Novelspot Gazette

For 2008, I have two wishes.First: This year, I’d like more people to discover e-books.It may sound like a selfish wish – after all, Calderwood Books publishes e-books, and I’m an e-book writer. But it’s more than just an urge to boost sales. I have three children, and I often wonder what kind of world I’m leaving to them. The word ‘materialistic’ comes to mind, with every child desperate to have the new i-pod, Wii game, or cell phone. There is also the worry that our planet is getting warmer, with devastating consequences. When I take my car to drive to the nearest village I feel guilty that I didn’t walk. And now, when I pick up a paperback book, I wonder how much of a carbon footprint it has left behind. After all – the paper had to be made from trees, and the inks made from toxic chemicals, and then the transportation burned fuel and oil. In the end, I am reading a luxury item, something that has added to the ecological burden my children will have to bear. That is why I’m proud to be an e-book publisher. It’s not making me millions, but I’m guilt-free in regards to the planet. I truly believe the future is in e-books.Second: I’d like someone to market a cheap, practical e-book reader.I’m frustrated by the e-book readers on the market. They are out of reach of most budgets and seem more concerned with bells and whistles than simply being a platform for e-books. A simple, easy-to-carry e-book reader with a clear, well-lit screen is all I ask for. And I’d love it to have clips so I can attach it to my jogging machine in the gym so I can read while I exercise.Here’s hoping that 2008 finds my wishes coming true!