I took the plunge…and bought an ereader

On By Kim KnoxIn Sony Ereader2 Comments

All right, things I’ve learned about using my Sony Ereader in the 20 hours I’ve owned it.

You can use it on a Mac.

We Mac users are minions of the darkside and as such Sony only want people to use windows. Bad them. But being insidious and devious minions, we can work our way around it. You can get away with not using their elibrary software – which seems to be mostly a way to get you to their v. expensive shop – by just plugging the ereader into a USB with the cable provided.

Up it pops as a little white mount thingy. Open it and move you ebooks in. Viola!

PDFs look b-a-a-a-d

So I’m avoiding them. I don’t have that many ebooks, so this is really for people like me. Buy HTML versions and convert them using Word to RTF, then load them. You don’t get the really nice big text that the LRC format gives you, but it’s a 1000 times better than PDF, ie. you can actually read the book you’ve bought. Fictionwise also offers mulitformat and tucked away are LRF files. I down loaded a free book, just to check it worked.

I’ll add more to the wonders of ownership as they crop up *grin*. Now…back to reading *squeee*

More news on Frodo

On By Kim KnoxIn Frodo1 Comment

The paediatrician who ordered Frodo’s MRI phoned last night and gave The Ent a load of medical jargon – which he thinks means Frodo’s brain isn’t showing any abnormalities.

Then she pops up with… “…but there is one thing…”

Frodo has a benign cyst on his pineal gland. Under 10mm and they wouldn’t take any further action. Frodo’s is naturally 12mm. So in 6 to 9 months time he gets to go in the MRI machine again. At least we know he won’t have to be anaesthetised as he was relaxed and calm the last time.

We don’t know – and in all likelihood the doctors don’t know either, lol – whether this has something to do with his mental impairment. Everything we can find on the pineal gland says a cyst doesn’t cause any symtoms…still has me wondering though.

I’m BACK!!!

On By Kim KnoxIn Writing

Had a shitty ISP for 3 WHOLE weeks…but it popped back on this morning all by itself.  Guess when the engineer was finally set to make an appearance?  Yep, this afternoon between 1-6pm.  He’s still coming.  So hopefully he won’t screw up what they haven’t fixed…:-)

Hope I’m still here later…

I’ve got the lurgy

On By Kim KnoxIn Lurgy, Writing3 Comments

So everything has ground to halt as general and annoying lurgy has wiped me out.  I’m typing in between really irritating coughing.

I think I’m going to have to put my EC jewel sub on ice and concentrate on the Samhain anthology sub I want to finish.  I’m lucky to write anything at the minute and the anthology sub is further along than the EC sub.  Plus I have until 15 May to get the Samhain one finished up (I’m at 17.5k).

Now I need tablets and tea *sigh*

News, news and yet more news

On By Kim KnoxIn Frodo, hobbits, Satin Spar, The Ent, Writing

I haven’t blogged for a while as it’s been Samwise’s birthday week. Yes, he has a birthday week and it’s not over yet.

The Ent’s family came over last Saturday and we toddled off to Crosby beach to gawp at the iron men. Then later in the week, came Samwise’s birthday with nursery school cake and sweeties followed by presents at home.

That night we went off to she Omid Djalili. Just about stayed awake. Who thought a small boy’s fourth birthday could be so tiring?

Thursday was Frodo’s MRI scan. He managed to complete it without an anaesthetic, which we were really pleased about. And on the Friday was his six joint assessment. They decided rather quickly, it seemed to us, that Frodo is now on the spectrum. This after the assessment six weeks ago where it was stated that diagnosis wasn’t as important as meeting his needs. So we’ll see on this one… 😉

Frodo also went to a school disco after school. The Ent took him and he said Frodo had a great time.

And today…we got the letter that said Samwise will go to Frodo’s school in September. Big relief all round *grin*

So…there’s only tomorrow left and that’s Samwise’s birthday party at Yellow Sub. I think both The Ent and I need to sleep for a week, lol

Oh..and I wrote a bit too.

Odd thoughts

On By Kim KnoxIn Fracture, Pure Bond, Writing

I was chatting last night about my Sven wips and someone asked me how I keep all the characters straight, as I often jump between wips.

I realised that the characters are just ‘there’ in my head. They seem to hang off their name. I can see what they look like and ‘feel’ their character. Don’t ask me what that means, I’m not too sure myself. I know what they would and wouldn’t say, how they feel about the other characters and what mess I’ve made of their lives, lol I know that Patrick from Fracture is a completely different entity from Cam, the hero of Pure Bond. It’s there as I think/type there name.

It also made me very aware of the fact that I am crappy at analysing my own stories, breaking them down and working out exactly what’s going on. I’m seriously envious of people who rattle off a systematic breakdown of what’s going on in every scene, how they point out how a certain section pushes the story this why or that.

I just can’t get my head around it. And believe me, I’ve tried! The plot and characters are an amorphous blob living in my head that I give shape to with words. Ask me anything more about it and I’ll just look at you like a slack-jawed yokel *sigh*

The next fortnight…

On By Kim KnoxIn Frodo, hobbits, Samwise

…might be a little crazy.

Frodo has to be assessed by all sorts of specialists – hurrah, something might happen to get him support in school – have an MRI and generally days will be taken up taking him places.

And in less than a fortnight is Samwise’s 4th birthday.  And we have to prep for the party he’s having.

So if you’re wondering where I am… See above *grin*

*Boink, boink, boink*

On By Kim KnoxIn Frodo, Statement

I got a phonecall this morning from Parent Partnershop just before I had to pick Samwise up from pre-school

Our Education Authority has agreed to assess Frodo for a statement, without dragging it to a Tribunal. Yay. They must have realised that it will cost them more to hold what is effectively a court hearing than to assess Frodo. And with his vast amount of documented history, showing no action from anyone, they also must have had an attack of common sense…

I know. I’m stunned too 😉

Chat on Monday

On By Kim KnoxIn phenomena

The Phenomena Authors (Dawn Montgomery, Michelle Hasker and Kim Knox) plus Maura Anderson chat with you Monday 31 March at Realms of Love.

The Phenomena Authors say this about themselves:

phe·nom·e·na

1. Things that are out of the ordinary and excite people’s interest and curiosity
2. Things that are considered to be, truly extraordinary and marvellous

Well enough about us *grin*

oh and 3. Facts or occurrences that can be observed especially when lol funny

Join us for laughs, friendly conversation about romantic fiction reading and writing and Give-Aways of downloadable eBooks. The chat starts at 9 PM EDT / 6 PM PDT (2 AM GMT *gulp* ). Don’t be late. Be sure to sign up and/or log in before the chat. See you at Realms of Love!