TRUE CONFESSION: How I Swindled My Local Bookstore Out of $1000 This Year (standard:humor, 1266 words)
Author: Sheryl	Added: Feb 28 2001	Views/Reads: 3460/2135	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
It all started so innocently....

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

stay home and read another crime novel. I propped the reader up in the 
grocery cart so I could read as I zipped down the aisles at the store. 
My hairdresser threatened to charge me rent if I didn't get out of her 
chair. My e-book reader became my best friend, and actually spent more 
time between my bed-sheets than all my lovers put together." 

A new level of depravity... 

"Still... I didn't want to admit I had a problem. Then, one day I
received an intriguing email message. It read, 

'$4 buys you any book we have! Instant download! Professionally edited--
Unique books for the discriminating reader. 
http://www.crossroadspub.com/ Award-winning authors. Come see what all 
the excitement is about!' 

"Suddenly... a whole new world opened. I was reading books written by
tomorrow's Stephen King's! 

"After devouring all their e-books I started looking for new sources.
That's when I happened to stumble upon 'THE DIRECTORY OF EBOOK 
PUBLISHERS' http://www.thewisdomkeeper.com/director.htm Now I had 
access to 50 of the top ebook publishers on the web, complete with 
hyperlinks to the individual publisher's websites and the corresponding 
url's. I was ecstatic!" 

The thrill of it all... 

I could feel the excitement in the room. The other book-aholics sitting
in the intimate circle had a dazed look in their eyes. Suddenly, I knew 
there was no hope for us-- we were the victim of our own need to read. 
There was no way I could ever give up reading the next book by Kate 
Saundby or Steve Lazarowitz. Patricia White's riveting westerns had 
taken me on journeys most people only dream of. And who could argue 
that Sharon L. Reddy is, without a doubt, the queen of dialogue! The 
unforgettable characters in Priscilla Maine's books were like family to 
me. From the mystical worlds of Laurance Pearsongreer to the whimsical 
fantasies of Laraine Barker... 

The craving grew stronger. Visions of e-books danced in my head. I HAD
to have it! Just one wouldn't hurt... 

I snatched my e-book reader out of my purse and turned it on. I let out
a sigh of relief as the screen lit up to the prologue of THE BRONZE 
GOD. 

The lady sitting next to me stared and drooled. I hesitantly handed my
Franklin E-book reader to her. "It's written by a REAL criminologist!" 
My hands perspired and my voice was breathy. "You can get the first two 
chapters free! It got a 5 star review!" Everyone in the room gathered 
around the glowing reader. "I downloaded it for only $3.95! Dontcha 
just LOVE that awesome cover!" 

A rush for the door.... 

I had mixed feelings as we filed out of the room. I even felt a
little... dirty. Instead of getting help, I had managed to corrupt the 
other book-Aholics. No doubt they were turned-on by the possibility of 
getting instant books delivered anonymously. No more embarrassing trips 
to the bookstore. No one had to know... 

Time for reflection... 

Maybe the best we can do in life is to accept our desires and needs.
Buying books isn't really such a bad vice. Others collect dolls and 
porcelain figurines. I've even seen collections of miniature spoons! 
The truth is, I love a good story. Why shouldn't I be able to have what 
I love? I'm not taking food out of anyone's mouth... 

Denial isn't just a river in Egypt... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's
too dark to read."   --Groucho Marx 

Sheryl Ellis, M.S. is a Crime Novelist and Criminologist. Visit her
webpage for FREE Stories written by award-winning authors. Or sign up 
for the NOVELLA OF THE MONTH CLUB, absolutely FREE! Get 2 FREE E-books 
or a Special Report about lying. Rush over for lots more FREE stuff. 
http://get-me.to/TrueCrime 


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