Good news and delayed gratification news.

The delayed gratification news first: The new novel, MacFinster II: MacFinster's Folly, is still not available on iBooks.

But it will be! I promise!

Now, I know this is a crushing blow to those of you who are Mac aficionados; you may even think I am some PC fanatic, opposed to Macs and discriminating against their owners. Nothing could be further from the truth! In fact, I use an iPad and an iPhone, although I use an excellent-ish PC for work. (The -ish because the "pointing device"---mouse pad---bites so hard it could break steel.) (And I've made peace with Windows 8, although we'll never be friends.)

There is good news, however. With the latest iteration of the iBooks software, books previously only accessible through the iBooks app on the iPad can now be accessed on the iPhone. So my first four books (MacFinster, Faster & Closer, Cobalt Agonistes, and Larry & the Mascots) can now be on your phone, ready for you to read when you're not crushing candy, ordering pizza, or using Siri to settle bar bets. (Like, "I'll bet you can't get Siri to answer a question in a useful manner!")

And actually, if you download free Kindle software for your iPad or iPhone, you can get my new book right away. Of course, you may think that is redundant since Apple forced---uh, gifted you with the iBooks software; why have two book apps on your device? I do, but I'm in the business. Anyway, it's one answer, and I think it proves that the news isn't all bad.

In fact, if you do buy the new book, or any of the others, I'd say the day has turned out to be pretty darned good all around! And I'll even say THANKS!

Not bad for a Monday after all, huh?

iFred!

Hey, kids! As promised a few weeks back, my novels are now available for sale on the iBooks store for use on the iPad!

Yippee Dippee Dippee!

Although iBooks software is available---even mandatory---on the iPhone, for some reason my books cannot be made available at this time for that format. I've no idea why, but this seems to be the case for many other publishers as well at this time.

Anyway, if you're like one of the cool kids and you have an iPad, you can enjoy your Fred to go on it. I know I'm kind of heavy to carry around, but the Halloween candy is almost gone, and I can drop a pound or two before Thanksgiving.

Here are the links, which will be included on this blog's sidebar soon:

Cobalt Agonistes

Larry and the Mascots

Faster & Closer

MacFinster

(In answer to a question from Mr. Philbin: Yes, I am still working on the middle-grade book that I expected to have finished two months ago. Fortunately everyone who knows me knows that I have a complex and rewarding life and I am also a big fat liar. At least about getting my writing done when promised. Trust me, when the blasted thing is done, you'll all be the second to know.)

I pad, U pad, we all pad for iPad.

Big breakthrough

This is the first blog entry I,ve written on the iPad I got as a gift. I am just typing it out straight in Pagesm not making corrections beyond allowing the autocorrect to do its magic. Why? Because I kept hearing about the lameitude if the iPad keyboard, but if there's one rhubarb I know about it is the friendliness if Apple products. Say what you will, Knut they are as easy to use as anything on earth. If you can't use apple products, I don
T even want to watch you try to use a fork .

Now, as ahoy can tell, there are a lot of errors getting through, but nothing compared to what this would llook like without the apple software. I,m not that bad a typist  really. I was self taught back when a mistake meant getting out the site out. Yep, you made a slip in that cuneiform, myth needed Liquid Rock to make kit right. Later we used liquid Wax on the diptychs. Shut up.

Anyway, wish me luck---I expect I will continue to do most of my entries on my laptop, but the iPad makes a useful backup, then you can blog in the subway, on the bus, driving the car (before the cops find you) , in the can, whenever, whatever you.re doing. I promise solemnly that if I ever do blog on the toilet, I will withhold the information from you. Thank you, and you may now Ohio about your business.