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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Kindle Pre-Order Bargain Books

Here are several pre-order bargains in the Kindle store. The first few are Bonus Content editions, which means they are re-issues of older books, with extended excerpts from an upcoming novel by the same author, generally. I'll include the older edition links for those, so you can sample before ordering. The rest are newly published, so you are taking a chance on some of them (but Amazon pretty much always lets you return them after delivery, if they don't turn out to be what you wanted).

Every Which Way But Dead with Bonus Material ($1.99; $7.99 current edition), by Kim Harrison, is the third title in the Rachel Morgan series. If you don't already have this one, be sure to snap it up (this means you, Maria!).
Book Description
For a limited time and at a reduced price, catch up with Rachel Morgan and the Hollow Series with Every Which Way But Dead at a special price! Also included is an exclusive sneak peek at Kim Harrison's new novel, Perfect Blood, available February 21st.

In Every Which Way But Dead, witch and former bounty hunter Rachel Morgan's managed to escape her corrupt company, survive living with a vampire, start her own runner service, and face down a vampire master.

But her vampire roommate Ivy is off the wagon, her human boyfriend Nick is out of town indefinitely and doesn't sound like he's coming back while the far-too-seductive vampire Kisten is looking way too tempting, and there's a turf war erupting in Cincinnati's underworld.

And there's a greater evil still. To put the vampire master behind bars and save her family, Rachel made a desperate bargain and now there's hell to pay--literally. For if Rachel cannot stop him, the archdemon Algaliarept will pull her into the sorcerous ever-after to forfeit her soul as his slave. Forever.

Once in a Full Moon with Bonus Material ($1.99; $9.99 current edition), by Ellen Schreiber, is the first in the young adult Once in a Full Moon series.
Book Description
Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever.

Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves—Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything in the small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend or just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight.

Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run.

Psychic predictions, generations-old secrets, a town divided, and the possibility of falling in love with a hot and heroic werewolf are the perfect formula for what happens . . . once in a full moon.

Warlord with Bonus Material ($1.99; $8.99 current edition) is the sixth in the Alexander Hawke series by Ted Bell. I thought $4.99 was a good price when I got it last year; since that is yet another ASIN, be sure to check your library before ordering this one.
Book Description
For a limited time, catch up with British-American MI6 counterterrorism operative Alex Hawke in Warlord, for a reduced price. Plus, also receive a bonus excerpt from Ted Bell’s new thriller, Phantom, on sale this March.

In Warlord, Alex Hawke has all but given up on life, ever since he lost the woman he loved almost a year ago. But now an old friend desperately needs his help—His Royal Highness Prince Charles.

A shadowy figure from the past has the British Crown in his sights, and has already proven that his warnings are not to be taken lightly. A not-so-subtle threat has been directed toward the British royal family, with an ominous connection to the assassination of the beloved Windsor patriarch, Lord Mountbatten, thirty years ago. Early clues point to IRA involvement—but the truth could be worse . . . much, much worse. It is just the sort of call to duty Hawke needs to propel him back into action. But the combination of an elusive maniac assassin on the prowl for royal blood and an unholy brotherhood of jihadists wreaking explosive global terror may be more than the recovering counterspy—and his world—can survive.

Devil's Bride with Bonus Material ($0.99; $6.99 current edition) is the first in the Cynster series by Stephanie Laurens.
Book Description
Where it all began. . . The Cynsters!

When Devil, the most infamous member of the Cynster family, is caught in a compromising position with plucky governess Honoria Wetherby, he astonishes the entire town by offering his hand in marriage. No one dreamed this scandalous rake would ever take a bride. And as society mamas swooned at the loss of England's most eligible bachelor, Devil's infamous Cynster cousins began to place wagers on the wedding date.

But Honoria wasn't about to bend society's demands and marry a man "just" because they'd been found together virtually unchaperoned. No, she craved adventure, and while solving the murder of a young Cynster cousin fit the bill for a while, she decided that once the crime was solved she'd go off to see the world. But the scalding heat of her unsated desire for Devil soon had Honoria craving a very different sort of excitement. Could her passion for Devil cause her to embrace the enchanting peril of a lifelong adventure of the heart?

Now with special bonus material, including Q&As with the author and a sneak peek at other books by Stephanie Laurens!

Now You See Him with Bonus Material ($0.99; $9.99 current edition), by Eli Gottlieb, is a stand-alone novel, for those that prefer to avoid long series.
Book Description
Read the novel that critics could not stop talking about. Now You See Him, by award-winning author Eli Gottlieb, has been praised as “gorgeous, winning… deft and sharp,” (USA Today), “irresistible… moving,” (New York Times Book Review) and “a fast, haunting read,” (Entertainment Weekly).

With extraordinarily luxuriant and evocative prose, Gottlieb takes us deep into the human psyche, where the most profound of secrets are kept. Now You See Him is a wrenching and enthrallingly suspenseful story that mines the explosive terrains of love and paternity, marriage and its delicate intricacies, family secrets and how they fester over time, and ultimately the true nature of loyalty, trust, friendship, envy, deception, and manipulation. Download your copy of this specially-priced e-book today to enjoy a literary thriller you’re not soon to forget, and also read a bonus excerpt from Gottlieb’s next novel, The Face Thief (on sale January 17, 2012).

The Stupidest Angel with Bonus Material ($3.99; $9.99 current edition), by Christopher Moore, is another one I recommend if you don't already have it.
Book Description
For a limited time, devour a heartwarming tale of Christmas terror in Christopher Moore's The Stupidest Angel, for a special price. Also included is a sneak peek at his forthcoming novel, Sacre Bleu, A Comedy d'Art.

In The Stupidest Angel, 'Twas the night (okay, more like the week) before Christmas, and all through the tiny community of Pine Cove, California, people are busy buying, wrapping, packing, and generally getting into the holiday spirit.

But not everybody is feeling the joy. Little Joshua Barker is in desperate need of a holiday miracle. No, he's not on his deathbed; no, his dog hasn't run away from home. But Josh is sure that he saw Santa take a shovel to the head, and now the seven-year-old has only one prayer: Please, Santa, come back from the dead.

But hold on! There's an angel waiting in the wings. (Wings, get it?) It's none other than the Archangel Raziel come to Earth seeking a small child with a wish that needs granting. Unfortunately, our angel's not sporting the brightest halo in the bunch, and before you can say "Kris Kringle," he's botched his sacred mission and sent the residents of Pine Cove headlong into Christmas chaos, culminating in the most hilarious and horrifying holiday party the town has ever seen.

Move over, Charles Dickens -- it's Christopher Moore time.

The Hedgewitch Queen ($2.99), by Lilith Saintcrow, looks to be the start of a new series, published by Orbit. The next in the series is supposed to be called the The Bandit King, but so far it's being listed as Hedgewitch #2.
Book Description
Vianne di Rocancheil has been largely content to play the gawky provincial. As lady in waiting at the Court of Arquitaine, she studies her books, watches for intrigue, and shepherds her foolhardy Princesse safely through the glittering whirl. Court is a sometimes-unpleasant waltz, especially for the unwary, but Vianne treads its measured steps well.

Unfortunately, the dance has changed. Treachery is afoot in gilded and velvet halls. A sorcerous conspiracy is unleashed, with blood, death, and warfare close behind. Her Princesse murdered and her own life in jeopardy, Vianne must flee, carrying the fate of her land with her--the Great Seal of Arquitaine, awake after its long sleep. Invasion threatens, civil war looms, and the conspiracy hunts for Vianne di Rocancheil, to kill or to use her against all she holds dear.

A life of dances, intrigues, and fashion has not prepared her for this. Nor has it prepared her for Tristan d'Arcenne, Captain of the King's Guard and player in the most dangerous games conspiracy can devise. Yet to save her country and avenge her Princesse, Vianne will become what she must, say what she should, and do whatever is required.

A Queen can do no less.

A Christmas Countdown Experiment (free Kindle Fire/Android), by Timothy Ferriss, is a neat way to tie-in two entirely different platforms (although the Kindle Fire is a great platform for cookbooks).. This free app, which runs on the Fire, is a teaser for the upcoming book, The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life, which you can pre-order for $5.99, but only for the next couple of weeks (it doesn't come out until September of next year, though, so you have quite a while before you have to pay for it).
A Christmas Countdown Experiment
Brought to you by #1 New York Times bestselling author Tim Ferriss, A Christmas Countdown Experiment: The 4-Hour Chef Teaser offers a simple diet plan designed to minimize weight gain while maximizing yuletide pleasure. This Christmas, go ahead and indulge in wine, hot chocolate, and all your favorite foods. With A Christmas Countdown Experiment: The 4-Hour Chef Teaser, you can actually burn fat and emerge from the holidays looking fitter than ever.

A Christmas Countdown Experiment: The 4-Hour Chef Teaser allows you to access a daily plan for the week leading up to Christmas including a schedule that tells you not just what to eat, but when to eat. Simple, unusual recipes will keep you and your body on track without compromising deliciousness. You can also learn how to decant your wine in 20 seconds instead of 60+ minutes, how to create a holiday treat that will blow your friends' minds, and get a Christmas bonus that offers a meaty promise.

Meanwhile, the app also provides a short, optional workout plan, complete with photographs and video. It walks you through what you can do in minimal time for bonus points.

Optimized for the Kindle Fire, A Christmas Countdown Experiment: The 4-Hour Chef Teaser also maximizes your viewing pleasure. So go ahead – raise your fork, make a toast, and get moving with A Christmas Countdown Experiment: The 4-Hour Chef Teaser.


The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life
The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life builds upon Timothy Ferriss’ internationally successful “4-hour” series by transforming the way we cook, eat, and--most important--learn. Ferriss, nominated as one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People of 2007” and Forbes magazine’s “Names You Need to Know in 2011,” is author of the #1 New York Times best sellers The 4-Hour Body and The 4-Hour Workweek, the latter of which has been translated into 35 languages and has been on the New York Times best sellers list for more than four years unbroken.

Featuring recipes and cooking tricks from world-renowned chefs, and interspersed with the radically counter-intuitive advice Ferriss's fans have come to expect, The 4-Hour Chef is a practical but unusual guide to mastering food and cooking, whether you are a seasoned pro or a blank-slate novice.

Beyond that, it is designed to be "the cookbook for people who don't buy cookbooks." The 4-Hour Chef will teach Ferriss's approach to learning any skill in minimum time, which is what his 1,000,000+ monthly blog readers have most requested he write about for nearly 5 years. Readers of this new book, using food as a vehicle, will learn the art and science of meta-learning--the skill of learning skills.

Last but not least, this book also refines and showcases the very best recipes and hacks based on Ferriss's The Slow-Carb Diet, which hundreds of thousands of his readers around the world have tested for performance enhancement and fat loss (many have lost 100+ pounds since December 2010).

I have no idea what Cinderella Gets a Brazilian ($0.99) is about, but with a title like this, it almost has to be good. This short story (20 pages) is by the authors of The Nanny Diaries, Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus.

Harlequin Holiday Collection: Four Classic Seasonal Novellas: And a Dead Guy in a Pear Tree\Seduced by the Season\Evidence of Desire\Season of Wonder (0.99), an anthology by Leslie Kelly, Debra Webb, Merline Lovelace and Marta Perry, looks to be a good deal for romance readers; other anthologies from these authors, such as the new SEAL of My Dreams and another holiday one, Christmas with a Vampire: A Christmas Kiss\The Vampire Who Stole Christmas\Sundown\Nothing Says Christmas Like a Vampire\Unwrapped, are selling for $5-$8. You can read all four free on the eHarlequin Extras pages, but you'll be clicking quite a bit to get thru all of them.
Book Description
A struggling B&B owner scrambles to hide the dead body wrapped in her Christmas tree from a visiting camera crew—and from her still-irresistible reporter ex. A waitress and a sexy FBI agent mix business with pleasure while investigating a crime over the holidays. A crime lab worker finds herself in danger six days before Christmas...and only her off-limits but oh-so-attractive coworker can help. And two childhood friends rediscover their sense of wonder—and love—when reunited for the holidays.

Discover these four classic seasonal novellas:

And a Dead Guy in a Pear Tree by Leslie Kelly (read free)
Seduced by the Season by Merline Lovelace (read free)
Evidence of Desire by Debra Webb (read free)
Season of Wonder by Marta Perry (read free)

Dangerous Sanctuary ($0.99) is a novella by Michelle Diener (64 pages), which bridges the gap between In a Treacherous Court and Keeper of the King's Secrets.


If you've been reading H.P. Mallory's self-published novels in the Kindle store, you'll definitely want to grab her new novella, Be Witched ($0.99), which is being published by Bantam (Random House). If you haven't tried her work yet, start with this novella and consider grabbing up The HP Mallory Set: Jolie Wilkins Books 1 & 2, Dulcie O'Neil Books 1 & 2 ($8.50) before it gets picked up by a major publisher (and repriced at 2-4 times that amount).
Book Description
In this sexy and spellbinding original short story, available exclusively as an eBook, bestselling author H. P. Mallory presents the exciting Underworld from a never-before-seen point of view—through the eyes of Rand Balfour, a drop-dead gorgeous warlock and the love of Jolie Wilkins’s life.

While the undead wage a brutal civil war, Rand Balfour has only one thing on his mind: protecting his true love, Jolie Wilkins, the savvy and spirited witch whose powers have made her the toast—and target—of the new Underworld order.

For Rand, keeping Jolie safe means guarding against allies and enemies alike. First there’s Sinjin Sinclair, a dangerously seductive vampire who has his fangs set on Jolie, and who Rand suspects of harboring a sinister agenda. Then there are the factions of supernatural creatures causing chaos at every turn. But most shocking is Rand himself, whose wild desire for Jolie may put her very life at risk. Torn between his duty and his passion, Rand must summon all his strength to withstand temptation, even if it costs him the one woman he cannot bear to lose.

Follow more of Rand and Jolie’s electrifying paranormal romance in this eBook’s special bonus: a thrilling excerpt from H. P. Mallory’s next novel, Witchful Thinking.

Although I don't know what is going on with The 39 Clues series, I do know that seven more of Riley Clifford's titles are being published this month at 99 cents each, starting Christmas day and continuing thru New Year's.
Book Description
Seven brand new 39 Clues stories leading up to one explosive reveal.

Time is running out for Grace Cahill as she struggles to make the most important choice of her life: a decision that will shape the future of the Cahill family . . . and the world at large. After spending centuries lurking the shadows the Cahills' enemy - the Vespers - are planning an attack and sending Amy and Dan on a dangerous hunt for The 39 Clues might be the only way to stop them.

Michael Wallace signed on with an Amazon publishing imprint, Thomas & Mercer, and The Righteous ($0.99) is one of the novels they will be republishing. Right now, you can pre-order it at the same price as the self-published edition. The next two in the series, Mighty and Strong and The Wicked, are $3.19 pre-order, less than the self-published editions (which I expect to disappear fairly soon).
Book Description
Deep in the Utah desert, the small polygamous community of Blister Creek has a history of protecting its own. Even when a young woman is brutally murdered just blocks from her home, the residents of the conservative enclave close ranks. But just because they don’t want outside law enforcement in their business doesn’t mean the murder will go unpunished. More than a thousand miles away, Jacob Christianson, a medical student and son of a devout church elder, learns of his cousin Amanda’s murder. Though Jacob is skeptical of many of the community’s fundamentalist beliefs, his sharply analytical mind and family connection to the victim earns him the assignment of investigator into Amanda’s death. Jacob heads to Blister Creek, accompanied by his inquisitive younger sister, Eliza, to probe the bizarre circumstances of their cousin’s violent death. It doesn’t take long for the pair to realize that Amanda’s murder was no random act; rather, it is part of a covert plot to overthrow the church’s leaders. Chilling and engrossing, The Righteous has been hailed as a “first rate suspense thriller,” a tightly plotted novel about the dark secrets hiding behind the veil of religion.

Take Me Home from the Oscars ($0.99), by Christine Schwab
Book Description
Forty–six million people suffer from arthritis. But only celebrities feel the need to hide it because of the stigma attached to the disease. Frustrated with the lies, driven to deceit by a career that celebrates beauty and fashion, lifestyle reporter Christine Schwab is not most people. She managed to keep her illness a secret for years, even as a recurring guest on Live with Regis & Kelly, Oprah!, The Today Show, Entertainment Tonight, and elsewhere. She juggled her career with a thrilling personal life in Hollywood: Married to Shelly Schwab, then the president of television distribution at Universal Studios, she traveled, dined with celebrities, and met U.S. presidents. How could she allow a devastating disease associated with aging and disfigurement to take over her life?

In Take Me Home from the Oscars, Schwab openly speaks of her arthritis for the first time, looking to her past for clues of how she managed the deception, but also of lessons learned when she could no longer hide. A turning point came when she had to leave her tenth–row Oscar seat because she was in too much pain. From her nineteen–year journey through the UCLA Medical Center to the exhilaration of more than twenty years of appearing on national television, Schwab’s voice is at once smart and friendly. The reader will root for her at every step, and cheer when, through medication, she ultimately finds remission.

Ansel Adams: An Image A Day ($1.99) says it is an app in the description, but it is a Kindle book, presumably one of the page-a-day calendars. It should look great on the Kindle Fire, but I don't see any restrictions, so it will be readable on any Kindle device or app.
Book Description
Ansel Adams: An Image a Day provides a luminous black-and-white image by the legendary photographer every day for a full year.

Tap twice on the image and it flips to reveal the title, location and date the photograph was taken. Swipe left or right to enjoy up to one week's worth of images at a time.

Share images with friends via email, Facebook, or Twitter.

A year's worth of Ansel Adams photographs in the palm of your hand, Ansel Adams: An Image a Day will delight anyone interested photography, nature, and the American West.

The app is created in partnership between The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust and Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group.

Radio Nostalgia ($0.99), by Chris Emery
Book Description
Radio Nostalgia examines the borders of war, social exile, and manufactured liberty expressed through corporate media. The poet's world is mediated through news anchors, oracles and heralds, where simulated events are historicised through narrative and consumed as product. Chris Emery's auditory imagination is lurid and comically compelling, with imagery the sets the reader reeling with the terrifying beauty and sinister power of it all.

Kathleen Olmstead is releasing a series of The Untold History of Television titles, all 99 cents currently.
Book Description
The Untold History of Television provides a captivating glimpse behind the scenes of the groundbreaking series that have both defined and changed the pop culture landscape.

The ebooks contain information about the inception and development of the series, thought-provoking episode analysis, and on-the-set stories about the cast and crew.

The Wire
David Simon’ s The Wire, hands down, has been described by critics and fans alike as simply the best television show, ever. More than just your typical cop drama where the heroes and the villains are easy to define, The Wire took television storytelling to a whole new level when it premiered in June 2002. Audiences faced the seedy underbelly of Baltimore, Maryland and questioned what makes a city work— or what makes it fail. In this text, Kathleen Olmstead investigates the ups and downs of a show so compelling that, “ even when it was hard to watch— the violent crime, vicious attacks or characters behaving badly— it was even harder to look away.”

True Blood
Based on Charlaine Harris’ s Southern Vampire series, True Blood brings to life a rich fantasy world in which vampires, telepathic barmaids, and old-world Southern charm all manage to co-exist. Dark, edgy and sensual, the series takes the vampire trend to a new level of sex and violence. In this text, Kathleen Olmstead investigates the ups and downs of the wildly popular show in which outcasts come in many shapes and sizes, and danger lurks around every corner.

Friday Night Lights
Honest, compelling and full of heart, Friday Night Lights brought small-town Texas football into the lives of television viewers across North America. From book to movie to the small screen, Friday Night Lights struggled against the odds to survive on television, finally doing so through an innovative deal with Direct TV and NBC, as well as the support of an intense fan base. Anyone hearing the rallying cry of “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose” knows that to love Friday Night Lights is to adore an ensemble drama that tests the limits of the art form while offering a glimpse into the lives of people who eat, sleep, and breathe American football culture.

Mad Men
Beloved by fans and critics alike, Mad Men, Matthew Weiner’ s intense, clever series about the world of 1960s advertising, followed an intriguing path from script to screen. Flat-out rejected by HBO, the show found a home at AMC and has gone on to great success, gaining countless fans and sweeping numerous awards shows in its wake. More than just a nostalgic romp through an idealized past, the series explores recent American history through the lens of Madison Avenue ‘ mad men’ like Don Draper and Roger Sterling with unparalleled intelligence and exciting storytelling.

Freaks and Geeks
A short-lived cult classic, Freaks and Geeks proved that a television show about teenagers could reach beyond the superficial by confronting— and redefining— high school stereotypes. In this text, Kathleen Olmstead investigates the ups and downs of the show “ that pushed the beautiful people aside and gave us stories about those usually ignored by television.”

The Walking Dead
Based on the wildly popular comic by Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead is a riveting drama about experiencing a zombie apocalypse— and living to tell the tale. It explores the survivors’ s fate and questions who poses the greater threat: the mindless zombies or the desperate living. In this text, Kathleen Olmstead examines the evolution of zombie “ culture” from its beginnings on the big screen in the films of George A. Romero to the recent explosion of literary adaptions and the small screen ratings-winner The Walking Dead.