Monday, September 2, 2013

And now, a word from your sponsor...



As many of you know, The Dirt Diaries website features an area where you can sign up to get an e-mail notification every time a new article goes live. Although I can easily see how many folks have signed up as “Followers”, I have no idea how many receive my postings in their e-mail inbox.

So those readers will not have seen the shiny new widget on the site announcing that my iBook, The Dirt Diaries, is available right now for $4.99 in the iTunes bookstore. Here is the link:


I’ve been working on creating the book for the last seven months using the amazing software called iBooks Author. The result is a compilation of my articles and photographs from the past several years, along with some of my favorite Dirt Diaries postings.


Unfortunately, at the moment, you must have an iPad to be able to download the book. Later this fall when the new Apple OS system becomes available, anyone with an Apple computer, Touch or iPhone will be able to purchase it.

I’m posting a few screenshots from the book to give you an idea what it is all about. Here’s how the description reads in the iTunes store:

Bears, Yogi Berra, bats with five-foot wingspans, wildflowers that look like a skeleton’s fingers – not the usual topics found in garden books. But then The Dirt Diaries isn’t your everyday tome about gardening. International award winning writer and rosarian emeritus Lynn Hunt presents the best of her best on gardens and gardening, featuring know-how and nonsense, instructive insight and flights of fancy.

You’ll learn how to build your own nature trail and protect yourself from the bite of a sea dragon. You’ll meet the world’s most accomplished rose hybridizers and chickens that like habanero peppers. You’ll visit historic rose Edens like Mottisfont Abbey in England and take an unfortunate trip to the National “Buttfly” Garden.

And, of course, tales abound about the Queen of Flowers and her glamorous garden sidekicks.

And here are snippets from a couple of the reviews :

Move Over Eleanor Perenyi and Diane Ackerman.  There’s a new ‘read-me-just-for-the-pleasure-of-it’ garden writer in town.  Her name is Lynn Hunt and ‘The Dirt Diaries’ is one of those rare pleasures for both armchair and active gardeners: it’s as entertaining as it is informative. 
– The Principal Undergardener

This book is a little gem with beautiful photography and engaging storytelling.
– Debbie from Kingston

I hope you’ll give it a look, and if you do decide to buy the book, I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting it all together.


The Dirt Diaries is available in nine other countries including the UK and Australia. If you are interested and your country isn’t named, let me know and I can add it to the list.

 


So please pardon the interruption from your regular reading pleasure.

I will be back very soon with two new postings, the first with some amazing photos of the award winning David Austin displays at Chelsea and Hampton Court.

Now I’m going to pour myself a celebratory glass of champagne!


8 comments :

Shenandoah Kepler said...

Lynn,
Congratulations on your book! I too am working with iBooks Author and am finding it very powerful! You have done a beautiful job of tailoring your book to your blog and photos; and it will be great when the book is available on more than the iPad. Does your book require my iPad to connect to the internet or can it be read without connection (if I can't get one where I am)?
Best to you,
Shenandoah

Lynn Hunt said...

Shenandoah,
Thank you so much for the compliments! I think the book will download automatically via wifi when you purchase it and hit the download button. That's what happens when I purchase other books from the iTunes/iBooks store. Do you have a wifi "hotspot" near you?

I am anxious to hear what you are creating with iBooks Author!

Lots of folks are asking for a paperback copy of my book, but because of all the photos, the price to create it would be too much. Maybe if a publisher sees it and likes it (:

Take care!

The Principal Undergardener said...

Lynn, while Apple's lineup of products is without peer, not everyone owns one. Will there come a time when the unwashed hordes who live with Android or Windows operating systems can download your book? Or, it porting the copy and photos from iBooks Author just too much for non-Apple-centric publishing programs to handle?

Lynn Hunt said...

Neal, I talked to the folks at Amazon about doing a real book but I have way too many photos and the cost was insane. I am investigating a couple of other things because as you say, not everyone has an iPad. Will definitely keep you posted!

Skeeter said...

I am not a book reader but recently purchased a "family Memoir" and enjoyed the read! I would like to give your book a go so can I get it through a Kindle which came with my Samsung Tablet?

Lynn Hunt said...

Skeeter,
I'm sorry but my book won't work on a Kindle. Right now it is just for the iPad but I am checking into making it into a "real" book after many requests. I will definitely keep you posted!

Sunil Patel said...

Hi Lynn, congratulations on your book! You're such a talented writer, I wish I was even half a good as you! Those juicy snippets leave me wanting more. I'm really looking forward to getting it when the iPad restriction disappears.

Lynn Hunt said...

Thank you so much Sunil for the compliment! But I am wondering what the iPad restriction is? And I'm anxious to know more about your move!

Post a Comment

 
;