Books Under a Buck, Part I

Today's books are all from Harlequin and all but one are romances (a couple are romantic suspense); one is exactly a dollar and all the rest are under.

Tell me in the comments ... do you prefer themed blog posts, where all the books are a specific genre (Romance, Fantasy, SciFi, etc.) or price (under $1, Under $3, etc)? Or do you want to know about bargains as I find them, regardless? I ask because I often stumble onto bargain priced books, but hold off on including them until I have several to make up a post. Sometimes, as a result, prices go up before the book makes it to the blog.

Primary Directive ($0.82), by Don Pendleton

Book Description
STONY MAN

Direct action is the President's best option when America stands in the crosshairs of terrorism. The covert counterinsurgent team known as Stony Man gets the green light to strike hard and fast--no red tape, no political stalemates, just results. When the world goes to hell, the warriors of Stony Man take the heat to ensure the enemy gets no second chances.

HAZARDOUS DEPLOYMENT

Stony Man intelligence has picked up chatter about something bigger than any terrorist attack on U.S. soil. Now it's zero hour and the agency has dispatched operatives on two fronts: Panama and the Mexican border, where al Qaeda is using drug pipelines willing to accommodate cash payers to funnel terrorists into the country. It's clear the operation has been in the planning stages for a long time, with moles deep inside the U.S. security net. Now the only questions remaining are when and where the attack will take place. And how Stony Man is going to stop it...

Wedding Bell Blues ($0.68), by Heather Graham Pozzessere

Book Description
UNHOLY MATRIMONY If Kaitlin O'Herlihy got one more wedding invitation, she was going to scream. Suddenly everyone including her grandmother was getting married. It was making a shambles of her well-ordered existence. It had also brought a certain Brendan O'Herlihy back into her life, as the best man. That troublesome ex-husband of hers seemed to be everywhere, making a perfect nuisance of himself. He was as maddening and exciting as ever, and she could certainly do without any pesky reminders that he might be the best man for her.

Mistress in Private ($0.48), by Julie Cohen

Book Description
She wasn't the kind of girl gorgeous men flirted with. She was plain Jane Miller--great at her job, organized, efficient, sensible. Except that every time she met Jay's deep blue eyes, she knew he wanted her. And she wanted him--the guy was seriously sexy! Perhaps it was time to let go for a change, and have the time of her life!

Their intensely private and secret night together is mind-blowing, but now Jay has raised the stakes--he wants her as his mistress!

The Italian's Chosen Wife ($0.60), by Kate Hewitt

Book Description
Wedded for convenience- One minute, waitress Meghan Selby is pouring Alessandro di Agnio's coffee. The next, he's pouring her champagne! Italy's most notorious tycoon has chosen his bride.

...Bedded for pleasure! Alessandro expects a proper wife in his bed- with no expectation of love. Meghan seems ideal; her heart off-limits, her eyes full of longing...

Silent Witness ($1.00), by Leona Karr

Book Description
Colorado detective Ryan Darnell found the quiet of his small mountain town shattered when a young, hearing-impaired boy witnessed a brutal murder. With the help of the boy's summer guardian, Marian Richards, protecting the child became his first priority. Yet as he closed in on the truth behind the crime, Ryan found that sharing long days and even longer nights with the beautiful, brown-eyed Marian was a temptation he couldn't resist. As both the investigation and the summer drew to a close, Ryan knew it was only a matter of time before Marian returned to the city...and left him wanting a future he'd never imagined possible.

Shipwrecked and Seduced ($0.99), by Amanda McCabe

Book Description
Maria Gonzales had hoped for a fresh start in the New World as a contessa's servant, far away from her old life as a tavern maid in Seville. That hope is shattered when a storm destroys the ship off the coast of Hispaniola. The lone survivor, Maria sees no harm in pretending to be the contessa and enjoying a little luxury for once in her life...especially if it brings her closer to the irresistibly attractive governor's aide, Carlos de Alameda.

Dedicated to his career and to regaining his family's honor, Carlos has gone too long without the comforts of a woman. He instantly feels a powerful connection to the beautiful young survivor... and an overwhelming lust. Yet he also harbors suspicions about the contessa. First he will explore her body... then he'll uncover the truth...

Bedded at His Convenience ($0.55), by Margaret Mayo

Book Description
Hunter Donahoe is sexier than ever, and he's out for revenge on the pretty young wife who abandoned their marriage. Keisha needs cash, and Hunter has plenty. He makes Keisha an offer: she can work for him, no strings attached...

But Hunter has other ideas when he sweeps her away to his Spanish villa. She'll be his personal assistant by day...and his mistress by night!

The Italian's Pregnancy Proposal ($0.59), by Maggie Cox

Book Description
From store assistant to society bride... When tall, dark, rich and gorgeous Dante di Andrea made love to her, Bliss knew she couldn't keep him in her life. But then he discovered she was pregnant! Dante was furious! No child of his would be brought up in poverty.

However, Bliss wasn't happy when Dante proposed. Surely he needed to marry a woman of his own kind and do it for love...?

Free Book (PDF) - Shatnerquake

I read a review of Shatnerquake ($5.95), by Jeff Burk, on Will Wheaton's blog today and he had a link to a free download of the book (which, at 100 pages, is a novella). It's supposed to be one-day only, November 17, but the link is still up as of the time I am writing this post (but I don't expect it to stay up for long, so grab it while you can).

Book Description
It's Shatner VS Shatners!

William Shatner? William Shatner. WILLIAM SHATNER!!! It's the first ShatnerCon with William Shatner as the guest of honor! But after a failed terrorist attack by Campbellians, a crazy terrorist cult that worships Bruce Campbell, all of the characters ever played by William Shatner are suddenly sucked into our world. Their mission: hunt down and destroy the real William Shatner.

Featuring: Captain Kirk, TJ Hooker, Denny Crane, Rescue 911 Shatner, Singer Shatner, Shakespearean Shatner, Twilight Zone Shatner, Cartoon Kirk, Esperanto Shatner, Priceline Shatner, SNL Shatner, and - of course - William Shatner!

No costumed con-goer will be spared in their wave of destruction, no redshirt will make it out alive, and not even the Klingons will be able to stand up to a deranged Captain Kirk with a lightsaber. But these Shatner-clones are about to learn a hard lesson...that the real William Shatner doesn't take crap from anybody. Not even himself.

It's Shatnertastic!

Click HERE or HERE to get the free download (while it lasts). Note that both services offer (paid) premium downloads, but the free downloads work just fine.

You can also read Whill Wheaton's review on GoodReads or check out the author's blog for more info (although at least one link on his blog post is non-functional)

Two Free Books on Sony

These are both still pre-orders at Amazon, but can be downloaded for free from Sony (read on your PC or a Sony Reader). They may end up free on Kindle, as well, once released, but there is no guarantee (Sony has had some exclusives, including two others free right now, even though Amazon is far ahead in books given away).

A Catered Birthday Party ($9.99 Kindle), by Isis Crawford

Book Description
When sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons sign on to cater a prize pooch's birthday bash, they think they're ready for anything. But they haven't bargained for a killer with a bone to pick . . .

A Little Taste of Heaven catering certainly knows how to feed people. Dogs, however. . .? Bernie and Libby will have their chance to impress guests of the four-legged variety when they lay out the spread for Trudy the Pug's birthday luncheon. But this isn't just any doggie 'do. Trudy's owner, Annabel Colbert, is one of the richest women in town--and as mascot of the Colbert toy company, Trudy herself is a bona fide celebrity.

When the big day arrives, Trudy and her canine cohorts are ready to dig in to the delicacies--but the first to dip her fangs into the wine is Annabel. Mere moments later, the hostess is shrieking she's been poisoned--and proving it by falling face first into her soup. After two days in a coma, Annabel is dead.

It seems the woman who had everything also had her share of enemies. In fact, Annabel was cheating, blackmailing, or backstabbing most of the people she knew, including her very own best friend, her very own husband, his personal assistant, and last but not least, Trudy's trainer and kennel owner.

With so many suspects, sniffing out the truth is rapidly becoming a tricky, not to mention risky, proposition. Bernie and Libby had better close the oven on this case fast--before they get burned. . .

Hotter After Midnight ($4.47 Kindle), by Cynthia Eden, which is apparently being re-released, as it is already available in the Kindle store for $8.96.

Book Description
A Seductive Nighttime World. . .

Dr. Emily Drake's psychotherapy patients tend to be a little unusual. Instead of midlife crises and mother fixations, Emily treats vampires with blood phobias and sex-demons looking for meaningful relationships. But healing these powerful beings requires an important rule: Never trust a shifter. Especially not one like Detective Colin Gyth, whose gold-flecked eyes and predatory air make Emily realize how much she longs to lose control. . .

A Dark And Dangerous Hunger. . .

Colin can't believe the doctor he has to work with on the Night Butcher murder case is the one person who could expose his true identity as a wolf shifter. Smart and sexy, Emily brings out the alpha male in Colin, unleashing a wild desire that takes them both over the edge. . .. But in the shadows, the Night Butcher waits, eager to spill Emily's blood and taste her terror. And he'll use any means to destroy her, including the one person she has grown to trust. . .

To get these free, start up the Sony Ebook Library Software (it's free) and either search on the titles or try the Bargain Priced section of the Store (all the free books don't show up there, though, so you may have to do a manual search).

Bargain Mystery/Suspense

Bone by Bone ($2.60), by Carol O'Connell

Book Description
In the northern California town of Coventry, two teenage brothers go into the woods one day, but only one comes back. No one knows what happened to the younger brother, Josh, until twenty years later, when the older brother, Oren, now an ex-investigator for the Army CID, returns to Coventry for the first time in many years. His first morning back, he hears a thump on the front porch. Lying in front of the door is a human jawbone, the teeth still intact. And it is not the first such object, his father tells him. Other remains have been left there as well. Josh is coming home . . . bone by bone.Using all his investigative skills, Oren sets out to solve the mystery of his brother's murder, but Coventry is a town full of secrets and secret-keepers: the housekeeper with the fugitive past, the deputy with the old grudge, the reclusive ex-cop from L.A., the woman with the title of town monster, and, not least of all, Oren himself. But the greatest secret of all belonged to his brother, and it is only by unraveling it that Oren can begin to discover the truth that has haunted them all for twenty years.

"A" is for Alibi ($2.38), by Sue Grafton

Book Description
A tough-talking former cop, private investigator Kinsey Millhone has set up a modest detective agency in a quiet corner of Santa Teresa, California. A twice-divorced loner with few personal possessions and fewer personal attachments, she’s got a soft spot for underdogs and lost causes.

Eight years ago, Nikki Fife was convicted of killing her philandering husband. Now she’s out on parole and needs Kinsey’s help to find the real killer.

If there's one thing that makes Kinsey feel alive, it's playing on the edge. When her investigation turns up a second corpse, more suspects, and a new reason to kill, Kinsey discovers that the edge is closer—and sharper—than she imagined.

Don't Tell ($4.99), by Karen Rose (not to be confused with Karen Rose Smith, the Harlequin romance author)

Book Description
It was a desperate plan. But Mary Grace Winters knew the only way to save herself and her child from her abusive cop husband was to stage their own death. Now all that remains of their former life is at the bottom of a lake...

Armed with a new identity in a new town, she and her son have found refuge hundreds of miles away. As Caroline Stewart, she has almost forgotten the nightmare she left behind nine years ago. She is even taking a chance on love with Max Hunter, a man with wounds of his own. But her past is about to collide with the present when her husband uncovers her trail and threatens her hard-won peace. Step by step, he's closing in on her -- and everything and everyone she loves.

Don't look ... Don't trust... Don't Tell.

False Refuge ($1.99), by Steve Anderson. Also available at Smashwords.

Book Description
Army reservist Alex Swenson goes AWOL in 2004 to avoid Iraq duty. He's fled to the Big Island of Hawaii, where he finds himself attracted to cute and wily Kanani, a crime-world survivor searching for a better life. Yet Alex's old army buddy, Jerry, is hot on Alex's trail.

A secretive island haven, Krieger Estates, was supposed to grant Alex a new life and identity, but soon Alex finds that the estates' amoral founders thrive on absolute power, lockstep obedience, and unjust violence. Fleeing's no option this time. Alex refuses to play along and it brings his new overseers' full wrath.

To save Alex, Kanani and Jerry join forces with a hard-nosed plan, yet it's Alex who'll find a way free without relying on Kanani's doomed schemes, or Jerry's tragic sense of loyalty, or any savage methods. Alex will do it his way to the bitter end.

Executive Lunch ($1.99), by Maria E. Schneider. Also available at Smashwords.

Book Description
Sedona is given the opportunity of a lifetime: play an up-and-coming executive with all the trappings of wealth with someone else footing the bill. The catch: find out who is stealing company funds before the criminals find out that their program is being debugged.

Sedona runs into danger, the corporate glass ceiling, and an occasional chance at romance in her quest to figure out who is stealing money from Strandfrost. Unfortunately, Sedona is better at writing computer code than deciphering political vitriol, and if she doesn’t find a way to wade through the red tape and red herrings, she could lose both her job and her quarry!

Win a Kindle and The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Amazon is giving away four Kindles, each preloaded with The Road ($7.99), by Cormac McCarthy. The first winner has already been announced, but if your enter quickly you'll be in the running for this week's drawing. The rules state that only one entry per email address is allowed, but does not you can't enter multiple addresses into the contest (although you may get a lot more junk mail if you do). I'd suggest that you spread your entries out, if you make more than one, entering a different email address each week, in case they limit each week's winners to new entries during the previous week (it's unclear from the rules if entries carry over into future weeks).

Click HERE to enter the sweepstakes.