All of these are pre-orders from HarperCollins, currently free for Australian customers
only in the Kindle store. I suspect that these will not be free for anyone else, but those in AU should hop on them before the prices get fixed. The first three are for kids, but the rest are for grown-ups. The first six will be delivered January 1, while the last two should be released February 23, 2012.
The Animal Stars Collection, by Jackie French. Each of the included titles go for $6.99 in the US Kindle store.
Book Description
4 books in 1. These books for children based on historical animals give kids irresistibly exciting and true stories to introduce them to history. The books are:
The Goat who Sailed the World (set on the Endeavour, with James Cook)
The HM Bark Endeavour is sailing to Tahiti to map the transit of Venus, but there are rumours that once the task is completed, Lieutenant James Cook has a set of secret orders - orders that command him to search for the Great South Land. Isaac is twelve and has joined the crew of the Endeavour as a master's servant, good for scrubbing decks and not much else. He's certainly not considered good enough to fetch hay for the Goat who will provide fresh milk for Cook and his officers. And this goat even has more experience at sea than Isaac - she has already sailed around the world once, watching the ocean and lands slip by from her spot on the quarterdeck. Over the months on board the Endeavour, a friendship grows between the Goat and Isaac, one that will last through shipwreck, bushfire and illness. A friendship that helps in the discovery of exotic new lands ... Ages 9 - 13
The Dog who Loved a Queen (about Mary Queen of Scots)
To the world outside her luxurious prison, Mary Queen of Scots is either a shameless beauty who killed her husband, or the rightful queen of England and Scotland, tragically held captive by Elizabeth the First. But to the dog who loved her, Mary is simply his mistress, and the centre of his life. While Mary desperately plots to seize both her freedom and the throne, her dog Folly's world is one of chasing mice behind the tapestries and enjoying turkey legs with quinces for supper. Until the day comes when they try to take his Queen away ... Based on the true story of the dog who was with Mary when she died, The Dog Who Loved a Queen is a fascinating tale of religious bigotry, plots and passion - and the unquestioning loyalty of a small Scottish terrier.
The Camel who Crossed Australia (about the Burke and Wills expedition)
The story of the famous Burke and Wills expedition ... as it has never been told before The humans called him 'Bell Sing', but to the other camels he is known as 'He Who Spits Further Than the Wind'. Transported from the mountains and deserts of the 'Northwest Frontier' (present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan), Bell Sing accompanies explorers Burke and Wills as they try to cross Australia from south to north. Bell Sing has never had a high opinion of humans - or horses. And this expedition is the worst managed caravan he's even been in. Camel handler Dost Mahomet and soldier John King are also beginning to wonder if their leader is competent, or crazy. Bell Sing can smell water over the sandhills on the horizon ... and freedom too. Can the expedition succeed? And who - if anyone - will survive? This is the gritty and true story about one of the most extraordinary and iconic events in Australia's history. Praise for the Animal Stars series: 'an irreverent and informative charmer' Sunday Age 'This exciting story of adventure and survival against the odds with likeable main characters has greater power than text books to spark new interests and extend existing ones' Viewpoint 'What a delight to read this book! ... I think this book could inspire much original history reading by young readers' Book News 'This is history brought to life for the young reader' Reader's Feast Book Guide Ages 9 - 13
The Donkey who Carried the Wounded (set in Gallipoli in WWI, with Simpson)
Most Australians know of Simpson and his donkey, who became heroes at Gallipoli, even among the Turkish forces. Few know where the donkey came from, or what happened to him after World War I. Or that another man carried on rescuing the wounded with the donkey after Simpson died. This is the story of a small unassuming donkey. It's also the story of Gallipoli, of Jack Simpson, and New Zealander stretcher-bearer Richard Henderson, who literally took up the reins after Simpson's death. Exhaustively researched, it gives a new depth to our understanding of this story of Anzac heroism. 'Jackie French is excellent at telling history in an exciting way for children', writes Burke's Backyard.
The Phredde Collection, by Jackie French. The titles included in this collection are $6.99 each (with one at $7.99).
Book Description
7 books in 1. These spell-binding and spooky stories all star Phredde, a fractious but fun-loving phaery; Bruce, a mosquito-eating frog; and Pru, an everyday-normal school girl - except that she lives in a fairy castle, keeps pet piranhas, has a werewolf for a brother and a vampire for a teacher. The stories are: A Phaery Named Phredde and Other Stories to Eat with a Banana; Phredde and a Frog named Bruce and Other Stories to eat with a Watermelon; Phredde and the Temple of Gloom: A Story to eat with a Mandarin; Phredde and the Leopardskin Librarian: A Story to eat with a dinosaur apple; Phredde and the Vampire Footy Team; Phredde and the Ghostly Underpants: A Story to Eat with a Mango; Phredde and the Zombie Librarian and Other Stories to eat with a Blood Plum.
The Emily Eyefinger Collection, by Duncan Ball. As near as I can tell, these are not on Kindle for US customers.
Book Description
4 books in 1. Emily Eyefinger's parents were shocked when Emily was born with an eye on the end of her finger BUT ... Emily has discovered than an eye on the end of her finger can be very handy. The books are: Emily Eyefinger; Emily Eyefinger, Secret Agent; Emily Eyefinger and the Lost Treasure; Emily Eyefinger and the Black Volcano.
The Bride Quartet, by Stephanie Laurens. Those in the US can get the first in this series at a discount:
The Untamed Bride is $2.99.
Book Description
4 books in 1 from the Queen of Regency Romance.
The Untamed Bride
They're battle-hardened, sinfully wealthy, completely unstoppable—and all male: Four officers of the Crown, fighting against a deadly foe known only as the Black Cobra.
He is a man who has faced peril without flinching, determined to fight for king and country.
She is a bold, beautiful woman with a scandalous past, destined to become an untamed bride.
Together they must vanquish the ruthless enemy, while confronting the dangers of the heart . . .
The Elusive Bride
A second battle-hardened, completely unstoppable, all-male hero, an ex-officer of the Crown, confronts the deadly enemy known only as the Black Cobra.
He's focused on his mission, then sees a lady he never dreamed he'd see again—with an assassin on her heels.
She secretly followed him, unaware her path is deadly—or that she'll join him to battle a treacherous foe.
Through ever-present peril, through passion, desire, and ecstasy, they race to reach England—and their destiny.
The Brazen Bride
They're bold, courageous, resolute . . . ex-officers of the Crown united against a deadly traitor known only as the Black Cobra.
Shipwrecked, wounded, he risks all to pursue his mission—only to discover a partner as daring and brazen as he.
Fiery, tempestuous, a queen in her own realm, she rescues a warrior—only to find her heart under siege.
Bound by passion, linked by need, together they must brave the enemy's gauntlet to win all their hearts' desire.
The Reckless Bride
Four bold, brave, and determined ex-officers of the Crown band together to destroy the traitorous fiend known as the Black Cobra.
The Courtesan Collection, by Anna Campbell; each title is $7-$8 for those in the US.
Book Description
3 books in 1 - Anna Campbell's dark, sexy Regency historicals featuring dark, sexy Regency heroes and the women who captivate them.
Claiming the Courtesan
The Duke of Kylemore knows her as Soraya, London's most celebrated courtesan. Men fight duels to spend an hour in her company. And only he comes close to taming her. Flying in the face of society, he decides to make her his bride; then, she vanishes, seemingly into thin air.
Dire circumstances have forced Verity Ashton to barter her innocence and change her name for the sake of her family. But Kylemore destroys her plans for a respectable life when he discovers her safe haven. He kidnaps her, sweeping her away to his hunting lodge in Scotland, where he vows to bend her to his will.
There he seduces her anew. Verity spends night after night with him in his bed . . . and though she still dreams of escape and independence, she knows she can never flee the unexpected, unwelcome love for the proud, powerful lover who claims her both body and soul.
My Reckless Surrender
Headlong into sin . . .
A well-practiced rake, weary of easy conquests and empty pleasures, Tarquin Vale, Earl of Ashcroft, knows women—and his every instinct warns him to beware of this one. Diana Carrick's brazen overtures have thrown the haunted, sinfully handsome lord completely off his guard. Why, the exquisite temptress stated outright that she wishes to be his lover. But it is neither Diana's boldness nor her beauty that intrigues him so—it is the innocence he senses behind her worldly mask.
Intent upon the seduction that will finally free her, Diana has set her sights on the notorious Ashcroft—never dreaming that there is much more to the enigmatic rogue than sin and deviltry. His kiss is bewitching, his caress intoxicating—and even the dangerous secret Diana must protect cannot shield her from Ashcroft's dark allure.
Unwittingly yet most willingly, they are playing with fire. Now the fuse has been lit and there is no escape . . . except surrender.
Tempt the Devil
Any man in London would worship her. Yet Olivia is, quite frankly, bored of them all. Despite her many dalliances, she's never felt true passion, never longed for any lover's touch . . . until Julian, London's most notoriously wanton rake, decided to make her his mistress.
From the moment he first saw her, Julian knew he must possess her. And when he discovers her greatest secret, a scandal that could ruin her reputation and end her career, he knows just the way to use this damaging information to his most delightful advantage. He offers Olivia a deal with the devil: he'll keep her secret . . . if she allows him the chance to show her true ecstasy.
But Olivia must be careful, for Julian has a secret of his own: he will not rest until she is completely, shamelessly his.
The Mak Collection, by Australian crime novelist Tara Moss
Book Description
5 books in 1. Tara Moss's Mak Vanderwall series: stylish, sinister, edge-of-your-seat thrillers.
Split
Makkede Vanderwall is a woman with a past. She is beautiful, street-smart and single, a model paying her way through a degree in forensic psychology. But behind the wit and winning smile is a woman haunted by violent nightmares and plagued by thoughts of Detective Andy Flynn, the ex-lover who saved her from a serial killer in Sydney. Mak has returned to Vancouver, her hometown in Canada, eager to finish her studies, move on from the ordeal, and find some peace of mind. But instead she walks straight into a city gripped by fear, and a campus where the students are fair game. As winter closes in and the days grow shorter, Mak is drawn into a shifting world of unstable minds and untrustworthy men, where motives are unclear and desires are unchecked. Her past cannot be so easily forgotten, and she must face her greatest challenge yet....
Hit
She's street-smart, stunning and hoping to leave her troubled past behind her ... Makedde 'Mak' Vanderwall has her PhD and has started a new life in Australia with her detective boyfriend, Andy Flynn. To scrape together extra cash to start her first forensic psychology practice, Mak begins working part-time for an infamous Sydney PI. With a knack for investigation and bending the law, she might just have stumbled across her true calling -- and the career choice that could finally bust up her relationship once and for all. Then Mak is hired by a mysterious client to investigate the murder of A-list PA Meaghan Wallace. The police believe it's an open and shut case: a junkie street-kid is guilty. But the case turns out to be a lot more complicated as Mak uncovers a dangerous web of cover-ups, killers for hire, the powerful and debauched rich, and Australia's sleazy underbelly. If the boy didn't kill Meaghan, then who set him up? And how far will they go to keep their guilt a secret?
Fetish
Makedde Vanderwall, part-time model and forensic psychology student always attracts the wrong type of man. When she travels to Sydney on assignment and finds her best friend murdered, she soon discovers a deadly puzzle of suspicious photographers, hired thugs, mysterious lovers and the handsome, jaded Detective Andy Flynn investigating the Stiletto Murders -- the most violent serial killings Australia has ever known. In her quest to uncover the truth behind her best friend's murder, Mak falls headlong into a deadly game of cat and mouse, unaware she has become the obsession of a sadistic psychopath. When a photo from her portfolio disappears, her borrowed flat is ransacked and Andy Flynn suddenly goes underground, Mak knows she must run. But where can she go and to whom can she turn? Mak has scratched the seedy underbelly of a foreign city and is driven into a corner, an evil place where, for her own well-being and state of mind, she must suspect everyone and everything....
Covet
Makedde Vanderwall is back -- and trouble's not far behind... Eighteen months after her ordeal at the hands of the sadistic 'Stiletto Murderer', fashion model and forensic psychology student Makedde Vanderwall must confront her demons when she returns to Sydney for the trial. But just as the verdict is handed down, the unthinkable happens - the killer makes a daring escape, aided and abetted by a twisted accomplice whom no-one suspected. Mak is terrified, and her ex-boyfriend, Detective Andy Flynn, who has a bad habit of employing more madness than method in his work, isn't helping. She decides to leave the country, but the Press dogs her every move, hindering her safe passage and unknowingly helping the Stiletto Murderer, who's busy rekindling an old fetish -- her. Where can she run? Whom can she trust? And have she and the police underestimated Australia's most notorious serial killer yet again? Sharper than a Manolo six-inch heel, sexier than a Versace fashion show, and riskier than all seven deadly sins, COVET will set your pulse racing.
Siren
Mak Vanderwall - beautiful, street-wise daughter of a cop, graduate in forensic psychology, and now PI - is hired by a widowed mother to track down her missing nineteen-year-old son. Has he come to harm? Or has he run off with a bizarre troupe of shady French cabaret artistes sweeping through Australia? Has the dark beauty of the burlesque, the magic, the mind-bending contortion, beguiled him? Or has he been seduced by the mysterious and amoral older woman who has a terrifying starring role in the troupe's modern performances of the Grand Guignol 'Theatre of Fear', famous in Paris in the early 1900s? And what of the rumours of violence and tragedy that have plagued the troupe for the past decade? Is their horrifying past fact or fiction? Meanwhile, Mak is increasingly obsessed with the powerful and ruthless Cavanagh family. And it seems their security advisor Mr White, and his hitman, Luther Hand, may not have forgotten about Mak either....
The Search for the Dice Man, by Luke Rhinehart
Book Description
The sequel to the cult classic The Dice Man, available in ebook format for the first time.
Larry Rhinehart is the son of an infamous father – the renegade psychiatrist Luke Rhinehart, otherwise known as the Dice Man.
Luke became a cult figure in the seventies, inspiring thousands to follow him into the anarchic world of Dice Living, where every decision is made not by the self, but by the roll of the dice.
Larry, however, is emphatically not a follower. He has grown up to have a great respect for order and control. A wealthy Wall Street analyst, all set to marry the boss’s daughter, Larry has got life where he wants it. Until rumours begin to circulate about the reappearance of his long-vanished father – and Larry’s carefully organized world begins to look a lot less certain.
By turns funny, moving and wildly erotic, The Search for the Dice Man is a journey of the body and spirit never to be forgotten.
The Book of the Die, by Luke Rhinehart
Book Description
The ‘bible’ for dice living – for everyone who has been inspired by the cult classic The Dice Man.
From the author of the cult bestsellers The Dice Man and The Search for the Dice Man comes a new book, guaranteed to appeal to the hundreds of thousands of people who continue to be fascinated by the thought of ‘living by the dice’.
Luke Rhinehart, after a long period of silence, has delivered a playful book of parables, essays, thoughts, ideas and practical instructions and reminsces on dice-ing that is designed to be dipped into for thoughts and views on dice living. It is a ‘handbook’, a reference ‘bible’, for the hundreds of thousands of people who turn to the dice to shake up convention and taking risks and chances. It will be a ‘must’ for Rhinehart’s thousands of devoted followers.
Tortured, by Caragh M. O'Brien, is to pre-order in the Kindle store. This short story bridges the novels Birthmarked (currently on sale for $2.99) and Prized ($9.99; supposed to release today, but the listing is having problems).
