We wish to expand our non-fiction catalog.  Things we like:  history, memoir, biography.  We stay away from politics and religion.  For more information about selling us your audio books please visit our Sell Your Audio Books page.

We are also looking for general fiction audio books.

1. Our original focus at AudioMysteries.com was "mysteries, thrillers & suspense."  I decided on this approach because it was impossible to compete with the big players on the internet such as Books on Tape.  I thought that specializing in a specific area made more sense.
2. I love mysteries, and have been and reader and collector of good detective fiction for many years, so I had a good basic working knowledge of the genre.
3. At the time back in 2004 Mysteries made up an almost 20% of the titles on the best seller lists - so I was picking a genre that was popular.
4. The flip side of reason 2 - I'm not a big fan of science fiction.  I have read some Ray Bradbury, but never dipped into the Dune series or any of the other important writers.  Because of that I don't know enough to make good picks in the genre.

So why now?  Some customers have asked for us to expand into new areas, and science fiction has been mentioned.  Also I was able to get a title that has been recently reviewed because of the new ABC television series based on the 1998 novel by Robert J. Sawyer.  I figured this was a good place to start.  I will see if there is any interst based on sales/rentals or comments from customers asking for more science fiction.

Yesterday he dropped by to deliver some of my mail that had gone to him.  We had a quick chat and I found out that he is a big fan of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe.  My favorite mystery writer.  I happen to have a nice collection of Wolfe first editions so one of these days we are going to get together and share our book collections.

I haven't spent much time collecting in recent years.  It is very difficult to find the Nero Wolfe volumes that I'm missing.  Each year about this time J.A. Jance visits Cochise county for a book signing.  I always get her latest.  Jance lived in Sierra Vista many years ago and still has a connection to this area, particularly through here Sheriff Joanna Brady series. 

As we move into late summer the wonderful PBS Masterpiece Mystery! series has ended.  This wasn't a great year, although you have to give PBS credit for trying the Detective Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell.  The Poirot and Miss Marples didn't seem as well executed as in the past.  But it's still a joy to see classic mystery on television, not just the police procedurals that we get most often now.

I wish PBS would try some American authors.  How about Grafton or Paretsky or Evanovich? 

Unfortunately there is no on/off switch on the TuneBase.  So I have to unplug the entire thing every time I leave the car.  It's not convenient for shot trips so I still listen to regular CD audio books on trips into town.

I'm listening to Immoral on my iPod.  On CD in the CD player in the car, Michael Connelly's newest, The Scarecrow.

I haven't had a chance to use it yet since I'm still trying to finish First Family by David Baldacci which currently sits in my CD player in the car.

Browsing the internet was a blast.  I'm now reading USA Today and the NY Times from my chair in the great room.  I was able to download two MP3 audio books from discs.  (More on that in a later post, I will put up detailed instructions on how to do it.)  I was able even to listen to A Certain Justice in bed using the internal speaker of the iPod Touch.  The sound wasn't great, but it worked!

I did upgrade to the latest version of the software.  That cost me $9.95.  I would have thought if you just bought the product you would get the lasted operating system, but apparently not.

My only problem is that I now wish I had purchased the 16 GB version.

So I'm now the proud owner of an iPod Touch.  My first impression is wow.  Even the packaging was elegant.  The plasatic case the iPod came in was nicer than just about anything I own.  Right now I'm downloading the iTunes software.

I will keep you informed.  I might even buy some music.

It was quite a shock, moving from the over-populated California coast to the arid high desert of south eastern Arizona.  However, I love it here!  The spectacular views of the mountains and valley, the open space and fresh air as well as the dynamic weather.

Late June or early July brings on the Monsoon season here.  Intense thunderstorms and heavy rain.  Within a week of moving into my new house in Hereford, AZ the monsoon rains dumped 2 inches of rain in less than an hour, flooding my front courtyard.  I called my builder panicking as the water rose towards the front door.  He brought over a pump and we ran the pump off and on for the next week or so as the rains came down almost every day.

This year the monsoons have come early.  All week the weather seems to have been changing - more clouds, some light rain and a bit more humidity in a very dry climate.  Last night we had our first thunderstorm and heavy rain today.  No flooding anymore, I have the proper drainage.

But the monsoons mean a change of seasons here in Cochise County.  Summer has arrived!

Hopefully this weekend I will get to Best Buy and whip out the credit card and come home a happy iPod owner.  I will let you know how it goes.

On a related matter.  I now need to purchase a couple audio books in digital download format to test on iAudioBookStore.com.  If you have any suggestions of particular titles that you think you might wish to purchase, please lte me know in the comments below.