Pre-Order Cate Dermody under $4

All three books in Cate Dermody's Strongbox Chronicles series are available to pre-order in the Kindle store and all are currently marked $3.60. Cate Dermody is a pen name used by C.E. Murphy for her spy thriller series (she writes mainly fantasy under C.E. Murphy), which she describes as "action-adventure romance". Here they are, in series order.

The Cardinal Rule

Book Description
Somewhere in Italy, a powerful and secretive organization was creating an army of weaponized robots. The goal? To "persuade" the world that their vision of the future was the right one. And agent Alisha MacAleer had the job of infiltrating them while defending herself from a robot that had targeted her. Worse, the mission and Alisha's life soon hinged on three choices that only she could make: Alisha had to decide if her ex-lover turned mercenary was telling the truth this time. She had to learn if her boss's son was a double agent for or against the U.S.--and whether she'd been betrayed by the people she trusted most.

Yeah, just an average day in this spy's world....

The Firebird Deception

Book Description
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SIMPLE. GET IN, GET THE GOODS, GET OUT. YET WHAT SHOULD BE SIMPLE ALMOST NEVER WAS...

Once more Alisha MacAleer was racing around Europe, this time searching for the black box from a downed aircraft. Yet for the first time as a CIA agent, she doubted her work--and her superiors. Too many people were able to trace her movements. Was there a double--or triple?--agent in the CIA? How else could the dangerous, almost mythical group known as the Sicarii have targeted her?

The worst problem? She'd discovered the only person she could rely on was the man who'd once broken her heart--by shooting her in the back....

The Phoenix Law

Book Description
CAN YOU EVER QUIT THE SPY GAME?

All former spy Alisha MacAleer wanted was to lead a normal life, complete with settling down near her family. Then a hail of gunfire followed CIA agent Brandon Parker's arrival on her doorstep.

He'd done the impossible: created an AI, a sentient being with artificial intelligence. The U.S. government and two powerful secret societies--hell, even Europe's top underworld figure--all wanted it. And Brandon's arrival made Alisha the last obstacle between them and the AI.

The one person who could help had betrayed her years ago. Yet with the exasperating and elusive Frank Reichart on her side, Alisha might have a chance. If Alisha could use him without giving him her trust, she might just make it through this final mission alive....

Warriors pre-order $8.18

Another 3-month delayed ebook edition results in a discount for Kindle owners, this time for the anthology Warriors ($8.18), edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozios, which will be released on Kindle on April 27, 2010. The hardcover ($12.00) was released on January 30, so this is another one with a three month delay.

The price of this book will revert to $9.99 after the pre-order period ends on 6/7.

Book Description
From George R. R. Martin’s Introduction to Warriors:

“People have been telling stories about warriors for as long as they have been telling stories. Since Homer first sang the wrath of Achilles and the ancient Sumerians set down their tales of Gilgamesh, warriors, soldiers, and fighters have fascinated us; they are a part of every culture, every literary tradition, every genre. All Quiet on the Western Front, From Here to Eternity, and The Red Badge of Courage have become part of our literary canon, taught in classrooms all around the country and the world. Our contributors make up an all-star lineup of award-winning and bestselling writers, representing a dozen different publishers and as many genres. We asked each of them for the same thing—a story about a warrior. Some chose to write in the genre they’re best known for. Some decided to try something different. You will find warriors of every shape, size, and color in these pages, warriors from every epoch of human history, from yesterday and today and tomorrow, and from worlds that never were. Some of the stories will make you sad, some will make you laugh, and many will keep you on the edge of your seat.”

Included are a long novella from the world of Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, a new tale of Lord John by Diana Gabaldon, and an epic of humanity at bay by David Weber. Also present are original tales by David Ball, Peter S. Beagle, Lawrence Block, Gardner Dozois, Joe Haldeman, Robin Hobb, Cecelia Holland, Joe R. Lansdale, David Morrell, Naomi Novik, James Rollins, Steven Saylor, Robert Silverberg, S.M. Stirling, Carrie Vaughn, Howard Waldrop, and Tad Williams.

Many of these writers are bestsellers. All of them are storytellers of the highest quality. Together they make a volume of unforgettable reading.

Game of the Day - Bookworm

Bookworm ($12.98), from PopCap Games, is today's Game Deal of the Day at Amazon. It looks like a very interesting word game for the Nintendo DS Lite or DSi and has almost all 5-star reviews. I have the (older) DS Lite and use it for word and number games - it's very portable (even more so than the Kindle) and I can get in a few minutes of play now and then (or during commercials on TV). If I didn't already have a console, I'd be interested in this new White DSi Bundle, which, at $210.75, includes 5 games: Brain Age Express: Math, Photo Clock, Brain Age Express: Sudoku, Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, Clubhouse Games Express: Card Classics.

Book Description

• Boost scores and advance faster with Bonus Words and Reward Tiles and save your high scores and track your progress with the Lex-Ray.
• Form words from 20 themed book collections and unlock 18 rooms to build your customized libraries.
• Flex your lexicon in three game modes ¿ classic, action and wireless multiplayer.
• Pick up and play -- it's easy to start working wordy wonders in seconds.
• Unlimited levels to keep you rising up the ranks in the Hall of Fame.

A high-energy word puzzle game hosted by Lex the bookworm, Bookworm for DS/DSi challenges players use their vocabulary to create words from a play area of cascading individual letters. Time is of the essence though, as the play area contains red glowing letter tiles, that if unused will "burn down" the player's library if they reach the bottom of the screen, ending the game. The DS/DSi version of Bookworm contains the the same addictive action gamers have craved since the game appeared for PC, but also includes improvements like a wireless multiplayer mode and unlimited levels.

Free Book (EPUB) - The Me I Want to Be

The Christian publisher Zondervan is giving away a download of The Me I Want to Be ($9.99 Kindle), by John Ortberg, as part of a promotion for their ChurchSource Small Group Catalog. The only format available is EPUB, but there is no DRM, so it can be converted for most ereaders.

Book Description
God's vision is for each person to grow spiritually toward a life where the Spirit flows through them like a river. The Me I Want to Be guides readers through the great task and joy of becoming God's best version of ourselves. Bestselling author John Ortberg uses Scripture to confirm God's vision for his creation and reassure readers that this is God's project, not our own. Simply follow His lead and stay on task-not always easy for real people living in the real world. But this straightforward guide provides the inspiration and the tools people need for sidestepping the barriers they encounter. It also gives clear, practical instructions for building the skills and practices necessary for sustained spiritual growth.The Me I Want to Be resonates with Christians who are young or old, new or seasoned. It's the ideal guide for anyone who longs to be spiritually mature, fully alive, and more closely aligned with God's perfect vision.

Click HERE to access the catalog and begin your search. You need to find Gertie, the critter peeking out over the catalog in the picture at the right. I found her hanging of the edge of a page (but the location may vary for each person). Once you find her, click on her to start the process of getting the book. You'll have to click on the eBook link on that page, which will take you to a registration page for Zondervan's ChurchSource program. You can actually enter fake information on this page (or just tell them you don't want any follow up emails) and when you submit the info, you'll go to another page with the download code you need and a link on another website (ebits.net) where the book is actually stored. You'll need to create an account there and enter your code before you can download the book. You'll be given several options for where you'll be viewing the book - just choose Computer and EPUB as the format (EPUB is the only option, no matter where you tell it you want to read it), then pop the book into Calibre to convert it to a format you want (such as Mobi for the Kindle).

You can also register your church, HERE, to receive:

• FREE Church Leader Resource DVD—filled with audio, video, and print downloads to help you share with your staff and leadership team.
• FREE Consultation—Have questions about the campaign? Just mark the “contact me” button below and one of our church campaign consultants will help answer all your questions.

Free Game - Cake Mania Back to the Bakery

The free game this week at Sandlot Games is Cake Mania Back to the Bakery ($4.99 Amazon Game Downloads), the first followup game to Cake Mania ($6.99) which, as you may remember, was free at Amazon last September.

Game Description

• 36 all-new, fast-paced levels of baking!
• Help Jill renovate the Evans Bakery
• Customize your kitchen in the shop screen
• Hilarious new seasonal customers

In this all new adventure, Jill Evans™ has decided to renovate her grandparents' bakery in the hopes of winning them a deluxe grand prize - an all-expense-paid Hawaiian luxury cruise. With an all-new bakery to renovate, hilarious new characters, an all-new storyline and 36 levels of fast-paced baking, fans of Cake Mania can enjoy another great baking adventure!

Click HERE to sign up for the free download. For step by step purchase and installation instructions, see this post.