Free Book - The Purification Ceremony

The Purification Ceremony, by Mark T Sullivan, is out of print, but has been made available by the author at Smashwords. Normally $6.99, you can pick it up for free if you'll share your (account) email address with the author. This 1996 book was an Edgar Awards finalist, won the W.H. Smith Award for best “new talent” author, and was named one of the best books of the year by the Los Angeles Times. A bestselling thriller, it has been translated into fourteen languages.

Book Description

At a young age in the Maine woods, Diana Jackman learned to move freely in the wilderness, to sense a world invisible to most. A natural tracker from

a long line of shamans, healers, and hunters--an estranged wife and mother--she has returned to the woods to find again a place of magic...and death.

Eight hunters have gathered on an isolated estate in Bristish Columbia to track record book whitetail dear. But someone else is watching the hunting party--an insane and violent force of nature, hiding in the blinding whiteness of the Canadian winter. And now the hunters themselves have become the game.

For the first time in her life, Diana Jackman will know what it is to be prey.

To survive she will have to rely on her father's teachings, and set out alone to hunt the hunter.

This is the first of six books he'll be giving away, all for the cost of your email address. He explanation, from his website:

If you read one of my stories of suspense and intrigue and do not enjoy it, you have not spent a dime, and I hope you’ll try another. They’re all different.

And if you read another one and like it, awesome. You are still under no obligation to pay me anything, nor do I expect it.

But if you do like my books, and if you feel so inclined, you may return to my download page at www.SmashWords.com --my very cool partner in this experiment in new media publishing -- and send me a donation equal to what you think the experience of reading the novel was worth. Half of every donation will in turn be donated to non-profits that promote reading and writing.

Now you might give a plug nickel for my writing or my plotlines and that’s cool. As my grandmother used to say, “One man’s honey is another woman’s vinegar. “ But if you do like my stories and want to help promote literacy, I suggest a donation somewhere on a sliding scale of between $5 and $10.
...
You’re asking: What is there to stop me from downloading one of Sullivan’s books, liking it, but then not sending him a donation?

Nothing. And you know what? That’s cool too. I’m just happy you enjoyed my storytelling, and I hope you come back to read another free book next month.

More Holiday Music

First, a new release today from Amazon:

Boogaloo Santa Claus by J.D. McDonald

Then, two singles courtesy of Oprah:

From Andrea Bocelli's My Christmas album, a duet with Mary J. Blige: "What Child Is This"

From Sugarland's album Gold And Green, "Silent Night"

Click HERE for the Oprah downloads (valid from November 30 at 10 a.m. CT to December 1 at 11 p.m. CT)

As of 2PM EST, you can also get a $5.99 price on Christmas From The Heart, by David Archuleta, in the CyberMonday Music Deals Lightning Deals.

Plum Spooky (Hardcover) - $4.19

Plum Spooky ($18.45; $9.99 Kindle), by Janet Evanovich, the first full-length Stephanie Plum Between-the-Numbers Novel, is currently marked down to $4.19 as part of Amazons's CyberMonday Deals in Books. Click on the link, then look in the lightning deals to get the special price.

Book Description
Turn on all the lights and check under your bed. Things are about to get spooky in Trenton, New Jersey. According to legend, the Jersey Devil prowls the Pine Barrens and soars above the treetops in the dark of night. As eerie as this might seem, there are things in the Barrens that are even more frightening and dangerous. And there are monkeys. Lots of monkeys. Wulf Grimoire is a world wanderer and an opportunist who can kill without remorse and disappear like smoke. He’s chosen Martin Munch, boy genius, as his new business partner, and he’s chosen the Barrens as his new playground. Munch received his doctorate degree in quantum physics when he was twenty-two. He’s now twenty-four, and while his brain is large, his body hasn’t made it out of the boys’ department at Macy’s. Anyone who says good things come in small packages hasn’t met Munch. Wulf Grimoire is looking for world domination. Martin Munch would be happy if he could just get a woman naked and tied to a tree. Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has Munch on her most-wanted list for failure to appear in court. Plum is the all-American girl stuck in an uncomfortable job, succeeding on luck and tenacity. Usually she gets her man. This time she gets a monkey. She also gets a big guy named Diesel. Diesel pops in and out of Plum’s life like birthday cake – delicious to look at and taste, not especially healthy as a steady diet, gone by the end of the week if not sooner. He’s an über bounty hunter with special skills when it comes to tracking men and pleasing women. He’s after Grimoire, and now he’s also after Munch. And if truth were told, he wouldn’t mind setting Stephanie Plum in his crosshairs. Diesel and Plum hunt down Munch and Grimoire, following them into the Barrens, surviving cranberry bogs, the Jersey Devil, a hair-raising experience, sand in their underwear, and, of course . . . monkeys.

Free Christmas Music Samplers and $2.99 Sinatra

Get into the holiday spirit with Sampler Claus, a collection of timeless Christmas classics by Frank Sinatra, Mahalia Jackson, Mario Lanza, and more, courtesy of Amazon and Columbia/Legacy Records or get X5's Free Classical Christmas Sampler (or a second version of the same album, HERE).

You may also want to check out A Jolly Christmas From Frank Sinatra ($2.99), which is today's MP3 Album of the Day, or The 99 Most Essential Christmas Masterpieces ($5.00) for nearly six hours of traditional orchestral Christmas music.

You can also find about 30 singles at the top of these two searches: Holiday Music and Christmas Music.

Amazon Sales on Print Books

In addition to their usual 4 for 3 Book Promotion, Amazon has a few other book deals going on for Black Friday/CyberMonday. I know they aren't ebooks, but I thought I'd highlight a few for those buying books as gifts or looking for children's books, as the illustrations often don't translate well to e-ink (at least, not yet).

First there is the Dr. Seuss: Three Books for the Price of Two sale. There are seven pages of books, all at essentially full price (at a quick glance, I saw prices ranging from $3.99 to just over $10, with $8.99 for many). Put three into your cart and check out and the least expensive of the three will be free (you won't see the promotion until the last page, when you confirm the order - look to the upper right where the total is and you should see a "promotion" applied as a discount). You can generally take advantage of this type of sale more than once by simply submitting multiple orders, but watch your total if you want free SuperSaver shipping, as you have to get above $25 each time (before the promotional discount). Amazon has also set up a special Gift Books for Kids and Teens page that can help with picking out gifts, as it has categories by age and suggestions to read after finishing Twilight, for example.

A second sale is their Three for Two: Paperback Favorites promotion. This one currently has 553 books included and the prices seem to be discounted even before the third one free is added in. If you check out the listings, the Kindle version (if it exists) is often sale priced as well, such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson, for $6.00 in Paperback and on Kindle and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society , by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows, for $5.50 in Paperback and on Kindle. You can browse thru the entire list as a whole, or by categories: Bestsellers, Contemporary Classics, Cookbooks, Mysteries: First in the Series, History & Popular Science.

There is also a CyberMonday Deals in Books page already active (although there are no Lightning Deals active - I'd bet they start tomorrow at 3AM EST). Here I found some real bargains, such as Running with Scissors: A Memoir for $2.55 (Paperback; $7.99 Kindle) and some relative bargains, such as Rose's Heavenly Cakes for $19.07 (Hardcover - if you overindulge with this one, check out The South Beach Diet: Good Fats, Good Carbs Guide $5.11 Kindle) and Dilbert 2.0: 20 Years of Dilbert ($26.67 Hardcover, marked down from $80.00), which has 576 pages of the best of Dilbert from the last 20 years, as well as a DVD with every Dilbert comic strip to April 2008.

Here are some of the other deals I spotted there:

• Last Known Address, by Theresa Schwegel - $4.99 Hardcover; $3.99 Kindle
• Dune Road, by Jane Green - $9.27 Hardcover; $7.42 Kindle
• Hank Ketcham's Complete Dennis the Menace 1957-1958 (Vol. 4), by Hank Ketcham - $4.28 Hardcover
• Exit Ghost, by Philip Roth - $4.03 Hardcover; $3.22 Kindle
• The Eleventh Man, by Ivan Doig- $3.98 Hardcover; $3.18 Kindle
• College Girl, by Patricia Weitz - $4.04 Hardcover; $3.23 Kindle
• Liberty: A Lake Wobegon Novel, by Garrison Keillor- $5.83 Hardcover; $5.83 Kindle
• Songs for the Missing, by Stewart O'Nan- $2.53 Hardcover; $2.02 Kindle
• Golden Country, by Jennifer Gilmore - $3.23 Paperback; $2.58 Kindle
• Untamed, by Steve Bloom (Photographer) - $7.87 Paperback
• Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader, by Jan Karon- $9.26 Hardcover
• Cowboy & Wills: A Love Story, by Monica Holloway- $9.84 Hardcover; $9.84 Kindle
• What Would Susie Say?: Bullsh*t Wisdom About Love, Life and Comedy, by Susie Essman - $6.75 Hardcover; $6.75 Kindle
• The Intellectual Devotional Modern Culture: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Converse Confidently with the Culturati, by David S. Kidder & Noah D. Oppenheim - $8.75 Hardcover; $8.75 Kindle

and some Children's Books:

• Ghosthunters And The Incredibly Revolting Ghost, by Cornelia Funke - $2.74 Hardcover
• The Shadowmancer Returns: The Curse of Salamander Street, by G. P. Taylor - $2.12 Hardcover; $9.99 Kindle
• Dinomummy , by Phillip Manning - $2.95 Hardcover
• The Enchanted World of Winnie the Pooh, by A. A. Milne; Ernest H. Shepard (Illustrator) - $4.90 Hardcover
• The Tale of Despereaux Special Edition: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread, by Kate DiCamillo; Timothy Basil Ering (Illustrator)- $6.15 Hardcover; $6.15 Kindle
• Hannah Montana: Backstage Pass, by M. C. King - $4.02 Hardcover

Last, they have set up a few eclectic collections by price: Bargains under $5, Bargains under $10 and Bargains under $20.

A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve

A Change in Altitude, by Anita Shreve, is currently marked down to $6.37 from $9.99 in the Kindle store and the Hardcover is $7.96 as part of Amazon's Black Friday/CyberMonday sale.

Book Description
Margaret and Patrick have been married just a few months when they set off on what they hope will be a great adventure-a year living in Kenya. Margaret quickly realizes there is a great deal she doesn't know about the complex mores of her new home, and about her own husband.

A British couple invites the newlyweds to join on a climbing expedition to Mount Kenya, and they eagerly agree. But during their harrowing ascent, a horrific accident occurs. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Margaret struggles to understand what happened on the mountain and how these events have transformed her and her marriage, perhaps forever.

A Change in Altitude illuminates the inner landscape of a couple, the irrevocable impact of tragedy, and the elusive nature of forgiveness. With stunning language and striking emotional intensity, Anita Shreve transports us to the exotic panoramas of Africa and into the core of our most intimate relationships.

About the Author
Anita Shreve is the acclaimed author of 14 previous novels, including Testimony; The Pilot's Wife, which was a selection of Oprah's Book Club; and The Weight of Water, which was a finalist for England's Orange prize.

Blood Revenge by David Thor

Blood Revenge, by David Thor, is a new release and is currently marked down from $9.99 to $4.99 in the Kindle store (it's $15.45 in Hardcover, where it is 265 pages).

Book Description
"James Bali was just beginning a twelve-hour shift when the call came in. The local coast guard base has radioed ahead that a cutter had rescued victims from an unknown tragedy. They reported that one survivor was recovered from an oil platform in the Gulf... Dr. Bali and a hospital nurse moved quickly to the helicopter. Bali briefly consulted with one of the coast guard pilots. With the help of the pilot, the doctor climbed into the aircraft to check on the patient. His first thought was that he was staring at some kind of rubber corpse and that this was all some kind of joke, or possibly a coast guard training scenario. But he quickly discarded that idea. Dr. Bali stood silently and shook off a confused stare...

Lord of the Rings

Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien, briefly hit $10.88 yesterday (sorry guys, I missed that price), but is now at $12.00, which is still a good price for the entire trilogy.

Book Description
All three parts of the epic masterpiece combined in one definitive edition of the text.

Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power - the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring - the ring that rules them all - which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as the Ring is entrusted to his care. He must leave his home and make a perilous journey across the realms of Middle-earth to the Crack of Doom, deep inside the territories of the Dark Lord. There he must destroy the Ring forever and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose. Since it was first published in 1954, The Lord of the Rings has been a book people have treasured. Steeped in unrivalled magic and otherworldliness, its sweeping fantasy has touched the hearts of young and old alike.

Buy One Game, Get Two Free

Another Black Friday special on Game Downloads from Playrix Entertainment at Amazon, this time you get three games for $6.99. You purchase any one of the games involved, then wait for an email from Amazon with the promotional code to get the other two at no charge. Here are the games:

The Rise of Atlantis

Game Description

• Collect The 7 Powers Of Poseidon.
• 77 Explosive Levels.
• Spectacular Power-Ups And Bonuses.
• 7 Magic Artifacts To Assemble.

Raise the legendary continent of Atlantis! In this extraordinary puzzler with spectacular new features, you set out on an adventurous quest around the ancient lands of Greece, Troy, Phoenicia, Babylon, Egypt, Carthage and Rome to gather the seven powers of Poseidon. With 77 captivating levels of fantastic game play, truly unique twists and the ability of continuous replay, this game will keep you entertained for weeks!

Call of Atlantis

Game Description

• The 3rd Installment In The Hit Atlantis Series.
• 66 Captivating Levels.
• Unique Mix Of Game Genres.
• 7 Ancient Lands To Explore.

Atlantis is calling out to a true hero to save it from deadly peril in this 3rd installment in the hit Atlantis Quest, The Rise of Atlantis series, which offers a unique blend of three popular gameplay modes! Set out on an exciting new quest in this spectacular mix of Match-3, Hidden Object and Adventure games and journey around the ancient lands of the Mediterranean to acquire seven crystals of power and appease Poseidon. Heed the call of Atlantis!

4 Elements

Game Description

• 4 Books Of Magic To Unlock And Study.
• 64 Captivating Levels.
• 16 Mysterious Cards To Collect.
• 20 Challenging Bonus Tasks.

The ancient kingdom is in trouble! The magic of the four elements that kept it running for centuries has been corrupted! Unlock the four books of magic and collect 16 mysterious cards that will help you bring the kingdom back to life! Using a mix of classic addictive game play ideas but taking them to a new level with innovative twists, explosive bonuses and spectacular visual effects this game is a load of fun!

And here are the promotional details:

For a limited time, purchase one of the qualifying Playrix game downloads from the list (above) and get a promotional credit to get the other two qualifying Playrix game downloads from the list (above) for free.

To qualify, purchase your qualifying game download and within two business days you'll receive an e-mail letting you know that a credit, good for the purchase of the other two game download titles listed (above), has been applied to your Amazon.com account.

To use this credit, follow the link in the e-mail to return to this page and purchase the remaining qualifying titles. The discount will be reflected during checkout.

Offer valid until 11:59 p.m. Pacific time December 2, 2009. Credit must be redeemed by 11:59 p.m. Pacific time January 10, 2010. Limited to one discount per customer.

Three Game Downloads at 99 Cents Each

Through December 2, Amazon has three game downloads from Playrix Entertainment marked down to 99 cents. If you are new to game downloads, you get a 30 minute free trial for any game (30 minutes of gameplay, which you can stretch out over several sessions, if you want), then can purchase the game. The trick on some of the free and 99 cent downloads, is that the purchase price depends on when you buy the game now when you start the trial, so make sure you do your testing before the discount price ends. I always test the game first (except on free games) to make sure that it will at least run on my netbook and I'd suggest you do the same with the machine you'll be playing on (although you can play on multiple computers, although I'm not sure what the limit is, I've loaded one or two games on three PC's), just to make sure it loads, even for $1 games.

Around the World in 80 Days

Game Description

• Spectacular Adventures - On Land, Sea And Air.
• More Than 80 Addictive Levels.
• Bonus Animated Screensaver.
• Marvelous Story Adaptation.

You only have 80 days to circumnavigate the globe. Think that sounds easy? Travel back in time to the late 19th century and get ready for spectacular adventures on land, sea and air together with the English daredevil Phileas Fogg and his loyal French servant Passepourtout. Use the unique chance to visit four continents and complete the inconceivable journey in this outstanding puzzler based on the classic adventure novel by Jules Verne!

Brickshooter Egypt has only two reviews so far and neither person could get the game to run - make sure you use the free trial option on this one and test it before buying.

Game Description

• Revolutionary New Puzzle Experience.
• 60 Captivating Levels.
• 6 Ancient Monuments To Rebuild.
• Stunning Egyptian Theme And Soundtrack.

Move and match bricks to unravel the mysteries of ancient hieroglyphs that will help you restore the glorious pyramids! Brickshooter Egypt is a totally new brain-teasing puzzle experience across more than 60 captivating levels! The difficulty increases with your 2nd and 3rd replay and provides for a total of 180 exciting levels in all! If the stunning Egyptian themed graphics and soundtrack don't hook you, the gameplay will. Unlock the secrets of the pharaohs today!

Atlantis Quest was a 98 cent download back in May, so some of you probably already have it.

Game Description

• Visit 8 Ancient Lands.
• Extremely Addictive New Game Play
• 76 Astounding Levels
• Richly Detailed And Themed Story

Are you ready for an exciting quest of adventure and discovery? Embark on a journey around 8 ancient lands of the Mediterranean in the search for one of the greatest mysteries of all time - the lost continent of Atlantis! Your expedition will take you through 76 astounding levels with mystery at every turn. Become enchanted with the riveting storyline and extremely addictive game play of this dazzling new puzzle game today!

14 Free Books for Black Friday (and Saturday)

You can get 14 titles for free from OmniLit and/or All Romance Books today and tomorrow (all pretty "spicy" according to their ratings system) as part of their Black Friday sale. All the books are from Red Rose Publishing and are DRM free - get the Mobipocket version for the Kindle or the EPub version for the Sony or the Nook. Or, buy both versions (one from each store) for future compatibility.

Here's the list of free titles:

The Ballet, by Melissa Glisan
Be With You, by Marie Rochelle
Chateua Despair, by Linda Sole
Desperately Seeking Santa, by Jane Beckenham
Fantasies: New Year's Eve, by Cassandra Gold
Forever Tonight, by Tara Newlands
Having Faith - Sweetbrier Series: Book 1, by Nancy O'Berry
Infidelity, by Debbie Gould
Judgement By Fire, by Lydia Grace
Nutcracker Sweet, by Jennifer Mueller
The Other Half of Your Heart, by Janis Susan May
The Pleasure Cruise - The Misadventures of Raine Mathews: Book 2, by Raven Starrr
Psychotic: SKIU Serial (Serial Killers Investigation Unit), by Aline de Chevigny
Ringside - Three Sister Series: Book 1, by LaVerne Thompson, Stephanie Williams

Get a Kindle 2i (Global Wireless) for $159

Amazon is running a special deal in conjunction with Audible.com, where you can get $100 off an "AudibleReady® product" (which includes the Kindle (2i) and Kindle DX and Apple iPod nano) or accessory (including Cole Haan Kindle Covers) when you agree to join Audible.com's AudibleListener® Gold plan for 12 months at $14.95/month.

Deal Description

Save $100 on any of these AudibleReady® products when you agree to join Audible.com's AudibleListener® Gold plan for 12 months at $14.95/month. If the product or accessory that you choose is less than $100, you will receive the product for free. Click here to join the AudibleListener Gold program. See further details.

We're featuring a handful of AudibleReady products below, but we offer many more. See all qualifying MP3 players, check out all qualifying GPS devices, shop all qualifying accessories, or browse qualifying Kindle and Kindle accessories.

Be sure to check the details on the deal: you have to join Audible first, then get a promotional code from Audible, then come back and purchase the qualifying product. Also, when you use the promotional code, you want to only order the one item that qualifies and is over $100, as the promotion will apply to the lowest priced qualifying item (if you had a $39 cover and a Kindle in the order, you would get the cover for free, instead of $100 off the Kindle, for example).

Click HERE to see the details and some of the qualifying products.

Happy Thanksgiving

Click on the image for more Thanksgiving poems

The Harvest Moon
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It is the Harvest Moon! On gilded vanes
And roofs of villages, on woodland crests
And their aerial neighborhoods of nests
Deserted, on the curtained window-panes

Of rooms where children sleep, on country lanes
And harvest-fields, its mystic splendor rests!
Gone are the birds that were our summer guests,
With the last sheaves return the laboring wains!

All things are symbols: the external shows
Of Nature have their image in the mind,
As flowers and fruits and falling of the leaves;

The song-birds leave us at the summer's close,
Only the empty nests are left behind,
And pipings of the quail among the sheaves.



The New-England Boy's Song About Thanksgiving Day
by Lydia Maria Child

Over the river, and through the wood,
To grandfather's house we go;
The horse knows the way,
To carry the sleigh,
Through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river, and through the wood,
To grandfather's house away!
We would not stop
For doll or top,
For 't is Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river, and through the wood,
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes,
And bites the nose,
As over the ground we go.

Over the river, and through the wood,
With a clear blue winter sky,
The dogs do bark,
And children hark,
As we go jingling by.

Over the river, and through the wood,
To have a first-rate play—
Hear the bells ring
Ting a ling ding,
Hurra for Thanksgiving Day!

Over the river, and through the wood—
No matter for winds that blow;
Or if we get
The sleigh upset,
Into a bank of snow.

Over the river, and through the wood,
To see little John and Ann;
We will kiss them all,
And play snow-ball,
And stay as long as we can.

Over the river, and through the wood,
Trot fast, my dapple grey!
Spring over the ground,
Like a hunting hound,
For 't is Thanksgiving Day!

Over the river, and through the wood,
And straight through the barn-yard gate;
We seem to go
Extremely slow,
It is so hard to wait.

Over the river, and through the wood—
Old Jowler hears our bells;
He shakes his pow,
With a loud bow wow,
And thus the news he tells.

Over the river, and through the wood—
When grandmother sees us come,
She will say, Oh dear,
The children are here,
Bring a pie for every one.

Over the river, and through the wood—
Now grandmother's cap I spy!
Hurra for the fun!
Is the pudding done?
Hurra for the pumpkin pie!

$5 Magazine Subscriptions

This deal is a non-electronic one. I wanted to make sure you knew about the Black Friday $5 Magazine Deals Amazon is having on 10 different magazines. Give a gift, renew an existing subscription, or start a new one -- all for $5. Not only are a couple of them not good candidates for reading on the Kindle (sometimes you just want to look thru the glossy pictures), I know my Christmas List has some people on it that don't have any type of ereader.

The savings Amazon shows are off of retail price, so are a bit inflated, but I know several of these normally have subscription rates in the $20-$25 range, such as Real Simple or SmartMoney. There doesn't seem to be any limit to how many of the subscriptions you take advantage of (last year, they had a similar deal and I ordered three of them), so you may be able to get a subscription for yourself and give the same magazine as a gift to as many people as you want.

The Delian Cycle

The Delian Cycle ($9.99), by Alan Burt Akers, is an omnibus edition of the first five titles in the The Saga of Dray Prescot series. That works out to $2 per book and all the customer reviews are 4 and 5 stars. I'm not sure I'll read the entire series (it's 45 books, all available on Kindle), but I'll definitely check this one out.

Book Description
For the first time ever, the first five books in the Saga of Dray Prescot of Earth and of Kregen are brought together in this omnibus edition. Together, these five books make up the Delian Cycle, in which Dray Prescot comes to terms with finding himself on the alien world of Kregen. Here he tries to make sense of his situation: the Star Lords, the Savanti, the marvelous places, strange beasts and stranger people. And here he pursues his greatest love of two worlds, Delia of the Blue Mountains. Containing five books: Transit to Scorpio, The Suns of Scorpio, Warrior of Scorpio, Swordships of Scorpio, and Prince of Scorpio. (349000 words)

Transit to Scorpio
On the planet Kregen that circles Antares, the brightest star of the Constellation of the Scorpion, two forces contend for the world's destiny. One of them, the Savanti, called in a human pawn from far-away Earth. His name is Dray Prescot, and only the Savanti know his role. Dray Prescot confronted a fabulous world -- barbaric, unmapped, peopled with both human and non-human races. But there were always the Star Lords to watch and check the Savanti's plans. And it soon turned out that Dray Prescot himself had to make a decision that would change him from a mere pawn to a bolder piece on the planetary chessboard...

The Suns of Scorpio
Slave of the colossus builders or scourge of the Inland Sea? Both roles awaited Dray Prescot on his return to Kregen. Torn between two contending forces, the Star Lords and the Savanti, Prescot himself wanted only to find his beloved, the Princess Delia of the Blue Mountains. But the powers that had drawn him across interstellar space to the world that orbited the red and green suns in the Constellation Scorpio had set him a task, the nature of which even he could not fully comprehend...

Warrior of Scorpio
Once again in the grip of the Star Lords of the Constellation Scorpio, Dray Prescot finds himself torn from the battles of the Inner Sea for a mission in the air. For it was now his mission to carry his beloved Delia by airboat to that far kingdom, Vallia, from whence she had come. But the route lay across the gaunt mountains and the shadowy jungles of the Hostile Territories -- and there Dray was to be plunged among stranger peoples and more fantastic challenges than even his Kregen princess had known.

Swordships of Scorpio
What does a man do when fate makes him the protector of the royal head of the land of his enemies? If it is Dray Prescot, Earthman on Antares, he sets aside his quest to do his duty. His duty was to reach Vallia and his princess Delia and help her claim her throne. His duty was to defend Vallia's ancient foe and place its rightful heir on its throne -- sworn to attack Vallia. So when the third force, the pirate fleets known as the swordships came between the two contending demands, Dray sees that only by following his own personal star could the contradiction be resolved.

Prince of Scorpio
Dray Prescot had fought long and hard through perilous lands to claim the hand of the heiress of the mighty Vallia. Yet, when finally he set foot in that long-sought empire, it was not as hero or noble... It was as an unknown, a mendicant, and finally as a condemned slave. For the combatant fates that had interfered continually with his quest on the planet of the twin suns of Antares had yet more tests for the man they had selected as their agent. But for Dray there was only one goal -- already in sight -- and he would not be turned aside any longer no matter what dangers Vallian intrigues and quasi-human mysteries may have in store for him.

Amazon Adds PDF Support to Kindle2/2i

A few people have noticed that they have a few new pictures on their Kindle screensavers lately. And I noticed that I had a new version of the Kindle User's Guide in my library that appeared this week. It's all part of the new Kindle firmware update 2.3. Unlike previous updates, where Kindle owners had to guess and rely on other owners to determine what was included in an update, Amazon has created a 2.3 Firmware Update Highlights page for this update, which shows what the update includes for each of the Kindle versions out there (not including the original Kindle, which appears left out).

The major change is PDF support for the K2/K2i and the ability to rotate the screen. With this change, documents emailed to your Kindle email address will no longer automatically convert PDF files. So, Amazon has created a method of converting those PDF files that will work for DX users as well: just type "Convert" in the subject of the e-mail when you send a document for conversion.

The K2 and K2i also get improved battery life, while the KDX gets better PDF margin support and an extended period before the screensaver kicks in (20 minutes), which should help when studying, cooking or using a DX in meetings.

Those of us with the original Kindle are still on firmware version 1.2. I hope Amazon doesn't renege on it's promise to include us in the update next year that will allow better organization of content on the Kindle.

Free Read - Lemony Snicket

A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning ($3.99 Kindle), by Lemony Snicket, is available as a free read from Harper Collins this month.

Book Description
Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky.

In the first two books alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, a lumpy bed, a deadly serpent, a large brass reading lamp, a long knife, and a terrible odour.

In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Never before has a tale of three likeable and unfortunate children been quite so enchanting, or quite so uproariously unhappy.

Click HERE for the free read. Want to see the video that shows what Lemony thinks of it? Click HERE.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger (author of The Time Traveler's Wife), is currently marked down to $5.79 -- a bit above the prices I usually report here, but a bargain for this particular title.

Book Description
...a spectacularly compelling and haunting second novel set in and around Highgate Cemetery in London.

When Elspeth Noblin dies of cancer, she leaves her London apartment to her twin nieces, Julia and Valentina. These two American girls never met their English aunt, only knew that their mother, too, was a twin, and Elspeth her sister. Julia and Valentina are semi-normal American teenagers--with seemingly little interest in college, finding jobs, or anything outside their cozy home in the suburbs of Chicago, and with an abnormally intense attachment to one another.

The girls move to Elspeth's flat, which borders Highgate Cemetery in London. They come to know the building's other residents. There is Martin, a brilliant and charming crossword puzzle setter suffering from crippling Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; Marjike, Martin's devoted but trapped wife; and Robert, Elspeth's elusive lover, a scholar of the cemetery. As the girls become embroiled in the fraying lives of their aunt's neighbors, they also discover that much is still alive in Highgate, including--perhaps--their aunt, who can't seem to leave her old apartment and life behind.

Niffenegger weaves a captivating story in Her Fearful Symmetry about love and identity, about secrets and sisterhood, and about the tenacity of life--even after death.

Get $3 in MP3's for Free

Amazon is giving everyone a $3 MP3 Credit that can be used between now and the end of the month, with practically no strings attached (you have to have an Amazon account and use the code by the end of the month). I don't know if the credit itself will expire by the end of the month, but the promotional code used to get the credit must be entered (use the link above, it has both the code and the full instructions on getting the credit) by then.

In any case, that's three free singles (they are generally 99 cents) or one free album of the day (they are almost always $2.99, although today's is $3.99, and are on the MP3 Deals page) or $3 off a bargain $5 album.

You may even want to look thru the Holiday Music Store (although it's a bit early to be playing those; and I'd skip the Weird Christmas Collection for most gatherings).

Free Books and Free Reads

The Storms of Eternity ($0.99 Kindle), by Robert Williams, is free to download at Smashwords. Make sure you get all the formats you might want and make a backup copy, as there is no way (currently) to save it on your bookshelf when it's an entirely free read at Smashwords.

Book Description
Mike Rhoades, Reese Patterson, Josh Carter and his twin sister Jen are inseparable friends, but they each have a secret they cannot share with the others.

All that changes, however, during a sailing trip down the Alaskan coast, when they are struck by a violent storm. After the winds clear, the friends find themselves lost in a nightmare landscape where clouds cover the Earth with eternal darkness; roaming gangs stalk the unending night seeking victims, and two militant factions battle to rule the devastated land by any means necessary.

Mike, Reese, Josh and Jen are caught up in a fight for their lives, freedom, and their very humanity as they are drawn towards the inhuman being that has brought them into this apocalyptic future for its own enigmatic plans.

Finn Reeder, Flu Fighter, by Eric Stevens, is free in PDF format until Jan 1, 2010, from Stone Arch Books. The tip for this one was sent in by one of my readers.

Book Description
Finn Reeder thought it was just a dumb assignment when a sub told his English class that they had to start keeping a journal. Little did he know that his journal would turn into the record of a major flu pandemic.

Somehow, he survives infection. As their class size dwindles, Finn and his friend Amy face down the school bully, draw comics, catch the principal ordering pizza, and even manage to study once in a while. And when finally, Finn is the lone student remaining in school, he manages to win—and lose—the most intense game of solo dodge ball ever.
By the time the month is over, he’s made it through the epidemic, gotten vaccinated, and might even have found himself a girlfriend if he plays his cards right.

One for the Road ($33.00 Paperback), by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, can be downloaded for free from his website, in several different formats (only the PDF includes photos, it appears). The website is worth exploring to see his other photos from trips and his blog continues his journeys to other locations.

Book Description
It's a fun and informative read about independent travelling, taking you on three different journeys:

• Through Patagonia and Antarctica the cheap way
• Through Southern Africa along the backpacker trail, visiting South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana, Victoria Falls and Namibia
• On and off the Trans-Siberian Railway, Vladivostok to Moscow

If you enjoy humorous tales of trips to foreign parts, I do believe you will find the book worth your while. Also, if you plan on doing a trip similar to any of these three, definitely read at least the chapter about "your" trip, as a preparation!

Come, Wewoka & Diary of Medicine Flower, by Edward C. Patterson, is free when using coupon code EX87U, thru November 28.

Book Description
The Trail of Tears left a deep mark on the Cherokee nation, a mark that still ripples through the descendants of that culture. It should also leave an indelible mark on the current conscience. Come, Wewoka - Poems on the Trail of Tears is a collection of heartfelt reflections on Cherokee culture during those days and after. Diary of Medicine Flower - Cherokee Aphorisms re modern Cherokee thoughts

Refuge of Delayed Souls, by Miladysa, is free when using coupon code GH35B, thru Nov 30.

Book Description
Volume 1 ~ RoYds In a story spanning many lifetimes, we follow Elizabeth Whyte's journey as she investigates the supernatural & seeks information about her own past, all while trying to keep a balance between the light & the darkness in her work for an agency known as the Refuge of Delayed Souls. A world where ghosts, angels, the Living & others exist side by side, although not always in harmony.

Samhain has a new short story as a free download - Love & Scones, by Meg Benjamin