I have a vested interest. CAPE SEDUCTION is slated for a November 1st release in electronic format. Fourteen formats, to be sure. And you can bet LOTS of people will be getting digital readers, iPhones and Kindles for Christmas this year. Forrester recently released a report that is paraphrased at BNET. Apparently, “from 2008 to 2009, Amazon sold an estimated 600,000 Kindles. But Sony sold an estimated 400,000 of its e-readers.” That’s a million readers, folks. And it doesn’t count the number of iPhones, iPod Touches, PDA’s, laptops and other ebook reading devices already in use. Now that Sony has lowered prices on devices and ebooks, and has determined they will support the ePub* format, we will start to see them pull ahead of Amazon. Mark my words. (*See great WSJ article about ePub and DRM here.)

Speaking of Cape Seduction, I’m ecstatic to say that cover art is in the works. We have obtained rights to photos that will be mysteriously ‘Shopped into a spellbinding cover! So stay tuned on that front.

My calendar says my next personal appearance will be at the Duarte Festival of Authors. Have never done this particular festival and am looking forward to sharing some space with fellow Echelon author Gayle Carline. Gayle and I met at L.A. Times Festival of Books in April, when she was selling her new release, FREEZER BURN. We get along great except for when it comes to horses… she’s an equestrienne extraordinaire and I’m more the type that likes the wooden ones that go ’round and ’round in the mall. Is there a 12-step program for equine-o-phobes?

Good news/bad news department:  We now think our guinea pig has a benign lipoma. A fat bump. Not dangerous in itself, and should just be watched for awhile. The bad news? Son is not coming home now.   He did assure me he’ll be home for Christmas (why do I hear Bing Crosby‘s baritone in the background?) Ugh. Sadness. Why does Singapore have to be so far away (and so expensive to commute?)

Have started a new story. Don’t know yet if it is a full length book or not. Takes place in the 1980′s, about a glam rocker and a makeup artist. Has to do with gay performers hiding their sexuality (or not). Not sure how readers will take this topic. Not really worried, either.

Haven’t fired up the new Pink KitchenAid Stand Mixer yet. Will plan to do some whirling this weekend and will, of course, share the results, if only virtually. Daughter wants to paint flames on the sides, like Alton Brown‘s. I told her I have enough trouble with burning food.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten something, something likely only interesting to me and my stalkers. Oh well. It will wait.

Pam:     Well, Case McKenna. Or is it Casey?

Case:     Just Case. (Shakes dark, shaggy locks away from his face.) But yeah. Casey’s my given name. Just got a bit worn.

Pam:     Case it is. Let’s see. You own a lighthouse?

Case:     (Shakes head, grins) Oh, no. Not me. You’re talking about Point Surrender, right? Nope. Not mine. Thank God. It belongs to my girlfriend’s brother and his wife.

Pam:     I see. But you have a connection.

Case:     Well, yeah, you might say that.

Pam:     You don’t want to talk about it.

Case:     Can I buy a vowel, Vanna?

Pam: (laughing) Can you tell us anything about this famous lighthouse? I heard it was haunted.

Case: (chews bottom lip, thoughtful) Yes. Yes, I’ve seen…a ghost there.

Pam:     Scary!

Case:     Not really. He’s a benevolent type. He had a … message for us.

Pam:     Us. You and ?

Case:     Amy. My lady love. My cohabitant. My significant other.

Pam:     What kind of message?

Case:     He wanted us to know about some…important events that occurred in the lighthouse. To clear up some things. You know. He couldn’t rest… all that stuff.

Pam:     Do you know who he was?

Case:     Yes.

Pam:     And?

Case:     Just—yes.

Pam:     Is it true that the last keeper died in the lighthouse?

Case:     Yes. And no, it wasn’t him. (Chuckles).

Pam:     Well thank you for that, at least! Now, you are a veteran of the Marines?

Case: (Shakes head, again) I’m a marine veterinarian. I take care of sick sea mammals and birds.

Pam:     But do you visit Point Surrender?

Case:     Not if I can help it.

Pam:     Did anyone ever tell you you are a tough interview?

Case: (Blue eyes twinkle) You want to talk about whales or sea otters?

Case McKenna and Amy Winslow are both characters in POINT SURRENDER by Anne Carter, from Echelon Press, Amazon and available for your Kindle, iPhone or other ereader from Fictionwise.

“Amy Winslow isn’t looking for a mystery, and she doesn’t even like secrets. In fact, secrets have nearly destroyed her life. But when her brother’s accident forces her to take over a mysterious California lighthouse in his place, Amy finds herself immersed in its shocking past and uncertain future.

“Case McKenna hasn’t quite reconciled his own painful history when he sails his crippled boat into Newburg Harbor. Despite an overwhelming urge to flee, Case follows intrigue and passion, as he too is drawn in by Point Surrender…”

So goes the blurb for my lastest novel, POINT SURRENDER. As you can gather from the copy, there’s a lighthouse, and two people who may or may not be destined to uncover its long-held secrets. PS is the first in a trilogy of lighthouse-mystery-romantic-ghostly books with a broad appeal.

As much as I love ebooks and advocate them at every turn, I am hesitant to accept my publisher’s challenge that I can sell 100 copies within 30 days. She’s even making it easier this week, by offering 25% off any ebook that retails for over $3.00. Read about it here. I think that makes it around $4.50, which is a super price for any full-length novel, and especially for mine. $12.95 in paperback, mind you. CLICK TO BUY!

So how do I go about selling 100 more ebooks? Offer autographed cover flats? (Yes.) Run a contest? (Nah.) Beg? (Why not.)

If you buy it from Echelon, you can get it in PDF or HTML, readable in any computer and most hand-helds (including your iPhone.) If you need it in another format, check out Fictionwise (where it is not on sale but is still only $5.25, and is available in MS Reader, Kindle, Mobipocket, eReader, Sony Reader and others.

I hope you choose to help me out. Prove to me that it can be done!