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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Today's Deals

One EU only freebie is now free in the US (and from B&N), while a number of others are now free from Sony and/or ChristianBook, for those that need straight EPUB:

Pandora Gets Jealous ($0.99), the first title in Carolyn Hennesy's Pandora / Mythic Miss-Adventures series for young teens, is today's Kindle Deal of the Day. The second title in the series, Pandora Gets Vain, is also currently bargain priced at $4.61.
Book Description
13-year-old Pandora Atheneus Andromaeche Helena (or Pandy, for short) has no idea what she'll bring for her school project. By accident she discovers a simple box, said to contain something so terrifying and horrible that no one must ever, ever touch it for fear of inflicting all of mankind with the wrath of the Gods and Goddesses. This, of course, makes the box the perfect thing for Pandora to bring for her school project. Unfortunately, things don't go quite the way she was hoping, and the box accidentally gets opened, unleashing all kinds of evil and misery into the world. Hauled before Zeus, Hera and the rest of immortals, Pandy's given the task of collecting all the evils within a year's time.!

Regarding Ducks and Universes ($1.54 / £0.99 UK), by Neve Maslakovic, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $7.95).
Book Description
On a foggy Monday in 1986, the universe suddenly, without warning, bifurcated. Fast-forward to 35 years later: Felix Sayers is a culinary writer living in San Francisco of Universe A who spends his days lunching at Coconut Cafe and dreaming of penning an Agatha Christie-style mystery. But everything changes when his Aunt Henrietta dies, leaving Felix a photograph of his father and himself--dated ten days before Felix was born. It can only mean one thing: Felix has an 'alter' in Universe B. Panicked that his mystery novel may exist already, Felix crosses to San Francisco B and proceeds to flagrantly violate the rules of both worlds by snooping around his alter's life. But when he narrowly escapes a hit-and-run, it becomes clear that someone knows he's crossed over... and whoever it is isn't happy about it. Now Felix must uncover the truth about his alter, the events of one Monday, and a wayward rubber duck before his time in both worlds runs out.

Living Large on Less ($3.40 Kindle, B&N), by Christina Spence, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.
Book Description
Have it All—for Half the Price

You work hard for your money. Wouldn't you like to get more for it? Living Large on Less is full of hundreds of ways to save money without drastically altering your lifestyle. You can eat the food you want, wear your favorite designer's clothes, take a dream vacation and throw a great party without breaking the bank. With this advice, you'll never pay full-price again.

Inside you'll find:
  • Practical, easy-to-implement ways to save serious money on everyday expenses, from groceries to housing to transportation
  • Fun, creative ideas for saving on luxuries, from fine dining to high fashion to travel
  • Simple, step-by-step instructions for setting and sticking to a budget
  • Effective strategies for defeating debt
You don't have to be a financial whiz (or even mathematically inclined) to manage your money. And you don't have to sacrifice all the things you love to save some cash. Just follow the simple ideas inside and you'll make your money stretch farther than you ever dreamed. And think of what you can do with that extra dough—pay off debt, finance an education, buy a house, or even retire early. Whatever your motivation, it's never too early (or too late) to start living large on less.

Free Book (Kindle/nook/EPUB) - Change.edu

Update: 12/7/11 Now free from Sony.
Update: Now free from Barnes & Noble.

Change.edu: Rebooting for the New Talent Economy, by Andrew S. Rosen, is free in the Kindle store. There have been a few chapters free before, but this appears to be the entire text -- if you are interested in education (fwhether for your kids or yourself or from the point of view of an educator or employer) and how it should be viewed in terms of preparing for being able to fit into the workplace later on (rather than graduating with >$100K in debt, but only being able to find a spot pulling espresso after graduation), you'll probably want to take a look.
Book Description
“The next twenty-five years offer an opportunity to transform the way students have learned for centuries. We will be able to deliver education to students where they are, based on their specific needs, desires, and backgrounds.”—Andrew S. Rosen

Imagine a university where programs are tailored to the needs of each student, the best professors are available to everyone, curriculum is relevant to the workplace – and the value of the education is demonstrable. In Change.edu, Andrew S. Rosen shows how that future is possible but in danger of being stifled by a system of incentives that emphasize prestige and tradition, rather than access and outcomes.

The U.S. higher education system has historically been considered one of the best in the world. This thought-provoking story presents the imperative for transforming that system for the 21st century and beyond. Rosen takes on the sacred cows of traditional higher education models, and calls on the country to demand the changes we need to build a qualified workforce and compete in a global economy. Change.edu is sure to open minds — and open doors to a wealth of opportunities.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from Sony.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Five Free Pre-Orders for Australians (Kindle)

Five more free pre-orders for Australians in the Kindle store (at least, until Harper catches it and fixes the prices). All of these are also discounted for those in the US, so I'm including the US price for anyone that wants to grab them. I don't expect any of them to end up free in the US or for them to remain free for long for those Down Under.

Every Which Way But Dead with Bonus Material ($1.99 US), by Kim Harrison
Book Description
For a limited time and at a reduced price, catch up with Rachel Morgan and the Hollow Series with Every Which Way But Dead at a special price! Also included is an exclusive sneak peek at Kim Harrison's new novel, Perfect Blood, available February 21st.

In Every Which Way But Dead, witch and former bounty hunter Rachel Morgan's managed to escape her corrupt company, survive living with a vampire, start her own runner service, and face down a vampire master.

But her vampire roommate Ivy is off the wagon, her human boyfriend Nick is out of town indefinitely and doesn't sound like he's coming back while the far-too-seductive vampire Kisten is looking way too tempting, and there's a turf war erupting in Cincinnati's underworld.

And there's a greater evil still. To put the vampire master behind bars and save her family, Rachel made a desperate bargain and now there's hell to pay--literally. For if Rachel cannot stop him, the archdemon Algaliarept will pull her into the sorcerous ever-after to forfeit her soul as his slave. Forever.

A Dream of Stone & Shadow ($1.99 US), a novella by Marjorie M. Liu, 2006 Nominee for the PRISM award, originally published in the anthology Dark Dreamers.
Book Description
There are those who do terrible things in this world, and those who simply watch. Charlie would do neither. Imprisoned, his only release is through his own destruction—or through Aggie Durand. Sweet as a kiss or a rescued child, she is the one dream he does not dare desire. As an agent of Dirk & Steele, she could be his salvation. Today, Charlie's dream is waking.

Devil's Bride with Bonus Material ($0.99 US), by Stephanie Laurens
Book Description
Where it all began. . . The Cynsters!

When Devil, the most infamous member of the Cynster family, is caught in a compromising position with plucky governess Honoria Wetherby, he astonishes the entire town by offering his hand in marriage. No one dreamed this scandalous rake would ever take a bride. And as society mamas swooned at the loss of England's most eligible bachelor, Devil's infamous Cynster cousins began to place wagers on the wedding date.

But Honoria wasn't about to bend society's demands and marry a man "just" because they'd been found together virtually unchaperoned. No, she craved adventure, and while solving the murder of a young Cynster cousin fit the bill for a while, she decided that once the crime was solved she'd go off to see the world. But the scalding heat of her unsated desire for Devil soon had Honoria craving a very different sort of excitement. Could her passion for Devil cause her to embrace the enchanting peril of a lifelong adventure of the heart?

Now with special bonus material, including Q&As with the author and a sneak peek at other books by Stephanie Laurens!

Sharpe's Christmas (n/a US), by Bernard Cornwell
Book Description
A Richard Sharpe short story, featuring scenes of action and adventure at Christmas.

Christmas, 1813, towards the end of the Peninsular War…

‘You’ll like Irati,’ Colonel Hogan said. ‘It’s a nothing place, Richard. Hovels and misery, that’s all it is and all it ever will be, but that’s where you’re going for Christmas.

’Because maybe the French were going there. The garrison planned to march at Christmas in the hope that their enemies would be too bloated with beef and wine to fight, but Hogan had got wind of their plans and was now setting his snares on the only two routes that the escaping French could use. One, the eastern road, was by far the easier route, for it entered France through a low pass, and Hogan guessed it was that route that the French would choose. But there was a second road, a tight, hard, steep road, and that had to be blocked as well and so the Prince of Wales’s Own Volunteers, Sharpe’s regiment, would climb into the hills and spend their Christmas at a place of hovels and misery called Irati.

There would be no getting bloated with beef and wine for Sharpe and his regiment this Christmas.


Steve Jobs: American Genius ($4.99 US), by Amanda Ziller
Book Description
Book description to come.

Free Book (Kindle) - The Flinch

The Flinch (US/UK), by Julien Smith, is free to pre-order in the Kindle store. This is from the Amazon Domino Project, so I don't expect to see the ebook in other stores. This one may remain free (at least, it appears that way from the description), but other Domino Project titles have risen in price after the pre-order period had expired.
Book Description
A book so important we refuse to charge for it.

Julien Smith has delivered a surprise, a confrontation, a book that will push you, scare you and possibly stick with you for years to come.

The idea is simple: your flinch mechanism can save your life. It shortcircuits the conscious mind and allows you to pull back and avoid danger faster than you can even imagine it’s there.

But what if danger is exactly what you need?

What if facing the flinch is the one best way to get what you want?

Here’s a chance to read the book everyone will be talking about, before they do.

What are you afraid of? Here's how to find out.

Free Book (Kindle/iBooks) - Shimmer (UK)

Shimmer (Main/UK), by Amanda Roberts, is free for UK customers in the Kindle store and from iTunes. This is the first of a planned series of novels very, very loosely based on the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing. Despite the publisher being shown as Harper, I don't think this one will be available at all for US readers.
Book Description
A 100% official Strictly Come Dancing novel, featuring the dancers, stars and judges you love!

What if an ordinary girl's Strictly dreams became a glittering reality?

Meet Amanda Roberts: a production runner on the set of Strictly Come Dancing, desperate to fit into the world of the dazzling and the beautiful. And when she discovers all the backstage drama, Amanda wonders if she is tough enough to survive.But then things start to change…

And incredibly she finds more GLITZ, more MAGIC and more ROMANCE than she could possibly have imagined.

Prepare to be dazzled as you tango into the glamour and mayhem of the world behind the glitter ball.

PREPARE TO BE SHIMMERED!
Get the free book from iTunes (UK).