Leslea is a woman after my own heart. And I don’t mean that in a monstery, axe-and-spoony kind of way. Leslea is the one who got me hooked on blogging (blame her). She’s one of my greatest cheerleaders, and she doesn’t hesitate to tell me things I don’t want to hear: the mark of a true friend who respects your reactions and trusts the friendship.

Leslea recently sprang for a Kindle Fire. Tell us about it, gurlfren!

*   *   *

Brrr…do you feel that cool breeze outside? Time to curl up inside and warm up next to a hot, roaring Fire. Yes, I said “Fire,” as in the new Kindle Fire.

I confess I am rather late to the ebook party. While my dear friend Marian has been actively publishing ebooks for years, I have remained a bit snobbish about an ebook’s lack of moldy, dusty, yellowing pages. My public library hasn’t stocked ebooks with brittle, crackling plastic covers. There were no ebooks lined up prettily on display tables at Books-A-Million, either. No boxes of ebooks to sort through at yard sales. What was in an ebook for me?

Turns out, a lot.

So what has changed, the past few years? A better question might be, “What hasn’t?”

The Kindle, Nook, and other assorted ereaders debuted, and promptly caught on like, well, wildfire. Having been an anti-consumerist, work-at-home underpaid journalist for years, (read, minimal disposable income), my first thought about the Kindle was “Great, that’ll just make it easier to blow ten bucks on a whim with every instantaneous download.”

But that was when all ebooks were the same price as hardback books. Times, oh, how they have been a-changin’. This past September, I finally made the leap into epublishing, myself, and it wasn’t long before my eyes were opened about the number and types of books that are available for free and cheap to the casual reader.

There are literally thousands of free books available online, as well as low-priced/high rated, as well. One doesn’t have to go broke to enjoy the convenience of an ereading device. When you think about the trade-offs of gas & time & shipping expenses, ebooks can be a choice that puts you money ahead, even. Did I mention I am frugal? Okay, I’m a TIGHTWAD, I admit it.

Economics aside, I started thinking of all the cool things I would do with my new Fire. Of course *food* sprang to mind, and when I think about bloggers who write entertaining posts about food, I think of Marian. If you’re still planning your menu for Thanksgiving, you probably shouldn’t miss her recipe for roast veggies on my blog on Wednesday. Read her post to see an example of how the new Fire tablet (with cooking apps and web browsing capabilities) could change the way you use your kitchen, every day.

I personally cook with my iPad in the kitchen all the time (every time I try a new recipe!), so I’m really looking forward to seeing what cooking with Fire will be like.

Here are some cookbooks I’m keen to try out on my new Fire:

Recipes Tried and True, by the Presbyterian Ladies’ Aid: Hey, if anyone knows a thing or two about cookin’, it’s church ladies. Price: Free, as of this writing.

Dishes and Beverages of the Old South: Guess what! Paula Deen did not invent Southern cooking. 😉 Price: Free, as of this writing.

Circle of Friends Savory Pie Recipes: Most of the time when people say “pie,” we think of dessert—but this book takes us through Chicken Pot Pie and beyond. Spaghetti Pie? Really? I’m game to try. Price: Free, as of this writing

Then, there is my old stand-by, the Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham, which, unfortunately is not yet available in ebook form. But you know what I can access with my Fire tablet?

How about the lady herself, Ms. Cunningham, in the kitchen with Julia Child, making Buttermilk Crumb Muffins?

Are you hot for cooking yet? If you’re anything like me, make sure you proceed with caution. I’ve been known to drop phones into bathtubs and toilets before—I’ll probably be wearing my new Fire on a strap around my neck, until I’ve proven myself trust-worthy in this venture. Just remind me to stay away from the stock pots, would ya?

*   *   *

Leslea Tash is a writer in Southern Indiana & a full-time homeschooling mom of four, currently working on a collection of her nationally syndicated parenting/family life columns entitled Guerrilla Mothering. Lately she’s blogging about the new Amazon Fire, among other topics, at LesleaTash.com. When she’s not cooking with Fire and fiddling with other electronics, she publishes top-rated dark fantasy fiction under the name Red Tash. Visit RedTash.com for more details, and if you see her on Facebook, Twitter, or Google plus, please say hello. She chats back!

*   *   *

Thanks, Ms. Tash! I hope you love your eReader as much as I’m lovin’ mine!

Leslea is giving away a copy of her new eBook, THIS BRILLANT DARKNESS on these terms:

I will be happy to give away an ebook copy of THIS BRILLIANT DARKNESS to a random commentor on your site who knows the answer to the following trivia question:

What character from Stephen King’s The Stand (movie) says “Doctor told me to cut out the coffee, I only have one cup a day… no, two cups a day.  Besides, he’s dead and I’m still living.”