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Showing posts with label Classics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Classics. Show all posts

Monday, October 8, 2012

Free Audiobooks at Audible

The audio edition of Brandon Sanderson's novella Legion, narrated by Oliver Wyman, is free over at Audible thru the end of the year. Once you have it, you can also pick up the Kindle edition for $2.99 and use WhisperSync for Voice on the pair.
Book Description
Brandon Sanderson’s Legion is available for FREE for a limited time only.* Enjoy and share the link to this novella with a friend before time runs out.

Brandon Sanderson is one of the most significant fantasists to enter the field in a good many years. His ambitious, multi-volume epics (Mistborn, The Stormlight Archive) and his stellar continuation of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series have earned both critical acclaim and a substantial popular following. In Legion, a distinctly contemporary novella filled with suspense, humor, and an endless flow of invention, Sanderson reveals a startling new facet of his singular narrative talent, read by Audie Award-winning narrator Oliver Wyman.

Stephen Leeds, AKA 'Legion,' is a man whose unique mental condition allows him to generate a multitude of personae: hallucinatory entities with a wide variety of personal characteristics and a vast array of highly specialized skills. As the story begins, Leeds and his 'aspects' are drawn into the search for the missing Balubal Razon, inventor of a camera whose astonishing properties could alter our understanding of human history and change the very structure of society. The action ranges from the familiar environs of America to the ancient, divided city of Jerusalem. Along the way, Sanderson touches on a formidable assortment of complex questions: the nature of time, the mysteries of the human mind, the potential uses of technology, and the volatile connection between politics and faith. Resonant, intelligent, and thoroughly absorbing, Legion is a provocative entertainment from a writer of great originality and seemingly limitless gifts.
Get the free audiobook from Audible.

While you are there, be sure to check out these other freebies:

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Audible BOGO Classic and Free Companion Editions


Thru the end of the month, you can double the value of your credits at Audible's Buy One Get One Free Classics sale. If you are short of credits, you can get three at a discount on the Extra Credits page (if you don't have a membership that uses credits or you have more than 3 on your account, you'll get an error page).

Amazon and Audible have been changing the free companion editions that are available (5 that were free the first day are already changed and now link with other, often non-free editions, such as Treasure Island and Little Women). There are a few new ones, though, linked to free or low-cost Kindle editions, along with a few low-cost companion editions that are linked to free books. On interesting looking one is the self-published Haunted on Bourbon Street (Main/UK), the first title in the Jade Calhoun series by Deanna Chase, with a $1.99 companion audiobook, narrated by Traci Odom.
Book Description
Jade loves her new apartment--until a ghost joins her in the shower.

When empath Jade Calhoun moves into an apartment above a strip bar on Bourbon Street, she expects life to get interesting. What she doesn't count on is making friends with an exotic dancer, attracting a powerful spirit, and developing feelings for Kane, her sexy landlord.

Being an empath has never been easy on Jade's relationships. It's no wonder she keeps her gift a secret. But when the ghost moves from spooking Jade to terrorizing Pyper, the dancer, it's up to Jade to use her unique ability to save her. Except she'll need Kane's help--and he's betrayed her with a secret of his own--to do it. Can she find a way to trust him and herself before Pyper is lost?

Here are few others I've turned up, including some large publisher classic editions that are now also linked to the free audiobooks.

eBook at Amazon Companion Audiobook
Heart of Darkness (free), by Joseph Conrad narration by Kenneth Branagh (free)
Second Star, Star Svensdotter #1 (free), by Dana Stabenow narration by Marguerite Gavin ($1.99)
The List ($2.99; previously free), by J.A. Konrath/Jack Kilborn narration by Benjamin L. Darcie ($1.99)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (free), Collins Classics ($0.99) or Penguin Classics ($0.99), by Oscar Wilde narration by Simon Prebble (free)
Black Beauty (free) and Puffin Classics ($2.38), by Anna Sewell narration by Nathaniel Parker (free)
White Fang (free), Vook Classics ($1.74; previously free), Aladdin Classics ($4.99) or Puffin Classics ($4.99), by Jack London narration by Bob Thomley (free)
Dracula (free) and Bantam Classics ($1.99), by Bram Stoker narration by Alan Cumming, Tim Curry & full cast (free)
Wuthering Heights (free) and Collins Classics ($1.99), by Emily Brontë narration by Anne Flosnik (free)
Treasure Island ($0.99, annotated), Vintage Classics ($1.90), Collins Classics ($1.90) or Vintage Classics ($4.99), by Robert Louis Stevenson narration by Michael Page ($1.99)
A Tale of Two Cities (free), Bantam Classics ($1.99), Modern Library ($1.99), Collins Classics ($1.99) and 200th Anniversary Edition Penguin Classics ($4.99), by Charles Dickens narration by Simon Vance (free)
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by (free), Bank Street Ready-To-Read ($1.99) and Modern Library ($1.99),by James Joyce narration by John Lee (free)
Free: The Future of a Radical Price ($9.99; previously free), by Chris Anderson narration by Chris Anderson (free)
Deaf Sentence ($12.99 US; <$10 other markets), by David Lodge narration by Steven Crossley ($4.95 US; appears to be free for Asia & Pacific, Latin America & Caribbean and Middle East)

Keep in mind, that except for the titles "sold by" one of the big publishers, those adding low-cost editions via KDP can lie about the publisher - always check the sample to make sure you are really getting what you are paying for (a Penguin Classic, for example); if it is just a scanned edition, you can return it for a refund anytime in the first seven days after purchase.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Free Audiobook - Bound to Rise

The audiobook edition of Bound to Rise (Or, Up the Ladder), by Horatio Alger, narrated by Macleod Andrews, is free in the Audible store.
Book Description
An inspirational story about how individual traits and efforts help one to rise and progress. It is the story that eloquently compares and contrasts between two characters, their attitudes, efforts and consequently their success and failure. The book remains an inspiration for those who are ready to put in efforts and move ahead in life.
Get the free audiobook from Audible (some geographic restrictions may apply)

Free Audiobook - The Cosmic Computer

The audiobook edition of The Cosmic Computer ($0.00 Kindle), by H. Beam Piper, narrated by Jeffrey Kafer, is free in the Audible store.
Book Description
Conn Maxwell returns from Terra to his poverty-stricken home planet of Poictesme, “The Junkyard Planet”, with news of the possible location of Merlin, a military super-computer rumored to have been abandoned there after the last war. The inhabitants hope to find Merlin, which they think will be their ticket to wealth and prosperity. But is Merlin real or just an old rumor? And if they find it, will it save them - or tear them apart?
Get the free audiobook from Audible (some geographic restrictions may apply)

Free Audiobook - Four-Day Planet

The audiobook edition of Four-Day Planet (various Kindle editions), by H. Beam Piper, narrated by Eric Stuart, is free in the Audible store.
Book Description
Fenris isn't a hell planet, but it's nobody's bargain. With 2,000-hour days and an 8,000-hour year, it alternates blazing heat with killing cold. A planet like that tends to breed a special kind of person: tough enough to stay alive and smart enough to make the best of it. And when that kind of person discovers he's being cheated out of wealth he's risked his life for, that kind of planet is ripe for revolution.
Get the free audiobook from Audible (some geographic restrictions may apply)

Free Audiobook - The Lair of the White Worm

The audiobook edition of The Lair of the White Worm (various Kindle editions), by Bram Stoker, narrated by Oliver Wyman, is free in the Audible store.
Book Description
In a tale of ancient evil, Bram Stoker creates a world of lurking horrors and bizarre denizens: a demented mesmerist, hellbent on mentally crushing the girl he loves; a gigantic kite raised to rid the land of an unnatural infestation of birds, and which receives strange commands along its string; and all the while, the great white worm slithers below, seeking its next victim....

Bram Stoker, creator of Dracula, is one of the most enduring and masterful influences on the literature of terror.
Get the free audiobook from Audible (some geographic restrictions may apply)

Free Audiobook - Ivanhoe

The audiobook edition of Ivanhoe (various Kindle editions), by Sir Walter Scott, narrated by Michael Page, is free in the Audible store.
Book Description
A century has passed since the Norman Conquest, and England is still a colony of foreign warlords. Prince John is plotting to seize the throne from his brother, Richard the Lion-Hearted, and Robin Hood and his merry band are making fools out of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Wilfred, knight of Ivanhoe, the son of Cedric the Saxon, is in love with his father's ward, Rowena. Cedric, however, wishes her to marry Athelstane, a descendant of the royal Saxon line, whom Cedric hopes will restore the Saxon succession.

With a colorful cast of chivalric knights and fair ladies, this action-filled novel comes complete with feats of derring-do, the pageantry of a tournament, and a great flame-engulfed castle - all of which makes it the most enthralling of Scott's creations.
Get the free audiobook from Audible (some geographic restrictions may apply; for those in the UK, try this link instead)

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Two Free Audiobooks - The Whale Rider & The Call of the Wild

This is the final week of free audiobooks from Sync. They've had an issue getting one of the titles linked up and ready to go, but seem to have that under control now. I've linked in the info from the ebook or audiobook version of each title (Amazon has the best reviews), followed by the link to get your copies free, with directions to ensure you get the complete download.

Start off with The Whale Rider ($17.95 Audible), a stand-alone title by Witi Ihimaera, narrated by Jay Laga'aia.
Book Description
The classic book that inspired the award-winning, internationally released film Whale Rider, winner of Best Film at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and 2004 Academy Awards Best Actress nomination for Keisha Castle-Hughes. Eight-year-old Kahu craves her great-grandfather's love and attention. But he's focused in his duties as Chief, in a tribe that claims decent from the legendary "whale rider". A male has always inherited the title of Chief, but now there is no male heir. There's only Kahu, and her great-grandfather sees no use for a girl. Kahu will not be ignored. And in her struggle she has a unique ally: the whale rider himself.

The Call of the Wild ($9.95 Audible), by Jack London, narrated by William Roberts, is the second selection for this week. As with most classics, there are many editions to choose from on Kindle; you can spend anything from nothing to a few dollars and probably get an edition that will work for reading along while listening.
Book Description
Written in 1903, this classic brought Jack London to the world’s attention. It is the story of Buck, part St. Bernard and part Scotch shepherd dog, who shows the strengths of both breeds when he is stolen and sold off as a sled dog in the Yukon during the gold rush. A heartfelt story that appeals to both children and adults.
Click HERE to get the free downloads (you'll need to enter your name and an email address. You'll end up clicking about three pages (for each book), before the audiobook actually downloads. Don't stop so long as you still see a button that talks about your Sync download (or until you see the Overdrive software open up; there is a link at Sync, if you don't already have Overdrive installed).

Once in Overdrive, you'll need to tell it where to save the files (just click OK to use the default location, since Overdrive will keep track of them for you), then again to actually start the download (by default, all parts of the book are downloaded; I would suggest not changing this in the last dialog box, just click on OK to get the download started). Make sure your audiobook is fully downloaded before the end of the week, as once the promo period is over, you won't be able to get them free.

You can't get any titles that have been missed, but once they are loaded into Overdrive (which you will need to install, if you are not already using it for library books), they are yours to keep (there is no expiration date).

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Free Audiobook + eBook - The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

Get a free MP3 download of The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes ($19.95 Audible), by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Simon Prebble (Narrator), along with a DRM-free PDF ebook over at Tantor Media.
Book Description
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes are overshadowed by the event with which they close - the meeting of the great detective and Moriarty, the Napoleon of Crime. When "The Final Problem" was first published, the struggle between Holmes and his arch nemesis, seemingly to the death, left many readers desolate at the loss of Holmes, but it also led to his immortality as a literary figure. The stories that precede it included two narratives from Holmes himself - on a mutiny at sea and a treasure hunt in a Sussex country house - as well as a meeting with his brilliant brother, Mycroft.

Included in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes are "Silver Blaze", "The Yellow Face", "The Stock-Broker's Clerk", "The Gloria Scott", "The Musgrave Ritual", "The Reigate Puzzle", "The Crooked Man", "The Resident Patient", "The Greek Interpreter", "The Naval Treaty", and "The Final Problem".
Get the free audiobook/ebook combo from Tantor Media. Once you've completed your purchase and have it in your library, you can download individual segments of the audiobook or grab the complete ZIP download, which also contains the PDF ebook, at any time.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Free Audiobook - The End of the Affair

The audiobook edition of The End of the Affair ($10.20 paperback, no Kindle edition; reg $17.95 Audible), by Graham Greene, narrated by Colin Firth, is free on Audible, using the special link below.
Book Description
"This is a record of hate far more than of love," writes Maurice Bendrix in the opening passages of The End of the Affair, and it is a strange hate indeed that compels him to set down the retrospective account of his adulterous affair with Sarah Miles — a hate bred of a passion that ultimately lost out to God.

Now, a year after Sarah's death, Bendrix seeks to exorcise the persistence of passion by retracing its course from obsessive love to love-hate. At the start he believes he hates Sarah and her husband, Henry. By the end of the book, Bendrix's hatred has shifted to the God he feels has broken his life but whose existence he has at last come to recognize.

Originally published in 1951, The End of the Affair was acclaimed by William Faulkner as "for me one of the best, most true and moving novels of my time, in anybody's language."
Get the free ebook from Audible.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Free Audiobook - Moby Dick

Update: Looks like this deal is over.

Get a free MP3 download and PDF ebook of Moby Dick ($27.95 Audible), by Herman Melville and Norman Dietz (narrator), over at Tantor media.
Book Description
On a previous voyage, a mysterious white whale had ripped off the leg of a sea captain named Ahab. Now the crew of the Pequod, on a pursuit that features constant adventure and horrendous mishaps, must follow the mad Ahab into the abyss to satisfy his unslakeable thirst for vengeance. Narrated by the cunningly observant crew member Ishmael, Moby Dick is the tale of the hunt for the elusive, omnipotent, and ultimately mystifying white whale - Moby Dick.

On its surface, Moby Dick is a vivid documentary of life aboard a 19th-century whaler, a virtual encyclopedia of whales and whaling, replete with facts, legends, and trivia that Herman Melville had gleaned from personal experience and scores of sources. But as the quest for the whale becomes increasingly perilous, the tale works on allegorical levels, likening the whale to human greed, moral consequence, good, evil, and life itself. Who is good? The great white whale who, like Nature, asks nothing but to be left in peace? Or the bold Ahab who, like scientists, explorers, and philosophers, fearlessly probes the mysteries of the universe? Who is evil? The ferocious, man-killing sea monster? Or the revenge-obsessed madman who ignores his own better nature in his quest to kill the beast?
Get the free audiobook from Tantor media. Once you've completed the purchase and added to your library, you can download at any time, so no rush on that (like there is with Sync).

Two Free Audiobooks - Daughter of Smoke & Bone and A Tale of Two Cities

There are two new free audiobook from Sync today. First, I've linked in the info from the ebook or audiobook version of each title (Amazon has the best reviews), followed by the link to get your copies free, with directions to ensure you get the complete download.

The first free audiobook is Daughter of Smoke & Bone ($9.99 Kindle; $19.95 Audible), by Alfred C. Martino, narrated by Mark Shanahan.
Book Description
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Grade Level: 10 and up

A Tale of Two Cities ($21.95 Audible), by Charles Dickens, narrated by Simon Prebble, is the second selection for this week. As with most classics, there are many editions to choose from on Kindle, although the 60 available might be a bit too much of a good thing. In any case, you can spend anything from nothing to a few dollars and probably get an edition that will work for reading along while listening.
Book Description
Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities is a sprawling tale of London and revolutionary Paris with a complex plot portraying the results of terror and treason, love and supreme sacrifice.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." - opening line of A Tale of Two Cities

It was the time of the French Revolution, a time of great change and great danger. It was a time when injustice was met by a lust for vengeance, and rarely was a distinction made between the innocent and the guilty. Against this tumultuous historical backdrop, Dickens' dramatic story of adventure and courage unfolds.

Unjustly imprisoned for 18 years in the Bastille, Dr. Alexandre Manette is reunited with his daughter, the gentle Lucie Manette, and safely transported from France to England. It would seem that they could now take up the threads of their lives in peace. As fate would have it, however, the two are summoned to the Old Bailey to testify against a young Frenchman, Charles Darnay, falsely accused of treason. Strangely enough, Darnay bears an uncanny resemblance to another man in the courtroom: Sydney Carton, a dissolute barrister. It is a coincidence that saves Darnay from certain doom more than once, as the two men's fates become intertwined with that of the Revolution.

And there is Madame Defarge, a female revolutionary who has an implacable grudge against the aristocratic Evrémonde dynasty and who knits as she watches the beheadings.

The storming of the Bastille, the death carts with their doomed human cargo, the swift drop of the blade of La Guillotine - this is the French Revolution that Charles Dickens vividly captures. Brilliantly plotted, the novel is rich in drama, romance, and heroics that culminate in a daring prison escape in the shadow of the guillotine.

Click HERE to get the free downloads (you'll need to enter your name and an email address. You'll end up clicking about three pages (for each book), before the audiobook actually downloads. Don't stop so long as you still see a button that talks about your Sync download (or until you see the Overdrive software open up; there is a link at Sync, if you don't already have Overdrive installed).

Once in Overdrive, you'll need to tell it where to save the files (just click OK to use the default location, since Overdrive will keep track of them for you), then again to actually start the download (by default, all parts of the book are downloaded; I would suggest not changing this in the last dialog box, just click on OK to get the download started). Make sure your audiobook is fully downloaded before the end of the week, as once the promo period is over, you won't be able to get them free.

You can't get any titles that have been missed, but once they are loaded into Overdrive (which you will need to install, if you are not already using it for library books), they are yours to keep (there is no expiration date). Two new titles each Thursday!

Monday, July 23, 2012

Free Audiobook - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The unabridged audiobook performance of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (reg $9.99), by L. Frank Baum, narrated by Anne Hathaway, is free direct from Audible. As is often the case with public domain works, there are a number of editions of the ebook on Kindle, with prices ranging from free to several dollars.
Book Description
One of the best-known stories in American culture, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has stirred the imagination of young and old alike for over 100 years. Best Actress nominee Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married, Alice In Wonderland), fresh from filming one of this year's most anticipated films, The Dark Knight Rises, lends her voice to this uniquely American fairy tale.

Follow the adventures of young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto as they get swept away into the magical land of Oz , where they encounter characters and places you may remember from the movie - and several more that never made it to the big screen - on an unforgettable journey to the Emerald City.

"It's such a wonderful book and I was so happy to be a part of bringing it to life", Ms. Hathaway said. "There are a lot of great voices in it. The more fun you have with it, the sillier and the more free you get with it, the better it is because it's a story that can handle it. It's amazing to be able to discover something new about something you feel you know so well."
Get the free audiobook from Audible.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Two Free Audiobooks - Mark Twain and Romance

Blackstone Audio periodically sends out a free audiobook to those who sign up for the newsletter (if you can get a subscription to go thru - I've often received no info back from attempts to sign up). The two below are the ones from this month's newsletter.

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER BY MARK TWAIN, READ BY GROVER GARDNER
Book Description

Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a humorous and nostalgic book depicting the carefree days of boyhood in a small Midwestern town.


Download MP3 M4B

"ROMANCE" BY CHUCK PALAHNIUK, READ BY THE AUTHOR
Book Description
We teamed up with the New York Times-bestselling author to offer this short story exclusively in audio. Originally published in Playboy magazine, "Romance" is a twisted love story like only Chuck could tell.

Download MP3 M4B

Remember: You want the MP3 format for Kindle; put the file(s) into the \audible directory of the Kindle, using a USB cable, and they'll show up on you Home page and have audiobook controls.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Free Audiobooks - Cleopatra’s Moon and Antony & Cleopatra

Update: 7/21/12 The problems with Antony & Cleopatra have been fixed, so you can go in and download it.

There are two new free audiobook from Sync today. First, I've linked in the info from the ebook or audiobook version of each title (Amazon has the best reviews), followed by the link to get your copies free, with directions to ensure you get the complete download.

The first free audiobook is Cleopatra’s Moon ($9.99 Kindle; $20.99 Audible), by Vicky Alvear Shecter, narrated by Kirsten Potter.
Book Description
The Luxe" meets the ancient world in the extraordinary story of Cleopatra's daughter.

Selene has grown up in a palace on the Nile with her parents, Cleopatra & Mark Antony--the most brilliant, powerful rulers on earth. But the jealous Roman Emperor Octavianus wants Egypt for himself, & when war finally comes, Selene faces the loss of all she's ever loved. Forced to build a new life in Octavianus's household in Rome, she finds herself torn between two young men and two possible destinies--until she reaches out to claim her own.

This stunning novel brings to life the personalities & passions of one of the greatest dramas in history, & offers a wonderful new heroine in Selene.

Grade Level: 7 and up

The Dramatized edition of Antony & Cleopatra ($12.27 Audible), by William Shakespeare, with a full cast narration from BBC radio, is the second selection for this week. There are several Kindle editions, ranging from 99 cents and up, for those that prefer the original and free versions in MOBI and EPUB are relatively easy to find, as well.
Book Description
BBC Radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since 1923, when the newly formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard.

Antony & Cleopatra is an intense love story, exploring the constant conflict between duty and emotion with characters so charismatic they continue to fascinate after 2,000 years. Shakespeare achieved some of his most beautiful poetry in this play, and the richness of the language makes it perfect for audio.

Revitalised, original, and comprehensive, this is Shakespeare for the new millennium.

Click HERE to get the free downloads (you'll need to enter your name and an email address. You'll end up clicking about three pages (for each book), before the audiobook actually downloads. Don't stop so long as you still see a button that talks about your Sync download (or until you see the Overdrive software open up; there is a link at Sync, if you don't already have Overdrive installed).

Once in Overdrive, you'll need to tell it where to save the files (just click OK to use the default location, since Overdrive will keep track of them for you), then again to actually start the download (by default, all parts of the book are downloaded; I would suggest not changing this in the last dialog box, just click on OK to get the download started). Make sure your audiobook is fully downloaded before the end of the week, as once the promo period is over, you won't be able to get them free.

You can't get any titles that have been missed, but once they are loaded into Overdrive (which you will need to install, if you are not already using it for library books), they are yours to keep (there is no expiration date). Two new titles each Thursday!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Free Audiobooks - Funny Business & The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

There are two new free audiobook from Sync today. First, I've linked in the info from the ebook or audiobook version of each title (Amazon has the best reviews), followed by the link to get your copies free, with directions to ensure you get the complete download.

The first free audiobook is Guys Read: Funny Business ($5.99 Kindle; $16.95 Audible), by Jon Scieszka (editor), narrated by Michael Boatman, Kate DiCamillo, John Keating, Jon Scieszka, Bronson Pinchot.
Book Description
It’s here: Volume One of the official Guys Read Library. Jon Scieszka’s Guys Read initiative was founded on a simple premise: that young guys enjoy reading most when they have reading they can enjoy. And out of this comes a series that aims to give them just that. Ten books, arranged by theme, featuring the best of the best where writing for kids is concerned. Each book is a collection of original short stories, but these aren’t your typical anthologies—each book is edgy, inventive, visual, and one-of-a-kind, featuring a different theme for guys to get excited about.

Funny Business is based around the theme of—what else?—humor, and if you’re familiar with Jon and Guys Read, you already know what you’re in store for: ten hilarious stories from some of the funniest writers around. Before you’re through, you’ll meet a teenage mummy; a kid desperate to take a dip in the world’s largest pool of chocolate milk; a homicidal turkey; parents who hand over their son’s room to a biker; the only kid in his middle school who hasn’t turned into a vampire, wizard, or superhero; and more. And the contributor list includes bestselling author, award winners, and fresh new talent alike: Mac Barnett, Eoin Colfer, Christopher Paul Curtis, Kate DiCamillo (writing with Jon Scieszka), Paul Feig, Jack Gantos, Jeff Kinney, David Lubar, Adam Rex, and David Yoo.

Guys Read is all about turning young readers into lifelong ones—and with this book, and each subsequent installment in the series, we aim to leave no guy unturned.

The unabridged edition of The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County ($14.95 Audible), by Mark Twain, narrated by Norman Dietz, is the second selection for this week. There are several Kindle editions, ranging from 95 cents and up, which feature one or more of the included stories, for those that like to read along with the audio. I did find a free version of at least the main story over on Feedbooks (although I haven't checked the formatting).
Book Description
Originally published in 1865, "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" began Mark Twain's remarkable career, and immediately demonstrated his masterful storytelling and brilliant sense of humor. This delightful tale introduces Jim Smiley, a man who loved to gamble, whether on horse races, dogfights, catfights, or even how long it took bugs to cross the Mexican border. When a gullible stranger came to town, Smiley boasted that his pet frog, Dan'l Webster, could outjump any frog in the county. Smiley, figuring it would be easy money, eagerly made a bet with the stranger, who had a secret plan to stop Dan'l in his tracks. This wickedly funny collection also includes several of Twain's other great short stories, including "A True Story," "Extracts from Adam's Diary," and "The Private History of a Campaign that Failed."

Click HERE to get the free downloads (you'll need to enter your name and an email address. You'll end up clicking about three pages (for each book), before the audiobook actually downloads. Don't stop so long as you still see a button that talks about your Sync download (or until you see the Overdrive software open up; there is a link at Sync, if you don't already have Overdrive installed).

Once in Overdrive, you'll need to tell it where to save the files (just click OK to use the default location, since Overdrive will keep track of them for you), then again to actually start the download (by default, all parts of the book are downloaded; I would suggest not changing this in the last dialog box, just click on OK to get the download started). Make sure your audiobook is fully downloaded before the end of the week, as once the promo period is over, you won't be able to get them free.

You can't get any titles that have been missed, but once they are loaded into Overdrive (which you will need to install, if you are not already using it for library books), they are yours to keep (there is no expiration date). Two new titles each Thursday!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Free Audiobooks - Anna Dressed in Blood & The Woman in White

There are two new free audiobook from Sync today. First, I've linked in the info from the ebook or audiobook version of each title (Amazon has the best reviews), followed by the link to get your copies free, with directions to ensure you get the complete download.

The first free audiobook is Anna Dressed in Blood ($2.99 Kindle), by Kendare Blake, narrated by August Ross. This is a 2011 Kirkus Best Teen Books of the Year title and one of NPR's Top 5 Young Adult Novels of 2011. As you can see, it's also on sale at Amazon, in preparation for the upcoming release of Girl of Nightmares, the next book in the same series, so if you think you'd prefer to read rather than listen (or do both), be sure to grab it now.
Book Description
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

The unabridged edition of The Woman in White ($26.95 Audible), by Wilkie Collins, narrated by Ian Holm, is the second selection for this week. There are several Kindle editions, ranging from free to a few dollars, for those that like to read along with the audio.
Book Description
One night on the road to London, a young drawing master, Walter Hartright, meets a mysterious woman dressed all in white and answers her pleas for help. But who is she and why is she being followed by two men? And what is her connection with his pupil Laura Fairlie, the woman he secretly loves? Wilkie Collins’ masterpiece of terrible secrets, concealed identities, abductions, fraud, cruel aristocrats and sinister foreigners is a mesmerising read.

This gripping tale of murder, intrigue, madness and mistaken identity has never been out of print since its publication.

Click HERE to get the free downloads (you'll need to enter your name and an email address. You'll end up clicking about three pages (for each book), before the audiobook actually downloads. Don't stop so long as you still see a button that talks about your Sync download (or until you see the Overdrive software open up; there is a link at Sync, if you don't already have Overdrive installed).

Once in Overdrive, you'll need to tell it where to save the files (just click OK to use the default location, since Overdrive will keep track of them for you), then again to actually start the download (by default, all parts of the book are downloaded; I would suggest not changing this in the last dialog box, just click on OK to get the download started). Make sure your audiobook is fully downloaded before the end of the week, as once the promo period is over, you won't be able to get them free.

You can't get any titles that have been missed, but once they are loaded into Overdrive (which you will need to install, if you are not already using it for library books), they are yours to keep (there is no expiration date). Two new titles each Thursday!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Free Audiobooks - The Amulet of Samarkand & Tales from the Arabian Nights

There are two new free audiobook from Sync today. First, I've linked in the info from the ebook or audiobook version of each title (Amazon has the best reviews), followed by the link to get your copies free, with directions to ensure you get the complete download.

The first free audiobook is The Amulet of Samarkand ($7.09 Kindle, $20.95 Audible), by Jonathan Stroud, narrated by Simon Jones. I can highly recommend this one, at least in ebook form (and what I've listened to of the audiobook so far); I received a review copy from the publisher and quickly grabbed the second in the series at B&N when it was on sale a few days ago. Yes, it says it is for grade 5 and up, but if you liked Harry Potter at all, you'll like this one (I thought it was considerably better written and not as childish in writing style, even though meant for the same age group). Also like the Harry Potter series, each novel is quite long - this one is 468 pages in print.
Book Description
Nathaniel is a magician's apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hot-shot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of his elders, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who's boss. With revenge on his mind, he summons the powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal Lovelace's greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, and rebellion.

Grade Level: 5 and up

The abridged edition of Tales from the Arabian Nights ($11.95 Audible), by Andrew Lang, narrated by Toby Stephens, is the second selection. There are several Kindle editions, ranging from free to a few dollars, for those that like to read along with the audio.
Book Description
To save herself from certain death, the beautiful Scheherazade must beguile a Persian sultan with her enchanting stories. In two of her most well-known tales, Aladdin and Ali Baba’s cleverness and quick-thinking save the day—and a great treasure. Andrew Lang’s masterful version of these ancient Middle Eastern folk tales will captivate listeners of all ages, just as they did when Scheherazade was the storyteller.

Click HERE to get the free downloads (you'll need to enter your name and an email address. You'll end up clicking about three pages (for each book), before the audiobook actually downloads. Don't stop so long as you still see a button that talks about your Sync download (or until you see the Overdrive software open up; there is a link at Sync, if you don't already have Overdrive installed).

Once in Overdrive, you'll need to tell it where to save the files (just click OK to use the default location, since Overdrive will keep track of them for you), then again to actually start the download (by default, all parts of the book are downloaded; I would suggest not changing this in the last dialog box, just click on OK to get the download started). Make sure your audiobook is fully downloaded before the end of the week, as once the promo period is over, you won't be able to get them free.

You can't get any titles that have been missed, but once they are loaded into Overdrive (which you will need to install, if you are not already using it for library books), they are yours to keep (there is no expiration date). Two new titles each Thursday!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

99 Cent Kindle Pre-Orders

I was browsing thru the pre-orders tonight and turned up a number of them for 99 cents that look interesting. Some of these are short, but most are full novels (often new/special editions or with bonus content). Where there is a current edition, I'll link it in, so you can use it for reading a sample before ordering the discounted edition. A number of these don't have cover images yet, so I've either grabbed one from another edition or from the related novel/anthology, in the case of short stories.

Come Back with a Bonus Excerpt: A Mother and Daughter's Journey Through Hell and Back, by Claire Fontaine and Mia Fontaine (full price edition)
Book Description
For a limited time, and at a special price, download the bestselling memoir Come Back, and receive a free excerpt from Claire and Mia Fontaine's new book, Have Mother, Will Travel, available wherever books are sold 7/17.

Come Back is an unforgettable true story of love and transformation that will resonate with mothers and daughters everywhere.

In powerful parallel stories, mother and daughter give mesmerizing first-person accounts of the nightmare that shattered their family and the amazing journey they took to find their way back to each other. Claire Fontaine's relentless cross-country search for her missing child and ultimate decision to force her into treatment in Eastern Europe is a gripping tale of dead ends, painful revelations, and, at times, miracles. Mia Fontaine describes her refuge in the seedy underworld of felons and addicts as well as the jarring shock of the extreme, if loving, school that enabled her to overcome depression and self-loathing. Both women detail their remarkable process of self-examination and healing with humor and unsparing honesty.

On the House, by Hank Phillippi Ryan (short story)
Book Description
When true love goes wrong, a woman's best friend may be her dog. Or—not.

A twisty, diabolical, and unpredictable look at love, power, and revenge, On the House is the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award-Winning short story by Hank Phillippi Ryan.

BONUS: An exclusive excerpt from Hank Phillippi Ryan's much anticipated novel of suspense, The Other Woman.

Iron's Prophecy, by Julie Kagawa, is a short story in the Iron Fey Trilogy series.
Book Description
None entered yet by the publisher

Spycatcher with a Bonus Excerpt, by Matthew Dunn (full price edition)
Book Description
For a limited time and a special price, follow intelligence agent Will Cochrane—working on a joint mission for the CIA and MI6—as he tracks and attempts to capture a brilliant and ruthless Iranian spy in this extraordinary international espionage thriller.

Plus, receive the first seven chapters of real life former field officer Matthew Dunn's new Will Cochrane thriller, Sentinel, available wherever books are sold August 7, 2012.

Will Cochrane is the CIA's and MI6's most prized asset ... and their deadliest weapon. Since childhood, the only world he has ever known is a clandestine realm of elaborate lies and unholy alliances—where trust is rare, betrayal comes cheap, and a violent death is often the penalty for being outplayed by an opponent. Cochrane has never been outplayed ... so far.

Now his controllers have a new game: neutralize one of the world's most wanted terrorists, believed to be a general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. Cochrane's unpredictability makes him the one agent capable of catching his adversary off guard, and he believes he has the perfect plan. But on a breakneck race through the capitals of Europe and into America's northeast, the spycatcher will discover that his prey knows the game all too well ... and his agenda is more terrifying than anyone could have imagined.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Undead, by Katie MacAlister (short story); you'll find five more of her books for 99 cents in the Amazon store (one urban fantasy and the rest romance).
Book Description
A delightful e-short story from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katie MacAlister, featuring the vampire hero of her novella “Shades of Gray,” from the upcoming Pocket Books paranormal romance anthology The Undead in My Bed.

Ladies, be sure to catch our interview with the reclusive, oh-so-sexy Dark One Grayson Soucek, when he talks to our reporter about what it's like to be one of the Otherworld's most eligible (and titled!) bachelors. Gray dishes all on what he's looking for in a permanent blood donor, his turn-ons and turn-offs, and what he likes on a date (hint—dinner in a romantic dungeon is one way to this vampire's heart). It's all in our next edition of Lifestyles of the Rich and Undead!

Wild Montana Sky, by Debra Holland. This is the Montlake Romance edition of what apparently became a USA Today bestselling book in a self-published edition, also 99 cents.
Book Description
With the tragic death of her fiancé, Elizabeth Hamilton believes she’ll never love again. The comfortable life she’s settled into with her brother in Boston is upset when he abruptly marries. Displaced by her spiteful new sister-in-law, and hoping to find a home for herself, Elizabeth allows handsome cowboy Nick Sanders to escort her from Boston to her friend’s Montana ranch.

In Montana, Elizabeth meets attractive Caleb Livingston, a wealthy banker who strongly resembles her beloved fiancé, and hopes she has a second chance at love. Yet, she has to fight a growing attraction to Nick. In braving the dangers and hardships of the West, Elizabeth discovers unexpected strengths within herself--strengths tested when an influenza epidemic ravages the town. As a child’s life hangs in the balance, Elizabeth must choose between the man who has everything, and the one with nothing but his heart to offer.

The Wicked One, by Suzanne Enoch (short story)
Book Description
A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes Prequel

A young, penniless widow. An inveterate rogue with a gambler’s charm. A chance meeting that leaves them both breathless with desire …

Widowed after only two years of marriage, Diane Benchley, Countess of Cameron, is left alone in a foreign place with nothing but the clothes on her back and a mountain of her late husband’s gambling debts. Before the young raven-haired beauty can give in to despair, she meets Oliver Warren, the rebellious and disinherited heir to the Marquis of Haybury. Wickedly flirtatious and powerfully handsome, Oliver is everything Diane’s husband was not, and she longs to taste true passion just once. Their clandestine affair is a deliciously sensual education—but will it also be a lesson in love?

Don’t miss Suzanne Enoch’s breathtaking romances—where passion is always more tempting than propriety…

Dark Craving, by Donna Grant (could be a novel or a short story)
Book Description
A Dark King Story

Fueled by ancient magic—and enflamed by human desire—the Dragon King known as Hal can transform himself at will into one of the legendary winged creatures he is sworn to protect. But one thing he can never do is fall in love…with a mortal woman.

Searching for her brother in Scotland—and succumbing to the freezing cold—Cassie Hunter awakens to find herself in the arms of a magnificent Highland warrior. Across his chest is the tattoo of a fiery dragon. And in his heart is a burning passion that, once unleashed, will consume them both…body and soul.

This is a story of destiny and desire, magic and mystery, warriors and lovers.

These are the forbidden cravings of the Dark Kings.

Don’t miss the Dark Sword and Dark Warrior novels by Donna Grant—also set in this scintillating world of Highland magic and legendary lovers.

The Roots of the Mountains, by William Morris, is a new edition of a classic
Book Description
The Roots of the Mountains: Wherein is Told Somewhat of the Lives of the Men of Burgdale, Their Friends, Their Neighbors, Their Foemen, and Their Fellows in Arms tells the story of the Dalemen, whose lives are disrupted by the Wolfings, and the invading Huns who follow them. Peaceful artisans, the Dalemen live in the Burgdales, a fictitious group of Germanic settlements at the foot of a mountain range. Credited with being an influence on J. R. R. Tolkien’ s Lord of the Rings, The Roots of the Mountains was written by pioneering fantasy writer William Morris in 1890. Its contribution to fantasy literature was recognized by the Newcastle Forgotten Fantasy Library in 1979.

HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

A Cat Was Involved, by Spencer Quinn (short story)
Book Description

Spencer Quinn’s first original e-short story reveals how everyone’s favorite detective duo—Chet the Dog and P.I. Bernie Little—came to meet before their first big case in Dog On It.

As fans know, Chet first met Bernie on that fateful day when he flunked out of K-9 police school. The details of that day though have always remained a little vague (like so much in Chet’s doggy brain). All we know is that Chet had been the best leaper in his K-9 class, but for some reason he failed his final leaping test...and that a cat was involved...and that there was some blood. But whose? The test, the cat, the blood—all pieces of a puzzle that, when solved, will bring down a dangerous gang of thieves—and signal the start of a beautiful friendship.

This fateful day has been alluded to in every book in the series, and now fans of Chet and Bernie will finally get to find out what actually happened. For these two beloved characters, it was something like love at first sight—and, for Chet, at first smell, too.

Mindfulness Meditations for the Frantic Parent, Mindfulness Meditations for the Frantic Parent [with embedded videos], Mindfulness Meditations for the Troubled Sleeper and Mindfulness Meditations for the Troubled Sleeper [with embedded videos], by Elisha Goldstein
Book Description
None entered yet; however, a similar volume has this description:

Mindfulness Meditations for the Anxious Traveler uses exercises from The Now Effect to help people ease their fears about traveling.

Drawing on cutting edge psychology, neuroscience and mindfulness practices, Mindfulness Meditations for the Anxious Traveler offers you fresh, simple, practical exercises to become more aware of the space in between stimulus and response and to use those spaces in your life to break free from habitual beliefs and thoughts that don’t serve you. These techniques will enable you to travel without unnecessary anxiety.

Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, Lady Susan and Persuasion, by Jane Austen, are new editions of these classics from HarperCollins.
Book Description
HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

The Wedding Planner, by Stephanie Laurens (short story, originally appeared in the e-book anthology ROYAL WEDDINGS and in THE CAPTURE OF THE EARL OF GLENNCRAE)
Book Description
She planned every wedding of importance…but never her own.

Was that now about to change?

Beautiful Lady Margaret Dawlish, the daughter of a duke, is proud to plan the ton's most important weddings—including that of a prince! But now it's Lady Margaret who falls in love, with dashing Gaston Devilliers, the Duke of Perigord. This breathtaking man always ends up where he wants to be—and, in this case, that means in Margaret's arms! And, suddenly, her best-laid plans to guard her heart come completely undone.

She, by H. Rider Haggard
Book Description
She follows the journey of Horace Holly and his ward, Leo Vincey, to a lost African kingdom where they meet the Amahagger people and the mysterious queen, Ayesha, who reigns as “ She” or “ She-who-must-be-obeyed.”

An immediate success, She was first serialized in The Graphic magazine from October 1886 to January 1887, and has since sold more than 80 million copies in more than 40 languages, and has never been out of print. It is considered to be one of the foundational works upon which later fantasy literature was based, influencing such authors as J. R. R. Tolkien, Rudyard Kipling, Henry Miller, and Margaret Atwood. She was the first fictional work to employ Lost World conventions, which have been emulated by numerous later authors and has developed into a popular literary sub-genre, as well as contributing to the development of the adventure sub-genre and Imperial Gothic.

HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

Paladins of Shannara: Allanon's Quest, by Terry Brooks (Short Story)
Book Description
The legendary hero Allanon takes center stage in the first of three gripping new stand-alone eBook short stories set in the world of the fantasy fiction phenomenon that is Shannara—by beloved New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks.

The history is thus: The once-Druid Brona, seduced by his pursuit of dark magic, was forever transformed into the Warlock Lord—whose evil would be the downfall of the Four Lands and the death of the Races. Against him, the Elven King Jerle Shannara wielded the fabled sword that bore his surname and triumphed. Or so it was believed. But though the Dark Lord was driven out . . . he was not destroyed.

The Druid Allanon knows only too well the prophecy passed down to him by his late master: that eventually the Warlock Lord will return. Now, after hundreds of years, that day seems imminent. And the time is at hand for the Sword of Shannara to once more be brought forth from its sanctuary to serve its ancient purpose. All that remains is for a blood descendent of the Elven house of Shannara to carry the blade into battle.

With ever more portents of doom on the horizon, Allanon must seek out the last remaining Shannara heir, who alone will bear the burden of defending the Four Lands’ destiny. But with agents of darkness closing in from behind, unexpected enemies lying in wait ahead, and treachery encroaching on every side, there can be no certainty of success. Nor any assurance that this desperate quest will not be the Druid’s last.

The Mire, by Becky Cloonan, is a 24 page graphic novel (not an unusual size, for this medium); the first in the series, WOLVES, is also 99 cents.
Book Description
The much anticipated follow-up to 2011's WOLVES, THE MIRE is a self-contained story set on the eve of battle, as a humble squire is given the seemingly simple task of delivering a letter to an old castle in a swamp. Met with mysterious apparitions, he slowly uncovers the truth about his mission, as his past is re-written over the course of twenty four pages.

The Art of Rendition and Escape Artist join Brotherhood as Robin Monarch short story prequels to the forthcoming release of Rogue, by Mark Sullivan
Book Description
"With Robin Monarch, Mark Sullivan has created a Jason Bourne for the new millennium" —James Rollins

Mark Sullivan, the co-author of James Patterson’s Private Games, has, in Robin Monarch, created a compelling new hero. Monarch is a world-class thief and a highly skilled operative – a man with skills, a rigid code of honor, powerful friends and implacable enemies. In ‘The Art of Rendition,’ Monarch is an agent for the CIA, called upon to use his unique skills to kidnap and interrogate a Russian nuclear scientist suspected of selling technology to the Iranians. But that’s only part of the challenge – one that many trained agents could handle effectively. They’ve called upon Monarch because, after the interrogation, he must return the scientist without the Russians, the Iranians, or the scientist himself ever knowing he's been grabbed.

Meet Robin Monarch in “The Art of Rendition,” a thrilling, compelling story which showcases the author and character, each at the top of their form. As a bonus, included is a special excerpt from Rogue, the first Robin Monarch novel, coming in Fall of 2012.

Devil in the Dollhouse: A Sandman Slim Story, by Richard Kadrey, means that the release of Devil Said Bang, is just around the corner.
Book Description
James Stark, a.k.a. Sandman Slim, has a new job, but being the new Lucifer in town gives fresh meaning to the word "Hell." Especially when he hears of hideous massacres near a haunted fortress out on Hell's frontier.

As far as Stark's concerned, the more dead Hellions, the better, but he still has to prove that no one screws with Sandman Slim. And facing creatures so terrible even Hell does not want them is no cakewalk, even for Lucifer.

Summer Menus from The Fire Island Cookbook, by Jeff Jenssen and Mike DeSimone, is a mini-cookbook taken from The Fire Island Cookbook. There's nothing yet entered for a synopsis on this mini-version of the full cookbook, so I'm including it's description, instead.
Book Description
Elegant summer meals for any day of the year

In The Fire Island Cookbook, food, wine, and travel writers Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen have put together a mouthwatering collection of meals using seasonal produce, one for each weekend from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Each of the fourteen menus is influenced by the authors’ travels in Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Mexico, and Hungary, and includes course-by-course wine pairings. Every chapter features recipes for a full menu from appetizer to dessert, with wines to match. While some dishes are designed to be prepped in the morning, ignored all day while the cooks are at the beach, and then grilled and arranged as guests arrive, others are a little more elaborate, perfect for the weekend that would otherwise be ruined by rain. Meals can be prepared by one or two dedicated chefs, or divided up among everyone, with each person contributing a course.

Wherever your dream vacation house, occasional weekend destination, or home, and whatever time of year, you are sure to enjoy this fantastic collection of recipes. So slip away, feel the cool spray against your skin, taste the salt in the air, and dream of a delicious, beautiful, and relaxing dinner with friends and family.

Hearts of Fire, by Kira Brady
Book Description
In the prequel to a stunning new paranormal series, one woman's desire for a forbidden man will spark a centuries-long supernatural conflict--and a love nothing can destroy.

She's the heiress to Seattle's most powerful shifter clan. Her destiny is as controlled and certain as moonrise. However, from the moment Alice Corbette encounters the man known as Brand, she will defy all constraint and break every rule to make this dragon-shifter hers. Brand is determined to repay the clan leader he owes his life to. But one taste of Alice's exquisite spirit will make him question his loyalty--and plunge them both into the middle of a ruthless power play. Their only chance at freedom is a gamble that could risk the future of humans and shifters alike. . .

Fast Shopper, Slow Store, by Gary Schwartz
Book Description

From mobile pioneer Gary Schwartz, the author of The Impulse Economy, a short guide to the steps every company must take to connect with the mobile consumer.

From Best Buy to Borders, retail stores are closing their doors forever. More and more, consumers are looking to their mobile devices for the best products and the cheapest deals, and they all want to buy it faster—at the touch of a button. The shop has lost it connection to this shopper. Gary Schwartz has been at the frontlines of the mobile industry for over a decade, and this book is about what companies can do to build the mobile tools necessary to reestablish a relationship with their mobile shoppers. Rich with examples—from Amazon to Barnes and Noble to Google—Schwartz gives a step-by-step approach to harnessing and executing the strategies necessary for companies to move into the mobile sphere…and see lasting, lucrative results.

Retribution, by Cameron Haley, was originally published in the anthology Harvest Moon.
Book Description
In the underworld, there are tricks to killing. Like executing rivals at crossroads so ghosts won't follow you home. But sometimes retribution is hard to avoid—and now a supernatural hit man has a contract on Domino Riley's life. Luckily she knows a thing or two about death.…

Operation Desolation: The Case of the Anonymous Bank Defacement, by Mark Russinovich
Book Description
A thought-provoking new story from the acclaimed author of Zero Day.

Challenging Anonymous is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. But the CEO of a major investment firm has done just that, and now cyber security expert Jeff Aiken has to try to protect the company from its leader’s mistakes. The timing couldn’t be worse, as Jeff is scheduled to appear at a conference that has invited an Anonymous representative as well. And Jeff’s about to discover that the hacker outfit plans to bring their fight offline--and into the real world.

Lucretia and the Kroons, by Victor Lavalle (Novella), is a tie-in for The Devil in Silver, coming in August.
Book Description
From one of the most acclaimed young writers of fiction in America today comes a fast-paced and fantastical novella about a young girl’s journey into a dark netherworld to find her missing best friend. This eBook edition contains an exclusive excerpt from Victor LaValle’s new novel The Devil in Silver, about which Gary Shteyngart raves, “Literary horror just found a new master.”

Lucretia’s best friend and upstairs neighbor Sunny—a sweet pitbull of a kid, even as she struggles with a mysterious illness—has gone missing. The only way to get her back is for Lucretia to climb the rickety fire escape of their Queens tenement and crawl through the window of apartment 6D, portal to a vast shadowland of missing kids ruled by a nightmarish family of mutants whose designs on the children are unknown. Her search for Sunny takes Lucretia through a dark fantasyland where she finds lush forests growing from concrete, pigeon-winged rodents, and haunted playgrounds. Her quest ultimately forces her to confront the most frightening specter of all: losing, forever, the thing you love the most.

Lucretia and the Kroons is a dazzlingly imaginative adventure story and a moving exploration of the power of friendship and the terror of loss. This all-new novella serves as the perfect companion piece to The Devil in Silver, a thrillingly suspenseful work of literary horror that continues the story of Lucretia.

Royal Bridesmaids: An Original Anthology, by Stephanie Laurens, Gaelen Foley and Loretta Chase, is actually $1.99, which is still a great price.
Book Description
Thanks to Pippa Middleton, we are more fascinated than ever by bridesmaids . . . especially the ones in Royal Weddings.

Now, in this original anthology, New York Times bestselling authors Stephanie Laurens, Gaelen Foley and Loretta Chase tell us what it really takes to get the bride to the royal altar.

They need to do more than "smile, wave, and look delighted"!

Stephanie Laurens: A Return Engagement
Lady Nell Daughtry has her hands full getting her reluctant bride sister safely married to the Prince of Lautenberg. Then she learns she's paired with Robert Knightley . . . the fiance who walked away.

Gaelen Foley: The Imposter Bride
Lady Minerva must ensure her country's princess is wed to handsome Prince Tor. Then the bride bolts, and bridesmaid becomes—bride!

Loretta Chase: Lord Lovedon's Duel
When Chloe Sharp hears the handsome Earl of Lovedon say her sister's royal marriage is a match made in money, she challenges him to a duel—for love and honor.