Guest Author Series - Author Shirley Kiger Connelly talks about Amazon Kindle Ereader

STEPH: Welcome to to my ebook reader series, Shirley. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

SHIRLEY: I’m not only a writer but an avid reader of just about anything, I think. When I’m not writing books (fiction and nonfiction), or teaching, or moving furniture around, or out with my animals, I’m reading or researching.
My husband and I live on the southern coast of Oregon about two blocks from the harbor.
That’s just a little about me.

STEPH: What ebook reader to you have?

SHIRLEY: I have the Kindle

STEPH: How long have you had it?

SHIRLEY: Got my first Kindle early last year. It strangely went kaput on me, so I called up the ones in charge (somebody over there at Amazon who does Kindle stuff) and told them my Kindle not working. They just said send it back and another was on its way to me, no charge, within days with all the information back on it again. I couldn’t have been more thrilled.

STEPH: What do you like the most about it?

SHIRLEY Oh, wow, let’s see. Probably that I can download a bazillion “samples” of books before I have to make a decision to purchase them. I really love that. (Can I add another reason?) That would be that, with my handy-dandy leather, snap shut case, I can hold it like a book which makes it more comfortable for me, yet it doesn’t take up much room anywhere. So now instead of three or four small books stuffed in my tote or purse, I just stick my Kindle there and I have a lot more than those three or four books to choose to read if my mood changes.


STEPH: What do you like the least about it?

SHIRLEY: Maybe that it’s SOOOOOO easy to purchase something, since it’s immediately THERE, and having to turn on my computer email the next day with the reminder of what I spent the night before.

STEPH: What features are unique to your Kindle?

SHIRLEY: What is unique to me might not be unique at all to someone else. Probably it’s that I can highlight a word that jumps out at me when I’m reading and know it goes in a special “Shirley” file for me to later look at. Or being able to see the definition of a word I don’t often see, and getting a clearer understanding of why it’s been used.

STEPH: Is loading books onto the Kindle easy?

SHIRLEY: I haven’t tried downloading (or is it uploading?) a PDF from over on my computer to my Kindle, although I know it can be done. I just haven’t tried to figure it out yet. But otherwise loading is very, very easy. I also love that my daughter, who can’t yet afford the handheld Kindle could download the Kindle program onto her computer and read whatever she wants right there. That’s so great.

STEPH What are some of the pros to your book reader?

SHIRLEY: Access to books, any books, my favorite books, my favorite authors. Quick access to research material.

STEPH: Was price a factor when you bought it?

SHIRLEY: Price is always a factor for me, but thankfully with Amazon I am in the Prime membership so shipping for me is always free. (Unfortunately it opens up more temptations for me to buy more. That’s the intention isn’t it?)

STEPH: Anything else you'd like to tell us about the Kindle?

SHIRLEY: Well, if you like to color coordinate, you can do so with the skins to protect the outside of your Kindle (all styles and colors) and you can get all kinds of little Kindle holders. Hey ... you can change with what you’re wearing, or to go with your purse, or belt, or shoes, or scarf. It also has that little light you can attach so you can read it in the dark. I’ve also used the audio. I had to laugh when I listened to one of my own books with that. My Southern Belle didn’t sound too much like a French girl from the south, however. And the guy, well, he didn’t sound that romantic. Oh well.

Thanks for being here today, Shirley
Smiles
Steph