E-books (Ebooks) - Open Books discussion

Dear friends,

Since our last newsletter much has happened at Open Books, so get ready for a fast recap of exciting new books by two new authors as well as other big developments.

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Simple Intent by Linda Sands

About the book:
When two legal interns uncover the case of a drug dealer wrongly convicted of murder, their simple intent is to free an innocent man and bring the guilty to justice, however their effort is complicated by a crooked cop, a mobster, his ambitious attorney and a secret alliance.

About Linda Sands:
Linda Sands is the author of three novels and multiple award-winning short stories and essays. She recently won a full scholarship to the Southampton Writer’s Workshop where she studied with Amy Hempel. Linda currently calls Atlanta, Georgia home.

Curtain Call: A Metaphorical Memoir by Alan Ramón Clinton

About the book:
Stalking academia, re-ordering double prints, living in a cave with an exiled Indian chief and a fetching Indian princess & rewriting the autobiography of Buster Keaton, Clinton's hapless and sophomoric intellectual narrator offers his poignant and very, very funny insights on modern-day culture in a series of slapstick misadventures.

About Alan Ramón Clinton:
Alan Ramón Clinton currently lectures at Santa Clara University in California. He is the author of a scholarly monograph, Mechanical Occult: Automatism, Modernism, and the Specter of Politics (Peter Lang, 2004) and a volume of poetry, Horatio Alger’s Keys (BlazeVox, 2008). This fall he will appear as guest editor for a volume of 2nd Ave Poetry entitled New Poetics of Magic.

UPCOMING TITLES

Tarantula Woman by Donald O'Donovan
Many of you may already have discovered the superb writing of author Donald O'Donovan through his previous two Open Books titles, Night Train: A Novel and The Sugarhouse: A Novella. If you have yet to discover this talented writer, pack your bags for a raucous yet sentimental trip to the Mexican-American border town of Ciudad-Juarez in Tarantula Woman where O’Donovan’s perennial character, Jerzy Mulvaney, is up to his old antics. And what might those be? Find out for yourself in the colorful novels of Donald O’Donovan. This book truly shines with O’Donovan’s special light! Tarantula Woman is scheduled for release in December 2010.

Naked at the Mic: The Survival of a Liberal in a Time of Peril by L.A. Steel
In Naked at the Mic: The Survival of a Liberal in a Time of Peril, radio talk show host L.A. Steel presents a forthright and compelling counterpoint to conservative broadcasters such as Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. Naked at the Mic details Steel’s interviews with well-known government officials as well as not-so-well-known sources that provide information and insights not heard on the evening news or on the New York Times op/ed page. From the beginning of the George W. Bush presidency and the onset of the Iraq war to the present, L.A. Steel offers the compelling and insightful observations of “a liberal in a time of peril.” Naked at the Mic is scheduled for release in January 2011.

The Virtual Life of Fizzy Oceans by David A. Ross
The Virtual Life of Fizzy Oceans is a big, big novel by Open Books’ most prolific author, David A. Ross. In his first novel since 2006, David introduces us to Amy Birkenstock (aka Fizzy Oceans in Virtual Life) who takes us on a first person journey through the Ages. Yes, the novel spans the course of recorded history and beyond, from pre-Biblical adventures to present-day circumstances, from cyberspace to Future Life. Add to that scenario the theme of environmental danger, as well as cameo appearances by such personalities as Mark Twain, Jacques Cousteau, Saddam Hussein, Al Gore, Paris Hilton, the Dalai Llama, Mahatma Gandhi, Moses, Jesus, Pliny the Younger and others and you have a novel that definitely crosses borders – both literally and figuratively. The Virtual Life of Fizzy Oceans is scheduled for release in January 2011.

NEW ON THE WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA

OPEN BOOKS DIRECT
In October 2010, Open Books launched OPEN BOOKS DIRECT, our online eBook store featuring all Open Books titles for purchase and easy download. All books are offered in .prc format (for Kindle) and .ePub format for B&N Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo Reader and others. Note: iPad users must download the Kindle app (free from Amazon) to enable the .prc files. Remember, Open Books authors earn more when you buy DIRECT from the publisher. So please support the efforts of authors and independent publishers by buying Open Books titles from OPEN BOOKS DIRECT.

NEW FACEBOOK GROUP -- There's an eBook in the Room
There's an eBook in the Room is a new Facebook group created by Open Books. The purpose of the group is to share information about eReaders and eReading. Post a photo of you with your favorite eReader; you’ll be surprised to see how many have already posted photos of themselves and their families with their Kindle, Sony Reader, Nook, iPad and other reading devices. It’s a fun group, so sign up and give us your best shot!

NEW INTERACTIVE BLOG -- Then and Now in America
Featuring the socially conscious novels of author Donald O'Donovan, The Sugarhouse: A Novella (nostalgia) and Night Train: A Novel (an account of present-day homelessness in America), Then and Now in America is an interactive blog sponsored by Open Books that invites you to share your then&now stories with members. Share your story as Donald O’Donovan has shared his with you!

OTHER NEWS -- Five Star Reviews for Calico Pennants: A Novel and Current and Upcoming Author Interviews with David A. Ross
Calico Pennants: A Novel by David A. Ross continues to shine as it has received several five star reviews from Amazon VINE VOICE reviewers. You can read an interview with David about Calico Pennants: A Novel as well as his upcoming novel, The Virtual Life Of Fizzy Oceans, with Vine Voice reviewer Candy Beauchamp on her book blog, Candy's Raves (and Rants).

Is that enough for this letter? We hope so. And we hope you will continue to follow Open Books in the future.

Happy eReading!

THE EDITORS