Take a look at this website dedicated to DLFs here, if you dare!

Project: Evil - The Christmas Party part 3

 ‘I’m off to shoot the runner up on the Elimination Karaoke, shoot the DJ once he’s finished playing all my requests, shoot the tribute band once they’ve finished their set and shoot the airship captain once he’s finished his drinking.

‘That’s unreasonable,’ said Daw, checking the company position on shooting contractors, but finding that it was actually considered reasonable, even mandatory.  ‘By all accounts he’ll have dropped us off and be halfway home before he stops drinking.’  O’Feld shrugged, at least it freed up his diary a little.

A distraught looking engineer joined them, his shirt open at the neck, his tie trailing low on his shirt, a pencil lodged firmly behind his ear.

‘They’ve added a four by two metre stainless steel table inside the rocket,’ he said. Brian shrugged as best he could in a bullet proof tuxedo.

‘Sorry about that, the workshop manager fitted it to facilitate site meetings before NoDangerStyleUK fitted the windows. Then he found he couldn’t get it out, something about the windows having an anti-jumping restraint on the hinges,’ he said. The engineer turned purple and started waving sheaves of paper showing complicated calculations on it.

‘This is a four stage rocket with motors designed for three, carrying four henchpersons and fifty thousand armadillo droppings instead of a box of experimental mice. And now you introduce an additional stainless steel table four hours before we ship to the South Seas. Have you any idea what this does to my calculations?’ he asked. Brian scanned the calculations carefully.

‘So, you need to get another pot of beige paint?’ he said, handing the engineer the paper bundle back.

‘What do you think?  We can't let an unpainted stainless steel table blast off into space.  To cap it all, B & Q are shut until the morning,’ ranted the engineer, storming back to the party.

‘Will engineer blood do as a substitute?’ asked O’Feld.

Two hours later found the senior team sat amid a pile of slaughtered henchmen. Not drunk, just slaughtered.  Daw sighed, he had less than an hour to recruit, train and deploy fifty replacements, it was past midnight and he was pissed; but it was the raffle prize to thank for that.  It was O’Feld’s raffle prize to thank for the slaughtered henchmen, actually, as well.  As Christmas parties went, it was a pretty good result.  O’Feld blew the smoke emanating from the barrel of the machine gun he’d won in the raffle, looking really pleased.

‘Right,’ he said, looking at his watch, ‘what’s the order of play?’  Brian looked at the list he’d prepared, then at the machine gun.  He hoped O’Feld still had some bullets left, he’d rather hoped that O’Feld would have waited for the Secret Santa, which of course was why he’d arranged for it to be first prize. He looked around the group.  Froshdu was still there, not because of the Secret Santa – he’d only be interested in that if the fat fella in the red suit was being spit roasted and served in pitta bread.  He was still there because he’d found the stash of food Brian had hidden, the food the Head of Catering had supplied.  The Head of Catering was also there, eying the parcel in front of him cautiously, and reasonably given that he’d found out that Brian had supplied it.  O’Feld was there, of course, impatiently fiddling with the paper wrapping provided by the EVIL Officer and Daw sat next to him, nervously.  Daw was always nervous when he was sat next to O’Feld and O’Feld was opening a parcel – if it didn’t explode, then usually O’Feld did.  Finally, his face a picture of enthusiasm, sat the EVIL Officer.  Daw decided to open his parcel first.

‘Oh, it’s a dice,’ he said, holding the cube up.

‘Strictly, a die,’ corrected O’Feld. ‘I thought that was appropriate,’ he gloated.  Daw examined the die, read the six faces in turn.

‘Kill, Maim, Kill, Maim, Kill, Maim and Kill,’ he read.  ‘I really could have done with this last week when recruiting for the Charity Liaison Officer post, bloody do-gooders,’ he said, slipping the die into his pocket.  Froshdu picked his parcel up and ate it without removing the wrapping.  Daw’s jaw dropped; when he’d bought the leather shoes he really thought Froshdu would like them.  On his feet, not in his stomach.

‘A bit chewy,’ grumbled Froshdu, burping, ‘but very tasty.  Loafers?’ he asked.  Daw nodded, it had seemed an appropriate name for a present for Froshdu.  The EVIL Officer opened his parcel gingerly, trying to work out who had bought it for him.  So was Brian.

‘A kilo of raw beef?’ he said as he held the dripping meat in front of him.  ‘I don’t eat raw meat,’ he said, looking suddenly at the Head of Catering.  Before he could react, Froshdu grabbed the meat and tucked in.

‘That’s what I was hoping,’ he said, biting off a sizable chunk.  Brian did a quick head count and realised that he and the Head of Catering had bought each other presents.  Both men set their parcels aside, both hoping theirs wasn’t on a time switch.

‘Can I open mine now?’ asked an excited O’Feld.

‘Sure,’ answered Brian, adding, ‘would you like me to hold your machine gun for you?’  O’Feld pulled at the wrapping paper excitedly while Brian ensured there was a fresh round in the breach.  He’d taken the liberty of writing the EVIL Officer’s name on the bullet.  He really hoped the prat had taken his advice, and when O’Feld held the book up, he knew he had.

‘The wisdom of Doktor Negatif?’ asked O’Feld, turning the book around and reaching for the machine gun.  The EVIL Officer obviously hadn’t picked up on O’Feld’s anger as he nodded enthusiastically.

‘Look inside,’ he said, reaching over.  O’Feld glowered as the man pulled the book open, revealing two hundred and twenty blank pages save for the first page, which had a signature in it.

‘No wisdom, and I even got him to sign it,’ said the EVIL Officer, leaning back.  O’Feld roared at the joke.

‘Brian, put that in the library in the secret island lair,’ he said, passing the book to Brian.

‘Library?  What library?’ he asked, only to be greeted with the look he’d expected the EVIL Officer to have received.  There was only one room that he could convert at short notice to a library.  It looked like he was joining the other managers in podworld.

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The characters, companies and places referred to in Project: Evil are fictitious and any resemblance to people, companies, businesses or places is entirely coincidental

If you've enjoyed this chapter of Project: Evil then check out the blog every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday as the story unfolds and, if you haven't done so already, why not follow the blog.

If you know someone who has a warped sense of humour please pass them the link to my blog so that they can enjoy 'Project: Evil'.

I can be followed on Twitter too - @RayASullivan or on Facebook - use raysullivan.novels@yahoo.com to find me

To find out more about my ancestors visit my sister’s website http://sullivanfamilyhistory.angelfire.com/

Visit my books on Amazon (for Kindle owners) and Smashwords (for access to all other formats and access to Apple iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Sony, WH Smith, Kobo and many other good ebookstores.

Digital Life Form is available on Amazon.com in paperback for $8 (or for £5 plus P&P in the UK for UK readers - contact me on raysullivan.novels@yahoo.com for details)
The Last Simple is available on Amazon.com in paperback for $6.

The Journeymen is available for $9

For quick access to the various Kindle, Kobo, WH Smith and Smashword links please use the table below to view my books

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Amazon Gift Certificates - Should They Carry a Wealth Warning?

Like many organisations, Amazon provide a facility to buy someone a gift certificate.  Being a savvy tech company they also let you buy it online and print it off on your own printer, which is a pretty smart move - they suck the value of the gift certificate from your credit card account and let it earn them interest until it's spent.

And of course a lot of these gift certificates will have been bought before Christmas Day to accompany a Kindle gift - either by the giver of the Kindle or other family members helping the recipient to get the most out of the new toy as soon as possible.  In a fair world the value of the certificate will be used up in short order - so many books, so little time.  But in reality gift certificates can have the opposite effect - there's various psychological pressures at play, but in simple terms the recipients may not use up the value except for what they consider 'worthy' purchases.  Or they may not want to use up the value, full stop - sort of 'when it's gone, it's gone; so I'll eke it out.'  Or they may just have a surplus of books to read initially and then forget about buying more.

And this is a bit of a problem twelve months on as Amazon wipes any residual value from the certificate at that point (this may not be true in the US - the UK site just says they do this in territories that permit it, but doesn't actually indicate where these territories actually are).  A few years ago, in simpler times, I would have said that was rough, but in a perverse way, reasonable.  Because for all the time the credit exists on their books it's also a liability, a debt they have to account for on the annual ledger.  In accounting terms, this can be seen as a bad thing, despite it's actually someone else's money they are holding onto.

But, as I've said, most certificates will be used up relatively quickly, and the remaining few probably don't have a lot of the residual value left.  But I'm willing to bet that every year lots of these small amounts are being written off - or trousered to defray operating costs, in the technical parlance.  So Amazon will have earned interest for twelve months, then taken any unspent cash for no other reason than they can.

Now the odd thing is, if your credit card is about to expire, Amazon manage to email you to let you know. It would be interesting to see if they email you to advise that the cash they've been holding on your behalf, earning them interest for twelve months, is about to be absorbed into the corporate ledger.

So, unless you know the recipient of an Amazon gift card will absolutely use it all up well within a year, or there isn't an alternative way of funding their Amazon account (they have no credit card account, for example), then either keep the value very low - perhaps topping up as they use the certificate - or give them cash.  Sure, they might blow the cash on stuff other than eBooks - but then they could with the gift certificate anyway - Amazon sells an awfully large range of goods.

And if you have sent someone a gift certificate this Christmas, set your phone diary to remind them in November to finish spending it - Amazon are doing fine, they don't need your charity!

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I can be followed on Twitter - @RayASullivan

email me on raysullivan.novels@yahoo.com

Visit my books on Amazon (for Kindle owners) and Smashwords (for access to all other formats and access to Apple iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Sony and many other good ebookstores.

For quick access to the various Kindle, Kobo, WH Smith and Smashword links please use the table below to view my books

To View My books In....

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Da Dan Brown Code Christmas Special

The Christmas Special Chapter

'Right, sod this for a game of monkeys,' declared Lady Bartholomew, getting up and gathering her ball gown around her.  'It's Christmas Day, so I'm going back to my trailer,' she said, storming out of the paragraph, shouting behind her, 'I've got a full drinks cabinet waiting for anyone who fancies a drop.'

'What about the story?' asked Bradford, nervously.  He'd never walked out on a novel in his career, but then again he'd signed up for a full print run and was now being strung out chapter by chapter in a blog.  It didn't get much more humiliating.

'She's right,' said Lucas, licking his lips.  'This writer's taking the piss, if you ask me,' he added, leaving before the highly predictable asterisk turned up.

*

'Oh, typical, you've got a much bigger trailer than me,' declared Bradford, settling down in the couch with a large bourbon.  Lady Bartholomew was drinking Guinness herself, but then again the day was young and she had every intention of getting wasted.  She pulled out a packet of cigarettes.

'Whoa, you can't do that,' said Bradford, slamming his drink down forcefully.  Lady Bartholomew looked confused at the outburst - as far as she was aware the smoking ban didn't apply to fiction.  Bradford recognised the look, it was one of his, used throughout the majority of the book.  If she'd asked, he'd have had it gift wrapped for her.

'You've already stated that you don't smoke, you're going to confuse the readers,' he said.  Lady Bartholomew laughed at the thought - she didn't personally care if either reader was confused.  She put her head close to Bradford's.

'What are your plans after all this finally finishes?' she asked.  Bradford shrugged.

'I've been offered a supporting role in Dan Brown's new novel,' he said.

'But?' asked Lady Bartholomew, sinking the Guinness in one go and slipping a Creme de Menthe in quickly after.

'He gets bumped off in chapter forty seven,' said Bradford, sipping his bourbon carefully, he didn't want to drop the bottle.  Lady Bartholomew understood immediately.

'It's not worth the effort, just to be written out on page seven,' she agreed, looking up as the trailer door opened dramatically.  Belsen made his entrance.

'Hello darlings,' he said as he waltzed into the trailer, his smoking jacket fastened up carefully and his shoes shined to perfection, a cravat loosely tied around his neck.  'Be a love and get me a stiff drink, and don't spare the cherry,' he declared, a hand on his hip.  Then he caught sight of Bradford.

'Oh my, who's Mister Grumpy on Christmas Day?' he asked, mincing over to his favourite lead.  'Why the long face, Braddy Babe?' he asked, adding, 'No pressies for Crimbo?'   Bradford forced a smile; Belsen might be acting in the book, but the loathing was true for him.  He had a pressing question, though.

'How do you do that mind reading stuff?  It really freaks me out,' he asked.

'It's a trick, just a sleight of italics,' replied Belsen, flicking his fringe.  'Change the font, and while everyone's adjusting to the slope, look ahead a few lines.  Easy when you know how,' he said.  Ryder sidled up to them.

'So, you admit being a psychic fraud?' he asked an embarrassed Belsen.

'It's fiction, for goodness sake,' replied Belsen.

'Nobody got hurt,' interjected Lady Bartholomew.  Daniels wandered over, a pint of lager in his hand.

'Except you've admitted to having two readers, are you suggesting they don't count?' he asked.

'Of course they don't count,' said Lady Bartholomew, 'otherwise they wouldn't have made it past chapter thirty.  To chapter thirty three, or whatever comes next,' she said, looking flustered, reminding Bradford that the Illiterati had friends in high places.

'At least they've got a life outside of this story,' he grumbled, looking for a second bottle of Bourbon.  It was only eight o'clock on Christmas morning and he'd finished his first bottle already, but then again, he was a stickler for tradition.

'Never mind all that,' interjected Lord Bartholomew, a copy of Variety in one hand, a Gin and Tonic in the other.  'It says here that the book is being filmed in the New Year, apparently the Author's struck the deal himself, wouldn't let anyone else negotiate the terms.'  Bradford took the proffered newspaper and scanned the article.

'It says it's a straight-to-Betamax?' he said, furrowing his brow.  He actually wanted to furrow someone else's but they were all busy in another part of the chapter.

'I suppose he knows what he's doing,' said Lord Bartholomew, unconvincingly, a sentiment shared by the readers.  The unconvinced bit, that is.

'Wasn't Betamax better?' asked Lady Bartholomew.

'That's not the point,' said Bradford, pointing at her chest.  Lady Bartholomew tutted.

'I think you'll find it is now,' she said, looking at his finger.  Bradford retracted the digit and continued anyway.

'But nobody will be able to watch it,' he protested, to an indifferent crowd.

'As opposed to no-one reading it?' suggested Lucas, before changing the subject.  'Are we having a Christmas barbie?' he asked.  Lady Bartholomew was visibly shocked, as being invisibly shocked is pretty much a waste of time in a dramatic piece, and boy, is she dramatic, thought Lucas.

'Good Lord no, we're British.  We stick to tradition in this country, especially the Landed Gentry.  McDonalds are preparing a take out for us later,' she huffed.  'Anyway Bradford, I've got you a present,' she declared, pulling up her ball gown and pulling out a small parcel.  Bradford's heart raced, beating his kidneys by half a lap.  His lungs came in third. 

'For me?' he asked as he took the present off Lady Bartholomew.  Pulling the paper apart he stared at the present, as he couldn't look at the past or future.

'It's my glint,' he said, popping it in, blinking rapidly as he'd got used to being without it.

Lady Bartholomew smiled to herself - the hired hand hadn't realised that she'd fobbed him off with a second hand glint, picked up at a market stall in-between chapters.  Now perhaps he'd stop whinging and, more importantly, might forget about the fee.

'Time to crack open the single malt,' she declared.

'What about the turkey,' asked Bradford, showing his glint off to everyone.  Lady Bartholomew huffed, it had been going so well.

You're going to have to specify which chapter you're talking about, or the glint gets returned, she said, despairing at the hired hand.
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Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Bah Humbug; whichever applies to your personal persuasion!
Missed the beginning? Click here to go to Chapter One

'Da Dan Brown Code' will be published in early January as 'The Last Simple'. Anyone who is registered as following either my blog or Twitter account will receive instructions on how to obtain a free e-copy of 'The Last Simple' shortly after it is published.

If you've enjoyed this chapter of 'Da Dan Brown Code' and haven't read the whole story then check out the earlier chapters in my blog and, if you haven't done so already, why not follow the blog. 'Da Dan Brown Code' has been serialised three times a week on Sundays,Wednesdays and Fridays until today.

Alternatively, why not buy 'The Last Simple' when it is published - it will have all the chapters in the book, most in the right order, and also the Christmas special and the deleted chapter.


I can be followed on Twitter too - @RayASullivan

Visit my books on Amazon (for Kindle owners) and Smashwords (for access to all other formats and access to Apple iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Sony, WH Smith, Kobo and many other good ebookstores

For quick access to the various Kindle, Kobo, WH Smith and Smashword links please use the table below to view my books

To View My books In....

Kindle US Store

Kindle UK Store

Kindle DE Store

Kindle FR Store

Kindle IT Store

Kindle ES Store

Smashwords

WH Smith

Kobo