A Magical Trilogy
Part III of IV
By now you should have an eb0ok to read. Even if you haven’t found a magic one you like you can go to Barnes & Noble and download a freee one.
How will you read your ebook? If it’s in PDF form you can download Adobe Acrobat reader at no charge. What if it is in a different format? Then I suggest you try Stanza.
What if you want to read on the go? Smartphones are the answer. The Apple iPhone will allow you to read epub formats if you install Stanza on it. You can e-mail PDF files to yourself and open them on your iPhone. I prefer using the HTC EVO, or any Android based phone, for reading on the go when it comes to phones. The operating system isn’t as restrictive as the Apple OS. You can easily moves files on and off Android phones.
The best method, in my opinion at this time, is the nook by Barnes & Noble. You just can’t beat this system right now. You have a paperback book sized device that carries 2000 books. Unlike the Amazon ereader you can easily drag and drop books onto the nook just as if you were moving files between folders on your computer. The only drawback is it will not play video files because of the way eInk works. I can live with that though because of the massive amount of storage this thing has. If you wanted to take your current printed books, scan the pages into PDF form and read them on your nook you could. Just don’ t post the files on the internet for others to take. Also, it works with various file types. I use the nook for reading magic books, regular books and it even has a built in mp3 player. You just can’t go wrong with it.
Head to your local Barnes & Noble to take a nook for a test drive and you will see how incredible the nook is.
By now you have probably noticed that this Trilogy consists of four parts. My original plans called for three parts but as I was working with a couple of authors I realized a fourth part was needed. You will see it soon.
A Magical Trilogy
Part II of IV
I know what you are thinking.
If I put my best work out as an ebook pirates will take it and give it away for free!
Yes, they will. If you make your work available anywhere somebody is going to share it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a magic book, a magic dvd, a monthly magazine, a Hollywood blockbuster or even a new paperback novel describing the loves and lives of vampire mice.
I find the piracy argument to be a waste of time. Ever since Ug painted on his cave people have been copying the work of others. Prior to ebooks people were copying magic books at the office Xerox machine. Prior to magic video downloads people were copying DVDs and VHS tapes. Prior to all of this people were learning new routines and moves from books and sharing them with others at their local magic club meetings.
I’m not saying piracy is a good thing. It’s simply an unavoidable thing. It would be better for people to concentrate on the quality of the product than to worry about who may get their hands on it.
This was my ESB post. It’s a little scary and the bad guys seem to have the upper hand. The next one will be a happier one.
A Magical Trilogy
Part I of IV
Am I the only one, outside of those that publish and sell them, to notice a steady decline in magic book sales?
I remember in the early 90′s that while magic books would sell that most people I met would rather buy a new packet trick than a new book. Even if they were the same price. Today I hear of sales being worse and younger magicians not even wanting to touch the books unless they come with a DVD. It makes me sad.
There is a bit of hope though. The ebook market continues to grow. Places like imentalism, Lebanon Circle, Lybrary, Trickshop and others are selling ebooks every day. A big plus I see for the ebook magic market is that the books are quite often very affordable compared to printed books. I am also finding that there a number of lower priced ebooks that contain 3-10 effects in them. If you haven’t tried ebooks yet visit any of the vendors above and find something of interest.
The best ebook I have seen so far comes from Elliot Bressler. His book Switchcraft is an incredible collection of billet moves and routines. For les than $30 you will receive a PDF big enough to make Stephen King jealous of the word count. This is an incredible work on billets and is not to be missed. It’s also a great example of why ebooks are, in my opinion, the future of magic publishing. After purchasing Switchcraft you will receive updated version from Elliot at no charge. The updates he has put out have been incredible and I count the purchase of Switchcraft as one of the best magic investments I have ever made.
If a mentor ever encouraged you to pick up a magic book, say thanks.
Thank you Gary!
So what book am I moving on to now that the Sith version of Gilligan is behind me? The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy! Don’t Panic.
I believe it was my brother that introduced me to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy. The entire series is a great read and I encourage you to give it a chance if you haven’t already. Your local book store possibly has the fake leather and gold leaf page version for sale.
Ever since the movie came out a few years ago I can’t imagine Ford Prefect as anybody but Mos Def. Nor can I imagine Trillian as anybody but Zooey Deschanel.
Mmmm, Zooey Deschanel.
nook note: I am becoming very spoiled by my nook. If you haven’t tried one yet go by your local Barnes & Noble and take one for a test drive.
I am just over fifty pages into The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud and I’m really enjoying it.
You may have seen the commercials for the movie adaptation of this story. So far they have not provided any spoilers that were not revealed in the book description.
Charlie and his young brother Sam “borrow” the neighbors car to go see a baseball game one night. On the way home tragedy strikes and the story takes off.
Synopsis from Barnes & Noble “The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud tells the haunting story of a young man who narrowly survives a terrible car wreck that kills his little brother. Years later, the brothers’ bond remains so strong that it transcends the normal boundaries separating life and death. Charlie St. Cloud lives in a snug New England fishing village. By day he tends the lawns and monuments of the ancient cemetery where his younger brother, Sam, is buried. Graced with an extraordinary gift after surviving the accident, he can still see, talk, and even play catch with Sam’s spirit. But townsfolk whisper that Charlie has never recovered from his loss.”
I am reading this book on the nook.
04AUG10 – The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud has been added to my list of Favorite Books. I highly recommend you pick up a copy today.
I enjoyed Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. It was pleasantly violent but not quite in the way I imagined. There was one wonderfully violent scene in the book along with a lot of vampire kills and deaths. I expected more violence than there was. Perhaps I’m just over exposed to violence?
The story would have stood well on it’s own without the main character being Abraham Lincoln but I doubt publishers would have picked it up or a movie deal been struck.
The best thing the book did was inspire me to learn more about Abraham Lincoln. Beyond works of fiction it seems he did lead a rather interesting life prior to entering politics.
Recommended.
The Painted Darkness by Brian James Freeman will be available from Cemetery Dance in November but you don’t have to wait to read it. As I mentioned in a previous post you can download and read it now. Click here to do so.
The story runs about 185 pages in PDF form. The download includes the story, an interview with the author, a letter from the author explaining why he decided to give the book away free before it hit shelves and comments from other authors. The published version of the story will include artwork from Jill Bauman.
The Painted Darkness tells two stories. One takes place on a winter day in Henry’s life when he was a child and the other on a winter day when he was a grown man. The stories are told over alternating chapters.
As a young boy Henry had a very active imagination. When his classmates were playing together on the playground he would sit on the side and explore worlds created in his mind. One morning young Henry wakes up to discover the world is covered in snow and waiting for him to explore it. This is the day Henry learns monsters are real.
Twenty years later Henry finds himself and his imagination painting in his attic, his wife has left with his child and the boiler demands his attention every twelve hours. This is the day Henry once again learns that the monsters are real.
Mr. Freeman has done a wonderful job of writing a horror story that both dedicated horror fans and casual readers can enjoy. It’s an easy read and you’ll find yourself losing time as you don’t want to put the book (B&N nook in my case) down.
I don’t want to give away much of the story because I really enjoyed it and don’t want to take that sense of discovery away from you as a reader. Do yourself a favor, download the darkness. I’m looking forward to holding a printed copy from Cemetery Dance.
A note for parents: I wouldn’t recommend this for kids under thirteen. You’ll find the gore is limited and there isn’t any sex. Looking for a good first horror book for your kid? This is it.
Bonus: It doesn’t have any sparkling vampires.
Looking for a new book to read? Brian James Freeman has offered his new book, The Painted Darkness, free at http://www.downloadthedarkness.com/ It’s in PDF form and ready for most e-readers. I’m currently reading it on the nook. Review coming later.
