I've moved!

I've moved!

Thanks for stopping by, but it appears you are using a (very) old address for my blog. I've moved to a Wordpress site and you'll need to update your bookmarks for Books on the Knob

I've moved!

Custom Search

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

90 Day Free Trial Magazines (K)

When the Kindle Fire originally released, Amazon stepped up the free trial on selected magazines to a full 90 days, rather than the 14 days you get on most Kindle subscriptions. Some of these are for Kindle Subscriptions, even though they only worked on the Kindle Fire, while others are for subscriptions using the Android App on your Kindle Fire (which might mean you could also view that magazine on any Android device, if you can get the app to load; most, however, are Kindle Fire apps only). From what I understand, today is the last day to sign up for the 90 day free trials on these, so you might want to grab as many as you are interested in today (after all, you can change your mind on them anytime in the next three months).

One that I jumped on (and that is no longer available) was for Bon Appetit magazine. It was a Kindle Subscription option, so downloaded as an AZW file to the Kindle Fire and which I luckily backed up (as you'll see in a bit). I received an email that they were discontinuing this edition and that I should resubscribe instead using the Bon Appetit Magazine Android App. In addition, if I did so by today, I'd get another 90 day free trial. So far, so good, seems like a real win (90 days before, 90 days now, means 6 months free total!). It's the same price (and even a discount if you pay by the year), so, I canceled the old subscription and started the new one. The magazine downloaded fine and I actually like it a lot better as an App, versus as a Kindle Subscription. For one thing, there are live links everywhere, you can email yourself a link to the recipes with a couple of clicks (you can't clip anything in the subscription version, just look at the pretty pictures), and the layout is designed more for the Kindle Fire screen size (instead of having to fight to get the print large enough to read). I did have to enable in-app purchases (you can turn this off after subscribing) and use my PIN to get the subscription started, even though I won't be charge for the first three months.

There was only one problem -- although all the issues that I had marked to keep are still on the Kindle Fire (and I have them backed up, at least for this one device), the five issues that I had (three free, plus two paid) are now all gone from my archives. That's right - if you cancel a subscription on the Kindle, you lose ALL the back issues (at least, with this magazine, you do). Yet another reason I hate the subscriptions at Amazon and avoid them in most cases. I'd love to keep a digital archive of several magazines, but losing them if you cancel at any time, isn't acceptable. Zinio doesn't lose your content (and I can read it on nearly any device), so I use it whenever it's a choice. I'll have to wait and see if that's a problem with the Bon Appetit app, as well, but I'm starting to think it won't be. It seems that you get free access with a print subscription (just as I now do with Cooking Light - as soon as I installed the app, I had access to both of this year's issues); it turns out, it's cheaper to sign up for the print magazine (at least, currently) than to get the subscription via the App -- so after my free 90 days, I'm canceling and buying in print, which should give me the best of both worlds, at the lowest price.

The one subscription that I just started, that I don't mind having only digitally and don't care that past issues won't be retained, is TV Guide Magazine. It comes out weekly, isn't of much value after it's old and is only 99 cents a month. You can view this one on the Kindle Fire, but it's a bit tiny. I can zoom out with it in portrait mode, but have to move around the page to see anything (Why can't the landscape view to a zoomed 1/2 page, like Kindle books, instead of 2 pages side-by-side? If it did, it would be large enough to read!). However, this particular subscription allows you to view it on the iPad, as well, with the latest Kindle iPad app. There, it's large enough to read. It's also eligible for the 90-day free trial, so you'll get three months of it to decide, rather than just a couple of weeks. The only problem getting the longer free trial might be if you don't have a Kindle Fire, as one page at Amazon implies you need one to get the 90 days free, but I signed up for this one with an iPad as the primary device and got the 90 day free confirmation email (however, I do have a Fire on my account). Best of all? Since the subscriptions now show up in the archives, I can have it on the iPad and KFire (and Mom can view it on her iPad, as well).

Today's Deals

Today is the last day to enter the Kobo daily contest. If you've missed a day, you can answer prior day's questions after the daily question (and still get another coupon code). The coupon codes won will expire at the end of the contest (presumably today).

BooksOnBoard has a 25% off publisher's price sale on all eligible Sci-Fi titles with promo code Feb29!

For a bit of Whimsy, be sure to check out the Google home page today.

Now free on Kindle:

I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can ($0.99), by Barbara Gordon, is today's Kindle Deal of the Day.
Book Description
Barbara had it all: a successful career as an award-winning documentary film maker, a strong relationship, and plenty of friends. But a lingering problem with anxiety drew her into a dangerous Valium addiction. Her story is an honest, gripping look into addiction, her ill-advised cold-turkey withdrawal and the hospitalizations that followed, the worst the psychiatric field has to offer, and her painful yet persistent pathway back to functioning. Through it all, Gordon is a beacon of hope, actively choosing life over the alternative, even after journeying to the darkest depths of the human psyche.This beautifully written classic is a must read for anyone battling their own psychological demons, anyone in the mental health field, and everyone in need of an inspiring survivor story.

Puppy Love ($1.57 / £0.99 UK), by Frauke Scheunemann, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (no US edition; too bad, this one looks cute).
Book Description
Hercules is a dachshund, and his new mistress Caroline is the greatest human being on earth. She's the one who rescued him from the animal shelter, who smells of summer and strawberries, and who laughs when the little pup snuggles up with her on the sofa.

So when Caroline is badly treated by her bossy, dog-hating boyfriend, Hercules decides it's high time he rescued his mistress for a change. And so begins an epic quest to find his favourite woman the perfect man...

Touching, original, and very funny, Puppy Love is a story about love, life, and the best friend a girl could ever have.

The Best American Short Stories 2011 ($1.99 Kindle, B&N), edited by Geraldine Brooks and Heidi Pitlor, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle. What you won't see on the official Daily Find page, though, is that B&N has actually dropped the price of the series to $1.99 (just as Amazon did earlier this week).

In addition, I now see that there is a Nook Daily Find Families selection, Dora Helps Diego! (Dora the Explorer) ($3.19 Kindle, $1.44 B&N), apparently a new feature at B&N, where a kid-friendly choice is also posted daily. Doesn't look like Amazon has figured this one out, as it isn't price matched.
Book Description
Baby Jaguar is missing. Read along with Dora as she looks for her friend!

Note that this title works only on the Kindle Fire if purchased from Amazon and only on the NOOK Color, NOOK Tablet or NOOK Kids for iPad app if purchased from B&N. Children’s books on Kindle Fire now feature Kindle Text Pop-Up for reading text over vivid, full-color images. Just double-tap any text region and it will expand for easy reading (A software update may be required to view this title).
All of the titles below are $1.99 at Barnes & Noble today:
  • The Best American Short Stories 2011, edited by Geraldine Brooks and Heidi Pitlor
    Includes: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Megan Mayhew Bergman, Jennifer Egan, Nathan Englander, Allegra Goodman, Ehud Havazelet, Rebecca Makkai, Steven Millhauser, George Saunders, Mark Slouka, and others
  • The Best American Mystery Stories 2011, edited by Harlan Coben and Otto Penzler
    Includes: Lawrence Block, Brendan DuBois, Loren D. Estleman, Beth Ann Fennelly and Tom Franklin, Ed Gorman, Richard Lange, S. J. Rozan, Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins, and others
  • The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2011, edited by Mary Roach and Tim Folger
    Includes: Atul Gawande, Jonathan Franzen, Deborah Blum, Malcolm Gladwell, Oliver Sacks, Jon Mooallem, Jon Cohen, Luke Dittrich, and others
  • The Best American Essays 2011, edited by Edwidge Danticat and Robert Atwan
    Includes: Hilton Als, Katy Butler, Toi Derricotte, Christopher Hitchens, Pico Iyer, Charlie LeDuff, Chang-Rae Lee, Lia Purpura, Zadie Smith, Reshma Memon Yaqub, and others
  • The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2011, edited by Dave Eggers
    Includes: Daniel Alarcón, Clare Beams, Sloane Crosley, Anthony Doerr, Neil Gaiman, Mohammed Hanif, Mac McClelland, Michael Paterniti, Olivier Schrauwen, Gary Shteyngart, and others
  • The Best American Travel Writing 2011, edited by Sloane Crosley and Jason Wilson
    Includes: André Aciman, Christopher Buckley, Maureen Dowd, Verlyn Klinkenborg, Ariel Levy, Téa Obreht, Annie Proulx, Gary Shteyngart, William T. Vollmann, Emily Witt, and others
  • The Best American Sports Writing 2011, edited by Glenn Stout and Jane Leavy
    Includes: Paul Solotaroff, Sally Jenkins, Wells Tower, John McPhee, David Dobbs, Wright Thompson, P. J. O’Rourke, Selena Roberts, and others

Free Book - Secrets (K)

Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #8: Secrets, by John Jackson Miller, is now free to pre-order in the Kindle store. This is the last book in the series and if you'd rather have all eight collected into one volume, Random House has that available as a pre-order as well (currently on sale for $4.99). If you missed any, I have them all listed under Fantasy and Science Fiction on the Free Kindle Books page, here (and Amazon still has all of them, unlike some stores that have dropped to only one title).
Book Description
It’s the beginning of the end for this epic series in the thrilling final eBook installment, Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #8: Secrets. Two thousand years ago, Commander Yaru Korsin braved mutiny and desperation—and inspired his shipwrecked Sith tribe to rise up, seize, and dominate the planet Kesh. Now a shocking revelation about those legendary ancestors has thrown the Sith into turmoil, pitting one against the other in ever-growing clashes that could bring about their downfall. With his city descending into chaos around him, unassuming archivist Varner Hilts sets off for the forbidden temple, home to the wreckage of Korsin’s ship, Omen. Outnumbered by ruthless Sith warriors with nothing to lose, Hilts knows it may be a suicide mission. But he has a hunch that Korsin left something behind, something hidden until such an essential time as now—one final piece of knowledge that could save the rulers of Kesh from themselves and set them once again on the path toward a glorious destiny.

Buy One Get One Free Sale at Audible


As a Leap Day special, Audible is having a Buy One Get One Free Sale for members that have a credit on their account. It does appear to be limited to those in the US and if you have the very, very old use-it-or-lose-it 2 credits a month sale, it doesn't seem to work for you either. For the rest of us, though, we can shop as many times as we have credits stored up in the special BOGO store, getting two books for the price of one! The cart in the special store allows only two books to be added at a time, then you click the Confirm button and check out. Return to the BOGO page after checkout to repeat the process for each credit. The site is running a bit slow, but it looks like it's definitely worth the effort to explore all the categories today.

If you aren't already a member at Audible (a subscribing member, not just have a login), you won't be able to see the sale. However, you could join with the 2-Free Audiobooks Gold Listener plan and should be able to take advantage of the sale. If you decide not to keep the plan after the first 30 days, just cancel with no further obligation.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Free and Bargain Book Roundup

Working for the Devil, the first volume in the Dante Valentine series by Lilith Saintcrow, is currently on sale for $2.99, joining The Hedgewitch Queen that Orbit has at that price for this month. I think the Dante Valentine is a better series (enough so that I have bought them all over the last few years); if you decide to do the same, you can pick up the rest of the series at $4.99 each (at least, right now), or grab the omnibus Dante Valentine: The Complete Series which, although $19.99, works out to only $4/title. Since this series is from an Agency publisher, you can get the same prices at Barnes & Noble or from Kobo. Those in the UK and EU miss out on the sales prices for the individual titles, but get a great deal on the complete series: $11.23 UK and $11.42 DE (non-Agency publisher in those regions).
Book Description
When the Devil needs a rogue demon killed, who does he call?

The Player: Necromance-for-hire Dante Valentine is choosy about her jobs. Hot tempered and with nerves of steel, she can raise the dead like nobody's business. But one rainy Monday morning, everything goes straight to hell.

The Score: The Devil hires Dante to eliminate a rogue demon: Vardimal Santino. In return, he will let her live. It's an offer she can't refuse.

The Catch: How do you kill something that can't die?

It looks like the rest of Elizabeth Lowell's Only series is now on sale for $1.99 apiece, so those who grabbed the first three on sale before, can now fill in the rest of the series. Since I had the descriptions of the first three in this post, I'm only going to include the synopsis on the last three in the series tonight. Each title looks like it runs around 400 pages, so you get a lot of reading in each one.
  1. Only His
  2. Only Mine
  3. Only You
  4. Only Love
    Cast adrift during the War Between the States, Shannon Conner grew to womanhood in a lonely cabin high in the Colorado Rockies. Though stubborn and courageous, Shannon is ill-prepared to deal with the predatory Culpepper brothers—and the intoxicating ardour of the man who defends her honour, Rafael 'Whip' Moran.

    A loner and a wanderer, a man tied to no place or promise, Whip aids the wary young 'widow' who has a walk like honey and a determined grip on her shotgun. But neither the Culpeppers nor grizzlies are as dangerous to Whip as the passion Shannon offers him—a passion that could cost Whip the freedom that is as much a part of him as his soul.
  5. Autumn Lover
    Returning to her Wyoming ranch at the Civil War's end, Elyssa Sutton finds it picked bare by scavengers and coveted by determined men. Yet the proud young woman vows never again to abandon her Ruby Mountain home, though it means enlisting the aid of a dark and dangerous stranger who lives for revenge alone.

    Hunter Maxwell has suffered from the savagery of outlaws and the faithlessness of a woman. And he will trust no female - nor will he rest until the raiders who destroyed his family pay for their crimes.

    A woman in, need, a man in pain, in fury and fire they must now stand as one to fight for something cherished, something lost ... and for a passion neither dreamed could live.

    In the brisk chill of Autumn, ravaged hearts will be reborn.
  6. Winter Fire
    Orphaned at thirteen, a mail-order bride at fourteen, widowed at sixteen, Sarah Kennedy has learned to depend upon no one but herself--reserving all her love for her younger brother Conner, and for the wounded hawks she heals and returns to the air.

    A hardened Civil War veteran, personal tragedy has taught Case Maxwell three things: to be a patient, deadly fighter, to love nothing that can die; and that justice is blind. But when a confrontation with his sworn enemies, the Culpepper clan, leaves him near death, Case finds himself, like many another damaged wild creature, under the tender, unwanted care of Sarah Kennedy.

    Destiny has brought the healer and the warrior together to brave chilling risks and dangerous truths in a hard, magnificent land--two souls haunted by a perilous present and the bitter ghosts of the past. But the intense emotion both Case and Sarah fear--the passion that burns like fire in the very heart of winter--is the only thing that can truly save them, as together they seek the courage to face the greatest risk of all: love.
    Orphaned at thirteen, a mail-order bride at fourteen, widowed at sixteen, Sarah Kennedy has learned to depend upon no one but herself--reserving all her love for her younger brother Conner, and for the wounded hawks she heals and returns to the air.

    A hardened Civil War veteran, personal tragedy has taught Case Maxwell three things: to be a patient, deadly fighter, to love nothing that can die; and that justice is blind. But when a confrontation with his sworn enemies, the Culpepper clan, leaves him near death, Case finds himself, like many another damaged wild creature, under the tender, unwanted care of Sarah Kennedy.

    Destiny has brought the healer and the warrior together to brave chilling risks and dangerous truths in a hard, magnificent land--two souls haunted by a perilous present and the bitter ghosts of the past. But the intense emotion both Case and Sarah fear--the passion that burns like fire in the very heart of winter--is the only thing that can truly save them, as together they seek the courage to face the greatest risk of all: love.

Eden Burning with Bonus Material ($1.99 pre-order, March 20), by Elizabeth Lowell, includes the first four chapters from her upcoming new book, Beautiful Sacrifice (releasing May 22). Get a preview with the full-price edition (but careful not to one-click it).
Book Description
Paradise calls to Chase Wilcox. A man of science fascinated by the rebirth of life in the wake of cataclysmic natural upheaval, he is drawn to the lush beauty of the island of Hawaii and the secrets it holds—while escaping the destruction of his own personal world. Here where warm breezes caress the skin and vibrant colors assault the senses—and where dangerous fires rage unseen beneath the earth's surface—Chase plans to immerse himself in his work...and somehow heal and forget. The last thing he needs or wants is love.

But the island is home to many unexpected wonders, which is why Nicole Ballard could never leave it. A research assistant, an artist, and a dancer—a tall, stunning redhead who goes by the stage name of Pele, the goddess of fire—she, too, hides a secret pain, releasing her pent-up sensuality to the accompaniment of native drums before a mesmerized audience. Nicole has never met a man quite like Chase, strong, intense, and brilliant. And he, in turn, is fascinated by this remarkable woman who seems to be a breathtaking force of nature in her own right. Fate has cast them together, causing a chain reaction that neither imagined in their most secret dreams.

Joined on an important scientific project that carries them into the verdant heart of a tropical wonder land, Nicole and Chase will be forced to confront their own lingering inner darkness, while resisting a newly inflamed need to touch, to give . . . to care. But in the shadows of Kilauea, all restraints will be broken, as emotions flow as hot and free as rivers of molten lava. And desire will erupt, as unpredictable and dangerous as the living volcano, transforming the very landscape of their lives—a torrent that no power on earth can contain, a passion that bums like fire.

Desert Rain with Bonus Material ($1.99 pre-order, March 20), by Elizabeth Lowell, includes the first four chapters from her upcoming new book, Beautiful Sacrifice (releasing May 22). Get a preview with the full-price edition (but careful not to one-click it).
Book Description
She is a contradiction, one woman with two lives. She is Shannon, one of the world's great beauties, her face and figure gracing the fashion pages of the world's most elegant magazines. She is also Holly, a fragile innocent, haunted by painful memories of her past—and by dreams of the man who once shared her secrets. She is assured yet vulnerable, irresistible yet untouched.

Destiny has brought Holly Shannon North back to Hidden Springs, where she can be one person, where romance once touched her tender young heart. Here Lincoln McKenzie waits—the proud California rancher, long since hardened by his life's tragedies. Now, in the icy chill of a desert storm, together they must somehow find the way back to love . . . and rekindle a fire whose healing warmth will truly draw them home.

A classic story of love and redemption from the incomparable New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Lowell

Beautiful Dreamer with Bonus Material ($1.99 pre-order), by Elizabeth Lowell, includes the first four chapters from her upcoming new book, Beautiful Sacrifice (releasing May 22). Get a preview with the full-price edition (but careful not to one-click it).
Book Description
Nevada's rugged, majestic beauty is a balm for the aches of Hope Gardener's heart. But the ranch she loves is dying of thirst, thanks to the worst drought the area has ever seen, Hope needs a miracle—and one day it comes to the Valley of the Sun.

A man out of time, Rio is an anachronism in the modern-day West, bringing with him a reputation for finding water in any desert. Hope has no choice but to trust this dark stranger who claims to make dreams real. And Rio, who has never had a dream of his own to follow, has found something in this extraordinary lady whose passion tempts him to defy his own rules. In the midst of adversity, two free spirits must now explore the most closely guarded corners of their hearts . . . as they search for a beautiful dream big enough to hold them both.

A Madness of Angels: Or The Resurrection of Matthew Swift ($2.99), by Kate Griffin, is another discount from Orbit. Hitting this close to March, it might last for the month (or might go back up in price on Thurs).
Book Description
For Matthew Swift, today is not like any other day. It is the day on which he returns to life.

Two years after his untimely death, Matthew Swift finds himself breathing once again, lying in bed in his London home.

Except that it's no longer his bed, or his home. And the last time this sorcerer was seen alive, an unknown assailant had gouged a hole so deep in his chest that his death was irrefutable...despite his body never being found.

He doesn't have long to mull over his resurrection though, or the changes that have been wrought upon him. His only concern now is vengeance. Vengeance upon his monstrous killer and vengeance upon the one who brought him back.

You can get the first title in Katia Lief's Karin Schaeffer series, You Are Next, for 99 cents. In addition, HarperCollins has the second title, Next Time You See Me, for $2.99 and the third, Vanishing Girls, for $3.99 (pre-order), essentially getting all three in the series for the price they usually charge for a single title. If you still can't get enough of the author, it looks like she has 8 self-published titles currently at 99 cents apiece.
You Are Next
HE TOOK EVERYTHING...THEN CAME BACK FOR MORE.

Former Detective Karin Schaeffer has nothing left to live for after serial killer Martin Price destroys all she holds dear. Known as "The Domino Killer," Price doesn't stop until an entire family is destroyed. When he leaves a message, scrawled in blood, on her bathroom mirror, she knows what's coming -- You are next.

But Karin Schaeffer refuses to run and hide.


Next Time You See Me
Just when their new life together has settled in, Mac vanishes, unearthing secrets and dangers that force Karin into a face-off with a deadly Mexican queenpin whose son has an agenda of his own. Along the way, nothing is quite as it has seemed. Her husband has a dark past she had never imagined, including a revelation that shocks everyone who thought they knew him.

Enemies become heroes. Friends reveal secret identities. And Karin, as always impulsive to a fault, learns that even she has limits.


Vanishing Girls
Girls are vanishing off the streets of New York City, and young women are being murdered. When the violence descends on Karin Schaeffer and Mac MacLeary's comfortable Brooklyn neighborhood, and their best friend becomes the lead investigator, they are drawn into the bewildering series of crimes. As the mystery deepens, what looks like the work of a garden-variety serial killer turns out to be an evil darker than anyone imagined, with roots shockingly close to home.

Jane ($2.99), by April Lindner, is a YA romance.
Book Description
Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance.

But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?

An irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers.

Slipping ($1.30), by Cathleen Davitt Bell
Book Description
What begins with a sense that Michael's deceased grandfather might be inhabiting his body soon escalates to "slipping" into to the river of the dead. When Michael slips, he relives moments of his grandfather's life and tries to help him find peace. But each time he ventures into the river it's harder to come out again. Michael will have to depend on an unlikely group of friends to keep him from slipping . . . permanently. A penetrating twist on the classic ghost story, full of humor and insight about family relationships.

Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen have a trio of alternate history titles that Macmillan has discounted to $2.99 apiece.
To Try Men's Souls: A Novel of George Washington and the Fight for American Freedom
After two bestselling series examining the Civil War and WWII, Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen have turned their sharp eye for detail on the Revolutionary War. Their story follows three men with three very different roles to play in history: General George Washington, Thomas Paine, and Jonathan Van Dorn, a private in Washington’s army.

The action focuses on one of the most iconic events in American history: Washington cross - ing the Delaware. Unlike the bold, courageous General in Emanuel Leutze’s painting, Washington is full of doubt on the night of December 25, 1776. After five months of defeat, morale is dangerously low. Each morning muster shows that hundreds have deserted in the night.

While Washington prepares his weary troops for the attack on Trenton, Thomas Paine is in Philadelphia, overseeing the printing of his newest pamphlet, The Crisis.

And Jonathan Van Dorn is about to bring the war to his own doorstep. In the heat of battle, he must decide between staying loyal to the cause and sparing his brother who has joined up with the British. Through the thoughts and private fears of these three men, Gingrich and Forstchen illu minate the darkest days of the Revolution. With detailed research and an incredible depth of military insight, this novel provides a rare and personal perspective of the men who fought for, and founded the United States of America.


Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War
The Civil War is the American Iliad. Lincoln, Stonewall Jackson, Grant, and Lee still stand as heroic ideals, as stirring to our national memory as were the legendary Achilles and Hector to the world of the ancient Greeks. Within the story of our Iliad one battle stands forth above all others: Gettysburg.

Millions visit Gettysburg each year to walk the fields and hills where Joshua Chamberlain made his legendary stand and Pickett went down to a defeat which doomed a nation, but in defeat forever became a symbol of the heroic Lost Cause. As the years passed, and the scars healed, the debate, rather than drifting away has intensified. It is the battle which has become the great "what if," of American history and the center of a dreamscape where Confederate banners finally do crown the heights above the town.

The year is 1863, and General Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia are poised to attack the North and claim the victory that would end the brutal conflict. But Lee’s Gettysburg campaign ended in failure, ultimately deciding the outcome of the war.

Launching his men into a vast sweeping operation, of which the town of Gettysburg is but one small part of the plan, General Lee, acting as he did at Chancellorsville, Second Manassas, and Antietam, displays the audacity of old. He knows he has but one more good chance to gain ultimate victory, for after two years of war the relentless power of an industrialized north is wearing the South down. Lee's lieutenants and the men in the ranks, embued with this renewed spirit of the offensive embark on the Gettysburg Campaign that many dream "should have been." The soldiers in the line, Yank and Reb, knew as well that this would be the great challenge, the decisive moment that would decided whether a nation would die, or be created, and both sides were ready, willing to lay down their lives for their Cause.

An action-packed and painstakingly researched masterwork, Gettysburg stands as the first book in a series to tell the story of how history could have unfolded, how a victory for Lee would have changed the destiny of the nation forever. In the great tradition of The Killer Angels and Jeff Shaara’s bestselling Civil War trilogy, this is a novel of true heroism and glory in America’s most trying hour.


Pearl Harbor: A Novel of December 8th
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech on December 8, 1941, lasted a mere six and half minutes. But his words and tone--in a monologue that would later be named the Infamy Speech--sent ripples into a nation and a world that continue even today. The historical implications that emerged from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor were unprecedented, launching America not only into the depths of a dangerous war, but forever altering the safety and comfort of everyday living. December 8th became a day of speaking out publicly and declaring war; of action, battle, plotting, and victories. This date's significance is resonant and profound as an indelible moment in American history.

Fresh from their series on the American Civil War, bestselling authors Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen now launch a new epic adventure by applying their imaginations and knowledge to the "Date of Infamy"--the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor covers the full spectrum of characters and events from that historic moment, from national leaders and admirals to the views of ordinary citizens caught in the chaos of war. From the chambers of the Emperor of Japan to the American White House, from the decks of aircraft carriers to the playing fields of the Japanese Naval Academy, this powerful story stretches from the nightmare slaughter of China in the 1930s to the lonely office of Commander James Watson, an American cryptographer, who suspects the impending catastrophic attack. It is a story of intrigue, double-dealing, the horrific brutality of war, and the desperate efforts of men of reason on both sides to prevent a titanic struggle that becomes inevitable.

Gingrich and Forstchen's now critically acclaimed approach, which they term "active history," examines how a change in but one decision might have profoundly altered American history. In Pearl Harbor, they pose the question of how the presence of but one more man within the Japanese attacking force could have transfigured the war. More than a retelling, the book also serves as a potent warning, valid still today as an example of what happens when communications and understanding breaks down, and a nation is ill-prepared for the onslaught that might ensue.

A compelling, meticulously researched saga, Pearl Harbor is also a novel of valor about those who took part in this cataclysmic moment in world history. It inaugurates a dramatic new Pacific War series that begins with the terrifying account of the day that started it all.

Today's backlist/small press/indie, totally free, books for everyone on Kindle. These are are not likely to be free for long, so double check prices before one-clicking (genres are my best guess), as most of them go back up after a day or two (sometimes less), at which point most of them become eligible for the Kindle Lending Library.

Free Comic Book - Fame (DF)

WOWIO is giving away a free copy of Fame, a comic book about Justin Bieber and making a donation to Health Matrix Direct for every download.
Book Description
Hi Justin Bieber fans!

Thanks for dropping by the page. Here's a great graphic novel about Justin Bieber, FREE for you, thanks to Health Matrix Direct. For every download of this book, HMD makes a donation to Lost & Found in America, an organization helping folks transition from being homeless to leading a satisfying and fulfilling life. Enjoy the eComic from Bluewater Productions and thank you for helping a worthy cause.
Get the free ebook from WOWIO. You'll need an account, but no CC info and the download is a DRM-free PDF that you can read anywhere. They still have a number of what they are calling BrainBytes that you can get free on their site, as well, sponsored by The Red Cross.

Free Book - Revelation and Inspiration

Revelation and Inspiration, the first volumes of The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield, is free from Logos. In addition, they are giving away the entire 20-volume set, so scroll further down the giveaway page and enter the contest while you are there (via email or Facebook).
Book Description
Warfield’s volume on divine revelation and biblical inspiration defined the parameters of the twentieth century understanding of biblical infallibility, inerrancy, and the trustworthiness and authority of Scripture. He pioneered a view of biblical inspiration and authority which remains widely held today by many Reformed and Evangelical Christians.
Get the free ebook from Logos. You'll need to create an account (if you don't already have one) and may have to enter CC info (however, I've grabbed free books there in the past and my CC was not charged). You also have to use one of their apps to view the book (they have one for iOS, and for most PC's) or read it on the web at Biblia.

Today's Deals

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception ($0.99), the first book in the Books of Faerie series by Maggie Stiefvater, is today's Kindle Deal of the Day. You might be more familiar with the author's more recent Wolves of Mercy Falls YA series, but this one also received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist.
Book Description
Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind . . .

Lament is a dark faerie fantasy that features authentic Celtic faerie lore, plus cover art and interior illustrations by acclaimed faerie artist Julia Jeffrey.

Dead Man Vol 1 (Face of Evil, Ring of Knives, Hell in Heaven) ($1.57 / £0.99 UK), an omnibus in the series by Lee Goldberg, William Rabkin, James Daniels and Luke Daniels, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $4.99). The series is published by Amazon's 47North imprint (which means it won't be hitting the KDP 5-days free pile, like most of Lee Goldberg's other titles), so you might want to get it even if you are in the US. It is, however, in the Kindle Lending Library, as is Dead Man Vol 2, which, at $6.88, is still a better bargain than buying the individual titles at $2.99 each. I even see Dead Man Vol 3 is now available for pre-order.
Book Description
Three stories of unspeakable evil make up The Dead Man Volume 1, an action adventure collection full of dark humor, surprising twists, and supernatural terror:

Matthew Cahill, dead and buried in an avalanche, wakes up in a morgue three months later in Face of Evil. But now he sees things no one else can and when his friend goes on a killing spree, he realizes the evil Mr. Dark has a plan for him.

In search of Mr. Dark, Matt finds himself in Heaven, Washington, a tiny hamlet in the Cascade Mountains embroiled in a four-family blood feud in Hell in Heaven. Only Matt can stop the bloodshed, but even he is going to have a hard time figuring out why Mr. Dark brought him here.

Matt believes a madman may hold the key to defeating Mr. Dark and his rotting touch. To find him, Matt must infiltrate a lunatic asylum in Ring of Knives—and his only chance of escaping alive is to face the unspeakable terror deep in the asylum’s woods.

Perfect Chemistry ($2.99 Kindle, B&N), the first in the YA series by Simone Elkeles, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.
Book Description
A fresh, urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers.

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created "perfect" life is about to unravel before her eyes. She's forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for - her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.

In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Free Book - Blue Hole Back Home (K/N/E/DF)

Update: 2/29/12 Now free on Kindle.

Blue Hole Back Home ($9.39 Kindle), by Joy Jordan-Lake, is free from Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook and Kobo, courtesy of Christian publisher David C. Cook. Their freebies are usually the same price in all the stores, so it should drop at Amazon soon (but feel free to report the lower prices, to see if we can speed it up). Just in case, though, you might also want to grab the DRM-free EPUB at ChristianBook, as it can be converted via Calibre.
Book Description
"Sacred's not a word I've ever much liked. But maybe some things, and some places, just are. And maybe the Blue Hole was one of those things."

Shelby (nicknamed Turtle) never had any female friends. But when a mysterious girl from Sri Lanka moved to town in the summer of 1979, Turtle invites her to a secret haven: the Blue Hole. Turtle has no idea now much that simple gesture will affect the rest of her life, or the lives of those she loves.

In a time when America was technically well beyond the Civil Rights era, there were those in Turtle's small Appalachian town who rejected the presence of someone different. And in just one summer—in a collision of love, hate, jealousy, beauty, and a sacred, muddy swimming hole—nothing and everything changed.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from ChristianBook (DRM Free ePub).
Get the free ebook from Kobo

Bargain Book Roundup

The Lord of the Rings: One Volume: Collector's Ed ($9.99 Kindle), by J.R.R. Tolkien, appears to be the same 50th anniversary edition that Fictionwise has had for a while (I bought it a while ago), other than the cover. The description seems to imply that it has been updated, but I couldn't see any differences in the sample (which contains the TOC and a few of the forewords). Regardless, this is a good price on Kindle (and it's no longer for sale at FW)..
Book Description
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins.

From Sauron's fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, his power spread far and wide. Sauron gathered all the Great Rings to him, but always he searched for the One Ring that would complete his dominion.

When Bilbo reached his eleventy-first birthday he disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom.

The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the Dwarf; Legolas the Elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.

This new edition includes the fiftieth-anniversary fully corrected text setting and, for the first time, an extensive new index.

J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973), beloved throughout the world as the creator of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, a fellow of Pembroke College, and a fellow of Merton College until his retirement in 1959. His chief interest was the linguistic aspects of the early English written tradition, but while he studied classic works of the past, he was creating a set of his own.

The Lamplighters ($4.24), by Frazer Lee, is a Bram Stoker Award Finalist for Best First Novel of the Year. If you want to get it direct from Samhain, use coupon code FIRSTBOOK for 30% off (end price $3.85), valid thru the end of the month.
Book Description
Life on Meditrine Island is luxurious…but brief.

Marla Neuborn has found the best post-grad job in the world – as a 'Lamplighter' working on Meditrine Island, an exclusive idyllic paradise owned and operated by a consortium of billionaires. All Lamplighters have to do is tend to the mansions, cook and clean, and turn on lights to make it appear the owners are home. But the job comes with conditions. Marla will not know the exact location of the island, and she will have no contact with the outside world for the duration of her stay.

Once on the island, Marla quickly learns the billionaire lifestyle is not all it is made out to be. The chief of security rules Meditrine with an iron fist. His private police force patrols the shores night and day, and CCTV cameras watch the Lamplighters relentlessly. Soon Marla will also discover first-hand that the island hides a terrible secret. She’ll meet the resident known as the Skin Mechanic. And she’ll find out why so few Lamplighters ever leave the island alive.

A Royal Mess ($2.51), by Tyne O'Connell, looks like a nice YA romance.
Book Description
Calypso Kelly has finally joined the in-crowd at her exclusive English boarding school. She also just happens to be dating Prince Freddie himself! But balancing her social life, her prince, and her parents’ visit to London proves to be more than Calypso can handle.

Then, Freddie does the unthinkable and breaks up with Calypso--setting in motion a school-wide plan for a royal Counter Dump. Can Calypso win Freddie back just to break his heart?

All is fair in love and war . . . except, of course, if you’re in love with a prince!

It looks like almost all of Jessica Burkhart's Canterwood Crest series of books are on sale by Simon and Schuster for $2.99 apiece (also at B&N and Kobo) Skip the omnibus (vastly overpriced, even on sale) and snap up as many of these as your tweener will read. The series is aimed mostly a young girls and features Sasha Silver and her horse, Charm, amongst others.
  1. Take the Reins
  2. Chasing Blue
  3. Behind the Bit
  4. Triple Fault
  5. Best Enemies
  6. Little White Lies
  7. Rival Revenge
  8. Home Sweet Drama
  9. City Secrets
  10. Elite Ambition
  11. Scandals, Rumors, Lies
  12. Unfriendly Competition
  13. Initiation
  14. Popular ($5.99 pre-order)
  15. Comeback ($5.99 pre-order)
  16. Masquerade($5.99 pre-order)
  17. Chosen (Canterwood Crest Super Special)

Number the Stars ($4.49), by Lois Lowry, is also aimed at the tweener market.
Book Description
This Newbery Medal Book describes how a ten-year-old Danish girl's bravery is tested when her best friend is threatened by Nazis in 1943.

Van Gogh's Room at Arles ($1.99), by Stanley Elkin, is another great reprint edition from Open Road.
Book Description
Three witty and poignant novellas from a twentieth-century literary master at the peak of his craft

Van Gogh’s Room at Arles is Stanley Elkin’s second collection of novellas, a razor-sharp exploration of three characters suffering under the weight of intellectual, physical, and social burdens. In the collection’s title story, Elkin writes of an insecure professor’s scholarly retreat with the most accomplished members of his field. “Her Sense of Timing” is a story of a man who, though confined to a wheelchair, attempts to throw a party without the help of his absent wife. And in “Confessions of a Princess Manque,” Elkin writes of the Prince of Wales’s love affair with a common woman in a parody of a sensationalist tabloid story.

This ebook features rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s estate and from the Stanley Elkin archives at Washington University in St. Louis.

Deadly Appraisal ($2.99), is the second title in the Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries series by Jane K. Cleland
Book Description
Josie Prescott is settling into her new life in New Hampshire. Her antiques business is thriving, she's beginning to make some close friends, and her relationship with the local police chief is becoming more interesting. Not bad for someone who has completely uprooted her life as a New York City auction house expert in order to get a fresh start in a small New England town.

With so much suddenly to lose, Josie can't help but worry when murder invades her seemingly quiet community. Josie is sponsoring the Portsmouth Women's Guild Annual Black and Gold Gala and is looking forward to receiving a kindly worded thank-you for her efforts. Instead, the Guild representative, Maisy Gaylor, dies a horrible death in the midst of the banquet. Who could have wanted to kill earnest, drab little Maisy? "Funny, isn't it," muses the hostile Detective Rowcliff, "how a lot of people end up dead when no one has any enemies."

Everyone who had access to the wine Maisy drank, including Josie herself, soon comes under suspicion. Can Josie manage to ferret out the truth, keep her business running smoothly, and continue to put down roots in her new town, or will everything prove too much for her to handle on her own?

Looped ($0.99), by Andrew Winston, is the first of three titles on sale from publisher Agate Bolden, as part of Black History Month.
Book Description
A remarkably assured and accomplished debut novel that encompasses the bursting life of contemporary Chicago, Looped tells the separate stories of a diverse group of Chicagoans—black, brown, and white, gay, straight, and bi—as their lives unfold in diverging and (occasionally) converging ways over the course of the year 2000. Among the characters are the family of a middle-class black postman whose runaway daughter has just learned she’s pregnant; a gifted half-Vietnamese high-schooler whose troubled father spies on the son he abandoned years earlier; a tradition-bound Greek diner owner whose upwardly mobile daughter, embarrassed by her ethnic roots, is snarled in a loveless marriage; a gay chef whose shaky relationship is strained by the visit of his closeted lover’s uncle, a Catholic priest; and the motley members of an up-and-coming band shaken by the breakup of its ambitious lead guitarist and his sexually confused songwriter girlfriend. Ambitious, sprawling, engrossing, multifaceted, insightful, and addictively readable, Looped explodes with a life and vitality that mirrors the multicultural reality of twenty-first century Chicago, where the families that sustain us are more likely to be those we’ve created than those we’re born to.

The Skull Cage Key ($0.99), by Michel Marriott
Book Description
Chinese New Year, 2042. Armstrong, an upwardly mobile Harlem resident, is out celebrating with his boss (and lover) when they’re assaulted in her hotel room. She ends up in the Jacuzzi minus her head; the cops are convinced he’s to blame. Armstrong goes on the lam, dodging the cops while trying to figure out exactly what happened that night. Answers come in the form of Oona, a sultry sex worker with an unexpectedly deep reservoir of information. As Armstrong digs for the whole story, a disgraced ex-cop is invited back to the force to combat a powerful designer drug that’s all the rage with the young, rich, and bored. As the two men’s paths draw inexorably together, the story behind the new drug becomes clearer — and far more sinister. This absorbing debut novel is a dark, erotic thriller with a powerful sci-fi kick.

The Burning City ($0.99) is the second in the Spirit Binders series by Alaya Dawn Johnson; the first title, Racing the Dark, is also on sale at $4.19.
Book Description
In The Burning City, Alaya Dawn Johnson continues the trilogy begun with her debut, Racing the Dark, delving deeper into the world of magic wielded by women who understand the dark trade-offs of power and sacrifice. Lana, the heroine, has become the black angel —a harbinger of destruction unheard of in the islands for 500 years. Nui'ahi, the sleeping volcano of the great city Essel, has erupted. In the chaos, the city is reshaping itself and violence threatens from all corners. A rebel movement has formed in the destroyed heart of the city, determined to oust Kohaku, the mad Mo'i of Essel. Lana wants no part of the rebels' cause — the death spirit still chases her, and the great witch Akua has kidnapped Lana's mother. But the more Lana looks for her mother, the more she is drawn into the city's political conflicts. As Kohaku descends deeper into madness, determined to subdue the city by any means necessary, his wife has run away to the fire temple, where she too is slowly converted to the rebel's cause. When long-running tensions spill over into civil war, Lana must make her hardest decision yet: her mother's life, or a city's freedom?

The 25 Most Common Sales Mistakes: . . . And How to Avoid Them and The 25 Sales Skills: They Don't Teach at Business School ($1.99 ea), by Stephan Schiffman
The 25 Most Common Sales Mistakes: . . . And How to Avoid Them
In the newest edition of this valuable manual, Stephan Schiffman offers updated advice to salespeople about getting prospects and making the sale. It's not just what you do--it's what you don't do: Don't sell against a competitor; Don't be satisfied; Don't stop getting ideas; Don't use boilerplate proposals; Don't overuse e-mail. The book also includes a new introduction and updated text. Schiffman offers salespeople the kind of advice--from listening to the client to following up on the sale--that has made him the best corporate sales trainer today. With Schiffman's book in their pocket, salepeople can avoid common blunders and make the sale.

The 25 Sales Skills: They Don't Teach at Business School
America's top sales trainer Stephan Schiffman provides you with a unique syllabus that will help you land a coveted sales position-and lead the force in sales once you're there. Schiffman takes you out of the stuffy, insulated classroom and shows you "the hidden curriculum," all the skills business school professors don't know or simply don't know how to teach. Such as how to: Determine when a "prospect" is really that, and not just a waste of time; Flip a meeting's negative momentum on its head with disarming questions; Avoid the hazards of preconceptions of a client's needs; Get past "screeners" to get the ear of the real decision makers; Filter the good advice from the bad on the Internet; Impress a buyer deeply by demonstrating your focus. The 25 Sales Skills They Don't Teach at Business School is your key to the vault of sales success and personal wealth! Stephan Schiffman is America's most renowned sales trainer and is the bestselling author of numerous sales books, such as Cold Calling Techniques (That Really Work!) and The 25 Most Common Sales Mistakes. He is the president of DEI Management Group, Inc., and has trained over 300,000 salespeople.

The Simulacra ($3.99), by Philip K. Dick
Book Description
On a ravaged Earth, fate and circumstances bring together a disparate group of characters, including a fascist with dreams of a coup, a composer who plays his instrument with his mind, a First Lady who calls all the shots, and the world’s last practicing therapist. And they all must contend with an underclass that is beginning to ask a few too many questions, aided by a man called Loony Luke and his very persuasive pet alien.

In classic Philip K. Dick fashion, The Simulacra combines time travel, psychotherapy, telekinesis, androids, and Neanderthal-like mutants to create a rousing, mind-bending story where there are conspiracies within conspiracies and nothing is ever what it seems.

It Was Love When...: Tales from the Beginning of Love ($2.51), by Robert Elder
Book Description
He told me I was a penguin: "tiny, adorable, and loved by everyone."

TALES FROM THE BEGINNING OF LOVE

It may be after three days together, or after three months-it's that moment when it all falls together. From heartfelt declarations to all-knowing smiles, It Was Love When .. captures that moment when love is just beginning.
  • I thought to myself, "I love him more than Spider-Man loves Mary Jane."
  • I was looking through his iTunes when I realized that our playlists were nearly identical.
  • Suddenly he turned off the lights and told me to look up at the ceiling. Glow-in-the-dark stars covered the entire ceiling, spelling out "I love you."
Both addictive and heartwarming, It Was Love When .. is a freeze frame of that moment when you realize that you're truly,completely in love.

Two More Free Books for Aussies (K)

Another pair of free pre-orders for Australians in the Kindle store today, both published under HarperCollins; one like like it should be under Mischief imprint, but says it is from Avon (also likely not safe for work and definitely not for kids), while the other is a children's title.

4B Goes Wild ($4.99 US / $0.00 AU), by Jamie Gilson
Book Description
Mr. Star broke the news gently. "Well, 4B," he said, "it appears we're going to do it."

It was the talk of last year's fourth, especially the part about the catfish between the principal's sheets. It is the good-behavior reward for this year's fourth grade. It is Outdoor Education: three days at Camp Trotter in Wisconsin.

From where Hobie Hanson sits -- at Central School in Stockton, Illinois -- it is bad news. Three days also means two nights, two nights far from home. The thought brings wooly-worms to his stomach and floods his head with what-ifs. As things turn out, however, Outdoor Education lives up to its name, and in ways that neither Hobie nor his friends expect.

The class, and sub, that kept readers breathless in Thirteen Ways to Sink a Sub are back for another rousing adventure, filled with the sights, sounds, tastes, and, yes, smells familiar to veteran campers everywhere.

Untitled Erotica Novella #3 ($1.99 US / $0.00 AU), by Alice Gaines. She has a number of titles in the Kindle store, from Red Sage publishing and Carina Press, ranging from romance to erotica, and two other upcoming erotica releases, Heat Rises and Untitled Erotica Novella #2. These three seem to be the first ones released under contract to HarperCollins. I looked for more info on this one, but came up blank (she has a blog, but hasn't updated in months and the home page pointed to on her profile page had an elapsed domain name).
Book Description
Book description to come.

Free Book - A Season of Angels [K-AU]

A Season of Angels ($7.99 US; $0.00 AU, by Debbie Macomber, is free in the Kindle store for Australia customers only. Could be one that rolls into the US store tomorrow or is just as likely to be a pricing error that corrects in Australia after a while.
Book Description
Wishes for love bring hope from above.

Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy—three willing but sometimes wayward angels—are each given someone's prayer to answer . . .

Shirley: She's sent to help nine-year-old Timmy Potter, who longs for a new father. And although his mother, Jody, has vowed never to trust any man, Shirley is determined to help her love again.

Goodness: She knows Monica Fischer longs for a husband and home of her own, but the young woman has practically given up on finding the right man to stand by her side . . . until Goodness steps in to help.

Mercy: Can Mercy bring hope back into Leah Lundberg's life? This maternity nurse desperately wants a child to fill up the home she's made with her husband, Andrew.

But there's just one catch: Each angel must teach her charge a memorable lesson before the prayer can be granted . . .

Free Book - Skies of Fire [K-AU]

Skies of Fire: The Ether Chronicles ($1.99 US/ $0.00 AU), a steampunk romance by Zoe Archer, is free to pre-order in the Kindle store for Australia customers only. No cover yet and nothing on her website other than the teaser for the title; no doubt this will go up in Australia before release and from the pricing is probably a novella length title (or incorrectly priced for the US, as well).
Book Description
Man made of metal and flesh

Captain Christopher Redmond has just one weakness: the alluring spy who loved and left him years before…when he was still just a man. Now he's superhuman—a Man O' War, made as part of the British Navy's weapons program—and his responsibility is to protect the skies of Europe. If only he could forget Louisa Shaw.

A most inconvenient desire

Louisa, a British Naval Intelligence agent, has never left a job undone. But when her assignment is compromised, the one man who can help her complete her mission is also the only man ever to tempt her body and heart. As burning skies loom and passion ignites, Louisa and Christopher must slip behind enemy lines if they are to deliver a devastating strike against their foe . . . and still get out alive.

Free Book - I Love Kawaii (K)

I Love Kawaii, by Charuca, is free to pre-order in the Kindle store. No description, size or cover at Amazon yet, but I turned up a book description over on the Monsa page. No idea if this will be the full title or just a sampler/preview. Looks like a kid's title, though..
Book Description
Kawaii is a Japanese term which means “cute”. Cuteness seems to be a highly valued aesthetic quality in Japanese society and particularly Japanese pop culture, and overpowering cuteness seems to carry less of the stigma of infantilization as it does in many other cultures. Kawaii style have become very trendy, and a lot of brands such as Sanrio or San-X have been working on the creation of characters under that funny aesthetic. Charuca is one of the best Kawaii illustrators in Spain and she show us on this amusing and colorful title a compilation of all of her favorite international illustrators, such as Tokidoki, Meomi, Tado or Charuca herself.

Free Book Roundup

Repeats from Christian publisher:
These managed to make Amazon's Limited Time Offers list, but all look self-published. The only other thing they seem to have in common is a high digital list price ($9-$10):

Today's backlist/small press/indie, totally free, books for everyone on Kindle. These are are not likely to be free for long, so double check prices before one-clicking (genres are my best guess), as most of them go back up after a day or two (sometimes less), at which point most of them become eligible for the Kindle Lending Library. Those searching the freebies on their own at Amazon may have noticed an unusually high number of titles that were tripping along the edge of erotica into porn (ok, some of them had clearly tripped over the edge and fallen into the pit). It seems that Smashwords has had to eject certain categories of erotica from the catalog, due to enforcement from PayPal. As a result, it seems, many of those authors have moved their books to Amazon or taken the plunge into the KDP Select program, in order to get their 5 days free. One side effect is that you might not want to let any of your small children search the free lists for a while (the titles along are pretty explicit) or do searches yourself from any work computer. I don't guarantee there won't be some erotica in the lists here from time to time, but I think we can skip the ones where the titles themselves are XXX rated.