Free Book - Trollslayer

Trollslayer, by William King, the first in his Warhammer : Gotrek and Felix series, is this week's free book from The Black Library. Just as with last week's selection, this is an out of print paperback that has just been introduced in ebook form (and isn't in the Kindle store). You can, however, read it on your Kindle by downloading the DRM-free Mobi version from the website below (click with your Kindle and it should load automatically).

If you want more of the series, you can get Gotrek & Felix: The First Omnibus from Amazon for $10.07, which contains this and the next two titles in the series, Skavenslayer (1999) and Daemonslayer (1999), as well as Gotrek & Felix: The Second Omnibus ($7.91) and Gotrek & Felix: The Third Omnibus ($10.07), each containing three volumes. After those nine, it looks like Nathan Long has taken over as author (he's a co-author on the third omnibus) and the prices go up). All are paper copies, as none of the Warhammer books are available on Kindle, that I can find.

Book Description
After fleeing the authorities in the Imperial city of Altdorf, Felix Jaeger swears a drunken oath to dour dwarf Gotrek Gurnisson to record his death saga. In the cold light of day, Felix's worst fears are confirmed as he learns that Gotrek is a Trollslayer - a dwarf doomed to seek out a heroic death in battle to atone for an unknown personal disgrace. Their travels throw them into a string of extraordinary adventures as Felix tries to survive his companion's destiny.

Click HERE for the free book; you can choose between the EPUB and MOBI formats and both are DRM-Free! While you are there, be sure to pick up the previous weeks' books, as well, as they are still available.

Two Free Short Stories from Rainbow EBooks

This weekend's two free gay-themed downloads from Rainbow EBooks are both short stories and both are PDF only and are free reads for Halloween Weekend only.

The Kiss of Death, by Victor J. Banis
Which is the bigger crime: murder, or not being true to yourself?

Rhiannon, by Neil Plakcy
In a bar in Miami, Junior falls for a woman who seems to have the right combination of mystery and allure. What he's about to find out is that Rhiannon has more secrets than he knows.

Update on Kandle and Great Battery Price

Well, it looks like we sold Amazon out of the Black Kandles, although you can still order the White ones. I don't expect these to last much longer, either, so grab them while they are there.

In the meantime, though, I searched thru the listings for the CR2032 batteries that these use. I also have several other items that use this same battery, so I thought I might stock up on a few extras. There are a number of generic bargains, such as SE CR2032 Lithium Battery, Package of 5 (5 Packs) ($6.39) or Powertron Lithium CR2032 (Pack of 25) ($8.19). The biggest problem with these generics, according to the reviews, seems to be a small number that show up already drained and that sometimes they are just loose in bags, rather than in blister packs. On the other hand, at $1.28 to to $1.69 a 5-pack, having a few bad ones in the bunch is still cheaper than the typical prices in retail stores.

If you want to stay with the name brands, the most expensive seems to be Energizer, which even in a 100 pack runs $44.49. But there are some good deals on Maxell, it seems, with a Package of 5 at $2.49 or a box of 100 for $32.05 (both with free shipping), which works out to about $1.60 a five-pack.

Update: Note that these battery prices seem to change quickly and vary by seller; if one sells out, you may get a price from a different vendor, even on the same ASIN/part number.

Update #2: I'll put this note on both posts about the Kandle. The 60% off on the second Kandle when buying two is now gone (as well as the Black Kandles being sold out). The promotion code (KANDLELT) is still working for $12.50 off when you buy two or more, so they are now effectively 1/2 price (2/$25, 3/$37.50, 4/$50 etc). Still a good deal, but nothing like the wonderful deal yesterday (when literally thousands were sold, if the response from other blog's readers were anything like the response to my blog posts).

Kindle Kandle - Two for $10

This is a terrific deal on a good reading light, for those that don't have the lighted cover (which only works with the Kindle 3). The Kandle LED Book Light in White normally sells for $25 apiece (which is what I paid for mine), discounted from a list price of $39.99. One thing that I really liked about this light was that it folded up, so it fits easily into a purse or briefcase and doesn't get tangled up with the other items you are carrying. At the same time, you don't have the extra weight all the time (like with the Sony lighted case).

On the product page there is an automatic discount if you order two of 60% off the second item, which works out to $15, resulting in a two for $35 deal. However, for a limited time, you can get those two reading lights for $10 (and yes, you have to buy two), buy adding the promotion code KANDLELT during checkout, in the box underneath where it says "Do you have any promotional claim codes?".

You must first add two of the Kandles to your cart (don't use one-click checkout or passphrase checkout), then click on Edit Your Cart (make sure your quantity is 2), then click on Proceed to Checkout. Enter the promotional code and click on Apply. Then check your Order Summary box in the top, right corner. You should now see the two promotions, one for $15 off that second Kindle and now $25 off the first one (effectively free) and an Order Total of $10.00 (you do have free Prime, right? If not, get three month's free by signing up for the Amazon Mom program). You can then place your order they should show up first thing next week.

But, wait a second, you say - my Kindle 3 is in black and I want one too? No problem, this promotion also works on the new Kandle LED Book Light in Black. Both the white and black versions have been updated with newer LED's (but my older one was fine for reading, so I look forward to seeing the difference) and come with two sets of batteries, so you don't have to worry about those for a while.

Update: Just a note to let you know that if you have a gift certificate balance on your account, you do have to use it in order to use this or any other promotion (don't change your default payment unless it's just to change credit cards). Also, you can order any number of the black and white Kandles on the same order and if you have at least two and use the promotion code, you'll pay $5 each. Which means you can order 2, 3 or any larger quantity, not just multiples of 2 per color.

Update #2: I'll put this note on both posts about the Kandle. The 60% off on the second Kandle when buying two is now gone (as well as the Black Kandles being sold out). The promotion code (KANDLELT) is still working for $12.50 off when you buy two or more, so they are now effectively 1/2 price (2/$25, 3/$37.50, 4/$50 etc). Still a good deal, but nothing like the wonderful deal yesterday (when literally thousands were sold, if the response from other blog's readers were anything like the response to my blog posts).

Product Description
The perfect accessory for any eBook, the Kandle by Ozeri is designed for the Amazon Kindle 1, 2, and DX, Sony Reader Digital Books, and other eBook Readers. Newly updated in July 2010 with improved lighting, the Kandle by Ozeri features a new patent pending design that attaches to eBooks and printed books without blocking the screen or page. It also boasts double pivoting arms that allow for easy positioning and adjustment to tailor the screen illumination. The Main Pivoting Arm rotates 90 degrees from its closed position, and the Upper Pivoting Arm rotates another 70 degrees for complete customization. Unlike other eBook lights, the Kandle by Ozeri is powered by two lifetime x2 LEDs that are optimized to distribute light evenly without creating glare or eyestrain. Petite and light, the Kandle by Ozeri is ultra portable and folds into a closed position where the LEDs are fully protected from scratches or breakage. Ships with 2 CR2032 batteries installed, a bonus set of extra batteries, and a protective pouch included.

• New patent-pending "WideLip" grip that does not block the screen on the Kindle, Sony Reader and other eBook readers.
• Newly updated in July 2010 with increased brightness, the Kandle is powered by two lifetime X2 LEDs optimized to distribute uniform light without creating glare or eyestrain (batteries included).
• Double pivoting arms allows for easy positioning and adjustment for tailored screen illumination.
• WideLip grip attaches to books without blocking text on the page, and works perfectly as a stable, free-standing night light.
• Ships with 2 CR2032 batteries installed, a bonus set of extra batteries, and a protective pouch included.

Bargain Book Roundup

It's the end of the month, so the free books seem to be slowing down for a bit. I'm going to try to get caught up on some more of the bargains I've found in the last few days.

Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare ($1.99 Kindle, B&N and Kobo), by Darren Shan, the first in the Saga of Darren Shan, has good reviews and I've seen good things about the movie, Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (which is now out on DVD and Blu-ray), as well.

Book Description
In the tradition of Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot, Cirque Du Freak is the frightening saga of a young boy whose visit to a mysterious freak show leads him on a journey into a dark world of vampires. Filled with grotesque creatures, murderous vampires, and a petrifying ending, Cirque Du Freak will chill, thrill, and leave readers begging for more.

Blue Moon ($2.99 Kindle, B&N and Kobo), by Lori Handeland. Thanks to a reader for a tip on this one; I've already added it to my Kindle bookshelf.

Book Description
Miniwa, Wisconsin is under siege, but not by the usual summer tourists. The area's normally shy wolf population has begun stalking human prey, and their victims have been disappearing...or worse. Something is happening in the woods. Something brutal and primitive...

Officer Jessie McQuade has seen plenty in her years on the force-but nothing as intriguing as the gorgeous, naked man she encounters while tracking a rogue wolf. Professor Will Cadotte is a Native American activist. He's also the only man capable of distracting Jessie from her work. And for a cop, distraction-no matter how pleasurable-can be deadly. It's against Jessie's better judgment to accept Will's help in her investigation, yet she soon finds herself doing exactly that-and more. Will's dark, penetrating eyes see into a part of Jessie's soul she never knew existed. It's exhilarating...and terrifying.

Now, as a town's deepest secrets come to light, no one is safe: not friends, lovers, or strangers. And as Jessie follows a bloody trail to the shocking truth, she'll have to decide who she can trust when the moon is full...

Ain't Too Proud to Beg ($2.99 Kindle, B&N and Kobo), by Susan Donovan

Book Description
Josie Sheehan collects failed relationships the way some women collect designer handbags. Now, at thirty-five, she has exactly one male in her life: her Labradoodle, Genghis. In fact Josie, along with the three very single women in her dog-walking group, has recently sworn off men, resigning herself to long walks in the park with her devoted, four-legged friend.

All bets are off, however, when she meets Rick Rousseau, a pet-company CEO who is smart, sexy, and, best of all, head-over-heels for Josie. Even Genghis, an excellent judge of character, seems to know that Rick is the real deal. But just when Josie starts to think that she has found something more enduring than puppy love, she discovers that Rick has a complicated past—and a secret that could put the woman he loves in serious danger...

The Quiche of Death ($2.99), by M. C. Beaton, is the first in the Agatha Raisin series, several of which have been offered as bargain reads in recent months.

Book Description
Putting all her eggs in one basket, Agatha Raisin gives up her successful PR firm, sells her London flat, and samples a taste of early retirement in the quiet village of Carsely. Bored, lonely and used to getting her way, she enters a local baking contest: Surely a blue ribbon for the best quiche will make her the toast of the town. But her recipe for social advancement sours when Judge Cummings-Browne not only snubs her entry—but falls over dead! After her quiche's secret ingredient turns out to be poison, she must reveal the unsavory truth…

Agatha has never baked a thing in her life! In fact, she bought her entry ready-made from an upper crust London quicherie. Grating on the nerves of several Carsely residents, she is soon receiving sinister notes. Has her cheating and meddling landed her in hot water, or are the threats related to the suspicious death? It may mean the difference between egg on her face and a coroner's tag on her toe…

Amazing Women: Inspirational Stories ($2.99), by Charles Margerison

Book Description
Who was the first woman to qualify as a doctor? Who is the only woman to have won two Nobel Prizes? Explore these and other amazing stories in Amazing Women. In this unique story collection from The Amazing People Club, the real lives of iconic women including Coco Chanel, Sojourner Truth, Maria Montessori, Eva Peron and Helen Keller come to life. Understand their real lives and challenges and be inspired by what they did and how they achieved it. This is a must-read for every woman seeking inspiration. Meetsome of the world's most amazing women through BioViews®.

A BioView® is a short biographical story, similar to an interview. These unique stories provide an easy way of learning about amazing people who made major contributions to our world and can help you achieve your ambitions in your journey through life.

Remember the Alamo ($2.99), by William W. Johnstone

Book Description
The Battle of the Alamo is about to be fought all over again!
William J. Johnstone, the author of Vengeance is Mine, Invasion USA, and Invasion USA: Border War, sounds another wake-up call with his latest action-packed novel set on America's most dangerous battleground: its own border.

Remember The Alamo
Only career politicians could dream up a politically correct stunt like this. Courting the growing Hispanic community that keeps them in office, the geniuses in charge in San Antonio decide to grant temporary dominion over the Alamo to the Mexican government. That doesn't sit too well with Gulf War vet Phil Cody, who remembers his history and holds his heritage dear.

With veterans from wars as far back as WWII--Cody organizes an outraged but nonviolent protest on the day of the handover. But word comes from Mexico that the reconquistadors--anti-American extremists determined to reassert Mexican control over the southwestern U.S. by the bloodiest means necessary--are planning to take over the Alamo permanently, and Cody's plan turns decidedly un-peaceful.

Despite ample warning, the American authorities twiddling their thumbs when the reconquistadors make their move, leaving it up to Cody and his band of patriots to protect the Alamo--who are seriously outnumbered and outgunned by the enemy just as Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, and their men were on March 6, 1836. Left out to dry by their own government, history repeats itself as Americans are once again besieged within those hallowed walls and forced to take a stand against the might of the ruthless reconquistadors.

When this battle is over, America will have a new reason to Remember The Alamo.

Ordinary World ($2.99), by Elisa Lorello, is a pre-order from the author of Faking It, published by AmazonEncore. I know a lot of these end up being $7.99 by the time they are published, so if you enjoyed her earlier work, be sure to order this one now. You could grab the edition that is already out, but this one will have gone thru the editing process with AmazonEncore, so I suspect it'll be a better read. Then again, you could get both and read it now and again next March!

Book Description
Readers who fell in love with Andi Cutrone in Elisa Lorello’s first novel, Faking It, can now join Andi on a new journey in which she faces a challenge unlike any she has ever known. Ordinary World begins six years after Lorello’s first installment left off: Andi is blissfully married, works as a recently tenured professor at Northampton University, and is a published author. Life is ideal—until her husband’s death in a senseless accident shatters Andi’s world, plunging her into a gulf of depression and grief. Her family and friends do what that they can to ease her anguish, but no one seems to have the right words to heal Andi’s pain. On the advice of a friend, she travels to Italy to escape and unexpectedly runs into the man who once helped her discover her authentic self. As their friendship is renewed, Andi finally begins to heal, daring to hope that someday she will be happy again. Both wrenching and uplifting, Ordinary World is a moving tale of love and loss, joy and sorrow, heartbreak and hope.

Stormjammers: The Extraordinary Story of Electronic Warfare Operations in the Gulf War ($2.99), by Robert Stanek

Book Description
When the U.S. went to war in Iraq during the first Gulf War, Robert Stanek was there. He lived and breathed combat from the opening days of the war to its end and beyond. In this book, this bestselling author chronicles the military life, his experiences in the war with vivid accounts of combat training before the war, reflections on life, family, duty, honor, and love, and remembrances of combat missions into the heart of Baghdad.

Candid and fast-paced like the best combat memoirs, Stanek focuses on the men and women he flew with, telling their stories as well as his own and creating what is ultimately an inspiring and uplifting story of the human spirit challenged by the agony and terror of war. Based on the inspiring true story, this is the only book about electronic warfare operations in Iraq written by a military flyer who was there.

Robert Stanek's experiences in the Gulf War changed his life and helped drive his successful career as a writer and entrepreneur. To date, he has written and had published over 100 books. His books are sold all over the world and have been translated into many languages. His distinguished accomplishments during the Gulf War earned him nine medals, including our nation-s highest flying honor, the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Shaken (with Bonus Content) ($2.99), by J.A. Konrath, the seventh in his Jack Daniels series, has been released by AmazonEncore this week and, so far, it's still at a bargain price, as is Shot of Tequila and the short story collection Jack Daniels Stories. In fact, it isn't until the third page of his book listings at Amazon that you'll find one over $2.99, which is part of the success story of this traditionally published author turned indie.

Book Description
This Bonus Content Edition includes the full text of Shaken plus an alternate, chronologically linear version of the book which allows readers to choose their own reading experience.

Since her debut in Whiskey Sour, Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels has dealt with her fair share of criminals. But she may have finally met her match in “Mr. K,” the brutal serial killer who has eluded Jack not once, but twice, over the years. Mr. K is the essence of evil, credited with more than two hundred horrific homicides. Now, on a hot August night, Jack finally gets the chance to face the maniac—unfortunately, she must do so while bound and gagged in a storage locker, primed to be his next victim. As she awaits her fate, Jack looks back on her career, from her first homicide case to her recent retirement. The twenty-five years in between saw Jack’s attitude toward justice, the law, her job, and her personal life shift drastically. She is a different woman now…but is she good enough to stop a madman? Novelist J. A. Konrath’s trademark blend of suspense and wry humor are on full display in this tense thriller, a gripping tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Gateways ($2.99 Kindle and Kobo), by F. Paul Wilson, is the sixth in his Repairman Jack series.

Book Description
Following last year's successful The Haunted Air, F. Paul Wilson returns with another riveting episode in the saga of Repairman Jack, the secretive, ingenious, and heroic champion of those whose problems no one else can solve. As Dean Koontz says, "Repairman Jack is one of the most original and intriguing characters to arise out of contemporary fiction in ages. His adventures are hugely entertaining."

In Gateways, Jack learns that his father is in a coma after a car accident in Florida. They've been on the outs, but this is his dad, so he heads south. In the hospital he meets Anya, one of his father's neighbors. She's a weird old duck who seems to know an awful lot about his father, and even a lot about Jack.

Jack's arrival does not go unnoticed. A young woman named Semelee, who has strange talents and lives in an isolated area of the Everglades with a group of misshapen men, feels his presence. She senses that he's "special," like her.

Anya takes Jack back to Dad's senior community, Gateways South, which borders on the Everglades. Florida is going through an unusual drought. There's a ban on watering; everything is brown and wilting, but Anya's lawn is a deep green.

Who is Anya? Who is Semelee, and what is her connection to the recent strange deaths of Gateways residents-killed by birds, spiders, and snakes-during the past year? And what are the "lights" Jack keeps hearing about-? Lights that emanate twice a year from a sinkhole deep in the Everglades . . . lights from another place, another reality.

If he is to protect his father from becoming the next fatality at Gateways, there are questions Jack must answer, secrets he must uncover. Secrets . . . Jack has plenty of his own, and along the way he learns that even his father has secrets.