In February, Five Star released Show Me the Murder in hardback ($25.95). In September, the publisher released the Kindle edition ($3.19).

Buyers save $22.76 on the electronic version! Plus part of a tree. The difference in price amazes me.  I’m tempted to buy the e-book myself.

I prefer to read newspapers, magazines, and (especially) books on paper. When I went to China, I took a Kindle with a small library on it. The Kindle provided entertainment (and language training) on the endless airplane flights. At home I reach for paper first. I hope I’m never desperate enough for reading material to read a novel on my iPhone.

Publishers used to put out the high-priced, sturdy hardback first. A year later they would release a low-priced paperback. Now many skip the paperback in favor of the e-book.

I don’t care which edition people read. I just want them to read my story.

—Carolyn Mulford