Two Free Books - The River and The Warlord Wants Forever

I was going to save these until tomorrow, but was afraid that the deal might disappear with the end of the month. Sorry for the overload today (and no guarantee that I might not post again, as I know some indie authors are having halloween sales that end soon).

The River ($7.99 Kindle), by Cheryl Kaye Tardif, is available free from Shortcovers, in a DRM'd EPUB format. You don't have to set up an account or enter any information, but you do need Adobe Digital Editions installed before you click to download.

Book Description
STEM CELL RESEARCH, CLONING, AND WORLD DOMINATION--WITH A TWIST... The South Nahanni River area of Canada's Northwest Territories has a history of mysterious deaths, disappearances and headless corpses, but it may also hold the key to humanity's survival―or its destruction. Del thought her father was long dead. But someone from her past says otherwise. Now she and a group of near strangers embark on a perilous mission... Seven years ago, Del Hawthorne's father and three of his friends disappeared near the Nahanni River and were presumed dead. When one of the missing men stumbles onto the University grounds, alive but barely recognizable and aging before her eyes, Del is shocked. Especially when the man tells her something inconceivable. Her father is still alive! Gathering a group of volunteers, Del travels to the Nahanni River to rescue her father. There, she finds a secret river that plunges her into a technologically advanced world of nanobots and painful serums. Del uncovers a conspiracy of unimaginable horror, a plot that threatens to destroy us all. Will humanity be sacrificed for the taste of eternal life? At what point have we become...God?

Simon and Schuster is giving away Kresley Cole's novella, The Warlord Wants Forever (included in the anthology Playing Easy to Get ($9.99 Kindle), if you sign up for their newsletter. It's part of a promotion for Deep Kiss of Winter ($9.99 Kindle), the latest in her Immortals After Dark series. However, you don't have to put any real info into the fields, other than an email address that you can check (use a throw-away account, if you don't want the newsletter), as none of it is validated before you subscribe. Click HERE to sign up and get the free download (it's a PDF).

Book Description
Nikolai Wroth, once a ruthless human warlord in the 1700s and now a general in the rebel vampire army, needs to find his Bride, the one woman who can render him truly alive. As a turned human, he doesn’t enjoy a heartbeat or breaths and is consequently weaker than fully blooded vampires. He wants his Bride for the power she will bring him and can hardly believe it when his heart beats for Myst the Coveted, a mad, fey, mythological creature.

Myst is known throughout the world as the most beautiful Valkyrie, part chillingly fierce warrior, part beguiling seductress who can “make you want her even as she’s killing you.” She has devoted her life to protecting an ancient, powerful jewel and to fighting the vampires, and she now sees a way to torment one—for with Wroth’s heartbeat comes consuming sexual desire that can only be slaked by her.

She eludes him for five years, but he has finally chased her to ground and stolen the jewel which commands her, giving him absolute power over her. While he possesses it, he can make her do anything, and he plans to in order for her to experience first hand the agonizing, unending lust she’d purposely subjected him to for half a decade. Yet when Wroth realizes he wants more from her and frees her, will she come back to him?

Last Chance for Suvudu Free Books

Suvudu's Free Library should update tomorrow with their new listings, but they will also be taking down a number of their free reads. Today is the last chance to get these for free, in case you missed them earlier (although Amazon is sometimes slow to drop prices, they've also sometimes ended sales early, so check the links before one-clicking).

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
Manifold: Time by Stephen Baxter
Queen of the Orcs: King’s Property by Morgan Howell
The Brass Bed by Jennifer Stevenson
The Briar King by Greg Keyes
Changelings by McCaffrey & Scarborough
Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

You can also get the PDF versions HERE, as well as find links to non-Kindle versions.

Happy Halloween from Gryphonwood Press and Blade Red Press

For Halloween only, Gryphonwood Press and Blade Red Press are giving away every book in their catalog. I've listed all the books, with links and the coupon code to use once you've put that book into your cart. I already have The Silver Serpent and Dourado, but I've been considering the books from Alan Baxter and just saw an announcement on Flank Hawk and was heading over to get a sample when I noticed the publisher -- so, as I'm writing this on Friday evening, I am waiting for midnight to just go buy it, instead of getting the sample.

Gryphonwood Press
Cibola by David Wood - SJ79G
Dead Eye: Pennies for the Ferryman by Jim Bernheimer - MK29P
Death Dealt the Hand by John E. Bailor - CT72U
Dourado by David Wood - QX73J
Flank Hawk by Terry W. Ervin II - DM58A
Seabird - An Invitation by Sherry Thompson - QW23Y
The Silver Serpent by David Debord - MG27T
Street: Empathy by Ryan A. Span - KK37T
You Don't Know What You've Got... anthology - RD33A

Blade Red Press
Ghost Of The Black by Alan Baxter – already free
MageSign by Alan Baxter – HH65A
RealmShift by Alan Baxter – DK99C

Maggots Of Heresy by Michael Fridman – already free

Free Book - Heritage

Heritage, by Judy Nunn, is being given away (in DRM'd EPUB format only, which works on the Sony and B&N readers) by Random House Australia as part of a promotion of her new book Maralinga. Neither book appears to be in print in the US, at least, not currently, so this is probably an author most of us have not read before. I just found this one, but there are only two days left to get the book.

Book Description
It was a time when refugees seized with both hands the chance for freedom; a time when people of more than seventy nations gathered beneath the Southern Cross to forge a new national identity. From war-torn Europe, they came to the mountains of Australia to realise one man's dream, and in so doing realised their own. The mighty Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, regarded by many as the greatest engineering feat of the 20th Century, was built with pride from the sweat and blood of displaced people. They were called New Australians.

One was 'Lucky', a German Jew seeking refuge in Australia after losing his family in the horror that was known as Endlosung, 'The Final Solution' of Hitler's Third Reich. Another was Pietro, a young Italian immigrant in search of a new life in a strange country far from the mountains of his childhood which harboured a deadly secret. And then there was the woman from Israel, the woman with a past so steeped in horror that no matter how far she ran, she would never escape the nightmare of Auschwitz or the massacre of Deir Yassin.

People of all races and creeds tunnelled through a mountain range and turned the course of a mighty river as they sought to put to rest the ghosts from the inferno of their past.
From the blood of Berlin to the birth of Israel, from the Italian Alps to the Snowy Mountains, HERITAGE tells the story of the birth of new Australia in the high plains of the Monaro and the rugged peaks of The Snowy Mountains. Judy Nunn is at the height of her powers in this passionate and fast-paced tale of rebirth, struggle, sacrifice and redemption.

To get the free book, click HERE. You'll then need to sign up for their newsletter (use a throw-away email address, but one you can check, if you don't want the newsletter), then click on a link in a confirmation email that they will send you. If you don't already have Adobe Digital Editions installed, you'll need to do that first.

Three Additional $9 Pre-Orders on Kindle

Two Three additional titles have joined the $9 pre-order price war in the Kindle store, adding to the earlier list. I've also added the delivery dates, so you know how long you have to think about pre-ordering (although the price war could, of course, end at any time, if one of the big three blinks).

Pirate Latitudes, by Michael Crichton (November 24, 2009), is one I'd be tempted to order in print, just for the cover, but won't. I may pre-order the Kindle version, though, as I usually enjoy Crichton's novels.

Book Description
An irresistible adventure of swashbuckling pirates in the New World, a classic story of treasure and betrayal. The Caribbean, 1665. A remote colony of the English Crown, the island of Jamaica holds out against the vast supremacy of the Spanish empire. Port Royal, its capital, is a cutthroat town of taverns, grog shops, and bawdy houses. In this steamy climate there's a living to be made, a living that can end swiftly by disease - or by dagger. For Captain Charles Hunter, gold in Spanish hands is gold for the taking, and the law of the land rests with those ruthless enough to make it. Word in port is that the galleon El Trinidad, fresh from New Spain, is awaiting repairs in a nearby harbor. Heavily fortified, the impregnable harbor is guarded by the bloodthirsty Cazalla, a favorite commander of the Spanish king himself. With backing from a powerful ally, Hunter assembles a crew of ruffians to infiltrate the enemy outpost and commandeer El Trinidad, along with its fortune in Spanish gold. The raid is as perilous as the bloodiest tales of island legend, and Hunter will lose more than one man before he even sets foot on foreign shores, where dense jungle and the firepower of Spanish infantry stand between him and the treasure.

The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver (November 3, 2009)

Book Description
An epic journey from the Mexico City of artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo to the America of Pearl Harbor, FDR, and J. Edgar Hoover. The Lacuna is a poignant story of a man pulled between two nations as they invent their modern identities. Born in the United States, reared in a series of provisional households in Mexico - from a coastal island jungle to 1930s Mexico City - Harrison Shepherd finds precarious shelter but no sense of home on his thrilling odyssey. Life is whatever he learns from housekeepers who put him to work in the kitchen, errands he runs in the streets, and one fateful day, by mixing plaster for famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. He discovers a passion for Aztec history and meets the exotic, imperious artist Frida Kahlo, who will become his lifelong friend. When he goes to work for Lev Trotsky, an exiled political leader fighting for his life, Shepherd inadvertently casts his lot with art and revolution, newspaper headlines and howling gossip, and a risk of terrible violence. Meanwhile, to the north, the United States will soon be caught up in the internationalist goodwill of World War II. There in the land of his birth, Shepherd believes he might remake himself in America's hopeful image and claim a voice of his own. He finds support from an unlikely kindred soul, his stenographer, Mrs. Brown, who will be far more valuable to her employer than he could ever know. Through darkening years, political winds continue to toss him between north and south in a plot that turns many times on the unspeakable breach - the lacuna - between truth and public presumption. With deeply compelling characters, a vivid sense of place, and a clear grasp of how history and public opinion can shape a life.

Under the Dome, by Stephen King (December 24, 2009)

Book Description
On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's hand is severed as "the dome" comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when - or if - it will go away.

Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens - town newspaper owner Julia Shumway, a physician's assistant at the hospital, a select-woman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing - even murder - to hold the reins of power, and his son, who is keeping a horrible secret in a dark pantry. But their main adversary is the Dome itself. Because time isn't just short. It's running out.

Halloween Reads from Samhellion

As you all know, Samhain Publishing has been giving away a number of books this year. They also give away a number of short stories on their web site, usually in conjunction with major holidays. This Halloween is no exception, but they are doing things a bit differently this time. Rather than have you check their web site each day and click to download a book, you have to sign up on their email list to get links to the downloads. They've been having some issues with the addresses they are using, it seems, so if you don't get a reply back fairly quickly, try the secondary address. All of these that I've checked have been fairly short and all are in PDF format (but easily converted for the Kindle or read on the DX).

The Fine Print

1. Our short stories range from sweet to super-sexy. By sending in your email to receive the download link, you are agreeing that you are aware of this.
2. All email addies will be entered into a drawing to win a Free Samhain title of your choice.
3. All email addresses will be added to our newsletter mailing list. Please note that we do not sell our i list or use it for any other purpose than to send our reader-related announcements and the newsletter.

Click HERE to see the descriptions of the stories so far, or just send a blank email to one of these two addresses (substituting "@" for the " (at) ", of course):

samhellionfreebies (at) gmail.com
freebies (at) samhellion.com

You'll get back a single email with all the free stories so far (since October 15). There should be another one or two this week, so you'll want to send a second messages on Friday or Saturday to get the last few links.

Makers by Cory Doctorow

Some of you may have been reading the serialized version of Makers ($16.49 Hardcover), by Cory Doctorow (author of Little Brother and Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, amongst others). I always forget to find the new chapters of books released this way, so I wait until they are released in full. If you are like me, you need wait no longer, as the full version of Makers has now been published on his web site. It's free and under a Creative Commons license -- you own the book you download and can do with it pretty much as you wish (which he covers on his download page).

Book Description
Perry and Lester invent things—seashell robots that make toast, Boogie Woogie Elmo dolls that drive cars. They also invent entirely new economic systems, like the “New Work,” a New Deal for the technological era. Barefoot bankers cross the nation, microinvesting in high-tech communal mini-startups like Perry and Lester’s. Together, they transform the country, and Andrea Fleeks, a journo-turned-blogger, is there to document it.

Then it slides into collapse. The New Work bust puts the dot.combomb to shame. Perry and Lester build a network of interactive rides in abandoned Wal-Marts across the land. As their rides, which commemorate the New Work’s glory days, gain in popularity, a rogue Disney executive grows jealous, and convinces the police that Perry and Lester’s 3D printers are being used to run off AK-47s.

Hordes of goths descend on the shantytown built by the New Workers, joining the cult. Lawsuits multiply as venture capitalists take on a new investment strategy: backing litigation against companies like Disney. Lester and Perry’s friendship falls to pieces when Lester gets the ‘fatkins’ treatment, turning him into a sybaritic gigolo.

Then things get really interesting.

Click HERE to visit his download page - you can get Makers in several formats, all DRM free. Let me know if you see any problems in the Mobi/Kindle version ... I converted it from the HTML and have only checked as far as the Table of contents and a few pages in. The only thing missing is a cover page (you can add it yourself in Calibre or just do without), as it belongs to the print publisher and he doesn't have rights to allow it to be used in the ebooks he makes available.

Bargains from The Friday Project

The Friday Project is a small, UK based imprint of Harper Collins and specializes in finding content on the web and bringing it to print. That content may be blog posts (or just the blogger), serialized works published via the web and book released under a Creative Commons license. Their books are now available in the Kindle store, despite their disparagement of the Kindle when it first released a couple of years ago, when Scott Pack said "It's not an iPod moment" and said he thought that most readers have no need to store their books as they might music tracks (guess he should take a look at my Kindle, sometime) and several are currently bargain priced. I'll highlight a few here (mostly young adult/children's titles), but you can see all their Kindle offerings by clicking HERE (a few are marked as not available in the US).

The Third Pig Detective Agency ($1.13), by Bob Burke, is one I was tempted to pick up when it was released in the UK, but I didn't want to have to set up a new account and deal with the exchange rate on my credit card for such a small purchase.

Book Description
Harry Pigg, the only surviving brother from the Big Bad Wolf attacks, has set up business as a private detective in Grimmtown, only things aren't going too well. Down on his luck, with bills to pay and no clients in sight the outlook is poor. But then in walks local businessman Aladdin who needs someone to help him track down an old lamp.What follows is a case of nursery rhyme-noir. Funny, thrilling and always entertaining, Harry Pigg is an old breed of hero for a new generation. It's as if Humphrey Bogart or James Cagney had walked into the middle of a bedtime story. A comedy caper for all ages.

Shadowmagic ($3.40), by John Lenahan, is one I see recommended by several who have already read it. Who can resist an author whose bio says he is "a magician who became the first person in 85 years to be expelled from the Magic Circle for explaining the Three-card Monte on television. He was the voice of the toaster in Red Dwarf."

Book Description
Conor thought he was an average teenager. OK, so his father only had one hand, spoke to him in ancient languages and was a bit on the eccentric side but, other than that, life was fairly normal. Until, that is, two Celtic warriors on horseback and wearing full armour appear at his front door and try to kill him. After that, things get pretty weird. Shadowmagic is a fantasy adventure for young adults (although grown ups will like it too). Written by one of the most popular magicians in the country it brings a fresh approach to the genre and will have a broad appeal beyond the fantasy sections.

An A-Z of Harry Potter ($3.40), by Aubrey Malone, billed as The Ultimate Guide to the Whole Series. Perhaps with this one, you won't miss having the actual Harry Potter books on your Kindle (or any other ereader).

Book Description
Harry Potter is, without doubt, the publishing sensation of the past decade. Here for the first time in dictionary form is an unofficial readers' guide to all seven books. From 'Animagus' (a wizard that can transform into an animal) to 'Zonkos' (the joke and gift shop in Hogsmeade), Aubrey Malone explores the characters, creatures, places and spells that JK Rowling has brought to life so successfully. This is a must-have for all true Harry Potter fans, and the perfect way to celebrate the series that has captured the imagination of millions.

Montegue Blister's Strange Games ($3.40), by Montegue Blister, should appeal to the little boy in some of you (but I'm not sure if it really is the perfect Christmas gift, as it claims).

Book Description
Taken from the brilliant website strange-games.blogspot.com, Montegue Blister's Strange Games is a pocket-sized compendium of the most hilarious, noisy, messy, and often vomit-inducing games ever written.Finally, the official rules for all the games you played at school as a kid, such as Finger Jousting, Peanuts, Slapsies and Thumb Wrestling. But that's not all! Montegue Blister's Strange Games includes dangerous variations on old classics such as Extreme Rock Paper Scissors, Bloody Knuckles, Shin Kicking and Toe Wrestling, plus a whole host of new, weird and wonderful games like Face Ball, Crazy Stair Climbing, Watermelon Skiing and Mosquito Squashing. Some games are violent, some are downright savage - and most involve a tiny bit of blood. But one thing's for sure - they're great fun! Montegue Blister's Strange Games is the perfect gift for Christmas and beyond. Chapters in Strange Games in include:Hand and feet games; Urban Games; Festivals; Party Games; Trick Games; Playground Games; Throwing & Propulsion; Sports; Stand off Games; Animal Games.

The Equivoque Principle ($3.40), by Darren Craske

Book Description
Prometheus the strongman winds up behind bars and it falls to ringmaster and master conjuror Cornelius Quaint, ably assisted by his Eskimo valet Butter, to investigate the killings and to clear his name. But Quaint, an irresistible mix of Sherlock Holmes and Harry Houdini, soon finds that these seemingly random killings are actually linked to dark secrets from his own past. Secrets that he may not be prepared to face. The Equivoque Principle is a fantastic adventure inspired by the penny dreadfuls and newspaper serials of the Victorian age.

The Atheist's Guide to Christmas ($5.09), by Ariane Sherine, is said to be the UK’s first atheist charity book (despite a subtitle that's more agnostic than athiest).

Book Description
... Ariane and dozens of other atheist writers, comedians and scientists are joining together to raise money for (charity).... The Atheist's Guide to Christmas is a funny, thoughtful handbook all about enjoying Christmas, from 42 of the world's most entertaining atheists. It features everything from an atheist Christmas miracle to a guide to the best Christmas pop hits, and contributors include Richard Dawkins, Charlie Brooker, Ben Goldacre, Jenny Colgan, David Baddiel, Simon Singh, AC Grayling, Brian Cox and Richard Herring. The full book advance and all royalties will go to the UK HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust.

Kindle Sweepstakes - Win 10 Kindles, 30 Books, 2 Subscriptions and more

Whether you already have a Kindle or not, be sure to enter the Amazon Wishlist Sweepstakes, as it's Kindle Love week. One winner will receive 10 Kindles (yes, that's TEN Kindles) and a lot more:

		1. 9 Kindle Wireless Reading Devices (6" Display, U.S. & International Wireless) Keep one for yourself, and delight your friends and family with the rest of these Kindles, which allow you to think of a book and start reading it in less than a minute. One of the Kindles will come preloaded with 30 books and one-year subscriptions to the Kindle editions of The New York Times and The Economist (see below).
		2. 9 Amazon Kindle Leather Covers These stylish leather covers will cradle and protect your new Kindles.
		3. 1 Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7" Display, U.S. Wireless) Its larger size makes it perfect for reading textbooks, graphs, maps, and PDF documents.
		4. 1 Amazon Kindle DX Leather Cover This leather cover was designed to fit the Kindle DX.
		5. Kindle Accessories Set Includes additional covers by Cole Haan, Patagonia, and M-Edge; two lights; and an extra adapter.
		6. 10 Fiction New Releases One Kindle will come preloaded with 10 fiction new releases, including Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol.
		7. 10 Nonfiction New Releases The preloaded Kindle will also come with 10 nonfiction new releases, including Christopher McDougall's Born to Run.
		8. 10 Oprah's Book Club® Picks The preloaded Kindle will come with 10 Oprah's Book Club® selections, including Cormac McCarthy's The Road.
		9. One Year of the Kindle Edition of The New York Times The preloaded Kindle will come with 12 months of daily delivery of the Kindle edition of The New York Times.
		10. One Year of the Kindle Edition of The Economist The preloaded Kindle will come with 12 months of weekly delivery of the Kindle edition of The Economist.

Free Book from Harlequin - The Hunters

The Hunters by Jason Pinter (whose The Mark ($5.76) was free in the Kindle store earlier this month), can be pre-ordered at no charge from Harlequin. This is a short work and is a lead-in to his upcoming The Darkness ($7.99 paperback). You'll be able to download on November 1, but I'd get your order in while it's free.

Book Description
After one of the most harrowing weeks of Henry Parker's life, night has finally come. Settled in with Amanda Davies, he sleeps before preparing to chase a story alongside his mentor, Jack O'Donnell.

Meanwhile Jack sits on the other side of town, fresh out of rehab, hoping to salvage a once-great career derailed by public humiliation. This is Jack's last chance to leave his mark.

Elsewhere in the city, two killers are on the move. They are brutal, calculating, and after tonight their decade's long plan will come to fruition. But before the morning comes they have a few stops to make...

Available in three (DRM'd) formats (get them all; there's no extra charge). They won't work on the Kindle, but will work on the Sony and the upcoming Nook (as well as your PC/Mac and many smartphones).

Free Book from Harlequin - Boneyard

Boneyard by Michelle Gagnon, can be downloaded free from Harlequin, in one of three (DRM'd) formats (get them all; there's no extra charge). They won't work on the Kindle, but will work on the Sony and the upcoming Nook (as well as your PC/Mac and many smartphones).

Book Description
On the trail of a serial killer, the path splits in two...

FBI special agent Kelly Jones has worked on many disturbing cases in her career, but nothing like this. A mass grave site unearthed on the Appalachian Trail puts Kelly at the head of an investigation that crosses the line--from Massachusetts to Vermont, from wealthy vacationers to poor transients, from a serial killer to a copycat nemesis.

Assisted by law enforcement from both states and a forensic anthropologist, Kelly searches for the killers. But as darkness falls, another victim is taken. Kelly must race to save him before he joins the rest...in the boneyard.

99 Cent Game Download - Serpengo

Amazon's Video Game of the Day deal today is a 99 cent game download, Serpengo.

Game Description

• Big, Explosive Excitement.
• An Innovative Action Puzzler.
• Brilliant 3D Graphics
• 3 Games In One.

Serpengo is an explosive action-puzzle game, where you create a serpent out of bursting balls. Three fantastic game modes will have you slithering around to match 3 of the same color balls in a row. Play the arcade mode for that ultimate burst of fun, race mode for face-paced action, or solve a series of increasingly intricate puzzles in puzzle mode. Choose your excitement and enter the world of Serpengo!

Marked by PC and Kristin Cast

I knew the Twilight deal was too good to last and about three hours after my blog post, the price was increased to over $46 (which means it is cheaper to buy the individual ebooks instead of the collection). Hopefully some of you managed to take advantage of the low price.

Marked ($2.39), by PC and Kristin Cast, Book 1 of her House of Night series, is aimed at the same audience (young adults and those wanting paranormal without the explicit sex of some other series). The only problem I saw with the book is the formatting (in the sample) -- it looks like the PDF used was one with a footer on each page, containing the authors' names and where the page breaks in the PDF would have been, the two author names are jammed into the text, with no spacing between the words. It's typical of a PDF-Mobi conversion that was not proofread or edited before being published. A second problem with the formatting is the excessive use of white space between paragraphs. It may only be two blank lines, but it looks like a lot more and interrupts the reading flow when several small paragraphs occur in a row (especially as only maybe two fit on a page, with all those blank lines, even at font size 2).

Book Description
Enter the dark, magical world of the House of Night, a world very much like our own, except here vampyres have always existed.

One minute, sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird is a normal teenager dealing with everyday high school stress: her cute boyfriend Heath, the school’s star quarterback who suddenly seems more interested in partying than playing ball; her nosy frenemy Kayla, who’s way too concerned with how things are going with Heath; her uber-tough geometry test tomorrow. The next, she’s Marked as a fledgling vampyre, forcing her to leave her ordinary life behind and join the House of Night, a boarding school where she will train to become an adult vampyre. That is, if she makes it through the Change—and not all of those who are Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no average fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and an unfortunate ability to Imprint with Heath, who just doesn’t know how to take “no” for an answer. To add to her stress, she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers: when she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny—with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

Twilight Saga - Complete Set for Under $6

If you've held off buying the The Twilight Saga Collection ($5.27), by Stephenie Meyer, in ebook form or you are missing even one in the series, run, don't walk, to the Kindle store and pick up this pre-order. 512 pages, the entire saga, all in one ebook at 90% off "list" price. The only reason I'm not picking it up? I already have all four in the series.

Book Description
This stunning set, complete with all four books, makes the perfect gift for fans of the bestselling vampire love story.

Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn capture the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires.

Amazon Update IPhone App, Announces PC Reader

Amazon has just announced a new reader for the PC (no MAC yet) and you can sign up now to be notified when it is ready for download. Click HERE to sign-up for the Kindle PC Reader. Some may consider the lack of Kindle newspapers, magazines, and blogs on the Kindle for PC to be an issue, but I can already read most of those on my PC anyway.

• Get the best reading experience available on your PC. No Kindle required
• Access your Kindle books even if you don't have your Kindle with you
• Automatically synchronizes your last page read and annotations between devices with Whispersync
• Create bookmarks and view the annotations you created on your Kindle

In addition to the PC reader, those using the iPhone App should upgrade - it now has highlighting, notetaking and (for those using the original app) can be locked into landscape or portrait mode, just as the DX can, which is good for reading in bed or on a boat.

Here's the full press-release from Amazon concerning the Kindle for PC:

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 22, 2009-- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced "Kindle for PC," the free application that lets readers around the world enjoy Kindle books on their personal computers (PC). The U.S. Kindle Store (www.amazon.com/kindlestore) currently offers over 360,000 books, including New Releases and 101 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers, which are typically $9.99 or less. The Kindle Store is the only place to find some of the most popular books of today in digital format. Kindle books can now be read on the Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch, and PC.

Kindle for PC features Amazon’s Whispersync technology that automatically saves and synchronizes bookmarks and last page read across devices. Whether you read Kindle books on a Kindle, Kindle DX, or one of the free Kindle applications, you can always have your reading with you and never lose your place. With Kindle for PC, you can read some on your PC, read some on your Kindle, and always pick up right where you left off. Whispersync helped make the Kindle for iPhone application the most popular books app in the Apple App Store.

"Kindle for PC is the perfect companion application for folks who own a Kindle or Kindle DX," said Ian Freed, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. "Kindle for PC is also a great way for people around the world to read the most popular books of today even if they don’t yet have a Kindle."

With Kindle for PC, readers can take advantage of the following features:

* Purchase, download, and read hundreds of thousands of books available in the Kindle Store
* Access their entire library of previously purchased Kindle books stored on Amazon’s servers for free
* Choose from over 10 different font sizes and adjust words per line
* Add and automatically synchronize bookmarks and last page read
* View notes and highlights marked on Kindle and Kindle DX
* Zoom in and out of text with a pinch of the fingers (Windows 7 users only)
* Turn pages with a finger swipe (available in a future release for Windows 7 users)

Microsoft demonstrated Kindle for PC for the first time ever at the Windows 7 launch event today in New York City. “Customers have told us that they want access to a wider variety of content and an increasingly diverse set of form factors,” said Mike Nash, corporate vice president of Windows Platform Strategy at Microsoft. “With the announcement of Kindle for PC, Amazon is making its massive selection of Kindle books available on the world’s most widely used platform. The new Kindle for PC’s use of Windows 7 features such as Jump Lists and Windows Touch demonstrates how Windows 7 makes new things possible.”

Kindle for PC takes advantage of capabilities in the new Windows 7, including Windows Touch technology. In addition to Windows 7, Kindle for PC will also be compatible with Windows XP and Windows Vista. Kindle for PC will be available to customers around the world as a free download next month.

Amazon Lowers Price on Kindle International, Drops Kindle 2

The (electronic) ink has barely dried on Barnes and Noble's press releases for the Nook and Amazon has fired a shot across their bow - the International Kindle, which is now shipping, has been lowered in price to $259 and the Kindle 2 has been dropped as a new product (you can still order a refurbished Kindle 2 for $219). Although the Nook has wireless built in, Barnes & Noble customers can't order new books when outside of the US, only download content they have previously purchased, while the Amazon customers (regardless of which Kindle they own) can buy new content no matter where in the world they are, transferring via USB instead of wireless or using the built-in Whispernet access in 100 countries.

B1G1F on Kindle: Chuck Klosterman

December 31, 2009, buy Eating the Dinosaur ($9.99), by Chuck Klosterman, and receive a free download of Killing Yourself to Live ($9.99). As usual, the free book will simply appear in your Media Library and on your Kindle, you don't click on it's Buy button.

Book Description
Chuck Klosterman has chronicled rock music, film, and sports for almost fifteen years. He's covered extreme metal, extreme nostalgia, disposable art, disposable heroes, life on the road, life through the television, urban uncertainty and small-town weirdness. Through a variety of mediums and with a multitude of motives, he's written about everything he can think of (and a lot that he's forgotten). The world keeps accelerating, but the pop ideas keep coming.

In Eating the Dinosaur, Klosterman is more entertaining and incisive than ever. Whether he's dissecting the boredom of voyeurism, the reason why music fan's inevitably hate their favorite band's latest album, or why we love watching can't-miss superstars fail spectacularly, Klosterman remains obsessed with the relationship between expectation, reality, and living history. It's amateur anthropology for the present tense, and sometimes it's incredibly funny.

Killing Yourself to Live
For 6,557 miles, Chuck Klosterman thought about dying. He drove a rental car from New York to Rhode Island to Georgia to Mississippi to Iowa to Minneapolis to Fargo to Seattle, and he chased death and rock 'n' roll all the way. Within the span of twenty-one days, Chuck had three relationships end -- one by choice, one by chance, and one by exhaustion. He snorted cocaine in a graveyard. He walked a half-mile through a bean field. A man in Dickinson, North Dakota, explained to him why we have fewer windmills than we used to. He listened to the KISS solo albums and the Rod Stewart box set. At one point, poisonous snakes became involved. The road is hard. From the Chelsea Hotel to the swampland where Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane went down to the site where Kurt Cobain blew his head off, Chuck explored every brand of rock star demise. He wanted to know why the greatest career move any musician can make is to stop breathing...and what this means for the rest of us.

Free Read from Harlequin - Feels Like the First Time

Feels Like the First Time ($3.60 Kindle), by Tawny Weber, can be downloaded for free in the Harlequin bookstore, in one of three (DRM'd) formats. It won't work on your Kindle (but the PDF should work on the newer Sony Readers), but it's a pretty short read if you have to read it on your PC (224 pages).

Book Description
Zoe Gaston needs to unmask a mystery man for work. She also must survive her dreaded high school reunion--and the costume party that opens it. So Zoe, once voted Girl Most Likely to Die a Virgin, comes dressed as a leather-clad dominatrix... whip and all!

Her scandalous costume catches a secret lover. He seems so deliciously familiar under his disguise.... He's gotta be her long-ago crush.

But Zoe is shocked to discover the sexy body she's been so thoroughly enjoying belongs to Dexter Drake--her oldest friend! And he's hiding something bigger than just his identity....

Click HERE to buy the book in the Harlequin bookstore. Use coupon code FIRSTTIME when you checkout.

Three Free Books from Sony

There are several free reads in the Sony eBookstore today. They are still in the pre-order stage in the Kindle store (and not free, but I included links for those that want to read the reviews). All three are still pre-orders in the Kindle store; I'll post an update if the price drops there as well, once they are released..

Spinning Forward ($9.60 Kindle), by Terri DuLong

Book Description
In a debut novel brimming with warmth and wit, Terri DuLong spins a tale of new beginnings, old friends, and lives forever bound...

A New Englander born and bred, the last place Sydney Webster expects to find herself starting over is on an island off the coast of Florida. Yet here she is in Cedar Key, trying to pull herself together after her husband's untimely death--and the even more untimely revelation of his gambling addiction. Bereft of her comfortable suburban life, Syd takes shelter at a college pal's bed and breakfast, where amidst the bougainvillea blossoms and the island's gentle rhythms, a plan begins to form....

Syd never considered the possibility of turning her passion for spinning and knitting into something more than a hobby, but when the unique composition of her wool draws attention, a door is opened--the first among many. Yet even as she ventures out of her comfort zone, Syd finds herself stepping into the embrace of a community rich with love, laughter, friendship...and secrets. And as long-hidden truths are revealed, Syd faces a choice: spin a safety net--or spin decidedly forward and never look back....

Mania ($4.47 Kindle), by Craig Larsen

Book Description
A City Gripped By Fear...

Seattle newspaper photographer Nick Wilder has snapped his fair share of gruesome homicide scenes. But when a serial killer dubbed the Street Butcher takes his sick crimes to new depths of depravity, Nick finds the case suddenly getting to him in more ways than one...

A Killer Who Knows No End...

With each new murder Nick is shocked by what he won't soon forget. But the deeper he digs, the closer he gets to his own disturbing past--and the more he must risk to unmask an unpredictable, deranged psychopath. As the motives multiply and the suspects mount, the cold, stark Seattle winter is about to turn even chillier...

Men I Might Have Known ($9.60 Kindle), by Brad Saunders. Note that this is gay fiction/erotica, in case you could not figure it out from the title.

Book Description
Everyone experiences it--that moment when you lock eyes with a perfect stranger and feel a shiver of requited lust. Too often, those opportunities slip by unexplored. But in this steamy, imaginative collection, Brad Saunders turns "what if" into "what happened," recreating the sizzling chance connections he's experienced--and playing them out in uninhibited stories that tap into our deepest fantasies about what can happen when we take the next step.

From a glorious day on a sun-kissed Greek beach with a beautiful German man, to a college crush that turns out to be deliciously mutual, these stories are sometimes tender, sometimes torrid, and always deeply erotic. A gym buddy provides a workout to remember. . .. Venturing up to a Manhattan rooftop party yields a spectacular view--and not of the skyline. . .. And on a city crosswalk, saving a handsome artist from traffic earns the kind of gratitude that can't be conveyed in words.

Hedonistic threesomes, hot nightclub trysts, sweet and sensitive first times. . .whether set in exotic locales or on in your very own bed, these intimate, provocative stories inhabit the space between fact and fiction--where nothing is too wild or too wicked and the only limit to pleasure is your imagination. . .

As always, with Sony, you can see the book HERE on the website, but you'll have to use the Sony software to actually order the book (if you don't have it yet, it's free on the website). Just put the title or author in the search box in the eBook Store.

Hardcover Price War Spill Over to Kindle Prices

By now, most everyone has heard of the price war between Walmart.com and Amazon.com for pre-orders of hardcover books (and it looks like Target.com is joining the fray). Now, the prices have spilled over into the Kindle prices and you can pre-order upcoming books from bestselling authors, such as First Lord's Fury, by Jim Butcher (November 24, 2009), for $9.00 and have them wirelessly delivered the instant they are released (that beats even the same day delivery Amazon offers only in select cities).

Book Description
For years he has endured the endless trials and triumphs of a man whose skill and power could not be restrained. Battling ancient enemies, forging new alliances, and confronting the corruption within his own land, Gaius Octavian became a legendary man of war-and the rightful First Lord of Alera.

But now, the savage Vord are on the march, and Gaius must lead his legions to the Calderon Valley to stand against them-using all of his intelligence, ingenuity, and furycraft to save their world from eternal darkness.

Of course, that isn't the only book included in the sale (although it is one I've already ordered; remember, if the price drops further before it releases, you get the lowest price, while the price will probably pop back up to $9.99 once it is released). I also see Ice, by Linda Howard, I, Alex Cross, by James Patterson (November 16, 2009), Breathless, by Dean Koontz (November 24, 2009.), and Kindred in Death, by J.D. Robb (November 3, 2009), all for $9.00. You can click HERE to see if any new books pop up on the list. The pre-orders are all at the top of the list and I've included anything from $8 to $9 with at least a 40% discount from list, so you'll find other books in that list, such as the recently released Tommyland ($8.93), by Tommy Lee.

Sony Mystery Book Bundle

My internet is still down today, so a quick post from the coffee shop.

This one's for those with a Sony Reader or who don't mind reading on their computers. Three books (one is an anthology) for the price of one - $5.69.

Candy Cane Murder

'Tis the season for trimming the tree, caroling, baking cookies, and curling up by the Yuletide waiting for Santa to drop down the chimney. But in this festive collection of holiday whodunits, murder is also paying a visit... This anthology includes:

• "Candy Cane Murder" by Joanne Fluke
• "The Dangers of Candy Canes" by Laura Levine
• "Candy Canes of Christmas Past" by Leslie Meier

Bake Sale Murder by Leslie Meier
Ever since local developer Fred Stanton and his wife, Mimi, built five modular homes next door to Lucy Stone's farmhouse, life just hasn't been the same. With Mimi complaining about everything from the state of Lucy's lawn to another neighbor's lovable dog, quaint Tinker's Cove, Maine, is now entangled in cul-de-sac politics and backstabbing. And when Mimi doesn't show up for her shift at The Hat and Mitten Fund bake sale, the scent of burnt sugar leads Lucy to a shocking discovery: Mimi, face down on her kitchen floor--with a knife in her back.
While the police start their investigation, Lucy gets busy writing up the murder for the local Pennysaver--and following a few leads of her own. Lucy knows the women in her neighborhood didn't like Mimi, but they certainly didn't want her dead...right?

This Pen for Hire by Laura Levine
Smarmy personals ads. Daring declarations of love. Writer-for-hire Jaine Austen has penned them all. But when one of the love connections she made is broken up by murder, Jaine finds herself freelancing free-of-charge--and uncovering more than she bargained for...

No one seems to need her help more than geeky, gawky Howard Murdoch. His request is simple enough: a letter proclaiming his undying love for Stacy Lawrence, a gorgeous aerobics instructor. The fact that he's never actually met the woman gives Jaine pause--but she soon overcomes her misgivings, warms up her computer, and starts pitching woo on Howard's behalf. To Jaine's surprise, the letter is a success--the unlikely Romeo lands a date! But his triumph is, sadly, short-lived. On Valentine's Day, Howard finds Stacy bludgeoned to death with a Thigh Master--and is quickly named the prime suspect.

Upon hearing the news, Jaine is shocked. Sure, Howard's awkward, eccentric, and a tiny bit odd. But a murderer? That's hard to believe. Especially after a little sleuthing turns up a whole bunch of people who harbored less-than-loving feelings towards the svelte Stacy. But Jaine had better wrangle her clues quickly, before a crafty killer catches on--and puts a whole new spin on her ghost writing career...

Click HERE to see the bundle (but you'll need to use your Sony software to actually buy it).

Almost Free Game - World of Goo

I first heard about World of Goo ($12.24; PC/Mac) as a WIIWare download ($14.99), but there are versions for your PC, Mac and Linux available, with prices ranging from around $12 to $20. For those of you, like me, who never got around to buying the game or weren't sure if they wanted it, you can get it for your PC, Mac or for Linux as a digital download and pay whatever you want, as little as one penny. It's part of a one-year anniversary sale (World of Goo is a year old) and you can get the game by clicking HERE, then on the Get It button half-way down the screen (there are demos farther down the page). You'll use PayPal to check out, after telling them how much you want to pay, but don't have to have a PayPal account (you can use most major credit cards). The sale ends Monday, Oct 19.

Game Description

• 47 beautiful levels backed with a spell binding soundtrack
• 10 different types of goo, each with their own unique abilities
• Use balloons to steady your creation or give your structure flight!
• A huge variety of different puzzles and situations
• Beautiful, fun, and one of the highlights of this year - PC Gamer

Drag and drop living, squirming, talking globs of goo to build structures, bridges, cannonballs, zeppelins, and giant tongues. The millions of innocent goo balls that live in the beautiful World of Goo are curious to explore. But they don't know that they are in a game, or that they are extremely delicious. The most addicting and awe-inspiring puzzle game will set you on an adventure that you'll never forget!

$1.99 EBook Sale at Drollerie Press

Drollerie Press has been holding a $1.99 sale on their web site - every book at $1.99 or less. They lowered the prices at mobipocket.com, as well and I kept waiting for the Kindle prices to drop, but they never did. In any case, the sale should continue thru tomorrow on the web site. It turns out that the books you buy from them direct are DRM-Free, which means you can load them onto your kindle (unlike the ones at mobipocket.com) and there are multiple formats available, in case you have a different reader. You might want to check out the sale before it ends. If you do buy a book, make sure you don't use the Safari browser to download it. For whatever reason, Safari (at least on the Mac) will scramble the file as it is downloaded, rendering it unreadable. They download just fine with Firefox (on any platform) or Internet Explorer on a PC.

99 Cent Game Download - Ricochet Xtreme

Amazon's Video Game of the Day deal today is a 99 cent game download, Ricochet Xtreme.

Game Description

• 170 Exciting Levels.
• 4 Unique Environments.
• 15 Awesome Power-Ups.
• 13 Specialty Bricks.

Ricochet is an award winning breakout style game featuring state of the art graphics, sound, and lots of new twists on the old classic. It's a winning combination that your WHOLE family will enjoy. As one person wrote us: "My family is thrilled with Ricochet, we have all played it enthusiastically for months!"

SciFi and Fantasy - Bargains and free reads

If you missed Dragonflight/Dragonquest, by Anne Mccaffrey, last November, when it was $1.25, you can still get a good deal on this double volume at it's current $6.39 price. After you read that one, you'll want to check out Masterharper of Pern ($4.79).

Book Description
In a time when the deadly scourge Thread has not fallen on Pern for centuries--and many dare to hope that Thread will never fall again--a boy is born to Harper Hall. A musical prodigy who has the ability to speak with the dragons, he is called Robinton, and he is destined to be one of the most famous and beloved leaders Pern has ever known. It is a perilous time for the harpers who sing of Thread--they are being turned away from holds, derided, attacked, even beaten. In this climate of unrest, Robinton will come into his own. But despite the tragedies that beset his own life, he continues to believe in music and in the dragons, and he is determined to save his beloved Pern from itself--so that the dragonriders can be ready to fly against the dreaded Thread when at last it returns.

Way of The Wolf ($$2.00) is the first in E.E. Knight's Vampire Earth series. I suspect the price drop is part of a promotion due to the most recent release in the series, Winter Duty ($9.99), but it hasn't been publicized by Amazon.

Book Description
Louisiana, 2065. A lot has changed in the 43rd year of the Kurian Order. Possessed of an unnatural hunger, the bloodthirsty Reapers have come to Earth to establish a New Order built on the harvesting of human souls. They rule the planet. And if it is night, as sure as darkness, they will come.

But on this pitiless world, the indomitable spirit of man still breathes in Lieutenant David Valentine. And his mission is to win back Earth...

MetaGame ($2.39), by Sam Landstrom, is no longer a penny in the Kindle store - but you can download it for free from his website, in several DRM-free formats (get mobipocket for your Kindle).

Book Description
Life is a game, literally. Winners earn immortality, while losers are condemned to aging and death. D_Light, a gifted player, knows this all too well and he-s willing to do anything to win-even kill. It is no wonder then that when given the chance to enter a MetaGame-an exclusive, high-stakes, anything goes contest-he-s quick to jump at the opportunity. The MetaGame starts out well enough for D_Light, the first quest being to hunt down a dangerous fugitive, but through his own ambition, the tables turn and D_Light finds himself the renegade. Now, D_Light pits himself against his world to find the truth behind -The Game- and must decide between winning it and saving what-s left of his humanity.

This 122,000 word (~400 page) novel blends emerging political and cultural trends, such as gaming culture, globalization, and the ever-increasing hegemony of corporations, with technological trends, such as genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. Emerging from this stew is an original world for you to explore through the point of view of its many "players".

The Flame Within ($1.49), by Eric Noss, is Book One of the Keepers' Garden Trilogy

Book Description
The royal seat of Keepers' Garden has been usurped through assassination and the loose confederation of city-states within its borders is crumbling. After months of conflict, the Liberation and Imperials have emerged as the two major contenders for the throne.
But as one battle draws to a climax, another, darker cloud looms on the horizon.

The Flame Within follows Spirit Knight Aralon Mittel, part of a select elite of the soldiery trained in magic and the sword since late childhood. Yet Aralon is less known for his personal achievements than he is for being the younger brother of the missing Hyval Mittel, the Garden's greatest Spirit Knight.

Aralon is accompanied by Darvin Hegg, his former instructor and now his second officer, and Kiyana Irhan, a Mist Elf from beyond the reaches of the Garden. Join them as they attempt to end the Garden's civil war and are propelled into a conflict more profound than any had ever imagined...

Day Omega ($14.95), by Craig Harms, is available for free on his website. His royalties on the book were supposed to go to a charity, but the publisher has apparently disappeared on him, so he hasn't received anything from the Kindle or paperback sales. Instead, he invites you to get the book directly from him and, if you enjoy it, make a donation to www.campcallahan.com.

Book Description
Life in Chicago is bad for Sam Dimas, and it’s about to change – for the worse. After an argument with his wife, Sam storms out of the house. A vivid flash seems to rip the sky apart, and his wife has gone – along with millions of other people around the world. This is an exciting and thought provoking story, with unexpected twists and turns. Prepare for a thrilling ride – the end of the world is coming, the seven-year countdown to Christ’s return has just started!

Shayla Black is giving away , a novella introduction to her Doomsday Brethren series. You can get a free copy from Simon and Schuster, if you sign up for a newsletter, or you can read it online or download it from ScribD and skip the signup.

Book Description
They were meant to be together…but will magic tear them apart?

You can't buy Steven Lake's The Oort Perimeter ($15.99 paperback) in the Kindle store, but you can get it for free from his website (Epub or PDF). You can even download the audio version, HERE.

Book Description
Born of a need to protect their homeworld, Earthfleet, the military arm of the Society, struggles continuously to ensure the safety of Earth and all who live on it. But a dark force arises within the galaxy, one who wishes to use Earth as a pawn in their quest for power. In a struggle for survival, the Society, Earthfleet and their allies must race against time to uncover the truth of this dark force, before it can destroy Earth, and the nine races. Failure means extinction of the human race.

Harper Collins is letting you read Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic ($7.99) for free this month, but online as a online read, HERE.

Book Description
Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent novels are consistent number one bestsellers in England, where they have garnered him a revered position in the halls of parody next to Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen.

The Color of Magic is Terry Pratchett's maiden voyage through the now-legendary land of Discworld. This is where it all begins--with the tourist Twoflower and his wizard guide, Rincewind.

In closing, here's an update to a previous post. Ricky Sides, author of The Peacekeepers series, has dropped the price of books 2-5 down to $2.00, at least for the near term. If his sales stay up, the books will stay at that price; if not, they'll go up to the planned $3.99. I've already finished the first two books and have the next three waiting on my Kindle (although I'm taking a break to read another genre for a bit, so I don't burn out on the series). It may take a day or two for the price drop to hit the Kindle store, but the sale price is already in effect at Smashwords: The Birth of the Peacekeepers, Some Gave All, Liberty or Death, Eternal Vigilance and Descent into Madness.