Well, I got the story up and it’s available at: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/39473 for anyone who might be interested. What’s it about? This is the preface:
All school children in the western hemisphere know that in “1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Other than that ditty, few people know the “Admiral of the Ocean Sea” made three subsequent voyages. Of these, his final trip a decade later, to what became known as the “New World,” was probably the most interesting. It is the stuff of fiction: fierce storms, contrary currents and hurricanes. Pitched battles with hostile natives and former companions. Ship wrecks, marooning, mutiny, trickery, petty jealousies, deceit, greed, dashed dreams, despair, extraordinary heroism and rescue. But every bit of it is true and documented. The only license I have taken with the story has been the creation of the fictional narrator of the events.
It’s available for reading in a variety of formats including the popular Kindle. It will soon be available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It’s only $2.99…a bargain at twice the price.
One More Good Adventure 
Well, I’m now an official member of Smashwords with a digital library of two books!
That’s as far as I can go this morning – off to the docks to get a few things done ahead of the rain, but I’m looking forward to seeing how the reading goes. I may think about Kindle for PC – just to learn about it.
Congrats!
The Kindle for PC works great, especially if you have a notebook which makes it portable. Not as light and easy to lug around as the real thing, though, but it does free you up from sitting at a desk all the time to read. I’ve downloaded a ton of books, many of them free, from both Amazon and Smashwords. Also free samples which are anywhere from 20-50% of the book. Some of those were immediately erased as a waste of time, but in a couple of cases, especially for the longer previews I actually went back and bought the thing so I could finish.
One of the amazing things about the Kindle process is that if you decide to buy a book or simply read the preview off of the Amazon site it’s on your Kindle (real or for PC) in seconds! Almost instantly, even with the stupid USB modem. I’d say download Kindle for PC ASAP since it’s free.
@Linda:
I encourage you to install the Kindle for PC application. It works flawlessly and it has a bundle of goodies to facilitate the reading of your digital book. I have four books in my library and plan to buy some more as soon as I catch up reading the current ones.
Eventually I will buy the Kindle e-book reader itself. It’s price is very affordable ($139.99). Air freight to Panama shouldn’t be that much.
BTW, I just read that Richard is working on several short stores and another novel, so that means good literature is on the way. I will write a letter to Santa Claus to bring me a book written by Linda. Do you think the elves can help me with that and put it under my Christmas tree?
@Richard: I’m reading your book and will soon write my book review. Hope to be the first one at the finish line.
Regards,
Omar.-
Thanks for your comments, Omar, but I doubt that anything I write could be considered “literature.” I did get a comment on Smashwords for my story about “Sailing Alone to Isla.” They said it was a “good read.” But that still leaves the field wide open to you for the first review of the Columbus book. All I ask is that you be honest about its faults as well as its good points.