Kobo Books - Kindle - Smashwords: the ebook and ereader revolution is on the rise!

If you've been following my tweets and blog recently, you'll notice I've really jumped on board the ebook wagon. Instead of only having ebooks availabe on Amazon (Kindle), as I had for a couple of years, I now have them available via Kobo Books and Smashwords. Here are my thoughts on each...

Kobo Books - First, let me say that I'm only just a bit too proud of this company. They originally launched as Shortcovers, a Canadian spin-off from Chapters (Indigo Books & Music) that really seems to like hiring guys named Michael. :-). That they're Canadian makes me very proud. That I was one of the first Canadian authors to get involved makes me even prouder. My novel The River was offered for a while as a free novel on Kobo.

Kobo now has their own eReader, and I can't wait to see it. I've heard awesome things about it. And for those of you who have smart phones (iPhones, Blackberries and others), as opposed to dumb phones like my old LG, you can download the Kobo app (I have it on my iPhone) and read books on your cell phone. You can also read them on your PC or laptop. Versatile, clean looking, easy to use, the app is awesome. I am sure the eReader is even better!

http://www.kobobooks.com/ and follow them on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kobo

Kindle - Amazon's eReader is sleek and easy to use, or so I've been told. I've only seen one in captivity in Canada so far; Amazon was a bit late on getting them across the border, which didn't score any brownie points with me--as an author or potential eReader customer. But I did get to hold one (I asked a stranger I met at Starbucks if I could see his Kindle...no, I wasn't being naughty!) And I was impressed. Lightweight, easy to read...and easy to buy books.

I have the Kindle app on my iPhone (okay, I'm a bit of an app addict, I'll admit it) and I find it works great. My only beef with it is this: as a Canadian customer I have to pay a $2 surcharge on every e-book I order. WhisperNet, they call it. Um...let me whisper this...I don't think it costs any more to send me the file than anyone in the US. And $2? I could see $0.50 maybe. Again, not scoring brownie points with me--and I have a LOT of Canadian fans. So guess where I'm sending them? KOBO!

Smashwords - Now here's a site that offers readers a wide assortment of ebook titles, some of them at reduced prices and a large number for free. Readers can download the ebooks they buy in multiple formats, making them readable on an assortment of devices. You can read online or offline. One of the best advantages to authors promoting their books via Smashwords is that we can control special sales by issuing coupon codes; this way we can give our readers discounts whenever we want to. Right now and until April 30th, 2010, my thriller Divine Intervention is available at 50% off the ebook price of $4.99. Just go to and be sure to use the coupon code: KQ82F.

No matter whether you choose an ebook or print edition, Kindle, Kobo or Smashwords, I wish you happy reading! :-)

Cheryl Kaye Tardif
http://www.cherylktardif.com/

My thriller THE RIVER shows up with Richard Castle's HEAT WAVE on home page of Shortcovers.com

I received an email today from my friends at Shortcovers.com, a branch off of Canadian bookseller Chapters.Indigo.ca. They let me know that my thriller THE RIVER is now featured on the home page. What an honour!

Of course, I had to go look, and there it was, tucked in between PURSUIT OF HONOR by Vince Flynn and HEAT WAVE by Richard Castle.

If you recognize the latter book title and author, you'll know that Richard Castle is the name of the character starring in the hit TV series "Castle", a cop show about a female cop who is paired with a famous author who helps her solve crimes. I'm a huge fan of the show! And now there's a book out--brilliant idea!

And Nathan Fillion is perfect in the role of Castle. He never fails to make me laugh, and his portrayal of a writer, with all the quirks, is dead on. You can follow Nathan on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nathan fillion.

Now, if you'd like to read an exciting thriller for free, please check out THE RIVER.

STEM CELL RESEARCH, CLONING, AND WORLD DOMINATION--WITH A TWIST...

The South Nahanni River area of Canada's Northwest Territories has a history of mysterious deaths, disappearances and headless corpses, but it may also hold the key to humanity’s survival―or its destruction.

Del thought her father was long dead. But someone from her past says otherwise. Now she and a group of near strangers embark on a perilous mission...

Download a free copy of THE RIVER at http://www.shortcovers.com. This offer is good until the end of November only. So get it now while you can.

You can read these ebooks on select cell phones and on your PC or Mac. If you have an iPhone, Blackberry, Palm Pre or Google Android, download the Shortcovers app so you can read ebooks on your phone.