"A book did put me in hospital once..."

Had an interesting chat with the phlebotomy nurse who interviewed me for my blood draw last week.

When she learned I was an author, naturally, she was interested in my books, especially as she loved historical romance. Yay!

Alas, when she learned my latest book was ebook only, she winced.  "I prefer real [dead tree] books. There's just something about a real book."

I don't blame her. There will always be something romantic about the print format that ruled a half-millennium.

Young Elspeth in Bed with a Book
by Robert Sivell

"That said, A book did put me in hospital once."

Normally when books put people into hospitals, it's because they've dropped a Biology textbook on their toes, or someone whacked them across the back of the head with a Literary Classic (those litrachoor books can make for some very violent readers). Also, authors are committed by the handful, as they work on One Too Many Edits.  Sends one round the bend, it does.

This lovely bibliophile had come across a beautiful old copy of "Wuthering Heights", so old that the pages cracked apart as she read it.

Alas, this moldy old tome was, well, moldy. As she devoured this Bronte, she also inhaled mold spores that made her very sick--thus, the trip to the hospital.

We had a chat about eReaders (especially how much I love mine) and how convenient they were.  Their convenience makes up for the lost romance of  "romans".  I told her about eInk and how an eReader could hold hundreds and hundreds of books.

By the end of the conversation, she was leaning towards giving it a try, especially if it meant she could take several books with her when she travelled.

Next time I shall have to show her this ebook cover:

This one Run For Cover is available from Red5.

Or this one:

Strawberry Roan made her own. Clever!  Must try.
She's got step-by-step instructions.

Naturally, I pointed her in the direction of my book, which, coincidentally was free last week.  I hope she picked it up and enjoyed it.

That's why I write books; I want to make readers happy.

And not to infect them with mold spores.

_________________________
Her Grace confesses she would like to infect readers with an insatiable thirst for her novels.  She's had that disease in the past before and highly recommends it.