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Thursday, March 31, 2011

New and Free Kindle Game - Number Slide

Number Slide, from Amazon Digital Services, is free in the Kindle store tonight. Like all Active Content, this one is limited to those in the US.

Book Description
Number Slide brings the classic sliding number puzzle to Kindle.

In Number Slide, you are presented with a set of numbered tiles on a grid. One tile is removed and the remaining tiles are scrambled. The objective is to get all the tiles into proper numeric order by moving the tiles into the one open space and sliding them around until they are back where they belong.

Number Slide features hundreds of randomly generated game grids for you to enjoy. You can choose between a small (3x3), medium (4x4) or large (5x5) puzzle grid with larger grids being more difficult. You can also challenge yourself by trying to beat your best time on each puzzle.

Number Slide comes with instructions as well as tips to help you if you get stuck. You can choose if you wish to move tiles manually (where you select each move with the 5-way button first), or automatically (no need to press the 5-way button).

Bargain Book Roundup, Part II

The Bronze Horseman with Bonus Material ($1.99), by Paullina Simons, the first in her Tatiana and Alexander series, can be pre-ordered in the Kindle store at a special discount. If you want a sample, pull up the older edition ($9.99), but be sure to order it from the special link above (which isn't on the author's page).

Book Description
See how it all began . . . The golden skies, the translucent twilight, the white nights, all hold the promise of youth, of love, of eternal renewal. The war has not yet touched this city of fallen grandeur, or the lives of two sisters, Tatiana and Dasha Metanova, who share a single room in a cramped apartment with their brother and parents. Their world is turned upside down when Hitler's armies attack Russia and begin their unstoppable blitz to Leningrad.

Yet there is light in the darkness. Tatiana meets Alexander, a brave young officer in the Red Army. Strong and self-confident, yet guarding a mysterious and troubled past, he is drawn to Tatiana—and she to him. Starvation, desperation, and fear soon grip their city during the terrible winter of the merciless German siege. Tatiana and Alexander's impossible love threatens to tear the Metanova family apart and expose the dangerous secret Alexander so carefully protects—a secret as devastating as the war itself—as the lovers are swept up in the brutal tides that will change the world and their lives forever.

Complete with excerpts from Tatiana and Alexander (available now) and The Summer Garden (on sale June 21), the next two books in the trilogy, follow the epic love story of Tatiana and Alexander from the beginning.


Rogue Forces with Bonus Material ($1.99), by Dale Brown, is another special edition pre-order, which you can sample from the older edition ($8.99). This one, though, isn't the start of a series (Patrick McLanahan), but the fifteenth and next to most recent and contains an excerpt from the upcoming seventeenth in the series, A Time for Patriots ($12.99).

Book Description
For a limited time, discover New York Times bestseller author Dale Brown's Rogue Forces, including a special note from the author and an exclusive excerpt from his new novel, A Time for Patriots, available May 2011.

The clash of civilizations will be won . . . by the highest bidder.

Newly inaugurated president Joseph Gardner has followed through on his pledge to pull American forces out of Iraq. But the region has quickly re-emerged as a hot zone, as Kurdish nationalist attacks have led the Republic of Turkey to invade northern Iraq. Reluctant to recommit U.S. troops, the commander-in-chief turns to former president Kevin Martindale and retired Air Force Lieutenant-General Patrick McLanahan, who have left government behind for the lucrative world of military contracting. Their private firm, Scion Aviation International, is suddenly the only credible armed force in the region capable of blunting the Turks' advances. America's most lethal military contractor has become more powerful than anyone anticipated—too powerful for even the President to control.

Now Patrick McLanahan is going rogue, determined to take the fight directly to the Turks, and no one is going to stop him. But where does his loyalty ultimately lie: with his country, his commander-in-chief, his fellow warriors . . . or with his company's shareholders?


Tall Dark And Deadly ($2.99), by Lorie O'Clare

Book Description
Grace Jordan is leaving her dark past behind. Having traded in her big-city badge for life in the slow lane in Rockville, South Dakota, Grace and her daughter were hoping to make a fresh, clean start. But crime is at-large in small towns, too…and young women keep turning up brutally murdered. Before she knows it, Grace has got a serial murder case on her hands—and the infuriatingly seductive FBI agent Justin Reece by her side.

Grace did not come to Rockville looking for romance. But she can’t deny the chemistry between her and Justin—no matter how much she might want to. Meanwhile, things keep heating up as more women turn up dead, and a disturbing new pattern points to a killer who seems to be sending a message for Grace alone. But how could he know such secret, scandalous details about her life? Unless he happens to be someone from the past she would kill to forget…


When Harry Met Molly ($2.99), by Kieran Kramer

Book Description
Dashing Lord Harry Traemore is perfectly content to live out his days in the pursuit of pleasure. But when he’s named by the Prince Regent as one of society’s “Impossible Bachelors,” Harry is drafted into a ribald romantic wager. The rules of engagement are scandalously simple: The bachelor whose mistress wins the title of “Most Delectable Companion” gets to remain unmarried. Harry is utterly unconcerned about his status...until his latest lightskirt abandons him.

Enter Lady Molly Fairbanks. Harry’s childhood friend— actually, “foe” is more like it—is the most unlikely companion of all. She’s attractive but hot-headed, and in no mood for games. Besides, what could the self-indulgent Harry possibly know about what makes a woman delectable? It’s time for Molly to teach him a lesson once and for all...but will it lead to “happily ever after”?


Dangerous Highlander ($2.99), by Donna Grant, is the first in her Dark Sword series published by Harper Collins.

Book Description
First in a breathtaking new series, the bold and passionate Lucan MacLeod—one of three brothers cursed by dark magic for eternity—is driven by desire for the one woman he dare not let himself possess…

He is magnificently strong—and dangerously seductive. One of the fiercest of his clan, Lucan MacLeod is a legend among warriors, inspiring fear in man and woman alike. For three hundred years, he has locked himself away from the world, hiding the vengeful god imprisoned in his soul. But then, a young lass caught in a raging storm awakens his deepest impulses…and darkest desires.

Cara doesn’t believe the rumors about MacLeod castle—until the majestic Highland warrior appears like a fiery vision in the storm, pulling her into his powerful arms, and into his world of magic and Druids. An epic war between good and evil is brewing. And Lucan must battle his all-consuming attraction for Cara—or surrender to the flames of a reckless, impossible love that threatens to destroy them both…


Donna Grant continues her traditionally published Druids Glen series with two self-published titles, Highland Fires and Highland Magic, both available for $2.99.

Highland Fires
A haunted man…
Once a powerful Fae and heir to the throne of the Fae, Lugus has been given a second chance by his brother the Fae king. No longer immortal, Lugas makes his home off the coast of Scotland as he struggles to cope with his foul deeds and memories of a love that was never his.

A hunted woman…
Ahryn has been bound to the realm of Earth by an ancient Celtic slave bracelet that prevents her from using any of her Fae magic. As her hope dwindles, she spots Lugus and knows he is her last chance. Though he was banished from the realm of the Fae and stripped of his immortality, she trusts him with her life...and her heart.


Highland Magic
A vow made...
For centuries Frang has kept a secret – he’s immortal. ‘Tis a curse instead of a blessing though. His immortality was bestowed upon him to teach him a lesson, and instead of remaining youthful, the curse turned him into the image of an old man. He’s waited for the day he could return to a mortal man, but when that day arrives and he must leave his beloved Druid’s Glen, he suddenly finds he might not want to be mortal after all.

A secret kept...
Kenna holds a great secret, one that if discovered could have her burned at the stake. She’s not just a healer, she’s a Druid. ‘Tis a secret she has buried deep inside her. Until Frang. He offers freedom in the Druids, a promise too heady to ignore.


The Sword-Edged Blonde ($2.99), by Alex Bledsoe, is the first in his Eddie LaCrosse Mystery series.

Book Description
It should have been a case like any other: a missing princess, a king willing to pay in gold for her return. But before he realizes it, sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse is swept up in a web of mystery and deceit involving a brutally murdered royal heir, a queen accused of an unspeakable crime, and the tragic past he thought he’d left behind.

In order to uncover the answers he seeks, Eddie must delve into the dark underbelly of society while digging deep into his own private history, drawing past and present together. Vast conspiracies, women both beautiful and deadly, and a centuries-old revenge scheme are only a few of the pieces in a lethal puzzle.

The Sword-Edged Blonde is a tour-de-force foray into a realm of action, intrigue, and murder.


Even ($2.99), by Andrew Grant (the younger brother of Lee Child), is the first in his David Trevellyan Thriller series.

Book Description
David Trevellyan is a Royal Navy intelligence operative who usually works undercover, sometimes with the approval of his masters—and sometimes not. On a seemingly normal evening, he takes a lonely late-night walk between a restaurant and his New York City hotel. A familiar huddled shape in the mouth of an alley catches his eye—a homeless man has been shot to death. Trevellyan steps forward…and a cop car arrives. A split second too late, Trevellyan realizes he’s been set up.

But Trevellyan isn’t worried. He’s a hard man from the shadowy world of Royal Navy Intelligence. He’s been in and out of trouble a thousand times before. But the NYPD quickly hands the problem to the FBI. Trevellyan is sucked deeper into the system. And the British Consulate tells him: You’re on your own now, mate.

With no idea who’s a friend and who’s a foe, he penetrates deep into a huge international conspiracy. The price of failure will be death, and the reward for success will be redemption, both for himself and the huddled corpse from the alley. The motivation will be his cherished life-long belief: You don’t get mad—you get EVEN.

If Jack Reacher had a younger brother, he’d be David Trevellyan. Lee Child does have a younger brother, and his name is Andrew Grant. A remarkable debut, Even delivers on its own—a tight, fast-paced, modern thriller fueled by adrenaline and revenge.


Blush ($2.99), by Opal Carew

Book Description
Kama Sutra, Tantra, Ménage…are you ready to blush?

Hanna Lane wishes she could shed her inhibitions and unleash her wild side in the bedroom. When she meets J. M.--a Kama Sutra and Tantra master--they embark on a sizzling path of discovery, exploring the ancient sensual arts and discovering new techniques that allow Hanna to unlock her naughtiest fantasies and make them a red-hot reality. But when Hanna’s exboyfriend Grey re-enters her life determined to win her back, Hanna longs to share herself with both men. But can she tell J.M. and Grey her most taboo fantasy? And who will win her for keeps?


Chloe ($2.99), by Lyn Cote, the first in her Women of Ivy Mano series, is just one of twelve titles she has in the Kindle store under $5 (Shelter of Hope is only $1.65), with various publishers.

Book Description
Award-winning author Lyn Cote delivers the first story in her moving Women of Ivy Manor series about four generations of women, set against the sprawling tapestry of the twentieth century. Chloe Lorraine Kimball is born at the estate of Ivy Manor in the wee hours of the twentieth century. She is the apple of her grandmother's eye, if not her mother and father's. For despite a home filled with everything a young girl could desire, she lacks the one thing she wants above all else-unconditional love from her parents. Thinking she can win that love through her actions, she creates a successful life for herself in Washington, DC, as the belle of her father's political career. Bright and beautiful, she revels in the attention she receives from the capitol's major players. But in the end, as her world comes crashing down amid the opening months of the Depression, Chloe must realize that whether or not she's capable of giving and receiving love is something entirely up to her. And perhaps she can finally find happiness on her own terms.

Breaking Free ($1.99), by Lauraine Snelling

Book Description
Bestselling author Lauraine Snelling crafts a poignant story of hope and restoration for a newly paroled mother rebuilding her life after the loss of her son.

Maggie Roberts is starting over again after her reckless driving led to a 10-year prison sentence and the devastating loss of her son. Having learned to repurpose retired thoroughbred racehorses through an inmate training program, Maggie finds a way to rebuild her life. But it's not until she meets single father Gil Winters and his wheelchair-bound son, Edward, that she finds her calling. In helping Edward with his therapy using horses, Maggie finds herself coming to life again. But when a shadow from the past returns, Maggie is forced to choose between her newfound freedom and getting Edward the life-saving help he needs


Seduce Me ($1.99), by Robyn DeHart, is the first in her Legend Hunters series.

Book Description
Fielding Grey is the second son of the Marquess of Eldon and fortune hunter by night. He's on a mission for the Legend Hunters--a group of wealthy, titled, and heart-breakingly gorgeous men, each of whom are after the find of the century--he has his eyes set on obtaining the illustrious Pandora's Box. But before he finds it, he encounters an equally alluring treasure--the woman bold enough to look inside.

Esme Worthington can't resist taking the tiniest peek inside when fate drops the real Pandora's Box in her lap. Thus, she unleashes one of Pandora's irresistible curses: the curse of lust. Now, both Esme and Fielding must deal with this passionate curse--or blessing?--before unknown implications of Pandora's Box overpower them both.


A Drinking Life: A Memoir ($2.99), by Pete Hamill

Book Description
As a child during the Depression and World War II, Pete Hamill learned early that drinking was an essential part of being a man, inseparable from the rituals of celebration, mourning, friendship, romance, and religion. Only later did he discover its ability to destroy any writer's most valuable tools: clarity, consciousness, memory. In A Drinking Life, Hamill explains how alcohol slowly became a part of his life, and how he ultimately left it behind. Along the way, he summons the mood of an America that is gone forever, with the bittersweet fondness of a lifelong New Yorker.

About the Author
Pete Hamill is a novelist, essayist and journalist whose career has endured for more than forty years. He was born in Brooklyn, N. Y. in 1935, the oldest of seven children of immigrants from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He attended Catholic schools as a child. He left school at 16 to work in the Brooklyn Navy Yard as a sheetmetal worker, and then went on to the United States Navy. While serving in the Navy, he completed his high school education. Then, using the educational benefits of the G.I. Bill of Rights, he attended Mexico City College in 1956-1957, studying painting and writing, and later went to Pratt Institute. For several years, he worked as a graphic designer. Then in 1960, he went to work as a reporter for the New York Post. A long career in journalism followed. He has been a columnist for the New York Post, the New York Daily News, and New York Newsday, the Village Voice, New York magazine and Esquire. He has served as editor-in-chief of both the Post and the Daily News.. As a journalist, he has covered wars in Vietnam, Nicaragua, Lebanon and Northern Ireland, and has lived for extended periods in Mexico City, Dublin, Barcelona, San Juan and Rome. From his base in New York he has also covered murders, fires, World Series, championship fights and the great domestic disturbances of the 1960s, and has written extensively on art, jazz, immigration and politics. He witnessed the events of September 11, 2001 and its aftermath and wrote about them for the Daily News. At the same time, Hamill has written much fiction, including movie and TV scripts. He has published nine novels and two collections of short stories. His 1997 novel, Snow in August, was on the New York Times bestseller list for four months. His memoir, A Drinking Life, was on the same New York Times list for 13 weeks. He has published two collections of his journalism (Irrational Ravings and Piecework), an extended essay on journalism called News Is A Verb, a book about the relationship of tools to art, a biographical essay called Why Sinatra Matters, dealing with the music of the late singer and the social forces that made his work unique. In 1999, Harry N. Abrams published his acclaimed book on the Mexican painter Diego Rivera. His latest novel, Forever, was published by Little, Brown in January 2003 and became a New York Times bestseller. In 2004, he published “Downtown: My Manhattan”, a non-fiction account of his love affair with New York and received much critical acclaim. Hamill is the father of two daughters, and has a seven-year-old grandson. He is married to the Japanese journalist, Fukiko Aoki, and they divide their time between New York City and Cuernavaca, Mexico. He is a Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University and is writing a new novel.


Leaving Mother Lake: A Girlhood at the Edge of the World ($2.99), by Yang Erche Namu and Christine Mathieu

Book Description
The haunting memoir of a girl growing up in the Moso country in the Himalayas--a unique matrilineal society. But even in this land of women, familial tension is eternal. Namu is a strong-willed daughter, and conflicts between her and her rebellious mother lead her to break the taboo that holds the Moso world together--she leaves her mother's house.

Prisoner of the Flames ($3.66), by Dawn MacTavish

Book Description
A horribly scarred Scottish laird goes to Paris to seek healing from the great Nostradamus, and instead finds love with a blind flower girl—and a French civil war!

Goth Girl Rising ($2.17), by Barry Lyga, is a stand-alone title for young adults/teens.

Book Description
Time is a funny thing in the hospital. In the mental ward. You lose track of it easily.

After six months in the Maryland Mental Health Unit, Kyra Sellers, a.k.a. Goth Girl, is going home. Unfortunately, she's about to find out that while she was away, she lost track of more than time. Kyra is back in black, feeling good, and ready to make up with the only person who's ever appreciated her for who she really is. But then she sees him. Fanboy. Transcended from everything he was into someone she barely recognizes. And the anger and memories come rushing back.

There's so much to do to people when you're angry. Kyra's about to get very busy.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Bargain Book Roundup

It is nearly the end of the month, so a number of these prices will likely change on Friday or shortly thereafter (some, I know will change). Many of these are the same price at B&N or Kobo, especially those that are from the big Agency publishers. For the non-Agency books, be sure to use a coupon code at Kobo:
  • $1 Off - KoboSpring1; expires 4/30
  • 30% off - MarchKobo30; expires 4/4

Everywhere That Mary Went ($1.99), by Lisa Scottoline, is the first in her Rosato and Associates series.

Book Description
Who can you trust when everyone you know is a lawyer?

Mary DiNunzio has been slaving away for the past eight years trying to make partner in her cutthroat Philadelphia law firm. She's too busy to worry about the crank phone calls that she's been getting—until they fall into a sinister pattern. The phone rings as soon as she gets to work, then as soon as she gets home. Mary can't shake the sensation that someone is watching her. Following her every move. The shadowboxing turns deadly when her worst fears are realized, and she has to fight for something a lot more important than her partnership. Her life.


Final Appeal ($2.99), by Lisa Scottoline, is the second in her Rosato and Associates series.

Book Description
Do our Judges do us Justice?

To Philadelphia lawyer Grace Rossi, who's starting over after a divorce, apart-time job with a federal appeals court sounds perfect. But Grace doesn't count on being assigned to an explosive death penalty appeal. Nor does she expect ardor in the court, in the form of an affair with her boss, Chief Judge Armen Gregorian. Then the truly unimaginable happens and Grace finds herself investigating a murder. Unearthing a six-figure bank account kept by a judge with an alias. Breaking into another judge's chambers, and a secret apartment. Following a trail of bribery and judicial corruption that's stumped even the FBI. In no time at all, Grace under fire takes on a whole new meaning.


Look Again ($4.99), by Lisa Scottoline, is a stand-alone novel.

Book Description
When reporter Ellen Gleeson gets a “Have You Seen This Child?” flyer in the mail, she almost throws it away. But something about it makes her look again, and her heart stops—the child in the photo is identical to her adopted son, Will. Her every instinct tells her to deny the similarity between the boys, because she knows her adoption was lawful. But she’s a journalist and won’t be able to stop thinking about the photo until she figures out the truth. And she can’t shake the question: if Will rightfully belongs to someone else, should she keep him or give him up? She investigates, uncovering clues no one was meant to discover, and when she digs too deep, she risks losing her own life—and that of the son she loves.

Be Counted (Numbers): Living a Life That Counts for God ($3.56), by Warren W. Wiersbe

Book Description
Pursue a faith that counts.

Numbers can be deceiving. The book of Numbers opens with a count of every person fit to serve during the Israeli’s exodus from Egypt. Yet while over 600,000 were counted, only two were allowed to enter the Promised Land. The lesson? God values quality over quantity. And as the next generation finally experienced God’s promise, we discover that He doesn’t just want us counted as believers, but as people He can count on.

Part of Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe’s best-selling “BE” commentary series, Be Counted has now been updated with study questions and a new introduction by Ken Baugh. A respected pastor and Bible teacher, Dr. Wiersbe explores how we can make our faith matter. You’ll be encouraged to trust His word, and inspired to count on God, while counting for Him.


Elizabeth ($2.99), by J. Randy Taraborrelli, is a comprehensive look at the life of Elizabeth Taylor, spanning nearly 700 pages in print.

Book Description
For more than six decades Elizabeth Taylor has been a part of our lives. Now acclaimed biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli looks past the tabloid version of Elizabeth's life and offers the first-ever fully realized portrait of this American icon. You'll meet her controlling mother who plotted her daughter's success from birth...see the qualities that catapulted Elizabeth to stardom in 1940s Hollywood...understand the psychological and emotional underpinnings behind the eight marriages...and, finally, rejoice in Elizabeth's most bravura performance of all: the new success in family, friendships, and philanthropy she achieved despite substance abuse and chronic illness. It's the story of the woman you thought you knew--and now can finally understand.

Dragon Lady, by Gary Alexander, is on sale for 99 cents thru 3/31.

Book Description
In 1965 Saigon, Joe, a young draftee, becomes obsessed with a Vietnam girl named Mai, his own "Dragon Lady" from his beloved Terry and the Pirates cartoon strips that his mother still sends him. As he pursues a relationship with her, Saigon churns with intrigue and rumors--will the U.S. become more involved with the Vietnamese struggle? What's going on with a special unit that's bringing in all sorts of (for the time) high tech equipment? Will the U.S. make Vietnam the 51st state and bomb aggressors to oblivion? But for Joe, the big question is--does Mai love him or will she betray more than just his heart? Gary Alexander’s intelligent voice, filled with dry wit, and his own experiences give this story a sharp sense of truth, recounting the horror and absurdity of war. Reminiscent of books such as Catch-22, Dragon Lady serves up equal measures of outrageous humor and poignant remembrance.

Gary Alexander was one of 17,000 US soldiers in Vietnam that spring. When he left in the fall, there were 75,000 troops in-country.


The Goose Girl ($1.99), by Shannon Hale, is the first in her Books of Bayern series for younger readers.

Book Description
Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, spends the first years of her life under her aunt's guidance learning to communicate with animals. As she grows up Ani develops the skills of animal speech, but is never comfortable speaking with people, so when her silver-tongued lady-in-waiting leads a mutiny during Ani's journey to be married in a foreign land, Ani is helpless and cannot persuade anyone to assist her. Becoming a goose girl for the king, Ani eventually uses her own special, nearly magical powers to find her way to her true destiny. Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original and magical tale of a girl who must find her own unusual talents before she can become queen of the people she has made her own.

Firefly Lane ($4.99), by Kristin Hannah

Book Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of On Mystic Lake comes a powerful novel of love, loss, and the magic of friendship. . . .

In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all---beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer’s end they’ve become TullyandKate. Inseparable.

So begins Kristin Hannah’s magnificent new novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives.

From the beginning, Tully is desperate to prove her worth to the world. Abandoned by her mother at an early age, she longs to be loved unconditionally. In the glittering, big-hair era of the eighties, she looks to men to fill the void in her soul. But in the buttoned-down nineties, it is television news that captivates her. She will follow her own blind ambition to New York and around the globe, finding fame and success . . . and loneliness.

Kate knows early on that her life will be nothing special. Throughout college, she pretends to be driven by a need for success, but all she really wants is to fall in love and have children and live an ordinary life. In her own quiet way, Kate is as driven as Tully. What she doesn’t know is how being a wife and mother will change her . . . how she’ll lose sight of who she once was, and what she once wanted. And how much she’ll envy her famous best friend. . . .

For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship---jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they’ve survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart . . . and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.

Firefly Lane is for anyone who ever drank Boone’s Farm apple wine while listening to Abba or Fleetwood Mac. More than a coming-of-age novel, it’s the story of a generation of women who were both blessed and cursed by choices. It’s about promises and secrets and betrayals. And ultimately, about the one person who really, truly knows you---and knows what has the power to hurt you . . . and heal you. Firefly Lane is a story you’ll never forget . . . one you’ll want to pass on to your best friend.


Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together ($4.74), by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

Book Description
Meet Denver, a man raised under plantation-style slavery in Louisiana in the 1960s; a man who escaped, hopping a train to wander, homeless, for eighteen years on the streets of Dallas, Texas. No longer a slave, Denver's life was still hopeless-until God moved. First came a godly woman who prayed, listened, and obeyed. And then came her husband, Ron, an international arts dealer at home in a world of Armani-suited millionaires. And then they all came together.

But slavery takes many forms. Deborah discovers that she has cancer. In the face of possible death, she charges her husband to rescue Denver. Who will be saved, and who will be lost? What is the future for these unlikely three? What is God doing?

Same Kind of Different As Me is the emotional tale of their story: a telling of pain and laughter, doubt and tears, dug out between the bondages of this earth and the free possibility of heaven. No reader or listener will ever forget it.


In The Bleak Midwinter ($2.99), by Julia Spencer-Fleming, is the first in her Reverend Clare Fergusson series.

Book Description
It's a cold, snowy December in the upstate New York town of Millers Kill, and newly ordained Clare Fergusson is on thin ice as the first female priest of its small Episcopal church. The ancient regime running the parish covertly demands that she prove herself as a leader. However, her blunt manner, honed by years as an army pilot, is meeting with a chilly reception from some members of her congregation and Chief of Police Russ Van Alystyne, in particular, doesn't know what to make of her, or how to address "a lady priest" for that matter.

The last thing she needs is trouble, but that is exactly what she finds. When a newborn baby is abandoned on the church stairs and a young mother is brutally murdered, Clare has to pick her way through the secrets and silence that shadow that town like the ever-present Adirondack mountains. As the days dwindle down and the attraction between the avowed priest and the married police chief grows, Clare will need all her faith, tenacity, and courage to stand fast against a killer's icy heart.

In the Bleak Midwinter is one of the most outstanding Malice Domestic winners the contest has seen. The compelling atmosphere-the kind of very cold and snowy winter that is typical of upstate New York-will make you reach for another sweater. The characters are fully and believably drawn and you will feel like they are your old friends and find yourself rooting for them every step of the way.


Blood Game ($2.99), by Iris Johansen, is the seventh in her Eve Duncan series.

Book Description
First comes darkness, then comes fear
Eve Duncan is back! Blockbuster New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen’s latest thriller brings Eve closer to discovering her daughter’s killer…and into a web of danger from which she may not be able to escape…

Eve Duncan returns in a thriller that pits her against the most evil mind she has ever encountered: a ruthless killer who taunts her with his every move…and who has a special affinity for blood. When a Georgia senator’s daughter is found murdered, and her body drained of blood, Eve Duncan is drawn into the web of Kevin Jelak—a serial murderer who is on Eve’s short list of killers who might know something about her missing daughter Bonnie. When a goblet of blood is found in Eve’s refrigerator, she knows the taunting is over…and the games have begun. As Eve and Jelak engage in a dance of death, Eve must call upon those she loves and trusts the most…even if it means bringing them into the game as well.


Pushing Up Daisies ($2.99), by Rosemary Harris, is the first in her Dirty Business Mystery series.

Book Description
Meet Paula Holliday, a transplanted media exec who trades her stilettos for garden clogs when she makes the move from the big city to the suburbs to start a gardening business. Paula can handle deer, slugs, and the occasional human pest---but she’s not prepared for the mummified body she finds while restoring the gardens at Halcyon, a local landmark.

Casual snooping turns serious when a body is impaled on a garden tool and one of Paula’s friends is arrested for the crime.

Aided by the still-hot aging rocker who owns the neighborhood greasy spoon, a wise-cracking former colleague, and a sexy Mexican laborer with a few secrets of his own, Paula digs for the truth and unearths more dirty business the town has kept buried for years.

New Kindle Game - Reversi Deluxe

Reversi Deluxe ($1.99), by Mobigloo, is the latest entry in the Kindle active content game category.

Book Description
Reversi Deluxe is a classic strategy board game that's easy to learn.

The rules of Reversi Deluxe are simple. Your goal is to have more pieces of your color on the board than your opponent does. Players lay pieces on the board so they trap one or more of the opposing player's pieces. Opponent's pieces that are trapped turn into your color. Players take turns until the board is full or there are no remaining moves.

Reversi Deluxe provides four different levels of difficulty (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert) which allows players to be challenged regardless of skill. You can challenge your friends with Pass 'n' Play support, or play against Kindle. You can also ask Reversi to show all of your valid moves on the board.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Amazon Cloud Drive and Cloud Music Player

Today, Amazon has announced two new, but related services, Cloud Drive and Cloud Player. Cloud Drive is a virtual storage drive in the Amazon Cloud, free for all Amazon customers. You get 5GB free to start and can increase that by purchasing an annual license for an upgrade for amounts ranging from 20GB to 1 terabyte. For this year only, Amazon will give you the upgrade to 20GB for free, if you buy any (non-free) MP3 album. You can use your Cloud Drive to store anything that you have a legal right to backup or store (so, don't store your pirated books and music there), which means you can use it to back up books you have purchased outside the Kindle store, music you purchased before today (more on that later), documents you have created, etc.

I don't think it will take the place of Dropbox, which I use (and love) -- your Cloud Drive is accessed via a web page or on your Android device, while Dropbox automatically syncs with a directory/folder on your computer; this makes it much easier to move files to Dropbox and you can access your Dropbox folders from you iPhone/iPad (I use this feature to get EPUB's over to the iPad and open in BlueFire Reader, as well as to copy over PDF's that are easier to read there than the Kindle) and from the Kindle (including wirelessly downloading non-DRM'd mobi books, I've been told; I haven't used this feature myself, yet). If you Calibre folder is small, you can just move it inside the Dropbox folder and it will automatically sync to the web storage and every computer on which you've installed your Dropbox account (no more emailing files to yourself from other places). You can also set up directories inside Dropbox that you only share with certain people (I use this to share documents with someone else, so the copy being edited is quickly updated to all involved).

The Amazon Cloud Drive does none of this, but ... it's Amazon, so they have added one very cool feature -- any music that you upload can be played using the Cloud Player from any PC (via a web page) or your Android device (using the Amazon MP3 App). In addition, any MP3 music you purchase (as of yesterday) now gives you the option to send it to your Cloud Drive, rather than downloading to your computer right away. Make sure you pick this option with the next MP3 purchase (it will then set up a default for you, so you don't have to answer each time, which you can change later, if you want), as the Amazon MP3 purchases don't (repeat, DO NOT) count towards your storage limit. I've spent the morning re-purchasing (more on this later) some MP3's and have over 7GB installed, but not one single byte is counting towards my 5GB limit. Once stored on your Cloud Drive, you can either play the music directly from there (streaming) or download it to your PC or Android device.

There are a few limitations: only files up to 2GB in size can be stored and music files over 100MB won't upload using the upload tool in the Cloud Player. Also, you have to use the web interface to download the files back to your PC, unless you go into your MP3 Settings (on the Cloud Player page) and click to automatically download your MP3 purchases to the computer. You can, in fact, open up that same page on any number of computers (an unlimited number, from what I can tell), log in and have that computer also automatically download any MP3's purchased. Essentially, you now have a method of syncing all the computers you use (desktop, laptop, phone and work, for example) with your new MP3 music, with no additional effort on your part.

So, what about music you already have? Unfortunately, Amazon is not automatically adding your past purchases to your Cloud Drive. So, your existing music, unless repurchased via Amazon, will count towards your 5GB limit. If you purchase at least one non-free album, you'll have 20GB to store it in, but I have well over that just on my laptop (and the 20GB must be renewed each year). Amazon will, however, let you repurchase music, so I would suggest that you look thru the current Free MP3 Albums and Free MP3 Songs (I've sorted these by album and you can use the genre tags on the side to narrow down the choices) and repurchase those that you already own. You'll be prompted during checkout that you already own them (for those you do), but since they are free, the only thing this costs is your time. With the first one you purchase, make sure you tell it to send it to your Cloud Drive. Then, when you click on Upload to Your Cloud Drive from the Cloud Player, the music you have already installed will be removed from the total, letting you see if your music collection will fit in the default space provided.

If you need more space, consider picking up one of the 100/$5: 100 Albums for $5 Each or Seed Your Cloud Albums as $5 or less for an album you keep is a lot better than paying for the additional storage in the first year. There are quite a few interesting ones that still have a couple of days left on this month's sale (and there will be new ones this Friday). I've included a few albums below that I discovered while exploring today - two at $5 and three free albums that I had not seen previously (and which are now snugly tucked into my Cloud Drive.


Update: It turns out that anything listed as an "album" counts, not just those with multiple songs. So, this album (currently the top selling album at Amazon) will upgrade you to 20GB of storage for only 69 cents:
If you don't like that one, I found this one at the same price:
I didn't cheap out, though, and found an album that I really like (bought and my space is now upgraded!):

Monday, March 28, 2011

Free Book (Kindle/EPUB/nook) - The Gospel of Ruth

Update: 11:45 PM Now free at B&N, as well. 6:30 PM No longer available from B&N.
Update: 3/30/11 Now free at Kobo.
Update: 4/5/11 Now free at Sony.

Update #2 6:30 PM This is no long available at B&N at all. I expect it will be back (and free, if it makes it this week), but have no idea when that will be. In the meantime, maybe Sony or Kobo will have it available.

The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules, by Carolyn Custis James, is free on Kindle and at B&N, courtesy of Christian publisher Zondervan. Since this is an Agency title, it should drop from it's current $9.99 at B&N sometime in the next day or so.

Book Description
This isn't the Ruth, the Naomi, or the Boaz we thought we knew. Carolyn James has unearthed startling new insights from this well-worn story ... insights that have life-changing implications for you.
  • Naomi is no longer regarded as a bitter, complaining woman, but as a courageous overcomer.
  • A Female Job.
  • Ruth (typically admired for her devotion to Naomi and her deference to Boaz) turns out to be a gutsy risk-taker and a powerful agent for change among God's people. She lives outside the box, and her love for Yahweh and Naomi compels her to break the rules of social and religious convention at nearly every turn.
  • Boaz, the Kinsman Redeemer, is repeatedly caught off-guard by Ruth's initiatives. His partnership with her models the kind of male/female relationships that the gospel intends for all who follow Jesus.
Carolyn James drills down deeper into the story where she uncovers in the Old Testament the same passionate, counter-cultural, rule-breaking gospel that Jesus modeled and taught his followers to pursue. Within this age-old story is a map to radical levels of love and sacrifice, combined with the message that God is counting on his daughters to build his kingdom.

The Gospel of Ruth vests every woman's life with kingdom purposes and frees us to embrace wholeheartedly God's calling, regardless of our circumstances or season of life. This story of two women who have lost everything contains a profound message: God created women not to live in the shadowy margins of men or of the past, but to emerge as courageous activists for his kingdom.


Click HERE for the free book from B&N.
Click HEREfor the free book from Kobo.
Click HERE for the free book from Sony.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

A Trio of Cookbooks from Woman's Day

I was browsing thru the cookbooks at Amazon this weekend and ran into this trio of bargain cookbooks from Woman's Day. To get the bargains, you have to step away from their pre-orders; not only is Weeknight Meals in a Hurry: The Monday through Friday Eat-Well Cookbook Series ($29.99) outrageously overpriced, but the more modestly priced The Woman's Day Everyday Cookbook: 365 Tasty Recipes and Monthly Menus for the Whole Year ($14.99) can be beat with a bit of sleuth-work (although that last one does look interesting, I will admit).

First up is Woman's Day Cookbook for Healthy Living ($4.99), by Elizabeth Alston. I've already purchased this one and made the Fudge Brownie Pudding Cake only minutes after downloading it (the cake isn't bad at all and was easily modified for gluten and lactose free, but next time I'm going to serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream; in any case, not a crumb remained in anyone's bowl). The 224 page hardcover for this one is discounted by Amazon to $18.99, so the Kindle edition is a real steal. The recipes are well formatted on the Kindle itself, with a table of contents in the front that makes it easy to jump first to a section and from there to any recipe (I've got to try that Margarita Fruit Cocktail, next), while on the iPad or PC you get the addition of full color in the images to provide further inspiration.

Book Description
If you're ready to feel great and take charge of your health (and your family's), then this book is for you.

Relax! Just because the recipes in this book are "healthy" doesn't mean you have to give up the foods you love. This book offers a simple, enjoyable approach to delicious and healthful cooking that anyone can master. This is no diet book - the recipes are neither fat-free, sugar-free or sodium-free - rather, it is a daily guide to gradually changing your cooking habits to include a wide variety of nutritious foods: fruits and vegetables, meats and fish, whole grains and even sweets. Over time, you'll find that a positive transformation has taken place, without you even knowing it! You'll feel better, look better and save time while making fabulous meals the whole family will enjoy.

The best approach to building a healthy lifestyle is a balanced approach - none of those restrictive fad diets, splurging on the latest workout equipment or popping the vitamin du jour. Nor must you deny yourself the occasional slice of chocolate cake. Instead, we'll help you make positive choices that support your lifestyle while gradually developing a healthier way of cooking and eating.


From the same author, Elizabeth Alston, the next one that caught my eye was The Woman's Day Cookvook: Healthy Food for Everyday Living ($3.99). Yes, that isn't a spelling error, but an intentional play on words, as this one is intended for the iPad or iPhone (for now). There are 45 recipes and demonstrations, without the usual introduction and what to stock in your kitchen chapters - instead, each chapter is a single recipe and has an accompanying video, demonstrating just how to prepare the dish (two are included in the sample, with the complete recipes for each). Some of the chapters will no doubt be basic for some (how to cut an avocado and get the seed out, for example), but others may find just the training they are looking for, as they turn to cooking on their own for the first time, using real ingredients rather than just popping a boxed entree into the oven. I haven't bought this one yet, so if you do, let me know what you think of it.

Book Description
The Woman's Day Cookvook: Healthy Food for Everyday Living is the ultimate guide to good, healthy cooking with recipes tested by the experts at Woman's Day and prepared by everyday cooks -- from seasoned pros to culinary newcomers.

Packed with 45 nutritious and mouthwatering recipes from the trusted editors of Woman's Day, each one includes nutritional information and cooking time. This is the perfect cookvook for anyone who wants to eat low-sodium, low-fat, and low-sugar meals without sacrificing taste and fun.

Every recipe includes a video so you can cook along with other Woman's Day readers or watch a helpful cooking or shopping tip with Woman's Day experts.


The trio finishes up with a another volume from Elizabeth Alston, New Woman's Day Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Every Occasion. This one has so many desserts, they had to spread them across two chapters (with a few extras tucked into chapters on Entertaining and Celebrations).

At $8.99, it's a bit above my usual fair for this blog, but that Agency set price compares well to the $35 the 432 page print edition was listed for. With this one, though, you can have your cake and eat it too: the Hardcover is currently being discounted to $2.95 and the paperback to $5 (not as good a deal, but probably lighter to hold to read). So, you can get it on the cheap for under three bucks, spend a bit more and get the more convenient Kindle edition (on your PC and Kindle for under $10) or get both the print and Kindle editions for as little as $11.94 (plus shipping).

Book Description
Woman's Day, America's most popular and trusted magazine, brings you a comprehensive reference cookbook - perfect for every cook from novice to pro.

Reflecting today's busy lifestyles, this cookbook contains a wealth of time-saving recipes that will allow for less time in the kitchen while still creating healthy and delicious meals. The editors of Woman's Day presents over 350 wholesome meals with nutritious ingredients - many can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.

The savory recipes cover Pasta, Chicken & Turkey, Beef, Fish & Seafood, Pork & Ham, Eggs & Cheese, Pizzas & Breads, Soups, Salads, Cakes & Cookies, and Desserts. Some of the scrumptious dishes include: Roasted Red Snapper with Coconut-Ginger Sauce, Thai Steak Salad, Chicken Breasts with Fresh Orange Salsa, Tex-Mex Pulled Pork, Chorizzo Frittata, and Carribean Pumpkin Soup.

From the easy-to-follow directions to the appendix of cooking terms and essential preparation tips, The New Woman's Day Cookbook is an indispensable collection of classic and contemporary recipes to add to your cookbook shelf.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

New Kindle Game - Checkers

It seems like only yesterday that I told you about a new Checkers game for the Kindle .... oh, wait, it was yesterday. I missed it yesterday, but there are actually two new Checkers ($0.99) games for the Kindle, the second from Code Mystics.

Best of all, if you are hesitating to spend another 99 cents (really? you can't even get a value menu chili for this anymore) and aren't sure if you would like this one better than the other edition, you can play this one in your browser.

Book Description
Enjoy the classic board game of Checkers on Kindle.

The object of Checkers is to jump over and capture all of your opponent's pieces before you lose all of your own, or to put your opponent in a position where there are no legal moves available.

Checkers allows you play against Kindle at one of eight difficulty levels, or play with a friend with a Pass 'n' Play mode. You can save your game at any point, and then continue at a later time. Checkers also includes a practice mode that lets you set up the starting board any way you like.

Enjoy Checkers today!

Free Book (noDRM) - Save My Soul

Save My Soul ($4.95 Kindle), the second book in the PreternaturalsPreternaturals series by Zoe Winters, is free on AllRomance today.

Book Description
All he’s asking for is her soul.

After buying the antebellum home she’s fantasized about since childhood, Anna Worthington discovers Luc, a dangerously seductive incubus who has been trapped in the house by a fifty-year-old curse. To rid herself of her problem house guest she’ll call on a priest, gypsies, ghost hunters, and the coven of witches from lust bunny hell. All she has to do is resist him long enough to break the spell so they can go their separate ways. If she doesn’t, she could die. And that would be the best case scenario.


Click HERE for the free download.

Friday, March 25, 2011

New Kindle Game - Checkers

If Chess ($2.99 $0.99) isn't your game, you may want to take a look at the new Kindle game, Checkers ($0.99), from A Gamz, makers of Maze A Thon.

Book Description
The classic board game of checkers is now available on Kindle.

Choose whether you wish to play against Kindle with up to ten levels of difficulty, or against a friend with Pass 'n' Play mode. You can customize the game with a variety of gameplay options including "Forced Jump" mode, which requires you to jump if you can, and a "Relaxed" mode which does not force you to make a jump. In addition, "Tournament" mode offers a different challenge by randomizing the first three starting moves, leaving you with a different game every time.

Stuck? You can ask for a hint on your next best move or look for pieces with letters to see your options for legal plays. And if all else fails, just undo your last move (or moves) - including all the way back to the beginning of the game if you wish.

Enjoy the classic board game of Checkers on the go!


You can find out more about the game direct from A Gamz.