Technology on the Farm: Looking for a Few Good (Wo)Men

Allrighty boy and girls, I'm about to go all techie on you; stand back. I have to admit, I've spent the last few years trying to get AWAY from technology and back to the simple pleasures of living in real time. I created a serious learning curve for myself which was less than fun to surmount, but I digress. Point is the bunnies have decided that it's time to get with the program. When they found out I got a Kindle Fire (after swearing up and down I'd never read a digital book. Like. Ever.) they started taking turns using it whenever my back is turned. I mean, like seriously, they hide it from each other and someone has nibbled a corner of the jacket, probably St. John. Good thing I got that super-duper screen protector. I think they downloaded Watership Down even though I warned them it had some scary bits in it. They are also very fond of LOTR because they like to imagine they are hobbits.

Anyway, it should be no surprise that they are anxiously awaiting the digital release of a book I co-wrote with Eric Stoffle. I should state now, right here, for the record, that it ends on a cliff-hanger so if you decide to read it get the sequel, Midnight Hour, before you finish and save yourself the kind of knuckle-popping anxiety that people raked me over the coals for when it came out in print and they had to wait years - yes, years! Oh the agony! - for the sequel. You can thank me later.

Anyway, Eleventh Hour is going to be released digitally on March 12 - ta-da! - and we're looking for a few good men - and women, and even bunnies - to give away some pre-release copies to in exchange for an honest review - seriously, dude, you won't hurt our feelings, we can take it, we've got big strong backs from hunching over keyboards every spare second - and post it on Amazon.com or wherever else you like to post reviews of eBooks. So if you want to be one of those people please send me an email at c.perrinowalker@gmail.com and tell me which format you'd like (I think your choices are .mobi or .epub but you'd have to ask Fergal because he's the geek in the house.)

A bunch of my other print books are about to make the leap into technology and become eBooks as well through one of my publishers, Pacific Press. As resistant as I am to change, and technology, this is actually a good thing. People often ask me where they can find some of my earlier work and a lot of it has gone out of print. Now they'll be able to get their hands on it again. Wait, maybe that's not a good thing . . . By the way, may I state, also for the record, no one, and I mean no one, has guessed who the real people were behind the characters in Playing God. No one. But if you'd like to try, you'll soon have the digital opportunity to give it a shot. Ain't technology grand?

Bunny M.A.S.H.

I know I'm a lazy poster but it's hard to believe I haven't posted anything to the blog since late November. There's a very good reason for that, however. Several of them. All fluffy. All cute. All sick unto death.

Around Thanksgiving Fergal had an accident. We think he was pulling on the bars of his cage and ripped his jaw ligaments. I won't tell the whole story here (I'm including it in a book I'm working on . . . more details when it's closer to being finished) but let's just say that it was a couple months before I got to sleep longer than 4 hours at a stretch. This picture shows Fergal in his baby bib (courtesy of my nephew Destin) getting ready for one of his every 4 hour round the clock feedings. He did really well. He still needs feeding at times,when he refuses to eat, but for the most part is now eating on his own. He doesn't seem to be able to eat regular pellets so I have to grind his food in the spice grinder and mix it with water to make mush.

Then Twisk got a cold. And then Pippin got a cold. And then Dougal got an ear infection (and died in my arms.) And then Posey got a cold. This may be the Year of the Dragon but it's the Winter of the Bunny. Dougal was the first rabbit I've lost (aside from Poppet's runt and two stillborns.) It was difficult. I try not to think about it. Everyone else is on the mend.

Through everything Dr. Bruce has been a medical MacGyver. It's nice to have someone so resourceful and knowledgeable in charge. I've spent so much time with him since fall we're considering adopting him.

In other farm news, well, I guess there is no other farm news. Just sick bunnies. The sheep, llama, and alpaca are anxious for spring and real grass, otherwise they are doing well. Beatrix is rocking a new camo colored jacket because that's what came the last time I ordered. She looks like she's getting ready to go on a mission but then she always looks like she's plotting to take over the world. Now she's dressed for it.

Exciting writing news though . . . I'm about to sign a contract to let Pacific Press ePublish all of my titles they have published in print. Except for Eleventh Hour and Midnight Hour which Eric Stoffle and I own the digital rights for. We're busy converting those files ourselves and will release them through Amazon. I'll keep you posted. I am embarrassed to say that I've broken down and ordered a Kindle Fire. I never thought I would. I'm still not sure I want one. But I'm ridiculously excited about it anyway. This ePublishing gig opens up a whole new world. Especially for control freaks like myself. I'm not entirely sure I won't pop a couple books onto Amazon that I've been noodling on for years. Might be fun.

Now if we could just get a little snow before winter is officially over it might smooth my re-entry into reality.