Bargain/Free Book (Kindle) - A Test of Wills

You can pre-order A Test of Wills with Bonus Material, the first Ian Rutledge by Charles Todd, for $1.99 in the US ($1.56 UK. Those in Australia get an even better deal, as this edition is free for them (and likely is a pricing error, rather than a price that will spread to the US). If you want to sample first, grab one from the full-price edition, just be sure to pop back by here and grab the lower cost version above.

Book Description
For a limited time, experience the first Ian Rutledge novel from Charles Todd at a special price, including an exclusive excerpt from The Confession, a new Rutledge mystery, available this January.

In A Test of Wills, It is 1919, and the War to End All Wars has been won. But for Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge, recently returned from the battlefields of France, there is no peace. Suffering from shell shock, tormented by the mocking, ever-present voice of the young Scot he had executed for refusing to fight, Rutledge plunges into his work to save his sanity. But his first assignment is a case certain to spell both personal and professional disaster.

A popular colonel has been murdered in Warwickshire, and the main suspect is a decorated war hero and close friend of the Prince of Wales. The case is a political minefield, and no matter what the outcome, Rutledge may not escape with his career intact. And, win or lose, the cost could be even higher: The one witness who could break the case is himself a shell shock victim, teetering on the edge of reality. In this war-ravaged man, Rutledge sees his own possible future, should he fail.

Today's Deals

Additional formats on free books:

• Christmas at Harrington's (Kindle/nook/EPUB)
• Book of Days (Kindle/nook/noDRM)
• Slow Cooking Cookbook (Kindle/nook/EPUB)
• Blood Oath (Kindle/nook/noDRM)
• Druid's Daughter (Kindle/nook/noDRM)

Empire of Dreams ($0.99), by Giannina Braschi, is today's Kindle Deal of the Day (double check the price - it hasn't dropped as I write this, but should soon).

Book Description
An intriguing and hypnotizing work of postmodern fiction from groundbreaking Hispanic-American writer Giannina Braschi, Empire of Dreams chronicles a decade-long love affair with 1980s New York and all its contradictions. The city’s perversions and passions, power and marginality, grandeur and squalor come vibrantly to life in each of the book’s three sections. “Book of Clowns and Buffoons” imagines life in the city as a carnival-style spectacle that ultimately ends in chaos. Inspired by the Puerto Rican Day parade, a bucolic celebration reclaims the city in “Pastoral.” And “The Intimate Diary of Solitude” spoofs the magical realism of Latin American novelists such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez with its tale of aspiring actress-writer Mariquita Samper, who records the days of her increasingly outlandish life in a mystical diary. Wildly imaginative, rich and complex, Empire of Dreams has garnered glowing praise for being “an ‘in-your-face assertion’ of the vitality of Latino culture in the US”

You Can't Say That ($3.07 / £1.99 UK), a memoir by Ken Livingstone, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US Edition is $15.44).

Book Description
A frank, gripping and moving - and controversial - autobiography from one of the most idiosyncratic and effective politicians of the last fifty years. His political convictions, his distance from New Labour, and his direct, plain-speaking style and personality have allowed him to survive longer than any of his contemporaries as a man of principle and influence.

From his eccentric South London working class childhood to running one of the biggest cities in the world, Livingstone is one of the very few politicians to have scored a major victory over the Thatcher Government and has championed issues as diverse as the environment, gay rights and anti-racism. Written in Livingstone's unmistakable voice, by turns angrily sincere about social justice, wickedly droll and gossipy, and surprisingly wistful about people he has known and loved, this is a hugely important and remarkable book from one of the very few respected politicians at work today.

100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart ($3.75 Kindle, B&N), by Robert J. Morgan, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.

Book Description
With the immediacy of Internet searches and ease of handheld devices, the archaic custom of memorizing Scripture may not seem necessary, but bestselling author Robert J. Morgan makes an airtight case for reviving this practice in 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart. “It’s vital for mental and emotional health and for spiritual wellbeing,” he writes. “It’s as powerful as acorns dropping into furrows in the forest. It allows God’s words to sink into your brain and permeate your subconscious and even your unconscious thoughts. It saturates the personality, satiates the soul, and stockpiles the mind. It changes the atmosphere of every family and alters the weather forecast of every day.” In a series of brief opening chapters, Morgan prepares the reader for this new way of thinking and then presents his list of 100 crucial verses, including sidebar notes, quotes, and memorization tips for each. Knowing his list will differ from what others would choose, extra pages are included to add one’s own favorite verses, thus extending the exercise and memorization habit.

Free Book (Kindle) - The Abolition of Man [AU]

The Abolition of Man ($9.99 US), the Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, is free for Australian customers in the Kindle store. I don't expect it to be free for those in the US.

Book Description
In this graceful work, C. S. Lewis reflects on society and nature and the challenges of how best to educate our children. He eloquently argues that we need as a society to underpin reading and writing with lessons on morality and in the process both educate and re-educate ourselves. In the words of Walter Hooper, "If someone were to come to me and say that, with the exception of the Bible, everyone on earth was going to be required to read one and the same book, and then ask what it should be, I would with no hesitation say The Abolition of Man. It is the most perfectly reasoned defense of Natural Law (Morality) I have ever seen, or believe to exist. If any book is able to save us from future excesses of folly and evil, it is this book." This beautiful paperback edition is sure to attract new readers to this classic book.

Bargain Books from Melody Carlson

There are several novels from Melody Carlson (whose Christmas at Harrington's is free today), are marked down this evening, including her entire young adult series, On the Runway, and several holiday titles.

Premiere (On the Runway) $1.99
In Carlson's (the Diary of a Teenage Girl series) latest, which launches the On the Runway series, 18-year old narrator Erin, who loves being behind the camera, and her 19-year old sister, Paige, who shines in front of one, land a contract to star in a fashion-focused TV show. Erin both admires her stunning, smooth-talking, fashion-expert sister, and cringes at Paige's manipulations and thoughtlessness, which Paige has ample opportunity to exhibit when the show's producers plug them into a popular teen reality show. While trying to maintain a critical distance from the glamour, staged intrigue, and cattiness of this new world, Erin seeks a moral compass as she wrestles with her ex-boyfriend's reappearance, and wonders how to reconcile her Christian values with her work and how to be a good sister. Fast-paced action, driven by the social media of cell phones, Facebook, and Twitter, highlights both the thrills and stressors of modern teenage life, where the private becomes instantly public, and the line between reality and acting is hard to find.

Catwalk (On the Runway) $1.99
Big Apple. Bigger Problems.

The success of the Forrester sisters' On the Runway TV show lands them a hot ticket to Fashion Week in New York City. Paige is determined to garner the attention of New York's top designers, but her newfound fame threatens to go to her head. Erin wants to help promote the work of some eco-minded designers, but struggles to be taken seriously. Can Paige keep her prima donna behavior in check? Will Erin's involvement hurt the people she's really trying to help? Success in the big city comes with even bigger challenges, and as the pressure grows, so does the drama.

Rendezvous (On the Runway) $1.99
Lost in translation?

Having learned some hard lessons about the costs of recklessness and fame, sisters Paige and Erin Forrester feel ready to take their fashion-focused TV show on location to Paris. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for many of their good intentions to get lost in translation. An unplanned week of filming at runway model Eliza Wilton's family estate leads to romance, jealousy, and surprises. With cameras rolling, both girls have to be careful or the future of On the Runway could end up as wobbly as Paige's stiletto heels.

Spotlight (On the Runway) $1.99
Feeling the heat.

On the Runway has become a global phenomenon, and when Paige and Erin Forrester take their reality show to London, they get a reception to remember. Bombarded by crazed fans and the flashbulbs and interrogations of the infamous British paparazzi, the sisters know that their lives have changed---big time. Star treatment has its perks, but the girls quickly learn just how scorching life in the limelight can be. Before long, the sisters are stretched close to a breaking point. With zealous paparazzi poised to take advantage of even the slightest whiff of a scandal, the stakes have never been higher.

Glamour (On the Runway) $1.99
Sink or swim?

Paige's engagement to designer Dylan Marceau shocks the fashion world. Although Paige appears to be happy, Erin wonders if it's true love or just a desire for attention and publicity. As Paige's love life takes off, Erin is feeling pressure from Blake to take their friendship to a romantic level. But is she ready? These two very different sisters still have one thing in common---their fashion TV show and all the drama that comes along with it. As they prepare for a trip to film in the Bahamas, the Forrester sisters discover that paradise isn't all it's cracked up to be. Can they do the right thing in tough situations---and the right thing for each another---in a business that often encourages the worst?

Ciao (On the Runway) $1.99
In the last book of the On the Runway series by bestselling author Melody Carlson, Paige and Erin are headed to Milan, one of the European fashion meccas. Erin is excited by the art and culture around them, but Paige is distracted by other things.

River's Song, The Inn at Shining Waters $3.99
Sometimes when we look back, we are able to see ahead

Following her mother’s funeral, and on the verge of her own midlife crisis, widow Anna Larson returns to the home of her youth to sort out her parents’ belongings, as well as her own turbulent life.

For the first time since childhood, Anna embraces her native heritage, despite the disdain of her vicious mother-in-law.
By transforming her old family home on the banks of the Siuslaw River into The Inn at Shining Waters, Anna hopes to create a place of healing—a place where guests experience peace, grace, and new beginnings. Starting with her own family . . .

The Christmas Bus $4.61
The people of Christmas Valley always celebrate Christmas to the fullest extent. The mayor plays Santa, every business is holiday themed, and there's a nativity for the kids each Christmas Eve. This town knows Christmas.

But this year nothing goes according to plan. Shepherd's Inn is full of strangers, Mad Myrtle is causing problems, and a young couple with a baby due any minute rolls in to the middle of town in their Partridge Family-style bus. It's hardly the holiday Christmas Valley wanted--but it may be just what they need. This charming novella is sure to become a new Christmas tradition for readers who love a great holiday story.

An Irish Christmas $4.61
For Colleen, life is spinning out of control. She just lost her husband, and her relationship with her young adult son Jamie is crumbling. Should she confess to him the secret that has been haunting her for twenty years? Jamie has a few secrets of his own. When he announces his plans to join the military, Colleen decides it's time for the two of them to take a trip together--to Ireland. The truth they discover there could fulfill both their dreams in a way neither ever thought possible.

An Irish Christmas is a captivating story of love, deception, and secret passions, from popular and prolific author Melody Carlson.

The Christmas Dog $4.61
Betty Kowalski isn't looking forward to the holidays. She just can't seem to find Christmas in her heart. There's church, of course. But who can she bake for these days? And who would care whether or not she pulled out the Christmas decorations?

Her new neighbor just adds to the problem. He's doing home improvements that don't appear to be improving much of anything. These days when Betty looks out the window, she sees a beat-up truck, a pile of junk, lots of blue tarps, and--horror of horrors--an old pink toilet.

But when a mangy dog appears at her doorstep, the stage is set for Betty to learn a very important lesson about what Christmas is all about. This contemporary Christmas story is a timely yet gentle reminder that God can work miracles through something as seemingly insignificant as a little brown dog.

Bargain Book (Kindle) and Bargain App (Kindle Fire/Android)

I don't know about you, but I've spent the day trolling thru the selections on the CyberMonday Kindle Deal. I've made a few notes on my original post of some good bargains I found, but wanted to highlight this one in a separate post, for those who might not see my updates.

All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, and All Things Wise and Wonderful: Three James Herriot Classics ($5.99), by James Herriot, is an impossibly long title, but accurately describes what you get - the first three titles from this great author and less than half the sale price from yesterday. I had the first one here as a review copy, but jumped all over this one and also picked up his other two books that are on sale: Every Living Thing and The Lord God Made Them All.

My old paperback copies are long worn out and I had even started looking for replacements before the Kindle came out, so I'm very happy to have found these at such a reasonable price (the entire series for than the list price of just one).

Book Description
Timeless stories from a country veterinarian about the animals and people that shape life in a sleepy English town

Perhaps better than any other writer, James Herriot reveals the ties that bind us to the natural world. Collected here are three of his masterpieces—All Creatures Great and Small, All Things Bright and Beautiful, and All Things Wise and Wonderful—which have been winning over animal lovers everywhere for almost fifty years. From his night visits to drafty barns during freezing northern England winters, to the beautiful vitality of rural life in the summertime, to the colorful menagerie of animals—and their owners—that pass through his office, Herriot vividly evokes the daily challenges and joys that come with being a veterinarian.

Witty and heartwarming, these classic books also feature an original introduction from the author’s son, Jim Wight, and bonus archival photos courtesy of the Herriot estate.

I also wanted to let those who need a solution for accessing their home or office computer remotely know that LogMeIn Ignition is currently half-price, $14.99, in the Amazon Appstore. I know it sounds like quite a bit, but the iPad edition is $40 and the Amazon/Android version usually $30. I've been using the free version of LogMeIn for years and love it (it crashes less and stays connected to the internet better than any other I've tried, although I'd still be using pcAnywhere if I still had fixed IP). I've already tried it out on the Kindle Fire (works great) and since I got it in the Appstore, I'll be able to load it on my phone and Asus Tablet (but not iPad) without further payment.

Book Description
LogMeIn Ignition lets you to take your home and office computers with you wherever you go. Directly control your Mac or PC, all your programs, and all your files from you Android mobile. Need to access an important presentation or document from your work computer while out of the office? Just tap open LogMeIn Ignition. Remotely access your computer as if you're sitting right in front of it. Run any business application like CRM, ERP, Salesforce, or Microsoft Office from your mobile device. Have your files and contacts with you at all times. Give colleagues or family IT support without going anywhere near their machine.

LogMeIn Ignition works on Android 1.5 and higher with LogMeIn software on your computer (LogMeIn Free or Pro), and has been optimized for Android tablets. The app offers intuitive and flexible navigation modes, including screen and mouse moves. Search computers to quickly locate which machine you want. Be in several places at once using the multiple monitor switch. Access the full onscreen keyboard to work remotely on all of your computers. Stream sound from your Windows-based PC using LogMeIn Pro. Set the app to Wake-On-LAN.