How I use Siri to Read eBooks and Articles

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I love listening to audios when I’m busy doing other things (like household chores or cleaning the car).

In fact, if I’ve got something that I’m eager to listen to, I’ll find ‘busy’ chores to do because I must be doing something while I listen. I can’t just sit and do nothing so I figure I may as well get plenty of chores done while I’m listening.

I rarely buy, or mostly never buy, audio books, but I do borrow them from the library.

I also listen to podcasts too. 

I have the Listnr app on my iPhone which, as well as having my favourite radio station on it, Buddha Hits, it also has some interesting podcasts on things like true crime.

I also have the UK’s BBC app that has many great radio plays and audio series.

But when it comes to books, I prefer to buy eBooks and if I want to have them read to me while I’m doing other things, I use Siri to read them.

I discovered how to do it a few years ago, and I’ve been listening to eBooks this way ever since.

All I do is open an eBook on my iPhone (usually in my Kindle app) to the current page I’m reading.

I then put two fingers at the very top of the screen and quickly swipe down.

Siri’s audio controls immediately open and she starts reading from the top of the page and continues reading until I press pause.

Siri can also read long articles online if I tap the “Reader View” icon in the URL address bar at the top of the page and then swipe my two fingers down again.

It’s so quick and easy to do and means I can ‘read’ eBooks while I’m busy doing other things.

Read Something That Will Change Your Life

I write books designed to change your life.

From novels that will tug at your heart strings, instill fear and get your heart pounding, to educational books that can help you earn more money, and life-altering self-help books.

All will leave you thinking differently and some will even help you change the way you live and enable you to start living the life of your dreams.

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books.html

The Perfect Gift To Give

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I’m not one for gift giving.

I don’t give many gifts and I never accept any either.

Many years ago, I used to be part of the gift-giving hoard, but then one day I wised up and cut Christmas out of my life. It was one of the best things I did.

I still bought gifts for my own children, but not for anyone else. And I didn’t put up decorations, send cards, or attend any obligated get-togethers.

I just said, “I don’t do Christmas.”

It made the holiday period so much easier. It was a huge relief.

I always call Christmas my day off. It’s a day when I do absolutely nothing. I just do whatever I want. I don’t even cook.

Eventually, I cut out birthday gift-giving to adults. It’s always so difficult to choose things for other people, and I rarely received something I wanted, so I stopped giving gifts to adults.

It was also something I’ve never regretted doing.

The only people I still buy birthday gifts for are my grandchildren, but even they know that once they turn 18, they’re cut off.

But all through my time of giving gifts to everyone, and even now that it’s only the grandkids, my go-to gifts are always books.

I find that if you give someone a book, they’ll eventually read it. So it’s never wasted.

Books are good because they’re educational as well as entertaining. Even a novel can teach us things we didn’t know while entertaining us at the same time.

When the kids were young, I bought them sticker books, colouring books, puzzle books, and Dr Seuss Books. I bought them toys as well, but they always received books too.

For adults I buy novels, if I know the types of things they like, and I usually do because I ask people what types of books they read. I reckon you can tell a lot about a person by looking at the types of books they read.

And I know I’m not the only person who buys books as gifts. My book sales always go up around Christmas time, especially print books.

My most popular book around this time of year is “How Ton Quit Smoking Without Giving Up Cigarettes.” That tells me that there are a lot of unhappy smokers out there.

So if you’re struggling with what to buy someone, give them a book. You won’t regret it and either will they.

How To Quit Smoking

Without Giving Up Cigarettes

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/HQS.html

Stop Procrastinating and Take Back Control of Your Life

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Do you procrastinate? Do you know you have to do something but you just don't do it?

And do you find that when you put off doing something it gnaws at your mind? 

Avoiding doing what needs to be done, makes you feel bad.  It's on your mind and not in a small way. You feel like it's only bothering you a bit, but that prolonged niggling, can bring you down.

Yet still you procrastinate.

The annoying thing about procrastinating is that you know you're doing it. It's not an unconscious habit that you're not aware of. When you procrastinate you're completely conscious of what you're doing and you're aware of your behaviour.

So why do you do it? Why do you put off doing things you know you should be doing?

Is it laziness?

No.

Is it because you don't have enough will power and discipline? 

Not really. These things can help, but they can only take you so far.

So what can you do about it?

You start by understanding what is procrastination.

It's an avoidance tactic.

Next you need to understand what you're avoiding and why. 

What's causing you to procrastinate?

Wouldn't you love it if you could take back control of your life and be a productive person?

Productive people are happy people. They feel good because they get things done.

No one likes a quitter, especially if it's yourself.

So stop letting yourself down.

And don't think that to stop procrastinating means to do more.

It means to do more of what matters and stop wasting your time doing things that don't matter just so you can avoid doing what you'd really rather be doing.

I'm going to be talking about this a lot more soon because I have a new book coming out next week called, Stop Procrastinating and Take Back Control of Your Life.

I can't wait for you to read it.

I'll tell you more about it soon.

UPDATE: My new books is now available.

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/sp.html

My Hassle With Staff At Office Works

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A couple of years ago, I bought a PDF eBook and I wanted a printed copy.  

The eBook came with printing permissions, so I uploaded it to Office Works, set up how I wanted it printing and binding, paid the cost, and waited for an email to tell me when it was printed and ready to pick up, which came through the next day.

Easy.

A few weeks later, I had another PDF eBook I wanted to print, so I set it up on the Office Works website again.

The next day I received a call from a woman who said she was a manager at my local Office Works store, and she said my eBook couldn’t be printed because it was copyrighted to the Author.

I explained that the eBook had permission for printing, and I asked her if she’d looked at the permissions of the eBook.

She said it didn’t matter what the permissions were, they couldn’t print it.

It was clear that she had no idea about copyright or printing permissions.

I tried to explain it to her, but she insisted that because of copyright, only I could print it, not them, but if I came to the store and printed it, they would put a cover on it and bind it for me.

So, I said, “So you’re saying that the only difference between you printing it and me printing it, is who pushes the start button on the printer?”

She was silent for a few seconds, then said, “Yes. That’s exactly what copyright means.”

I said, “How do you know? You’re not a copyright expert. You’re a shop assistant.”

With that, she hung up. I contacted Office Works online and asked for a refund.

I no longer use them for my large-volume printing needs. It seemed ridiculous that one person at the company, who clearly knew nothing about copyright, could dictate who pushes the start button on the printing machine.

The whole conversation with her, plus my time spent setting up the print job, getting a refund, and getting it printed elsewhere, was a waste of my time. I usually protect my time because, as a writer, it’s extremely important to me. My wasted time with Office Works could have been spent writing a chapter of a book or a few online articles.

Which is why I prefer working alone.

Many people feel that being a writer is like subjecting yourself to a life of solitary confinement.

But I disagree.

Being a writer does mean spending a lot of time alone, and spending hours every day speaking to no-one, but that’s the way I prefer it.

Being a writer is my mission in life, which is why I’m always happy to go home and work on my writing mission.

And I don’t have to let others into my writing time.

Except when I have to deal with ignorant staff at Office Works.

Mission Critical For Life

Start Living Life On Your Terms By Pursuing Your True Life Mission

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/MCFL.html