Brendan Mays is a journalist and author, and An Act of Violence is his first novel. It has been written and stylised especially for smartphones and the e-format.

Description: Richard Resner recently asked the love of his life to marry him. He was happy, normal – complete. Then she disappeared without a trace.

What followed began a twisted spiral of events that would lead them both down a dark and violent path. Worst of all, they had invited it to happen.

With their bodies, minds and souls facing the greatest of peril, the fight of their lives began.

“Ebooks are suited to the modern reader. It’s not always comfortable for me to carry a book through the week, but I like to read on the train and bus. I wanted something quick and easy to read on my phone, which was one of the reasons for writing my current work,” says Brendan Mays. You can read the book on your phone using the free Amazon Kindle app.

According to Amazon.com, ebooks now outsell print books in the online store, not including free copies which would further separate the market. In the UK, Kindle books outsell hardcover books two to one. While there is currently no regional data for Australia, it shows that the print industry is not contracting – it is just changing and evolving.

There are several other major benefits to the e-format, especially as we approach Christmas. Typically a time where wallets are stretched, ebooks are a cheap alternative to other gifts. Many titles now retail from $5 to $15, which makes new books more accessible than ever.

Ebooks also save on waste, sparing hundreds of millions of trees across the globe, not including packaging and other emissions involved in production and transportation. This makes ebooks the green alternative, and another reason why conscientious buyers are continuing to warm to the e-format.

“As authors, we need to make sure people have access to the best books that keep you coming back for more. It worries me when best-selling Australian authors like Bryce Courtenay are not as easy to buy online in Australia as overseas authors,” says Mays.

“If you look at growth online, it’s clear the e-format will gradually become the dominant force in the publishing industry. I think it is great to be able to pull out your phone or an ebook reader for five minutes here and there, and be able to jump into a story. With a good book, that’s all you need, and it’s something I’ve strived to achieve.”

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