How do you wrap an ebook? And Advent Calendar Day 2

I’ve been writing for a long time. My very first ever short story was written way back when – when I was at school  - and I was active in the Girl  Guides. I went in for my ‘Writer’ badge’  back then – I passed the test and got to sew the badge on my uniform sleeve. (I don’t think there is such a badge any more which is a pity.) Some month’s later I wrote another story – the title was Ghosts odf The Past – and I sent that up to  Guide magazine.  It was about a girl who went into an old deserted house and thought she had seen some ghosts who haunted it but they turned out to be a group from the local amateur drama group who were practising their current production, dressed in historical costumes. To my delight they published it in the magazine  and made it my first ever published piece of work.   That was the start of a long career as a writer – 2013 will see my 61^st new title (A Throne For The Taking)  published in June, 29 years  after my very first book The Chalk Line was published by Mills & Boon.  

One of the most interesting developments in my  long career has been the arrival – and huge success  - of ebooks and the way that now so many books are sold in this form.  I have a kindle and I love it. I can carry so many books around with me, with no trouble,  and I don’t have to worry about storage. But sometimes I do miss the reality of a ‘real’ book . I think I feel this now, with Christmas  coming close  and so many  family and friends asking ‘what would you like for Christmas ‘   or me asking the same question in reverse.  There are so many books I’d love to have to read, but not all of them are likely to ne ‘keepers’   the sort I’d like to have actual copies on my bookshelves.  My husband, friends have kindles too and I would love to gift them books – but how do you wrap an ebook? (I have to admit that on Christmas day a large proportion of the books under our tree are book-shaped. That’s because they are books – and that rectangular shape is so easy to wrap!).

Then there are the books that I’ve read recently  - and  would love to share with friends I now will love them.  There was  Pushing the Limits that I talked about last month, I know my son’s fiancée will enjoy that. Or  One Breath Away  a book that I know would grip my sister as it did me – but neither of these people have ebook readers  so I’d need to buy them a print copy so they could read it.

And then there are my own ‘oldies’ – the books I wrote  that  were published  ten or more years ago  and that have now been reissued as  part of the Harlequin  Treasury or Mills & Boon Vintage – I know several  people who would love to have copies of these to add to or even complete their Kate Walker collections but again the ebook form is tricky to give as a surprise  or even to put in a Christmas stocking!  I suppose I could give them a ‘voucher’ – ‘I promise to give you a copy of The Groom’s Revenge or Hers For a Night . . .'  But it isn’t quite the same is it?

So what do you do?  Do you  buy and wrap a print edition of  a book you know someone wants – or  download it for them on Christmas morning?  And if there’s something you want to read – would you rather have the Kindle edition – or a gift-wrapped  parcel  under the tree on Christmas morning?

Or perhaps there are  books that you don’t mind having two copies of – one as an ebook for convenience and one in print form for the pleasure of owning  the ‘real’ book?  I confess that I have some of those too – a complete collection of Dorothy Dunnett (her books are so bug they weigh a ton so reading is much   easier on my kindle) or Mary Stewart  where my print copies are treasured first editions.

If you’ve  visited my personal blog recently, you’ll  have seen that  from December 1^st I’m running my annual Advent Calendar giveaway – it’s a way of getting to know my lovely readers better. Every day I ask a question,  one for you to answer  in the comments section – and each day there is a special prize book give away – and old book or a newer one, a collection   . . .

Yesterday the prize on my blog was the 3 in 1 Collection Mediterranean  Tycoons – that’s still open if you want a chance to win.   And today’s prize is the 2008 title Bedded By The Greek Billionaire –

Taken for passion. . . or ruthless retribution?

As a naïve teenager, Jessica Marshall fell achingly in love with a gorgeous Greek – Angelos Rousakis.

But her clumsy attempt at attracting his attention cost Angelos everything.

Seven years later, Angelos Rousakis is back. Hard and powerful, he intends to claim what is his – and that includes Jessica. However the once innocent girl now pretends that she feels nothing for him. . . which only inflames his passion for her further. . .

As Jessica falls for the sexy billionaire all over again, she cannot be sure - Is he back for passion . . . or retribution?

This book was a Romantic Times Top Pick.

 So just tell me how you’ll be buying/reading books this Christmas and your name will go into the prize draw for Charlie the Maine  Coon to pick a winner (that's him at the top of this post getting ready to pick some winners  - when he's opened his own Advent Calendar for today!)  and you’re in with a chance of winning an extra Christmas gift from me.

Good luck!  - And come back and visit my blog everyday until Christmas Eve to have another chance at the Advent Calendar prizes. There will be a new one on offer every day!

And the winner is  - MARTHA!  Martha please email me - kate AT kate-walker dot com with your postal address and I'll put your copy of Bedded By The Greek Billionaire in the mail to you.
Everyone who didn't win - don't forget that the Advent Calendar giveaway continues over on my personal blog  from now until December 24th, with lots of books to give away.

My Self-Indulgent Week by Kate Walker

Winter is definitely here. The  clocks have gone back, the evenings are closing in so early – and  there are even  reports  this weekend of snow piling up in several places in the UK. I know it’s nothing like the appalling weather that has savaged  New York and other places recently  - but it’s a real sign that the seasons are changing.  (My thoughts go out to everyone affected by the terrible storm ‘Sandy’. I’ve watched the news reports  with shock and  deep concern and I hope that  the efforts to rebuild and repair  make things so much easier soon.  To anyone who lost loved ones or were injured in those appalling days, my deepest sympathies to you all. )

But here the cold weather is really rather a welcome event. I have just had my latest book accepted after working on revisions, and now I can say that A Throne For The Taking is scheduled for release in June 2013.  So I’ve ‘rewarded’ myself with a bit of time  off and a long, indulgent week of catching up on the reading  I  neglected while I had to concentrate on those revisions. And the  cold weather hasn’t worried me as I’ve curled up indoors – beside the fire, with a cat on my lap most days with my Kindle, and a few ‘real’ print books, and  escaped into  some imaginary worlds that other authors have created. It could rain (it’s certainly done that!)  hail, sleet – luckily there hasn’t actually been any snow -  and I wouldn’t care. I was perfectly happy.

What have I been reading? Well, one thing was that I made myself  a promise that I would try and work my way through my TBR pile – alternating romance with other books . I didn’t have to think about the next book of my own, not for this week – and I didn’t have to worry that very different reads would affect my romance style – so I could grab hold of whatever I wanted and go for it – here’s the result

Romances:

Doukakis’s Apprentice by Sarah Morgan – I’ve been meaning to read this since before it was nominated  - and then won – the RITA this year. Now I’ve finished it – well, I’m not surprised it won!

The Darkest of Secrets and The Husband She Never Knew by Kate Hewitt – two linked books about the Tannous brothers

Others:

One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf – a tense story centring round the day when an armed man goes into the local school. Told from many different viewpoints.  Gripping

Pushing the Limits – Katie McGarry.  Before I started to write full time, I was a children’s librarian  and I had a special interest in Young Adult books.  I would have bought this for the library like a shot  and I really enjoyed reading it  for myself.   Some of the best fiction is being written  in YA novels these days and this is a great example.

The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain – I’ve really enjoyed the novels by Diane Chamberlain that I’ve read – again, like One Breath Away, they’re written from multiple viewpoints.  This one wasn’t one of my favourites, but I still have another couple of her titles on my TBR list  and I’m looking forward to those.

While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky. This one was a present from my son for my birthday and I’ve  only just got round to reading it.   This was a compelling and emotional book  that sometimes dealing with some difficult issues and some complicated family relationships. But it was none the less enjoyable for all that. 

And finally – just for pure indulgence – the reissues of some of the 90s Modern ‘Vintage’ titles by Mills & Boon (Treasury in Harlequin) meant that I could indulge myself and go back and reread some of my ‘oldie’ favourites – Gold Ring of Betrayal and Passionate Scandal by Michelle Reid . The Second  Mrs Adams by Sandra Marton. And – OK, I’ll admit it, a little touch of nostalgia made me go back and reread a couple of my own ‘Vintage’ titles  - The Groom’s Revenge. Hers For a Night and The Unexpected Child.  It’s been so long since I read those that it’s almost like trying a new author!

So that’s what I’ve been enjoying this past week.  It’s been a real indulgence and a lot of fun. And escaping into these other story-tellers’ world has been a joy, and an inspiration – filling up the ‘well’ of my imagination so that I’m ready to look at my own next story with more inspiration and  interest than before.  And the great thing is that now with my TBR pile nicely reduced, I can indulge myself even further by finding some  new titles to add to it!

What about you? Have you read any  of these?  Did you enjoy them?  Or what  books have you tried and enjoyed lately ? What’s on your TBR list?  What would you recommend I should add to mine?

 

Kate's  really pleased to know that five of her earlier titles have been republished as eBooks in the new Mills & Boon Vintage (90s) collection. She’s not too sure about being described as ‘Vintage’. But they’re also republished in the Harlequin Treasury and she can cope with being a treasure!

 

You can find out more about Kate Walker, her books and her latest news over on her web site and her blog.