Fun and Games (
$1.99), the first in the
Charlie Hardie series by Duane Swierczynski, is the Kindle Deal of the day. If you start reading now, you'll be ready for the second in the series,
Hell and Gone, when it arrives on Halloween Day and you only have to wait until May to get the third title,
Point and Shoot.
Book Description
The first of three explosive pulp thrillers arriving back-to-back from cult crime fiction sensation and Marvel Comics scribe Duane Swierczynski.
Charlie Hardie, an ex-cop still reeling from the revenge killing of his former partner's entire family, fears one thing above all else: that he'll suffer the same fate.
Languishing in self-imposed exile, Hardie has become a glorified house sitter. His latest gig comes replete with an illegally squatting B-movie actress who rants about hit men who specialize in making deaths look like accidents. Unfortunately, it's the real deal. Hardie finds himself squared off against a small army of the most lethal men in the world: The Accident People.
It's nothing personal-the girl just happens to be the next name on their list. For Hardie, though, it's intensely personal. He's not about to let more innocent people die. Not on his watch.
Molding of a Champion ($9.99 Kindle;
$3.30 B&N), by Dr. Gregory Jantz, is the Nook Daily Find.
Book Description
Today's culture puts a tremendous emphasis on being competitive-- being a winner in life, in a career, and in a perfect relationship. The pressure to succeed can be one of the toughest aspects of growing up for young people in this success-driven society.
From his base in the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Gregg Jantz, over the last two decades, has cemented his reputation as one of the country's finest psychologists. His particular passion is seeing young people become everything God intends them to be. In this remarkable new book, Dr. Jantz shares a wealth of wisdom for parents to help shape their child's future in a successful, and faith-strengthening way. Going beyond the standard strategies into a unique perspective drawn from his years of experience in professional practice, along with his own parenting journey, Dr. Jantz offers workable solutions for relationships, drug and alcohol addictions, body image struggles, and living life with purpose.
What It Was (
$0.99 pre-order), by George Pelecanos, was available at this price on Aug 30, but quickly disappeared. It looks like the full book, so I'd grab it now, before it vanishes again or the price goes up (I suspect it will be $9.99 once the release date nears, if not by tomorrow).
Book Description
Washington, D.C., 1972. Derek Strange has left the police department and set up shop as a private investigator. His former partner, Frank "Hound Dog" Vaughn, is still on the force. When a young woman comes to Strange asking for his help recovering a cheap ring she claims has sentimental value, the case leads him onto Vaughn's turf, where a local drug addict's been murdered, shot point-blank in his apartment. Soon both men are on the trail of a ruthless killer: Red Fury, so called for his looks and the car his girlfriend drives, but a name that fits his personality all too well. Red Fury doesn't have a retirement plan, as Vaughn points out - he doesn't care who he has to cross, or kill, to get what he wants. As the violence escalates and the stakes get higher, Strange and Vaughn know the only way to catch their man is to do it their own way.
Rich with details of place and time - the cars, the music, the clothes - and fueled by non-stop action, this is Pelecanos writing in the hard-boiled noir style that won him his earliest fans and placed him firmly in the ranks of the top crime writers in America.
Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences (
$3.49), by Brian Yansky
Book Description
Jesse is in history class when a formidable, efficient race of aliens quietly takes over the earth in less time than it takes him to brush his teeth. Most humans simply fall asleep and never wake up. In moments, everyone Jesse knows and loves is gone, and he finds that he is now a slave to an inept alien leader. On the bright side, Jesse discovers he’s developing telepathic powers, and he’s not the only one. Soon he’s forging new friendships and feeling unexpectedly hopeful. When a mysterious girl appears in his dreams, talking about escaping, Jesse begins to think the aliens may not be invincible after all. But if Jesse and his friends succeed, is there anywhere left to go? Brian Yansky offers a funny, grim novel packed with everything boys and sci-fi fans love: aliens, humor, action, and a healthy dose of triumph.
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time (
$2.99), by Dava Sobel
Book Description
Anyone alive in the eighteenth century would have known that “the longitude problem” was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day-and had been for centuries. Lacking the ability to measure their longitude, sailors throughout the great ages of exploration had been literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. Thousands of lives, and the increasing fortunes of nations, hung on a resolution. The scientific establishment of Europe-from Galileo to Sir Isaac Newton-had mapped the heavens in both hemispheres in its certain pursuit of a celestial answer. In stark contrast, one man, John Harrison, dared to imagine a mechanical solution-a clock that would keep precise time at sea, something no clock had ever been able to do on land. Longitude is the dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest, and of Harrison's forty-year obsession with building his perfect timekeeper, known today as the chronometer. Full of heroism and chicanery, it is also a fascinating brief history of astronomy, navigation, and clockmaking, and opens a new window on our world.
has self-published her backlist
Bigtime superhero series, originally published by Berkley (an imprint of Penguin), and you can get the three books for $2.99 each and a short story in the same series for 99 cents (
A Karma Girl Christmas).
Karma Girl
Investigative reporter Carmen Cole gets the surprise of her life on her wedding day when she discovers that her fiance and best friend are sleeping together – and that the two of them are her town's resident superhero and ubervillain. Shocked and hurt, Carmen reveals their secret identities and then decides to devote her life to unmasking every superhero and ubervillain who crosses her path.
A series of successful unmaskings lands Carmen a job at The Expose, one of the biggest newspapers in Bigtime, New York, a city that's full of superheroes and ubervillains. Carmen is in her element – until she gets kidnapped by the Terrible Triad, Bigtime’s most dangerous ubervillain team.
The Triad orders Carmen to uncover the secret identity of Striker, the leader of the Fearless Five, Bigtime's most popular superhero team – or else they’ll drop her in a vat of radioactive goo. With that threat hanging over her, Carmen sets out to unmask Striker, but what she doesn’t count on is falling for the sexy superhero. But with the Terrible Triad lurking around, this is one story that just might be the death of her ...
Hot Mama
Fiona Fine is the hottest fashion designer in Bigtime, N.Y. – literally. That's because she moonlights as Fiera, a superhero with superstrength and volatile, fire-based powers. As Fiera, she's also a member of the Fearless Five, the city's most powerful and popular superhero team.
However, Fiona's been through a lot lately, including the death of her fiance, who was murdered by an ubervillain. But Fiona is ready to move on with her life, so it seems like good karma when she meets sexy businessman Johnny Bulluci at a friend's wedding.
But Fiona has little time to think of love thanks to Siren and Intelligal – the city's newest ubervillains who crash the wedding and then go on a citywide crime spree. Fiona doesn’t know exactly what the ubervillains are up to, but if she doesn't figure it out, she's the one who just might go up in flames this time ...
Jinx
Thanks to her unwanted superpower, fashion designer Bella Bulluci may be the luckiest woman in Bigtime, N.Y. But luck can be good or bad, and it seems like just as many embarrassing things happens to Bella as do positive ones.
Like when a charity event that Bella plans get crashed by Hangman, a deadly ubervillain who's after a prize sapphire that's on display. Hangman almost succeeds in stealing the jewel for his evil ubervillain boss, Prism, but Bella's luck helps her escape with the sapphire – along with some help from the suave and charming Debonair.
Debonair's not an ubervillain, but he's not really a superhero either. Still, Bella can't help but fall for him, despite her personal vow to have as little to do with heroes and villains as possible. But with Hangman and Prism still after the sapphire, Bella's going to need every bit of her luck power just to survive ...
The Journey: Living by Faith in an Uncertain World (
$4.75), by Billy Graham
Book Description
Billy Graham is respected and loved around the world. And this work is his magnum opus, the culmination of a lifetime of experience and ministry!
Chapter by chapter, Graham leads us on a journey in faith. We learn about God and his purpose for our lives; who Jesus is and what he has done for us. We are reminded of the things God has given us to live successfully: the Bible, the privilege of prayer, fellowship and the church, and the Holy Spirit. We learn to deal with challenges along the way: temptation, wrong thoughts and motives, emotions that can defeat us, habits that destroy our spirit, and what to do when life turns against us. And we are given practical advice on knowing God's will, making right decision, strengthening our marriages, being wise parents, and using our gifts to share Christ with others.
With insight that only comes from a life spent with God, The Journey is filled with wisdom, encouragement, hope, and inspiration for anyone who wants to live a happier, more fulfilling life.
Against All Odds (
$2.99), by Thomas DePrima, is the seventh in his
Galaxy Unknown series and the book you would pick up and check the backplate on, due to the cover, if you were browsing in the local bookstore.
Book Description
War has kept Admiral Jenetta Carver far from home for twelve years. With the advent of peace, she takes a well-deserved vacation and returns to Earth for a visit before her duties as Military Governor and Supreme Military Commandeer of Region Two prevent such a trip for more years. She picks up her two sisters on the way home and the three women surprise their mom with the unannounced visit.
Just a week after arriving home, Jenetta receives word that Region Two has been invaded. No war has been declared, and details are sketchy, but Tsgardi Warriors have landed on at least one planet a hundred light years inside the border and begun rounding up, harassing, and in some cases killing the citizenry. Determined not to let the news interfere with her mother's joy of having her three daughters with her, she doesn't mention the invasion at home, but she's summoned to appear at Space Command Supreme HQ to discuss the situation.
As Jenetta begins the trip back to her base, she begins formulating plans and sending orders so that all will be in readiness when she arrives. She's determined to deal with the Tsgardi situation once and for all, and in a manner consistent with the way she dealt with the Milori situation. When an enemy refuses to let you live in peace, the only action you can take is remove their ability to ever wage war against you again. Jenetta doesn't yet know that the Tsgardi thrust into Region Two is just the tip of the lance. Three other interstellar powers have joined the effort to arrogate the new territory before Space Command can move security forces into place. Jenetta's tiny fleet will face an armada a thousand warships strong. It's not just another day at the office.
The Lost Princess in Winter's Grip (free), by Josh Kilen, looks like a cute story for kids and has some halloween season characters.
Book Description
Annabeth lives a normal life as a happy girl in a small town. Then one day her life is turned upside down by a Royal pronouncement that she is in fact a Princess! With evil nipping at her heals, Annabeth and Prince Ryan must battle Stone Monsters, Bandits, and the dreaded Ice Witches in order to reclaim her title and dispense True Justice throughout the land.
Witch (free), by German Alcala, is a free volume of Halloween poetry. I don't know if it is any good, but the sample was decently formatted (it only started the first poem, but included a live table of contents).
Book Description
A collection of 41 Halloween Poems which detail a night of All Hallow's Eve. Recounting the anticipation felt by all for Halloween, the unspeakable acts of monsters, and war. In exciting tales of murder and magic. Witch is the poetic story of Halloween.
Thirteen Shadows: Ghost Stories (free), by Aaron Polson, is a collection horror short stories for the season.
Book Description
A collection of thirteen ghost stories from Horror Writers Association member Aaron Polson. Some spirits are vengeful, others mere memories which destroy the lives of the living. Includes "The Ox-Cart Man", winner of the 2008 Whispering Spirits Flash Fiction contest, "The Sub-Basement", "Empty Vessels", and more. The stories range in length from flash fiction to 5,000 words.
"The imagery is dark, but unique, and [the main character's] past is revealed carefully without stunting the pace of the story..." - a review of "Empty Vessels" from Tangent Online
About the author: Aaron’s stories have been reprinted in The Best of Every Day Fiction 2009 and 2010, listed as a recommended read by Tangent Online, received honorable mention in the storySouth Million Writers Award and Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year. He currently lives in Lawrence, KS with his wife, two children, and a tattooed rabbit.
