Free Book (ADE/PDF) - Awake in the Dark (One Day Only)

Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert ($9.99 Kindle), by Roger Ebert with foreword by David Bordwell, is free today (only) from the University of Chicago.

Book Description
Roger Ebert has been writing film reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times for over forty years. In fact, no critic alive has reviewed more movies than he has. Yet his essential writings have never been collected in a single volume—until now. With Awake in the Dark, both fans and film buffs can finally bask in the best of Ebert’s work. The reviews, interviews, and essays collected here present a picture of his numerous contributions to the cinema and cinephilia. From The Godfather to GoodFellas, from Cries and Whispers to Crash, the reviews in Awake in the Dark span some of the most exceptional periods in film history.

In addition, the extraordinary interviews gathered in Awake in the Dark capture Ebert engaging not only some of the most influential directors of our time—Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, Robert Altman, Werner Herzog, and Ingmar Bergman—but also some of the silver screen’s most respected personalities, including actors as diverse as Robert Mitchum, James Stewart, Warren Beatty, and Meryl Streep.

America’s most celebrated film critic, Ebert is a writer whose exceptional intelligence and bursts of insight have shaped the way we think about the movies. Awake in the Dark will be a treasure trove not just for fans of this seminal critic but for anyone desiring a fascinating and compulsively readable chronicle of film since the late 1960s.

Click HERE to sign up for the free book. You'll need to enter your email address, then check your email for the link to download the book. Mine arrived within seconds and I'd recommend downloading the book today as well (you get a .ACSM file, which, when opened, will load the PDF book inside of Adobe ADE). This is a DRM'd PDF that is not compatible with the Kindle.

Bargain Book Roundup - Non-fiction (Part I)

Remember to check before one-clicking, as prices can change from minute to minute. These are in no particular order, but all all non-fiction.

Lincoln Legends: Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated with Our Greatest President ($1.17), by Edward Steers Jr.

Book Description
The folklore surrounding history's towering figures often overshadows actual scholarship, both in terms of quantity and in terms of prevalence in the public consciousness. As one might expect with a revered national icon, nearly every facet of Abraham Lincoln's life has been subject to mythmaking as well as academic inquiry of widely varying quality and accuracy.

In Lincoln Legends, noted historian and Lincoln expert Edward Steers Jr. carefully scrutinizes some of the most notorious tall tales and distorted ideas about America's sixteenth President. Did Abraham Lincoln write his greatest speech on the back of an envelope on the way to Gettysburg? Did he appear before a congressional committee to defend his wife against charges of treason? Was Lincoln an illegitimate child? Was he gay? Edward Steers weighs the evidence in these and other heated debates about the Great Emancipator. Steers's conclusions will satisfy some and disappoint others, and he just might settle some of these enduring questions once and for all.

Saving the Jews: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Holocaust ($1.33), by Robert N. Rosen

Book Description
Saving the Jews is a rigorously researched narrative and interpretive history of how FDR and his administration dealt with the Nazi persecution of the Jews and the Holocaust, 1933-1945. It disputes the generally accepted view that Roosevelt abandoned the Jews of Europe and that America was a passive, callous bystander to the Holocaust, and reveals the true story.

The author has conducted new research that explains how the Roosevelt administration and American Jewry saved the passengers on the S.S. St. Louis; how American Jews (and the Jews of Palestine) opposed the bombing of Auschwitz and never asked Roosevelt to bomb the camps; how America and other western democracies saved over seventy percent of German Jewry from Hitler; how Rauol Wallenberg was sent to save Jews by the American government. The research done on this book has found no credible evidence that FDR was an anti-Semite but found that Roosevelt was personally close to many Jews. FDR secretly developed the strategy for the Wagners-Rogers Bill (allowing 20,000 German Jewish children to enter the U.S. in 1938, 1939). Yet most historians continue to accuse him of failing to support the bill.

Too Close to the Sun ($1.71), by Curtis Roosevelt

Book Description
Curtis Roosevelt was three when he and his sister, Eleanor, arrived at the White House soon after their grandfather's inauguration. The country's "First Grandchildren," a pint-sized double act, they were known to the media as "Sistie and Buzzie." In this rich memoir, Roosevelt brings us into "the goldfish bowl," as his family called it-that glare of public scrutiny to which all presidential households must submit. He recounts his misadventures as a hapless kid in an unforgivably formal setting and describes his role as a tiny planet circling the dual suns of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Blending self-abasement, humor, awe and affection, Too Close to the Sun is an intimate portrait of two of the most influential and inspirational figures in modern American history-and a thoughtful exploration of the emotional impact of growing up in their irresistible aura.

By His Own Rules : The Ambitions, Successes, and Ultimate Failures of Donald Rumsfeld ($2.23), by Bradley Graham

Book Description
A penetrating political biography of the controversial Defense Secretary, by a longtime military affairs correspondent for the Washington Post. Once considered among the best and brightest of his generation, Donald Rumsfeld was exceptionally prepared to assume the Pentagon's top job in 2001. Yet six years later, he left office as the most controversial Defense Secretary since Robert McNamara, widely criticized for his management of the Iraq war and for his difficult relationships with Congress, administration colleagues, and military officers. Was he really the arrogant, errant, over-controlling Pentagon leader frequently portrayed or as his supporters contend, a brilliant, hard-charging visionary caught in a whirl of polarized Washington politics, dysfunctional federal bureaucracy, and bad luck? Bradley Graham, who closely covered Rumsfeld's challenging tenure at the Pentagon, offers an insightful biography of a complex and immensely influential personality. What emerges is a layered and revealing portrait of a man whose impact on U.S. national security affairs will long out-live him.

Running Alone: Presidential Leadership from JFK to Bush II -- Why It Has Failed and How We Can Fix It ($1.17), by James MacGregor Burns

Book Description
A Pulitzer Prize-winning historian accounts for the growing isolation of America's presidents--from JFK to George W. Bush--and proposes solutions to reconnect them with the citizens they serve

A disastrous war in Iraq, prisoner abuse, secret wiretaps--the presidency of George W. Bush represents a crisis in American democracy. How did this happen? In Running Alone the revered political scientist and commentator James MacGregor Burns sets the imperial presidency of George W. Bush in the context of half a century of presidential politics.

In his 1960 campaign, John F. Kennedy turned his back on the Democratic Party. He relied instead on his personal charisma and his family's vast wealth to win office. Once elected, he governed much as he had run: alone. He ignored the Democratic platform and instead sought counsel from a small group of hand-picked advisors, including his own brother.

Kennedy fundamentally reshaped the role of President, and each of his successors has built on this model. American presidents have become increasingly isolated from the parties that brought them to power. Democratic presidents--Johnson, Carter, and Clinton--did tremendous damage to the Democratic Party by abandoning its core principles. Republican presidents have managed to lead more effectively in isolation, but have imperiled the nation in the process.

Drawing on his own personal letters, interviews, and recollections of America's presidents, Burns charts the decline of genuine leadership in the Oval Office and offers a stirring vision of what the presidency can and should be. America deserves better leaders, and with unsurpassed knowledge of American history and politics, Burns shows us the way forward.

Paranoid Nation: The Real Story of the 2008 Fight for the Presidency ($1.67), by Matt Towery

Book Description
An analysis of the 2008 presidential election

The Most Exclusive Club: A History of the Modern United States Senate ($1.24), by Lewis Gould

Book Description
The first complete account of the modern United States Senate, and the people who shaped its role in the twentieth century

The Senate was originally conceived by the Founding Fathers as an anti-democratic counterweight to the more volatile House of Representatives, but in the twentieth century it has often acted as an impediment to needed reforms. A hundred years ago, senators were still chosen by state legislatures, rather than by direct elections. Now, in the wake of the 2004 elections, and the consolidation of Republican control, the Senate is likely to become a crucible of power shifts that will have enormous impact on American politics in the twenty-first century.

In The Most Exclusive Club, acclaimed political historian Lewis Gould puts the debates about the Senate's future into the context of its history from the Progressive Era to the war in Iraq. From charges of corruption to the occasional attempt at reform, Gould highlights the major players, issues, and debates (including the League of Nations, the McCarthy hearings, and the Iran-Contra affair) that have shaped the institution. Beyond the usual outsized figures such as Lyndon Johnson, Strom Thurmond, and Barry Goldwater, Gould also tells the story of the lesser-known Senate leaders who have played a vital role in America's upper house.

Filled with colorful anecdotes, this is a long-awaited history of one of the most powerful political bodies in the world, written by a master. Gould's sweeping narrative combines deft storytelling with a fresh look at the crucible of contemporary political debate and decision-making.

April 4, 1968 ($1.38), by Michael Eric Dyson; this is the later of two editions, both at the same price.

Book Description
On April 4, 1968, at 6:01 PM, while he was standing on a balcony at a Memphis hotel, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and fatally wounded. Only hours earlier King-the prophet for racial and economic justice in America-ended his final speech with the words, "I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we as a people will get to the Promised Land." Acclaimed public intellectual and best-selling author Michael Eric Dyson uses the fortieth anniversary of King's assassination as the occasion for a provocative and fresh examination of how King fought, and faced, his own death, and we should use his death and legacy. Dyson also uses this landmark anniversary as the starting point for a comprehensive reevaluation of the fate of Black America over the four decades that followed King's death. Dyson ambitiously investigates the ways in which African-Americans have in fact made it to the Promised Land of which King spoke, while shining a bright light on the ways in which the nation has faltered in the quest for racial justice. He also probes the virtues and flaws of charismatic black leadership that has followed in King's wake, from Jesse Jackson to Barack Obama. Always engaging and inspiring, April 4, 1968 celebrates the prophetic leadership of Dr. King, and challenges America to renew its commitment to his deeply moral vision.

Can You Hear Me Now? ($2.40), by Michael Eric Dyson

Book Description
Over the last 20 years, Michael Eric Dyson has become one of America's most visible-and quotable-public intellectuals. Whether in his sixteen books, or in countless newspapers, television and radio appearances, or on stages, podiums, and pulpits across the world, Dyson has spun an enchanting web of words that has caught the attention of the masses and elites alike. He has weighed in on a myriad array of topics - from faith to fatherhood, and from race to sex, as well as sports, manhood, gender, music, leadership, politics, language, love, justice, literature, suffering, death, hope, relationships and much, much more. Can You Hear Me Now?, offers a sampling of Dyson's sharp wit, profound thought, and edifying eloquence on the enduring problems of humanity, from love to justice, and the latest topics of the day, including race and the presidency. It is both revealing and relevant, and at once thoughtful provoking and uplifting. Whether he is writing about Jay-Z or Barack Obama, addressing racial catastrophes or opportunities, or speaking about religion or the felicities of King's rhetoric, Dyson's intellect shines with insight and inspiration. Can You Hear Me Now? captures Dyson's incredible facility with words, and his prodigious intelligence, at a time when he has gained greater fame as a public intellectual, university professor, best-selling author, and most recently, as one of the first prominent blacks to endorse President Barack Obama. The time is ripe for his wit, wisdom and worldview, and this book is Dyson's most accessible compendium of thinking on a broad range of topics that haunt and shape the nation.

The Political Zoo ($1.17), by Michael Savage

Book Description
As Aristotle said, "Man is a political animal." Talk radio sensation and New York Times best-selling author Michael Savage is afraid that the ancient philosopher was all too right, and in ways he never could have imagined. In Savage's funniest, most biting book yet, the nation's fiercest independent thinker invites you to take a riotous tour through The Political Zoo-an outrageous look at today's most prominent politicos and pundits as the reptiles, rats, and birds of prey they most resemble.

Animal by animal and cage by cage, Savage brandishes his irreverent wit to keep these beasts in check. Serving as resident biologist and zookeeper, Dr. Savage asks that you watch your step when approaching the widemouth copperhead Ted Turner (also known as Mouthus desouthus), do not feed the ego of stuffed turkey Alec Baldwin (Notalentus anti-americanus), and please keep your children with you at all times around wolf boy Bill Clinton (Fondlem undgropeum).

"The world of politics is filled with uncivilized, snarling, rapacious beasts that, like untrained mutts, raise their legs and urinate on everything we hold dear," says Savage. And this sensational book is your guide for navigating the jungle of today's animal-political kingdom.

The Sages ($1.17), by Charles R. Morris

Book Description
Throughout the violent financial disruptions of the past several years, three men have stood out as beacons of judgment and wisdom: Warren Buffett, George Soros, and Paul Volcker. Though their experiences and styles vary-Buffett is the canny stock market investor; Soros is the reader of shifting global tides in trade and currencies; and Volcker is the regulator and governor, sheriff and clean-up crew-they have very much in common. All three men have more than fifty years of deep involvement in markets. All are skeptical of Wall Street frenzies. They believe that markets tend to be right, but usually only over the medium term. They have seen too many cycles of herd-driven, emotion-riding booms and busts to make their views hostage to the sweeping and simplistic assumptions of "efficient-markets" models. With the benefit of his own deep understanding of markets and finance, Morris brilliantly analyzes the records of these men, distilling their wisdom and experience-and argues for the importance of consistent values in navigating the treacherous terrain of today's globalized world.

Think Like A Champion ($1.33), by Donald Trump

Book Description
Who better to give advice to aspiring leaders than Donald Trump, America’s best-known entrepreneur? Trump’s most basic strategies, principles, and thoughts are abridged here for the perfect pocket-sized gift for a budding boss.

Donald Trump shares his thoughts on life, personal and professional, in essays that reveal his winning strategies and lofty goals. With a foreword by Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, Trump covers “Learn to Think on Your Feet,” “Keep it Short, Fast, and Direct,” “There are Times When You Should Move On,” and “How to Get Rich.”

Thriving in the New Economy: Lessons from Today's Top Business Minds ($1.32), by Lori Ann LaRocc

Book Description
Thriving in the New Economy gives you a unique look into some of today's best economic and business minds. A series of close profiles, the book offers inspirational personal stories, useful advice, and actionable strategies you can use immediately to skirt financial peril, seize opportunities, and flourish in the New Economy.

• Profiles include financial publisher Steve Forbes, The Vanguard Group founder Jack Bogle, Former National Economic Council Director and Former Special Assistant to the President on Economic Policy Lawrence Lindsey, former FDIC chair Donald Powell, Saks CEO Steve Sadove, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. President Jim Lentz, legendary vulture investor Wilbur Ross and more
• Looks at how leaders in economics, banking, automobiles, real estate, and retail are not just avoiding the unraveling economy, but actively evolving and growing their businesses
• Foreword by H. Wayne Huizenga; Afterword by Rudy Giuliani

If you're looking for the way forward through today's business wilderness, Thriving in the New Economy lets you in on how some leaders use challenges not just to survive but thrive.

Meltdown ($1.24), by Katrina vanden Heuvel

Book Description
America's economy is in meltdown. Banks have failed, foreclosures are sweeping the housing market, and the Dow Jones has suffered its worst losses since the Great Depression. Faced with a complex and spiraling crisis, the government has poured billions of taxpayer dollars into a bailout with no end in sight. At every step of the way, The Nation, America's leading progressive weekly magazine, has tackled the most urgent questions facing the nation's leaders and its citizens with clarity and insight. Stretching back twenty years, Meltdown draws together the best of the magazine's coverage of the financial crisis and explores what steps President Obama and his new administration must take to ensure a more secure future for everyone.

The Return of the Great Depression ($1.59), by Vox Day

Book Description
In this sophisticated yet readable book, Vox Day - one of the few economics writers to predict the current worldwide financial crisis - explains why it is likely to continue. Vox shows that the policies being pursued in Europe, Asia, and the United States are very similar to Japan's failed policies of the past 20 years and, therefore, doomed to similar results. According to Vox, the economic theories behind those policies are flawed and account for why most economists were unable to anticipate the recession or see that their expectations of an imminent recovery are incorrect. Vox applies a different theory, the one he used to predict the current crisis, to show that the world is in the early stages of a massive economic contraction. Then he turns to the six scenarios presently envisioned by the world's leading economists and assesses which is most likely to unfold. As the title suggests, Vox concludes that the most probable scenario is a Great Depression 2.0 that will be larger in scale and scope than that of the 1930s.

Rich is a Religion ($1.93), by Mark Stevens

Book Description
The secret to building and maintaining wealth isn't a specific stock-picking strategy. Instead, it's a philosophy and behavior that you need to understand and practice in order to have the peace of mind that comes with wealth. It is, in bestselling author Mark Stevens's words, "A means of thinking and behaving . . . a financial religion."

Amidst today's dramatic downturns in the economy—massive layoffs at banks and brokerages, housing foreclosures, and high unemployment—people keep blaming Wall Street institutions or the government for their personal money woes. However, the problem stems less from the system and more from individual behaviors. While portfolios shrink in value, people continue to live beyond their means, always trying to outspend their neighbors. People are working harder than ever and have less time to enjoy the comforts they do have.

If you're stressed about your financial future, stuck at a job that you hate, or feel trapped by your income, Rich Is a Religion is a road map that will help you transform your life. By showing you the mindset of millionaires and billionaires whom the author has known, you will learn how to make more money than you ever thought possible and how you can preserve this money for your entire life, regardless of economic downswings. With the insights found here, you'll also quickly learn the difference between doing well financially and creating true wealth.

What Wives Wish their Husbands Knew about Sex: A Guide for Christian Men ($1.59), by Ryan Howes, Richard Rupp & Stephen W. Simpson

Book Description
It's an unfortunate reality that many men grow up in churches that suppress their God-given sexual urges. As a result, many Christian men, single and married, are frustrated with their love lives and their sex lives. The authors of this book claim that Christian men should be the greatest lovers in the world and then work to show men how to do it. They help men: 

• learn what the Bible says about a healthy sex life 
• discover how to relate to women as men instead of as boys 
• address psychological and spiritual issues that interfere with healthy sexuality 
• learn specific techniques that create a strong relationship, great foreplay, and passionate sex 

Solidly based in Scripture and informed by the experiences of the authors, all respected sex therapists, What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew about Sex dispels the myths that keep good Christian men from experiencing sex as God meant it to be. Perfect for any man, it is also a great book for counselors and pastors who work with men.

Masters of Sex ($3.76), by Thomas Maier

Book Description
In Masters of Sex, critically acclaimed biographer Thomas Maier offers an unprecedented look at William Masters and Virginia Johnson, their pioneering studies of intimacy, and the sexual revolution they inspired. Masters and Johnson began their secret studies in a small Midwest laboratory, and soon became the nation's top experts on sex. Over the course of more than forty years, they analyzed and explained the secrets of orgasm, emotional fulfillment, and sexual dysfunction. But they divorced after twenty years amid a clash of success, betrayal, and jealousies. Weaving interviews with the notoriously private William Masters and the ambitious Virginia Johnson, Maier offers a titillating portrait of the legendary couple. Entertaining, revealing, and beautifully told, this groundbreaking book sheds light on the eternal mysteries of desire and intimacy, and their complicated roles in the American psyche.

Binge: What Your College Student Won't Tell You ($1.33), by Barrett Seaman

Book Description
In Binge, Barrett Seaman reveals what every parent, student, and educator needs to know about the college experience. Seaman spent time with students at twelve highly regarded and diverse colleges and universities across North America­. During his two years of research, he immersed himself in the lives of the students, often living in their dorms, dining with them, speaking with them on their own terms, and listening to them express their thoughts and feelings. Portraying a campus culture in which today’s best and brightest students grapple with far more than academic challenges, Binge conveys the unprecedented stresses on campus today. While sharing revealing interviews and the often dramatic stories, Seaman explores the complexities of romantic relationships and sexual relations, alcohol and drug use, anxiety and depression, class and racial boundaries, and more. Despite the disturbing trends, Seaman finds reasons for optimism and offers provocative and well-informed suggestions for improving the undergraduate experience. Sometimes alarming, always fascinating, and ultimately hopeful, Binge is an extraordinary investigative work that reveals the realities of higher education today.

Rick and Bubba's Expert Guide to God, Country, Family, and anything else we can think of ($2.41), by Rick Burgess & Bubba Bussey

Book Description
Rick and Bubba are two of America's zaniest syndicated radio hosts. Now, Rick and Bubba bring their own brand of southern humor and homespun wisdom to the book world. Rick and Bubba's Expert Guide to God, Country, Family, and Anything Else We Can Think Of is a sometimes touching, always hilarious, look at the world through Rick and Bubba's eyes. Rick and Bubba wax eloquent on everything from little league soccer to the frustrations of getting the family ready for church on a Sunday morning, to big Southern hair.

The Rick & Bubba Code: The Two Sexiest Fat Men Alive Unlock the Mysteries of the Universe ($1.55), by Rick Burgess & Bubba Bussey

Book Description
Zany radio hosts Rick & Bubba rocketed onto the New York Times bestseller list with their first book, Rick & Bubba's Expert Guide to God, Country, Family and Anything Else We Can Think Of. Now, Rick & Bubba are back and this time the world truly isn't safe.

In The Rick & Bubba Code, Rick and Bubba tackle subjects ranging from the South, politics, and romance to manhood, in-laws, and political correctness. No cow is sacred. No hold is barred. Laugh along with the "sexiest fat men alive" as they uncover the mysteries of the universe.

Lives of the Planets: A Natural History of the Solar System ($1.21), by Richard Corfield

Book Description
A grand overview of the dynamic and endlessly fascinating backyard of astronomy--our solar system.

Lives of the Planets describes a scientific field in the midst of a revolution. Planetary science has mainly been a descriptive science, but it is becoming increasingly experimental. The space probes that went up between the 1960s and 1990s were primarily generalists--they collected massive amounts of information so that scientists could learn what questions to pursue. But recent missions have become more focused: Scientists know better what information they want and how to collect it. Even now probes are on their way to Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Pluto, with Europa--one of Jupiter's moons--on the agenda.

In a sweeping look into the manifold objects inhabiting the depths of space, Lives of the Planets delves into the mythology and the knowledge humanity has built over the ages. Placing our current understanding in historical context, Richard Corfield explores the seismic shifts in planetary astronomy and probes why we must change our perspective of our place in the universe. In our era of extraordinary discovery, this is the first comprehensive survey of this new understanding and the history of how we got here.

Two Free Online Games for Kindle: Sudoku and Word Morph

Both of these online games from MobileReference are repeat freebies of a sort - they were a penny last year, so not quite free. Today they are truly free. Unlike the recent active content games from Amazon however, these are played on the internet, so do require some type of online access, either via wifi or 3G. For those using apps, however, this is an advantage, as they appear to be compatible with all the apps. If the destination web site ever disappears, though, they'll probably stop working. I know that having played the games from Amazon, I definitely prefer the active content games, instead.

Sudoku Volume 1

Game Description
Our best interactive Sudoku puzzles are now available for Kindle! Whether you are a novice to Sudoku or an experienced player this collection will sharpen your mind.

Each Sudoku volume contains 20 different Sudoku puzzles: five puzzles for each difficulty level.

The objective of a Sudoku game is to fill a 9x9 grid so that the numbers 1 through 9 occur exactly once in each row, column, and 3x3 box.

With Mobi Sudoku you can:

• Check your progress at any time. The number of wrong entries will be reported.
• Remove errors. Use it if you feel you made too many mistakes and want to keep your correct entries but remove incorrect ones.
• See the solution
• Reset the puzzle if you want to start over.
• Add a clue if you feel that you are stuck. A single number will be added to a randomly chosen empty cell.

Note: Whispernet wireless needs to be turned on when a new game is loaded. Once a game is loaded, wireless can be turned off to conserve battery power.

Word Morph Volume 1

Game Description
How do you make a flip from a flop? Obviously, by changing the i to an o. This is how you play Word Morph. At each step, you can change one letter to form a new word. The task is to transform the starting word one letter at a time until you spell the ending word.

For example, here is a puzzle:

east
----
----
west

You can get from east to west like this:

east
past
pest
west

Often puzzles have more than one solution. In the east to west example, you could also do:

east
last
lest
west

or

east
vast
vest
west

Bargain Book Roundup - Under Three Bucks

A number of these are likely to go back up in price on the first of next month, so grab them while they are marked down.

Hollywood Tough ($2.99 Kindle, B&N  &  Kobo), by Stephen J. Cannell, is the third in the Shane Scully series.

Book Description
Detective Shane Scully is back in the good graces of the department, hailed as a hero after bringing down a deadly gang of rogue cops in The Viking Funeral. At a glamorous Hollywood party with his new wife, Alexa, Shane overhears a famous producer make a suspicious remark about the strange deaths of his two ex-wives. Is he serious or merely joking around with his coterie of hangers-on? This becomes more than just police business, because the party is to celebrate the engagement of the producer to Alexa's closest friend.

Against his wife's wishes, Shane begins to look into this heavy-hitter's past. At the same time, he becomes aware of a high-profile wiseguy's attempt to control Hollywood's unions. He initiates an elaborate and expensive sting operation, actually setting up a phony production company to produce a bogus movie at LAPD expense. The plan is to draw the starstruck wiseguy into revealing his real purpose for coming to L.A. But before long the overbudgeted movie is rocketing into production. Tough, streetwise Scully, who thought he'd seen just about everything, is astounded by the distorted egos and total insanity of the movie business, and while he struggles to keep his sting operation from spinning wildly out of control, he and Alexa find themselves and Shane's teenaged son, Chooch, involved in something much bigger than they had ever imagined, something that puts all their lives on the line.

To Pleasure A Lady ($2.39 Kindle & B&N; $2.99 Kobo), by Nicole Jordan, is the first in her trilogy, The Courtship Wars.

Book Description
Marcus Pierce, a strikingly handsome aristocrat with a wicked reputation, inherits guardianship of Arabella Loring and her two younger sisters–and immediately declares his intention to marry them off. But gorgeously defiant Arabella sparks frustration–and something deeply erotic–in Marcus. After matching both wits and swords with her, Marcus concludes that this beautiful and formidable foe must be his.

Having sworn off marriage and men, Arabella wishes to be left alone to run her finishing school for young ladies. To that end, she boldly accepts Marcus’s intimate challenge: If he can woo and win her within two weeks, she’ll take her place in his bed as his wife. However, if she can resist his considerable charms, the Loring sisters will be granted their independence. Thus an extraordinary game of seduction begins. . . .

Alone ($2.39 Kindle & B&N; $2.99 Kobo), by Lisa Gardner, is the first in her Detective D.D. Warren series.

Book Description
Alone . . . Massachusetts State Trooper Bobby Dodge watches a tense hostage standoff unfold through the scope of his sniper rifle. Just across the street, in wealthy Back Bay, Boston, an armed man has barricaded himself with his wife and child. The man’s finger tightens on the trigger and Dodge has only a split second to react . . . and forever pay the consequences.

Alone . . . that’s where the nightmare began for cool, beautiful, and dangerously sexy Catherine Rose Gagnon. Twenty-five years ago, she was buried underground during a month-long nightmare of abduction and abuse. Now her husband has just been killed. Her father-in-law, the powerful Judge Gagnon, blames Catherine for his son’s death . . . and for the series of unexplained illnesses that have sent her own young son repeatedly to the hospital.

Alone . . . a madman survived solitary confinement in a maximum security prison where he’d done hard time for the most sadistic of crimes. Now he walks the streets a free man, invisible, anonymous . . . and filled with an unquenchable rage for vengeance. What brings them together is a moment of violence—but what connects them is a passion far deeper and much more dangerous. For a killer is loose who’s woven such an intricate web of evil that no one is above suspicion, no one is beyond harm, and no one will see death coming until it has them cornered, helpless, and alone.

Quicksand ($2.99 Kindle, B&N & Kobo), by Iris Johansen, is the eighth in her Eve Duncan series.

Book Description
Returning from Johansen’s New York Times bestselling thriller, Stalemate, forensic sculptor Eve Duncan is still reeling from the disappearance of her daughter, Bonnie. Deciding to take matters into her own hands, she enlists the clairvoyant skills of Dr. Megan Blair to help find her. No strangers to looking for clues where there seem to be none, the two women use their highly specialized talents to hunt down Bonnie’s elusive kidnapper and return her to her mother’s arms. But is Bonnie still alive? Will the two women find her in time? Iris Johansen strikes again with this non-stop, action packed thriller, keeping readers turning pages well into the night.

Dead Simple ($2.99 Kindle & B&N), by Peter James, is the first in his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series.

Book Description
Four bodies, one suspect, no trace. The first case for detective superintendent Roy Grace, plus a free preview of his newest thriller, DEAD LIKE YOU, coming November 2010.

It was meant to be a harmless bachelor party prank. A few hours later four of his best friends are dead and Michael Harrison has disappeared. With only three days to the wedding, Detective Superintendent Grace - a man haunted by the shadow of his own missing wife - is contacted by Michael's beautiful, distraught fiancée, Ashley Harper. Grace discovers that the one man who ought to know Michael Harrison's whereabouts is saying nothing. But then he has a lot to gain - more than anyone realizes. For one man's disaster is another man's fortune . . .

Dead simple . . .

Sugar Daddy, the first in the Travis series by Lisa Kleypas, is currently $7.99 now $2.99 in the Kindle store, but just dropped to $2.99 in the Sony store. I reported the lower price to Amazon, so they may drop the price to match. In the meantime, those with EPUB readers can take advantage of the lower price from Sony.

Update: As of mid-morning, Amazon has lowered the price on this one to $2.99 also.

Book Description
SHE'S FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS
Liberty Jones has dreams and determination that will take her far away from Welcome, Texas---if she can keep her wild heart from ruling her mind. Hardy Cates sees Liberty as completely off-limits. His own ambitions are bigger than Welcome, and Liberty Jones is a complication he doesn't need. But something magical and potent draws them to each other, in a dangerous attraction that is stronger than both of them.

HE'S THE ONE MAN SHE CAN'T HAVE
When Hardy leaves town to pursue his plans, Liberty finds herself alone with a young sister to raise. Soon Liberty finds herself under the spell of a billionaire tycoon---a Sugar Daddy, one might say. But the relationship goes deeper than people think, and Liberty begins to discover secrets about her own family's past.

WILL THEY FIND THEIR HEARTS' DESIRES OR WILL HEARTBREAK TEAR THEM APART?
Two men. One woman. A choice that can make her or break her. A woman you'll root for every step of the way. A love story you'll never forget.

Free Book (nook) - According to Jane

According to Jane ($8.79 Kindle), by Marilyn Brant, is free from B&N. This title was previously free last year in the Kindle store.

Book Description
In Marilyn Brant's smart, wildly inventive debut, one woman in search of herself receives advice from the ultimate expert in matters of the heart. . .

It begins one day in sophomore English class, just as Ellie Barnett's teacher is assigning Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. From nowhere comes a quiet "tsk" of displeasure. The target: Sam Blaine, the cute bad boy who's teasing Ellie mercilessly, just as he has since kindergarten. Entirely unbidden, as Jane might say, the author's ghost has taken up residence in Ellie's mind, and seems determined to stay there.

Jane's wise and witty advice guides Ellie through the hell of adolescence and beyond, serving as the voice she trusts, usually far more than her own. Years and boyfriends come and go--sometimes a little too quickly, sometimes not nearly fast enough. But Jane's counsel is constant, and on the subject of Sam, quite insistent. Stay away, Jane demands. He is your Mr. Wickham.

Still, everyone has something to learn about love--perhaps even Jane herself. And lately, the voice in Ellie's head is being drowned out by another, urging her to look beyond everything she thought she knew and seek out her very own, very unexpected, happy ending. . .

Click HERE for the free book.

Free Book (nook) - Elvis and The Dearly Departed

Elvis and The Dearly Departed ($4.47), by Peggy Webb, is free in the Barnes & Noble store.

Book Description
They say you can't get to Heaven without passing through the Eternal Rest Funeral Home. And no one gets into Eternal Rest without passing muster with Elvis-the basset hound who's convinced he's the reincarnation of the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Brewing up a big ol' pitcher of Mississippi mystery, Peggy Webb's delightful new series is as intoxicating as the Delta breeze.

Normally, Callie Valentine Jones spends her days fixing up the hairdos of the dead, but when the corpse of local, prominent physician Dr. Leonard Laton goes missing, it's bad for business. So Callie and her cousin Lovie (Eternal Rest's resident wake caterer) have no choice but to go in hot pursuit of the recently embalmed, last seen bound for Vegas by way of downtown Tupelo.

In Vegas, Callie and Lovie hit the jackpot when they find the dearly departed inside a freezer owned by his showgirl mistress, Bubble Malone. But their luck runs out when Bubble decides to join her man in the afterlife. With the poisonous Laton family tree providing plenty of rotten suspects, Callie, along with some help from her basset hound, Elvis, is determined to crack this case-and have a killer singing "Jailhouse Rock" in time for her next haircutting appointment. . .

Click HERE for the free book.

More Kindle for Web Samples

I've been looking around Amazon for the best Kindle for Web sample and may have hit the jackpot:

What do you think?

Here's one that has grabbed me, pulled me in and is pleading with me to keep reading the book, a young adult/apocalyptic fiction novel from Paolo Bacigalupi:

This one is a children's reader:

Free Book (EPUB) - Daniel and Daughter

Sony is giving away copies of the Harlequin comicbook Daniel and Daughter ($3.99 Kindle), by Mayu Takayama and Lucy Gordon. This is a large download, 17MB on the Sony (although only half that on the Kindle) and I expect it will look best on a PC or iPad screen, rather than an ereader device. It is in the Japanese Manga style, so isn't for everyone.

Book Description
When she was 16, photographer Lee went to Gretna Green, the "Elopement Capital of Scotland," where she could get married without her parents' consent. However, she soon divorces, taking her daughter with her. She has had enough of men, but 13 years later, she meets Daniel, who tries everything in his power to seduce her. Meanwhile, Lee's brother is in a passionate relationship with Daniel's daughter. The two lovers decide to elope to Gretna Green just as Lee did all those years ago. Lee chases after them with a bitter feeling in her heart...

Click HERE to get the free book.

Kindle for Web Impressions

I've been playing with the Kindle for Web feature at Amazon and so far, I do like it. There are a few annoyances that with either get worked out or we'll learn to live with. When you share the sample via email, all you get is a message that you are reading a book and a link to the Kindle edition. Twitter is the same, but I don't expect much more in 140 characters. With Facebook, you get a picture of the book cover and a bit of the sample pasted below the are where you can enter your own text. For those who are Amazon associates, you can edit the links in email and twitter to add your affiliate tag, but in Facebook you don't get a chance to edit the links (you can paste them manually into the text box, if you wish). Now, the annoying part - the links all go to the Kindle edition. But, if you are on the Kindle edition of the book (at least, so far), you can't use the Kindle for Web feature and look thru the sample yourself. Instead, you have to either download the sample to a Kindle or App or know that you can click for one of the paper editions and get to Kindle for Web there. What I do like is the ability to view the sample in a larger area (it takes up the full browser area, but not full screen), change the colors and adjust the font size, line spacing and words per line. It isn't quite full access (no text to speech, which would be so dependent on the hardware and software at the other end), but it should offer almost everyone else a size and color combination that they can read on their screens.

So far, you can't highlight or cut-and-paste (for rather obvious reasons; although I'd love to be able to highlight a section and then click on the Share button) any of the text. You don't get some of the search-inside features that you may be used to, which allowed you to check out a recipe in a cookbook (samples on cookbooks are nearly worthless, I've found, as they end long before you can tell if the recipe section is formatted well enough to be used when cooking). You also can't jump to a location, just click to navigate a page at a time.

One of the coolest features is the ability to embed a sample into a web page. I've included one here, just so you can take a look:

Any author with a book on Kindle should consider putting this up on his web page. Indie authors would be foolish not to, since the Kindle edition is both their best chance for sales (at least, currently) and no doubt their highest source of revenue. Traditional authors may hesitate, though, as the embedded sample takes you to the Kindle edition. Those wanting to buy paper will have to click to find that edition after they arrive on the Kindle page.

Kindle for Web is Here! Well, Sort of...

They pre-announced it once before, then quickly retracted all but the help files. This time, it appears that Kindle for Web is here to stay. Right now, the app is in beta phase and only available on selected book pages. So far, I haven't found any of them, so I invite you to add a comment if you run into one, so we can all give this a try.  In the meantime, though, you can try it on the product page reached by clicking on the picture or link above. If you just want to see what is included, I've copied in the main features, below. One of the cooler things you'll be able to do is share a book sample via email ... also, potentially one of the more annoying, I suspect, for recipients.

Update: I was looking in the wrong place for the Read First Chapter Free button - it is located on the paper book product page and looks like it takes the place of the old "Look Inside" feature. Check out the product page for Easily Amused, by Karen McQuestion (an indie author turned bestseller), and you'll find the button below the usual buy choices, along the right hand side of the screen. I predict that nearly every author will start embedding these on their web pages ... because it is just so easy to do and it lets them give a sample of their books to any reader that passes buy, with no coding effort on their part. Of course, their book does have to be available as a Kindle edition ... which is a win for Amazon and a win for readers of ebooks.

Read and share book samples

• Read a book sample from Amazon.com without leaving your browser. No download or installation required.
• Share book samples with your friends via email or social networks.
• Embed a book sample in your personal blog or website and earn referral fees on sales.
• For a list of frequently asked questions and other information, please visit our help page.

Get started

• Simply click the "Read first chapter FREE" button on selected Amazon book overview pages and a new browser window will open containing the book sample.
• To buy the full Kindle edition of the book from the sample screen, click the "Get Kindle Edition" button. You may then choose to download the book to your Kindle or other Kindle reading application.

Share a book sample

• Book samples can be made visible on any website that supports embedded content. If you can add script tags to your site or blog, you can post a sample.
• First, click the "Embed" button, visible on the right side of the screen when viewing any book sample. You will then see the code to embed. Click on "Customize" if you would like to change the width and height of the window or add your associate tag.
• After making any customization changes, simply copy the embed code and paste it into the source code of your website or blog.
• You may also share book samples via email, Facebook, or Twitter by clicking the "Share" button on the right side of the sample screen.

Free Book (EPUB) - First Things First

First Things First ($9.17 Kindle), by Brenda Warner, is free in the Sony bookstore.

Book Description
Kurt Warner is the two-time NFL MVP–winning quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals. Brenda Warner is an ex-Marine turned stay-at-home mom who collects coats for low-income kids and rocks babies to sleep at a hospital for chronically-ill infants. Together they’re the parents of seven, going into their 12th year of marriage, and founders of a foundation that helps disadvantaged children and families. Their formula for success? They put First Things First—family, faith, and giving to others—it’s their family motto, and it drives everything they do. First Things First is an honest, insightful, and entertaining look at life inside the Warner household. Kurt and Brenda speak candidly about their marriage, the values they are working to instill in their kids, things they’ve done right, mistakes they’ve made, the importance of giving back, and the legacy they hope to leave behind. Includes a 16-page full-color photo insert.

Click HERE to get the free book.

Free Book (EPUB) - The 7th Victim

The 7th Victim ($7.19 Kindle), by Alan Jacobson, is free at Kobo today, for those in the US and Canada (and possibly others).

Book Description
The Dead Eyes Killer lurks in the backyard of the famed FBI Profiling Unit. His brutal murders confound the local task force, despite the gifted profiling skills of Special Agent Karen Vail. But along with Vail's insight and expertise comes considerable personal and professional baggage. On leave pending a review of her assault on her abusive ex-husband, Vail must battle forces determined to bring her down, as she fights to find Dead Eyes before he murders more young women. But the seventh victim is the key to all that stirs this killer...the key that will unlock secrets perhaps too painful for Vail to bear. These are secrets that threaten to destroy her, secrets that will bring down her storied career. For Karen Vail, the truth rests at the heart of a lie. And uncovering it could get her killed... With material meticulously researched during seven years of study with the Bureau's vaunted profiling unit, Alan Jacobson brings refreshing realism and unprecedented accuracy to his pages. The 7th Victim is a page-turner as only Alan Jacobson can write, with a stunning twist of an ending that will satisfy even the most discerning thriller reader.

Click HERE for the free book. As always with Kobo, be sure to sign in and click on Add to Library is you want access to it later on, after the price goes back up.

Update: HERE's the link to get it free from Barnes and Noble.

Complete Hitchhiker's Guide Series $10 or less

You can now pre-order The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams, which contains all five books in the series for $9.99.

Book Description
At last in paperback in one complete volume, here are the five classic novels from Douglas Adams’s beloved Hitchiker series.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Seconds before the Earth is demolished for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is saved by Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised Guide. Together they stick out their thumbs to the stars and begin a wild journey through time and space.

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Facing annihilation at the hands of warmongers is a curious time to crave tea. It could only happen to the cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his comrades as they hurtle across the galaxy in a desperate search for a place to eat.

Life, the Universe and Everything
The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky– so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals can avert Armageddon: mild-mannered Arthur Dent and his stalwart crew.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
Back on Earth, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription conspires to thrust him back to reality. So to speak.

Mostly Harmless
Just when Arthur Dent makes the terrible mistake of starting to enjoy life, all hell breaks loose. Can he save the Earth from total obliteration? Can he save the Guide from a hostile alien takeover? Can he save his daughter from herself?


You can also pre-order this one from B&N, HERE. However, the very best price is at Fictionwise (but only for a short time): they have this book listed at $20.00 or $17.00 with their club discount and there is a 50% off coupon, F50B2Z7290, from this past weekend that is still working. Best of all, it isn't a pre-order there and I now have it downloaded -- their version, at least, also has a bonus short story before the last title, Young Zaphod Plays It Safe, which I expect will be present in the version sold at both of the other stores, as well.

Bargain Book Roundup, Part I

I'm starting off today's Bargain Roundup with several books by Robyn Carr, whose Sheltering Hearts is still free, starting with Forbidden Falls ($2.84), the eighth in the Virgin River series.

Book Description
Virgin River is abuzz with the news that a stranger bought the town's abandoned church on eBay. The buyer, a young widowed reverend, is a little like the building itself: in need of some loving care.

Noah Kincaid arrives ready to roll up his sleeves and revitalize his new purchase, but he's going to need some help. An ad in the local paper brings an improbable candidate his way.

If you want to start the series at the beginning, be sure to pick up the Virgin River Omnibus ($9.99), which contains the first four books in the series: Virgin River ($5.04), Shelter Mountain ($5.76), Whispering Rock ($5.04) and A Virgin River Christmas ($5.69).

Book Description
The tightly knit community of Virgin River has been a safe haven for more than a few lost souls over the years--and there's always room for more-

A recently widowed nurse thinks she's made a mistake coming to Virgin River--until an abandoned baby and former marine make her feel right at home. A marine who has seen his share of pain helps a woman in need, and discovers emotions he has never allowed himself to feel. A cop longs to settle down with the woman of his dreams--but must free her from a painful past first. And a woman tracks down the soldier who once saved her husband's life-and finds an emotionally wounded man who needs her help to open his heart.

Experience all the emotion, joy and romance as the residents and visitors of the small town of Virgin River find healing and love amongst the rugged beauty of the California mountains.

The rest of the series is just above the $5 bargain price cutoff: Second Chance Pass ($5.76), Temptation Ridge ($5.59), Paradise Valley ($5.04), Angel's Peak ($5.76) and Moonlight Road ($5.76).

The Wedding Party ($4.32) is a stand-alone novel

Book Description
Charlene Dugan started her day as usual--single. Then, all in the space of a few hours:

-- Her daughter announced she doesn't want to "end up like her"

-- Her absentminded mother got lost in a parking lot

-- Her ex-husband accused her of being afraid of commitment

Now her decision to utter those three little words--let's get married--has everyone around her in a tailspin. The maid of honor is in a tempest over a man fifteen years her junior. Her daughter, the official bridesmaid, has decided to reinvent herself. The groom is spending all of his free time with the wedding consultant. And her ex-husband, a man who still drives her crazy, is making some pretty convincing arguments for a second chance.

The wedding party is out of control, they're calling for rain and the bride has cold feet. This isn't exactly what Charlene had in mind.

Blue Skies ($4.68) is the final novel by Robyn Carr in today's list.

Book Description
Nikki Burgess has survived a terrible marriage and an even worse divorce. And she's just about given up hope of ever finding love and happiness. But when her ex-husband suddenly dies, she gets custody of her kids again and a chance to start over and do it right.

Dixie McPherson, on the other hand, has had way too much love. She has eleven tennis bracelets, dozens of trinkets, piles of sexy lingerie and a tarnished reputation when all she ever wanted was true love, a partner and a family.

Carlisle Bartlett is loyal, generous, kindhearted and the funniest guy slinging drinks in the back of an airplane. But he has an ugly little secret. The only kind of love he's used to comes with bruises.

They are three people who could seriously use a break. A fresh start. A shot at success and a chance to shine. Maybe a little romance--the kind that sticks. And some adventure wouldn't hurt. So when they're presented with the challenge of joining a team starting a new airline in Las Vegas, they don't hesitate. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, these three friends are going in search of their own blue skies.

That Holiday Feeling ($3.46) is a collection of short stories/novellas by Robyn Carr, Debbie Macomber and Sherryl Woods

Book Description
Silver Bells by Debbie Macomber

In this classic story, Debbie brings those Manning men and Manning sisters home for a mistletoe marriage when a single dad finally says "I do."

The Perfect Holiday by Sherryl Woods

Will bachelor Trace Franklin become a groom-to-be by Christmastime? He sure will...if Savannah Holiday's aunt Mae has anything to do with it.

Under the Christmas Tree by Robyn Carr

When the folks of Virgin River discover a box of adorable puppies under the town's Christmas tree they call on local vet Nathaniel Jensen for help. But it's his budding romance with Annie McCarty that really has tongues and tails wagging!

Next up are several books from Debbie Macomber, starting with several Christmas/Winter themed selections, the first of which is the novella collection Home for the Holidays ($1.24)

Book Description
The Forgetful Bride

Caitlin Marshall's trying to go home to Minnesota, but at the last minute she gives her airline ticket to a stranded soldier. So Cait spends Christmas with Joe Rockwell, who was a childhood friend--and is still a terrible tease, claiming that Cait's his wife. Oh, sure, they were "married" in a pretend ceremony when she was eight, but now Joe wants to make their "marriage" real!

When Christmas Comes

Emily Springer trades her Leavenworth, Washington, home for Charles Brewster's Boston condo. Then Emily's friend Faith comes to visit her in Washington--and instead finds Charles, a complete stranger and a curmudgeon, to boot. His brother, Ray, meanwhile, shows up at Charles's place, only to discover Emily living there. But through all the mix-ups and misunderstandings, among the chaos and confusion, romance begins to emerge....

Where Angels Go ($1.24), is the last in the Angels Everywhere series.

Book Description
Christmas is a time for angels Shirley, Goodness and Mercy are back! These three irresistible angels love their assignments on earth. They especially love helping people who send prayer requests to Heaven (even though the Archangel Gabriel, their boss, knows they're going to break his rules)!

This Christmas, Mercy is assigned to bring peace of mind to an elderly man... who discovers an unexpected answer to his prayers.

Goodness is sent to oversee the love life of a young woman afraid to risk commitment for a second time.

And Shirley has the task of granting a little boy's fondest Christmas wish.

Shirley, Goodness and Mercy go wherever they're needed. These three charming angels often find themselves in trouble, but somehow things always work out for the best especially at Christmas.

The Perfect Christmas ($2.53), by Debbie Macomber

Book Description
What would make your Christmas perfect? For Cassie Beaumont, it's meeting her perfect match. Cassie, at thirty-three, wants a husband and kids, and so far, nothing's worked. Not blind dates, not the Internet and certainly not leaving love to chance.

What's left? A professional matchmaker. He's Simon Dodson, and he's very choosy about the clients he takes on. Cassie finds Simon a difficult, acerbic know-it-all, and she's astonished when he accepts her as a client.

Claiming he has her perfect mate in mind, Simon assigns her three tasks to complete before she meets him. Three tasks that are all about Christmas: being a charity bell ringer, dressing up as Santa's elf at a children's party and preparing a traditional turkey dinner for her neighbors (whom she happens to dislike). Despite a number of comical mishaps, Cassie does it all and she's finally ready to meet her match. But just like the perfect Christmas gift, he turns out to be a wonderful surprise!

On A Snowy Night ($3.81), contains two stand-alone novels.

Book Description
THE CHRISTMAS BASKET

More than ten years ago, high-school sweethearts Noelle McDowell and Thomas Sutton planned to elope--but then he jilted her. This Christmas, Noelle is home to celebrate the holidays, and she and Thom discover they are still in love. Now only the decades-old rivalry between their mothers stands in the way of a second chance together.

THE SNOW BRIDE

It-s a month before Christmas and Jenna Campbell is flying to Alaska to marry a man she met on the Internet--until her seatmate takes it upon himself to change her plans. Which is how Jenna ends up stranded in tiny Snowbound, Alaska, alone with Reid Jamison (plus a bunch of eccentric old men and a few grizzly bears). And then there-s a blizzard.... Maybe she-ll be a Christmas bride after all!

Angels at Christmas ($4.29), is an omnibus in the Angels Everywhere series, containing Those Christmas Angels and Where Angels Go.

Book Description
Every Christmas, three lovable angels visit Earth. Once a year, Shirley, Goodness and Mercy are allowed to intervene (or, more accurately, interfere!) in human affairs. Despite their frequent misadventures and the chaos they often cause, things always seem to turn out right....

This Christmas, join Those Christmas Angels as they respond to Anne Fletcher's prayer request. She wants her son, Roy, to meet a special woman--and the angels contrive to throw Julie Wilcott in his path (literally!).

Watch as the heaven-sent messengers reunite a divorced couple, bring peace of mind to an elderly man and grant a little boy's fondest wish. Because there's always joy Where Angels Go.

Shirley, Goodness and Mercy offer you laughter and Christmas cheer in these two heartwarming stories!

A Gift To Last ($4.58)

Book Description
The best gifts are the ones that don-t come wrapped! Gifts of home, of family and friends, of love...

Can This Be Christmas?

On December 24, a crowded train is taking holiday travelers home for Christmas. But because of a snowstorm, this group of strangers ends up spending Christmas Eve together, stranded in a small New Hampshire station. Despite the cold and discomfort, they create an impromptu celebration that reminds them all what Christmas really means.

Shirley, Goodness and Mercy

Greg Bennett hates Christmas. Divorced, virtually friendless and about to lose his business, he has no time for what he considers sentimental nonsense. It takes three wacky angels to show him the truth. Shirley, Goodness and Mercy shall follow him...until he learns what Christmas is all about!

Leaving the holidays behind, there are still plenty of Debbie Macomber titles on the bargain list currently. Starting off the omnibus volumes is the Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Series ($15.69), which contains the first six novels of her Cedar Cove series in one collection, for one low price! Bundle includes 16 Lighthouse Road, 204 Rosewood Lane, 311 Pelican Court, 44 Cranberry Point, 50 Harbor Street, and 6 Rainier Drive.

Complete the series by picking up Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove Series, Volume 2 ($9.99), which contains books 7-10: 74 Seaside Avenue, 8 Sandpiper Way, 92 Pacific Boulevard and 1022 Evergreen Place.

Book Description
Debbie Macomber's bestselling and beloved Cedar Cove series continues with these four novels! Reconnect with your favorite characters and meet some new friends from this tight-knit community where love and friendship are just around the corner....

Wyoming Brides ($2.81), contains both books in the Wyoming series, at less than the price of just The Wyoming Kid ($3.60).

Book Description
Denim and Diamonds
Rancher Chase Brown has always loved Letty Ellison, but nine years ago she left their small Wyoming town, searching for a different kind of life. Now she's come home to Red Springs with her dreams in tatters--and a five-year-old child in tow. She's ready to trade the false glitter of Hollywood for the true happiness of being a rancher's wife. Chase's wife. But is it too late?

The Wyoming Kid
Rancher Lonny Ellison is an ex-rodeo cowboy who's used to the adulation of women. But that's something he doesn't get from Joy Fuller. In fact, they argue constantly. His sister, Letty, says it's because he's interested in Joy...and Lonny figures she's right. Can he convince Joy that marriage to the Wyoming Kid will be as exciting as an eight-second bull ride and as sweet as the cookies she likes to bake?

The Manning Sisters ($4.33) contains both books in the The Manning Sisters series (Cowboy's Lady & Sheriff Takes a Wife).

Book Description
When Taylor Manning accepts a teaching job in Cougar Point, Montana, she discovers that life there is very different from life in Seattle. So are the men! She soon notices a handsome, opinionated, stubborn rancher named Russ Palmer, and he notices her. In fact, they more than notice each other... After only a few months, Taylor's certain of one thing. Despite their conflicting backgrounds, she'd love to be The Cowboy's Lady.

The first day Christy Manning visits her sister, Taylor, she meets Sheriff Cody Franklin. To Christy's shock--and Cody's--they're immediately attracted to each other. Intensely attracted. There's a problem, though. Christy's engaged to someone else, someone back in Seattle. So what's the solution? See what happens when The Sheriff Takes a Wife...

The Manning Brides ($5.47), contains the first two books in the Manning Sisters series (Marriage Of Inconvenience & Stand-In Wife) and should be read before the next series, below.

Book Description
Rich Manning and Jamie Warren have always been friends and nothing but friends. However, that changes when she asks him to father the child she so desperately wants. Rich agrees if she'll marry him. Because he thinks their Marriage of Inconvenience could become a real marriage instead.

Paul Manning, a grieving widower with three small children, turns to Leah Baker for help and comfort. When that comfort begins to grow into something else, Paul discovers that he wants more than a Stand-In Wife.

The Manning Grooms ($4.96), completes the Manning Sisters series, containing Bride on the Loose & Same Time, Next Year.

Book Description
Jason Manning is content with his life as a bachelor, a slob and a sports fan. Then a precocious girl named Carrie Weston decides to play matchmaker, introducing him to her mother, Charlotte. To his relief, Charlotte is as averse to marriage as he is. But Jason's feelings start to change once he gets to know his Bride on the Loose.

James Wilkens was almost a Manning groom--because he almost married one of the Manning sisters. With that broken engagement behind him, he spends New Year's Eve in Las Vegas...where he meets Summer Lawton. She's just suffered a painful betrayal, and James promises her that in a year, she'll be over it. To prove his point, he makes a date to meet her in Vegas Same Time, Next Year. Except it turns out to be more than a date--it's a wedding!

Orchard Valley Grooms ($5.76) contains the first two in the Orchard Valley series, Valerie & Stephanie.

Book Description
Valerie rushes home to Orchard Valley, Oregon, when her father, David, suffers a heart attack. She and her two younger sisters, Stephanie and Norah, are gathering at his side, praying he'll live, fearing he'll die....

At a time like this, falling in love is the last thing on Valerie's mind. And with Dr. Colby Winston, of all people! He's David's heart surgeon, a renowned specialist who enjoys small-town living, while Valerie is a high-powered businesswoman who prefers city life. They're complete opposites in every way. Yet David keeps insisting she and Colby are a perfect couple.

Meanwhile Stephanie has other worries besides her father's health. She'd fled Orchard Valley three years earlier after her humiliating rejection by local journalist Charles Tomaselli. Now she's home, and it's not long before they begin reliving past battles--and renewing old feelings. He was the reason she left. This time, will he give her a reason to stay? David seems to think so....

Summer on Blossom Street ($3.06) is the sixth in the Blossom Street series.

Book Description
They're both about beginnings--and endings. That's why Lydia Goetz, owner of A Good Yarn on Seattle's Blossom Street, offers a class called Knit to Quit. It's for people who want to quit something--or someone!--and start a new phase of their lives.

First to join is Phoebe Rylander, who's trying to get over a man. Alix Turner and her husband want a baby, so she has to quit smoking. And Bryan Hutchinson needs a way to deal with the stress of running his family's business.

Then there's Lydia's friend Anne Marie Roche. She and her adopted daughter, Ellen, have finally settled into a secure and happy routine--when a stranger appears asking questions.

Meanwhile, Lydia and her husband, Brad, have their hands full with the angry, defiant twelve-year-old who unexpectedly becomes their foster child....

But when your life--and your stitches--get snarled, your friends can always help!

Navy Husband is the sixth (and final) volume in the Navy series.

Book Description
I, Shana Berrie, am my sister's official navy "parenting plan." That means I'm in charge of adorable Jazmine until my sis returns. But-surprise!-nine-year-olds have lots of opinions, including ones on my love life (or lack thereof). Now she's trying to set me up with our family friend, Adam Kennedy. Excuse me-Lieutenant Commander Adam Kennedy. So he's great looking and very helpful (if dictatorial), but I am not in the market for a navy husband.

This Matter Of Marriage ($3.60)

Book Description
The alarm on Hallie's biological clock is buzzing. She's hitting the big three-O and there's no prospect of marriage, no man in sight. Hallie, an organized, goal-setting kind of person, gives herself a year to meet Mr. Knight...In Shining Armor. But all her dates are disasters. (There's the cheapskate and the sex fiend and...well, never mind.)

Too bad she can't just fall for her good-looking neighbor Steve Marris--who's definitely not her type. Anyway, Steve's busy trying to win back his ex-wife, Mary Lynn, who's busy getting married--but not to Steve. Life would be so much simpler if he could fall for someone else. Like...Hallie. They're friends, though--and sometimes friends become lovers. Sometimes friends become more.

Between Friends ($3.60)

Book Description
Debbie Macomber tells the story of a remarkable friendship--and tells it in a remarkable way. Between Friends is a story in which every woman will recognize herself...and her best friend.

The friendship between Jillian Lawton and Lesley Adamski begins in the postwar era of the 1950s. As they grow up, their circumstances, their choices--and their mistakes--take them in virtually opposite directions. Lesley gets pregnant and marries young, living a cramped life defined by the demands of small children, not enough money, an unfaithful husband. Jillian lives those years on a college campus shaken by the Vietnam War and then as an idealistic young lawyer in New York City.

Over the years and across the miles, through marriage, children, divorce and widowhood, Jillian and Lesley remain close, sharing every grief and every joy. There are no secrets between friends....