Monday, May 9, 2011

BUY NOW with 1-Click!

I was warned by my twitter pal, Spencer Koch, that Amazon had devised this plan to easily suck you dry by letting you save a credit card number in their system so when you wanted to buy a book for your Kindle, like... 8 Pounds by Chris F. Holm, all you had to do was click the button that said, "Buy Now with 1-Click"  and you were done. No address information. No double checking the shipping.  Just a simple click.

I didn't think it would become a problem for me. I mean, really. How many books could there possibly be on Amazon that I would be interested in? 

Click. Click. Click.

Turns out (after pulling a copy of my Kindle Orders),  I click that damn button a good 2-3 times a day. In fact, on November 25, 2010, I clicked that button six times. SIX TIMES!  On December 18, 2010... THREE. February 5, 2011... THREE. February 26, 2011... TWICE.  February 28, 2011... TWICE. April 28, 2011... THREE. 

Last week I clicked the button five times. FIVE TIMES, PEOPLE!  It would have been every work day last week, but according to my purchase order I skipped Wednesday and double clicked on Friday. And today, the day I'm typing this post, I clicked it twice. Back to back thanks to Ron... well, does it really matter who tempted me?

I'd really like to blame other people for my clicking addiction, but that really wouldn't be fair.  All the people that I have come to admire and trust with my book purchasing decisions are part of my wonderful twitter family. They clearly have my best interest at heart when they're innocently suggesting great reads by people that they know and like and have read.  I mean, really. It's hard to go wrong and I can't complain about the incredible mass of books I've accumulated since I first started purchasing Kindle books for my phone app with that "Buy Now with 1-Click" feature on October 18, 2010.

My very first purchase was 8 Pounds: Eight Tales of Crime, Horror & Suspense by Chris F. Holm.  For an unbelievable price of $0.99 you get eight incredible reads that leave you shaking your head in disbelief and thinking horrible, horrible thoughts whenever you hear a noise in the wall.  You know the noises I'm talking about. The ones that always come around in the middle of the night when you're home alone, or when you're the only one awake in the house that can hear them.

My second purchase for my Kindle was Terminal Damage by the gang at Do Some Damage.  While the collection as a whole is excellent, it must be said that this was the collection that introduced me to Oscar Martello. After reading this I collected every collection of short stories that contained an Oscar Martello story.  I mean, honestly. How could I pass them up?  You can find any and all stories about Oscar Martello here.

Would you believe me if I told you I've been putting off my reading of More Sinned Against by Dave White for fear that his main character might take away my possessive feelings for Oscar? It's totally true. It's on my list to read, but after finishing a book this weekend I really think I'm okay with moving on. Not on, on. Just moving on a little. Now would be a good time to release an Oscar Martello short story collection, Mr. Weddle.  It'd be really nice to have Oscar around all the time. All. The. Time. 

My good friend, Elizabeth introduced me to Jeff Strand.  Not only do I plan to collect all of his book books, I'm creating a nice little collection on my Kindle. I know the writing is excellent because I've read about him over at Musings of an All Purpose Monkey, but truth be told... I'm a fan of the cover art.

I was introduced to Dave Zeltserman by reading an expert of Blood Crimes: Book One over at Paul D. Brazil's blog.  It's like a dark urban fantasy, meets crime fighter, meets vampires book. Dark and dirty with vampires, and some really good love scenes, believe it or not. Sounds like my kind of thing. I've recently purchased Zeltserman's Julius Katz Mysteries... again, thanks to Paul.  Well, I should blame Dave, too. He did talk about this character in a blog post and made me curious.  Plus, David Cranmer thinks the guy rocks.  I totally trust David Cranmer.

I've got a pretty good collection of hard-boiled crime by Anthony Neil Smith... some I've accidentally purchased twice (Kindle should really find a way to prevent that from happening).  Word on the street is Anthony should have another book available for my Kindle enjoyment shortly. Can't wait!

Who else... Oh, I bought two books by Brett Battles after reading reviews by Elizabeth White.  And I bought three books by some guy named J.D. Rhoades after someone, who shall remain nameless, retweeted information about the Jack Keller series.  Makes sense that I would buy it.  The books are about some hot guy named Jack... and it's a series. Cute men on repeat seem to be my thing. Can't wait to read these books!

I bought Beautiful, Naked & Dead by Josh Stallings because my friend from Scotland told me to.  She had read it and loved and promised me I wouldn't be disappointed. I wasn't. My review is in the making.  I'm just trying to find the right words to describe hubba-hubba superlicious without it coming across as cheesy.

So why am I telling you about this? Well, I'm hoping if I confess my Kindle  purchases on my blog each week that it might... might help me with my clicking problem.  So I've gone ahead and created a Sabrina's Kindle page for my blog. I'm hoping to update it weekly. Ya, I probably shouldn't be hoping for that since I'm supposed to be curbing my habit. Oh, well. You can find every book you will find on my Kindle listed; minus the freebies you can find on Amazon.

So take a look. If you like any of the books on the list feel free to click on the link and buy them. I haven't added today's purchases just yet. Just as well, since I just noticed on Twitter that that Dave White guy just released Witness to Death on Kindle this evening. Best $0.99 EVER! Thanks, Dave.

May 9, 2011... THREE!

15 comments:

David Cranmer said...

That $0.99 is such an innocent looking number and gets me everytime as well. I've slowed down in recent weeks but during the first three months of my Kindle it was click, click, and click.

Paul D Brazill said...

Well, since I have to pay $3.49 for the bargain ebooks-since I'm outside the UK and USA -and I don't have a proper kindle you would think I'd be more careful but...

Chris said...

I was first? I'm not sure if I should be honored, or feel guilty for kicking off your addiction. Either way, thanks for the kind words...

Elizabeth said...

I refuse to respond to the allegations made in this post on the grounds that doing so would most definitely incriminate me. :-P

Judy Bobalik said...

My Kindle doesn't let me buy a book twice. But then I don't use 'Buy with 1-click'

Fiona Johnson said...

I have to confess I'm exactly the same except one day I think I clicked 6...SIX..times!

However, there is a site worse than Amazon's Kindle story for me that I daren't ever go to.....whisper it.....sh....etsy......!!!!

Cathryn Grant said...

Click. Click. I know what you mean!

Josh Stallings said...

"hubba-hubba superlicious" would look grand on the back cover of a Moses book. I fear I too click more than I should, but I used to do the same with paperbacks, so for me this addiction is an upgrade.

Josh Stallings

Dave White said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dave White said...

I am flattered and honored that I am part of your addiction twice. And please, Donne would flatten Oscar... try and read him. I dare you.

Author said...

Yup, guilty here, too, but if there's one big advantage, it's that my e-Mount TBR takes up less space and gathers less dust than my physical Mount TBR. (But they both contain gems, and all will be read in time.)

Sabrina E. Ogden said...

I didn't even consider the dust factor, Julie! Way to make me feel better about my habit.

Glad you like the "hubba-hubba superlicious" comment, Josh. Sorry I couldn't find something more original.

"Donne would flatten Oscar..." What does Oscar have to say about that, Dave?

You're sooooo guilty, Elizabeth. And McDroll... Etsy is a problem for me, too.

Thanks for all the comments. I'm glad I'm not the only one with a clicking addiction.

Leah Anderson said...

I have to agree that it's a really dangerous addiction. Now that you've got me re-addicted to reading, I have clicked lot, too...I finally had to stop myself because I had bought so many that it will keep me reading for the next year. Oh, well...it's still soothing to know that I have them at my fingertips!

Unknown said...

I have the same problem maybe we need to come up with a Kindle/Nook Anonymous!! It could be fun. Anyway, I am glad Kate is back and thanks for keeping us up to date on all the fun reads out there.

Sara said...

I can see where that would get one into trouble. Luckily, I don't have credit cards (other than a pre-paid card I use for online purchases that never has more than $100 at a time)so I HAVE to keep track of how much I spend. So many books, so little time *sigh*.