eBookStore Coupons/Book Sale

CyberRead is celebrating their move into new offices with a 15% off coupon that can be used on any orders between now and 12/15/09. Their offerings do have DRM (thus are not Kindle compatible), but they've revamped the site to lower prices recently and sometimes don't have the same geographic restrictions of other stores, so are popular with non-US readers. Use coupon code is HMAGAIN.

Fictionwise, in the meantime, has a 25% off coupon that can be used in conjunction with their Big Year End Sale, giving you an effective discount or rebate of 55% to 74.5% on all books (the lowest is for non-members, a 40% rebate/discount on top of the 25% coupon, with the highest is for members and 60% rebate/discount books). Also good through Dec 15, use the coupon code thoughts25.

Small Beer Press is having a sale on "every book (or ebook, zine, subscription, etc.)", with a portion of every sale and pre-sale thru the end of the year being donated to Franciscan Children’s Hospital. From their blog:

It’s time for our once-every-ten-years end-of-the-decade sale and this year we’re donating a portion of the proceeds to Franciscan Children’s Hospital.
All our books are on sale—and $1 from every book (or ebook, zine, subscription, etc.) goes to Franciscan.

And, if you order items at full price, we will donate the difference between the full price and the sale price to Franciscan!

All our preorder titles are on sale, too! (They’re marked “Remainder” until we get it fixed.)

Paperbacks are less than $10—many quite a bit less!—and hardcovers are up to 40% off. Or, of course, more.

You can find their paper book sale catalog HERE, the full catalog with ebooks HERE and their pre-orders HERE. Not every title is available as an ebook, but those that are appear to be DRM-free (but in PDF form).

Bargains Around the Bookstore

An eclectic mix today of random bargains found in the Kindle store.

The Nerd Who Loved Me and Nerd Gone Wild ($3.19 each), by Vicki Lewis Thompson, the second and third in her Nerd series.

The Nerd Who Loved Me
She's got the high-kicks...
Lainie Terrell is no ordinary single mother. With feathers in all the right places, she's one of the hottest showgirls in Vegas. Aside from a hot-tempered ex-boyfriend on her sequined tail, Lainie's biggest problem is finding a decent babysitter for her son. Lainie's dilemma is solved when she ropes Harry Ambrewster, the casino's shy-but very smart and cute-accountant, into the task.

He's got the low-down...
Inheriting his chemist father's high I.Q. and sexy good looks, Harry has always been intrigued by Lainie. He isn't thrilled at the prospect of babysitting, but he'll do anything to get near the gal who fuels his craziest fantasies. Then Lainie's dangerous ex comes knocking...

Their option? Run faster than a pair of net stockings...
In disguise and on the lam, Lainie's masquerading as the perfect wife. Harry's doubling as the he-man protector. But with a set-up this hot, who's fooling who? When the lights go down, and the masks come off, a nerd like Harry could be just the right ignition to set a woman like Lainie on fire...

Nerd Gone Wild
Inheriting a fortune means less to Ally Jarrett than fulfilling her real dream: to take off for the wilds of Alaska and photograph animals. Unfortunately she's also inherited her grandmother's personal assistant-an over-protective nerd who couldn't survive a snowball fight.

As a PI and bodyguard, Mitchell Caruthers is the perfect man to protect his late employer's granddaughter. However, keeping his geek-masquerade-and the secret behind his real mission-isn't easy when the freeze between Ally and Mitchell begins to melt.

Yet all's not well in this sub-zero paradise. Ally's bad seed uncle is staking a claim on the family inheritance with a dangerous masquerade of his own. With Ally's life in danger, it's time for her right-hand nerd to expose the real man undercover, and prove himself to the vulnerable body he's been hired to guard...

The Bride ($0.84), by Carolyn Davidson

Book Description
She thought her fate was sealed... Isabella Montgomery's future looked bleak. Before her father died, he betrothed her to Juan Garcia, an old ranchero infamous for cruelty. Now, shut away in a convent, she dreaded the day he would come to claim her. Until a dark horse revealed her true destiny... Rafael McKenzie needed a bride before he came into his inheritance. The moment he laid eyes on Isabella, he knew she was the one. Breaking into the convent and capturing her was easy enough, but stealing her heart was another story....

The Law of Second Chances ($4.27), by James Sheehan. This is his second novel, but the first is only available in paperback -- The Mayor of Lexington Avenue ($6.99).

Book Description
Jack Tobin, a Florida trial lawyer, is committed to justice for the innocent. But when he’s presented with Henry Wilson’s case, he’s unsure of the convict’s innocence. Wilson has eight weeks to live, and Tobin has to decide if he can and will help him.

Benny Avrile is a small-time thief with his eye on an oil man’s big billfold. But Benny is way over his head on this one. The robbery goes bad, and the oil man ends up dead. Just when Benny’s fate is all but sealed, an old friend from Jack’s past reaches out…

The clock is ticking on Henry Wilson’s life, the cops are in hot pursuit of Benny, and back at home, there are dark clouds on the horizon for Jack and his beautiful wife, Pat.

Pirates, Terrorists, and Warlords: The History, Influence, and Future of Armed Groups Around the World ($1.85), by Jeffrey H. Norwitz

Book Description
A serious look at the enemies we face in the twenty-first century. Pirates, warlords, guerillas, criminal organizations, drug cartels, apocalyptic religious extremists, police agencies, terrorists: these are classic insurgents whose past, present, and future is dissected in this important book. Contributing writers including Martha Crenshaw, T. X. Hammes, Russell Howard, Gene Cristy, Yosef Kuperwasser, and academics from Naval War College, Marine Corps War College, and Stanford University, explore important insurgency-related issues such as domestic terrorism, globalization of armed groups, children on the battlefield, religious influence on armed fights, and more. This rich anthology offers scholars and citizens a new way to think about national and international security—as it stands today, and its future. .

A Quiet Place in the Country ($1.19), by Heather Parker -- this one is about long short story/novella length, from the file size.

Book Description
Jessica enjoys her work as community copper in a small English village - until a young girl is found dead at the bottom of Lowther Crag. As the policewoman starts to investigate, she finds disturbing undercurrents in her quiet community. With the help of the local doctor, she sets out to uncover the girl's dark secrets, but soon finds her own life threatened...

The Anthrax Letters: A Bioterrorism Expert Investigates the Attack That Shocked America ($2.66), by Leonard A. Cole

Book Description
At 2:00am on October 2, 2001, Robert Stevens entered a hospital emergency room. Feverish, nauseated, and barely conscious, no one knew what was making him sick. Three days later he was dead. Stevens was the first fatal victim of bioterrorism in America.

Bioterrorism expert Leonard Cole has written the definitive account of the Anthrax attacks. Cole is the only person outside law enforcement to have interviewed every one of the surviving inhalation-anthrax victims, along with the relatives, friends, and associates of those who died, as well as the public health officials, scientists, researchers, hospital workers, and treating physicians. Fast paced and riveting, this minute-by-minute chronicle of the anthrax attacks recounts more than a history of recent current events, it uncovers the untold and perhaps even more important story of how scientists, doctors, and researchers perform life-saving work under intense pressure and public scrutiny. Updated with new information about Ivins and a series of upcoming Congressional hearings into the FBI’s conduct in this case, The Anthrax Letters amply demonstrates how vulnerable America was in 2001 and whether we are better prepared now for a bioterror attack.

True Compass pre-order price drop to $7.99

It seems that delaying the delivery of True Compass: A Memoir, by Edward M. Kennedy (December 24, 2009), may have hurt it's sales a bit, as it has also been dropped in price on the Kindle to $7.99, joining the other two delayed titles, Under the Dome, by Stephen King (December 24, 2009) and Going Rogue: An American Life, by Sarah Palin (December 26, 2009), at the new price point. They all now include this note, as well:

PLEASE NOTE: The price of this book will revert to $9.99 after the pre-order period ends ...

If you had Going Rogue pre-ordered, double check your Manage My Kindle page, as they have changed the ASIN number for the book (which may mean the old ASIN orders have disappeared - it's no longer valid).

In any case, if you have already pre-ordered at a higher price, I'd recommend canceling that order and re-ordering at the new price (but do so quickly, after confirming the new price, as it can go up again at any time). The pre-order price guarantee at Amazon does not cover Kindle books, as they don't display the "Pre-Order Price Guarantee" banner that is required. Easy enough to order again, since it's only a couple of extra clicks.

Book Description
In this landmark autobiography, five years in the making, Senator Edward M. Kennedy tells his extraordinary personal story--of his legendary family, politics, and fifty years at the center of national events.

The youngest of nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, he came of age among siblings from whom much was expected. As a young man, he played a key role in the presidential campaign of his brother John F. Kennedy, recounted here in loving detail. In 1962 he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he began a fascinating political education and became a legislator.

In this historic memoir, Ted Kennedy takes us inside his family, re-creating life with his parents and brothers and explaining their profound impact on him. For the first time, he describes his heartbreak and years of struggle in the wake of their deaths. Through it all, he describes his work in the Senate on the major issues of our time--civil rights, Vietnam, Watergate, the quest for peace in Northern Ireland--and the cause of his life: improved health care for all Americans, a fight influenced by his own experiences in hospitals.

His life has been marked by tragedy and perseverance, a love of family, and an abiding faith. There have been controversies, too, and Kennedy addresses them with unprecedented candor. At midlife, embattled and uncertain if he would ever fall in love again, he met the woman who changed his life, Victoria Reggie Kennedy. Facing a tough reelection campaign against an aggressive challenger named Mitt Romney, Kennedy found a new voice and began one of the great third acts in American politics, sponsoring major legislation, standing up for liberal principles, and making the pivotal endorsement of Barack Obama for president.

Hundreds of books have been written about the Kennedys. TRUE COMPASS will endure as the definitive account from a member of America's most heralded family, an inspiring legacy to readers and to history, and a deeply moving story of a life like no other.

"Westward" Game Downloads for $2.99

Three game downloads, all in the Westward series, are marked down to $2.99, for "a limited time."

Westward

Game Description

• Buy, Sell & Trade To Build Your Fortune.
• Engaging Storyline.
• More Than 10 Playable Main Characters.
• Ever-Changing Scenarios.

Enter the rough and tumble world of Westward, where gold is there for the taking and bandits lurk around every turn. Control the fortunes of three vastly different towns as they rise from the dust of the frontier and grow into thriving boomtowns. Brave the dangers of the West and explore uncharted plains, dense forests and rocky canyons as you guide your settlers to safety and success. Stake your claim with a cast of hundreds, stunningly original graphics, hilarious dialogue and endless possibilities!

Westward II: Heroes of the Frontier

Game Description

• Bring The Copperhead Gang To Justice.
• Over 20 Unique Buildings.
• Awards For In-Game Accomplishments.
• All-New Sandbox Mode.

After the settlement of Hope River is destroyed, fleeing residents deliver news of a devastating attack by the Mad Russian, a treacherous villain bent on stopping any further expansion. Steer the fortunes of three distinctly different pioneers as they establish a new outpost in the unexplored Wild West, and work to uncover the Mad Russian's base of operations. Gather resources, overcome natural disasters and plot a course through new terrain as you guide your settlers to safety and success!

Westward III: Gold Rush

Game Description

• Explore All-New Environments.
• Powerful Upgrades.
• Battle New Enemies.
• Unlock Secret Hidden Items.

Steer the paths of three adventurous pioneers as they build and defend their ever-growing settlement from dangerous bandits who are determined to cheat or steal from anyone they cross. Explore uncharted terrain, where gold is abundant and treachery hides behind every handshake. Gather the supplies needed to build your settlement into a thriving boomtown. Customize your town with over 50 buildings, luxuries and upgrades. In Westward III: Gold Rush, fortune is yours for the taking!

Kindle Gets Permanent Delete

Amazon has finally added the ability to permanently delete a title from your Kindle Library ... or at least, they have for some people (it isn't there on my account and I've had my Kindle for a year and a half).

For those who do have the new option - you go to the Manage My Kindle page and find the book in question. Then click on the plus sign next to the book title, so that the cover and the order details are show. At the bottom, right section of the listing, you should see a new button: Delete This Title. One of the users on the Amazon forums has posted a picture of how it looks, which you can see HERE. Clicking on the button allows you to delete the book from your listing forever, after you confirm the delete (which warns you that you'll have to re-purchase the book if you want it back). Here's the official help info from the Amazon web site:

To permanently remove an item in the list from your account and Archived Items:

1. Locate the item you wish to delete in the "Your Orders" section. If you have a lot of content, you may need to use the Previous and Next links at the bottom to navigate through all of your content.
2. Click on "Delete this title" button next to the title to permanently remove the title item from your account and Archived Items.

Note that after the title is removed from your account, you will no longer have access to re-download this title unless you re-purchase it. Existing copies of this title already on your device must be manually removed. For more information on removing content from your device please see Removing Kindle Content.

Now, all I have to do, once the feature arrives in my account (and it's odd that it didn't just show up for everyone at once, since it isn't a download that has to be rolled out to reduce bandwidth), is decide if I want to delete the deceptive preview of the Patterson book - after all, I'd then lose my "Verified Purchase" note next to my review. It's probably worth it, though, to be able to never see it again on my archive listing.

One reason I can see for the new option - it lets you painlessly remove any of the free classics you have bought, as some have atrocious formatting. Also, if you have an inexpensive book that you want to buy a new version of (such as the one shown in that screenshot, above), you can now do so yourself (it's not a free upgrade, but you might not mind on a book that only costs a dollar or two and is upgraded substantially).