Stock Up Now, Read an E-book Week is March 4-10

It's READ AN E-BOOK WEEKMarch 4-10, 2012
I caved this year and bought myself a Kindle. While the feel of real paper and a bound book in my hands is truly exquisite, I began to notice the convenience of "the e-book" as I won a contest here or there and received a free book, or I was sent a book to review or edit. On one side I had piles of books and no more shelf room and on the other I had volumes of reading material on a computer disk or, better yet, a thumb drive to plug into my Netbook while I sat in the living room.
Then I found GOLD - some e-book retailers offer their specific reading applications FREE for the computer. As soon as I found that out, I downloaded and installed Kindle for the PC, Nook for PC, and the Sony e-Reader. In addition I already had Adobe (.pdf) reader and word processing that opens .txt. So you don't even need a separate e-reader to enjoy the convenience and economy of e-books.
I felt like I was sitting in front of an entire library wall all my own!
I decided to go the whole route though and after researching available e-readers, chose one that fit my budget and my needs the best. There were a lot of surprisingly affordable choices. I finally settled on a Kindle Keyboard 3G. I've found that e-books generally cost about one-third of the price of print books (some more, some less) so buying books re really economical. And a really fun fact, there are several FREE e-books in various formats available! My Kindle is loaded and anywhere I go, I always have terrific reading material.
*btw, all of my novels are available in print and e-book formats. Visit Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords.
Publishers, from the larger conglomerates to the small-press, have found the economy of publishing in e-book format (especially for a newer author) instead of absorbing the huge investment of a run of print books. And the convenience and speed of downloads is enough to impress any avid reader. If you need more convincing, here is a well stated article on the subject: The Book Is Dead Or Soon Will Be by Nicholas Hirst.
I still plan to patronize my local brick and mortar bookstores, especially the Indie stores - but my Kindle is here to stay. To help you stock up for this year's Read An E-Book Week, here are a few FREE .pdf downloads: Until the Ambulance Arrives Love and Chocolate Nature's Gifts 2011 A Gift For You from VHP Authors Celebrate Glacier National Park and Sweet Victory Companion Cookbook
Happy Reading!