I’m so pleased to welcome ChocLit author Linn B. Halton to Linda’s Book Bag today as Linn’s book A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love is firmly on my TBR!
To celebrate the recent paperback publication of A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love Linn considers the difference between an e-copy and a real book in a fascinating guest post- and I’m with her every word!
A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love was published by Choc Lit and is available for purchase in e-book and paperback here.
A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love
Life isn’t all love and cupcakes …
Katie has had her fair share of bad luck, but when she finally realises her dream of opening a bakery it seems things can only get better.
But the reality of running a business hits Katie hard and whilst her partner, Steve, tries to help she begins to sense that the situation is driving them further apart. Could Katie be set to lose her relationship and her dream job?
Then, one winter’s day, a man walks into her shop – and, in the space of that moment, the course of Katie’s life is changed.
But nobody finds happiness in the blink of an eye. Sometimes it takes two Christmases, three birthdays and a whole lot of cake to get there …
A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love – feeling that paperback love!
A Guest Post by Linn B. Halton
OK – I’m the first to admit that before I owned a Kindle I did, actually, say “never”. In the words of the legendary Sean Connery – “Never Say Never Again”. So now my Kindle is always in reach and my constant companion – can you feel the “but” coming?
But sometimes a reading experience has to involve holding a paperback in your hands and smelling those pages. Yes, you know the moment. Like a familiar old perfume that wafts up the nostrils and evokes memories stretching way back. Every book experience you had that began in early childhood when Kindle and eReaders were unimaginable. In an age when we are used to surfing the net, hitting a web page and clicking away in seconds if the content isn’t for us, we’ve become impatient clickers. The same applies to the TV remote control – click, click, click. It can be with same with our eReaders and a part of that is, I believe, because (despite the convenience) there’s a little something MISSING.
Of course, as an author I’m overjoyed when a new book is available in eformat. But when the postman knocks and delivers a parcel of books it’s pure, unadulterated book love. Cuddling your Kindle/eReader is like cuddling a brick; cuddling a paperback makes you want to sink straight down onto the nearest sofa and read. Now. Not in a minute, or later this evening, but NOW.
Chocolate, biscuits, popcorn, coffee, wine … yes, there will be accessories required to complete that perfect experience. But let’s be honest here – for many of us it’s a decadent, indulgent, can’t-live-without experience and that’s why the paperback will never die.
Even selecting a paperback from the bookstore shelves is more of a ritual than the surf, click and checkout experience. Like savouring a fine wine, or eating a gourmet meal, it shouldn’t be rushed. You pick it up, you touch the cover, you read the blurb on the back and you know that what you hold in your hands is magical. You will be spirited away into another time and place, walking alongside characters to inspire a range of emotions in you. Sympathy, empathy, hope, anger, love …
And now A Little Sugar, A Lot of Love is in print and I’ve had my eyes closed, touchy-feely moment that never fails to send a thrill up my spine.
Linn x
About Linn B. Halton
“I’m a hopeless romantic, self-confessed chocaholic, and lover of coffee. For me, life is about family, friends, and writing. Oh, and the occasional glass of White Grenache…”
An Amazon UK Top 100 best-selling author with A Cottage in the Country in November 2015, Linn’s novels have been short-listed in the UK’s Festival of Romance and the eFestival of Words Book Awards. Linn won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award. Linn writes chick lit, women’s contemporary fiction and psychic romance for Choc Lit, Harper Impulse and Endeavour Press.
You can find out more about Linn on her website/blog, on Amazon or by following her on Twitter and Facebook.
Linda's Book Bag 
Loved that book – although mine was a Kindle copy!
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Not the same in my opinion Joanne! I’m with Linn on this one!
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I think there is a place for both – it just depends on the situation. If you are ‘comfort’ reading (ie need to get away from it all and snacks are a must), then paperback every time. But my iPad is never far from my hand as it’s where I keep my work in progress and when I go on holiday it’s always fully loaded ha! ha! Thanks so much for having me visit, Linda, and for making the post look so lovely. Much appreciated. Have a wonderful Sunday evening! Lxx
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My pleasure to have you Linn – and I agree! Although I always prefer a real book I also have my phone or Kindle to hand to read on the go too!
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Thank you Linn and Linda for a thought provoking post.
For me having a Kindle is an easy way to carry books. In the past I used to lug at least three thick paperbacks on holidays abroad. Kindle has changed all that. I also review, so having this neat little piece of technology that enables me to hold more than one book at a time is great. It’s light, it’s portable and convenient…but in reading this way something has definitely been lost. Browsing on Amazon for a new read will never replace the feeling you get walking into a bookstore and pulling a book from the shelf. You might be able to get your purchase delivered in seconds but it’s a totally impersonal transaction. Bookstores are great, particularly the little independents where you get to chat to people or have something recommended to you by the assistant as they you make your purchase.
And of course, as a writer, nothing gives me a greater feel of achievement than being able to hold the paperback version of my latest book – tangible evidence of all that hard work.
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Thanks so much for such a lovely response Jo. Must be a real thrill to see your books on the bookshop shelves.
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