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Dec. 28th, 2011
The latest eruption on eBook pricing happened over at John Scalzi's blog today. Basically, someone flew through on a Big Idea post and said they would not buy the book because of the price of the eBook. John feels that this is a useless endeavor, since the author has no control over the cost of the eBook, pricing is off-topic, it's mean to the author, and he's tired of the whole business. So he'll be deleting future such flybys on his blog.
Over on Dear Author, fans who feel that pricing should be discussed everywhere, every time, because price is IMPORTANT and NYC eBooks cost too much are having a jolly donnybrook. In their world, the publisher doesn't care and the author is accessible, so they go to the author.
Writer Ilona Andrews has kindly taken a moment out of their writing time (a deadline looms in the headlights) and uses some simple, effective metaphors (and possibly a simile; I wasn't counting) to explain that an author can hope to impact a lot of things at their publisher. But the cost of eBooks? Rare to Never is the chance of anything happening.
I'm perfectly willing to discuss eBooks prices over fluids at a convention, but we don't need to start on this blog. I can impact my self-published SF novels, and at least one of them is currently on sale at each of my three major retailers. So if you want to discuss this, there are three links above with plenty of folk to converse with on the topic.
I'm posting this as a service to fledgling writers. There is controversy -- be aware.
Over on Dear Author, fans who feel that pricing should be discussed everywhere, every time, because price is IMPORTANT and NYC eBooks cost too much are having a jolly donnybrook. In their world, the publisher doesn't care and the author is accessible, so they go to the author.
Writer Ilona Andrews has kindly taken a moment out of their writing time (a deadline looms in the headlights) and uses some simple, effective metaphors (and possibly a simile; I wasn't counting) to explain that an author can hope to impact a lot of things at their publisher. But the cost of eBooks? Rare to Never is the chance of anything happening.
I'm perfectly willing to discuss eBooks prices over fluids at a convention, but we don't need to start on this blog. I can impact my self-published SF novels, and at least one of them is currently on sale at each of my three major retailers. So if you want to discuss this, there are three links above with plenty of folk to converse with on the topic.
I'm posting this as a service to fledgling writers. There is controversy -- be aware.
Magic Gifts by Ilona AndrewsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This novella is a holiday gift from the authors to their readers, so get over there quickly! The 35,000 word novella takes place after Magic Slays and alongside the forthcoming GUNMETAL MAGIC, the next Kate Daniels book (and the latter is from Andrea's POV, so we have new worlds to explore!)
I don't want to give anything away, so let me say that it's from Kate's POV, and begins simply. Kate and Curran (The Beast Lord and now Kate's mate/husband/sweet babu) are going off for a date -- a simple, uncomplicated meal at a place Curran likes.
But there they witness a strange magical tragedy -- and the follow-up is even worse. Suddenly Kate and Curran are racing against time to try and save the life of an innocent child. Of course it becomes complicated -- and very dangerous.
But it's also humorous, too. We get drunk Vikings calling people out, attack lawyers and undead complicating the issue. We will see the Andrews' wonderful skill at convincing us that some magical foes are Scary in ways we can barely perceive. We also get some hints about GUNMETAL MAGIC, and a few of the threads from other tales are woven into this tapestry as grace notes.
If you find this review after the free zone has passed, don't despair -- it will be an extra in the back of GUNMETAL MAGIC when that book comes out.
Yes, this is an unedited version. Deal with it!
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