Passarella Blog

• Was a great day for the pool. 93 degrees in the air; 89 in the water. #
• @temporus Holding the hardbound Under the Dome for days made me think, Hey, a Kindle might not be such a bad idea. in reply to temporus #
• Today felt as if Contador cheapened yellow jersey by taking advantage of Schleck's mechanical problem in the Tour de France. Go Schleck! #
• Was really hoping @lancearmstrong would get the stage win today. Just a bit short in the final sprint. #
• Loved the "Hope Rides Again" poster at the Tour de France today. Brings back memories of Matthew's diagnosis and first brain surgery, etc. #
• Sony Reader Sales Triple; iPad Sales Top 3 Million (PW) http://bit.ly/9×3mG5 #
• Having a bad (right) eye day today. Especially tough staring at the computer screen. Unfortunately, that's what I have to do all day. #
• Spent the last few hours working on a website comp for a new client. Time to give the weary eye a rest! #
• Publishers Back Amazon on E-book-Hardcover Figures (PW) http://bit.ly/9vOLUk #
• @amy_grech It was my recurrent corneal erosion eye but diff symptoms: burning & blurry, not just irritated. Usually all day, better the next in reply to amy_grech #
• Wylie, Random House Dispute Heats Up (PW) [Is this a change of paradigm? Agents becoming publishers.] http://bit.ly/b7Dt2t #
• @amy_grech muro ointment every night; refresh liguigel drops throughout the day in reply to amy_grech #

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• Stieg Larsson's 4th manuscript clouded in mystery – http://yhoo.it/cWASH4 (I've only read the 1st so far.) #
• Wrapping up a Word-DOC-to-Kindle conversion for a client's forthcoming novel. #
• R.I.P. hard science fiction writer James P. Hogan http://bit.ly/9Ug4h8 #
• E-book Sales Rose 167% in May (PW) http://tinyurl.com/2bxdtxb #
• Wrestling with a new client's legacy site that is a bone-chilling nightmare of gnarly code. #
• Stephen King's UNDER THE DOME *paperback* weighs nearly 3 POUNDS! Book Buzz: http://bit.ly/anPPmC #

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• Get a copy of artprint for my Wendy Ward story in Stories in Between (Print #6, Don Bethman, $10.00) here: http://bit.ly/aNhXdj #
• I'm having a MONDAY kind of a Tuesday after the holiday. And a 102 degree temperature isn't helping to keep me focused. #
• Suggestion: Maybe @cnnbrk should leave the Lindsay Lohan coverage to TMZ. Just sayin. #
• James Patterson first author to top 1 million in e-book sales: http://yhoo.it/9cbqIq #
• 'Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest' on Amazon's best for 2010 list: http://yhoo.it/bT88X8 #
• All my @replies/mentions have vanished. Been that way for several days now. Anybody else experience this? #
• @DarkWoofer This is on the Twitter website. I have Official Twitter for Blackberry, as well as UberTwitter; but haven't used UT in a while. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• @angiebatgirl Thanks! Unfortunately Blood Alone from The Stories in Between is not in digital format. eBooks weren't covered in the contract in reply to angiebatgirl #
• @angiebatgirl BTW – Congrats on your new Kindle! May take you a book or 2 to adjust to locations vs. page numbers. in reply to angiebatgirl #

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• Getting ready to launch another new client's website. #
• @angiebatgirl I don't know. I've read some libraries let you take out THEIR Kindle, but don't know about putting library books on your own. in reply to angiebatgirl #
• @angiebatgirl You email mobi files to your kindle email address and have them converted/delivered to Kindle or PC. If DRM, might not work in reply to angiebatgirl #
• @angiebatgirl You might want to check out Kindle forum, or KindleKorner at yahoogroups. Those people have much more experience w/ Kindles. in reply to angiebatgirl #
• Finished & enjoyed Girl Dragon Tattoo http://amzn.to/d1dZKh but not sure why it's an int'l sensation. Now, The Passage http://amzn.to/a9cGpQ #
• @angiebatgirl They've certainly made the price more attractive. Give yourself 2 books, maybe 3, to get used to the new reading paradigm. in reply to angiebatgirl #
• @angiebatgirl Been leaving my Whispernet on so the book I'm reading syncs to my Blackberry Kindle app, but it does drain the battery faster. in reply to angiebatgirl #
• B&N: Consumer book mkt to grow from $23 billion to $27 billion in 2013; all growth from e-book sales http://bit.ly/bQcCRt #
• @angiebatgirl I've left my on lately just in case I want to continue reading on my Blackberry. If I end up NOT doing that, I'll turn it off. in reply to angiebatgirl #
• Looks like Amazon's database is mucked up. Not recognizing things I've "saved for later" in my shopping cart. #
• @DarkWoofer System-wide glitch at Amazon? I just stepped cautiously out of the site w/o doing anything, hoping it goes back to normal. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• Amazon Puts 70% Royalty in Place for DTP Publishing http://bit.ly/cGdXb9 (Of course you have to FIND where to select it!) #
• @DarkWoofer I think they were prepping for the 70% royalty. But today my "save for later" items were all gone; had to re-add. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• YouTube backs Adobe Flash over HTML5 | InfoWorld http://bit.ly/aiZyKc #
• @DarkWoofer Looks like my saved-for-later items finally returned, two days later. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• Scholastic Announces 'Mockingjay' Print Run (1.2 Million), Tour Details http://bit.ly/9L9KhC & 53% Off at Amzn: http://amzn.to/csb74W #
• Watching DVR'd Land of the Dead and the big, yellow MTV2 logo is incredibly obnoxious. #
• Preparing a novel manuscript for the Kindle for a client today. #
• Google toolbar wonky. Telling me pages are in English, do I want to translate them with the toolbar…?? #

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• Attended my daughter's publishing party at school earlier. Lately, working on converting a client's approved comp into a website layout. #
• Wow! Just heard Amazon dropped the price of the Kindle $70 to $189! (To compete with the Nook price decrease.) http://amzn.to/cGcrwd #
• Our in-ground pool's liner to be replaced tomorrow. Hoping all goes well. Probably won't be full by THUR when forecast is 98 degrees. #
• Watching pool guys install our new in-ground liner and glad I don't have to work outdoors in this heat! #
• Richelle Mead talks about Vampire Academy books – http://yhoo.it/9IEQEX #
• More vamps: Cabot spins own sequel to Bram Stoker's classic – http://yhoo.it/ceVaJe #
• @horrorbooks The high today was 94, 96 degrees tomorrow. Then 88, I think, before we creep back up to 90 or 91. I (sun) burnt my neck today. in reply to horrorbooks #
• Today is my 20th Wedding Anniversary. Time flies… #
• Justin Cronin: `I always liked vampire stories' (The Passage: http://amzn.to/a9cGpQ ) Yahoo News: http://yhoo.it/d6OU3O #
• Bring on the rain! I could use a few FREE inches of water added to our (slowly) refilling in-ground pool. #
• Thanks to all those who wished me "congrats" on my 20th Wedding Anniversary yesterday. #
• Took 39 hours to fill our pool. Will get the filter up & running tomorrow. Summer can officially begin on the homestead. #
• "Most publishers' costs develop'g & market'g authors, not print'g & shipp'g books." (For a few top authors maybe!) http://yhoo.it/cHAQdC #

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• Busy day: set up new podcast & mass mailing for a client, graphic creation, newsletter building, iTunes submission… the works. #
• Kindle 2.5 upgrade is ready for manual download/install: http://amzn.to/bBgJGF Tips on using it here: http://bit.ly/abYiaN #
• I've already created several collections on my Kindle 2. I've filed almost everything. Won't let me file Calibre "recipes" for news & mags. #
• Rough day. Five minutes left. Will be glad when it's over. #
• Can't believe the 1st time logging into Twitter today is AFTER 12:00am. Errands all day; no work done. Plus side, new central A/C tomorrow. #
• E-Book Sales Grew in April, But More Slowly (Publishers Weekly): http://bit.ly/cVP1JU #
• Looks like we got our new central A/C installed in the nick of time. Several 90-degree days on tap, with 95 projected for father's day. #
• Wrapped up client's weekly podcast & mass emailing announcement. #
• Succumbing to worldwide pressure, I've begun reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson http://amzn.to/d1dZKh #
• Working on a new client website design. Phillies swinging away in the background. #
• @angiebatgirl i had the trade paperback because my wife wanted to read it. But I decided I want to read it on Kindle, so bought it again. in reply to angiebatgirl #
• @DarkWoofer Don't recall. in reply to DarkWoofer #

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• @angiebatgirl I thought I stopped over at your Borders after my signing in the mall to meet you. Maybe it was before that? Or after? in reply to angiebatgirl #
• @angiebatgirl That sounds about right. in reply to angiebatgirl #
• Spent the day on client website updates, and a few pro-bono website updates for the GSHW writers group, of which I am a member #
• Buffy books are back (omnibus, 3/1). Show some love. Support the line. Who knows what could come next! http://bit.ly/9SxZdq #
• @DarkWoofer 3 omnibuses so far. Each has 3 reprints from the original line. Maybe my BUFFY: GHOUL TROUBLE will show up in a future omnibus. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• Justified season finale was terrific. #
• The Passage old school vamp horror! http://bit.ly/c64lcG (Starred review from PW.) Kindle only $9.99. Get h/b here: http://amzn.to/a9cGpQ #
• Kindle's First Waterproof Case Is a Knight in Plastic Armor (WIRED) http://bit.ly/bPLMyg #
• Let's go Flyers! Take it to game 7. Complete the great comeback story. #StanleyCup #
• Sorry to see Flyers lose. Very anti-climactic ending. They had been getting great pressure in OT too. #
• Wiley's deceptive letter to authors: "Pleased to inform you" we'll be slicing your royalties up to 50% http://tiny.cc/21qg8 #
• Wish us luck. Tomorrow Andrea takes our son Matthew to Johns Hopkins for his annual brain MRI review w/ Dr Carson. #
• My website's twitter widget is not appearing any more, for some time now. Anybody else experiencing this problem? #
• Replaced my Flash widget w/ new Javascript widget. Font small. Can't find way to adjust. Header won't line up either. Appearance: downgrade. #
• After averting a kitchen flood yesterday, today brought yard work and a whole bunch of client website updates, a podcast & a mass mailing. #
• @twignest Status quo but Dr Carson wants MRI with contrast next time — Matthew hates needles. Also, he'll need an ortho brace for his foot. in reply to twignest #

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• @DarkWoofer I joined the kindlekorner yahoogroup; thanks for pointing them out to me. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• Happy Memorial Day to my US followers. Starting the summer season w/ no A/C. In this 90-degree heat, my eyeballs are now soft-boiled. #
• Wow! That's not a sinkhole, that's a new "Hellmouth" http://bit.ly/dDkofY #
• Anyone having trouble with Twitter widgets on their websites? Mine is not appearing at all. #
• The Flyers are determined to give heart attacks to fans across the Delaware Valley. #
• Cool! Just saw tonight is the BURN NOTICE season premiere. @BurnNotice_USA @Jeffrey_Donovan #
• Finished FEVER DREAM, one of best Agent Pendergast novels by Preston & Child, despite continuity error on last page: http://amzn.to/dlXkrS #
• They came out to measure our pool for a new liner today. Won't be installed until JUN 23… which is my 20th Wedding Anniversary. #
• @KevinBreaux China apparently. in reply to KevinBreaux #
• @jessicamcminn I know. Time flies! in reply to jessicamcminn #
• Flyers found a way to make a 4-1 lead TOO interesting. But we're knotted at 2-2. Keep defibrillators on standby. #
• Saddened to discover that Borders Express in Deptford Mall is out of business. That was one of my best/favorite book signing locations. #
• @DarkWoofer Sorry to hear ALL are closing. I knew this store as Waldenbooks. Not sure when it changed to B.E. Malls w/o bookstores = sad. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• Saw this on Kindle Korner list: Amazon’s Kindle Tops CR E-Book Reader Ratings: Consumer Reports http://bit.ly/c9AXAX #
• @angiebatgirl The Hamilton Mall store, along with the Montgomery Mall store, were my favorites. End of an era. in reply to angiebatgirl #

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• Tried to open our pool today. Found out our liner had fallen all the way down, pool completely drained of water. State of shock ensued. #
• E-Book Sales Jumped 252% in First Quarter, AAP Reports (PW) http://bit.ly/c3cyUL #
• Unlike some, I really enjoyed the #lostfinale – Breaking Bad, on the other hand, I thought was (unusually) a bit tedious. 24 finale tongiht! #
• If any of my Kindle followers get the 2.5 software upgrade, let me know! I usually have 3G turned off to save battery, unless I'm ordering. #
• Chuck finale was awesome; 24 series finale was good, but needed some more resolution/closure, I think, despite a potential movie. #
• A day filled with client website updates. #
• @amazonmp3 Free for a limited time: over 20 new songs… http://amzn.to/aT5mXT (But Everything To Lose, says ALBUM ONLY. What gives?) #
• @DarkWoofer I've been switching on my 3G for a few hours each day, hoping to get the upgrade. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• Eternal Vigilance to protect author rights: Authors Guild – Our BEA Salute to Roy Blount, in 4 Colors http://bit.ly/bGMnEO #
• Working on converting a client's site comp to a working web page layout, while waiting for pool expert to assess our liner damage. #
• Borders book sales drop in digital shift – Yahoo! News http://yhoo.it/bd7ROX #
• @DarkWoofer End of the week here. Let's see if Amazon meets their self-imposed deadline. in reply to DarkWoofer #
• @DarkWoofer What's the name of the Kindle yahoo group? in reply to DarkWoofer #
• Wrapped up client's weekly podcast & mass e-mailing newsletter. Yard work looms ahead. #

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• Here's a group shot of our Matthew's Miles walkers from SAT, pre-walk. @MMFundRaiser http://bit.ly/cgmhXN #
• NBC's Heroes officially canceled: http://bit.ly/ckoIh3 #
• @temporus I think they needed to take it in a more heroic direction. It was too angsty all the time. Let the heroes be heroes. in reply to temporus #
• Utility Downtime Trifecta: Bathroom electrical outlets out, flooding in back from dead pool cover pump, Comcast digital boxes fried. #
• @ComcastBonnie Wasn't the boxes. They sent a signal & nada. I discovered a splitter in the garage had lost power. Affected black boxes only. in reply to ComcastBonnie #
• Apple won't accept cash for iPad purchases: http://bit.ly/a7y4b1 (CNN) #
• @jacobhaddon I always thought it was illegal to NOT accept cash for payment. in reply to jacobhaddon #
• The future of Supernatural (final season), Smallville (final season), etc. (CW) http://bit.ly/aRSuqE #
• FRI: Borders (Mt Laurel, NJ) Benefit Days coupon for brain tumor research & they have some of my books. @MMFundRaiser: http://bit.ly/dlJl7u #
• Author Lee Child on using the Kindle (Kindle Blog) http://amzn.to/cU1OJA #
• Apple will now accept good old fashioned USD for iPads: http://tcrn.ch/cqYmMW #

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