Hi, I’m Cathryn Cade. I‘m thrilled to be part of The Book Binge’s Summer Ebook Expo.

I don’t think there has ever been such an exciting time to be a reader, or a writer, especially of romance. Publishing has been blown wide open by the digital revolution, and you and I are all coming up winners.

I write red hot romance, including space opera and contemporary paranormal. My books range in length from 30,000 to 85,000 words. My very first book, still my best-seller, would not have been accepted or published by a traditional publisher. They would have considered it too short. So how did I get published?

In 2007, I attended a Romance Writers of America meeting in Portland, Oregon. I’d heard of digital books, but although I’m a voracious reader, I’d never read an ebook. I’d certainly never thought of sending one of my stories to a digital-first publisher. But a lovely woman at the meeting told of having her manuscript accepted by an epub. She was already published traditionally, but she was very excited because she would receive royalties for this new ebook each month, not have to worry about print books being returned and taken out of her paycheck, and her books would sell for a very low price, accessible to readers on a budget. 

Her name was Delle Jacobs, a gracious lady and a prolific writer. I went right home from that meeting, wrested our computer away from my two teenage sons, and looked up the publishers she had mentioned. One of them, Samhain Publishing, wanted stories about shape-shifters. Hmm … I had an idea for a shape-shifter story—a very hot one. Spring break was coming. I outlined the story, and spent the entire week of break at our computer, writing the (very rough) rough draft of Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bryght.

Angela James was then the executive editor for Samhain. She accepted the story, worked with me to make it better, and in 2008 I was delighted to join the ranks of published ebook authors. Of course, when I mentioned my publisher in those days, very few people, even romance readers, knew of Samhain. Then, when I told them my books were only available on a computer, most got that squinty look around their eyes, and shook their heads. No, they weren’t interested in reading on their computer, and especially not a book that obviously wasn’t good enough to be published in print. 

When I raised my hand at that 2007 RWA chapter meeting and said that I was going to be published, I got some kudos, but I also received a whole lot of pitying smiles for the newbie who just wasn’t good enough to get that print contract.

Wow! Has publishing changed, or what?! Those pitying smiles are gone, baby, gone. Because there are a whole lot of happy romance readers with Nooks, Kindles and other ereaders loaded with great romances, and a lot of happy writers keeping them supplied. Romance is by far the largest part of the market.

Now we romance readers know that ebooks are every bit as good as print books, and that reading digitally is not only a great way to stay in our book budget, but it’s a fabulous way to find those cross-genre, out-of-the-box reads of any length or heat level.

Digital first publishers have sprouted from the hard drives of computers all over the globe. Some have grown dynamically in size and stature—Samhain is one of them. 

My books are now available in ebook form, and in print. Hmm, guess I am good enough. And, when people shake their heads direly and pronounce that reading is dead, and publishing will soon follow, I just smile and tell them I am so very glad they are wrong.

That’s worth celebrating! So I’m giving away FREE copies of all my available ebooks. Please leave a comment here, and tell me what you love about reading digitally! 5 winners will be chosen to receive the book of your choice. 

You have your choice of red hot space opera—with sexy shape-shifters—in The Orion Series. Or the first book in my new red hot tropical paranormal series, Hawaiian Heroes; Walking in Fire. Book 2, Rolling in the Deep debuts July 31st.

Hope you have a great summer, and have lots of time to read – ebooks and print!

Best,

Cathryn