Today's Deals

Here's an update on the shipping status for the various Kindle models (all for US shipping):

• Kindle (in stock)
• Kindle Paperwhite (week of Dec 21)
• Kindle Paperwhite 3G (week of Dec 21)
• Kindle Keyboard 3G (in stock)
• Kindle Fire (1-2 weeks)
• 7" Kindle Fire HD (in stock)
• 8.9" Kindle Fire HD (week of Dec 3)
• 8.9" Kindle Fire HD with 4G LTE wireless (week of Dec 10)

Maria over at Bear Mountain Books is giving away some Mystery and Urban Fantasy Books and bookbags! She made sure to pick titles that are available on both Nook and Kindle (and in print, in case you don't e-read).

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is Slugs in Love ($1.99), by Susan Pearson and Kevin O'Malley (Illustrator) .

Book Description
Marylou loves everything about Herbie—how his slime trail glistens in the dark, how he can stretch himself thin to squeeze inside the cellar window, and how he always finds the juiciest tomatoes. But Marylou is a shy slug. How can she get Herbie to notice her? Find out how Marylou woos her beloved in this must-have love story that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Grade Level: 1st and up

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Dead Spots ($1.99), an urban fantasy novel by Melissa F. Olson; the companion audiobook is $5.49. I'll definitely be reading the sample on this one today.

Book Description
Scarlett Bernard knows about personal space: step within ten feet of her, and any supernatural spells or demonic forces are instantly defused—vampires and werewolves become human again, and witches can’t get out so much as a “hocus pocus.” This special skill makes her a null and very valuable to Los Angeles’s three most powerful magical communities, who utilize her ability to scrub crime scenes clean of all traces of the paranormal to keep humanity, and the LAPD, in the dark.

But one night Scarlett’s late arrival to a grisly murder scene reveals her agenda and ends with LAPD’s Jesse Cruz tracking her down to strike a deal: he’ll keep quiet about the undead underworld if she helps solve the case. Their pact doesn’t sit well with Dash, the city’s chief bloodsucker, who fears his whole vampire empire is at stake. And when clues start to point to Scarlett, it’ll take more than her unique powers to catch the real killer and clear her name.

Trojan Horse ($1.59 / £0.99 UK), by Mark Russinovich, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $11.99). I really liked the first in this series, Zero Day, when I read it last year (in paper, since the ebook is staying over $10).

Book Description
It's two years post-Zero Day, and former government analyst Jeff Aiken is reaping the rewards for crippling al-Qaida's attack on the computer infrastructure of the Western world. His cyber-security company is flourishing, and his relationship with Daryl Haugen intensifies when she becomes a part of his team.

But the West is under the East's greatest threat yet. The Stuxnet virus that successfully subverted Iran's nuclear defense program for years is being rapidly identified and defeated, and Stuxnet's creators are stressed to develop a successor.

As Jeff and Daryl struggle to stay together, they're summoned to disarm the attack of a revolutionary, invisible trojan that alters data without leaving a trace. As the trojan penetrates Western intelligence, the terrifying truth about Iran is revealed, and Jeff and Daryl find themselves running a desperate race against time to reverse it - while the fate of both East and West hangs in the balance.

Like Zero Day, Trojan Horse is a thrilling suspense story, a sober warning from one of the world's leading experts on cyber-security, Microsoft Technical Fellow Mark Russinovich. Trojan Horse demystifies the already common use of international cyber-espionage as a powerful and dangerous weapon, and the lengths to which one man will go to stop it.

Young House Love: 243 Ways to Paint, Craft, Update & Show Your Home Some Love ($2.99 B&N), by Sherry & John Petersik, is the Nook Daily Find; no Kindle edition, but you can subscribe to their blog.

Book Description
Design ideas for every style, skill level, and budget, from the beloved couple behind YoungHouseLove.com

This debut book by bloggers Sherry and John Petersik is filled with hundreds of fun, deceptively simple, budget-friendly ideas for sprucing up a home. With two home renovations under their (tool) belts, 5 million blog hits per month, and an ever-growing audience since the launch of Young House Love in 2007, Sherry and John are home-improvement enthusiasts primed to pass on a slew of projects, tricks, and techniques to do-it-yourselfers of all levels. Whether an experienced decorator or a total novice, on a tight budget or with money to spend, any homeowner or apartment dweller will find ideas for his or her own home makeovers here. Learn to trick out a thrift-store mirror, spice up plain old roller shades, "hack" your Ikea table to create three distinct looks, and so much more.

Packed with 243 tips and ideas-both classic and unexpected-every project pictured was exclusively executed for the book (so there are no photos that you've already seen on the blog). With more than 250 photographs and illustrations, this is a book that readers will return to again and again for the creative projects and easy-to-follow instructions in the relatable voice the Petersiks are known for. Adding a little wow factor to your home has never been more fun!

Today's Deals

Today is the last day to take advantage of this KSO deal:

• Get 1 of 10 Kindle Romances for $1

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy ($1.99), a Newberry Honor Book by Gary D. Schmidt.

Book Description
It only takes a few hours for Turner Buckminster to start hating Phippsburg, Maine. No one in town will let him forget that he's a minister's son, even if he doesn't act like one. But then he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a smart and sassy girl from a poor nearby island community founded by former slaves. Despite his father's-and the town's-disapproval of their friendship, Turner spends time with Lizzie, and it opens up a whole new world to him, filled with the mystery and wonder of Maine's rocky coast. The two soon discover that the town elders, along with Turner's father, want to force the people to leave Lizzie's island so that Phippsburg can start a lucrative tourist trade there. Turner gets caught up in a spiral of disasters that alter his life-but also lead him to new levels of acceptance and maturity. This sensitively written historical novel, based on the true story of a community's destruction, highlights a unique friendship during a time of change.

Grade Level: 5 and up

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Devil's Bride ($1.99), the first novel in the Cynster series by Stephanie Laurens. The companion audiobook is $4.99.

Book Description
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?

Daughters for a Time ($1.59 / £0.99 UK), by Jennifer Handford, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $3.00).

Book Description
When Helen Francis was a child, her mother died and her father walked out, leaving her to be raised by her older sister. Now thirty-five, married, and trying to start a family of her own, Helen has moved on but never really healed from her traumatic childhood. She has always believed that a new baby would help fill the loss of what was taken from her at such a young age. After four years of trying to become pregnant, however, she is resigned to the fact that she will never be able to bear children. Halfheartedly accepting adoption as an alternative, Helen gradually embraces and grows excited over the prospect. And when her new baby is finally in her arms, true happiness washes over her. But her unimaginable bliss is dashed when she learns that Claire, the sister who raised and loved her throughout her childhood and adult life, has been diagnosed with cancer.

For Helen, the pain of her childhood returns and the old wounds of abandonment are once again torn open. Balancing the joy of her new daughter with the painful experience of watching her sister, the physical embodiment of unconditional love in her life, slowly die, Helen must reconcile her inner feelings and heal her broken spirit. A heart-wrenching exploration of the ties that bind us and the lasting pain of childhood loss,Daughters for a Time is about longing for a family to heal a broken heart, experiencing unconditional love as a parent, and finding solid ground to stand on when suffering and elation have equally powerful holds on our life.

Lethal Vintage ($10.44 $2.99 Kindle, B&N), the fourth title in Nadia Gordon's Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley series, is the Nook Daily Find; it isn't price matched on Kindle (yet), but Amazon has the better price on the third in the series, Murder Alfresco ($1.99). Hopefully it will drop on Amazon later today, so I can add it to the first three in the series in my library. Update: Now price matched on Kindle.

Book Description
In Lethal Vintage, the fourth installment in the Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley mystery series, an old friend calls Sunny for help dealing with her boyfriend, a hedge fund billionaire with a wine country estate fit for a king. Sunny joins her for what she thinks will be a day of girl talk and poolside sunbathing. Instead, a day of gustatory decadence turns into a night of scandal and debauchery culminating in murder. By morning, the police are pounding on doors, and Sunny is more than a witness she s a potential suspect. Sunny and her friends sous chef Rivka Chavez, winemaker Wade Skord, and valley wine merchant and bon vivant Monty Lenstrom offer an insider s take on the foodie culture of Napa as they try to help Sunny stay out of trouble. Steeped in good food, great wine, and plenty of summer heat, Lethal Vintage is a fun read for anyone who s ever wondered what goes on in those mansions above the vines.

Bargain Book Roundup (K)

French Classics Made Easy: More Than 250 Great French Recipes Updated and Simplified for the American Kitchen ($2.51), by Richard Grausman, might be the perfect gift for a Julia Child fan that doesn't have time to spend in the kitchen all day.

Book Description
Classic French food is hotter than ever. But one thing hasn’t changed—few of us have the time, the patience, the technique, or the cream and butter allowance to tackle the classics as presented by Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The good news is—we don’t need to. For the past 40 years Richard Grausman, America’s premier culinary teacher, has been training American chefs in a simpler, better way of French cooking, and in French Classics Made Easy—a refreshed and updated edition of his original collection, At Home with the French Classics—he shares all of his extraordinary innovations and techniques. Golden soufflés in ten minutes. A light and luscious chocolate mousse that can be made as a cake, a chocolate roll, soufflé, or pudding. Plus Cassoulet, Boeuf Bourguignon, Coq au Vin, Bouillabaisse, Poached Salmon with Beurre Blanc—in all, 250 impeccably clear, step-by-step recipes in range of anyone who knows how to boil water or dice an onion.

When a step isn’t critical, Grausman eliminates it. If something can be done in advance, he does it. Plus he’s cut the amount of butter, cream, egg yolks, salt, and sugar; the result is health-conscious recipes that don’t compromise the essential nature of the dish. Techniques are illustrated throughout in line drawings. It’s the grandness of French cuisine, made accessible for both entertaining and everyday meals.

Frozen Heat ($5.40), the latest novel by the television character Richard Castle, looks to be a price match to Google, so could go up at any time; I've had this one on my wish list for a while, so jumped at this price.

Book Description
Hot on the heels of Richard Castle's #1 New York Times bestseller Heat Rises comes the fourth novel in the Nikki Heat series, Frozen Heat. Nikki Heat and Jameson Rook are together again, facing an unsolved murder mystery that has haunted Nikki for ten years.

NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat arrives at her latest crime scene to find an unidentified woman stabbed to death and stuffed inside a suitcase left on a Manhattan street. Nikki is in for a big shock when this new homicide connects to the unsolved murder of her own mother. Paired once again with her romantic and investigative partner, top journalist Jameson Rook, Heat works to solve the mystery of the body in the suitcase while she is forced to confront unexplored areas of her mother's background.

Facing relentless danger as someone targets her for the next kill, Nikki's search will unearth painful family truths, expose a startling hidden life, and cause Nikki to reexamine her own past. Heat's passionate quest takes her and Rook from the back alleys of Manhattan to the avenues of Paris, trying to catch a ruthless killer. The question is, now that her mother's cold case has unexpectedly thawed, will Nikki Heat finally be able to solve the dark mystery that has been her demon for ten years?

Wanted: Undead or Alive ($1.99), the twelfth novel in the Love at Stake series by Kerrelyn Sparks; you can also pick up the novella, A Very Vampy Christmas, for 99 cents (originally published in Sugarplums and Scandal), and the fifth in the series, All I Want for Christmas Is a Vampire, for $1.99, in case you missed it last time it was on sale, as well as put in a pre-order for the new anthology Vampires Gone Wild.

Book Description
He's a vampire from the big city . . .

Phineas McKinney thought New York City was tough, until he was attacked by Malcontents—evil vampires who consider mortals to be snacks. Saved by the good vampires, Phin swore to devote his now undead life to stopping the Malcontents. He's got his job cut out for him when word comes that their enemy may be hiding in Wyoming. What does a city boy like him know about horses and campfires? Good thing he's got Brynley Jones with him . . . if only she didn't hate every vampire on earth.

She's a werewolf princess . . .

Bryn believes vampires are seductive and charming, and that makes them dangerous. So she's more than a little annoyed about teaming up with Phin, even if he is the only bloodsucker able to make her inner wolf purr. But as they hunt down the new leader of the Malcontents, danger threatens . . . and Phineas and Brynley discover a passion that will rock the foundation of their supernatural world.

Forced to Kill ($1.99), the second novel in the Nathan McBride series by Andrew Peterson

Book Description
Trained Marine sniper Nathan McBride is the sole survivor of Montez de Oca, the brutal Nicaraguan interrogator who tortured countless souls to death before vanishing fourteen years ago. Though McBride’s body—as well as his soul—still bear the scars from the interrogator’s blade, he dares to hope the worst is behind him.

But when the FBI recovers a mutilated body from a remote Utah lake, McBride needs just one glimpse to know the truth: Montez de Oca has resurfaced, this time on American soil. And McBride will be damned if he lets him escape again. So begins a quest for justice that will push McBride to the edge, pitting his capacity for mercy against his hunger for vengeance in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse that will reach into the highest levels of the US government.

China Moon Cookbook ($2.51), by Barbara Tropp and Sandra Bruce (Illustrator); I sent a sample of this one to my Fire to look thru.

Book Description
The "Julia Child of Chinese cooking" (San Francisco Chronicle), Barbara Tropp was a gifted teacher and the chef/owner of one of San Francisco's most popular restaurants. She was also the inventor of Chinese bistro, a marriage of home-style Chinese tastes and techniques with Western ingredients and inspiration, an innovative cuisine that stuffs a wonton with crab and corn and flavors it with green chili sauce, that stir-fries chicken with black beans and basil, that tosses white rice into a salad with ginger-balsamic dressing.

Casual yet impeccable, and as balanced as yin and yang, these 275 recipes burst with unexpected flavors and combinations: Prawn Sandpot Casserole with Red Curry and Baby Corn; Spicy Tangerine Beef with Glass Noodles; Pizzetta with Chinese Eggplant, Wild Mushrooms, and Coriander Pesto; Chili-Orange Cold Noodles; Sweet Carrot Soup with Toasted Almonds; Wok-Seared New Potatoes; Crystallized Lemon Tart; and Fresh Ginger Ice Cream.

Winner of an IACP/Julia Child Cookbook Award.

Buy One Get One Free Audible Sale

Today (Nov 28) only, Audible is having a member only, Buy One Get One Free sale for those buying audiobooks using credits. There are 100+ books to choose from, sorted into five general categories; just add two at a time to the special cart and checkout, which will use a single credit.

Today's Deals

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Promise Not to Tell ($1.99), by Jennifer McMahon.

Book Description
Forty-one-year-old school nurse Kate Cypher has returned home to rural Vermont to care for her mother who's afflicted with Alzheimer's. On the night she arrives, a young girl is murdered—a horrific crime that eerily mirrors another from Kate's childhood. Three decades earlier, her dirt-poor friend Del—shunned and derided by classmates as "Potato Girl"—was brutally slain. Del's killer was never found, while the victim has since achieved immortality in local legends and ghost stories. Now, as this new murder investigation draws Kate irresistibly in, her past and present collide in terrifying, unexpected ways. Because nothing is quite what it seems . . . and the grim specters of her youth are far from forgotten.

More than just a murder mystery, Jennifer McMahon's extraordinary debut novel, Promise Not to Tell, is a story of friendship and family, devotion and betrayal—tautly written, deeply insightful, beautifully evocative, and utterly unforgettable.

Whatever You Love ($1.59 / £0.99 UK), by Louise Doughty, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $7.99).

Book Description
Two police officers knock on Laura's door and her life changes forever. They tell her that her nine-year old daughter Betty has been hit by a car and killed. When justice is slow to arrive, Laura decides to take her own revenge and begins to track down the man responsible. Whatever You Love is a heart-wrenching novel of revenge, compulsion and desire from acclaimed novelist Louise Doughty.

Behind Closed Doors ($2.30 Kindle, $2.99 B&N), by Shannon McKenna, is the Nook Daily Find, better than price matched on Kindle (and about half what I paid last Spring).

Book Description
Surveillance expert Seth Mackey knows everything about the women his millionaire boss Victor Lazar toys with--and tosses aside. But Lazar's latest plaything, Raine Cameron, is different. Beautiful. Vulnerable. And innocent. Just looking at her triggers a white-hot passion Seth can barely control as night after night, he watches her on a dozen different video screens. Raine is pure temptation, but Seth can't slip up: he's convinced Lazar had his half-brother murdered. His secret investigation--and his life--are on the line. But then he finds out that Raine may be Lazar's next victim...

Raine knows she's being watched--but no one can see the secrets in her heart. She has reasons of her own to seek revenge on Victor Lazar, and she will, despite her fear--and the distracting presence of Seth Mackey. His fiercely masculine good looks and animal sensuality stir her most erotic fantasies when she's alone...and lead her to a bold plan. Offering her body to him, surrendering totally to his ruthless desire, might well push her beyond all emotional limits--and beyond fear itself.

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is A Dragon Moves In ($1.99), by Lisa Falkenstern.

Book Description
Rabbit and Hedgehog are having a picnic when... RUMBLE! CRACK! The egg Rabbit’s sitting on hatches. Out comes a baby dragon! Rabbit and Hedgehog take him home. They have lots of fun... until the baby dragon starts to grow. And Grow. And GROW! The artwork rendered in oil on board gives a classic touch to this appealing story.

Grade Level: 1st and up