There have been some interesting developments recently in the development of the sub $200 ebook reader.   Manufacturers are looking at cheaper ebooks.  So here’s the latest news… 

First for eInk lovers, Bebook are planning a new, cheaper reader to go with its Cybook. The Cybook is open source, and the mini Bebook will be the same. Greyscale, with a screen one inch smaller than the regular Bebook, but with the capability of reading pdf*, mobi, lit*, epub*, html, txt, prc, fb2 and jpg files. And a retail price of around $190. Wow.

There are two other newbies which would make fantastic ereaders for people like me who prefer a backlight and colour:

First, the cheap Internet tablet (otherwise known as a UMPC), the SmartQ 7. This baby is meant as an Internet browser, but as such it’s underpowered, according to the reviews. It runs on Linux, like some other e-readers. The difference between this and an Internet browser like the Nokia 810 is the size of the screen. It will read html, pdf and the formats supported by fbreader. SD slot so you can load up your books on that instead of going through the computer route, and transfer your library between devices if you want to. And battery life of 8 hours plus. I have to say that after seeing a Youtube video on using it as an ereader, this one’s for me. Price? Around $190. Uncanny.

And then there’s the Crunchpad. Similar to the Q7 and recently announced, it’s getting the geeks excited. Intended as another Internet browser, it looks like another promising ereader candidate. The screen might be bigger than the Q7, but nobody really knows, not yet. And it looks really pretty. They’re just saying that they want it to sell for under $200, but we’ll have to wait to find out.  [Ed.: I like the easel function - handsfree reading.]

And how about Google entering the market? There have been rumors for months, but so far, no definite news.

Lastly, there’s the Plastic Logic device. Another nice-looking eInk reader, this one is supposed to be launched early next year, with a bigger and more resilient screen. As someone who is on her second eBookwise because the first one broke, I like the sound of that.

Listen, people, I read a lot of books. My current readers are the Ipaq 4700 and the eBookwise, which have seen me through many many happy hours of reading. I also use my Vye tablet and my Asus mini netbook. The Vye is a bit heavy and the battery is crap, and since it runs on full Windows, it takes a few minutes to boot up, which can be annoying.

But I’ll test devices, really I will. These new devices have me drooling. How about you?

This just in…

Amie Stuart is planning a big bash to celebrate the release of her next book, Hittin’ It, next month on the 24th.  So head on over to her blog to get in on the fun!

~ Beginning February 1 she’ll be giving away books every day for 14 days. Yep, you heard right. Two weeks! And she says she has a ton of’em, so you don’t want to miss this!

~ Books from Amie’s backlist and from such authors as Carolyn Jewel, Larissa Ione, Raine Weaver, Denise McDonald, Steph Tyler, and Eliza Gayle, among others, will be up for grabs.

~ The Grand Prize is a $50 gift card to either Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com — winner’s choice — and Amie’s signed backlist, including a copy of Sex…on Holiday.

~ Rules and fine print will be posted on Amie’s blog this week.  Mark your calendars so you won’t forget!

Consider yourself flashed.

Better late than never, I say.  Here is the first in a new series of columns.  All the latest and best news from Harlequin!  Read on to get the scoop….Harlequin Celebrates – December 2008

Hi everyone! We’re Amy, Aideen, and Malle from Harlequin, and we’re thrilled to be bringing you news through The Good, the Bad, the Unread – especially since 2009 is a big year for us. In 1949 Richard and Mary Bonnycastle of Winnipeg, Manitoba started up a little publishing company—Harlequin! That makes 2009 our 60^th anniversary, and we’ve got lots of special treats for our readers to celebrate. Here’s a sneak peek of what you can expect throughout 2009:

•  16 free ebooks

• New editions of bestselling authors’ very first romance novels (including Debbie Macomber, Jayne Ann Krentz, and Diana Palmer) with the “Famous Firsts Collection”

• An exhibit of 60 years of Harlequin cover art in New York City [Ed. Note: Yay NYC!  I'm goin']
  

• Man of the Month revs up again in Silhouette Desire, beginning with An Officer and a Millionaire by Maureen Child in January (we’ve included a “Browse the Book” widget so you can read the first chapter here, too)

• “Series Spotlight” on a different Harlequin imprint each month, with their own special events and products. Here’s an exclusive look at our spotlight schedule!

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But you’re probably wondering what’s new in December, right? Harlequin does have some new goodies from this month, too!

First, Harlequin Medical Romances are now available in eBooks for the first time—so if you have a thing for hot docs (and really, who doesn’t?), you can get these books (which aren’t available in stores) right away.

Here’s something we’re sure you’d be interested in—from Dec. 23-31^st, we’ll be having a FREE eBook a day in our eBook Store! Just a little holiday gift from Harlequin.  [Ed.note: Now I'm really sorry I didn't get this up sooner]

December also sees the publication of great new titles, including:

Olivia Gates – who writes sheikh books for Silhouette Desire – makes her paranormal debut with Mortal Enemy, Immortal Lover (Silhouette Nocturne Bites). It features an immortal half-vampire, half-demon hero who falls in love with an Eradicator, a breed of human with special powers trained from childhood to eliminate all demons. Gulp!

 Vampires also collide with the holidays in the Holiday with a Vampire II anthology by Merline Lovelace and Lori Devoti. Who says spooky heroes only come at Halloween?

 Some miniseries that are being wrapped up this month: A Holiday Mystery at Jenkins Cove gets tied up in Christmas Delivery by Patricia Rosemoor (Harlequin Intrigue) [Ed. Note: See my review]. The last of the Saxon heirs gets hitched (and a baby) in Tessa Radley’s Pregnancy Proposal (Silhouette Desire), the conclusion of her New Zealand-set series The Saxon Brides. The Billionaire in Penthouse B by Anna DePalo is the sixth and final book in the Silhouette Desire series Park Avenue Scandals, about the sexy secrets and adventures of the residents of a glamorous Manhattan building (and even if you missed the rest, the whole series is also available in the Park Avenue Scandals eBook Bundle). And yet another Desire series is concluding this month: Gifts from a Billionaire delivers its last surprise just in time for Christmas with The Tycoon’s Secret by bestselling author Kasey Michaels.

Need some—ahem—warming up this winter? We’ve collected twelve naughty holiday-themed novellas by authors like Jane Porter, Alison Kent, and Michelle Reid in the Red Hot Holiday Bundle.

Finally, with Christmas just around the corner, here’s a bit of inside scoop: eHarlequin’s top ten Christmas books of 2008…

1. All She Wants for Christmas by Stacy Connelly
2. Christmas Crime in Colorado by Cassie Miles
3. Who Needs Mistletoe? by Kate Hoffmann
4. One Magical Christmas by Carol Marinelli
5. Once Upon a Christmas by Holly Jacobs
6. Holiday with a Vampire II by Merline Lovelace and Lori Devoti
7. The Duke’s New Year Resolution by Merline Lovelace
8. Mistletoe Reunion by Anna Schmidt
9. Yule Be Mine by Jennifer LaBrecque
10. Marry-Me Christmas by Shirley Jump

We hope you all have a fantastic holiday and happy new year! We’ll be back in January to give you more news about a new enriched eBook from Harlequin Presents, more sales and giveaways, and what’s going on for our first Series Spotlight on Silhouette Desire.

 Happy reading!

~Amy, Aideen, and Malle

This just in…
The ladies at Access Romance have redesigned the site, and to celebrate its launch, they’re giving away stuff all month long! If you haven’t checked out this site before, get yourself over there now!

Access Romance is the place where “readers and authors connect”, and it has a wealth of goodies for romance fans. Access Romance features news and contests from many different authors, and is the home of two group blogs: Authors All-Ablog, and Readers Gab.

~The Reader Bailout Contest: If you sign up for the monthly newsletter, you will be entered to win a $250 gift certificate to the online bookstore of your choice.

~Sixteen Stocking Stuffers: This month, the eight ladies of Reader’s Gab (including moi) will be blogging about a favorite romance. Two commenters on each post will win a copy of the chosen selection. Up first–Meriam’s musings on The Erotic Secrets of a French Maid by Lisa Cach.

~Holiday Contest: Daily prizes will be awarded by AR authors. See the full list of prizes and the rules.

~Check out their contest page for details on the monthly contest and individual author contests.

Consider yourself flashed!

CONGRATS To LORA LEIGH

Lucky #13 on The New York Times bestseller list

for November 25, 2007!!!!

“13 NAUTI NIGHTS, by Lora Leigh.A Kentucky marine woos a woman he’s lusted after for years; the second book in the Mackay Cousins trilogy.”