The big addition in mid-2008 is a
full-on eBook store, complete with eBook versions of every title,
in three formats. You can choose from the Sony Reader configuration of
the PDF, which also suits iLiad, Palm, and will run nicely on Pocket PC.
Or you can choose the desktop/laptop, PC/Mac type PDF, which will look
best on a full-sized screen. We don't provide a Microsoft Reader (.lit) file at this time, due
to document security considerations. However, the Pocket PC can use our screenreader format' PDF.
Interested in the document security wrinkle with Microsoft Reader? Our
webmaster speaks on this topic...
The small-screen PDFs are obviously trimmed to fit the much-smaller viewing environment;
the large-screen eBooks are exact duplicates of the printed pages.
Also, we've completely streamlined the eBook ordering process by adding PayLoadz.
This is the 'PayPal equivalent' for downloadable e-goods. Rather than download
the ZIP file, then click a PayPal button to 'buy the key' to open it, you click
a button to 'Buy Now,' and are directed to a download page. Much more streamlined ...
also, you get 'instant gratification,' since there's no waiting for a human to
email you the password.
Just as important is the fact that we've embraced a new edition of all
the books ... and a great new feature on the site is The
Cover Gallery in which you can click through the whole collection, in an
animated show.
Even more importantly (and we're very enthusiastic about this), the whole site is
now compliant with disabled-access standards. Until very recently, we were utterly
ignorant of the fact that there are tens of millions of visually handicapped people,
a lot of whom are surfing the Web using Lynx-type text browsers hitched up to
text-to-voice audio systems...
Suffice to say, this version of the site is Lynx-tested. We pass the paw-test.
We'd like to get the word out, so if you're in touch with friends or relatives who
are visually challenged and would enjoy this site and the works of Mel Keegan ...
please do drop them a line and tell them we're one of the few gay sites on the
WWW that offer a topnotch browsing experience — in text.
Speaking of pictures, however, we've plugged in a very nice show to display the
book covers. Make sure you have Java turned ON, and give it a few seconds to load.
Each image is accompanied by a commentary from the bunch here at DreamCraft (Mel,
Jade, Dave, others as they pass through). Click here
to see the show, which depicts all the new covers, as designed for the Lulu.com
POD printshop.
And still on the subject of pictures, you can now send
eCards right off the site here. A nice selection of artwork is 'up' at this time,
and more will be following. 'Tell someone you love hello' ... the best part is, it's
FREE. So give it a whirl right now!
You'll notice that the site is now searchable. The Google search box in the top
right of every page doesn't search the WWW, just MK Online.
We've been promising THE NARC SITE for
several eons, and it's finally 'up' at this time!
It was originally intended to be Shockwaved, but (right on cue), numerous people,
ourselves included, started getting very nasty problems with Shockwave. One day it
worked fine, the next, we accepted a bunch of upgrades for Internet Explorer, and
wham! Shockwave didn't plug in properly any longer.
So, forget doing the NARC subsite in Shockwave. Next, we looked at Flash. This was
very doable, and the problems were more visual than technical. Even now, today, the
web is text-driven. Sure, we pretty it up with images and animations, but the fact
is, webpages are about reading. And the way Flash displays text, especially small
text, is not so good. It can have a fuzzy look about it.
Add this to the fact that we just made the master site Lynx-compatible, for the
benefit of visually challenged users, and ... why would we take the NARC site and
feed the text into a Flash movie, where text browsers and text-to-voice applications
are useless?
For the third time, we returned to the drawing board and redesigned the whole thing.
It's text plus graphics plus animations, all so closely interwoven, they should
appear seamless. Clever (we hope!), practical, and Lynx-accessible.
New to the site this time around, also, is a vamped-up Bookstore section ...
and of course, the books themselves! Every title is up at Lulu.com at this
time. The vampyre books and the HELLGATE titles have recently been uploaded,
completing the list. The only MK titles not 'up' at Lulu.com now are AN EAST WIND
BLOWING and ICE, WIND AND FIRE, both of which are in the works. (Both of which
also involve typing jobs, since there is no electronic version of them; this is
why they're coming along slowly.)
Members will soon notice, we've redone the login structure between here and the Members'
Area ... basically, to take out the necessity to login! Some folks were
finding it a right royal pain in the posterior, and we can relate to that.
(The code behind the old routine was flawless, but if you had your Java turned
OFF, you wouldn't see the login pages.)
Usernames and passwords are the zit on the butt of the Internet right now ...
everything's fine and dandy, till you forget one, or mismatch them. Then,
you might want something as harmless as grandmom's knitting pattern for pink baby
booties, and you're waaay out of luck.
In our own small efforts to streamline the Internet, we've revamped the system. So —
give the new 'login-less login' system a shot.
Existing members will need to go through the process once, because the
Members' Zone has teleported itself elsewhere.
One note: you'll need to turn OFF your popup-blockers (if you have them on), and
you'll also need to have Flash turned ON. To protect the email address from
spam spiders, we've buried it inside a tiny Flash movie. Bear with us for less
than a minute, as a one-off, and you're home free. Your popup blockers can be
reactivated, and you can turn Flash right back off. (LYNX users ... sorry, guys.
Fall back on the old email system, contact us and we'll
respond as speedily as a human being can.)
Several new pages are online this time around, too. We've included special 'overviews'
for The Science Fiction List,The
Historicals and The Sea Stories. These pages talk
about the genres, and how MK's novels fit into them.
And we've included a Webmaster Central page,
where we'll talk about the nuts and bolts of website construction, for those
visitors who wonder how we do what we do. You'd be surprised how many of us
are fascinated, and we're happy to share knowledge.
DreamCraft, MK and Jade are often asked what hosting service we use, and why. You're looking at it! Why? Best deal and best service we
ever found — been with iPower since 2002, and wouldn't dream of going anywhere else!
Lastly ... you can hardly fail to miss the fact we're carrying
advertising this time around. You also notice, we're not carry Google
ads. In fact, you won't see Google ads on many sites with GLBTI content —
something went amiss with the relationship between Google's Adsense and
site publishers with GLBTI content, late in 2007. Perhaps wisely (time
will tell), we decided to duck the whole problem and a little research
(maybe three mouse clicks!) turned up something better: 'Gay Ad
Network', 'Gay Blog Ads,' and much more. Who knows? Google might come
around and decide to be decent in the future. If not, the GLBTI community is
extremely proud of the way it looks after its own ... and your support of this
site is greatly appreciated.
We kept Mel Keegan OnLine ad-free for as long as we could, and even
now we're carrying ads, we're making every attempt to
keep them pertinent, and as interesting as possible. We'll also do
our level best to keep the advertised products 'on the level,' and at
least useful. For example, many visitors to this site are themselves writers,
artists, webmasters — or would like to be. It makes sense that we
should carry ads for what we KNOW and can recommend. When we tell
you that we couldn't do a damn' thing without Serif and iPower, this
actually means something to you, because you've seen what we do
with them! So, forgive us for the occasional commercial break —
Serif plays a major part in all the artwork appearing on this site, and wrapped around the Mel Keegan books.
DreamCraft and Jade have sworn by Serif for over a decade. This software is used to set type for the
books and ebooks, as well as designing covers, webpages, and a lot more: Click through the animated gallery of
our new-edition covers to see what you can do with Serif!
— and, if it so happens that you are looking for software and hosting service to do what we do —
glad we could help!
At this point, we can guarantee the integrity of
the goods and services for which we'r advertising, because we've used them, bought the good, and and are more than happy
to carry these ads. Our promise to visitors is that we'll put every effort into keeping our ads
genuine, interesting and pertinent. In the next round of site-tweaks, we'll be placing 'contextual link ads,' and we'll have less
control over there. However, our 'pledge of fidelity' remains good: if you find one that
offends, let us know at once, and if
possible, right-click on whatever banner had popped up automatically
and give us the URL. We'll block the culprit; you won't see it again.
And obviously, if you would like to advertise with us...
see the new 'advertise' page for info.
Your feedback on the new site design, and the commercial content, will
also be appreciated — let us know your impressions! (See also
What's Due?)
Cheers from MK and the bunch at DreamCraft.
Are you looking desperately for the old GMP editions
to complete a collection? In our experience, here is your best shot:
Copies often change hands there, although it's also true they don't change hands cheaply. In recent years, since the DreamCraft editions have been published, the price of an original GMP Death's Head is around US$80 - $100 ... which is an improvement on the price years ago, then it wa 4-5 times that high! Incidentally, when you buy a Mel Keegan title second hand, via an eBay trader, from a link on this site — Mel Keegan will earn a royalty, which is extremely appropriate. A new window will open; search on 'Mel Keegan,' and you'll see what's available at this time. NOTE: few people auction their MK titles, so the first result in your search results window is almost certainly going to be be '0 results for Mel Keegan.' Don't be deterred: scroll down to the Ebay Stores. At the time of this upload, for example, you could buy four MK titles, including both the GMP editions of Death's Head and Equinox, at very reasonable prices! Happy shopping ... and good luck! (Tell us how you go.)
Sign me up!
Are you looking desperately for the old GMP editions
to complete a collection? In our experience, here is your best shot:
