So it’s not summer here in Brisbane, but it sure feels like it some days with the thermometer still hovering at around 25+˚C most days. Regardless, for the many talented US and northern hemisphere authors I have come to know and love on my self-publishing journey, it IS summer, and they’ve been kind enough to let this little pale-skinned, hairy-legged, wintry Aussie into this years Summer Splash Blog Hop.
There are many things indie published authors can do to help promote, but few are as fun as a blog hop. The idea is that prize-seekers and booklovers, and even the hop participants themselves, visit all of the pages of those involved to go into the draw to win some fabulous giveaways, and get to know some truly awesome authors in the process.
To find out which authors, visit http://splashhop.blogspot.com.au/p/holiday-blog-hop.html and then hop along from one to the other to find out what prizes they’re giving away. Prizes include loads of Amazon gift cards,signed books, cookie and goodie hampers, jewellery and even manuscript editing! So make sure you check it out.
Also, I’d like to give you guys a chance to win a signed paperback copy of Cruxim. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me why you love paper books, because let me tell you, as someone who is likely to be packing for a move 2500 odd kilometres away into the dusty Australian outback, I’m eyeing my packed bookshelves askance. 🙂
But hey, at least it is ALWAYS summer in Darwin! Happy (fake) Summer, folks. Enjoy the hop.
karincox
Karin Cox's Blog 
Sarah M
July 27, 2013 at 1:18 pm
While I don’t typically buy paperbacks, they do have some advantages over digital books. It’s so much easier to tell if it’s a book you want to read when you can pick up the physical copy. You have the cover art and the description info along with the contents. I’m a digital book hoarder, especially with free books, and it takes way too much effort to go through the books on my Kindle and find something to read. You have to wait for the thing to connect to Amazon to grab the description. It’s not super efficient.
That being said, I’m so glad I will not have to move a ton of books next time I move! One device can hold all I’d want and more!
Karin Cox
July 27, 2013 at 3:47 pm
Amen, Sarah. The “moving” aspect is definitely Kindle-1 Paperback-nil. But I also like the tangible nature of print books and the way they look in the shelves. And I agree that scrolling through on the Kindle holds much less appeal than browsing through a library.
tribalcat
July 27, 2013 at 1:44 pm
There’s nothing like holding a real book in your hands, the way they feel, the way they smell, and that very first crack as you open it up.
Karin Cox
July 27, 2013 at 3:50 pm
Much has been made about the way books smell. Maybe I spent too long in publishing, but I never quite understood it. The scent of ink, sweat, and tears was all that filled my nose in publishing houses. 😛 But I agree that the physical nature of a print book still has its bonuses. I like seeing the cover and adding books to my shelves so that others can peruse them when they visit, although I think my shelves are about to get emptier when we move. I just can’t justify lugging all of my print copies up to Darwin with me: it’s too expensive and too much hard work. Those that are truly irreplaceable, of course, will come with me.
Susan Ricci (@Susanjeanricci)
July 27, 2013 at 2:11 pm
Hi, Karin, Sue Ricci here, just hopping by to lend support and hugs! Have a great weekend~
Karin Cox
July 28, 2013 at 12:20 pm
Thanks, Sue. Happy hopping.:-)
Denise Z
July 27, 2013 at 4:26 pm
I am a self-admitted cover gal – I love the beautiful covers of a paper book and the smell is awesome. However, I do have to admit I prefer to read from my Kindle, as often the print font on the paper books is too small. Thank you for participating in the fun 🙂
dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com
Karin Cox
July 28, 2013 at 12:20 pm
I too love the ability to increase the font size on the Kindle. I use Kindle or IPad to proofread now, instead of a paper print out and I like that I don’t have to get out the magnifying glass anymore.
Crystal C.
July 27, 2013 at 9:17 pm
I love the feel of a book in my hand. The cover art is always fun to look at as well and I love to physically turn the pages. Maybe I’m just old fashioned like that, lol and I’m only 20 years old! I love to read on my Kindle but with a physical book, I don’t have to worry about the battery getting to low and having to hook it up to my computer. 🙂 Thank you for your giveaway.
Karin Cox
July 28, 2013 at 12:19 pm
Old-fashioned at 20, Crystal C. 🙂 I know what you mean. I worry about how long they’ll last, especially as my two-year-old loves to play games on the iPad. They probably have a much shorter “shelf life” than a real book, that’s for sure.
Karin Cox
July 31, 2013 at 7:34 pm
Crystal, can you please email me your postal address. You are a winner of the signed paperback, but I can’t find your email on here to contact you. My email is karinwork@hotmail.com
Mary Endersbe
July 28, 2013 at 2:58 am
I’m not alone when I say the smell of books or cracking that brand new book open for the first time. Can’t get that with your reader. Or wait, does Bed, Bath and Beyond have a New Book spray? 🙂 thanks for the chance to blog hop! Loving it!
Karin Cox
July 28, 2013 at 12:18 pm
LOL! Now there’s an entrepreneurial idea, Mary. There are advantages to both. Oh, now you’re all making me want to pack up all those books, and I’ll have boxes and boxes and boxes of them! :-p
Savannah miller
July 28, 2013 at 3:17 am
I love paper back books because I can take them everywhere! I have the kindle app downloaded on my laptop, but I’m always afraid of dropping it or forgetting it somewhere and I’m not sure what I would do with out my laptop lol… Not to mention beach reading and the laptop just don’t mix sandy keyboards are horrible!!
savannahm1987@gmail.com
Karin Cox
July 28, 2013 at 12:16 pm
Savannah Miller, you need to watch my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/KarinCox.Author I regularly do giveaways and I’m planning one before Xmas to giveaway a Kindle Fire. Once you actually have a Kindle or tablet is it easy to carry a lot of books portably. What I like about paper books is that everyone can see what you’re reading and sometimes that creates a kind of unspoken bond between readers on the tube or train or wherever.
Janice Hougland
July 28, 2013 at 8:16 am
Karin, I do love a REAL book, paper that is. 🙂 I have an eReader that is handy for trips, etc., but a paper book smells great, feels great, and it is satisfying when you get to the end of a good story and turn the last page. It’s satisfying too when it’s a not-so-good story when you turn the last page…ha! I’ll gladly help you empty a bookshelf if I should be so lucky as to win the draw.
Karin Cox
July 28, 2013 at 12:08 pm
Ha ha. I have read some paperbacks that I have felt like hurling at the wall at the end (and you can’t, or shouldn’t, do that with a Kindle or iPad, I suppose). Now, you’ve got me worried about how you might feel at the end of Cruxim. I hope it is a good story! :-}
Tara Woods
July 28, 2013 at 8:35 am
Let’s see. I love the smell of paperback books, holding them, gazing at the covers and reading the blurbs. Thanks for being a part of such an awesome hop! 🙂
mizztuts AT bellsouth DOT net
Karin Cox
July 28, 2013 at 12:07 pm
You’re absolutely welcome, Tara. Again with the smell. 🙂 I find my kindle much lighter to hold than a hardcover, but I still love to read them too. A library is like a party full of old friends.
Katie Amanda
July 28, 2013 at 9:45 am
I prefer print books because I like to be able to flip through the pages! Thanks!
Karin Cox
July 28, 2013 at 12:05 pm
Aha, Katie Amanda, are you a skim reader? Or do you just like the sensation of flipping? One thing I really love about print books is that it is easier to create engaging headings and design elements, and that they are constant: once they’re printed, they’re done and “fixed” in that sense. Updating isn’t as easy.
robertsonwrites
July 28, 2013 at 10:09 am
I honestly have never read more than a few pages of a digital book. I far more enjoy having the book in my possession. It is my copy that can have in my backpack as long as the cover sticks to the pages in between. I don’t have to worry about the life of the battery of my electronic device or a pending zombie apocalypse. I will always have the book in hand.
With that being said, I really am excited to see another dark fantasy author. I mention this a bit on my own blog that have rewritten one of my stories 4 times (on the 5th time around now) over 13 years. It is a dark fantasy that I keep trying to perfect before seeking publication. I am hoping that this is the year to complete it once and for all!
Karin Cox
July 28, 2013 at 12:04 pm
Lol. Do you honestly worry about a pending Zombie apocalypse? ;-p That’s funny. Best of luck with your own dark fantasy novel. It is a great genre and one that I think gets short shrift a little. When I first released, I tried to fit Cruxim into paranormal romance, because it has strong romantic elements, but even so, it was too dark for a lot of PR readers. It fits much more naturally in dark fantasy. One thing I would say, is that you can “over fiddle” with book. It is great to strive for perfection, but sometimes the longer you keep it the more you tamper with it (I am one of those authors too). I hope you can find the time to complete it, and when you do, that it finds a home with readers and reviewers alike. 🙂
robertsonwrites
July 28, 2013 at 12:12 pm
Lol. No, I’m not really worries about zombies. That dream died with Y2K and 12.21.12. 😀
In all seriousness, thank you. I’ve learned that tampering had been a killing point of my writing. I’m hoping this novel will finally be complete soon. The good news is that if i want a trilogy, i already have the second and third book practically written. I have over 350,000 words of material.
Karin Cox
July 28, 2013 at 12:27 pm
Phew! (Didn’t really think so). At 350,000 words, you certainly have enough for a series. The best advice I can give you is stolen from Nike: Just Do It! Get it out there, one way or another. There has never been a better time to be an author. 🙂
robertsonwrites
July 28, 2013 at 12:57 pm
I appreciate that! Thanks so much!
Barbara Stull
July 28, 2013 at 10:17 am
Paperback books are great. As a kindle owner–there is nothing like a good book in your hand. Plus you don’t have to keep a paperback charged 🙂 The smell of a new book and the smell of an old book which has a wrinkled spine is awesome. I have shelves full of paperbacks that have been read several times. I look forward to more. Thanks for the giveaway!! barbistull@Yahoo.com
Karin Cox
July 28, 2013 at 12:01 pm
Well, that is true. The charging thing is a pain in the butt. Thankfully, my new car can charge up the iPad, which is great. I always have the iPad or the Kindle on hand. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.
olga c
July 28, 2013 at 10:41 am
thanks for joining the hop!
joe hawkshaw
July 28, 2013 at 12:53 pm
I like them they are more durable than others.
jmesparza821
July 28, 2013 at 1:12 pm
I love my paperback books because I enjoy carrying a book (at a time) with me. I also like to use bookmarks to mark my place.
jmesparza821 at gmail dot com
Kimberly Mayberry
July 28, 2013 at 2:56 pm
I love paper books because I do not have a Kindle and it is hard to take a laptop a lot of places to read. I also cherish my autographed paper books. They are something you can hold, hug, feel the warmth of the paper as it heats up in your hand and the smell that only paper books have that fills the air. They contain memories that ebooks can never hold within their spines and pages. kbinmich@yahoo.com
M A Comley (@Melcom1)
July 28, 2013 at 7:35 pm
Hi Karin, thanks for taking part in the hop, it’s been fun. x
Marie Phillips
July 29, 2013 at 12:57 am
LOVE books in any form. I offer all formats i in my published works. And I LOVE discovering new worlds from Indie authors, who like me, were rebuffed by traditional publishing! Your books sound VERY intriguing!
Tina Connor Myers
July 29, 2013 at 2:37 am
Great Hop. Love a good paper back book. I just love the sound of a page turning.. 🙂 Thanks!
Jolea M. Harrison
July 29, 2013 at 4:23 am
I have so many books I think my house is going to cave in from the attic down, but I keep adding to them. There’s nothing like curling up with a good book on a cold winter night by a roaring fire. It requires no batteries, just a bit of light to read by.
Ginger
July 29, 2013 at 5:13 am
I love the feel of books, especially old ones. Holding a 100 year old kindle will not feel the same as holding a hundred year old book. I have a set of books that belonged to my Godmother when she was young. She has notes written in them, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. Books can represent time, experience, and be passed down through generations.
Lynsey Peterson
July 29, 2013 at 7:19 am
As someone who is only recently getting into the e-book phase, I still won’t give up my paperbacks. They are my comfort when life gets rough. Even after several (very heavy) moves, they still aren’t going anywhere!
Valerie Rhodes
July 29, 2013 at 7:23 am
I absolutely love paperbacks for those quiet times.. and have heard nothing but GREAT things about this book.. so glad your part of the hop, its been much fun!
Deborah Nam-Krane
July 29, 2013 at 8:21 am
Hey Karin! I love paperbooks because it feels like a more intimate reading experience- and one that I can control more easily, if that makes sense.
Glad to see your hop is… hopping 😉
Terry Trahan
July 29, 2013 at 9:19 am
I love the smell of paper books!!! To crack open a new book, and smell the pages…wow…I sound kind of freaky…but those of you that love paper books know exactly what I am talking about! Thanks for participating in the Blog Hop!
BookLady
July 29, 2013 at 10:03 am
Even though I have an e-reader, I still prefer print books. There is something very comforting about the feel and smell of a real book. You can take it anywhere and don’t have to worry about the battery life. Thanks for the great giveaway!
bhometchko(at)hotmail(dot)com
shadowluvs2read
July 29, 2013 at 12:12 pm
Hi! Great post! I love paperbacks. I guess knowing there there, seeing them, having my own library, smelling the books, its my own safe haven. Its my place to escape. Ereaders are great, i can carry thousands of books, but paperbacks…i dont know. Makes the story more…”real”. Hope that makes sense. lol Thank you! I hope your having a great weekend!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
Ellen Thompson
July 29, 2013 at 3:57 pm
I like a paperback books because of getting hold an actual book and the way they smell. But I am really getting to where I like ebooks because you have a large number of them in a very small space. Thanks for participating!
Eleni Papanou
July 29, 2013 at 4:48 pm
Aloha Karin. A pleasure to be hopping with you!
Sadie
July 30, 2013 at 12:17 am
I have to have a real book in my hands… the smell, the touch… it involves all the senses, whereas a digital version only involves one.
Alex Guia Rebelo
July 30, 2013 at 3:23 am
I prefer print books because I like to be able to flip through the pages
Alex Guia Rebelo
July 30, 2013 at 3:24 am
There nothing like the fresh smell and the clean crackling of pages of a new book Awesome
bbrandythornton
July 30, 2013 at 6:06 am
Paperback books are my addiction!!! Yes I have a kindle but there is nothing better then seeing the beautiful cover & turning the pages!! I love books!
caroldavisluce
July 30, 2013 at 6:08 am
Hey Karin, just checking into your Summer Splash Hop from a fellow hopper!
Gina Meier
July 30, 2013 at 12:20 pm
Paper books are easier to loan out for those that have no clue how to return them on a Kindle.
bookaholicholly
July 30, 2013 at 12:58 pm
I love the smell of books, the feel of having one in my hand and turning the pages, and even the constant rearranging of my shelves. Nothing can compare to the joy and beauty of books.