With time comes change. Years in the future, this change has resulted in a group of people called mutes who have special powers but because they are mutants hide from the government. Dr. Gladys Loder is one of the few doctors who help treat and mend mutes. So she was not surprised when a man breaks in and insists she accompany him. Jasper Savage, Jaz, turns out to need her for something totally unrelated to her medical abilities. Annoyed, Gladys decides to turn the situation around and put one over on Jaz as she takes something from him.

In many ways, Savage Scavenge is a study in prejudice. The mutes felt, rightly so, that they were the object of much discrimination and yet they felt the same way about others, unwilling to give them a chance. Jaz was fun to enjoy as we got to know him and his thoughts. Full of life and action, Jaz was at first annoying to Gladys. Using Jaz for her personal purposes kept the evening from being a total loss. Fun characters, humor, and heat abound from the pages of MaryJanice Davidson’s Savage Scavenge - just what we need for our summer reading.

Kind eReader,

Should you boycott Amazon?  Maybe, as book lovers, we all should.

I have hesitated to address this matter in Life of e, mostly because I myself am pretty conflicted about it.  After all, Amazon has great pricing and selection and that’s why I’ve made 95% of my book purchases through them for years.  They also sell more of my books than all other retailers combined, and a person hates to bite the hand that feeds them.

That said, I guess I’d rather let you know the facts and you can make up your own mind.

The problem with Amazon is that they want to rule the world of books.  There’s a fine line between healthy capitalistic desire for market share, and using coercion to the detriment of the public for the sake of profits.  Right now I think Amazon has crossed the line.

The first problem of this nature arose in Summer 2006 when Amazon, having purchased the ebook publisher/distributor Mobipocket, phased out selling other formats of ebooks (Adobe pdf and Microsoft lit).  Authors and publishers took a huge hit in sales from this change, and I daresay some even went out of business.  It took Amazon over a year to accomplish the justification for their policy change:  that being the release of Amazon Kindle, an ebook reader that requires an adapted version of Mobipocket format.  Now they sell only ebooks in Kindle format.

The positive spin on this scheme is that it could encourage a single format of product (like the rise of VHS) and simplify things for readers.  If the Kindle device were really excellent and affordable, the consumer would also benefit.  As of yet it is definitely not affordable ($400).  Kindle format books are not catching on quickly, and at this rate will never reach levels of the ubiquitous pdf.  In other words, six months after Kindle’s release, neither publishers nor readers (nor Amazon itself for that matter) has benefited from this Mobipocket-related power play.

Fast forward to spring 2008, and Amazon makes its next big move.  As opposed to the super-hyped Kindle release, this time Amazon acts so quietly and slyly that few notice at first and even now you may well know nothing about it.  What did Amazon do?  They contacted publishers using print-on-demand technology and informed them that unless they started printing their books using Amazon’s subsidiary, BookSurge, Amazon would not sell said books except as “new and used.”  In other words, no “buy” button, no free shipping eligibility, no in stock fast shipping status.

Those things are the kiss of death to publishers.  As an indication of how deadly, I’ll just tell you that most of the bigger POD publishers caved right away and agreed to switch.  And believe me, the new BookSurge contract takes a bigger bite out of publishers’ profits as well.

Clearly this impacts the options and cost for publishers.  It also affects readers.  In my experience and from online reports of others, BookSurge is the frequent object of complaints regarding both quality and timeliness.  My publishing house certainly has no interest in switching from the high quality, efficient and beautifully run Lighting Source, Inc. for POD services…the readers of my books deserve quality.  And readers also deserve to be able to purchase the books they want-regardless of who prints them-and get fast and free shipping.

Amazon has gone too far this time.  They have demonstrated they truly do want a monopoly on the new publishing technologies, both ebooks and POD print books.  Clearly their business plan is to eliminate other options for publishers and readers.  There’s nothing wrong with wanting to grow your business, but when you are willing to do so at the expense of your suppliers and, worst of all, your customers, that’s when it’s time to call in the anti-trust lawyers.

Which is exactly what has happened.  Countless complaints of anti-trust violations have been filed against Amazon in the past weeks, including a class action suit.  I myself have filed an anti-trust complaint, and also stopped purchasing anything from Amazon.

On the other hand, I’m afraid you won’t be seeing me removing all the purchase links to Amazon for my books (that would be a daunting task anyway).  I recognize that’s pretty hypocritical, but for a lot of readers, if Amazon doesn’t sell your book, they won’t buy it.  Which is why we POD publishers are in this pickle.  I don’t want Amazon forcing me to lose them as a retail channel, so how much sense does it make for me to cut them off myself by taking down links?

But I can say to you, please show your dismay with Amazon by buying your books from other online retailers, like Barnes & Noble and Powell’s.  It’s in the best interests of authors and publishers like me, but more importantly, it’s in the best interests of readers everywhere, that Amazon learn to play fair.

eRead on,

Diana

Diana Laurence is the author of the Soulful Sex anthologies of erotic romance fiction, and released her latest book “Bloodchained” in September 2007 (http://www.bloodchained.com/). Diana’s works are published by Living Beyond Reality Press (http://www.livingbeyondreality.com/). Visit her at www.dianalaurence.com or enjoy her blog at http://www.eroticawithsoul.blogspot.com/.

This is a story where just one more page has to be read all through the book, as the tension-filled opposition between characters is superbly written. Whether the encounter is only packed with sincerely expressed feelings or contains more terrifying physical danger, Beth Cornelison keeps the anticipation riveting.

After Jackson McKay is awakened one night by intruders, he at first believes they are burglars. Unfortunately, they are much worse as he and his young daughter are forcibly taken to a mountainous locale by the demanding group. Jackson works for a medical research company, and the information about his top secret work is what these people want from him. Although the statistics he has discovered can be used for curing diseases, it can also be used to distribute lethal toxins to humans and these mercenaries want it for their own extreme objectives. When his daughter’s life is threatened, Jackson’s emotions are divided as he does not want to cooperative with the terrorists yet concern for his child comes first.

When a forest fire leads to Jackson being able to escape from his captors, he hopes to come up with a plan for rescuing his daughter. He did not count on the arrival of smokejumpers in the area, and certainly not for them to become involved in his dilemma. Unfortunately, they do become mixed up in the deadly predicament, and one of them, Lauren Michaels, offers to help him get aid from the authorities by being his guide around the fire. Jackson and Lauren find themselves working together to save his daughter plus stop the terrorists from carrying out their scheme, while their own rousing desires blaze to life.

Beth Cornelison creates characters who speak to the heart of the reader, where one will become totally absorbed in their lives. Each individual has a distinctive personality, and Ms. Cornelison discloses inner secrets to make connections even more deeply felt. In UNDER FIRE, there are differences of opinions between several characters, and the reasons for these disagreements are clearly shown with often touching insight. Jackson and Lauren are certainly memorable characters, as the basis for their heartfelt emotions comes to light and made me truly care about them. This couple frequently leaves unspoken how they actually feel for each other, and these moments are especially moving from the honest way they respond. When these two did not agree on a course of action, the atmosphere around them is almost palpable with stress. Their more intimate scenes are overflowing with passion yet also fueled by earnest feelings. When it comes to the dangerous aspects of the story, there is an abundance of harrowing escapes and escalating suspense. When peril is surrounding more than one character at a time in a different location, Ms. Cornelison seamlessly keeps the action gripping as each detail is revealed. And just when the reader thinks a beloved character may finally be safe, another unanticipated incident befalls this person. UNDER FIRE grabs the reader with its intriguingly action-packed plot, while the genuine emotions keep you enthralled.