Here’s the eReader review I mentioned in my recent post titled Why Kindle Paperwhites are the Perfect Gifts for Children–Better than iPads. Hope you enjoy.

Although I’m a panster writer and the thought of an outline scares me, I do believe in planning out my alternate realities before I start on a new fantasy series. I learned from my first novel not to be lazy about it, as I finished my first draft without planning out all the details. Then my beta reader told me it was more romance than fantasy. Of course, she was right. It was my first time writing a novel, and although it had a complicated plot, I had not put a lot of thought into how the world/magic worked.

I grumbled about her complaint, but I sat down with a pen and paper. I then asked myself the following questions: How does the magic work? How does this reality get its power/electricity?

Those two questions led to a massive amount of detail being added into my rough draft, and it was a slow and tedious process going back through and editing my first novel. However, those details are what makes my writing unique and enjoyable. The one thing I keep hearing from my readers when I meet them or read reviews is how they love the world I created. Some have said they wish they could live there.

People continuously ask me how I thought of such a place, and I know my books would be nothing without all those details I added in. People want to get a complete visualization when they read books with alternate realities. They need to be able to put themselves into the new world, and to do that, they need the details.

Now that I’m planning a new series, I again find myself putting a lot of thought into how the magic will work and where the power will come from. I have to completely answer those two questions before I can get an idea of how the world looks, the clothes the people wear–everything.

The great thing about fantasy is that there are no rules. I can make it all up–as long as it flows and doesn’t contradict itself. How do I get ideas? Some ideas just naturally come into my head, but I also look at art on Pinterest. I keep a private board with pictures I find that pull emotions from me, and those emotions can easily be turned into a story.

I have to completely visualize the surroundings, the characters, and their clothing. Even if I don’t plan to describe everything, I still need to have those things clear in my mind when I sit down to write. If it’s vague in my mind, it will be vague in my writing, and I don’t want vague writing. I want to take my readers on a magical adventure. I want them to see what I see and feel what I feel. To do that, I must have it clearly in my head. Writing is so much more than putting the plot out on paper. You have to make your readers fall in love with the characters, and you have to get them to relate to your characters. You need to pull emotions from your readers–take them on a roller coaster ride. To do that, you can’t be lazy. Plan it! Describe it! And that is how you create an alternate reality.

Electronics are a big thing in my house. We have a large selection with iPads, iPhones, iPods, a Nabi, Kindles, and even the Nintendo DS. I’m at the point that I believe my children have too much technology at their fingertips, and I’m continuously grounding them from their electronics, as all the games and videos often get in the way of chores and homework.

So then, why did I just buy my oldest daughter a Kindle Paperwhite for her birthday? Well, eBooks are cheaper than paperbacks–even free. Most authors put their first book in their series up for free when the second one comes out–as that is the case with my novel titled Unexpected Metamorphosis. The last time I bought my daughter a paperback at the bookstore, I realized the eBook was $7.00 cheaper. All of that adds up, as my house is full of readers. We love books.

There’s also the fact that many books are only available in Kindle format and not available in paperback or Nook. I’ve heard of some best-selling authors that have done this with a few of their books.

Although my children have access to the Kindle app through their tablets, I’ve learned they would rather sit for hours staring at videos or playing games on a tablet than read a book. That’s why my husband and I have set strict time limitations on their devices. However, we soon realized that when we took their tablets away, we were also taking the Kindle app away. That’s like taking their books from them. What kind of parent grounds their children from books? (Okay, I admit that I have done that often with my youngest daughter, as she will read through the night or when she’s supposed to be cleaning her room. I have confiscated many.)

Anyways, I decided to invest in Kindles for their birthdays. With all the YA novels I read and get from fellow clean authors, my Kindle library is filled with books they can read, and it’s always at their fingertips. The Paperwhite is small, and my daughter now carries it everywhere she goes.

I also bought myself a Paperwhite, and although I will soon be posting a full review on it, I will say I can highly recommend it over all the other eBook readers and tablets. It’s great on my eyes and highly convenient. I plan to do a Youtube video soon to explain why I highly recommend it. (Just be sure to get the insurance package with it.)

Should you get your child a Kindle Paperwhite or an iPad mini for a gift? In my opinion, go for the Paperwhite and fill it with books, where they can read for hours. Instead of watching television on a small screen or playing trivial games for hours at a time, they can immerse their minds in another world–fly on the backs of dragons, win epic battles, create magic, and so much more. Books will take them on many great adventures, and a Kindle Paperwhite is a library at their fingertips.

Stay tuned for the video where I’ll compare the Paperwhite to other eReaders I have experience with, and let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Like clean reads? Then check out these books in the Clean Indie Reads Fall Sale before it ends on October 11. Then hop on over to the new Clean Indie Reads Facebook page for even more details on clean authors. There’s also a website where you can read interviews and find extra information about the books and authors.

The group is less than two years old, and it is growing rapidly. New authors are added every week, and as we grow, new features and ideas continuously pop up. So be sure to follow along and don’t miss out on the exciting things to come.

On Twitter? Our hashtag is #CR4U. You can find new authors and share a tweet, knowing you’re supporting a clean reads author.

Yesterday I got a new toy in the mail–a Kindle Paperwhite. Although I had a busy day, I was dying to try it out. However, I’m a binge reader, so I know I should never start a book in the evening on a weekday. Once I start reading, it’s just too hard for me to put a good book down.

With the idea of only getting a listing of books from my author friends over at Clean Indie Reads, I got them to give me the links of their fantasy and young adult novels for my daughter. (Tomorrow is her birthday, and I got her a Paperwhite also.) I truly had no intention of starting a book last night. I was only going to add the novels to my wish list on Amazon so that I could read them and give reviews at a later time.

Well, it seems I have NO self-control–even while looking through a list of books on Facebook. I winded up getting a novella, and I shamefully started to read, knowing I was risking a good night’s sleep. Fortunately for me, I was finished before 11:00 p.m. Wow! I read an exciting story (review will posted later), and I got a decent night’s sleep. How great is that?

I have always been a novel reader–the bigger the better, even as a young child. I admit that I have never really read novellas, thinking they could not be as good as a novel. However, I was wrong. The idea of getting a quick fix before bed is a wonderful thing. (I think I have a new addiction.)

Will I still read novels? Oh, yeah! Definitely! However, now that I have read my first novella and found how quick it is, I will most definitely start reading them also. There are just times when I don’t have the time for a long book binge, and this is my new answer.

Novellas are convenient, yet still exciting. I can’t believe I’ve snubbed them my entire life. If you’ve never read a novella, I suggest you try one. Many authors are choosing to write novellas over large novels. I’ve even been told that’s where the money is, because they are faster to write.

I’d love to hear your suggestions for great novella reads. I’m more of a fantasy lover, and last night’s quick read was about vampires.

I also want to add that if you are a reader of clean reads, you should stop by Clean Indie Reads. The website is growing rapidly, and we now have a Facebook group for readers to join. Stop by, check out some new authors, and–as always–leave an honest review.

Today I’m over at Snarky Mom Reads for Hug a Vegetarian Day. Be sure to stop by her blog and check it out. She has a lot going on over there–including a chance to win a Kindle, among many other giveaways.