…To purchase the Goddess Tarot Android app at half price for $1.99 (regular price $3.99). The app has been designed to work on phone and tablets—a two-for-one app! Download now.

And in other news, Thea went back to school yesterday. Though the end of summer is bittersweet, I must admit that I’m eager to get back to a regular work schedule. The muses definitely concur!

1. My cousin Vicky Alvear Shecter’s book CLEOPATRA’S MOON was just published by Arthur Levine Books. CLEOPATRA’S MOON is a young adult historical fiction novel about the only surviving child of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony. Based on real events and individuals in history, it tells the story of a young woman determined to carve her own future after the tragic loss of everything she’s ever known and everyone she’s ever loved. It’s garnering some much-deserved rave reviews:

“This novel has romance, drama, heartbreak, and adventure…Shecter writes about the world of ancient Egypt and Rome with wonderful detail, making it come alive…A fantastic read with some valuable history.” — School Library Journal

“Fascinating historical novel…Cleopatra Selene proves a stalwart heroine, and the novel’s atmospheric setting and romantic intrigue are highly memorable.”—
Publishers Weekly

“The historical context and characters are well drawn…makes for intriguing storytelling…a romantic and exciting story.” —
Kirkus

2. The trade edition of Joanna Powell Colbert’s long-awaited Gaian Tarot is finally available from Llewellyn Worldwide. Joanna created the Gaian Tarot to speak directly to the hearts of those who practice an earth-centered spirituality. Though the deck has been available as a collector’s limited edition, I’m pleased that the Gaian will now be available to the world at large. I know how many years Joanna has worked on this project—a real labor of love.

3. Finally, Susanne Dunlap, author of IN THE SHADOW OF THE LAMP, THE MUSICIAN’S DAUGHTER and other wonderful historical fiction novels, has branched into iPhone development with several colleagues. Their WordWit app from Ballpoint, Inc. pairs misused words with their evil twins, explains them clearly, and provides entertaining examples from literature and the media. It’s also beautifully designed. A delicious mixture of reference app and game app, WordWit will get people interacting with words in a whole new way. I was fortunate to try the app in beta format—fun and totally addictive. Download WordWit from the App Store.

Congratulations to everyone! But wait, there’s more: In September, I’ll be interviewing Vicky and Joanna about their newest publications. I’m really looking forward to learning more about their creative processes. Plus there will be giveaways of CLEOPATRA’S MOON and the GAIAN TAROT courtesy of Scholastic Books and Llewellyn Worldwide.

As you can see, we’ve kept the design of the Goddess Tarot android app as close as possible to the iPhone version but with one important upgrade: the Android app has been designed for both phone and tablet screens. So it’s two-for-one, so to speak. It’s also on sale at a special launch price of $1.99 at Android Market. (Eventually it will be available from Amazon’s App Store too.)

I hope you’ll go forth and download. Here are a few additional screen captures of it.

]]> http://kriswaldherr.com/blog/2011/08/its-here-goddess-tarot-for-android-app/feed/ 0 http://kriswaldherr.com/blog/2011/06/hns-conference-im-on-my-way-almost-and-big-news-for-android-users/ http://kriswaldherr.com/blog/2011/06/hns-conference-im-on-my-way-almost-and-big-news-for-android-users/#comments Wed, 15 Jun 2011 22:00:16 +0000 kriswaldherr http://kriswaldherr.com/blog/?p=1670

This past week has been even more crazed than usual. (If such a thing is possible in Art and Words land.) But much of my busy-ness was in preparation for this weekend’s Historical Novel Society conference, which I’m attending for the first time. Now that I’m deep into revision land for THE LILY MAID, the timing couldn’t be better in some ways. I’m excited to see friends such as Mary Sharratt and Chris Gortner in person. I’m also thrilled that I’ll have the opportunity to meet authors such as Michelle Moran and Margaret George. (I’ll do my best not to go all fan girl.) As well, I’ll be signing DOOMED QUEENS during a group book signing.

I’ll do my best to post an update on the conference upon my return next week. But in the meantime, I have some big news for Android users: the Goddess Tarot app will soon be available for your phones and tablets. We’re doing our best to keep the app as similar as possible to the iPhone version. I hope that it will be on the market in July. This is a very major undertaking of resources, so I’m hoping it will be well-received! On a related note, the iPad version is still under development. I hope to have concrete news about that soon.

There’s lots more stuff going on—novel-writing workshops, travel planning, kindergarten graduations, and more. While I’m away, the gallery will be closed to the public and all that. But first things first: I still need to pack clothes and print out chapters and pack books. So to be continued next week!

I’m pleased to announce that Apple has just released the HD version of the Goddess Tarot app! Like the “regular” Goddess Tarot app, it’s available in a free Lite version and a paid Full version. To celebrate, the full version app is on sale this weekend for $0.99 (regular price $3.99). Now’s the time to upgrade if you’re currently sporting the non-HD version on your iPhone 4 or iPod Touch with a retina display.

You may be wondering what’s the difference between Goddess Tarot HD app and the “regular” Goddess Tarot app. The only difference are the high definition graphics which have been optimized for the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch retina display from the original art and design. Otherwise, the apps are exactly the same.

So, if you have an iPhone 4 or iPod Touch with retina display, go forth and enjoy the sale!

Goddess Tarot HD app

]]> http://kriswaldherr.com/blog/2011/04/on-sale-goddess-tarot-hd-for-iphone-4/feed/ 0 http://kriswaldherr.com/blog/2011/01/a-lovers-path-tarot-interview-plus-other-news-and-links/ http://kriswaldherr.com/blog/2011/01/a-lovers-path-tarot-interview-plus-other-news-and-links/#comments Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:10:00 +0000 kriswaldherr http://kriswaldherr.com/blog/?p=1489 With all the recent focus on Art and Words Editions, it’s been a while since I’ve updated here in regards to my “author” publications. These days, I’ve been spread between three big projects. I’ve been in deep-and-intense nose-to-the-keyboard mode in an attempt to finalize edits for the first half of THE LILY MAID, my novel set in 1880s London. I have a long-aborning royalty-themed book proposal awaiting my attention. Plus I’ve sworn to finish up those last few details on the Sacred World Oracle as soon as possible.

To say it’s a busy winter—well, I won’t bore you with the obvious. In the meantime, here’s some news and links.

1. Tarotist James Ricklef recently interviewed me about The Lover’s Path Tarot. It’s part of his ongoing Tarot Creator Forum feature on his blog. Check that out here.

2. In other tarot news, our next Tarot Salon at the gallery is set for February 11th from 7 to 9:30pm. Author and urban shaman Mama Donna Henes and I will be reading. Fran Dunston will be offering massages. Plus red wine! Chocolate! Get the details here. (BTW, Art and Words Editions has published the e-book edition of  Mama Donna’s wonderful THE QUEEN OF MY SELF for Kindle, iPad, and Nook. Learn more here.)

3. I’ve decided to attend the Historical Novel Society conference this June in San Diego on the recommendations of my author-friends Mary Sharratt, C. W. Gortner, and Faith L. Justice. I’ve been to many publishing conventions, but never to a writer’s conference. I’m excited.

4. Related to the above: Big congratulations to C. W. Gortner on the U.K. publication of THE TUDOR SECRET. It’ll be available in the States on February 1st from St. Martin’s Press. Plus the paperback edition of Mary Sharratt’s heart-wrenchingly beautiful novel DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL is now available. Mary graced us with a reading from it last year at the gallery—a very memorable event! Last but definitely not least, my cousin Vicky Alvear Shecter’s new nonfiction book CLEOPATRA RULES! was recently published. Congrats to all!

5. Besides all of this, I’ve been on a reading jag. I’ve finally dived into the novels of Sarah Waters—FINGERSMITH and AFFINITY—and am looking forward to tearing through the rest. I’m speechless on how good they are! Also finally read WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, ANGELS & INSECTS, and THE LADY AND THE UNICORN. And I’m in the middle of THE REAL MINERVA and THE LAST QUEEN. All very inspiring stuff! I also have a pile of biographies awaiting of Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven and Winnaretta Singer (aka Princess Edmond de Polignac). I’ve also pre-ordered Peggy Orenstein’s CINDERELLA ATE MY DAUGHTER, which comes out later this month.

6. On a non-fiction note, my friend Lucy Raubertas has just released her evocatively written blog Indie Perfume for the Kindle. Indie Perfume offers information about independent perfumers and their transcendent creations, inviting us to connect to nature and beauty through the sense of smell. It’s very calming and centering in a Proustian way—just like the lovely Lucy herself. Learn more or subscribe here.

And that’s the latest! More to come once I get a chance to relax and smell the perfume.

Our mission statement:

An e-book is more than the sum of its words. At Art and Words Editions, we’re dedicated to ushering in a golden age of digital publications for children and adults. Our e-books and apps are impeccably designed and gorgeously illustrated. They’re also written by some of the most inspiring and empowering authors around.

Our publications are available in a variety of formats for iPad, Kindle, NOOK, and other e-readers. Want to play it safe? We also publish in plain vanilla PDF which can be read on any computer. Check our Tech Specs page for installation information for each format.

Think of us as providing wit, wisdom, and wonder to your iPad—and beyond!”

As you can imagine, I’ve been hard at work on this big secret project for much of the summer and this autumn. I’m so pleased that I can finally unveil Art and Words Editions to you!

Oh, and if you sign up for our newsletter, you’ll get a free e-book. It’s in PDF format, so you can enjoy it on any number of e-book devices, including your computer. Click here for the details. Too much commitment? You can also “like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Busy time here! In the past week, I’ve finished the use case spec for the Goddess Tarot iPad app (above). (A use case spec used to programm an app.) On top  of that, I designed and submitted three e-books to Apple, Amazon, and BN.com—THE GODDESS TAROT guide, THE FIREBIRD, and one other project to be revealed later. (Yes, it’s a secret!). I’ve also designed a book cover and have been immersed in revising and researching THE LILY MAID. Oh, and more.

So no surprise, but I’ve come down with a cold. Regardless, Halloween is my favorite holiday, so the show must go on and all that.

First off, tonight at the gallery, I’ll be hosting a tarot salon featuring myself, tarot reader Rene Collins, and masseuse Fran Dunston. We’ll have chocolate, wine, and that certain je nai se quoi. The salon goes from 7 until 9:30 pm. Readings and massages are available at a variety of prices, but admission and refreshments are free. The gallery is located half a block from the Newkirk Avenue Q and B station in Brooklyn.

If you can’t make it tonight, we’ll be having a family-friendly Halloween party at the gallery tomorrow, Saturday, October 30th. We’ll have bobbing for apples, pumpkin carving, and fun for ghouls of all ages! Thea plans to dress up as a hamster. If that’s not an enticement to attend our party, I don’t know what is.

Finally, to celebrate Halloween, I’ve placed the full version of the Goddess Tarot iPhone app on sale! It’s now $0.99, down from its usual price of $3.99. This price is good only through the weekend.

US residents

UK residents

Canada residents

And Happy Halloween!!!

Besides chatting about my work, we gave three tarot readings to call-in listeners. For this purpose, I used the Lover’s Path Tarot (aka the Love Tarot app) on my iPhone. So I had Donnaleigh on one phone, my tarot deck on my iPhone—a two phone endeavor. Fun!

As part of my show, I offered two custom tarot spreads. The first spread, the Goddess Circle, was created for the Goddess Tarot iPhone app. It’s meant to offer a meditative examination of your life at this moment. The second, the Lover’s Spread, is an adapted Past-Present-Future layout designed to give quick relationship insight.

If you’d like to listen, the show has been archived here. You can also access the tarot spreads* here.

*Thanks to Catherine Chapman of TarotElements.com for creating the lovely handout!

Here is my iPad, fresh out of its minimal and exceedingly well designed packaging. It arrived Saturday on its first day of release. It’s unlike me to adopt new technology as soon as it’s available — I usually wait for the second or third generation. But in this case, I felt that the iPad was too important for me to wait. First off, as an iPhone developer, I wanted to make certain my apps were operative. Secondly, I suspect this is the first  “real” e-book reader that will be a contender on the publishing market. (Sorry, Kindle, Nook and Sony Reader!)

I must admit to being amazed at how many people have asked me about my experiences with the iPad so far. And I also must admit to enjoying the frisson of attention that came my way whenever I’ve used the iPad in public. It was a lot of fun to pull it out at my local coffeehouse and see the heads swivel in my direction.

Here are some quick thoughts on the iPad so far:

1. I like the iPad very much — it’s very well done. Some have commented on the 1.5 lb weight. At first it felt slightly heavy to me. But now it doesn’t. It feels solid and ergonomic. The size feels right too — not too big, not too small. It’s a pleasure to hold and look at. Screen is gorgeous!

2. My apps work well on the iPad. (Whew!) That written, I do intend to eventually redesign the Goddess Tarot app for the iPad, to take advantage of the larger screen size.

3. As an author, I recognize that digital books are now a permanent part of the publishing landscape. I don’t see them as replacing print books, however — just an extension. As such, the iPad is the only device (to date) that is appropriate for full color, illustrated books. I do plan to develop e-books for the iPad. First up is a digital version of THE BOOK OF GODDESSES. In time I hope to make my backlist of children’s picture books available anew.

4. Related to #3: I do have a Kindle. Alas, I never bonded with it. It just never felt comfortable to me, with that button to click to turn the page, the fugly (no other word for it) design of the device as well as the e-books themselves. There’s only one scenario in which the Kindle outshines the iPad — if you’re reading in direct sunlight, the iPad’s glossy screen is almost impossible to make out, like most laptops.

5. The big “if” to me was the quality of the iPad’s iBook app. I immediately downloaded it, nervous but excited. I must admit to feeling a bit emotional (yes, several tears were shed) the first time I opened the iBooks app. After all, I’ve been a book designer for well over two decades –  in this regard, the iPad is MAJOR. (I’m sure Guttenberg is rolling in his grave at this pronouncement.) The book which comes loaded in the iBooks app is a fully illustrated edition of WINNIE THE POOH. It’s a smart choice for showing off the strengths of the iBooks interface. Plus who doesn’t like WINNIE THE POOH? The illustrations look gorgeous. The type design is lovely, though not as stellar as I’d like to see. That written, compared to the e-books available on Kindle, the iBook e-books feel like gorgeous high end art books!

6. I’m happy to report that, based on my few hours here using the iPad, the iBooks app is deeply immersive for reading — so much better than a Kindle or a computer. The iPad’s strong point as an ebook reader is that it replicates a similar sensory experience where you can “disappear” into a book. The pages actually roll and curve as you “turn” the page.  As mentioned in #5, the book design still needs much refining, but it’s moving in the right direction.

7. For comparison’s sake, I also downloaded the Kindle app for iPad. It’s a much clunkier reading experience, though there’s many more books available via Amazon than from iBooks. But all this will change over time, especially since iBooks have wisely chosen to use the ePub digital book standard, which most digital publishers use. The Kindle format is proprietary to Amazon only.

8. The first book I downloaded was WOLF HALL, which I’ve been dying to read about Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn et al. It’s a big, thick book –  one that it would be hard to carry around to read on the subway, for example. So I’m curious how it will hold up on an e-book reader. For example, I can easily imagine reading it in bed — the backlit display means that I can read without an external light source. So say goodbye to reading with a flashlight under the covers!

9. One technical note: The only iPad downside I’ve noticed so far is that it seems less sensitive to picking up wifi signals than my iPhone or laptop. This is hopefully a first generation glitch, not something serious. I’ve read that other users have had this issue too.

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Some people have asked me if I consider the iPad a substitute for a computer. My cut-to-the-chase answer: No. That written, the iPad is so light and portable I can easily imagine using it in the place of my laptop for when I’m out and about — to check my e-mail, or to edit a manuscript. (You can edit and write on the iPad, using Apple’s proprietary Pages application, which is similar to Word.) The iPad is also great for videos; instead of dragging a portable dvd player along to entertain my child during a long plane ride, I can bring the iPad.

The short version is that the iPad is really a device for consumption, rather than creation. And sometimes that’s all you want.

In closing, Farhad Manjoo of Slate recently wrote a round up of the iPad that sums up many of my thoughts. Here’s an excerpt:

So, why would you pay at least $500 for a machine that merely replicates your other gadgets’ functions? Because the iPad is the best media-consumption device ever made. Or, to put it another way, there is no better machine to use on the couch, the bed, or in the bathroom…. The iPad’s killer app is reading. The iPad is especially great for settling in with a book or a long article. Indeed, in nearly all scenarios, the iPad makes a better book-reader than the Kindle. Yes, Apple’s tablet lacks the Kindle’s paperlike E Ink screen, but that’s a feature, not a bug. E Ink e-readers can’t display color images and animation, and they don’t do graphic design. Those elements are critical to the presentation of newspapers, textbooks, magazines, children’s books, and lots of other printed content—all of which the iPad handles beautifully.”