Amazon's Android Free App of the Day is Cooking Dash Deluxe. This is one of five Dash Deluxe apps that are now in the Amazon Appstore (there are also corresponding free editions of each, to try out) and the only one of the group that also runs on non-Kindle Fire devices.
Speaking of Kindle Fires - if you have one registered to your account, then over the weekend, Amazon deposited $5.00 in Amazon Coins to your account (500 coins). You can't trade them on the open market and they don't work everywhere at Amazon, but these can be used to buy apps and games at Amazon and to buy in-content purchases for games. Although a coin is worth a penny, you can buy them at a discount in the Amazon Store (4% to 10% off, depending on quantity), then spend them in the Appstore on the web or directly from your Kindle Fire (2nd Gen or HD) or inside of games for in-app purchases (which should work on any device). You're current parental controls are used for this payment type, too, so you shouldn't have to do anything new. They do work a bit differently than a gift card, which is exhausted and then your CC payment is used for large purchases: to use coins, you have to have enough for the entire amount of a purchase. Which isn't much of a big deal, since most purchases are a dollar or two, but you may end up with a handful in your account and no real way to spend them (other than on tiny in-app purchases, if you find some that only take a few coins). Also, if there is any sales tax on the purchase you are attempting, which you just have to "know" based on the seller (Amazon never displays taxes on digital purchases, until you get an emailed receipt), then you have to have enough coins to cover that, as well. If you don't, then the purchase will fail and you'll get an email about it. The buy button is supposed to be greyed out in these cases, but apparently some have found that isn't reliably done (according to reviews). Another snag that I see is that coins are essentially prepaid gift cards into only your own account. I don't see (yet, anyway), any method to send them to someone else (so you can fund your kids' accounts, for example) or exchange them with others (so, no bitcoin types of exchanges), although I suspect an app that does exactly that is no doubt waiting to get approval in the Appstore. As a few have pointed out, there also doesn't seen to be any ability to get a refund on your balance, so if you switch from Android to iTunes, you won't be able to spend those coins directly (again, at least for now).
Today's Kindle Daily Deal is first two books in the inspirational and adrenaline filled Brainrush series by Richard Bard for $1.99 apiece, not only for the Kindle editions, but also for the corresponding audiobook companion editions. Nice ... I have the first from before it was picked up by Thomas & Mercer and have had the second on my wishlist, watching for a sale. It looks like the third in the series, Beyond Judgment, is now available to pre-order (and only $3.99).Brainrush (companion audiobook)
Before he slid into the MRI machine, Jake Bronson was just an ordinary guy with terminal cancer. But when an earthquake hits during the procedure, Jake staggers from the wreckage a profoundly changed man, now endowed with uncanny mental abilities.The Enemy of My Enemy (companion audiobook)
An ocean away, Luciano Battista wants a piece of Jake’s talent. Posing as a pioneering scientist, the terrorist leader has been conducting cerebral-implant experiments in a sinister quest to create a breed of super jihadist agents…and Jake’s altered brain may be the key to his success. But Jake refuses to play the pawn in an unholy war—and when an innocent woman and autistic child are taken hostage to force his cooperation, he embarks on a jihad of his own. Jake and his band of loyal friends are thrust into a deadly chase that leads from the canals of Venice through Monte Carlo and finally to an ancient cavern in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan—where Jake discovers that his newfound talents carry a hidden price that threatens the entire human race.
When a freak accident gave Jake Bronson near-superhuman mental powers and landed his loved ones in the crosshairs of an Islamic terrorist, the only way out was with guns blazing. But Jake was unable to put a stop to his nightmares or his murderous nemesis, Luciano Battista, in that ferocious showdown in the mountains of Afghanistan. Now the terror czar and his minions have brought the fight to American soil—along with the most terrifying bioweapon that has ever threatened the free world. They demand vengeance, and Jake’s family and friends are caught in the crossfire.
From California’s beaches and Mexico’s deserts to the depths of a raging underground river and the treacherous Venezuelan jungle, Jake and his unlikely alliance of combat veterans and gangsters wage a rolling war of wits, weapons, and indomitable will—to rescue those they love and to stop a madman’s bid for global conquest dead in its tracks.
Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is B as in Beauty ($1.99), by Alberto Ferreras (Hachette).Book Description
Everyone in the world, it seems, is either prettier or thinner (or both) than Beauty Marie Zavala. And the only thing "B" resents more than her name is the way others judge her for the extra 40 pounds she can't lose. At least she has her career. Or did, until she overhears her boss criticizing her weight and devising a scheme to keep her from being promoted. Enter B's new tax accountant, a modern-day matchmaker determined to boost B's flagging self-esteem by introducing her to rich, successful men who will accept her for who she is. As B's confidence blossoms, so do her fantasies of revenge. But will B find true happiness or true disaster when she unwittingly falls for the one guy she shouldn't?
Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is The Dwarves ($1.99), by Markus Heitz (Orbit/Hachette), is already on my TBR list; now you can add it to yours (and for less than I did).Book Description
For countless millennia, the dwarves of the Fifthling Kingdom have defended the stone gateway into Girdlegard. Many and varied foes have hurled themselves against the portal and died attempting to breach it. No man or beast has ever succeeded. Until now. . .
Abandoned as a child, Tungdil the blacksmith labors contentedly in the land of Ionandar, the only dwarf in a kingdom of men. Although he does not want for friends, Tungdil is very much aware that he is alone - indeed, he has not so much as set eyes on another dwarf. But all that is about to change.
Sent out into the world to deliver a message and reacquaint himself with his people, the young foundling finds himself thrust into a battle for which he has not been trained. Not only his own safety, but the life of every man, woman and child in Girdlegard depends upon his ability to embrace his heritage. Although he has many unanswered questions, Tungdil is certain of one thing: no matter where he was raised, he is a true dwarf.
And no one has ever questioned the courage of the Dwarves.
Today's Kindle Teen Daily Deal is What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know ($0.99), by Sonya Sones (Simon and Schuster).Book Description
A teen boy confronts the complications of love in this relatable free verse novel featuring a new cover and larger trim size.
Don’t get me wrong—my girlfriend’s amazing.
But the way things have been going lately,
I’m starting to believe that the only thing worse
than not getting what you want,
is getting it.
Picking up where What My Mother Doesn’t Know leaves off, this is the story of what happens next—told from the perspective of Murphy, Sophie’s new boyfriend. And even though Murphy’s thrilled to be with Sophie, the consequences of their relationship—and the temptations outside of it—force him to consider everything he knows about love. Told in free verse and brimming with authenticity, this novel provides unique insight into the mind of a young man.
