Books digest

LOCAL

Warren native tries hand at historical novel

A native of Warren, Kreig W. Vens, has a novel scheduled for release Friday.

“Tears of Blood,” his third novel, is historical fiction. It’s a narrative account told in first-person, memoir-esque style. The setting is the Great Plains in the late 1800s, and the story relies heavily on facts to make the story believable.

“Tears” is the tale of a young boy’s abduction from his pioneer home by Comanche Indians. They turn him into a warrior and he becomes spokesman for the Comanche Nation.

Both of Vens’ previous novels, “Prosecuted Innocence” and “Trail of Bodies,” have earned him coveted acclaim.

E-MATTERS

New Stephen King e-book delayed

NEW YORK — The latest weapon in the publishing price wars: Stephen King. Scribner announced the digital edition of King’s “Under the Dome,” a 1,000-plus page novel, would not be released until Dec. 24, virtually the end of the holiday season and a month after the hardcover.

E-books have already been delayed for Sen. Edward Kennedy’s “True Compass” and Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue” as publishers try to prevent the cheaper digital editions from taking sales from hardcovers, which, until recently, cost more.

Thanks to an online price war among Target.com, Amazon and Walmart.com, the hardcover for popular November releases can be pre-ordered for $9 or less, a strong source of concern among publishers and independent booksellers, who cannot afford to charge so little.

King, ironically, is a pioneer and champion of e-books. In 2000, his e-novella “Riding the Bullet” was initially offered for free and became an online sensation, downloaded so many times that Internet sites offering the book were overwhelmed.

In February 2009, when Amazon.com announced a new edition of its Kindle e-reader, King’s novella “Ur” was offered exclusively through the device and incorporated the Kindle into the narrative.

ONLINE SALES

Target joins in price war

NEW YORK — Target Corp. has thrown itself into a heated price war on books expected to be top sellers.

The Minneapolis-based discounter said that it will offer some of this season’s most anticipated book titles at $8.99, in line with recent moves by Walmart.com and Amazon.com.

Target says the price applies to pre-orders on Target.com of such books as “Breathless” by Dean Koontz, “I, Alex Cross” by James Patterson, and “Under the Dome” by Stephen King.

The book battle started last Oct. 15, when Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said its Web site, walmart.com, would charge just $10, with free shipping, for such upcoming hardcover releases as Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue” and John Grisham’s “Ford County,” 60 percent or more off the regular cost.

Amazon.com, the largest online book seller, matched the prices.

Combined dispatches