Happy Memorial Day

If you aren't out on the water (or the beach), you may want to check out a few of the Memorial Day sales going on.

• Kobo doesn't really have a sale, but they do have their $1 off, unlimited use coupon code back in force. Use may27us1, expires 5/30/11.
• Carina Press has a 99 cent sale going on, HERE, for the first in series titles. They also have a number of titles at Kobo for $2.39 and you can use the coupon code above, dropping the prices to $1.39.
• Fictionwise has a 45% off coupon that is still working, 052711. Their new books for the week have been posted and you get 15% off up front, plus the coupon code. Remember that all their books that are not "multiformat" do have DRM and are not Kindle compatible; this week it looks like most DRM'd Romance and several genres in DRM-Free formats have been added.
• A number of indie writers have put together a Blog Tour de Troops and are giving away a free copy of their book to anyone who comments and for each commenter, another free copy to be donated to troops overseas. The first day's tour starts HERE, the second day HERE, the third day HERE and day four (the last), HERE. Even though it is Monday, you can leave a comment on any (or all) of the blogs involved and get both a free book and an entry into a drawing to win a free Kindle.

Free Book (EPUB) - Manual For Living

Manual For Living: Reality - TIME ($0.99 Kindle), by Seth David Chernoff, is free from Borders and Kobo this morning. This is a single-chapter freebie (much like the business shorts from FT Press), with the full collection of Manual For Living titles going for $4.99 (Kindle/Kobo) to $7.99 (B&N). This appears to be self-published, but the publisher is listed as Spirit Scope Publishing. If you do decide to pick up the full title from Kobo, be sure to use the coupon code may27us1 to get $1 off (unlimited use, expires 5/30/11). In fact, using the coupon code, you can buy each of the individual mini-books that make up the whole, at no cost (each is 99 cents and with the coupon code they are free).

Book Description
Award-winning book by two-cancer survivor! TIME, the FREE SAMPLE BOOK. A genuine user's guide to the meaning of life, the award-winning Manual For Living: Reality will change the way you see the world. Its straightforward guidance and practical wisdom will help you remain true to your path and purpose in life. Find True Fulfillment and Lasting Happiness, Overcome Your Fear Of Death, Learn How to Fully Experience Life, Reconnect with Your Inner Truth, and Discover Your True Purpose.

Click HERE to get the book from Borders (you'll probably have to use the desktop app on this one).
Click HERE to get the book from Kobo.

Free Book (EPUB) - Traveling Light

Traveling Light ($8.54 Kindle), by Max Lucado, is free from ChristianBook, courtesy of Christian publisher Thomas Nelson. This title has been free in various ebookstores earlier this month (although not on Kindle), but is back to full price in those stores.

Book Description
Weary travelers. You’ve seen them—everything they own crammed into their luggage. Staggering through terminals and hotel lobbies with overstuffed suitcases, trunks, duffels and backpacks.

Backs ache. Feet burn. Eyelids droop.

We’ve all seen people like that.

At times, we are people like that—if not with our physical luggage, then at least with our spiritual load.

We all lug loads we were never intended to carry. Fear. Worry. Discontent.

No wonder we get so weary. We’re worn out from carrying that excess baggage. Wouldn’t it be nice to lose some of those bags?

That’s the invitation of Max Lucado. With the twenty-third Psalm as our guide, let’s release some of the burdens we were never intended to bear.

Click HERE for the free book from ChristianBook.

Spend $5 on Kindle Singles and get a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card

This offer is for those with the Kindle Wi-Fi with Special Offers or Kindle 3G with Special Offers only (presumably; if anyone out there has the Kindle 3G with Special Offers, can you check your offer page and see if this one is there? I may have to buy one, if the offers are different). View the Special Offers on your Kindle (Menu, Special Offers) and you should see a new promotion (if you don't, turn on your wireless, click Menu, Sync & Check for New Items, then after the sync has completed, go to the Special Offers screen):

Spend $5 on Kindle Singles and get a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card

Click on offer, then click on the link on the offer page sign up and get an email with the promotion code. Sign-up for this offer expires on June 2.

You'll get an email (right away), with a link to Kindle Singles page. However, there are no promotional codes to enter, you just have to click to have the offer sent to your email (for this particular offer, I'm not sure that you even need to do that, but I would, just in case). Then, purchase Kindle Singles adding up to at least $5 between March 29 (today) and June 15 (midnight PT). The $5 gift card will automatically be applied to your account sometime in the month after that (no later than July 15). Full details are here.

I already know the first single I'm going to get: Bittman's Kitchen: What I Grill and Why ($1.99), by Mark Bittman. I've already looked at the sample and was considering buying it, so this deal means I really only have to purchase an additional $3.01 in Kindle Singles to get the gift card.

With the way most singles are priced, that essentially means I have to buy two more at $1.99, since I would end up five pennies short if I bought a $0.99 Single and one at $1.99 (or three at $0.99). Without finding one that ends in .49, you'll actually have to spend $5.95 to get the $5 gift certificate, with this particular deal. So, if you were considering buying a few (or find a few over the next month that interest you), this deal lowers their price. It doesn't, though, give you a 100% return on the money spent (or more, as the first American Express deal did).

Free Book Bonanza ... in German (EPUB)

For those who can read in German (or are, perhaps, taking or considering it as a language in college), there is a bonanza of free books from Borders this morning. These also seem to be free from Kobo, but I could not get a purchase to actually go thru (which leads me to believe these were pricing errors and may disappear from Borders soon, as well. Keep in mind, some have had problems with Borders charging for free books, so remove your credit card info from your account before one-clicking these (and all of these will add to your account without using the desktop app). I'm just going to list the titles and authors (all linked at Borders), since there are so many (and the German is a bit butchered by the font selection at Borders, anyway).

• Rainbow's End - Inspector Jury 2, by Martha Grimes
• De Tweeling, by Tessa De Loo
• Russendisko, by Wladimir Kaminer
• The Treatment, by Mo Hayder
• The Long Road Home, by Danielle Steel
• The Tinder Box, by Minette Walters
• The Ghost, by Danielle Steel
• The Ranch, by Danielle Steel
• Phönix aus Asche: Roman, by Henning Boëtius
• Der Börsenschwindel: Wie Aktionäre und Anleger abkassiert werden, by Günter Ogger
• The Echo, by Minette Walters
• The Sky is Falling, by Sidney Sheldon
• Militärmusik: Roman, by Wladimir Kaminer
• Schönhauser Allee, by Wladimir Kaminer
• Die Söhne der Wölfin: Roman, by Tanja Kinkel
• Esa luz!, by Carlos Saura
• Sturmzeit: Roman, by Charlotte Link
• The Breaker, by Minette Walters
• The Birdman, by Mo Hayder
• The Shape of Snakes, by Minette Walters
• Driving over Lemons, by Chris Stewart