Manybooks.net Free

originally posted March 31, 2010

The United States' Constitution

Author: Founding Fathers

Published: 1787

Language: English

Wordcount: 5,007 / 22 pg
cost: FREE (absolutely)

Every American needs to read it.

Instant refreshers:
How to download a book file from manybooks.net and how to get it to your Kindle.
Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management

Highlighting

originally posted March 31, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Highlighting text in a Kindle is similar to using a highlighter pen on paper. The Kindle stores all your highlights for any book as an annotation. View your annotations any time by pressing the Menu button and selecting My Notes & Marks. Highlights are notes you don't have to type.
Special Note: Highlighting and making Notes will not work in blogs. 

To Highlight Something:

• Use the 5-way to position the blinking cursor where you want to begin highlighting.
• Press the 5-way to begin.
• Toggle the 5-way right (or left) to where you want your highlight to end. You can turn pages if you need to highlight multiple pages of text.
• Press the 5-way where you want to end the highlighting (or press the Back button to cancel).
• The text you highlighted will appear with a gray underline.

Remove a Highlight:

• Use the 5-way to place the blinking cursor over the highlight you want to remove.
• Press the Delete (DEL) key

You can also delete highlights in the My notes & Marks area. Press the Menu button and select My Notes & Marks. Press in on the 5-way to open. Navigate to the highlight you want to remove and press the Delete (DEL) key. Then move the 5-way down until you select Close Notes & Marks and press the 5-way to close.

Note: You can exit just about anything by pressing the Back button.

Contact Mrs. Wizard

Questions? If I can help, I will be happy to.

The best way to contact me with questions about your Kindle is via my email address. I enjoy hearing from other Kindlers!

Note: if you are reading this on your Kindle, the email address is cindy.oneal@gmail.com

Special Note: Terri, send me an email so I can contact you. I can help.

Manybooks.net

originally posted March 30, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Manybooks.net links work great right from your kindle. Make sure to download the right format book and you should have no trouble downloading books from your Kindle, to your Kindle and having them available immediately. Only files with the extension .AZW, .AZW1, .PRC, .MOBI or .TXT can be directly downloaded to a Kindle. My personal favorite format is .mobi because it seems to be the best formatted for direct downloading to the kindle. 


The Sky is Falling

Author: Lester del Rey

Published: 1954

Language: English

Wordcount: 36,932 / 113 pg

Cost: FREE (absolutely)

from the book:
''Dave stared around the office. He went to the window and stared upwards at the crazy patchwork of the sky. For all he knew, in such a sky there might be cracks. In fact, as he looked, he could make out a rift, and beyond that a ... hole ... a small patch where there was no color, and yet the sky there was not black. There were no stars there, though points of light were clustered around the edges, apparently retreating.''

Kind of gives you the shivers doesn't it!

Instant refreshers:
how to download a book file from manybooks.net and how to get it to your Kindle
Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management

The 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

originally posted March 30, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Now This is beginning to get exciting!  I have been wondering where all these great independent writers were coming from, and am so happy Amazon is doing more and more to encourage and promote them.

To browse the titles of all 504 entries on your Kindle, with an opportunity to download nice samples of each, type the words breakthrough award on your Kindle. Toggle the 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted, then press in on the 5-way.  Use the Next and Prev Page buttons to browse the entire list and your 5-way switch (toggling up or down) to select one you want to read more about.  Press in on the 5-way once you have what you want to view underlined (highlighted) to view more.

Be prepared to spend some serious time. It is a long and fascinating list of titles!
If you would like to download the list, you will need to go to the awards page on Amazon with your computer and download the pdf files there. Even though your Kindle 2 can display pdf files (sort of), it can't download them from a direct link (darn it). And I hate to say this, but Amazon isn't making it very easy to get to the Breakthrough Awards Page from the main page on Amazon.com. If push comes to pull, come to my blog via your computer (http://mrswizard.blogspot.com) and click the links from there. That will take you to these places where you can read about the awards, and download the pdf files. Sometimes, links like this just work better off the Kindle.

...from the Breakthrough Awards page on Amazon:

Amazon.com, along with Penguin Group (USA) and CreateSpace, is pleased to announce the third annual Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, the international competition seeking the next popular novel. For the first time, the competition will award two grand prizes: one for General Fiction and one for Young Adult Fiction. The 2010 competition is open to unpublished and previously self-published novels waiting to be discovered. Each winner will receive a publishing contract with Penguin, which includes a $15,000 advance.

Announcing the Quarterfinalists
Congratulations to all of the 500 Quarterfinalists! Download a PDF list of the General Fiction Quarterfinalists and the Young Adult Fiction Quarterfinalists that have moved on to the next stage of the awards competition. You can browse the Quarterfinalists by category (all categories are listed on the left side of the page), and download and read excerpts on your Kindle or through one of our free Kindle apps.

Notes

March 30, 2010 Cindy O'Neal

Notes are a way to add your musings to a book or personal file for future use. They are stored in the My Notes & Marks area with your bookmarks.

Special Note: Notes and bookmarks do not work on subscription blogs. I'm not sure about newspaper or other subscriptions.

To add a note:

• Use the 5-way to move the cursor to the left of the word on the page where you want to add your note.
• Type your note
• Use the 5-way to highlight the save note button. Press in on it to make it happen. If you change your mind you can press the Cancel button.

You will see a superscripted number where you placed your note. Notes are numbered in the order they appear in the book, so if you create another note on an earlier page, the numbering will change.

Notes are stored in a special file on your Kindle named My Clippings. More on that later.

To delete a note:

• Open the book you have notes (or bookmarks) in.
• Press the Menu button. Toggle down to the words My Notes & Marks. Press in on the 5-way.
• You will see any notes you created listed on the screen. Use the 5-way to toggle to the one you want to select.
• Press the DEL key to delete it.
  
• Press the key just below the Del key (looks like an arrow pointing down and to the left) to edit (change) the note without deleting it. Once your changes have been made, you will see the option to save the changes at the bottom of your screen. Toggle the 5-way to the option you want, then press in to make it happen.
• Press the Back key to return to your book.

Keyboard Quickies

Originally posted March 29, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

If you are a keyboard kind of person, these little time savers are certainly worth committing to memory.

• Alt+B - Bookmark or unbookmark the current page
• Alt+Aa - change text size, text to speech rate, text to speach speaking voice (male or female)
• Shift+SYM - start or stop text to speech
• Spacebar - during text to speach, this will pause or resume
• Menu button - instantly display the time and free memory

Bookmarks

Originally posted March 29, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Bookmarks are good, and very useful in paper books. I'm not so sure about on a Kindle, because it always remembers where you were in any book when you turn it on, even if you are reading several books at a time. You may have other reasons to mark certain pages in books. That's what bookmarks are for.

There are two ways to create a bookmark.

• Press Alt+B on the keyboard (will bookmark or unbookmark the current page)
• Press the Menu button, then toggle to and select the words Add a Bookmark and press in on the 5-way switch.

A dog-ear icon will appear in the upper right corner of the page to let you know that page is bookmarked. You can place a bookmark anywhere in a book, and you can have as many as you want in whatever book you are reading. When you add a bookmark, it is associated with the first location number on the page, so if you change text size, your bookmark will still be accurate. You can return to a bookmarked location any time.

View your Bookmarks
Press the Menu button and select My Notes & Marks. You will see them in the order they occur. Each bookmark shows the location number and the first line text from that location. To go to a particular bookmark, toggle the 5-way switch until the one you want it underlined (highlighted), press in on the 5-way to make it happen.

Use the Back button to go back easily to the bookmarks list to make another selection.

Delete bookmarks: you can also delete bookmarks (one or several at a time) in this area by pressing the Del (delete) key when a bookmark is highlighted in the My Notes & Marks area.

Another way to delete bookmarks

• Go to the bookmarked page.
• Press the Menu button
• Toggle the 5-way down until the words Delete Bookmark is underlined. Press the 5-way to remove it.
• You can also remove a bookmark on a page by holding down the Alt key and pressing the letter B on the keyboard. (Alt+B)

Amazon Free Book

Originally posted March 29, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind. 

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!

The Homeplace by Gilbert Morris (Kindle Edition - June 1, 2009) - Kindle Book

Price: $0.00

Auto-delivered wirelessly

Product Description (from Amazon)

Lanie took out her journal and dated it April 12, 1928. She started the habit of writing down everything that happened to her when she was no more than eight years old, and now she had six journals completely full. She thought about the prize at school, almost prayed to win, but somehow she could not. "God," she finally said, "I'll do my best, and if you'll help me, that's all I ask."Fourteen-year-old Lanie Belle Freeman of Fairhope, Arkansas, has high hopes for her future. Happy on the five-acre family homeplace, she dreams of going to college and becoming a writer. And with her father launching a new business and her mother expecting the fifth baby, the bright days of an early Southern spring seem to herald expansive new beginnings for the Freeman family.But her mother isn't as strong as she should be, and it's going to take time for the business to pay back the mortgage. When unexpected tragedy strikes, it is left to Lanie to keep the family together and hold on to their home. In a world shaken by the Great Depression, it is faith in God and love in a tightly knit family that will help Lanie and her siblings overcome the odds and create a future that promises the fulfillment of love.The Homeplace offers a warmhearted and inspiring saga of a courageous young woman who holds her family together through the Depression era.

From the Back Cover
As the year 1928 begins, fourteen-year-old Lanie Belle Freeman of Fairhope, Arkansas, has bright hopes for the future. Her father has launched a new business, and her mother is expecting her fifth baby. Lanie has dreams of going to college and being a writer.
Then tragedy strikes.

First Lanie’s mother dies giving birth to the baby, and Lanie must assume the role of surrogate mother to her younger siblings. Then her father is falsely accused of murder—and convicted! With their father in prison, Lanie and her brothers and sisters do all they can to keep the family together, and hold on to their home.
In the face of a world shaken by the Great Depression, this young family finds salvation and encouragement in faith, family, and the tight-knit community of Fairhope. With warmth and an unflagging sense of humor, Lanie leads her siblings into a future that, against all odds, holds the promise of hope and love. Book One in the Fairhope Series.

Amazon Free Book

Originally posted March 28, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind. 

A Gift of Grace: A Novel

by Amy Clipston

Kindle Price: $0.00
Auto-delivered wirelessly to Kindle.
Average Customer Review:

From School Library Journal

Rebecca Kauffman's Old Order Amish life is thrown into upheaval when her sister, who had joined the outside world, is killed in a car crash and leaves two teenage daughters for Rebecca to raise.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description (Amazon)

When Rebecca Kauffman's older sister, who left the Amish community when she was a teenager, dies in an automobile accident, Rebecca is left custody of her two modern non-Amish teenage nieces, Jessica and Lindsay. Will she be able to reconcile the two worlds in her home-or will the clash of cultures tear her world, including her marriage, apart?

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!

Text Sizes and more

Originally posted March 27, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Control text sizes, as well as margins on the Kindle page by pressing the Aa button (first to the right of the spacebar on the bottom row). Then use the 5-way to toggle your way down to what you want to control.

The Words per Line area adjusts the overall margins of the display. You might want to test the three different options (fewest, fewer, default) to see which is best for you. This is also where you can choose either a male or female voice and the speech rate (speed) for the Text to Speech feature.

The Screen Rotation options are available at the bottom of the text options (Aa) area. This is a recent feature from the latest update on the Kindle 2 and DX. It really comes in handy if you are viewing a pdf file or searching on the Internet and need to see a wider view of a web page. Toggle the 5-way switch to the view you want, then press in to make it happen. Press the Aa button again and choose your original view when you are ready to put it back.

Listen:
You can turn on Text to Speech if it is enabled for your book or blog without going through the Aa options. A quick keyboard command for your Kindle to turn on the Text to Speech is Shift+SYM (that's the Shift key ... looks like an up arrow on the bottom row and the SYM key... last key on the right on the bottom row). Press these two keys at the same time, wait a few, and you will hear your book or blog read to you. Press the same keys again to turn it off.

manybooks.net

Originally posted March 26, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Beth Norvell

A Romance of the West
Randall Parrish
A story of Western mining camps and one-night stands.

Published in 1907, when "racy" was nothing like it is now!

Instant refreshers:
Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management

Sampling Books

Originally posted March 26 , 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Samples are free and easy to get when you are browsing for books on Amazon. When you find a book you want to check out further, choose Send sample now in the Try it Free  section of the page the book information is on (below the Add to Wish List button).

If you have multiple devices (like on your PC or Mac, or additional Kindles), click the little down arrow to the right in the Deliver to: area and choose which Kindle you want to send it to.

If you like the sample and want to purchase the book, press the menu button while you have the sample open and you will see the option to purchase. Once you purchase the full book, a new complete book file will be delivered to your Kindle right away. At this time, you can delete the sample file (unless you just want to hang on to it). Before you trash it, make a note of the location number at the bottom of your Kindle screen at the end of the sample so you will know where to go to in the complete book. Click the Home button to see all your books. Toggle the 5-way switch to the sample book. When it is selected, toggle the switch to the left and choose Delete. Then you can select the new complete book and continue reading.

If you know the location number where the sample ended, you can go to it quickly in the complete book by pressing the Menu button, then toggle the 5-way switch down to the words Go to Location. Once the words are underlined (selected), press in on the 5-way switch. A box will appear at the bottom of the screen where you can type in the number. Type it and toggle to the right until the words go to are highlighted. Press in on the 5-way and you will be as good as there!

A new FREE Book on Amazon

Originally posted March 25, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind. 

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
Instant refreshers:
Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management 

This book sounds like a real sweetie!

The Twelve Sacred Traditions of Magnificent Mothers-in-Law

by Haywood Smith

Kindle Price: $0.0
Auto-delivered wirelessly to Kindle.

Product Description (from Amazon):
A very Southern mother-in-law's humorous advice to mothers-in-law everywhere. From the multiple New York Times bestselling author of The Red Hat Club. Bestselling author Haywood Smith and her pals have lots of personal experience in the joys, sorrows, pitfalls and flat-out hysteria of Mother-in-Lawness. Now Smith offers a handy and fun booklet of pithy advice to mothers-in-law everywhere. Smiths sassy observations and gentle wisdom are delivered with her trademark southern charm, packing the sweet, heady punch of bourbon ice cubes melting in a mint julep. The Twelve Sacred Traditions of Magnificent Mothers-in-Law is the perfect gift book for showers, engagement parties, family celebrations or just to share with that special DIL (Daughter-in-Law) or SIL (Son-in-Law). It can even safely be given to a Mother-in-Law.

Quick Chapter Navigation

Originally posted March 25, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Look for the little dots at the bottom of your Kindle screen. These indicate chapters or other types of sections (like articles in a blog) in your ebook. Use your 5-way to toggle to the right or left to advance (or go back) a chapter or article at a time. Great time saver!

Kindle Question - losing my place

Originally posted March 24, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

From a dear reader:

"Lately when I'm reading in my Kindle, and I either close it off or put it down for a time....when I pick it up to continue reading, it has gone back quite a few pages, and I have to keep going forward to come to the place I left off.  It doesn't always do that, but more than not.  Do you have a solution?"
Helen

Thank YOU for the question Helen.

Your Kindle shouldn't be doing that by itself at all. At least I have never noticed mine doing anything like that.

When you are finished reading, put it to "sleep" by sliding the top switch to the right and letting go of it. When you "wake up" your Kindle again (by sliding the switch again) you should be right where you left off. This also applies if you just let your Kindle go to "sleep" naturally by just leaving it for a bit. 

What time is it?

Originally posted March 24, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Quick Tip:
Your Kindle can double as a very handy timepiece.
No matter where you are, press the Menu button on your Kindle to see the current time displayed at the top of your Kindle screen. Press Menu again to return to your reading.

Viva Competition!

Originally posted March 23 , 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind. 

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!

The Fourth World by Laurence Moroney
Available on Barnes & Noble (free)
Amazon ($0.99)

(1 review at Amazon.com)

Subjects: Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic, Literature, Young Adult Or Teen

Description: Buried deep below the Nevada desert, in a place often called Area 51, is a very special and ancient school where the best and brightest children come to learn the technology that will bring mankind to its next step of evolution -- a place amongst the stars. 'The Fourth World' follows four children through their entry into this school: 'Fintan Reilly' is a young, often bullied Irish boy who has a big destiny; Zach Adams, from Fresno, is his diametric opposite, and instant best friend; Ayako Katsuragi is a brilliant Japanese girl, a military brat who is as capable as she is smart and Nizhoni Benally is a Navajo from New Mexico, who is as tough as she is beautiful, and who somehow shares a secret past with Fintan. The book follows their first year in their new school, with an Alien as headmaster, and where they learn everything from Cosmic History through to how to fly a flying saucer, and comes to a shocking conclusion in a field trip to Mars where ancient secrets are uncovered. (from Amazon.com)

This is interesting. This book is being offered FREE on Barnes & Noble but is 99 cents on Amazon.

Barnes & Noble books (including the free offerings) can be read with free BN apps on the iPod and iTouch, as well as on your PC or Mac (with free software easily found on the Barnes & Noble site). I just downloaded and installed the BN software on my pc with no problem at all. It is a very nice addition! It doesn't use a lot of resources and is easy to use. Actually it looks a bit more sophisticated than the Amazon software for the PC (which is still in beta I think).

Here is the Amazon listing:

The Fourth World (The Legend of the Locust) by Laurence Moroney (Kindle Edition - Oct. 1, 2009) - Kindle Book

Buy: $0.99

Auto-delivered wirelessly

I love my Kindle... but Viva Competition!

Another Great Read

Originally posted March 22, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind. 

I just purchased this for my Kindle. It is definitely on my "read soon" list! Great reviews from other Kindle readers too. More proof you don't need to spend a lot of money for a great reading experience.

The Bargain by Jacqueline Winslow (Kindle Edition - Feb. 25, 2010) - Kindle Book

Price: $0.99

Product Description:

Reviews
In this her debut inspirational novel, Jacqueline Winslow presents a welcome and refreshing voice to her readers. --USA Today Best Selling Author, Ralph Cotton 
About the Book (from Amazon)
The Bargain is a moving story that brings two opposite people together as romance ignites even as their differences bring confrontations at every turn. This inspiring romance is more than a love story. It’s about an unexpected journey of learning what it takes to love. To be in love. And to be loved.
About the Author (from Amazon)
Jacqueline is also a virtual assistant, a home school mom, and a 4H leader. She loves writing romance that weaves real life issues into every story. She is currently writing her second novel.

Kindle Greats

Originally posted March 21, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind. 

Free or almost Free

The Definitive Zane Grey Collection: 47 Novels and Short Stories (Halcyon Classics)

by Zane Grey

Price: $0.99

The Complete Project Gutenberg Works of Jane Austen A Linked Index of all PG Editions of Jane Austen

by Jane, 1775-1817 Austen

Price: $0.00

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
Instant refreshers:Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management

Show extensions on Mac

Originally posted March 21, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

What do file extensions have to do with your Kindle? A lot! If you can't see the file extensions, you won't know if it is a .mobi, .txt, .prc, or .azw file - all file extensions for files that can be used directly on your Kindle without any conversion. I have no idea why the brains who invented the operating systems for Macs and PCs decided to not show file extensions as the default settings for both systems - like we're to stupid to have that information? I call it the Adult View. It is a great tool to have in your arsenal... knowledge.

You can choose to show or hide file name extensions in Mac OS X (Leopard and Snow Leopard). It is one of the things I really liked about the new Mac. Before they have always made file extensions such a mystery for users. I have always (as a pc user) depended on file name extensions as a tool to help figure out what kind of file I was dealing with.

A file extension consists of a dot (.) followed by several letters that identifies the type of file. The extension may determine which application opens the file. File extensions are usually hidden in Mac OS X, but you can show them.

To show the extension of a single file, select it and choose Show Info from the File menu. Choose Name & Extension from the pop-up menu and uncheck the "Hide extension" checkbox. To show the extension for all files, click the word Finder at the top of your main screen (top left). Click the word Preferences, then click the Advanced tab when the Finder Preferences pane appears. Click in the box to the left of the words Show all filename extensions so there is a check in it. Quit the Finder Preferences pane and you are done.

Now you too, will have the adult view for your files.

Kindle Contact List

Originally posted March 20, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

No conversion necessary

• Open your favorite word processor.
• Type your contact list using the top line for the name (make it bold if you like), next line for address, next line for phone number, etc. 
• Save your list as a plain Text file (where you will have no trouble finding it). It will have a .txt extension at the end of the file name.
• Connect your Kindle with the USB cable.
• Drag your Text file to the Documents folder on your Kindle
• You're done! You now have a perfectly searchable contact list at your fingertips at all times. Uh... You do keep your Kindle with you at all times... right? 

Keep your file handy on your computer so you can update it (add or remove contacts) any time you want. When you do, replace the old one on your Kindle with the new updated one. This will work for any kind of list you want to keep on your Kindle. 

PC users: Can't see the file extensions?
Hiding file extensions is the default view in Windows when you get a new computer. I always thought it was really important to know what kind of files you are dealing with, and the extension (.txt, .doc, .html, .xls and lots of others) is a great clue. If you look in your Documents folder and can't see the .txt at the end of a file name (or .doc or whatever to indicate what kind of file it is), fix it by clicking the word Tools at the top of the Documents (or My Documents) window. Click the words Folder Options. 

When the Folder Options window appears, click the View tab. Scroll down and click so there is not a check next to the words Hide extensions for known file types. Click the OK button to lock in your change.

Voila! The Adult view for your files. You should be able to see those file extensions now. They are much better at helping you guess what kind of file something is, rather than depending on an icon or picture next to the file name.   

Multiple Kindles

Originally posted March 19, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

This has been bothering me a while. How many Kindles can you have on one account? I did some digging in various Kindle forums and the conclusion I came to (tentatively) is this:

You can have as many Kindles as you want on one account. I'm talking regular Kindles (1st and 2nd generation as well as the DX). Kindle applications (apps) for the iPod/iTouch, PC and Mac each count as additional "Kindles" because they can be tied to your account too. They can be installed and activated or deactivated for Kindle use as needed.

I have a Kindle 1 (daughter Kelly is happily using that), a Kindle 2 and a Kindle DX (hubby and I go back and forth between those two). That's 3 devices so far. Add my iTouch to that, and the PC app and that makes 5. I am itching to download the Kindle for Mac app to tinker with it and share my thoughts about it here, but heck... that is going to take me up to the magic number 6. Considering the 6 device limit on some books, and the unlikeliness of that happening, I am going to install the Mac app today and give it a good work out. When I add another device, we will see what happens. I love living on the edge like this! When it comes to books, I am enjoying having all these options and all these different tools to make things happen.

Here is what was confusing me. Most Kindle books you purchase can only be used on (up to) 6 devices tied to the same account at the same time. I feel much better now, because it is highly unlikely I would have any book on all the "devices" at the same time. Free books should be pretty much unlimited as far as the number of devices you can use them on. Guess we'll find out when I add Kindle number 7!

Isn't it amazing how the number of "Kindle devices" on one account can add up?

FREE Kindle book

Originally posted March 18, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Once a Cowboy

by Linda Warren

New: $0.00 
Auto-delivered wirelessly to Kindle. 
Product Description (from Amazon) 
Brodie Hayes is a former rodeo star, now a rancher-a cowboy, through and through. But when he finds out some shocking news about the circumstances of his birth, he begins to question his identity. Luckily, private investigator Alexandra Donovan is there to help him find the truth about who he is. Along the way, he discovers that even a man who thought he'd be alone for the rest of his life can fall in love. For Brodie, love was something you did once-and for always. But is Alex the type of woman who can take on a stubborn man like him? Because there's one thing about him that will never change, no matter what they find out about his past-once a cowboy, always a cowboy.

Doesn't this sound like a terrific escape read? I think so!

Try a Sample

Originally Posted March 18, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
To avoid suffering from (I gotta read these books) overload, try having a Sample sent to your Kindle instead. It will be clearly marked Sample and is a great reminder of a book you may want to read, but not necessarily now.

When you are ready for the book, and ready to pay for it, purchasing is easy enough from within the sample. While you have it open, press the Menu button, then toggle your 5-way switch to the words Buy this Book Now and press in on it to select. It is as good as yours!

Nothing is etched in stone - Returning an Item
When you are browsing the Kindle store with your Kindle, that Buy Now button is the first thing highlighted on every book. If you accidentally press in on your 5-way switch, you could find a book you really don't want on its way to your Kindle. Fortunately, Amazon has an instant cancellation choice at the time of every purchase. Select Purchase by Accident? Cancel this Order on the order confirmation page.  If you missed that, and you are a US customer, you can also contact Kindle Support using Amazon's Click-to-Call service on the Internet at http://amazon.com/kindlesupport. Explain to them what happened, and they will take care of it for you. This is a great service. I had to use it once, and they called me immediately!

Price Watching Kindle Books

Originally posted March 17, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

JungleSearch (http://jungle-search.com) is the neatest tool, and you should have it handy at all times. Not only can it  help you find the best of the best in Kindle FREE books (and low priced books), I recently received an email letting me know a book I was interested in was available at a lower price!

Here is part of the email I received:

On March 16, 2010 at 10:20:07pm PDT, we checked and found that the price has dropped on a Kindle Book you were tracking at Jungle-Search.com.

Product Details:

Title: They Never Die Quietly
Starting Price: $9.57
Last Reported Price: $9.57
Current Price: $7.99
Date Tracking Started: February 21, 2010

Click here to view the Amazon.com item page or to make a purchase.

This item will continue to be monitored for 97 days.
Thank you for using our service! Happy Shopping!
==============

You can bet I will be using this service more in the future! You can find the Price Watch area under the Kindle Search tab. Click the words Price Watch, then enter your email address, the ASIN number (you can find it on the product page or Item URL (copy and paste the web address), and the number of days you want to monitor it for a price change. They check for prices 4 times a day. As soon as the price changes  you will be sent an email. I just LOVE modern technology!

This is great to use for those books we think are a bit pricey. You can be notified as soon as they are a bit more affordable for your Kindle. I wonder if Amazon watches this?

Disconnect (eject) your Kindle

Originally posted March 16, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

You could just disconnect your Kindle from the USB connected to your computer, but whenever your Kindle is connected to your computer the odds are it is (or has been) doing something other than simply recharging. You may have been transferring ebook files from your computer to your Kindle, or music or audiobook files, and you can't just look at your Kindle and see if it is finished doing whatever it needs to do.

To Safely Disconnect your Kindle from your computer, click the Start Button (lower left corner of your main screen), then click the word Computer or My Computer so it opens. You should see your Kindle listed like an extra drive or removable device. It will show as Kindle with a drive letter to the right of it in parentheses. With your mouse... Right click on the it so you see choices. Choose (with a single left click) the word Eject, or Safely Remove. The screen on your Kindle should change from USB Drive Mode to your Home screen, and you will see a little popup message on your main computer screen indicating it is save to disconnect the device. Since it is basically just hooked to the USB port for power or recharging at this point, you can leave it connected and just use it normally while it continues to charge, then disconnect it when the little indicator light turns green. If you decide to transfer files, you will need to disconnect it, then reconnect it to get it back into the transfer mode.

If you have a Mac, you still need to eject your Kindle before disconnecting it. When you hook your Kindle up via USB to your Mac, you will see a little icon representing your Kindle... makes it look like an extra drive. To eject your Kindle when you are finished transferring files or whatever, click and hold the Kindle icon on your desktop (main screen) and drag it to the trash bin. You will see your pointer and trash bin change and the word eject appear when you drop the Kindle icon onto the trash. You will then see the display on your Kindle change to the normal reading screen and you can disconnect it at that time.

Free books for your Kindle

Originally posted March 15, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

A Rush of Wings (A Rush of Wings Series #1)

by Kristen Heitzmann

Kindle Price: $0.00 & includes wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet

From Publishers Weekly

In this contemporary evangelical Christian romance, competent writing mostly overcomes some plot cliches, yielding an enjoyable novel. Spoiled rich girl Noelle St. Claire flees her wealthy daddy's estate in New York after breaking off her engagement to his protégé and junior partner, Michael Fallon, whose impetuous actions have pushed Noelle over the edge. She lands in Juniper Falls, Colo., at a ranch owned by Rick Spencer, a man dedicated to his horses and to God. Noelle is immediately pursued by Rick's charming rogue brother, Morgan-but something is haunting her, and she pushes him away. As the pampered Noelle wrestles the demons of her past and crafts a new identity for herself through her art, she finds that her fear of God is rooted in something traumatic that her mind refuses to remember. She doesn't find healing and resolution until the end of the tale, when she revisits the Catholic cathedral of her childhood. The novel offers some humorous moments in the interactions between the characters, and lovely nature details about the Rocky Mountains. Portions of the plot will seem familiar to regular romance readers (city girl flees home to encounter rugged cowboy in the mountains; damsel in distress is rescued by same), yet a few plot twists keep things interesting. Both Protestant and Catholic readers who like their romance with a large helping of faith will find much to enjoy in Heitzmann's light novel.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Reviews:

"Mysteries, danger, drama, family ties, uncertainties, and anguish are just some of the elements in this riveting story." -- Rendezvous, Dec. 2002
"Part contemporary romance, part modern Western, and part suspense fiction, this work will appeal to both female and male readers." -- Library Journal, Feb. 1, 2003

Male Call - Hot Zone Book 1

by Denise A. Agnew

Kindle Price: $0.00 & includes wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet

Product Description (from Amazon)   oh my!

Her sexy letters are his only lifeline in his dangerous world-
Successful computer software engineer Eve Carmichael melts under yet another hotter than hot letter written by Reserve army soldier Sean O-Callahan. Yet Eve can-t take the thought of his life in danger overseas, and she resolves to get a sex life-and a life period. That means forgetting Sean before anything bad can happen to him. To celebrate her thirty-fifth birthday, Eve plans a trip to Male Call, a male review club. Still, she worries about Sean. She hasn-t received a letter from him in too many weeks. And oh, how she longs for those flirtatious, hot letters.

Sean finds Eve's letters to be the only lifeline in his increasingly chaotic world. As their feelings grow hot and heavy, he can-t wait to return home and kindle that pure firepower.
When Eve receives a letter from Sean saying he's been wounded, her fears are realized. But fate and a little mischievous planning by her friends will serve up the greatest surprise of all.
Warning: Contains explicit sex, some graphic language, and mild violence.

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind. 

Remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
Instant refreshers:Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management
Kindle support - 1-866-321-8851

Free Books for ITouch

Originally posted March 15, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Free books from bn.com (Barnes & Noble)
It does not cost a thing to sign up for a Barnes & Noble account, and it will give you access to any free books they have available. They have the cutest little free app for your Iphone/Touch. If you have a Blackberry, they even have a little something for you! It is as easy to download, set up and connect to your BN account as the Kindle app is. AND it downloads any "purchases" (free or otherwise) to your IPhone/Touch automatically.

You don't have to have an IPhone or ITouch either. They have free software you can use on your pc too (beginning to sound familiar?).
Ahhhhh! Competition! Thy name is Barnes & Noble!

The Kindle is great, but with a price war for ebooks looming, a "quiet war" is beginning to take place. People are voting with their wallets and quietly letting publishers and resellers know they are not the only option. It has nothing to do with a "WalMart mentality," as some elitists have suggested. It is simply a case of common sense and not wanting to spend money unnecessarily.

Amazon is the main place I purchase books from. I have been happy with them for years, but I still remember the days when I could spend hours browsing the shelves at my local Barnes & Noble store, so I have a long-standing account with them too. If I find a book I really want for less there, I would certainly consider purchasing it for my ITouch. I have several of their free offerings and actually enjoy reading on my ITouch as much as the Kindle. It is a different experience, took a little getting used to, but still a good read. I also have the Kindle app on my ITouch, so I feel like I have the best of both worlds at my fingertips. Why not have both!

Let the games begin!

Free Kindle book

Originally posted March 15, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

A Passion Most Pure (Daughters of Boston, Book 1) by Julie Lessman (Kindle Edition - Jan. 1, 2008) - Kindle Book

Buy: $0.00

Product Description (from Amazon)

Refusing to settle for anything less than a romantic relationship that pleases God, Faith O'Connor steels her heart against her desire for the roguish Collin McGuire. But when Collin tries to win her sister Charity's hand, Faith isn't sure she can handle the jealousy she feels. To further complicate matters, Faith finds herself the object of Collin's affections, even as he is courting her sister. The Great War is raging overseas, and a smaller war is brewing in the O'Connor household. Full of passion, romance, rivalry, and betrayal, A Passion Most Pure will captivate readers from the first page. Book 1 of the Daughters of Boston series.

From the Inside Flap

EXCERPT FROM CATALOG Sisters are so overrated, she decided. Not all of them, of course, only the beautiful ones who never let you forget it. Faith O'Connor stood on tiptoe behind the side porch, squinting through her mother's prized lilac bush. The sound of summer locusts vibrated in her ears as she gasped, inches from where her sister, Charity, stood in the arms of-- "Collin, someone might hear us," Charity whispered. "Not if we don't talk." Collin's index finger stroked the cleft of her sister's chin. Faith's body went numb. The locusts crescendoed to a frenzy in her brain. She wanted to sink into the fresh-mown lawn, but her feet rooted to the ground as firmly as the bush that hid her from view. Three years had done nothing to diminish his effect on her. He was grinning, studying her sister through heavy lids, obviously relaxed as he leaned against the wall of their wraparound porch. His serge morning coat was draped casually over the railing. The rolled sleeves of his starched, white shirt displayed muscled arms snug around Charity's waist. Faith knew all too well his clear, gray eyes held a maddening twinkle, and she heard the low rumble of his laughter when he pulled her sister close.
Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind. 

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
Instant refreshers:Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management
Kindle support - 1-866-321-8851

Snap Your Kindle to Attention

Originally posted March 14, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Restart and Refresh
You may notice your Kindle isn't collecting your subscribed blogs properly, or otherwise updating itself via its whispernet connection. Before you scrounge around for the Kindle support number, try refreshing your Kindle with the Settings menu. While you have the Home screen opened, press the Menu button. Toggle the 5-way switch down to Settings and press in to select it. Press the Menu button again, then toggle down to the word Restart and press in on the 5-way to select and make it happen.

Your Kindle screen will go blank. Be patient. The restart process will take a couple of minutes (more or less).

Sometimes this can make all the difference. It certainly won't hurt.
If LIFE only came with a Restart setting...

Instant refreshers:Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management
Kindle support - 1-866-321-8851

Free... for now

Originally posted March 13, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

The Dark Tide (Free for a Limited Time - With Bonus Material)

by Andrew Gross

New: $0.00
This title will be released on March 23, 2010. Pre-order now.

I'm not sure what "limited time" means. This book isn't even available until March 23, but it looks as though it can be pre-ordered free (for now). If you like murder mysteries, you need to pick this up asap.

Product Description (from Amazon):
On the morning Karen Friedman learns that her husband, a hedge fund manager, has been tragically killed, Detective Ty Hauck begins his investigation of another man's death in a suspicious hit-and-run in Karen's hometown. The two seemingly unrelated tragedies are about to plunge a beautiful widow and a determined investigator into a maelstrom of murder, vast sums of missing money, and international conspiracy.This special free edition includes an excerpt from Andrew Gross's newest novel, Reckless.

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.

Remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
Instant refreshers:
Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management
Kindle support - 1-866-321-8851 

Rotate the Screen

Originally posted March 13, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

The ability to change views from only one way (straight up and down with the keyboard at the bottom) to 4 different choices happened only recently for the Kindle 2. We didn't have to do a thing. It was all taken care of in an automatic update (LOVE those automatic updates!). This relatively new Kindle 2 feature can come in handy, especially if you click a link that takes you to a website. Having the ability to choose a wider screen view makes all the difference in some instances.

The Kindle DX rotates pages automatically, and can be a bit of a pain at times. To turn off the automatic rotation and retain control, use these same instructions and choose the view you want. You can go back to auto any time.

Whenever you think a wide view is what you need:
1.  Press the Text key (on the bottom row of the keyboard - has a large A with a small A next to it)
2.  Toggle the 5-way switch until the display option you want is selected (there are 4 to choose from)
3.  Press in on the 5-way to confirm your choice and make it happen. This view will remain until you change it.

Enjoy your new view

NOTE: I never noticed this before, but according to the latest manual, you can view Kindle Store pages only in portrait mode. I double checked and even with the screen set in Landscape mode, as soon as I went to the Kindle store, the screen politely shifted back to Portrait view. Very interesting.

Many Books

Originally posted March 12, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

You might want to take your Kindle and have it beside you when you graze for FREE books at manybooks.net. These are great additions to your Kindle library. Plug your Kindle in via the USB cable and transfer away! Remember to save your book files where you can find them when the time comes to transfer them to your Kindle. I like to save my stuff on the Desktop. It makes a great staging area until you decide what to finally do with them.

The Opened Shutters
by Clara Louise Burnham
Description (from manybooks.net):
A summer haunt on an island in Casco Bay is the background for this romance. A beautiful woman, at discord with life, is brought to realize, by her new friends, that she may open the shutters of her soul to the blessed sunlight of joy by casting aside vanity and self love. A delicately humorous work with a lofty motive underlying it all.

Note: This book is not free on Amazon. I did a search for it on the Kindle and discovered it was $9.99. If you want the free version, pick it up at manybooks.net!

Captain Blood
His Odyssey by Rafael Sabatini
This one made my heart go pitty pat when I was a kid. Of course the Errol Flynn movie made the old hormones race too! Now that was a man! (sigh)

Did I mention all the books on manybooks.net are free?

The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887)
I must still have cooking on the brain, at least cooking history, because I just could not resist sharing this too.

Taking it to the Kindle...

Find your book file on your Desktop, right click on it and choose Copy. Then connect your Kindle to your computer with the USB cable. Once connected, you should see a window with choices appear. Choose Open folder to view files with a single left click.

When your Kindle folder opens, click on the Documents folder to open it. Right in in any empty white area and choose Paste. This will put a copy of your book file right in the Documents folder on your Kindle, where it needs to be. Repeat the process for each book. Disconnect your Kindle from the computer and your new books should be at the top of your Home screen with the word New next to them.

Soooooo tickled!

Originally posted March 11 , 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

What a wonderful surprise!  Manybooks.net has a direct link to my Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer article.
 I hope it takes the mystery out of downloading for lots of folks.

Thank you ManyBooks.net!

http://manybooks.net/help/devices/kindle.php

Cooking with the Kindle

 Originally posted March 11, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Made Over Dishes (Kindle Edition) by S. T. (Sarah Tyson Heston) Rorer (1849-1937)
Price: Free
A reviewer gave this book 4 stars, calling it a "waste not want not cookbook," just what we can use for the times we are living in.
This book is only about 60 pages long, but what an education!

and... continuing our education, thanks to Amazon's FREE ebooks... Eat historically and live longer?

Everyday Foods in War Time (Kindle Edition) by Mary Swartz Rose (Author)
And the frosting for the cake:
Etiquette (Kindle Edition) by Emily Post (1873-1960)
There are several on Amazon that are newer (and not free). If you want a feel for behavior in the early 20th century, go for the free one. When I did my search, it was the first one listed (but this could vary). The formatting is a little rough, but certainly readable.

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get either of the cooking books now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search the Kindle store. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind. 

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!

ManyBooks

Go to manybooks.net with your main computer and do an author search for Lewis Carroll. Alice and Wonderland is there for your Kindle. Just download and enjoy.
Refresh your downloading memory:
Download with Firefox
Download with Internet Explorer

Or... stay on your Kindle and toggle your 5-way switch until you see a finger pointing to this link to mnybks.net and click it by pressing the 5-way switch in. If your kindle is connected to the Internet, you will go straight to the mobile version of Manybooks.net. It is a little rougher than your main computer, but you can still search, choose books and download a Kindle version right to your little machine.

Oh... Did I mention all the books on manybooks.net are FREE? Wow!

Take Your Kindle to Church

Originally posted March 9, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

The Kindle travels very well, and with many versions of the Bible available free, or very inexpensive, it just makes sense to have one or more on your favorite electronic book reader.

It's kind of nice knowing the Number One Most Read Book in the world is handy for inspiration, or just plain reading. You will never lose your place with your Kindle. An additional bonus with the Kindle is that is is also searchable. And I mean quickly searchable. While the Bible is open on your Kindle, type in a phrase or word, or chapter, toggle the 5-way switch to the right until Find is highlighted. Press in on the 5-way switch to begin the search. You may see several pages of results, depending on what you are searching for. Toggle the 5-way switch up or down until the one you want is underlined. Press in on the 5-way to go to that result. You can also press the Back button to return to your search if you want to explore the possibilities more. I wish I could tell you exactly how to search, but I can't. I can say that practice will make searching easier much sooner. You can't hurt a thing with a little practice, and you will find your Kindle to be the most patient practice tool you will ever use. So, go for it! And Enjoy!

Don't have a Bible yet on your Kindle? Go to the Amazon store on your Kindle and do a search using the word Bible as your search word. You will see quite a few. Browse through them until you find a free one if you like. Or your can go to amazon.com on your computer and search the Kindle store for a Bible. Look on the right side of the search page with bibles on it, toward the top... for sorting choices.. Choose Sort by Price: Low to High. Here is a jungle-search.com search (under the Kindle Search tab) I did using just the word bible as my search word, and pricing from 0 to $2.00.

Free ebook alert

 Originally posted March 8, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Primitive

by Mark Nykanen

New: $0.00

Average Customer Review:

Review:
It's not just a page-turner, it's a head-turner. It's Dan Brown meets Al Gore. You can't stop reading and once you're done, you can't stop thinking about its messages. A book that bookstore employees will hand-sell to customers and those customers will then insist their friends read. --Dale Dauten, King Features

More frightening than any vision of our future, Mark Nykanen's Primitive depicts the reality of the here and now. A timely and stunning vision of what happens when true-believers clash, catching innocents in the middle. --Ed Stackler, editor of New York Times-bestselling authors Greg Iles, Ridley Pearson, Ted Dekker, and others.

Primitive captures the raw and rugged high alpine environment, a powerful, emblematic setting for this furiously-paced thriller about a mother and daughter, and the radical environmentalists who want to use them to deliver a desperate message to the world. -- --Christopher Van Tilburg, author of Mountain Rescue Doctor

This one sounds like you might not want to read in a room by yourself... in the dark... alone at night.

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get it now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted, then press in on it to search the Kindle store. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind. 

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!

New Free Book on Amazon

Originally posted March 8, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal


This one sounds like a nice little Chick Lit book... My daughter Kelly might like this one. Heck! I probably will too!

Sushi for One?

by Camy Tang

New: $0.00
Auto-delivered wirelessly to Kindle.

If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get it now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted, then press in on it to search the Kindle store. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free before pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button if you change your mind (before you press buy). 

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!

Downloading 101 – Firefox

Originally posted March 8, 2010

I have to admit, my favorite browser is Firefox, for many reasons. It is more secure, faster and less of a pain in the tail than Internet Explorer.

You don't need to remove Internet Explorer from your system if you decide to download and install Firefox. Just install it and use Firefox instead. Leave Internet Explorer alone. It won't hurt a thing to have two browsers handy. You will just find yourself using Firefox more.

If you don't have it already, you can find (and read more about) Firefox at mozilla.com. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

The first thing to do if you are new to Firefox is make sure your settings are the way you want. Here is a brief rundown on mine:

• Click the word Tools at the top of the Firefox screen, then Options. When the options window appears, click the word Tabs at the top to see your tab options. Make sure you have Always show the tab bar checked. I love tabs in Firefox. You can browse till your blue, have several tabs open (each on a different website) and still be in the same (one) window. Firefox tabs seem to be a bit less of a drain on your computer resources than the ones in Internet Explorer. In fact in the tabs option area, I have all checked except Warn me when closing multiple tabs.
• Click the word Main (special note... the new version of Firefox now says General) at the top of the options window and in the Send files to area, click the Browse button and make sure your Desktop is selected and showing in that box. That way any time you download something, it will automatically go to your Desktop. Things are so much easier to find there, and once you have decided if you want to keep whatever you downloaded permanently, you can always move it to a permanent home in a folder in your Documents area.

Find - Download - Put on Kindle
Find the address box at the top of the Firefox window (it has http://webaddress in it) and click in it once so the entire existing web site address is highlighted. Immediately (don't click anything else) type manybooks.net and press the Enter key on your keyboard. Browse around a bit when you get there. It is an amazing site.

When you find a book you may be interested in, click either the title or the cover image. This will take you to a special page for the book with more information. Look for the (orange) Download box to the right of this page. Just below the word Download, there is a little white box with the words select format with an arrow directly to the right. Click the little arrow to see a drop down with choices of different formats you can download this book in.  Some will have more choices than others, but the formats native to the Kindle, (meaning they will work right on the Kindle without any converting) are Kindle (.azw), Mobipocket (.prc), Mobipocket (.mobi), and Plain Text (.txt). Choose the format you want to download your book in by left clicking on it once. It will replace the words select format in the little white box above.

Once you have the file format you want, click the Download button (in the same area). A new (small) window will appear. Make sure you click the little circle next to the words Save File and take a peek at the box to the right in that window and make sure Desktop is where it is going to go. When your file is finished downloading, you will see a final Downloads list window. This is just a record of all the files you have downloaded to date. I like to click the Clear List button frequently. You can X out of this window and your Firefox browser when you are finished downloading your file.

You are ready to find your file and take it to your Kindle!

Special Note: Pdf files will also work on your Kindle, but you might find they look better on the larger Kindle DX than on the smaller Kindle.

Taking it to the Kindle...

Find your book file on your Desktop, right click on it and choose Copy. Then connect your Kindle to your computer with the USB cable. Once connected, you should see a window with choices appear. Choose Open folder to view files with a single left click.

When your Kindle folder opens, click on the Documents folder to open it. Right in in any empty white area and choose Paste. This will put a copy of your book file right in the Documents folder on your Kindle, where it needs to be. Repeat the process for each book. Disconnect your Kindle from the computer and your new books should be at the top of your Home screen with the word New next to them.

Downloading 101 – Internet Explorer

Originally posted March 7, 2010

find - download - put on Kindle

We will get a book from Manybooks.net, download it to your Desktop, then transfer it to your Kindle. Well, actually we won't. You will.

Do NOT confuse manybooks net with the same name but .com at the end of it. Whoever owns that domain name hasn't decided what to do with it yet.

Manybooks.net is a great place to find wonderful (free) books for your Kindle. You can graze for daze and never scratch the surface. It is one of my favorite watering holes.

If you have a PC, you have Internet Explorer to surf the Internet. Click the "big E" on your Desktop and you will be off and running. In the address box at the top of the Internet Explorer window, remove what is already there (http://whatever....) and type manybooks.net (no need to type the http:// stuff). Press the Enter key on your keyboard to go to the site. Browsers have come a long way in the last several years. You can type a web address without the http:// or www and your browser is smart enough to know you are typing in a web site as long as you don't forget the .net, .org or .com part... saves a lot of typing in the long run. The browser automatically puts the http:// part in so you don't have to.

When you arrive at the front page of manybooks.net, you will see there are lots of links to begin browsing with. If you know a particular title or author you would like to concentrate on, there is a search box just under the logo on the left. Click in it once (so you see a blinking cursor), then type what you are looking for and press the Enter key on your keyboard.

To begin practicing, click any of the books on the front page. This will take you to a special page just for that book where you will see more information on it. If you would like to see more from that particular author, click the author's name at the top. If there are more from that author, there will be a link to a page with that author's other works listed, with links to the individual books on manybooks.net. Just below the image of the book cover, you should see a Download box with a little arrow to the right of the words select format. Click the little arrow to see the format choices (they will drop down when you left click the arrow). My personal choice is Mobipocket (.mobi) because the title stays pretty much intact, but Kindle (.azw), Mobipocket (.prc) and Plain text (.txt) are also easily used on your Kindle. Any of these four file types can be downloaded and transferred to your Kindle without conversion.

Left click on your file type choice. The drop down menu will disappear. Click the download button just below to begin your download. The next window you will see will be to choose to open or save the file. Choose Save by left clicking the Save button. You will then see another little window where you can choose where to put the file. I always choose Desktop because that way I don't have to go hunting for the files when I am ready. I use the Desktop as a staging area. After the files have been transferred to my Kindle, they are then either deleted or stored in a special folder in my main Documents folder, just for ebooks I have downloaded.

After you have chosen where you want to save your file, look at the bottom of that little window. You will see a  File name box with the file name in it (don't change this.. just look) and you will see a File type box with the type of file in it (just look).

Click the Save button when you are satisfied all is well. The last little window you will see will tell you the download is complete. Click Close on that one and you will be ready to take your book file to your Kindle. Close your Internet Explorer browser window. You won't need it any more (unless you are going to get more books).

Taking it to the Kindle...

Find your book file on your Desktop, right click on it and choose Copy. Then connect your Kindle to your computer with the USB cable. Once connected, you should see a window with choices appear. Choose Open folder to view files with a single left click.

When your Kindle folder opens, click on the Documents folder to open it. Right in in any empty white area and choose Paste. This will put a copy of your book file right in the Documents folder on your Kindle, where it needs to be. Repeat the process for each book. Disconnect your Kindle from the computer and your new books should be at the top of your Home screen with the word New next to them.

Want More? If you find this helps, you can get a daily dose of helpful tips and tricks (not to mention great heads ups on free books) for your Kindle by subscribing and reading this on your little machine. Just type mrs wizard on your Kindle (no need for capital letters) and toggle your 5-way switch to the word store. Press in on the 5-way to search the store. You should see the From the Desk of Mrs. Wizard blog right away. Press in on the 5-way again to subscribe or toggle up to read more.  Enjoy automatic delivery to your Kindle the first two weeks FREE!

Tomorrow: Downloading 101 - Firefox