Reading the current manuscript on the trip—as I did, now and again—persuaded me I have to do a fast re-edit. This is the book I was working on when my mother passed away. I dropped a few stitches, as you might imagine, so I am going to do the things it needs. For some reason I feel less harried now that I have CC as an outlet and Wave as a place to be able to explain things—and things have leapt into focus, items that I want to fix before I send it out. I like this book. It’s odd, in some ways, but I think it’s a good one, and I just want to do it right.
Jane has chimed in with some very good points about the continued story; and I think she’s right. I’m going to put it up on a ‘donations’ basis, details to be available later: but there’ll be a pagelet where those who’ve read it (and I suppose anybody else) can comment, speculate to your hearts’ content, etc. I couldn’t do this with one of my more intricate novels—the cross-chatter would drive me mad if not put me right off my writing; but this, involving a pure light adventure and magic story, just should be fun.
In the meanwhile Lynn is back from her cruise: you’ll have to catch that from her blog—I cannot possibly describe it. But she is also preparing the cover for her novel, soon to be up.
What other news? I met several of you at ConDor in San Diego: I was charmed.
ConDor was supposed to run a CC ad in their program book, which didn’t get in (we were lateish) —so they came up with a brilliant fix, downloaded the flyer from the CC site, printed it in screaming dayglo orange and distributed it all over the convention. Those of you planning to take fliers, take along a roll of painters’ blue edging tape: the fussiest hotels seem to be ok with that as a way to keep posters up without damaging their walls.
Excellent re the story. Can’t wait!
And it will be very interesting to hear if the flyers bring in new members to CC. One is very interested!
I want to apologize. Before I was all ready to buy your ebooks and promised that I would. I am forced to recant. I can’t sit at my computer long enough to read very much at all. I used to have my laptop at my electric lounger,however the configuration of my apartment makes that impossible. I come to the table several times a day and so can cover your blog,another blog and
my email at different times. I can’t afford one of the readers and feel terrible that I’ve failed to keep my promise. I have left the laptop on at the African cam and listened to it
thinking that I would hear a break in the background noise if something came. I love it thank you.
Azureblu, I am only sorry that you are having this trouble. If you have someone who can help you set it up, the e-readers that the laptop can use will read the book aloud to you, from the table, if someone can help you set up to do that. I’m trying to remember which of the e-reader softwares has a reading voice. I know that the Microsoft Reader does. Can anybody help out, here?
And if nothing else we all enjoy your presence here. You’re an asset.
Ha! Here is a link to a program called Natural Reader. It has a free download, and is compatible with Adobe Reader. http://www.naturalreaders.com/
If you get the adobe file (.pdf) and ask the Natural Reader to read it to you, it should do so. I have no experience with it, but this would be a possibility. It can read Internet Explorer, and Adobe files.
Don’t despair. If this one isn’t workable, there’s got to be one that is.
Oh,thank you so much! This is truly a gift,it’s been difficult to cut my time and enjoyment of my
computer.
I have downloaded the free version and it says that it can be inserted into any(I think it said any)program. I have both the Natural Reader and
my Mobi Reader on my desktop. Can I just drag and
drop the Natural Reader into the Mobi? Or am I too
naieve
Huh,that last entry was whisked away from beneath my still typing fingertips…….as I was saying:
or am I too naive to breath?
I WILL find a way! Thanks so much!
You’re pretty clever with the computer, as I recall, but if you have any trouble, MSReader has the ‘voice’ inbuilt. We do offer that format. Calibre can convert any ebook you get TO that format. And that means you could take any Project Gutenberg book and use Calibre to shift it to MSReader. That’s thousands and thousands of books.
And if you have any troubles besides that, I do hope you will come to Miscon this Memorial day weekend and make acquaintances in that fangroup…there are some really nice folk who live in Missoula or around about, among them folk with computer talents who may be a resource for you. Jane and OSG and I are going to be there, Todd I think is going to be there—and local computer expertise is a Very Nice Thing if you know a few phone numbers.
@CJ, Would it be a good idea to put that link on your “e-book free readers” area? I think that’s a great way for people who are either having trouble reading, or want to have the book read out to them so they’re not tied to a chair for hours.
Good idea. I’ll do that.
Having nothing better to do my laptop refused to open the Calibre. I downloaded the MSReader and got twenty extra bits that are arrayed across my
desktop with no apparent place to go. ???
Ok. Where did you get the Calibre file? From Wave? From CC? Be sure you got the one for PC. (I’m assuming you have a pc.) I’m working on my new computer, so if you let me know your source, I’ll download the same onto a computer that’s innocent of any prior info from those sources and see what happens.
I note if you have Word as your wordprocessor, you can implant MS Reader as part of that installation.
I got the Calibre off the left side of your blog.
I kept getting a little sign saying “can’t open,
check if it is a legal version”.
Umm,if my laptop is a pc then I have one. If a pc
is a desk set,I couldn’t afford anything but the
very used laptop.
It was “Calibre ebook software for Windows”
That should be correct. It’ll say Can’t verify origin of this program, or Unsigned, and Are you sure you want to open this file…all sorts of alarming warnings, normal for this program. Ignore all the warnings and ask it to install, and ok its other steps with “Default”. Then it should install. I’m using Win 7; what’s your version? I know it works with XP and Vista.
Have patience: one way or another, we’ll walk you through install of this program. You should 1) download it. 2) go to your downloads folder 3) poke it 4) ignore its warnings and tell it install. 5) choose ‘default’ every time it asks you to be specific during the process and 6) let it install your Calibre library where it wants: it’s less confusing that way. I hope it’s just the usual warnings and not some sort of preventative software; but lord knows we’ve got a raft of computer-savvy folk on Wave, and we’ll get you through this.
I have Windows XP service pac 3. I didn’t get a chance to insist(default)just a 3″x 1 1/2″ silver
notice saying “can’t open,check if it is a valid
version”. I’ll go back and look carefully at the
first one where I click run.
Ok,I finally played with it and got the Installer
to explain that the download was(probably) damaged
so I will redownload in a bit. I have to go to my
chair for a while.
Sounds like a good plan. Keep us posted.
Okay,after three more tries I finally got a good
download. It’s my computer,I feel like I dribble bits and pieces of programming and what ever as I
swan about the internet.
NOW,I have Calibre. Does it help my Mobi? I also have the MS Reader AND something called Natural
Reader.???
I’m down for a while again…..so frustrating!!
Ok, Azureblu. First, install Microsoft Reader from http://www.microsoft.com/reader
This gives you a reader that comes WITH a ‘voice’. So if you get a file from us, choose the .lit format instead of the .prc you’ve been using. Click on the .lit file with MSReader on your computer, and it will give you the option of ‘reading’ it to you. This is a messy bit of programming, as I recall, because the toggle for the ‘reader’ neatly obscures other things you may need to see, but right off the bat, just toggle that reader ,and you should get a voice starting from where you set the cursor in the document (as I remember).
2. Say you have gone to Project Gutenberg and gotten, say “Black Bartelmy’s Treasure” by Jeffrey Farnol in .pdf format (all Gutenberg books are pdf, I think.) Hokay, then just use your newly gotten free Natural VOice software to open ANY pdf, or IE, or whatnot, and it should read to you aloud.
3. Say for some reason you need to convert another file format(say, .epub or .prc) to .lit to use with MS Reader: bring it up in Calibre, identify the file format for it, tell it what file format you want it to convert to—and viola! it can take a .prc to .lit, or a .pdf to .lit, etc. It’s just a good general “My file’s in the wrong format, please convert it to ……” kind of program. Plus it is also a reader. Its native format is .epub, and it likes that and .prc best, but it CAN handle other kinds of files. Most word processors can convert a text file to .pdf, which your Natural VOices software can read to you.
It’s going to be a pesky lot of non-intuitive steps at first, but I really hope this will give you a nice, relaxing way to enjoy books.
Ok,I bookmarked this page in case I lose your how-
to-do-it in a sideways brain slip. In the morning
I will play with my new goodies and see how I do.
This could be a really good improvement. I really do appreciate your help,thank you.
Just do not hesitate to ask for help. This is a whole new tool-box, and not entirely intuitive. I have great hope that you can use this set of options to access not just our books, but a whole raft of books.
Azureblu, I hesitate to offer suggestions because I have no idea of your apartment’s situation, but I feel so bad that your laptop is exiled to the table when you would really prefer to sit in your comfy chair and enjoy it. I know that would annoy me very much, though it would be fun to hear the stories read aloud!
If the problem is that your electric lounger is using all the conveniently available outlets, have you tried one of those power bar extension cords? I’ve used those for computers and printers with no trouble. If it’s your internet connection that is too far away, you can buy telephone extension lines (they are usually flat, with a phone clip-plug in on one end and out on the other end) very inexpensively. They do the job, and the extra length needed to go over a doorframe or around a wall shouldn’t make any difference. If/when your budget and equipment allow, you might look at setting up a wireless connection, you can secure it with a password and connect to the internet anywhere in the apartment.
mitha,
Thank you for your concern,it is so nice of you to
offer this info! The problem is that my chair must
be placed in such a way that if I move the little
plastic tray that I used to use for my laptop then
I have blocked the front doorway or the bathroom
doorway. This also would put my powerchair(like an electric wheelchair) too far for comfortable access. The apartment is small but well laid out unless you live in an electric recliner.
Ok,I downloaded an ebook to the MSReader. I’m not really fond of the MS. Can I transfer the book to the Natural Reader? How could I do that?
Would I have to go thru Calibre first? None of those were on the list of available downloads.
Mmmm. Download a book (use one of our free ones) to your computer in a folder designated as e-books. Unzip the file. That should give you the .pdf file within the folder. Go to your Natural Reader and follow its directions for accessing that .pdf file. It ought to read it to you. It does handle any .pdf file.