Monday, January 31, 2011

Shameless Promotion... My Family Cookbook


Thanks to Amazon and the Kindle, you can have a very special peek into the life of Mrs. Wizard. I have recently published My Family Cookbook, a first edition collection of favorite recipes I grew up with, along with a few I have made my own over the years. And you thought Mrs. Wizard was a GEEK!
Learn to make terrific bread dough in a food processor, how to make the best tapioca pudding in the microwave, my favorite one pot meals, and lots more for only $3.50, and you don't have to have a Kindle (although it would be nice). You can download and install (for FREE) special Kindle software for your PC, Mac, iPhone, or Android. There is no reason you can't have these wonderful recipes at your fingertips any time you want.
If you are reading this on your Kindle already, you can do a search of the Kindle store for mrs wizard cookbook or my family cookbook. How's that for specific search words? Have a free sample sent to your Kindle.
It's so new they don't even have the description up for it yet.
This project began as something I could physically do while teaching my readers how to put a document together relatively easily, then format it properly for the Kindle for personal use. I could flesh out the detailed instructions while working on something for real. One thing led to another and the more I looked at it, the more it seemed to take on a life of its own. Might as well go for the whole experience.
Aside from actually putting something like this together, writing, proofreading, tweaking, and agonizing, the actual publishing part on Amazon was relatively easy. I hope those of you who get it enjoy it as much as I did putting it together. My next project is going to be gathering and organizing the best, and my personal favorite tips and tricks since beginning this blog into a separate book for the Kindle. Like the cookbook, it will have an actual table of contents to use to quickly access the information you want. I believe it is going to be a great resource.  And while it is being put together, I will be sure to share the nuts and bolts and special software recommendations to make the job as easy as possible.
The software used (and one way to do it): 
  1. AZZ Cardfile - great little utility to organize lots of things, but I made a special file just for the recipes. AZZ automatically organized them alphabetically, with the list to the left of everything and available at all times. Once done in AZZ, I could use it to export the file to a .rtf format with each recipe card a separate page.
  2. Word Processor - took the rtf file and converted it to a pdf file, making sure each title was designated as H1
  3. Exported the word processor file to a pdf file
  4. Used Mobipocket Creator to put it all together, do final tweaking, and create the final .prc file, which is what went up to Amazon to be converted to the final Kindle file.
I did several versions using the above method, but ended up settling in with an html file as my working file. Since I am a web designer and very comfortable with web and html tools, I found exporting to an html file from AZZ gave me something more natural (for me) to work with. I used Dreamweaver for my main tweaking, then imported it into Mobipocket Creator for the final bit. I will be breaking this down for you and going into it in bits and pieces over the next several weeks...  You can use these skills you will learn to put your own personal files on your Kindle to have close to you at all times (without lugging a laptop around).

Most of the software you will need is free, or in the case of AZZ cardfile, very reasonably priced. If you decide you want to give AZZ a try, you will probably find yourself using it daily, for lots of things. You'll wonder what you ever did without it!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Free on Amazon Today

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type the title with your Kindle, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until the word store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, use the 5-way toggle switch to move around the book info area to read more about the book. 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 first one can be pre ordered for free and the rest you can get today!
Nutrition Diva's 5 Secrets for Aging Well ~ Monica Reinagel
Available for free in the following regions: United States


The One Year Book of Devotions for Couples ~ Teresa Ferguson
Available for free in the following regions: United States, Africa*, Asia & Pacific*, Australia, Europe*, India*, Latin Am. & Caribbean*, Middle East*
Listen ~ Rene Gutteridge
Available for free in the following regions: United States, Africa*, Asia & Pacific*, Australia, Europe*, India*, Latin Am. & Caribbean*, Middle East*
Imaginary Jesus ~ Matt Mikalatos
Available for free in the following regions: United States, Africa*, Asia & Pacific*, Australia, Canada, Europe*, India*, Latin Am. & Caribbean*, Middle East*
After the Leaves Fall ~ Nicole Baart
Available for free in the following regions: United States, Africa*, Asia & Pacific*, Australia, Canada, Europe*, India*, Latin Am. & Caribbean*, Middle East*
If you are reading this on your computer and would like to have this blog delivered to your Kindle wirelessly every day, click the link below. New subscribers will get the first two weeks free! If you know of a fellow Kindle owner, please share a good word and let them know about From the Desk of Mrs. Wizard - A Kindle Blog

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Ask Mrs. Wizard - Viewing images on the Kindle

You have probably already covered this in one of your blogs but here goes :
    Sometimes in a blog that contains an illustration it may not come thru very clear on my Kindle so in that case I go to my pc and bring up your blog and when I get the illustration I just click on it which in my case enlarges it and I can print a readable image. From old weak eyes!
   Most of the time I print out all your blogs anyway. I have 2 three ring notebooks full of your stuff. Too bad we couldn't print directly from the Kimdle.
   Look forward to your blog every day.

Ralph
=================
You are such a sweetheart!
About the pictures in the blog though... Some actually do better than others, but none do very well on the Kindle. I guess it is just the small screen... You can "zoom" in on most of them while on the Kindle though... that might help some.

Use the 5-way switch to navigate to the picture on the screen. If you can do anything with the picture, you will see the cursor change to a little magnifying glass. When you see that, press in on the center button on the 5-way and you will see the image full sized. When you are finished viewing the image, use the Back button to return to where you were before.

Ask Mrs. Wizard:
Please send me a personal email (mrswizard@mrswizard.com) if you have any questions. I answer all my emails and am more than happy to help any time I can. Your questions mean a lot to me, and may even inspire an article that will help others and make this a more valuable resource to anyone who reads it. 

If you are reading this on your computer and would like to have this blog delivered to your Kindle wirelessly every day, click the link below. New subscribers will get the first two weeks free! If you know of a fellow Kindle owner, please share a good word and let them know about From the Desk of Mrs. Wizard.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Free on Amazon Today

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type the title with your Kindle, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until the word store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, use the 5-way toggle switch to move around the book info area to read more about the book. 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!
A Child al Confino ~ Eric Lamet
Available for free in the following regions: United States, United Kingdom, Africa*, Asia & Pacific*, Australia, Canada, Europe*, India*, Latin Am. & Caribbean*, Middle East*
Most accounts of Holocaust survival are centered on central or eastern Europe, in which the Nazi program of genocide was so explicit. Although Mussolini and his Fascist minions were not necessarily genocidal in intention, they were still virulently anti-Semitic as this engrossing and moving account reveals. Lamet was born in Vienna. When he was seven, his family’s middle-class existence was shattered by the Nazi seizure of Austria. His father fled to Poland, where he presumably perished in a death camp. Lamet and his mother made a harrowing escape to Italy, where they spent months seeking refuge in various isolated mountain villages. They resided in a southern rural hamlet east of Naples until the Allied liberation in 1943. Lamet recounts his mother’s struggles to provide a secure home for her child while both attempt to adjust from their urban, relatively sophisticated background to life in what initially appears to be a bleak, primitive setting. This memoir will be an excellent addition to Holocaust collections. --Jay Freeman
Product Description
Eric Lamet was only seven years old when the Nazis invaded Vienna—and changed his life and the lives of all European Jews forever. Five days after Hitler marched in, Eric Lamet and his parents fled for their lives. Unable to remain together, the family split—he and his mother hid out in Italy, while his father returned to his native Poland and an even darker fate.
In this remarkable feat of memory and imagination, Lamet recreates the Italy he knew from the perspective of the scared and lonely child he once was. We not only see the hardships and terrors faced by foreign Jews in Fascist Italy, but also the friends Eric makes and his mother's valiant efforts to make a home for him.

In a style as original as his story, the author vividly recalls a terrible time yet imbues his recollections with humor, humanity, and wit. With a rare compassion toward friend and foe alike, little Eric Lamet shows us that there is light to be found in the darkest places—and that we should remember the good as well as the bad.
==========================
If you are reading this on your computer and would like to have this blog delivered to your Kindle wirelessly every day, click the link below. New subscribers will get the first two weeks free! If you know of a fellow Kindle owner, please share a good word and let them know about From the Desk of Mrs. Wizard.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Kindle Skills - Battery Saver

It has been pretty well documented that with all Kindles (from version 1 to today) will give you more time between battery charges if you turn your Wireless off.

A good thing to do is to turn your Wireless on at least some time each day while you are reading or just letting it sit. This will give it a chance to update any blogs or magazines you are subscribed to (like this blog?) and insure you always have the latest edition. It will also give your Kindle a chance to "phone home" and check for any critical updates to the firmware itself for your favorite little machine. This is really important.

If you want to keep the Wireless turned off the rest of the time, that is fine. While on your home screen, press the Menu button. Then navigate to the top of the list until the words Turn Wireless On is underlined. Press in on the 5 way button to turn your wireless on. If it is already on, the option to turn it off will be available.

Using this method, you should be able to more than double your battery time.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Kindle Skills - Windows Utilities

A very special Thank You to Ralph for asking me how to print the contents of a folder of his (full of ebooks of course). I have a feeling many of you will enjoy this little free tool for your Windows computer.


Karen's Directory Printer is a freeware program that is a must have for anyone who has a directory (folder) with a lot of files (ebook collection?) in it and would like to print a copy of the file names so you can browse it any time you want. I choose the Save to Disk tab and save the folder contents as a text file. That way I can peruse it on my computer screen, search it with Windows normal search tools, and share it with others who may want to see the list. It is very intuitive and easy to use, and you can't beat the price. She has other utilities on her site you may want to explore too.

I have been using this tool since Windows XP, and it works fine on my Windows 7 machine too. Once installed, it gives me an additional right click option for a folder - Print with DirPrn. The rest is just poking around and having fun with it.

Unfortunately there isn't a version of this for Macs, but I have a feeling if you did a nice google search, there is bound to be a little similar free goodie out there for us Mac users too.

You can read more about this little tool and download it if you wish at http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptdirprn.asp

If you are on your Kindle, you need to visit this place from your computer if you want to download it.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Kindle Skills - Using the Menu in a Periodical

Depending on what you are doing on your Kindle, pressing the Menu button will have slightly (sometimes not so slightly) different options. Use your 5-way to navigate up, down, left and right through this area.

If you are reading a newspaper, magazine or blog, the menu shows:

  • Clip This Article - makes a copy of the entire article and adds it to your My Clippings file.
  • Keep This Issue - sets the newspaper or magazine issue aside as one to be store in your Kindle until you remove it. Once selected, this option changes to Do Not Keep This Issue.
  • Search This Blog will appear if you are reading a blog
Special Note: Anything listed in any menu that is greyed out, means it is not an option from wherever you are. It is unavailable at that time.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Free on Amazon Today

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type the title with your Kindle, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until the word store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, use the 5-way toggle switch to move around the book info area to read more about the book. 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! 

Read 'em and weep!

The Truth About Perfecting Your Presentation Skills (Collection) ~ Michael Solomon
Available for free in the following regions: United States, Asia & Pacific*, Australia, Canada, Europe*, India*, Middle East*
Middleshift: More Power, More Purpose, and More Success for Managers Reader ~ Vince Thompson
Available for free in the following regions: United States, Asia & Pacific*, Australia, Canada, Europe*, India*, Middle East*
Antibiotic Resistance: Understanding and Responding to an Emerging Crisis ~ Karl S. Drlica
Available for free in the following regions: United States, Asia & Pacific*, Australia, Canada, Europe*, India*, Middle East*
Business and Competitive Analysis Methods ~ Craig S. Fleisher
Available for free in the following regions: Asia & Pacific*, United States, Australia, Canada, Europe*, India*, Middle East*
How the Saints W ent Kicking In ~ Jeff Duncan
Available for free in the following regions: Asia & Pacific*, United States, Australia, Canada, Europe*, India*, Middle East*
Goodness Gracious Green ~ Judy Christie
Available for free in the following regions: Asia & Pacific*, Africa*, United States, Australia, Canada, Europe*, India*, Latin Am. & Caribbean*, Middle East*
How to Make Money Marketing Your Business on LinkedIn ~ Jamie Turner
Available for free in the following regions: Asia & Pacific*, United States, Australia, Canada, Europe*, India*, Middle East*
If you are reading this on your computer and would like to have this blog delivered to your Kindle wirelessly every day, click the link below. New subscribers will get the first two weeks free! If you know of a fellow Kindle owner, please share a good word and let them know about From the Desk of Mrs. Wizard.

Kindle Skills - Using the Menu in a Book

Depending on what you are doing on your Kindle, pressing the Menu button will have slightly (sometimes not so slightly) different options. Use your 5-way to navigate up, down, left and right through this area.

If you are reading a book, the menu shows:

  • Turn Wireless Off (or On if it is already off)
  • Shop in Kindle Store (our favorite place to be on a rainy day)
  • Buy This Book Now (if what you are reading is a sample) - If you choose this, your Kindle will connect to the Kindle Store, purchase and download the full book to your Kindle. You can delete the sample at this time.
  • Go To... Select this to move to another location in whatever you are reading. Your choices will be the cover, beginning, location, or table of contents (if available).
  • Sync to  Furthest Page Read will connect you to Whispernet and compare your current reading location to the one saved at Amazon. If you are further along in your book on another device, Kindle gives you the choice to go to the furthest page read. You don't want to take advantage of this option if someone else in your Kindle account circle is reading the same book.
  • Book Description connects to the Kindle Store and shows you the book's detail page. This can come in handy if you have had the book a while but maybe forgot what it was about. I hate it when that happens.
  • Search This Book displays the Search line at the bottom of the screen. Type what you are looking for and go for the gusto!
  • Add a Bookmark bookmarks the page you are currently on. If you select this, the upper right corner of the book will be dog-eared and this menu option will change to Delete Bookmark
  • Add a Note or Highlight displays a cursor so you can highlight a passage or create a note. When you see the cursor, press the key to the right until what you want is highlighted. Then press in on the center button to make it happen.
  • View My Notes & Marks shows a page with all your book's notes, highlights and bookmarks. This is just for the current book or item you are reading.
  • View Popular Highlights - shows all your current item's Popular Highlights... things other readers have highlighted. I don't know if I like this feature or not at this time. I have turned off my Popular Highlights in my Kindle Settings.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Manybooks.net - Always Free

Get him while you can... unfiltered, uncensored, in his own words... and learn.

Mark Twain

alias: samuel clemens

life: 1835-1910
Sort by: Date or Title
The $30,000 Bequest
and Other Stories, [en] 1906
1601
Conversation as it was by the Social Fireside in the Time of the Tudors, [en] 1880
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Tom Sawyer's Comrade, [en] 1884
Alonzo Fitz
and Other Stories, [en]
A Burlesque Autobiography
and First Romance, [en] 1871
Curious Republic of Gondour
and Other Whimsical Sketches, [en] 1871
A Dog's Tale, [en] 1904
Eve's Diary
[without illustrations], [en]
The Gilded Age
A tale of today, [en] 1873
The Mysterious Stranger
and Other Stories, [en] 1916
Roughing It, [en] 1872
A Tramp Abroad, [en] 1880
The Treaty With China, its Provisions Explained
New York Tribune, Tuesday, August 28, 1868, [en] 1868
Tri Ceteraj Noveloj
Three Additional Stories, [eo] 1999
What Is Man?, [en] 1906
Manybooks.net note: You can actually download these books from your Kindle, directly from the web site. It is certainly worth clicking these book links and experimenting with your 5-way toggle. It may be a little clunky, but actually works fine. You will make good use of that free Amazon whispernet connection. The .mobi file format is my personal favorite for books from Manybooks.net on my Kindle, but you can also use .prc, .txt, and .azw files with no trouble. Experiment with them all and decide for yourself which formats you like the best. Manybooks.net books are always FREE!

Instant refresher:
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