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Showing posts with label Short Stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Short Stories. Show all posts

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Free Audiobook - A Christmas Carol

A special audiobook edition of A Christmas Carol ($14.95 list; $2.99 WhisperSync), by Charles Dickens, featuring a Signature Performance by Tim Curry, is free over at Audible. For those that like to read along while listening, there are many editions in the Kindle store, ranging in price from free to a nice edition from Bantam Classics (Random House) for $2.99.
Book Description
This version of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, masterfully narrated by Tim Curry, was available for a limited time last year, and now it's back. This one-of-a-kind performance puts a unique spin on a treasured classic, and served as the inspiration for the exciting new line of Audible Signature Classics, including Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with Elijah Wood, and Heart of Darkness with Kenneth Branagh. Tim Curry performs this timeless holiday story in a deliciously dark tone, returning it to its Dickensian roots with a vivid imagining of Victorian London and just the right touch of outrageous fun.

A Christmas Carol has constantly been in print since its original publication in 1849, and has been adapted for stage, television, film, and opera. It has often been credited with returning the jovial and festive atmosphere to the holiday season in Britain and North America, following the somber period that emerged during the Industrial Revolution.

The story opens on a bleak and cold Christmas Eve as Ebenezer Scrooge is closing up his office for the day. As the story progresses and Christmas morning approaches, Scrooge encounters the unforgettable characters that make this story a classic: Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and, of course, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come.
Get the free audiobook from Audible. Note that the edition found when searching isn't free, so use this link; this edition is also not Whispersync enabled; for that, you can buy the pay-edition (which I believe was free last year) for $2.99 after picking up on of the Kindle editions above.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Free Audio Short Story - The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle

The audiobook edition of The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, by Arthur Conan Doyle, narrated by Alan Cumming, is free for members (those with a subscription) at Audible. I checked the price while not logged in, however, and it looks like everyone with an account can get it free, as well.
Book Description
The season of gift-giving is here, and this year we've got something special for our members: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Yuletide whodunit "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle". In this holiday-themed short story, Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson, follow the trail of a lost hat and a Christmas goose through the streets of London and into a rapidly expanding mystery. And, since a great story calls for a great voice, we’ve brought in Emmy Award nominee Alan Cumming (TV's The Good Wife), a past Audie Award winner for Best Male Narrator and one of our very favorite narrators. We enjoyed it, and we hope you will too. Happy listening and happy holidays!
Get the free audiobook from Audible.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Free Audiobook - Listening Is an Act of Love

The audiobook edition of Listening Is an Act of Love: A Celebration of American Life from the StoryCorps Project ($12.99 Kindle), by Dave Isay, is free on Audible thru Nov 29.
Book Description
As heard on NPR?a wondrous nationwide celebration of our shared humanity

StoryCorps founder and legendary radio producer Dave Isay selects the most memorable stories from StoryCorps? collection, creating a moving portrait of American life.

The voices here connect us to real people and their lives?to their experiences of profound joy, sadness, courage, and despair, to good times and hard times, to good deeds and misdeeds. To read this book is to be reminded of how rich and varied the American storybook truly is, how resistant to easy categorization or stereotype. We are our history, individually and collectively, and Listening Is an Act of Love touchingly reminds us of this powerful truth.
Get the free audiobook from Audible.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Free Audiobook + Charity Donation - Click-Clack the Rattlebag

Click-Clack the Rattlebag, a free short story written and performed by Neil Gaiman, is free on Audible and for every copy downloaded through Halloween, Audible will donate $1 (up to $100,000) to the education charity DonorsChoose.org.
Book Description
A few words from Neil: "Why tell ghost stories? Why read them or listen to them? Why take such pleasure in tales that have no purpose but, comfortably, to scare?

"I don't know. Not really. It goes way back. We have ghost stories from ancient Egypt, after all, ghost stories in the Bible, classical ghost stories from Rome (along with werewolves, cases of demonic possession, and of course, over and over, witches). We have been telling each other tales of otherness, of life beyond the grave, for a long time; stories that prickle the flesh and make the shadows deeper and, most important, remind us that we live, and that there is something special, something unique and remarkable, about the state of being alive. Happy Halloween!"

"'What kind of story would you like me to tell you?' 'Well,' he said, thoughtfully, 'I don't think it should be too scary, because then when I go up to bed, I will just be thinking about monsters the whole time. But if it isn't just a little bit scary, then I won't be interested. And you make up scary stories, don't you?'"

So begins this subtle, witty, deceptive little tale from master storyteller Neil Gaiman. Lock the doors, turn off the lights, and enjoy!
Get the free audiobook from Audible. If you are in the UK, use this link and donations will go to the education charity BookTrust.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Humble EBook Bundle (DF)

I've highlighted the guys over at Humble Bundle a time or two in the past, for their game bundles. This month, they have a Science Fiction and Fantasy ebook bundle that is well worth buying. You can pay as little as you want (down to $1 - the minimum set to cover the charges for processing the charge) or as much as you want (two have paid $1,000 or more). Their bundles allow you to split your purchase between the authors, Humble (for organizing the bundle and processing the payments, running the servers, etc) and charity (this month, it's the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Child’s Play Charity, and/or the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America).

If you pay more than the average (currently right at $14), they are throwing in several more titles: a graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, Randall Munroe's xkcd: volume 0 (I started reading xkcd back when it was free on the internet and I'm looking forward to reading the collection; the comic pictured here is from xkcd), John Scalzi's Old Man's War ($8 on it's own at Amazon, although it does get you access to the $4 companion audiobook), two graphic novels by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik and two more from Zach Weiner. That's a baker's dozen of titles in all, for just over a buck apiece.

These are the base six novels that everyone gets (I'm linking to Amazon, so you can read the descriptions and reviews):
All are DRM-free, so you can view them on most ereaders (although I'd use a large color tablet for the graphic novels, unless you have very young eyes; plus, these are PDF's, with the HD quality versions quite large in size). I always add at least a few cents more than the average, just in case it goes up a bit before I click on buy, to ensure I get the entire bundle. You can checkout using Paypal, Google Payments or Amazon Payments (the payments get processed by Amazon, but the purchase is via Humble, so the books are not automatically in your Kindle Library -- but you can email them to yourself for easy access and backup). If you do use Paypal, you'll ensure more of the payment goes towards Humble (or the charity or authors; you pick the split) by not paying with a credit card. Once your payment has been processed, click the link in the center of the page to get your access key and the follow the link on the next page to download your books.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Free Audiobook - The Family Portrait: Four Short Stories about Domestic Life

The Family Portrait: Four Short Stories about Domestic Life, by Jon Ronson, is free on Audible.
Book Description
Exclusive bonus stories from the best-selling author of Lost at Sea, Them, The Psychopath Test and The Men Who Stare at Goats.
Get the free audiobook from Audible.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Free Audiobook - The Mountain [UK]

The audiobook edition of The Mountain, a short story by J. J. Bell, narrated by Cathy Dobson, is free in the UK Audible store.
Book Description
'The Mountain' is a humorous story in the vein of Compton McKenzie's Whisky Galore. When a tourist visits a remote Highland Glen and lets it be known that he has left a full bottle of the region's finest whisky on top of the nearest mountain, the crofters need all their collective cunning to devise a plan to retrieve it. The story takes an unexpected twist at the end.

J.J.Bell (1871-1934) was a journalist and author who lived and worked in Glasgow. He was probably best known as the creator of the humorous "Wee McGreegor" stories for the Glasgow Evening Times, which were so popular they were turned into a series of books and later a film. Many of Bell's tales were written in the vernacular, which is partly what made them so popular.
Get the free audiobook from Audible UK (some geographic restrictions may apply)

Free Audiobook - Black River

The audiobook edition of Black River, by Dean Koontz, narrated by Scott Brick, is free in the Audible store.
Book Description
Master of suspense Dean Koontz creates an undercurrent of terror in this story set deep in the dark and troubled town of Black River.

Burned-out Hollywood screenwriter Bo Aikens is fed up with life in Los Angeles. He heads out of the hustle and bustle of the big city and arrives in picturesque Black River in Northern California, seeking relaxation and artistic inspiration. In small, idyllic Black River, nearly everyone is happy, contented, and welcoming of strangers. But despite the beautiful setting, Bo begins to feel unsettled after several disturbing incidents. He discovers that all of his money has been transferred to a bank account in Black River, and a house has been purchased for him by someone on "his" instructions.

Troubled by various, peculiar twists of fate, Bo decides to leave Black River. As he becomes entangled in a nightmarish plot, preventing his return home, it suddenly seems clear to Bo that his perfect little hideaway captures more than just the imagination of its visitors.

"Black River" appeared in print in Mystery Scene Magazine #63 in 2000.
Get the free audiobook from Audible (some geographic restrictions may apply)

Free Audiobook - Vintage Death

The audiobook edition of Vintage Death a short story by Lisa Jackson from the anthology Thriller 2, narrated by Tanya Eby Sirois, is free in the Audible store.
Book Description
Lisa Jackson's "Vintage Death" tells of a dysfunctional family in the California wine country. Enjoy the complete story now, free, and then listen to the rest of the Thriller 2 collection.

About Thriller 2:
When some of the top thriller writers in the world came together in Thriller: Stories to Keep You Up All Night, they became a part of one of the most successful short-story anthologies ever published. The highly anticipated Thriller 2: Stories You Just can't Put Down, will be even bigger. From Jeffery Deaver's tale of international terrorism to Lisa Jackson's dysfunctional family in the California wine country to Ridley Pearson's horrifying serial killer, this collection has something for everyone. Twenty-three best-selling and hot new authors in the genre have submitted original stories to make up this unforgettable blockbuster.

Turn off your phone....

Shut down your computer....

Say goodbye to your friends and family....

Be prepared to listen for days!
Get the free audiobook from Audible (some geographic restrictions may apply)

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.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Free Book - The Library of Forgotten Books (K)

The Library of Forgotten Books, by Rjurik Davidson, is free in the Kindle store, courtesy of small UK press PS Publishing Ltd.
Book Description
In this collection, PS Publishing presents the short works of a powerful, exciting new voice in SF and fantasy: Rjurik Davidson, whose protagonists wander dark cities of dreams, ravished by love and tormented by destiny...

Visit the fantastic metropolis of Caeli-Amur, where rival Houses of thaumaturgists - half scientist, half magician - battle one another in vendetta, espionage, and murder, ruthlessly employing philosopherassassins: killers weighed down one minute by deep thought, uplifted the next by pure ecstasy. Enter the totalitarian city of Varenis, whose librarians every week consign thousands of forbidden books to obscure shelves, in halls haunted by dead writers, half-ghost, half-demon...

Voyage to an alternate post-World War Two Australia, whose vast inland sea has made her one of the world's Great Powers; there, in a Melbourne colossal beyond conception, criminals, communists, and government agents weave shadowy conspiracies only a weary veteran private eye can hope to penetrate. And holiday in a French resort whose cinema offers patrons fugitive glimpses of their countless possible futures, torturing them with hope, exhilarating them with despair...

These are the visions of Rjurik Davidson: cogently atmospheric, psychologically profound, boundlessly imaginative.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Free Short Story - A Death in Ueno (K)

A Death in Ueno, a short story by Mike Cooper, is free in the Kindle store, courtesy of New Word City.
Book Description
Japan’s lost decade has left thousands of people homeless, scraping by in parks and cardboard boxes throughout Tokyo. When one of these forgotten men is murdered, his brother hires a private investigator. To find the killer, he must confront police indifference, yakuza hostility, and the closed silence of the down-and-out themselves.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Trio of Free Books (K-UK)

There are three free pre-orders for UK Kindle customers today. Due the publishers involved, I don't believe these will end up free for those in the US (or other regions), but I'll keep an eye one them, just in case.

Karren Brady's 10 Rules for Success (Main/UK), by Karren Brady
Book Description
Karren Brady’s 10 Rules for Success are the secret to getting ahead for working women everywhere!

From knowing how to negotiate to embracing ambition and planning to win, Karren Brady’s 10 Rules for Success are the key factors and truths which have helped Britain’s best known business woman be the successful, independent working woman she is known and admired for.

Taken from Strong Woman – her honest, incredible and brilliantly inspiring story of how she got to where she is today – from an 18 year old apprentice at an advertising company to the Vice-Chairman of a football club and Lord Sugar’s right hand woman – and how you can make it to the top too.

Being a successful woman isn’t about aiming for the mythical ‘having it all’, it’s about working out what you want, aiming high and digging your heels in. Sharing in Karren’s personal and professional knock backs and triumphs, her motivations and inspirations, not to mention her personal rules for success – Strong Woman is a rousing read for working women everywhere.

It's Not Me It's You: Tales of love, heartbreak... and serial killers (Main/UK), by Beverly Barton, Lee Weeks, Grace Monroe, Jessie Jones, Gemma Burgess, Zoe Strimpel and Stella Newman.
Book Description
From rubbish boyfriends to the seriously broken hearted, serial killers to serial daters and dating detoxers; this collection of extracts is the perfect antidote to Valentine’s Day.

Pear Shaped: “A fabulous first novel by a British writer…Her writing is witty and snappy.” Wendy Holden

The Man Diet: Join one woman on her quest to end bad romance.

Kiss and Die: “If you like gory thrillers, you won’t be disappointed.” Closer magazine

Rubbish Boyfriends: We’ve all had them – but can Dayna find the diamond amongst the rough?

If I'm Dead: A free Rachel Knight short story (Main/UK; $0.99 US), by Marcia Clark
Book Description
An all-new short story from Marcia Clark, IF I'M DEAD shows Deputy District Attorney Rachel Knight in her element - the courtroom - fighting to make the jury convict a man who killed his wife.

The one snag? No body...

IF I'M DEAD is a tense and compelling account of a high-stakes trial. Extracts from the two Rachel Knight novels are also included!

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Free Book - What Will Come After (K)

Update: 4/4/12 Repeat freebie in the Kindle store.

What Will Come After, by Scott Edelman, is free in the Kindle store.
Book Description
During the three decades Scott Edelman has dedicated himself to the short story, his fiction has been called "darkly hopeful," "deep, disturbing, and emotionally draining," and "unnerving work that peers into the darkest corner of the human soul and makes one fear what lurks at the bottom of that abyss -- but also makes it impossible to look away." In these nine tales, you'll also discover that long before the current craze of mashing up mindless shamblers with the literary classics, Edelman was remixing zombies with "Romeo and Juliet," "Our Town," and other famous fictional worlds.

In the Stoker Award finalist "A Plague on Both Your Houses," you'll visit a post-apocalyptic Manhattan that reads like a fever dream created by George Romero collaborating with William Shakespeare, in which the living son of the mayor of New York City falls in love with the daughter of the zombie king. In "Almost the Last Story by Almost the Last Man," another Stoker nominee, you'll lock yourself in a library as a writer struggles to keep his sanity by making sense of the zombie uprising the only way he knows how. And in "What Will Come After," original to this volume, you'll learn what happens to Scott Edelman himself when he faces his own inevitable end.

Gathering his complete zombie fiction to date, Almost the Last Stories proves that the undead can be more than just rampaging braineaters -- though you'll find plenty of gory gorging in these pages as well -- but also a lens through which we can see that the living and the living dead are not so very different after all.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Free Short Story - Large Garbage (K)

Large Garbage: A Radio Belly Single, by Buffy Cram, is free in the Kindle store, courtesy of Douglas & McIntyre.
Book Description
In the surreal world of Buffy Cram’s stories, someone or something has slipped beneath the skins of her already beleaguered characters, rearranging the familiar into something strange and even sinister, making off with their emotional and even physical goods.

In Large Garbage: A Radio Belly Single, a smug suburbanite becomes obsessed with the "hybrids," the wandering mob of intellectual vagrants overrunning his complacent little cul de sac, snacking on pate and reciting poetry. Equally repelled by the hybrids' uncleanliness and intrigued by their freedom, Henry draws dangerously close to their secret nighttime life of sloshing claret and Proust quotes that overflow from finger-printed wine glasses and dirt-smudged lips. As the LA Times wrote: this "'new breed of homelessness'...cleverly envisions an alternative to the ever-widening circle of consumption that defines us now."

Monday, March 5, 2012

Free Short Story - Orchard Street, Dawn (K/N/E)

Update: 4/7/12 Now free from Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Sony.

Orchard Street, Dawn, by Joseph O’Connor, is free to pre-order in the Kindle store.
Book Description
An original story from Joseph O’Connor, author of the #1 bestseller in Ireland, Ghost Light, a fictionalized account of the bittersweet love affair between the famously tortured playwright J.M Synge and Molly Allgood, a talented young actress from Dublin's inner city tenements.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from Kobo.
Get the free ebook from Sony.

Free Short Story - Tomorrow Is Today (K/N)

Tomorrow Is Today: A Tempest Series Bonus Short Story, by Julie Cross, is repeat freebie in the Kindle store that is also now free from Barnes & Noble.
Book Description
The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, throws lots of parties, is interested in a girl he can’t have, and oh yeah, he can travel back through time.
But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

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.

Monday, February 27, 2012

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.

Two Free Books for Aussies (K)

There are two new free pre-orders for Australians in the Kindle store today, both published under HarperCollins' Mischief imprint (and likely not safe for work). It looks like both are going to be short story anthologies, from the descriptions, but there are no covers yet (and no authors listed).

Girls Girls Girls Girls Girls: Guy Free Fun ($3.99 US / $0.00 AU), by Various
Book Description
Sapphic love has proven to be one of the most enduring forms of erotic pleasure since the first frolicking nymphs were painted upon the side of amphora. But the secret love of women, without male participation, will never be old hat, because there will always be something deliciously forbidden and titillatingly taboo about the seductions, indiscretions and trysts of one woman with another. And Mischief wouldn’t be a leading publisher of erotica if it didn’t explore, update and let loose these very special feminine lusts of one girl for another.

Improper Conduct: Misbehaviour at Work ($3.99 US / $0.00 AU), by Various
Book Description
The workplace is never exclusively a place for hard graft, tedium and ambition. As we spend over half of our adult lives at work, it has long been a pressure cooker of unrequited desire, barely disguised lust, sexual manipulation, and obsessions for colleagues thinly disguised by professionalism, duty and formality. Which is precisely why Mischief commissioned ten erotica short stories to pursue the explicit shenanigans of work mates who just can’t contain themselves.