Bargain Music Roundup

I've been looking into what I can spend my free $3 credit (see this post, if you haven't signed up for yours), since it expires today. In addition to a few good deals in the classical and jazz/blues sections, I found this first one in today's new specials (and I'm getting it first).

The 99 Darkest Pieces of Classical Music ($1.99) from the X5 Music Group contains just over 11 hours of spooky classical music, which is perfect for tonight or reading any of the spooky reads that are on special right now.

If opera is more your style, you'll definitely want to grab 75th Birthday Limited Edition - Luciano Pavarotti (Amazon Exclusive) while it's $2.99, with it's 7 hours of one of the most famous tenors of our time.

Bach: Cello Suites, performed by Jörg Baumann, will use a bit more than your free credit, at $3.99, but it's a bargain price for a solid recording (and as noted by a reviewer, many other recordings are going for much higher prices for not much better performances).

Soul Station (The Rudy van Gelder Edition) ($3.68), by Hank Mobley with Art Blakely, may be a vintage recording, but this album received a near 5 star review average with 45 reviews, so there shouldn't be anything to complain about on sound quality (and definitely not on the performances).

Free For All ($3.68), by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, is another Rudy van Gelder production that one reviewer describes as "my favorite album ever" and again has a near perfect 5-star review rating. My biggest problem in looking thru the Rudy Van Gelder Editions, in fact, was picking out just two to highlight, as there are just so many there and many of them are currently marked down to $3.68. I picked up Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage (The Rudy Van Gelder Edition) when it was on sale a while back, for example, and it's now $8.94, but his Empyrean Isles (The Rudy Van Gelder Edition) is now $3.68. Decisions, decisions....

Picking just one album from Nina Simone is also difficult. Luckily there are several bargains to choose from, ranging from The Lady Has The Blues ($5.00) to Feeling Good Hit Pack ($2.24) to Nina Simone At Town Hall ($4.99), with only one song overlap amongst the three (and it's only on two of them).

Robin Trower's Bridge Of Sighs ($3.68) has been digitally remastered and is described by one reviewer as "stunning". Definitely not one a Trower fan will want to miss.

What's Shakin' ($4.99) may have The Lovin' Spoonful in large type directly below the title, but it's a compilation album that actually includes Eric Clapton & The Powerhouse and has more from The Paul Butterfield Blues Band than any of the other artists.As one reviewer said, "Every 50-something, like myself, should have one and should buy more for each of their children. Then our children would understand why we just never could get into Motley Crue."

Spooky Reads for Halloween

First, a few anthologies for the season and then a number of horror/paranormal themed novels that are deeply discounted. All have good reviews, although the book descriptions are a little sparse.

Best New Zombie Tales, Vol. 1 ($3.19), by Jeff Strand, et al.
Over 100,000 words.
WHC Grand Master Award Winner, Ray Garton
New York Times Best Seller, Jonathan Maberry
Bram Stoker Award Winner, Kealan Patrick Burke
Bram Stoker Award Nominee, Jeff Strand
Edgar Award, Bram Stoker Award Nominee, Bev Vincent
Micro Award Finalist, Robert Swartwood
Emmy Award Nominee, Harry Shannon
British Fantasy Awards Nominee, Gary Mcmahon
Bram Stoker Award Winner, Kim Paffenroth

Best New Zombie Tales, Vol. 2 ($2.99), by Rio Youers, et al.
Bram Stoker Award Winner, David Niall Wilson
British Fantasy Award Nominee, Rio Youers
Bram Stoker Award Nominee, Nate Kenyon
Multiple Award Winning Author, Cody Goodfellow
Authorlink New Author Award Winner, Tim Waggoner
George Turner Prize Nominee, Narrelle M. Harris
Bram Stoker Award Winner, John Everson
Pulitzer Prize, Bram Stoker Nominee, Mort Castle

The Undead: Zombie Anthology ($2.99), by David Wellington, et al.

Book Description
THE UNDEAD is a stunning collection of 23 tales of the living dead by zombie fan favorites and up-and-coming authors. The Undead includes classic tales of survival in a world populated by the living dead as well as an array of unique takes on the zombie genre: zombies as reality entertainment, glimpses from inside the "life" of the undead, intergalactic war with humanity's own dead turned against us, and everything in between. The Undead will leave zombie fans hungry for more!

COVENANT ($0.99), by John Everson
In a small town with a strange history of teen suicides, a group of five women have made a pact with a demon and must sacrifice their firstborn.

Siren ($2.99), by John Everson
Evan is entranced by the alluring song of the beautiful naked woman he saw in the surf one lonely night. But this is no mere seductress. She is a siren, one of the legendary sea creatures who prey on unsuspecting men. And she has claimed Evan as her next lover.

Pressure ($2.99), by Jeff Strand
Darren and Alex were best friends when they were kids. But now Darren has become murderously insane. He’s determined to have his old pal Alex team up with him on a killing spree—and he won’t take no for an answer.

Dweller ($2.99), by Jeff Strand
Young Toby’s only friend is a humanoid creature who will do anything for him, including killing his enemies.

Savage ($0.99), by Richard Laymon

Book Description
A teenage boy witnesses Jack the Ripper’s last brutal murder and chases the murderer across the sea to New York City, then across the American West.

Dead Sea ($0.99), by Brian Keene
In Dead Sea, a virus called Hamelin’s Revenge causes the dead to rise as zombies. Barricaded inside his decrepit row-home in Baltimore’s inner-city, Lamar Reed watches as civilization collapses. When a fire decimates much of the city, Lamar is forced to flee. He becomes the reluctant guardian of two children, and the three of them, along with other survivors, ultimately take shelter aboard a Coast Guard vessel. But even the ocean proves to be unsafe in a world where humans aren’t the only ones coming back from the dead..

Dark Hollow ($2.99), by Brian Keene
Dark Hollow is the story of Adam Senft, a mid-list mystery novelist who, along with his neighbors, becomes a blue-collar Van Helsing when a satyr is unleashed upon their unsuspecting neighborhood. To keep the creature from menacing their wives, Adam and his friends must learn a rustic, rural form of magic known as pow-wow.

You can also read the serial version of DELUGE: THE CONQUEROR WORMS II online free on the author's website.

BRIDES OF THE IMPALER ($0.99), by Edward Lee

Book Description
The nuns in a NYC convent are actually vampires intent on resurrecting Dracula himself!

BLOODSTONE ($0.99), by Nate Kenyon

Book Description
Something evil has taken root in White Falls and has waited centuries for the right time to awaken.

Night Souls ($0.99), by L.H. Maynard & M. P. N. Sims

Book Description
Department 18 takes on the Breathers, the species of psychic-sexual vampires from Demon Eyes, and gets caught between warring factions-one wants to coexist peacefully with humans and the other wants only to feed off them until humanity is wiped out.

Wolf's Gambit ($0.99), by Wolf's Gambit

Book Description
A direct sequel to Wolf's Trap. Nick Lupo, the werewolf/cop, is back to track a serial killer and battle a pack of bloodthirsty werewolves intent on infiltrating his town.

SOULTAKER ($0.99), by Bryan Smith

Book Description
Rockville, TN, seems like a normal small town. But in reality it’s become a nest of evil, the home of the Lamia, an ancient shape-shifting creature that survives by harvesting souls through seduction and manipulation. The Lamia has managed to enslave many of the young men in town, and many of the young women have become her priestesses.

Get $3 in Free MP3's at Amazon

Want some free music? Amazon is giving everyone three dollars to spend in the MP3 store this weekend. All you have to do is go to the Redemption page, click on the Enter Your Code button, enter the promotion code STUDENT3 and you'll get $3 to spend on MP3's at Amazon. The only catch? You have to use it this weekend. Still, that's $3 off an album or three free singles to celebrate Halloween! It's definitely enough for the Best Of Classics IV, with Dennis Yost's rendition of that seasonable favorite, Spooky, as it's currently marked at $1.99 for the album, or The 99 Most Essential Mendelssohn Masterpieces (Amazon Exclusive) at $2.49.

While you decide, here are some other albums you can pick up, all free of charge:

• Chacra World Music Holiday Sampler
• Tru Thoughts Jazz MP3 Sampler
• X5 Free Sampler - Classical Soundtracks
• Mexican Summer Vol. 1
• Burning Building Fall 2010 Sampler for Amazon
• Young God Amazon Sampler
• Sarathan Records Sunset Sampler
• Americana Music Awards Sampler
• Robots Vs. Indie Queens
• Projekt: afar
• Experience Music: A Tunecore Music Sampler

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.