Starbucks $10 for $5 Deal

Over at LivingSocial, you can buy a $10 Starbucks gift card for $5. Once paid for, you can go into "My Vouchers" and simply print off the gift "card". If you already have a Starbucks account, you can then register the card to your account, so that purchases on it will count towards your free drink rewards or transfer the funds from it onto your main gift card. The latter is what I did, which saved even having to print out the physical paper and keep track of it.

Today's Deals

Diane Duane has a post-Labor Day sale on the complete 9-book set of the Young Wizards novels at 50% off, for those that haven't bought this bundle in the past. That should work out to about $20 for the set, using coupon code MORNINGAFTER (once again, you enter the code AFTER you've signed in to PayPal or entered your credit card info). Like all the books in her store, you get a DRM-free download, with both MOBI and EPUB, so you can use it on the reader of your choice.

For my Australian readers that might be looking to pick up a Kindle Keyboard, check your local Woolworths - apparently some of them (at least Milleara S/C in Victoria) have them out on sale for $69 (less than half the regular price).

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Two Mitch Albom Books for $1.99 apiece.

Have a Little Faith: A True Story

What if our beliefs were not what divided us, but what pulled us together

In Have a Little Faith, Mitch Albom offers a beautifully written story of a remarkable eight-year journey between two worlds--two men, two faiths, two communities--that will inspire readers everywhere.

Albom's first nonfiction book since Tuesdays with Morrie, Have a Little Faith begins with an unusual request: an eighty-two-year-old rabbi from Albom's old hometown asks him to deliver his eulogy.

Feeling unworthy, Albom insists on understanding the man better, which throws him back into a world of faith he'd left years ago. Meanwhile, closer to his current home, Albom becomes involved with a Detroit pastor--a reformed drug dealer and convict--who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof.

Moving between their worlds, Christian and Jewish, African-American and white, impoverished and well-to-do, Albom observes how these very different men employ faith similarly in fighting for survival: the older, suburban rabbi embracing it as death approaches; the younger, inner-city pastor relying on it to keep himself and his church afloat.

As America struggles with hard times and people turn more to their beliefs, Albom and the two men of God explore issues that perplex modern man: how to endure when difficult things happen; what heaven is; intermarriage; forgiveness; doubting God; and the importance of faith in trying times. Although the texts, prayers, and histories are different, Albom begins to recognize a striking unity between the two worlds--and indeed, between beliefs everywhere.

In the end, as the rabbi nears death and a harsh winter threatens the pastor's wobbly church, Albom sadly fulfills the rabbi's last request and writes the eulogy. And he finally understands what both men had been teaching all along: the profound comfort of believing in something bigger than yourself.

Have a Little Faith is a book about a life's purpose; about losing belief and finding it again; about the divine spark inside us all. It is one man's journey, but it is everyone's story.

Ten percent of the profits from this book will go to charity, including The Hole In The Roof Foundation, which helps refurbish places of worship that aid the homeless.

For One More Day

"Every family is a ghost story . . ."

Mitch Albom mesmerized readers around the world with his number one New York Times bestsellers, The Five People You Meet in Heaven and Tuesdays with Morrie. Now he returns with a beautiful, haunting novel about the family we love and the chances we miss.

For One More Day is the story of a mother and a son, and a relationship that covers a lifetime and beyond. It explores the question: What would you do if you could spend one more day with a lost loved one

As a child, Charley "Chick" Benetto was told by his father, "You can be a mama's boy or a daddy's boy, but you can't be both." So he chooses his father, only to see the man disappear when Charley is on the verge of adolescence.

Decades later, Charley is a broken man. His life has been crumbled by alcohol and regret. He loses his job. He leaves his family. He hits bottom after discovering his only daughter has shut him out of her wedding. And he decides to take his own life.

He makes a midnight ride to his small hometown, with plans to do himself in. But upon failing even to do that, he staggers back to his old house, only to make an astonishing discovery. His mother--who died eight years earlier–-is still living there, and welcomes him home as if nothing ever happened.

What follows is the one "ordinary" day so many of us yearn for, a chance to make good with a lost parent, to explain the family secrets, and to seek forgiveness. Somewhere between this life and the next, Charley learns the astonishing things he never knew about his mother and her sacrifices. And he tries, with her tender guidance, to put the crumbled pieces of his life back together.

Through Albom's inspiring characters and masterful storytelling, readers will newly appreciate those whom they love--and may have thought they'd lost--in their own lives. For One More Day is a book for anyone in a family, and will be cherished by Albom's millions of fans worldwide.

A Kind of Loving ($1.57 / £0.99 UK), by Stan Barstow, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (no US Kindle edition, but on Audible it's $11.95).

Book Description
Stan Barstow's landmark 'Brit-Lit' novel of the sixties immortalized Vic Brown, the amiable working class lad from the North and led the way for author's like Nick Hornby writing similar slice-of-life drama. Still as fresh and alive today, it spawned two sequels: The Watchers on the Shore (1966) and The Right True End (1976). First published in 1960, it has long been used as a set text in British schools. It has also been translated at various times into a film starring Alan Bates (1962) of the same name, a television series (1973) starring Clive Wood, a radio play and a stage play. A Kind of Loving was the first of a trilogy, published over the course of sixteen years, that followed hero Vic Brown through marriage, divorce and a move from the mining town of Cressley to London.

The Grifters ($9.99 Kindle, $1.99 B&N), by Jim Thompson, is the Nook Daily Find; despite being an Agency publisher, this ones isn't price matched yet on Kindle.

Book Description
To his friends, to his coworkers, and even to his mistress Moira, Roy Dillon is an honest hardworking salesman. He lives in a cheap hotel just within his pay bracket. He goes to work every day. He has hundreds of friends and associates who could attest to his good character.

Yet, hidden behind three gaudy clown paintings in Roy's pallid hotel room, sits fifty-two thousand dollars--the money Roy makes from his short cons, his "grifting." For years, Roy has effortlessly maintained control over his house-of-cards life--until the simplest con goes wrong, and he finds himself critically injured and at the mercy of the most dangerous woman he ever met: his own mother.

THE GRIFTERS, one of the best novels ever written about the art of the con, is an ingeniously crafted story of deception and betrayal that was the basis for Stephen Frears' and Martin Scorsese's critically-acclaimed film of the same name.

The 39 Clues: The Cahill Files #3: The Redcoat Chase ($3.03 Kindle, $3.35 B&N), by Clifford Riley, is the Nook Daily Find for Families; once again, it doesn't appear to have dropped in price at all at B&N and is lower on Kindle. If it keeps this up, I'll be dropping this item from the Daily Deals posts.

Book Description
A brand new adventure from the world of The 39 Clues!

After 500 years, the Cahill family's most dangerous secrets are about to be revealed. Read at your own risk . . .

With the British marching on Washington under the command of a Vesper General, it's up to a young Madrigal in 1812 to save a treasure hidden in the White House. However, the enemy will stop at nothing to seize the artifact, even if it means burning the city to the ground.

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is Princess Academy ($1.99), by Shannon Hale; this was supposed to be the Nook Family Find yesterday, but the price never dropped.

Book Description
Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. Sent to an academy to learn how to become a princess, Miri soon finds herself confronted with a harsh mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and even bandits intent on kidnapping the future princess.

Grade Level: 5 and up

Today's Deals

The Fictionwise Coupon for the weekend is good for 30% off: 090112

Today's Free Android App, Dungeon Scroll, combines a typical dungeon trawl with a Scrabble type word game.

Warren Adler is repeating his Mourning Glory giveaway.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is The Sleeping Night ($1.99), by Barbara Samuel (Bell Bridge Books).

Book Description
A triumphant tale of forbidden love that will delight Barbara Samuel’s many romance fans while tackling the serious issue of racism in our not-so-distant past.

An unforgettable romance in an unforgiving time.

They’ll need love and courage to see the dawn.

He's a hometown native, returning from the war, determined to change the world he'd fought to protect. She's the girl who's been his secret friend since childhood, now a beautiful woman.

Her war-time letters kept him alive. But he's black, and she's white.In 1946 in Gideon, Texas, their undeniable love might get them both killed.

The First Time: True Tales of Virginity Lost and Found ($1.57 / £0.99 UK), by Kate Monro, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (no US edition).

Book Description
A groundbreaking and very personal insight into modern sexuality. Losing our virginity … it happens to all of us. How did it happen for you? What do other people think and feel about it? In February 2007, Kate Monro went on a mission to find out. She decided to ask as many people as possible - how did you lose your virginity? Men and women, old and young, gay, straight, Christian and Muslim; the stories range from the funny and the sad to the happy and occasionally, the unbelievable. Thus was born her much reviewed blog, The Virginity Project, and now this book. How do we define the loss of our virginity? What, if any, impact does the first time have on the rest of our lives? And in some cases how do we know for sure when that moment has occurred? After all sorts of conversations with all sorts of people, Kate will reveal the truth about other people’s most intimate sexual stories. She also discovers that the answers are not always as straightforward as you might think.

The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk ($11.96 paperback, $3.99 B&N, $3.49 Kobo - coupon eligible), by Jennifer Niven, is the Nook Daily Find, better than price matched at Kobo. There is no Kindle edition for this title, but a second biography of hers that Hyperion has marked down in is available in both stores: Ada BlackJack: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic ($3.03 Kindle, $3.43 B&N)

The Ice Master
The Karluk set out in 1913 in search of an undiscovered continent, with the largest scientific staff ever sent into the Arctic. Soon after, winter had begun, they were blown off course by polar storms, the ship became imprisoned in ice, and the expedition was abandoned by its leader. Hundreds of miles from civilization, the castaways had no choice but to find solid ground as they struggled against starvation, snow blindness, disease, exposureand each other. After almost twelve months battling the elements, twelve survivors were rescued, thanks to the heroic efforts of their captain, Bartlett, the Ice Master, who traveled by foot across the ice and through Siberia to find help. Drawing on the diaries of those who were rescued and those who perished, Jennifer Niven re-creates with astonishing accuracy the ill-fated journey and the crews desperate attempts to find a way home.

Ada BlackJack
The gripping and inspiring tale of a woman's survival alone in the Arctic.

In 1921, four men and one woman ventured deep into the Arctic. Two years later, only one returned.

When 23-year-old Inuit Ada Blackjack signed on as a seamstress for a top-secret Arctic expedition, her goal was simple: earn money and find a husband. But her terrifying experiences -- both in the wild and back in civilization -- comprise one of the most amazing untold adventures of the 20th century. Based on a wealth of unpublished materials, including Ada's never-before-seen diaries, bestselling author Jennifer Niven narrates this true story of an unheralded woman who became an unlikely hero.

Princess Academy ($4.87 Kindle, $5.45 B&N), by Shannon Hale, is the Nook Daily Find for Families; there doesn't seem to be any price drop at B&N, though, and it's better than price matched on Kindle.

Book Description
Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. Sent to an academy to learn how to become a princess, Miri soon finds herself confronted with a harsh mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and even bandits intent on kidnapping the future princess.

Grade Level: 5 and up

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat, Are You Waking Up? ($1.99), by Bill Martin Jr., Michael Samplson and Laura J. Bryant (Illustrator). Requires Kindle Fire, Kindle Cloud Reader, Kindle for iPad or Kindle for Android.

Book Description
Kitty Cat should be getting ready for school, but instead, she's practicing her purr, looking for her socks, chasing a little mouse, and more. Will Kitty Cat make it out of the house in time for school? Adorable pastel illustrations rendered in watercolor paints and colored pencil bring Kitty Cat so close you'll want to reach out and touch her!

Grade Level: Pre K and up

Today's Deals

Amazon has a new Coinstar bonus going on: Pour $20 for any Amazon.com Gift Card at Coinstar, get $5 in MP3s. I may try to get down to our Coinstar this afternoon and give it a try (most of the ones that create gift cards accept bills); the only limit I see is "per transaction", so I will even try to add two to my account to see if that works. It does say you can't combine it with any other offers, so you can't use it with the $3 Off MP3 AmazonLocal voucher, which has to be used today, btw. This new offer expires September 23, 2012 and you must use the credit by October 31, 2012.

I checked with Kobo on the Romance50 (50% off Romance Bestsellers; exp Sep 9) discount code - you can buy as many of the qualifying books as you want and use the code on each one.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Shelter ($2.99), a young adult novel by internationally bestselling author Harlan Coben. This is the first novel in his new Mickey Bolitar series, with the next, Seconds Away, due out in September.

Book Description
Mickey Bolitar's year can't get much worse. After witnessing his father's death and sending his mom to rehab, he's forced to live with his estranged uncle Myron and switch high schools.

A new school comes with new friends and new enemies, and lucky for Mickey, it also comes with a great new girlfriend, Ashley. For a while, it seems like Mickey's train-wreck of a life is finally improving - until Ashley vanishes without a trace. Unwilling to let another person walk out of his life, Mickey follows Ashley's trail into a seedy underworld that reveals that this seemingly sweet, shy girl isn't who she claimed to be. And neither was Mickey's father. Soon, Mickey learns about a conspiracy so shocking that it makes high school drama seem like a luxury - and leaves him questioning everything about the life he thought he knew.

First introduced to readers in Harlan Coben's latest adult novel, Live Wire, Mickey Bolitar is as quick-witted and clever as his uncle Myron, and eager to go to any length to save the people he cares about. With this new series, Coben introduces an entirely new generation of fans to the masterful plotting and wry humor that have made him an award-winning, internationally bestselling, and beloved author.

Nobody Loves a Ginger Baby ($1.57 / £0.99 UK), by Laura Marney , is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (no US edition).

Book Description
Everybody’s on anti-depressants. They’re all suffering from Post Romantic Stress Disorder. Not being happy all the time makes them unhappy and stressed. Nowadays, not being happy is deeply unfashionable and therefore quite intolerable, and so everybody’s (secretly) on the happy pills.

Bertha chucks Donnie who goes out with Daphne and begs her not to chuck him but then he chucks her and returns to Bertha who inevitably chucks him again. Carol has uninhibited sex which ends with her panty liner stuck to the bottom of someone’s shoe. Donnie, after a mystery bite in a Third World country, thinks he’s incubating a nest of spiders up his bum. Daphne gets fat. She makes soup all the time and wonders if Woolworths sell a hosepipe to fit a Vauxhall Vectra. Pierce is a fat balding womaniser whose only steady relationship is with a cup at the sperm bank. He’s the only one not on anti-depressants, and he’s the hero.

But it’s not all sniffles and tears. After a few undignified deaths and some life-affirming events it all ends cheerily enough with Pierce saving the day and everybody taking a metaphorical shake to themselves.

Crossroads Cafe ($1.99 Kindle, B&N), by Deborah Smith, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle (and with a different cover than shown at B&N). If you've been following this blog for a while, you may find this one in your library (it was free Christmas Eve, 2009).

Book Description
A beautiful woman, scarred for life. A tortured man, seeking redemption. Brought together by fate in a small town high in the majestic Appalachian mountains. Live. Love. Believe. "Beauty is in the lie of the beholder." Heartbroken and cynical, famed actress Cathyrn Deen hides from the world after a horrific accident scars her for life. Secluded in her grandmother's North Carolina mountain home, Cathyrn at first resists the friendship of the local community and the famous biscuits served up by her loyal cousin, Delta, at The Crossroads Cafe, until a neighbor, former New York architect Thomas Mitternich, reaches out to her. Thomas lost his wife and son in the World Trade Center. In the years since he's struggled with alcohol and despair. He thinks nothing and no one can make his life worth living again. Until he meets Cathyrn.

Fablehaven ($6.39 Kindle, $6.71 B&N), by Brandon Mull, is supposed to be the Nook Daily Find for Families, but it seems to be full price (and the description is in Spanish). The only real bargain I see for the series is that you can get Fablehaven: The Complete Series for $21.81, which works out to just over $4/volume.

Book Description
For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite. . .

Kendra and her brother Seth have no idea their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws give relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, an arcane evil is unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to face the greatest challenge of their lives. To save her family, Fablehaven, and perhaps the world, Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears most.

Today's Kindle Teen Daily Deal is Flowers for Algernon ($2.99), by Daniel Keyes. This ones get a "definitely recommended" - I replaced my paperback copy during the Award-Winning Books for $1 KSO offer in January.

Book Description
With more than five million copies sold, Flowers for Algernon is the beloved, classic story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse. In poignant diary entries, Charlie tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment seems to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance--until Algernon begins his sudden, unexpected deterioration. Will the same happen to Charlie?

An American classic that inspired the award-winning movie Charly.

Free Audiobook - The Brotherhood

Christianaudio's free audiobook this month is The Brotherhood ($10.19 Kindle; $14.95 Audible), by Jerry B. Jenkins, narrated by Johnny Heller. For those that like to read along, also check your Kindle library, as this was free last October.

Book Description
Boone Drake has it made. He’s a young cop rising rapidly through the ranks of the Chicago Police Department. He has a beautiful wife and a young son, a nice starter house, a great partner, and a career plan that should land him in the Organized Crime Division within five years. Everything is going right. Until everything goes horribly, terribly wrong. His personal life destroyed and his career and future in jeopardy, Boone buries himself in guilt and bitterness as his life spirals out of control. But when he comes face-to-face with the most vicious gang leader Chicago has seen in decades, he begins to realize that God is a God of second chances and can change the hardest heart . . . and forgive the worst of crimes.

A thought-provoking police thriller from New York Times best-selling author Jerry B. Jenkins.

Get the free audio download from Christianaudio and scroll down the page for two more in the series that are discounted to $4.98 for the month, along with Left Behind and a selection from Bill Myers.

The checkout process is very streamlined (a coupon code is no longer required), as is the download process (no longer do you have to download each part of the book separately). You can also send a gift download of the free audiobook to someone else!

After finishing your order, download a zip file with the entire audiobook: select MP3 if you want to be able to play the book on your Kindle (M4B for the iOS, iTunes or QuickTime). Unzip the contents to the \audiobooks directory on your Kindle (not \music) in order to have audiobook controls and see it on your Kindle home page.