To E or not to E ~ by guest blogger K. Dawn Byrd

K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational romantic suspense. A masters degree in professional counseling helps her better understand her characters and what makes them tick. She's an avid blogger and moderator of the popular Facebook group, Christian Fiction Gathering. When not reading or writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband of 15 years while walking their dogs beside a gorgeous lake near her home and plotting the next story waiting to be told.

To E or Not To E

Okay. I'll admit it. I don't much like change. To be more accurate, I loathe change. When I heard snippets that e-Books were the wave of the future, I fought it with everything in me. I've been a book collector for over 15 years and have approximately 2,000 books in my home. The very existence of e-Books threatened my beloved print books. I vowed that I would never buy an e-Book (the enemy that might eventually extinguish the print books that I so loved so much.)

A Christian fiction book came out that I just had to read, but I didn't see it available as a print book. I e-mailed the author and she responded that it was available only in e-format. I kicked it around in my head for a few days and decided that I just had to have that book.

After I figured out how to download the first e-Book, I was hooked. I have the Kindle app on my laptop, my netbook, my Eken, and also my Blackberry. I have purchased dozens of e-Books since that first purchase.

I absolutely love e-Books. I'm not killing trees, using expensive ink or lugging around heavy objects. And best of all, I can read when I want on my cell phone. Anywhere. Any time. And, I can read in bed with hubby right beside me and don't have to worry about disturbing him with a bedside light. The font is adjustable and right now my font is larger and darker than the print in a paperback. It's backlit and easy on the eyes. I can purchase e-Books in seconds and never have to leave the house. I have literally thousands of titles at my fingertips. Also, e-Books are inexpensive and many of them, especially those in the public domain, are free. They're not taking up room in my home and I can read them again if I choose.

I've decided not to fight it. After all, how many people fought purchasing a microwave oven? DVD player? Cell phone? And, now an e-Book? Progress will continue no matter how hard we try to fight it. I, for one, believe that e-Books are here to stay and I'm loving every minute of it!

Thanks for allowing me to share my e-Book experience. I hope you'll give them a try and love them as much as I do!

I'm have two writings spaces. I keep my ball chair at the antique desk upstairs where my trusty old computer awaits. That computer is about 5 years old and not Internet ready, which is just the ticket when I want no distractions. The downstairs writing space is a cozy corner of my kitchen with a side window overlooking the street. The antique desk there has lots of little cubbyholes to hold my supplies and an antique clock, penwell and feather quill sit atop along with an art deco lamp and some of my favorite editing books. Thanks for taking a tour of my writing spaces!

Queen of Hearts, a WWII romantic suspense was the bestselling novel for her publisher during its debut month. At the time of this writing, it was the #1 bestselling suspense e-Book at www.christianbook.com.

Queen of Hearts

Daphne Dean is proud to be serving her country stateside during WWII as a reporter and an Office of Strategic Services operative. When the photograph she takes of the crowd at a murder scene places her on the mob's hit list, she's forced into hiding in a vacant mental asylum in the middle of nowhere with terrifying secrets of its own.

Daphne believed herself to still be in love with her ex-fiancée, Kenneth, until she spends several days locked away in the asylum with Vito, the mob boss' son. Can she put the terrifying events that occurred there behind her and allow herself to pursue a relationship with Vito? Or, will she return to Kenneth who has turned his back on his country by becoming a draft dodger and a black market racketeer? One thing's for sure, it won't matter if she can't escape the mental institution alive. 

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