According to a story in The Telegraph (UK), here are the top 10 authors by earnings for Jun 1 2007-Jun 1 2008:

continue reading "Writing Does Pay – At Least For These Authors"

Bummer – one of my favorite horror authors passed away two weeks ago: Ira Levin, author of ROSEMARY’S BABY, THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL, and THE STEPFORD WIVES, among other things, died Nov 12 at the age of 78 from a heart attack according to the New York Times.

Something I didn’t realize is that he only published 7 books over the course of a 40+ year career, with most of what I think of as his best work being written in the 1970′s. I guess when you produce such quality work, you don’t need to create a lot of it to make your mark! (I always prefer to reread books over and over again that I thoroughly enjoyed rather than to take a chance on something unknown when I want to be entertained – maybe that’s why I’d thought he’d written more than just 7. LOL)

I think my favorite of his books is BOYS – even if the technology that was used as part of the twist has become almost mainstream nowadays, when that book first came out it was cutting edge, touched on subjects I was fascinated with and a definite page-turner. Even today, the book’s quality shines through in its suspense and intelligence and handling of palpably horrific plot points. I never really liked ROSEMARY’S BABY as much or its sequel (probably seeing the movie first was part of the problem), but STEPFORD WIVES was also quite an original I thoroughly enjoyed that has been much parodied ever since it entered the vernacular so it’s lost quite a bit of its original edginess for anyone wanting to read it for the first time at this late date.

Something else I had forgotten about him was he was not only a novelist and playwright, but also a lyricist for a musical (DRAT! THE CAT! – 1965) I don’t know about you, but if it was anything like his books, I fear it would definitely make for quite an interesting, but probably quite twisted, evening. I’ll have to go surf the net to see if I can find more info on it.

Goodbye to yet another author who gave me quite a few hours of edge-of-the-seat, don’t-set-it-down-til-the-end reading…

With all the great new technology out there and so much time spent away from home, downloadable eBooks are finally coming into their own as the new way to read. When you consider how much space a new bestseller hardcover takes — think Terry Goodkind’s newest book CONFESSOR: Chainfire Trilogy, Part 3 at 608 pgs and more than 2lbs — and eBook versions seem a LOT more convenient to carry around in your handheld or SmartPhone and read at your convenience!

I don’t know about you, but I go crazy if I don’t have something interesting to read when I’m stuck waiting for my car’s oil to be changed or sitting in a doctor’s waiting room, but my poor purse definitely would explode if I tried to carry around my favorite Sci Fi or Fantasy hard covers (or even some of the mega-paperbacks…) So while I collect hardcovers and paperbacks at home, for my commute and travels, eBooks make the most sense. (I don’t read while I drive, of course, but as waits at stop lights get longer and longer, I can practically sneak a whole chapter in each way.)

For rabid readers who don’t particularly want to actually collect the books (or who don’t have the space for them) eBooks are such a great way to satisfy your need to read and also save money and time in your book hunts. The downloads are available immediately and are usually 10-50% or more off the price of buying the hardcover book. (Then, if you really love the book, you could pick up the ‘real book’ (hard or paperback) later — if you didn’t like the book, ERASE it, eh, and make room for something better on your phone or computer.)

Besides being easy and fast, I really like eBooks because they are environmentally friendly. Think how many trees breathe easier each time an eBook is downloaded versus another Stephen King mega-tome being printed. (I swear each time he writes a new one, a whole forest shudders…)

Here’s a small sampling of what’s hot this week on eBook:

1ST TO DIE – James Patterson
SWORD OF SHANNARA TRILOGY – Terry Brooks
HOW TO BE A WRITER – Stewart Ferris
STAR WARS MEDSTAR 2: JEDI HEALER – Michael Reaves

(Try Out eBooks.com: Buy One, Get One Free on Selected Titles!)

Amazon.com Widgets

Oct 29 – Nov 3
You: Staying Young: The Owner’s Manual for Extending Your Warranty by Michael F. Roizen
The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan
Home to Holly Springs (Father Tim, Book 1) by Jan Karon
Steve and Me: Life with the Crocodile Hunter by Terri Irwin
Why Marines Fight by James Brady

Nov 4 – Nov 10
Be a Real Estate Millionaire: Secret Strategies for Lifetime Wealth Today by Dean Graziosi
Stone Cold by David Baldacci
Rhett Butler’s People by Donald McCaig
Creation in Death by J.D. Robb
Stephen King’s Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born by Stephen King
Third Degree: A Novel by Greg Iles
The Chase by Clive Cussler
Heroes, Volume One by Various Authors – Illustrated by Tim Sale

Nov 11 – Nov 17
Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy, Part 3 (Sword Of Truth, Book 11) by Terry Goodkind
Double Cross by James Patterson
Five Wishes: How Answering One Simple Question Can Make Your Dreams Come True by Gay Hendricks

Nov 18 – Nov 24

Nov 25 – Dec 1
Blood Brothers (Sign of Seven Trilogy, Book 1) by Nora Roberts
The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz

Dec 2 – Dec 8
T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton

Want to know the names and dates of new release books from best selling authors for the month of September and October? Here’s a list of what’s coming up – see if any of your favorite authors have a new book coming out:

Sep 9 – Sep 16
YOU’VE BEEN WARNED by James Patterson & Howard Roughan

Sep 17 – Sep 23
HARRY POTTER BOXSET Books 1 -7 by J. K. Rowling
DEXTER IN THE DARK: A Novel by Jeff Lindsay
DEAD HEAT by Dick Francis
LOUDER THAN WORDS: A MOTHER’S JOURNEY IN HEALING AUTISM by Jenny McCarthy
THE BONE GARDEN by Tess Gerritsen
DAVE BARRY’S HISTORY OF THE MILLENIUM (SO FAR) by Dave Barry
THE HEROIN DIARIES: A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A SHATTERED ROCK STAR by Nikki Sixx

Sep 24 – Sep 30
PLAYING FOR PIZZA by John Grisham
THE CHOICE by Nicholas Sparks
RUN by Ann Patchett
MAKING MONEY (DISCWORLD) by Terry Pratchett
SHOOT HIM IF HE RUNS by Stuart Woods

Oct 1 – Oct 7
EXIT GHOST by Philip Roth
BE THE PACK LEADER: USE CESAR’S WAY TO TRANSFORM YOUR DOG… AND YOUR LIFE by Cesar Milan
BEYOND THE WHITE HOUSE by Jimmy Carter
DARK OF THE MOON by John Sandford

Oct 8 – Oct 14
CLAPTON: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY by Eric Clapton
WORLD WITHOUT END by Ken Follett
FATAL REVENANT by Stephen R. Donaldson
BLONDE FAITH by Walter Mosley

Oct 15 – Oct 21
BLOOD FEVER(Fever Series, Book 2) by Karen Marie Moning
THE ALMOST MOON by Alice Sebold
PANDORA’S DAUGHTER by Iris Johansen

Oct 22 – Oct 28
BOOK OF THE DEAD (Kay Scarpetta Novel) by Patricia Cornwell
A LICK OF FROST by Laurell K. Hamilton
NOW AND THEN by Robert B. Parker
SHAKESPEARE: THE WORLD AS STAGE by Bill Bryson
OUT OF SYNC by Lance Bass and Marc Elliot