ebooks Archives - Jessica Ferguson

I’m not a Kindle lover. I own one because I won it in a contest. And yes, I rush to Amazon when friends tell me they have a new book available or I see a FREE book that sounds promising. The few books I’ve read and finished on my Kindle (okay, four or five at the most) have kept my interest and have been well written. And I have to admit, I seem to read faster using the Kindle than if I’m holding my beloved print books. But, I’m kicking and screaming. I hate change. I’d rather own a print book–no matter how long it takes me to read it and no matter how much it weighs. I like having real page-turning paper in my hot little hands. I like seeing bookmarks and flyers hanging raggedly out of my books. I like taking a pen or pencil or marker and making notes in the margin, underlining beautiful passages or quotes. I’d rather spend the money for what’s often referred to as a real book, than a couple of bucks for a book I can’t prop up on my shelf and admire. I like flipping back and forth and viewing the cover any time I want. I like knowing exactly what page I’m on and exactly how many pages I have left–with no effort. Silly? Probably–because change is coming. Rather, it’s here.

It breaks my heart to spend ten or twenty bucks for books I can’t stack on my bedside table. I refuse to do it. It has to be a mighty special friend/author/story for me to spend more than $5.00 in the ebook world. Does that sound mean? Maybe so, and here’s more meanness from me. There was a time I didn’t place much value on book reviews–after all, we have our own personal taste when it comes to reading material. I’m sad to say now I do. If reviewers complain about typos, ramblings, bad grammar, plot holes, I pass on purchasing. If we’re going to put our books out there ourselves, we have a responsibility to do it right. And you can take that to the bank!

Do you own a Kindle or another book reading device? How do you feel about finding typos and poorly constructed sentences in your books? Do you want the author to put forth some effort to learn his/her craft? Does it really matter? Am I just being mean? Let me hear from you.

Last week I purchased The eBook Formatting & Publishing Guide by Michael Lamendola.

I came across Michael on Twitter. He’d made some mouthy comment that capured my attention so I looked at a few more of his tweets. Someone was raving about his eBook guide. I checked it out. For 99 cents, why not?

Many of the books I purchase don’t deliver—or totally overwhelm me with info, so much that I can’t comprehend. Michael’s book was right on target. When he says step-by-step guide, he’s not lying. I read the entire thing immediately, highlighting all pertinent info. Yeah, I said pertinent. You see, Michael has a lot of commentary that doesn’t have to do with his step-by-step; he has jokes, derision, profanity–some of it’s funny, I guess. I cracked a smile now and then, but alot of it was distracting. And some of it just got old. At least for me. It’s nothing the kids don’t hear on the playground, but then, I’m not a kid so I don’t like that kind of stuff. I waded through it, highlighting all the way.

In spite of the ‘filler’ Michael really does share valuable info in an easy to read, easy to understand manner. In fact, there were times I wanted to reach out and hug him because he shares info that I haven’t read in other how-to books. It’s as if he’s sitting right there at your desk with you, telling you to do this…do that, but in real-talk. Once I memorize his instructions (make my notes) I’ll see what I can do about getting my own book on Kindle. And if his instructions don’t work, I’ll let you know. Oddly, I have faith in Michael’s book; something about his tone, his friendliness, his being there at the desk with me, built trust. If you read this how-to book, you’ll know what I mean–you’ll feel it too.

At the end of the how-to, Michael includes a few chapters of his two novels. Of course, I can’t read them. Profanity is an issue with me. But he’s an interesting guy. Did I tell you he’s a cruise ship singer? This author/actor/singer has a lot going for him.

You can listen to a podcast HERE . He discusses his reading/writing history. Verrrrrry interesting.

Check out his novel Dirty Work HERE. This is the first in the Red Fox series.
and his second book in the series is:

Thrift Store Bounty Hunters HERE:

If you like hilarious, fast-paced thrillers, these books are getting great reviews. Michael Lamendola might be your next favorite author.

K is for Kindle

Meet Michael Lamendola and his eBook Guide