Happy 2013!!!

Happy New Years Eve to Everyone One

Wishing Everyone a safe and happy New Years Eve!!

Pretty Snow

The snow is still coming down, but more of a mist now.  Not likely to get more than another inch.  It's quite beautiful.  Too bad it didn't come Monday.

Boxing Day Surprise

View out my front door...birds furious feeding

We got almost three inches.  20 miles north of us got nearly a foot!  We stayed at 33 degrees so it was mostly rain all night.  Has the temperatures dropped just a couple degrees we would have been snowed in.

The winds are hard, wind chill bitter.  Maybe another inches or so.

A Boxing Day Snow!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Merry Christmas to Everyone.
 I hope you found peace and fellowship on this special day.

London Police move to enforce copyright crime

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121217/12455321410/london-police-to-set-up-special-copyright-crime-police-force.shtml

London Police To Set Up Special Copyright Crime Police Force

Merry Christmas and Yule from my home

Working on my new study

I am doing a new study, and just finished the accent wall behind the desk.  Rather fitting, I think, for an author who writes Medieval romances.

I have always love Accolades by Leighton, so was very thrilled to find it in a tapestry that just the perfect size to fit the wall.

John Mellencamp speaks out against piracy

John Mellencamp

Musician and Activist

"Tell me where, under today's conditions of de facto indentured servitude, will the new artists come from? If I were a young songwriter today, I would definitely be looking for another way to earn a living. The same would go for the young screenwriter or novelist. And what about the guy who only had one or two hit records 10 or 50 years ago? What happens to this guy who depends on that income to support his family if people are stealing those songs now? Tough luck, right? This is the thread of failure in front of all artists today. Art exclusively as a hobby -- that's the "new model" it seems. And to all you bloggers who have prophesized that this new way is going to somehow provide sustainable careers? Your prophecies did not and will never come true. If there is the occasional sparkle of success, it usually turns out to be nothing more than a novelty, not a new business model. We need to restore intellectual property to its rightful owners and reconstruct the business that has lost thousands and thousands of jobs plus billions of dollars in revenue."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-mellencamp/online-piracy-search-engines_b_2018332.html

Read the whole article.

Amazon launches new 8.9 Kindle HD

the all-new Kindle Fire HD.

Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G isn't just the best tablet for the price, it's the best tablet. $499 now gets you a large-screen HD tablet with a stunning 8.9" display, exclusive Dolby audio, dual stereo speakers, the fastest Wi-Fi, ultra-fast 4G LTE wireless, plus our new unprecedented $49.99 one-year 4G data package. Customers save hundreds of dollars in the first year compared to other 4G tablets. Kindle Fire HD 8.9" is also available in a Wi-Fi only model for $299.

Kindle Fire HD is the world's most-advanced 7" tablet, with a stunning HD display, plus the same exclusive Dolby audio, dual stereo speakers, the fastest Wi-Fi, and 16 GB of storage. Kindle Fire HD is just $199.

We are also introducing the world's most advanced e-readers,Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Paperwhite 3G.

You'll do a double take when you see Kindle Paperwhite—we've added 62% more pixels and increased contrast by 25%, so whites are whiter, and blacks are blacker. We've also added a revolutionary built-in front light for the perfect reading experience whether you're out at the beach or at home in bed.Kindle Paperwhite starts from just $119. Kindle Paperwhite 3Gis available for $179 with free 3G wireless—never pay for or hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. We've also updated our smallest, lightest Kindle with improved fonts and 15% faster page turns—it now starts at just $69.

Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Paperwhite are each in a class by themselves when it comes to hardware—there's nothing better. But the real magic is that they are also a service. When combined with our enormous content ecosystem, unmatched cross-platform interoperability and standard-setting customer service, we hope people will agree these are the best tablets and e-readers anywhere, at any price.

Amazon owns the rights to the backlist of Dorchester Pub

Amazon Publishing Acquires Publication Contracts to Over 1000 Books from Dorchester Publishing

SEATTLE—August 30, 2012—Amazon Publishing today announced that it has acquired through an auction the publication contracts of over 1000 books from Dorchester Publishing. As part of the process, Dorchester authors were offered the opportunity to join Amazon Publishing and receive the full back royalties that Dorchester indicated were owed.  

“Working with the Dorchester author community during this auction process has been a tremendous experience for all of us,” said Philip Patrick, Business Development Director at Amazon Publishing. “We are happy to be able to pay their back royalties and we’re thrilled to welcome them to the Amazon Publishing family.” 

“Amazon Publishing is breathing new life into my series, and I’m very excited to see what the future holds,” said Tracy Madison, award-winning author of the Gypsy Magic series.

“I am excited beyond words about being offered this chance to join Amazon Publishing.  I cannot thank them enough for stepping in and giving former Dorchester authors the chance to move ahead,” said Deborah MacGillivray, author and agent of the late Dawn Thompson, author of The Ravening. “Dawn literally lived for her writing. Amazon Publishing is helping me safeguard Dawn’s legacy, and to see that new readers can continue to find her books,” said Dawn’s sister, Diane Thompson.

“This new relationship will enable the works of countless talented fiction writers to serve their established readers and reach new ones across the globe,” said Gregg Loomis, author of The Bonaparte Secret.

“The transition from Dorchester to Amazon Publishing means that our authors will now be able to reach so many more readers and markets worldwide than they ever could before.  That truly is something to celebrate,” said Vicky Piekarski and Jon Tuska, co-owners of Golden West Literary Agency, in a joint statement.

Going forward, the acquired Dorchester titles will be published under the appropriate Amazon Publishing imprints: Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror titles to 47North; Romance titles to Montlake Romance; Mystery and Thriller titles to Thomas & Mercer; Westerns and other titles to AmazonEncore. Titles will be available both in print and as Kindle books. Under the terms of Amazon’s bid, any former Dorchester Publishing authors that chose not to work with Amazon Publishing will have their rights revert back to them to pursue other publishing opportunities including self-publishing via the Kindle Direct Publishing platform.

Amazon Publishing is the publishing arm of Amazon.com. Amazon Publishing’s West Coast Group includes imprints AmazonEncore, AmazonCrossing, Montlake Romance, Thomas & Mercer, and 47North. Amazon Publishing’s East Coast Group publishes adult trade, children's and young adult titles. For more information about all imprints of Amazon Publishing, 

visit www.amazon.com/amazonpublishing. Amazon Publishing is a brand used by Amazon Content Services, LLC.