Book Review: Under Witch Moon

One of the books I've read recently is Under Witch Moon, by Maria E. Schneider, and it had me laughing out loud (much to the consternation of the non-reader driving the car). The story was one it took me a few pages to get into, as I had not been reading much in this genre lately, but once I did, I raced right thru it, past all the twists and turns until the very end. I'm glad to see this one marked as part of the Moon Shadow series, which means, I hope, that I'll be reading more about Adriel in the future.

For a limited time, you can pick this one up at Amazon for $3.99 and those of you with other readers (or who want more format choices and easier access to updates, if they occur), can get it on Smashwords for the same price, using coupon code AC78A. Grab this one before it goes up (although if you miss it, it'll only be going to $4.99)!

Book Description
Adriel should have known that with a werewolf, it never stopped with just one body. She would have gone to the police after witnessing Dolores' death, but she wasn't certain the killer she saw was responsible for the other murders. Besides, the police didn't believe in werewolves, and they weren't going to believe she was a witch either so what could she tell them?

She kept her eyes and ears open while she tried to help her latest client escape the clutches of a voodoo witch, but things went from bad to worse when more bodies turned up. She was greatly relieved when she met White Feather, an undercover cop. Unfortunately, he wasn't convinced she was innocent of all wrong-doing.

It was going to take every spell she knew and a few she hadn't tried to solve the murders and stay alive.

A review copy of this book was provided by the author.

Late Nite Treat for Halloween Readers

Here's a late night freebie for those of you still haunting the internet tonight. Gryphonwood Press's Dark Places- A Gryphonwood Anthology is $0.99 in the Kindle store and is free at Smashwords tonight, using coupon code AD94N during checkout.

Book Description
Dark Places is a collection of short stories with a dark twist. Featuring contributions from Alan Baxter, Jim Bernheimer, Terry W. Ervin II, David Debord, Sherry Thompson, John E. Bailor, Ryan A. Span, and David Wood, Dark Places will take you for a walk on the dark side of fiction.

I just found this free music sampler tonight, as well: Experience Halloween: A Tunecore Music Sampler. I'm not sure how good it is, but is anything scarier sounding than Someone Gave Me Health Food On Halloween?

Darkness Under the Sun ($1.59), by Dean Koontz, is a novella that offers a glimpse of the killer in his upcoming What the Night Knows ($13.61 pre-order).

Book Description
The chilling account of a pivotal encounter between innocence and ultimate malice, Darkness Under the Sun is the perfect read for Halloween—or for any haunted night—and reveals a secret, fateful turning point in the career of Alton Turner Blackwood.

There once was a killer who knew the night, its secrets and rhythms. How to hide within its shadows. When to hunt.

He roamed from town to town, city to city, choosing his prey for their beauty and innocence. His cruelties were infinite, his humanity long since forfeit. But still . . . he had not yet discovered how to make his special mark among monsters, how to come fully alive as Death.

This is the story of how he learned those things, and of what we might do to ensure that he does not visit us.

Bargain Music Roundup

I've been looking into what I can spend my free $3 credit (see this post, if you haven't signed up for yours), since it expires today. In addition to a few good deals in the classical and jazz/blues sections, I found this first one in today's new specials (and I'm getting it first).

The 99 Darkest Pieces of Classical Music ($1.99) from the X5 Music Group contains just over 11 hours of spooky classical music, which is perfect for tonight or reading any of the spooky reads that are on special right now.

If opera is more your style, you'll definitely want to grab 75th Birthday Limited Edition - Luciano Pavarotti (Amazon Exclusive) while it's $2.99, with it's 7 hours of one of the most famous tenors of our time.

Bach: Cello Suites, performed by Jörg Baumann, will use a bit more than your free credit, at $3.99, but it's a bargain price for a solid recording (and as noted by a reviewer, many other recordings are going for much higher prices for not much better performances).

Soul Station (The Rudy van Gelder Edition) ($3.68), by Hank Mobley with Art Blakely, may be a vintage recording, but this album received a near 5 star review average with 45 reviews, so there shouldn't be anything to complain about on sound quality (and definitely not on the performances).

Free For All ($3.68), by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, is another Rudy van Gelder production that one reviewer describes as "my favorite album ever" and again has a near perfect 5-star review rating. My biggest problem in looking thru the Rudy Van Gelder Editions, in fact, was picking out just two to highlight, as there are just so many there and many of them are currently marked down to $3.68. I picked up Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage (The Rudy Van Gelder Edition) when it was on sale a while back, for example, and it's now $8.94, but his Empyrean Isles (The Rudy Van Gelder Edition) is now $3.68. Decisions, decisions....

Picking just one album from Nina Simone is also difficult. Luckily there are several bargains to choose from, ranging from The Lady Has The Blues ($5.00) to Feeling Good Hit Pack ($2.24) to Nina Simone At Town Hall ($4.99), with only one song overlap amongst the three (and it's only on two of them).

Robin Trower's Bridge Of Sighs ($3.68) has been digitally remastered and is described by one reviewer as "stunning". Definitely not one a Trower fan will want to miss.

What's Shakin' ($4.99) may have The Lovin' Spoonful in large type directly below the title, but it's a compilation album that actually includes Eric Clapton & The Powerhouse and has more from The Paul Butterfield Blues Band than any of the other artists.As one reviewer said, "Every 50-something, like myself, should have one and should buy more for each of their children. Then our children would understand why we just never could get into Motley Crue."

Spooky Reads for Halloween

First, a few anthologies for the season and then a number of horror/paranormal themed novels that are deeply discounted. All have good reviews, although the book descriptions are a little sparse.

Best New Zombie Tales, Vol. 1 ($3.19), by Jeff Strand, et al.
Over 100,000 words.
WHC Grand Master Award Winner, Ray Garton
New York Times Best Seller, Jonathan Maberry
Bram Stoker Award Winner, Kealan Patrick Burke
Bram Stoker Award Nominee, Jeff Strand
Edgar Award, Bram Stoker Award Nominee, Bev Vincent
Micro Award Finalist, Robert Swartwood
Emmy Award Nominee, Harry Shannon
British Fantasy Awards Nominee, Gary Mcmahon
Bram Stoker Award Winner, Kim Paffenroth

Best New Zombie Tales, Vol. 2 ($2.99), by Rio Youers, et al.
Bram Stoker Award Winner, David Niall Wilson
British Fantasy Award Nominee, Rio Youers
Bram Stoker Award Nominee, Nate Kenyon
Multiple Award Winning Author, Cody Goodfellow
Authorlink New Author Award Winner, Tim Waggoner
George Turner Prize Nominee, Narrelle M. Harris
Bram Stoker Award Winner, John Everson
Pulitzer Prize, Bram Stoker Nominee, Mort Castle

The Undead: Zombie Anthology ($2.99), by David Wellington, et al.

Book Description
THE UNDEAD is a stunning collection of 23 tales of the living dead by zombie fan favorites and up-and-coming authors. The Undead includes classic tales of survival in a world populated by the living dead as well as an array of unique takes on the zombie genre: zombies as reality entertainment, glimpses from inside the "life" of the undead, intergalactic war with humanity's own dead turned against us, and everything in between. The Undead will leave zombie fans hungry for more!

COVENANT ($0.99), by John Everson
In a small town with a strange history of teen suicides, a group of five women have made a pact with a demon and must sacrifice their firstborn.

Siren ($2.99), by John Everson
Evan is entranced by the alluring song of the beautiful naked woman he saw in the surf one lonely night. But this is no mere seductress. She is a siren, one of the legendary sea creatures who prey on unsuspecting men. And she has claimed Evan as her next lover.

Pressure ($2.99), by Jeff Strand
Darren and Alex were best friends when they were kids. But now Darren has become murderously insane. He’s determined to have his old pal Alex team up with him on a killing spree—and he won’t take no for an answer.

Dweller ($2.99), by Jeff Strand
Young Toby’s only friend is a humanoid creature who will do anything for him, including killing his enemies.

Savage ($0.99), by Richard Laymon

Book Description
A teenage boy witnesses Jack the Ripper’s last brutal murder and chases the murderer across the sea to New York City, then across the American West.

Dead Sea ($0.99), by Brian Keene
In Dead Sea, a virus called Hamelin’s Revenge causes the dead to rise as zombies. Barricaded inside his decrepit row-home in Baltimore’s inner-city, Lamar Reed watches as civilization collapses. When a fire decimates much of the city, Lamar is forced to flee. He becomes the reluctant guardian of two children, and the three of them, along with other survivors, ultimately take shelter aboard a Coast Guard vessel. But even the ocean proves to be unsafe in a world where humans aren’t the only ones coming back from the dead..

Dark Hollow ($2.99), by Brian Keene
Dark Hollow is the story of Adam Senft, a mid-list mystery novelist who, along with his neighbors, becomes a blue-collar Van Helsing when a satyr is unleashed upon their unsuspecting neighborhood. To keep the creature from menacing their wives, Adam and his friends must learn a rustic, rural form of magic known as pow-wow.

You can also read the serial version of DELUGE: THE CONQUEROR WORMS II online free on the author's website.

BRIDES OF THE IMPALER ($0.99), by Edward Lee

Book Description
The nuns in a NYC convent are actually vampires intent on resurrecting Dracula himself!

BLOODSTONE ($0.99), by Nate Kenyon

Book Description
Something evil has taken root in White Falls and has waited centuries for the right time to awaken.

Night Souls ($0.99), by L.H. Maynard & M. P. N. Sims

Book Description
Department 18 takes on the Breathers, the species of psychic-sexual vampires from Demon Eyes, and gets caught between warring factions-one wants to coexist peacefully with humans and the other wants only to feed off them until humanity is wiped out.

Wolf's Gambit ($0.99), by Wolf's Gambit

Book Description
A direct sequel to Wolf's Trap. Nick Lupo, the werewolf/cop, is back to track a serial killer and battle a pack of bloodthirsty werewolves intent on infiltrating his town.

SOULTAKER ($0.99), by Bryan Smith

Book Description
Rockville, TN, seems like a normal small town. But in reality it’s become a nest of evil, the home of the Lamia, an ancient shape-shifting creature that survives by harvesting souls through seduction and manipulation. The Lamia has managed to enslave many of the young men in town, and many of the young women have become her priestesses.

Get $3 in Free MP3's at Amazon

Want some free music? Amazon is giving everyone three dollars to spend in the MP3 store this weekend. All you have to do is go to the Redemption page, click on the Enter Your Code button, enter the promotion code STUDENT3 and you'll get $3 to spend on MP3's at Amazon. The only catch? You have to use it this weekend. Still, that's $3 off an album or three free singles to celebrate Halloween! It's definitely enough for the Best Of Classics IV, with Dennis Yost's rendition of that seasonable favorite, Spooky, as it's currently marked at $1.99 for the album, or The 99 Most Essential Mendelssohn Masterpieces (Amazon Exclusive) at $2.49.

While you decide, here are some other albums you can pick up, all free of charge:

• Chacra World Music Holiday Sampler
• Tru Thoughts Jazz MP3 Sampler
• X5 Free Sampler - Classical Soundtracks
• Mexican Summer Vol. 1
• Burning Building Fall 2010 Sampler for Amazon
• Young God Amazon Sampler
• Sarathan Records Sunset Sampler
• Americana Music Awards Sampler
• Robots Vs. Indie Queens
• Projekt: afar
• Experience Music: A Tunecore Music Sampler

Free Book - Trollslayer

Trollslayer, by William King, the first in his Warhammer : Gotrek and Felix series, is this week's free book from The Black Library. Just as with last week's selection, this is an out of print paperback that has just been introduced in ebook form (and isn't in the Kindle store). You can, however, read it on your Kindle by downloading the DRM-free Mobi version from the website below (click with your Kindle and it should load automatically).

If you want more of the series, you can get Gotrek & Felix: The First Omnibus from Amazon for $10.07, which contains this and the next two titles in the series, Skavenslayer (1999) and Daemonslayer (1999), as well as Gotrek & Felix: The Second Omnibus ($7.91) and Gotrek & Felix: The Third Omnibus ($10.07), each containing three volumes. After those nine, it looks like Nathan Long has taken over as author (he's a co-author on the third omnibus) and the prices go up). All are paper copies, as none of the Warhammer books are available on Kindle, that I can find.

Book Description
After fleeing the authorities in the Imperial city of Altdorf, Felix Jaeger swears a drunken oath to dour dwarf Gotrek Gurnisson to record his death saga. In the cold light of day, Felix's worst fears are confirmed as he learns that Gotrek is a Trollslayer - a dwarf doomed to seek out a heroic death in battle to atone for an unknown personal disgrace. Their travels throw them into a string of extraordinary adventures as Felix tries to survive his companion's destiny.

Click HERE for the free book; you can choose between the EPUB and MOBI formats and both are DRM-Free! While you are there, be sure to pick up the previous weeks' books, as well, as they are still available.

Two Free Short Stories from Rainbow EBooks

This weekend's two free gay-themed downloads from Rainbow EBooks are both short stories and both are PDF only and are free reads for Halloween Weekend only.

The Kiss of Death, by Victor J. Banis
Which is the bigger crime: murder, or not being true to yourself?

Rhiannon, by Neil Plakcy
In a bar in Miami, Junior falls for a woman who seems to have the right combination of mystery and allure. What he's about to find out is that Rhiannon has more secrets than he knows.

Update on Kandle and Great Battery Price

Well, it looks like we sold Amazon out of the Black Kandles, although you can still order the White ones. I don't expect these to last much longer, either, so grab them while they are there.

In the meantime, though, I searched thru the listings for the CR2032 batteries that these use. I also have several other items that use this same battery, so I thought I might stock up on a few extras. There are a number of generic bargains, such as SE CR2032 Lithium Battery, Package of 5 (5 Packs) ($6.39) or Powertron Lithium CR2032 (Pack of 25) ($8.19). The biggest problem with these generics, according to the reviews, seems to be a small number that show up already drained and that sometimes they are just loose in bags, rather than in blister packs. On the other hand, at $1.28 to to $1.69 a 5-pack, having a few bad ones in the bunch is still cheaper than the typical prices in retail stores.

If you want to stay with the name brands, the most expensive seems to be Energizer, which even in a 100 pack runs $44.49. But there are some good deals on Maxell, it seems, with a Package of 5 at $2.49 or a box of 100 for $32.05 (both with free shipping), which works out to about $1.60 a five-pack.

Update: Note that these battery prices seem to change quickly and vary by seller; if one sells out, you may get a price from a different vendor, even on the same ASIN/part number.

Update #2: I'll put this note on both posts about the Kandle. The 60% off on the second Kandle when buying two is now gone (as well as the Black Kandles being sold out). The promotion code (KANDLELT) is still working for $12.50 off when you buy two or more, so they are now effectively 1/2 price (2/$25, 3/$37.50, 4/$50 etc). Still a good deal, but nothing like the wonderful deal yesterday (when literally thousands were sold, if the response from other blog's readers were anything like the response to my blog posts).

Kindle Kandle - Two for $10

This is a terrific deal on a good reading light, for those that don't have the lighted cover (which only works with the Kindle 3). The Kandle LED Book Light in White normally sells for $25 apiece (which is what I paid for mine), discounted from a list price of $39.99. One thing that I really liked about this light was that it folded up, so it fits easily into a purse or briefcase and doesn't get tangled up with the other items you are carrying. At the same time, you don't have the extra weight all the time (like with the Sony lighted case).

On the product page there is an automatic discount if you order two of 60% off the second item, which works out to $15, resulting in a two for $35 deal. However, for a limited time, you can get those two reading lights for $10 (and yes, you have to buy two), buy adding the promotion code KANDLELT during checkout, in the box underneath where it says "Do you have any promotional claim codes?".

You must first add two of the Kandles to your cart (don't use one-click checkout or passphrase checkout), then click on Edit Your Cart (make sure your quantity is 2), then click on Proceed to Checkout. Enter the promotional code and click on Apply. Then check your Order Summary box in the top, right corner. You should now see the two promotions, one for $15 off that second Kindle and now $25 off the first one (effectively free) and an Order Total of $10.00 (you do have free Prime, right? If not, get three month's free by signing up for the Amazon Mom program). You can then place your order they should show up first thing next week.

But, wait a second, you say - my Kindle 3 is in black and I want one too? No problem, this promotion also works on the new Kandle LED Book Light in Black. Both the white and black versions have been updated with newer LED's (but my older one was fine for reading, so I look forward to seeing the difference) and come with two sets of batteries, so you don't have to worry about those for a while.

Update: Just a note to let you know that if you have a gift certificate balance on your account, you do have to use it in order to use this or any other promotion (don't change your default payment unless it's just to change credit cards). Also, you can order any number of the black and white Kandles on the same order and if you have at least two and use the promotion code, you'll pay $5 each. Which means you can order 2, 3 or any larger quantity, not just multiples of 2 per color.

Update #2: I'll put this note on both posts about the Kandle. The 60% off on the second Kandle when buying two is now gone (as well as the Black Kandles being sold out). The promotion code (KANDLELT) is still working for $12.50 off when you buy two or more, so they are now effectively 1/2 price (2/$25, 3/$37.50, 4/$50 etc). Still a good deal, but nothing like the wonderful deal yesterday (when literally thousands were sold, if the response from other blog's readers were anything like the response to my blog posts).

Product Description
The perfect accessory for any eBook, the Kandle by Ozeri is designed for the Amazon Kindle 1, 2, and DX, Sony Reader Digital Books, and other eBook Readers. Newly updated in July 2010 with improved lighting, the Kandle by Ozeri features a new patent pending design that attaches to eBooks and printed books without blocking the screen or page. It also boasts double pivoting arms that allow for easy positioning and adjustment to tailor the screen illumination. The Main Pivoting Arm rotates 90 degrees from its closed position, and the Upper Pivoting Arm rotates another 70 degrees for complete customization. Unlike other eBook lights, the Kandle by Ozeri is powered by two lifetime x2 LEDs that are optimized to distribute light evenly without creating glare or eyestrain. Petite and light, the Kandle by Ozeri is ultra portable and folds into a closed position where the LEDs are fully protected from scratches or breakage. Ships with 2 CR2032 batteries installed, a bonus set of extra batteries, and a protective pouch included.

• New patent-pending "WideLip" grip that does not block the screen on the Kindle, Sony Reader and other eBook readers.
• Newly updated in July 2010 with increased brightness, the Kandle is powered by two lifetime X2 LEDs optimized to distribute uniform light without creating glare or eyestrain (batteries included).
• Double pivoting arms allows for easy positioning and adjustment for tailored screen illumination.
• WideLip grip attaches to books without blocking text on the page, and works perfectly as a stable, free-standing night light.
• Ships with 2 CR2032 batteries installed, a bonus set of extra batteries, and a protective pouch included.

Bargain Book Roundup

It's the end of the month, so the free books seem to be slowing down for a bit. I'm going to try to get caught up on some more of the bargains I've found in the last few days.

Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare ($1.99 Kindle, B&N and Kobo), by Darren Shan, the first in the Saga of Darren Shan, has good reviews and I've seen good things about the movie, Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (which is now out on DVD and Blu-ray), as well.

Book Description
In the tradition of Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot, Cirque Du Freak is the frightening saga of a young boy whose visit to a mysterious freak show leads him on a journey into a dark world of vampires. Filled with grotesque creatures, murderous vampires, and a petrifying ending, Cirque Du Freak will chill, thrill, and leave readers begging for more.

Blue Moon ($2.99 Kindle, B&N and Kobo), by Lori Handeland. Thanks to a reader for a tip on this one; I've already added it to my Kindle bookshelf.

Book Description
Miniwa, Wisconsin is under siege, but not by the usual summer tourists. The area's normally shy wolf population has begun stalking human prey, and their victims have been disappearing...or worse. Something is happening in the woods. Something brutal and primitive...

Officer Jessie McQuade has seen plenty in her years on the force-but nothing as intriguing as the gorgeous, naked man she encounters while tracking a rogue wolf. Professor Will Cadotte is a Native American activist. He's also the only man capable of distracting Jessie from her work. And for a cop, distraction-no matter how pleasurable-can be deadly. It's against Jessie's better judgment to accept Will's help in her investigation, yet she soon finds herself doing exactly that-and more. Will's dark, penetrating eyes see into a part of Jessie's soul she never knew existed. It's exhilarating...and terrifying.

Now, as a town's deepest secrets come to light, no one is safe: not friends, lovers, or strangers. And as Jessie follows a bloody trail to the shocking truth, she'll have to decide who she can trust when the moon is full...

Ain't Too Proud to Beg ($2.99 Kindle, B&N and Kobo), by Susan Donovan

Book Description
Josie Sheehan collects failed relationships the way some women collect designer handbags. Now, at thirty-five, she has exactly one male in her life: her Labradoodle, Genghis. In fact Josie, along with the three very single women in her dog-walking group, has recently sworn off men, resigning herself to long walks in the park with her devoted, four-legged friend.

All bets are off, however, when she meets Rick Rousseau, a pet-company CEO who is smart, sexy, and, best of all, head-over-heels for Josie. Even Genghis, an excellent judge of character, seems to know that Rick is the real deal. But just when Josie starts to think that she has found something more enduring than puppy love, she discovers that Rick has a complicated past—and a secret that could put the woman he loves in serious danger...

The Quiche of Death ($2.99), by M. C. Beaton, is the first in the Agatha Raisin series, several of which have been offered as bargain reads in recent months.

Book Description
Putting all her eggs in one basket, Agatha Raisin gives up her successful PR firm, sells her London flat, and samples a taste of early retirement in the quiet village of Carsely. Bored, lonely and used to getting her way, she enters a local baking contest: Surely a blue ribbon for the best quiche will make her the toast of the town. But her recipe for social advancement sours when Judge Cummings-Browne not only snubs her entry—but falls over dead! After her quiche's secret ingredient turns out to be poison, she must reveal the unsavory truth…

Agatha has never baked a thing in her life! In fact, she bought her entry ready-made from an upper crust London quicherie. Grating on the nerves of several Carsely residents, she is soon receiving sinister notes. Has her cheating and meddling landed her in hot water, or are the threats related to the suspicious death? It may mean the difference between egg on her face and a coroner's tag on her toe…

Amazing Women: Inspirational Stories ($2.99), by Charles Margerison

Book Description
Who was the first woman to qualify as a doctor? Who is the only woman to have won two Nobel Prizes? Explore these and other amazing stories in Amazing Women. In this unique story collection from The Amazing People Club, the real lives of iconic women including Coco Chanel, Sojourner Truth, Maria Montessori, Eva Peron and Helen Keller come to life. Understand their real lives and challenges and be inspired by what they did and how they achieved it. This is a must-read for every woman seeking inspiration. Meetsome of the world's most amazing women through BioViews®.

A BioView® is a short biographical story, similar to an interview. These unique stories provide an easy way of learning about amazing people who made major contributions to our world and can help you achieve your ambitions in your journey through life.

Remember the Alamo ($2.99), by William W. Johnstone

Book Description
The Battle of the Alamo is about to be fought all over again!
William J. Johnstone, the author of Vengeance is Mine, Invasion USA, and Invasion USA: Border War, sounds another wake-up call with his latest action-packed novel set on America's most dangerous battleground: its own border.

Remember The Alamo
Only career politicians could dream up a politically correct stunt like this. Courting the growing Hispanic community that keeps them in office, the geniuses in charge in San Antonio decide to grant temporary dominion over the Alamo to the Mexican government. That doesn't sit too well with Gulf War vet Phil Cody, who remembers his history and holds his heritage dear.

With veterans from wars as far back as WWII--Cody organizes an outraged but nonviolent protest on the day of the handover. But word comes from Mexico that the reconquistadors--anti-American extremists determined to reassert Mexican control over the southwestern U.S. by the bloodiest means necessary--are planning to take over the Alamo permanently, and Cody's plan turns decidedly un-peaceful.

Despite ample warning, the American authorities twiddling their thumbs when the reconquistadors make their move, leaving it up to Cody and his band of patriots to protect the Alamo--who are seriously outnumbered and outgunned by the enemy just as Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, and their men were on March 6, 1836. Left out to dry by their own government, history repeats itself as Americans are once again besieged within those hallowed walls and forced to take a stand against the might of the ruthless reconquistadors.

When this battle is over, America will have a new reason to Remember The Alamo.

Ordinary World ($2.99), by Elisa Lorello, is a pre-order from the author of Faking It, published by AmazonEncore. I know a lot of these end up being $7.99 by the time they are published, so if you enjoyed her earlier work, be sure to order this one now. You could grab the edition that is already out, but this one will have gone thru the editing process with AmazonEncore, so I suspect it'll be a better read. Then again, you could get both and read it now and again next March!

Book Description
Readers who fell in love with Andi Cutrone in Elisa Lorello’s first novel, Faking It, can now join Andi on a new journey in which she faces a challenge unlike any she has ever known. Ordinary World begins six years after Lorello’s first installment left off: Andi is blissfully married, works as a recently tenured professor at Northampton University, and is a published author. Life is ideal—until her husband’s death in a senseless accident shatters Andi’s world, plunging her into a gulf of depression and grief. Her family and friends do what that they can to ease her anguish, but no one seems to have the right words to heal Andi’s pain. On the advice of a friend, she travels to Italy to escape and unexpectedly runs into the man who once helped her discover her authentic self. As their friendship is renewed, Andi finally begins to heal, daring to hope that someday she will be happy again. Both wrenching and uplifting, Ordinary World is a moving tale of love and loss, joy and sorrow, heartbreak and hope.

Stormjammers: The Extraordinary Story of Electronic Warfare Operations in the Gulf War ($2.99), by Robert Stanek

Book Description
When the U.S. went to war in Iraq during the first Gulf War, Robert Stanek was there. He lived and breathed combat from the opening days of the war to its end and beyond. In this book, this bestselling author chronicles the military life, his experiences in the war with vivid accounts of combat training before the war, reflections on life, family, duty, honor, and love, and remembrances of combat missions into the heart of Baghdad.

Candid and fast-paced like the best combat memoirs, Stanek focuses on the men and women he flew with, telling their stories as well as his own and creating what is ultimately an inspiring and uplifting story of the human spirit challenged by the agony and terror of war. Based on the inspiring true story, this is the only book about electronic warfare operations in Iraq written by a military flyer who was there.

Robert Stanek's experiences in the Gulf War changed his life and helped drive his successful career as a writer and entrepreneur. To date, he has written and had published over 100 books. His books are sold all over the world and have been translated into many languages. His distinguished accomplishments during the Gulf War earned him nine medals, including our nation-s highest flying honor, the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Shaken (with Bonus Content) ($2.99), by J.A. Konrath, the seventh in his Jack Daniels series, has been released by AmazonEncore this week and, so far, it's still at a bargain price, as is Shot of Tequila and the short story collection Jack Daniels Stories. In fact, it isn't until the third page of his book listings at Amazon that you'll find one over $2.99, which is part of the success story of this traditionally published author turned indie.

Book Description
This Bonus Content Edition includes the full text of Shaken plus an alternate, chronologically linear version of the book which allows readers to choose their own reading experience.

Since her debut in Whiskey Sour, Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels has dealt with her fair share of criminals. But she may have finally met her match in “Mr. K,” the brutal serial killer who has eluded Jack not once, but twice, over the years. Mr. K is the essence of evil, credited with more than two hundred horrific homicides. Now, on a hot August night, Jack finally gets the chance to face the maniac—unfortunately, she must do so while bound and gagged in a storage locker, primed to be his next victim. As she awaits her fate, Jack looks back on her career, from her first homicide case to her recent retirement. The twenty-five years in between saw Jack’s attitude toward justice, the law, her job, and her personal life shift drastically. She is a different woman now…but is she good enough to stop a madman? Novelist J. A. Konrath’s trademark blend of suspense and wry humor are on full display in this tense thriller, a gripping tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Gateways ($2.99 Kindle and Kobo), by F. Paul Wilson, is the sixth in his Repairman Jack series.

Book Description
Following last year's successful The Haunted Air, F. Paul Wilson returns with another riveting episode in the saga of Repairman Jack, the secretive, ingenious, and heroic champion of those whose problems no one else can solve. As Dean Koontz says, "Repairman Jack is one of the most original and intriguing characters to arise out of contemporary fiction in ages. His adventures are hugely entertaining."

In Gateways, Jack learns that his father is in a coma after a car accident in Florida. They've been on the outs, but this is his dad, so he heads south. In the hospital he meets Anya, one of his father's neighbors. She's a weird old duck who seems to know an awful lot about his father, and even a lot about Jack.

Jack's arrival does not go unnoticed. A young woman named Semelee, who has strange talents and lives in an isolated area of the Everglades with a group of misshapen men, feels his presence. She senses that he's "special," like her.

Anya takes Jack back to Dad's senior community, Gateways South, which borders on the Everglades. Florida is going through an unusual drought. There's a ban on watering; everything is brown and wilting, but Anya's lawn is a deep green.

Who is Anya? Who is Semelee, and what is her connection to the recent strange deaths of Gateways residents-killed by birds, spiders, and snakes-during the past year? And what are the "lights" Jack keeps hearing about-? Lights that emanate twice a year from a sinkhole deep in the Everglades . . . lights from another place, another reality.

If he is to protect his father from becoming the next fatality at Gateways, there are questions Jack must answer, secrets he must uncover. Secrets . . . Jack has plenty of his own, and along the way he learns that even his father has secrets.

Free Audiobook - Horus Rising

Update: This one is only a "sample", disc 1 of the set, which I didn't see when I first posted it.

It isn't yet Friday and it isn't an ebook, but The Black Library has an audiobook now posted on their free download site, Horus Rising ($19.77 CD pre-order), by Dan Abnet, the first in the The Horus Heresy series. This is an abridged version and runs 1:13 in length. Like the other offerings from The Black Library (which has just dipped their toes into ebook publishing), this one isn't available on Kindle; this audiobook, though, will work on it just fine.

Book Description
After thousands of years of expansion and conquest, the human Imperium is at its height. His dream for humanity accomplished, the Emperor hands over the reins of power to his Warmaster, Horus, and heads back to Terra. But is Horus strong enough to control his fellow commanders and continue the Emperor's grand design, or will such incredible power corrupt him?

Click HERE to get the free download.

Free Book (EPUB) - Last-Minute Halloween Costumes and Projects

LifeHacker has a free download of Last-Minute Halloween Costumes and Projects, from DIY haven Instructables, today (and today, only). It's in EPUB format and about 24 MB in size, but no DRM, so you can convert to the format of your choice. I glanced thru the book and I may just have to try out the Melon Brains instructions next week. When you read thru the book, there are also more links to other food projects on the web.

Book Description
There are great, cheap, creative costumes to be had in DIY Halloween, including a "Kidnapped Mermaid," a 3-armed mutant baby get-up for your little one, cardboard armor and its logical Boba Fett extreme, Lady Gaga costumes, and a DIY Iron Man Arc Reactor for all your Tony-Stark-on-his-off-day needs. There's also a whole bunch of projects that will make for great decorations, and a good batch of Halloween-themed snacks and (literal) finger foods. It's fun stuff with an eye toward creativity and can-do.

Click HERE to get to their download page, then on the "direct epub link" lower down on the screen.

Free Book - All The Right Reasons

All The Right Reasons, by Sandy James, has been marked down to 99 cents in the Kindle store, but is free direct from AllRomanceEbooks. This is the third in her Damaged Heroes series and is a fairly long novel, at 113,000 words (the rest of the series is $4.79/title on Kindle).

Book Description
Can love heal all wounds? Lucas Mitchell returned from Iraq a bitter, changed man, wracked with guilt over his friend's death. He buys an old mansion and deals with his injuries and grief by restoring his new home and rehabilitating retired racehorses.

Joy Kovacs falls in love with Lucas at first sight. Descended from gypsies who are still influenced by the lingering effects of the Holocaust, her family follows the traditional ways. A husband has already been selected for her, and her father insists she work at their ethnic restaurant. But Joy wants to use her talent and be an artist, and she wants no one but Lucas.

How can Joy find a way to help Lucas break out of his prison of grief? Although they've committed their hearts to each other, can the growing love and passion between Lucas and Joy survive her family's insistence that she marry within her culture?

Click HERE to get the free book. There is no DRM, so the mobi/prc format will work on your Kindle and it or the LIT format are easily converted for other ereader devices. If you want more than one format, you'll have to buy it more than once, as once you download, the format becomes locked in.

Free Book (Sony) - Purgatory

The latest in the Star Wars-Lost Tribe of the Sith series is out, #5: Purgatory, by John Jackson Miller, and Sony has beat everyone else to the punch. So far, they are the only ones listing this one and, as usual, it's a free download.

Book Description
The mighty Sith dynasty founded on the planet Kesh by the survivors of the shipwrecked Omen has endured for a thousand years -- and so has the merciless Sith code, which prizes power above all else. Lady Orielle Kitai enjoys power as the scion of a noble family and member of the elite Sith Sabers. But Lillia Venn, as reigning Grand Lord of the Sith, possesses absolute power . . . and is determined to keep it.

When a failed regicide sparks a political -- and literal -- bloodbath, and suspicion falls on Orielle, she is swiftly condemned to slavery by the ruthless Grand Lord Venn. But seeing the cunning power play for what it is, Orielle vows to strike back. And at the ramshackle home of a poor dirt farmer with an astounding secret, she discovers the means to make her vengeance a devastating reality.

Update: You can get the PDF from the Suvudu Library, HERE.

Bargain Book Roundup

There are a number of books being discounted by some of the big publishers this month, in addition to the freebies that they have been flooding the stores with. The prices are generally the same in all the stores for those in the US, although Sony is sometimes slow to implement a price drop and Kobo doesn't seem to have all of these on it's digital shelves.

Gone, Baby, Gone with Bonus Content ($1.99 Kindle & B&N), by Dennis Lehane, author of Shutter Island ($9.99), is the fourth in his Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro series and contains a preview of his upcoming Moonlight Mile ($12.99 pre-order).

Book Description
The tough neighborhood of Dorchester is no place for the innocent or the weak. A territory defined by hard heads and even harder luck, its streets are littered with the detritus of broken families, hearts, dreams. Now, one of its youngest is missing. Private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro don't want the case. But after pleas from the child's aunt, they open an investigation that will ultimately risk everything—their relationship, their sanity, and even their lives—to find a little girl-lost.

Street Magic ($2.99 Kindle, B&N & Kobo), by Caitlin Kittredge, is the first in her Black London series.

Book Description
Her name is Pete Caldecott. She was just sixteen when she met Jack Winter, a gorgeous, larger-than-life mage who thrilled her with his witchcraft. Then a spirit Jack summoned killed him before Pete’s eyes—or so she thought. Now a detective, Pete is investigating the case of a young girl kidnapped from the streets of London. A tipster’s chilling prediction has led police directly to the child…but when Pete meets the informant, she’s shocked to learn he is none other than Jack. Strung out on heroin, Jack a shadow of his former self. But he’s able to tell Pete exactly where Bridget’s kidnappers are hiding: in the supernatural shadow-world of the fey. Even though she’s spent years disavowing the supernatural, Pete follows Jack into the invisible fey underworld, where she hopes to discover the truth about what happened to Bridget—and what happened to Jack on that dark day so long ago…

The Magic of Recluce ($2.99 Kindle, B&N & Kobo), by L. E. Modesitt, Jr., the first in the Recluce series.

Book Description
With The Magic of Recluce, L.E. Modesitt made his impressive hardcover debut, breaking out in wide scope and grand scale with a novel in the great tradition of the war between good and evil in a wonderful fantasy world. Modesitt had been producing fast-paced, slickly-written novels of SF adventure, often compared to the work of Keith Laumer and Gordon R. Dickson. Then, in his biggest and best book yet, he broadened his canvas and turned to fantasy and magic, stepping immediately into the front rank of contemporary fantasy writers.

The Magic of Recluce is a carefully-plotted fantasy novel of character about the growth and education of a young magician. In it, Modesitt confronts real moral issues with gripping force, builds atmosphere slowly and convincingly and gives his central character, Lerris, real intellectual challenges. This is the kind of highly-rationalized fantasy that Poul Anderson and Gordon R. Dickson write when they write fantasy, colorful and detailed.

He is given the standard two options: permanent exile from Recluce or the dangergeld, a complex, rule-laden wanderjahr in the lands beyond Recluce with the aim of learning how the world works and what his place in it might be. Many do not survive. He chooses dangergeld.

Though magic is rarely discussed openly in Recluce, it becomes clear, when Lerris is sent into intensive training for his quest, that he has a natural talent for it during his weapons lessons. And he will need magic in the lands beyond, where the power of the Chaos Wizards reigns unchecked. He must learn to use his powers in an orderly way or fall prey to Chaos.

Lerris may resent order, but he has no difficulty choosing good over evil. As he begins his lonely journey, he falls into the company of a gray magician, once of Recluce, who tutors him in the use of magic and shows him some of the devastation caused by the Chaos Wizards in the great wars between Chaos and Order of past times.

Lerris pursues a quest for knowledge and power that leads him across strange lands, through the ghostly ruins of the old capitol of Chaos, down the white roads of the Chaos Wizards to a final battle with the archenemy of Order, discovering in the end true control of magic, true love, and the beginning of true wisdom. An epic adventure, The Magic of Recluce0, is a triumph of fantasy.

Glazed Murder ($2.99 Kindle, B&N & Kobo), by Jessica Beck, is the first in her Donut Shop Mystery series.

Book Description
Meet Suzanne Hart, owner and operator of Donut Hearts coffee shop in April Springs, North Carolina. After her divorce from Max, an out-of-work actor she’s dubbed “The Great Impersonator,” Suzanne decided to pursue her one true passion in life: donuts. So she cashed in her settlement and opened up shop in the heart of her beloved hometown.

But when a dead body is dumped on her doorstep like a sack of flour, Suzanne’s cozy little shop becomes an all-out crime scene. Now, everyone in town is dropping by for glazed donuts and gruesome details. The retired sheriff warns her to be careful—and they’re all suspects. Soon Suzanne—who finds snooping as irresistible as donuts—is poking holes in everyone’s alibis…

Demons Not Included ($2.99 Kindle, B&N & Kobo), by Cheyenne McCray, is the first in her Night Tracker series.

Book Description
Meet Nyx. This half-human, half–Drow private eye investigates paranormal crimes by day and is an elite Tracker of demons by night. She prefers working solo—and playing rough. So when a terrifying force starts murdering innocent humans and paranorms, and leaving strange demonic symbols burned into their buildings, it’s a case Nyx takes very personally…

Meanwhile, Nyx’s fellow Trackers are being killed one by one—and a sexy new Tracker named Torin is shadowing her every move. Torin has powers Nyx can’t read, and sometimes she wonders whose side he’s on. Nyx’s instincts tell her something’s brewing in the city’s meanest supernatural streets, and that it’s ready to unleash hell on Earth. Who can she trust? Now it’s five minutes to permanent midnight…and Nyx’s last chance means risking everything—even her own life.

Fledgling ($2.99 Kindle, B&N & Kobo), by Octavia Butler

Book Description
Octavia Butler's first new novel in seven years, is the story of an apparently young, amnesiac girl whose alarmingly unhuman needs and abilities lead her to a startling conclusion: She is in fact a genetically modified, 53-year-old vampire. Forced to discover what she can about her stolen former life, she must at the same time learn who wanted-and still wants-to destroy her and those she cares for and how she can save herself.

Mr. Shivers ($2.99 Kindle, B&N & Kobo), by Robert Jackson Bennett

Book Description
It is the time of the Great Depression.

Thousands have left their homes looking for a better life, a new life. But Marcus Connelly is not one of them. He searches for one thing, and one thing only. Revenge.

Because out there, riding the rails, stalking the camps, is the scarred vagrant who murdered Connelly's daughter. No one knows him, but everyone knows his name: Mr. Shivers.

In this extraordinary debut, Robert Jackson Bennett tells the story of an America haunted by murder and desperation. A world in which one man must face a dark truth and answer the question-how much is he willing to sacrifice for his satisfaction?

Black And Blue: The Golden Arm, The Robinson Boys, And The 1966 World Series That Stunned America ($2.99 Kindle, B&N & Kobo), by Tom Adelman

Book Description
The most surprising World Series ever? Many baseball fans would agree that it was the epic 1966 clash between the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the perennial underdog Baltimore Orioles.

The godlike Sandy Koufax had led the Dodgers to victory in two previous World Series, and had finished the season with twenty-seven wins, a personal best. Few outside Baltimore gave the Orioles - slugger Frank Robinson leading a young team of no-name kids and promising prospects - more than a fighting chance against such series veterans as Koufax, Don Drysdale, Maury Wills, and the rest. Experts were betting that Los Angeles would sweep it in four. What transpired instead astonished the nation, as the greatest pitching performance in World Series history capped a redemption beyond imagining.