Amazon on Thursday launched a test version of Kindle software that lets readers fire off questions to authors in text messages sent from the popular electronic book readers.

An "@author" feature allows readers to highlight passages in e-books using cursors and then send authors questions related to what was written, according to Amazon.

Questions can also be posted to online Amazon Author Pages where anyone who has made purchases from Amazon.com can take part in an online exchange on the topic.

The 16 authors taking part in the program included Susan Orlean, who wrote "The Orchid Thief," and John Locke, who has sold more than a million digital books on the Kindle platform, according to Amazon.