Kindle Cuts Prices on 900 Ebooks

Amazon has launched another Kindle book sale called "The Big Deal." According to the online retailer, there are 900 ebooks priced between $.99 and $3.99.

Amazon made a similar price-cutting move back in June. That promotion was called Sunshine Deals and it  shook up the Kindle bestseller list. Almost one-third of the books in Amazon's top 100 during that period were part of the Sunshine promotion. About 80 percent of them - 24 books - were not Kindle bestsellers before prices were slashed.  

The only problem with the sale is that it's too easy to spend way more than you intend to. With such talented authors at very reasonable prices, it's hard not to!

Here's a look at some of the deals in romance:

$2.99

$.99

$2.99

$.99

$1.99

Click here for more on The Big Deal.

New Nook Outscores Kindle

The Nook Simple Touch, black and white with touch screen

More evidence that Barnes & Noble's Nook is nipping at the heels of industry leader Kindle by Amazon.

Consumer Reports  says the new version of the Nook e-reader, the Simple Touch, has outscored Kindle in its ratings for the first time.

According to Consumer Reports, both e-readers have black-and-white screens, but the Simple Touch also has touch-screen navigation and weighs less than the Kindle.

Amazon's Kindle

You can also borrow ebooks from the public library with the Simple Touch. Kindle is expected to add the library feature sometime later this year.

Consumer Reports also says an e-book reader is still the best way to go - rather than a tablet like the iPad - if reading books is your main use for the device.

The lighter weight makes holding it for long periods of time more comfortable and the screen is easier to read than the text on tablets' LCD screens, especially in bright sunlight.

How to Undress a Victorian Lady

At the recent Romance Writers of America (RWA) convention in New York, author Deeanne Gist gave a hands-on, clothes-on workshop on how to dress - and undress - your heroine.

According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, it took Gist an hour to put on everything that a lady would have worn in the 1860s. The pieces of clothing included stockings, garters, bloomers, chemise, corset, crinoline or hoop skirt, petticoats, a shirtwaist or blouse, skirt, vest and bolero jacket.

The Journal reports that 25 percent of all books sold are historical romances, according to book-industry analyst Bowker.

But getting accurate details on a lady's under-things takes a lot of work.

"When you're doing something where they're undressing in a love scene situation—these are the practical things that you never find in a research book," bestselling novelist Laura Lee Guhrke tells the Journal. "You want to be accurate."

Check out the video above for a close-up look at a Victorian lady's unmentionables.

Nook Outpaces Kindle in 1st Quarter Shipments

The Nook Color helped Barnes & Noble beat Amazon's Kindle in the eReader market for the first time, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC), which tracks media tablet and eReaders.

The Kindle was second, but the lack of color seems to have allowed the Nook to put a dent in Amazon's previous dominance of the eReader market.

That doesn't mean more Nooks have sold than Kindles. The IDC report refers to the number of eReaders shipped - not purchased. 

All in all, the eReader market is doing well. IDC expects there to be a 24 percent increase over last year in the number of eReaders that are shipped.

I can certainly see the appeal of the Nook. I chose a Kindle for my birthday last year, primarily because I wasn't sure if the Nook would be around for long. Clearly, I miscalculated! I enjoy reading on my Kindle but I can't say that I love it. I do wish it had color and a touchscreen.

And reading magazines on the Kindle is one of the more lackluster experiences out there.

I have to admit I am now eyeballing the Nook for my next birthday. It seems a little wasteful but I find I'm craving a little more color in my life.

Ebooks Give Treebooks a Push

At least one publisher is betting on the idea that ebooks can help traditional  retailers sell books.

Algonquin has started a promotion at 300 Barnes & Noble stores which offers a discounted ebook to customers who purchase an Algonquin trade paperback, according to The New York Times.

Algonquin plans a similar promotion in October. Customers who buy a hardcover copy of "When She Woke," by Hillary Jordan will receive a digital version of the book for free.

“We spend a lot of time lately trying to figure out how to sell books in this new world order,” Elisabeth Scharlatt,  Algonquin's publisher, told the Times. “And particularly to help booksellers to sell hardcover books, which seems increasingly difficult. So this seemed like one way of calling attention to a book by giving an incentive to the customer.”

The Times reports publishers are concerned about declining traffic at physical bookstores as more ebooks sales are made online. If physical bookstores disappear, publishers worry their books will not have an opportunity to be discovered by customers who wander into a store without knowing what they want to buy.

This month's Algonquin promotion lets customers choose a trade paperback from a list of 12 titles, and then buy an ebook for $3 from a separate list of 12 titles.

RWA Honors Best in Romance

 The 2011 RITAS were announced this weekend in New York. The RITAS honor the best in romance fiction for 2010.  Here's a rundown of the honorees as selected by the Romance Writers of America. Congratulations to all of the winners!

 Best Paranormal Romance
Sharon Ashwood for “Unchained: the Dark Forgotten”

 Best Romance Novella
Virginia Kantra for “Shifting Sea”

 

Best Contemp Series Suspense/Adventure Romance
Helen Brenna for “The Moon that Night"

  

Best Young Adult Romance

Julie Kagawa for "The Iron King"

  

Best Regency Historical Romance
Lauren Willig for "Mischief of the Misteltoe"

 

Best Historical Romance

Sherry Thomas for "His At Night"

 

 

Best Contemporary Single Title

Jill Shalvis  for "Simply Irresistible"

 

 

Best First Book

Kaki Warner for "Pieces of Sky"

 

Best Novel With Strong Romantic Elements

Jodi Thomas for "Welcome to Harmony" 

Best Inspirational Romance

Irene Hannon for "In Harm’s Way"