Get a Kindle Fire for $179 - Today Only!

OK, technically, this is not a sale on the Kindle Fire, but a sale on any electronics or toys at Amazon, provided you pay with a Mastercard. You'll save $10 on the purchase today (so, you charge $189.00 to your card, less any amount you currently have in gift certificates), then you'll get a $10 credit you can use on a future purchase of $50 or more (again, it must be paid using a Mastercard). All the details (such as they are), along with the promotion code you need to enter, can be found HERE. Note that you'll need to change your payment option to a Mastercard before attempting to enter the promo code, or it won't work, you must use the full checkout process (not one-click) and any gift card balance will be used first (see next).

So, are there any interesting loopholes? Actually, yes. If you have any gift card balance, it is used first - so long as your balance isn't enough to pay for the Kindle Fire, you can use your Mastercard to pay the remainder (presumably even if it is only a dollar or so) and you qualify for the deal. That gift card balance can be built up using cash (use your local money changing machine to get a gift card for Amazon with no fees), your debit card or even Visa (3x points if you use Amazon's Visa Card). Presumably you can do the same with the second purchase, which means you won't have to put much on your Mastercard (and can maximize your Visa points, if you want).

Evntually, you get a Kindle Fire with a net cost of $179 (assuming you use a free shipping choice), although that does presume you'll spend $50 later on at Amazon. It appears (but I can't confirm) that you'll be able to buy a gift card with the later credit (which would mean the entire $40 would have to be charged, though, as a gift card balance can't be used to buy another gift card), which would allow you to spend it on Kindle books (once you get the credit, you can test this before completing the order). It does say that it is a "one order" credit, so it likely won't work for Kindle books otherwise.

Note that this offer expires at Midnight tonight (on the west coast, US). If you are even a second after that, the promo code won't be accepted.

Today's Deals

Gettysburg ($3.40 Kindle, B&N), by Stephen W. Sears, is the nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.

Book Description
Stephen W. Sears has delivered a masterwork in Gettysburg, his single-volume history of the Civil War's greatest campaign. Drawing on original source material, from soldiers' letters to the Official Records of the war, Sears offers dramatic and informed accounts of every aspect of the campaign, from well-hewn portraits of the battle's leaders to detailed analyses of their strategies and tactics. Sears depicts General Meade's remarkable performance in his first week of army command and pinpoints General Lee's responsibility in the agonizing failure of the Confederate army. With characteristic style and insight, Sears brings the epic tale of the battle in Pennsylvania vividly to life.

The First Assassin ($1.99), an AmazonEncore exclusive by John J. Miller, is today's Kindle Deal of the Day.

Book Description
Winter 1861: the United States teeters on the brink of civil war. In Washington, D.C., Colonel Charles P. Rook is tapped to organize the district’s security and to protect president-elect Abraham Lincoln from the death threats pouring in to the White House. He surrounds the president with bodyguards and fills the city’s rooftops with sharpshooters, diligently investigating the conspiracies being fomented with increasing intensity by Southern secessionists. Yet amidst the chaos and confusion, a foreigner slips unnoticed into the teeming city. Hired by a wealthy Southern planter to eliminate President Lincoln and destroy the Union once and for all, the assassin catches Rook’s attention by cutting down anyone who gets in his way. As the bodies begin to pile up, Rook realizes he is caught in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with a cold-blooded killer who will stop at nothing to complete his mission. Rook’s only hope is Portia, a runaway slave who holds the key to the assassin’s identity—if she can stay alive long enough to deliver it. Packed with dynamic characters, rich period detail, and a chillingly sinister villain, The First Assassin is a riveting thriller for fans of historical fiction.

Eleven Free Calendars (Kindle)

There are eleven free humor/cartoon calendars in the Kindle store today, all of which can be viewed on any Kindle device. I've pulled one up on both the Kindle 3G and an Android tablet and they are black-and-white pencil drawings, and work equally well on both devices. All are from Andrews McMeel Publishing and the artists include Jonny Hawkins, Ross and Kathy Petras. Grab one or two or grab them all; put a different one on each Kindle or the same one on all you have. In any case, there shouldn't be any excuse not to be enlightened, inspired or cheered up every day of the next year, depending on your selection. If these eleven don't do it for you, though, they also have another fourteen more on sale for 99 cents each (and four at $5.59).

1. Dog Cartoon-A-Day - Unleashed canine comedy fetches grins and laughs, keeping dog-lovers howling with delight. Artist Jonny Hawkins takes you on a year-long cartooned walk filled with four-legged frolics and classic canine capers. For folks who welcome sloppy doggy kisses and unfettered happy tail wagging, the Dog Cartoon-A-Day 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar dishes up daily treats. Add them to the hundreds of smiles that canines elicit from their human packs for a fun-filled year.
2. Cat Cartoon-A-Day - Enjoy a year's worth of delightfully cartooned cat capers by humorist Jonny Hawkins. The Cat Cartoon-A-Day 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar's fur-bulous feline funnies creatively capture the diverse personalities of domesticated housecats--from cute and curious to fickle and finicky. Of course, as any cat-lover knows, regardless of kitty's temperament, the mewing furry bundle will cunningly find the way to the heart of the human who feeds and cares for it.
3. Fishing Cartoon-A-Day - Humorist Jonny Hawkins skillfully guides you on a yearlong angling adventure as he reels in laughs by depicting the pursuit of that big trophy. Well-stocked with funny fishing foibles and amusing tales of lunkers that got away, the Fishing Cartoon-A-Day 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar nets daily chuckles and grins--even when the next real-life fishing excursion is months away. There's no daily limit on laughs with this calendar!
4. The Shopaholic's Daily Calendar - Bo Derek once said, Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping. The Shopaholic's Daily Calendar 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar offers lots of ideas, presenting readers with top shopping sites on the Web as well as tips on shopping anywhere from the mall to the flea market, from a designer boutique to eBay. Add in advice from celebrity stylists, quotes and tips from designers, ways to be a smarter shopper, and the latest in shopping technology, and this calendar belongs on every shopaholic's to-buy list. (OK, am I the only one expecting 366 links to Amazon! LOL!)
5. Believing in Ourselves - Women often look to other women--whether friend, sister, mentor, mother, or role model--to provide inspiration, motivation, comfort, and humor. The Believing in Ourselves 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar gives readers these things and more with a truly special quotation from one of the world's most renowned women, both living and historic, on each page.
6. An Insult-a-Day - We've been taught it's best to say nothing if we have nothing nice to say, but sometimes being nice is overrated. Then, firing off a one-liner or unleashing a long-winded diatribe is the only course of action--and so much more satisfying. An Insult A Day: Scathing (but funny) Quips and Gibes 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar contains pithy proclamations from politicians, comedians, talk show hosts, and celebrities, as well as the best zingers from movies and television shows. When it's time to really speak your mind, any one of these well-placed barbs will get the point across.
7. Lawyers: Jokes Quotes and Anecdotes - Practicing law is a tough profession. From pushy clients to overbearing judges to hostile witnesses--lawyers have it rough. Luckily the Lawyers: Jokes Quotes and Anecdotes 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar guarantees to add laughs to their otherwise arduous days. Filled with witty jokes, bizarre laws, entertaining quips, and incredible but true excerpts from actual court records, this daily calendar provides enough humor to keep lawyers, or anyone associated with the law, from taking things too personally.
8. Nurses: Jokes Quotes and Anecdotes - Nurses truly are everyday heroes! This career is not for the lazy or faint of heart. In what other profession can a twelve-hour day consist of saving a life, cheering a patient's family, moments of hope and understanding, and, of course, humor? The day-to-day chaos that these medical professionals face and tame is highlighted in the Nurses: Jokes Quotes and Anecdotes 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar, which features true nursing tales, profiles on famous nurses, funny jokes, and much more. At the end of a long shift, nurses know that laughter is still the best medicine.
9. Medical Bloopers - Be amazed by true tales of hospital high jinks, exam-room faux pas, and insurance escapades. Real-life healthcare professionals dispense daily doses of medical bloopers to tickle funny bones and brighten the days of other doctors, nurses, and medical caregivers. With its entertaining patient anecdotes, amusing transcription typos, and comical co-worker blunders, the Medical Bloopers 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar provides a year's worth of chuckles and grins, proving once again that laughter is the best medicine.
10. Medical Cartoon-A-Day - Take a mental-health break each day with cleverly cartooned medical high jinks as illustrated by humorist Jonny Hawkins. He dispenses a daily dose of healthcare humor to tickle funny bones and brighten the days of medical professionals. For its year's worth of chuckles and grins, the Medical Cartoon-a-Day 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar is exactly what the doctor prescribed, proving once again that laughter is the best medicine.
11. Teacher Cartoon-A-Day - Start the school day with a smile. Gleeful classroom adventures and amusing student antics greet teachers as they reference these daily depictions of entertaining playground escapades, homework snafus, and comical coursework mishaps. Each day, humorist Jonny Hawkins turns in a cleverly cartooned lesson in schoolroom humor. For its year's worth of chuckles and grins, the Teacher Cartoon-A-Day 2012 Day-to-Day Calendar more than makes the grade.

Free Book (Kindle) - Future Agenda

Future Agenda, by Tim Jones, is free in the Kindle store.

Book Description
Future Agenda is a unique multidisciplinary resource that brings together some of the best minds from around the globe to address the great challenges of the next decade. It maps out the major issues, identifies and debates potential solutions and suggests the best ways forward. Future Agenda provides a platform for collective innovation at a higher level than ever before. As the world responds to accelerating challenges, organizations need clearer and more informed views of the future so that they can place intelligent, strategic and innovative bets. They need to look beyond their traditional horizons and use new combinations of insight and foresight methodologies. Future Agenda challenges conventional wisdom and identifies practical strategies to deal with dramatic change in key areas of business environment.

Free Book Update (Kindle/noDRM) - A Guide for Listening and Inner-Healing Prayer

A Guide for Listening and Inner-Healing Prayer: Meeting God in the Broken Places, by Rusty Rustenbach, is now free on Kindle, in addition to ChristianBook, courtesy of Christian publisher Navpress.

Book Description
Inner healing is an important part of the Gospel message. You can supernaturally experience healing by exposing the hidden lies that keep you in bondage.

White and stark against the horizon, an iceberg reveals nothing about what is hidden below the waterline, the same way we offer only small glimpses of our heart and spirit to others. But what is concealed beneath the surface of our lives is often a lifetime of woundedness.

In Luke 4:18, Jesus affirmed the promise of Isaiah 61 that the Messiah would be uniquely anointed by God to bring healing to the brokenhearted and set captives free. Discover how to experience this freedom and the emotional healing that awaits you through listening and inner-healing prayer. By exposing the hidden lies that keep you in slavery, you can supernaturally experience God’s healing touch for the emotional wounds of your past.

This God-focused, step-by-step guide also can equip small groups, churches, and others for facilitate a listening and inner-healing prayer ministry to the increasingly wounded people of our generation.

Get the free ebook from ChristianBook. It's a DRM-free EPUB, so you can easily convert for the Kindle (using Calibre).