Today's Deals 12/21

Happy Mayan Apocalypse Day! Don't forget to reset your calendar....

For those planning to be around for other holidays this month, be sure to pick up the new set of five free holiday songs, including one by Lady Antebellum.

Amazon's Holiday Deals will include a Lightning Deal on Happy Herbivore Abroad: A Travelogue and Over 135 Fat-Free and Low-Fat Vegan Recipes from Around the World at 9AM EST/6AM PST (Hardcover edition).

At Harlequin, Buy two, get one Harlequin TEEN book FREE!

At Kobo, you can get a free read of North Pole Glo, a Christmas short story by Jessica Wong and Sabrina Christo. Note that it only works on their devices or apps, there is no EPUB to download.

Blackstone Audio is giving everyone two free short stories over at Downpour.com: The Souls of the Ships, by Brian Freeman, and Romance, by Chuck Palahniuk.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is "more than 75 acclaimed books, today's deal includes a diverse selection of mysteries and thrillers, romances, literary fiction, and more" for $0.99 apiece. OK, I'm not going to try to list those, so click the link and shop away!. Amazon has divided the choices up by genre, so you can quickly get thru the to the books you are the most interested in. I didn't recognize many of the authors on this sale (although I do have several of the books in my library) and suspect they are mostly backlist from mid-list authors or new self-published titles.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is Song For Sophia ($0.99), by Moriah Densley.

Book Description
"If she truly knows her business, a woman has the mind of a diplomat, a general, and Cleopatra, all in one."

Anne-Sophia Duncombe is ruined, a victim of her father's high-stakes gambling. Stolen moments at the piano are her boon. Wilhelm Montegue is a washed up war hero, rumored insane. His "condition" - modern diagnosis: savant autism - is the source of his gift for composing music. Anne-Sophia and Wilhelm thought they had missed their chance for love, but anything can happen in the music room.

Anne-Sophia is in exile, hiding from her villainous father, Lord Chauncey, who tried to force her into marrying the repulsive Lowdry, his partner in crime. She outsmarted them and ran away, but loneliness is its own captivity. As a last resort before the convent, Sophia attempts a radical scheme--a life of humility and disguise.

Wilhelm Montegue, Earl of Devon, is a washed-up war hero who drinks too much, offends his neighbors with his harsh wit, and breaks furniture when his temper flares. Always in the shadow of scandal and absent from society, he is the subject of intense gossip. The town whispers that he is insane and guilty of unnatural proclivities. He is barely excused by his brilliant mind and swarthy good looks.

Lord Devon is bewildered that his newest housemaid has sparked such an irritating fascination in him. Why must she be the most exquisite woman he ever laid eyes on? Chaste and bound by honor, he vows to behave himself, even if her voice is a siren song. He knows she is keeping secrets, and he finds her scent of danger intoxicating . . . .
Sensuality Level: Sensual

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is Serpent's Kiss ($1.99), the second novel in the Beauchamp Family/Witches of East End series by Melissa de la Cruz. The first in the series, Witches of East End, is also on sale, at $3.03.

Book Description
The intriguing Beauchamp family, introduced in the New York Times bestselling Witches of East End, returns in Serpent's Kiss, with dizzying plot twists and spellbinding magic.

Joanna and her daughters, bookish Ingrid and wild-child Freya, are just settling into the newfound peace that has been cast over their small, off-the map town of North Hampton. With the centuries-old restriction against practicing magic lifted, casting spells, mixing potions, and curing troubled souls has never felt so good for the three witches. That is, until everything gets turned upside down--from Joanna's organized kitchen to Ingrid's previously nonexistent love life to Freya's once unshakeable faith in her sexy soul mate, Killian Gardiner.

When Freya's twin brother, Freddie, suddenly returns, escaped from Limbo and professing innocence on a long-ago crime, Freya should be ecstatic. The golden boy can do no wrong. Or can he? Freddie blames no other than her fiancÉ Killian for his downfall, and enlists Freya's help to prove it. Now Freya doesn't know who to believe or trust.

And for the first time in--well, forever, really--Ingrid is also busy in love. Matt Noble, the handsome and charming police detective, has won her heart. But can romance work between a virgin witch and a mortal who doesn't believe in magic? Things get even more complicated when it appears Ingrid is harboring the prime suspects in Matt's police investigation.

To add to the chaos, a dead spirit is attempting to make contact with Joanna--but does it mean to bring harm or help? Joanna asks her sort-of ex-husband Norman to help figure it out, only to accidentally invite him to a Thanksgiving dinner with a dapper gentleman she's recently begun dating.

As the witches pull together to discover the serpent within their midst and the culprit behind Freddie's imprisonment, everything is thrown into peril. Will the discovery come too late to save those they love most?

Melissa de la Cruz weaves all this and more in a blockbuster sequel that is not to be missed by her fans, and one that is sure to enchant new readers of the series.

Steve Jobs The Man Who Thought Different ($1.60 / £0.99 UK), by Karen Blumenthal, is the first Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $8.99).

Book Description
Inventor. Visionary. Genius. Dropout. Adopted. Steve Jobs was the founder of Apple and he was all of these things.
Steve Jobs has been described as a showman, artist, tyrant, genius, jerk. Through his life he was loved, hated, admired and dismissed, yet he was a living legend; the genius who founded Apple in his parent's garage when he was just 21 years-old, revolutionising the music world. He single-handedly introduced the first computer that could sit on your desk and founded and nurtured a company called Pixar bringing to life Oscar wining animations Toy Story and Finding Nemo.

So how did the man, who was neither engineer nor computer geek change the world we live in, making us want every product he touched?

On graduation day in 2005, a fifty-year-old Steve Jobs said: 'Today I want to tell you three stories from my life, That's it. Just three stories'. The first story is about connecting the dots. My second story is about love and loss. My third story is about death.
This is his story...

Critically acclaimed author Karen Blumenthal takes us to the core of this complicated and legendary man, from his adoption and early years through to the pinnacles of his career, his dismissal from his duties at Apple (for being too disruptive and difficult) to the graduation where he gave the commencement speech just 6 years before his death, giving life to what were soon to become some of most famous quotes of his career, ending with the message: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you." "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."

Seve: Golf's Flawed Genius ($1.60 / £0.99 UK), by Robert Green, is the second Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $9.99).

Book Description
A golfing legend with five major championships to his credit, Severiano Ballesteros was one of the game’s great heroes – charismatic, charming, fiery, unpredictable. His untimely death in May 2011, after a prolonged struggle with cancer, left his sport bereft.

Over the course of Seve’s career, no other golf writer enjoyed such regular contact with him as Robert Green – meetings, interviews, conversations and meals together, all of which led to a video and a golf instruction book. This book draws on the material and insights gathered during those collaborative years to capture the ‘real Seve’. It describes his family and upbringing in Spain and recalls his great on-course triumphs – not least his enormous role in the revival of the fortunes of the Ryder Cup, which thanks to him is today one of the world’s great sporting events – as well as his calamities. Dramatically and insightfully, Green recalls the great wins in the Open and the Masters, and also those titles that excruciatingly slipped from Seve’s grasp.

The book also examines Seve’s darker side: his controversial and very public spats with officialdom and his sometimes tempestuous private life, including his divorce from Carmen, the daughter of one of Spain’s wealthiest men and mother of his three children, to whom he was married for 17 years. And even after his death, his legacy could not rest.

Above all, though, it is Seve the golfer who takes centre stage, resulting in a portrait that does full justice to its colourful and mercurial subject. It is a story which will enthral all those who watched and admired this golfing icon throughout his remarkable career.

‘I look into their eyes, shake their hand, pat their back, and wish them luck, but I’m thinking, “I’m going to bury you.”’ Seve Ballesteros

Making Haye: The Authorised David Haye Story (1.60 / £0.99 UK), by Elliot Worsell, is the third Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $9.39).

Book Description
David 'The Hayemaker' Haye is the former WBA world heavyweight champion and the former undisputed (WBA, WBC and WBO) world cruiserweight champion. Haye is one of British boxing's most celebrated and successful ring champions of the modern era and has won twenty-four of twenty-six professional fights. He has twice been shortlisted for BBC Sports Personality of the Year and is now recognised as the face of British and world boxing. Haye was involved in the biggest heavyweight title clash for nearly a decade when he fought Wladimir Klitschko in July 2011, and the biggest domestic fight of 2012, when in a much-hyped grudge match he knocked out Dereck Chisora in five rounds.

His charismatic approach has reminded fight fans of a time when the heavyweight championship was the greatest prize in sport. This is the authorised story of how Haye reached this point, now updated to include the inside story behind Haye's stunning victory over Chisora, and details the ten-year rise of the boxer from a precocious World Amateur Champion. Crafted by close confidant Elliot Worsell, Making Haye offers behind-the-scenes, never-before-told insights into some of the most pivotal ring wars of David Haye's turbulent, and at times controversial, professional boxing career.

Edge of Apocalypse ($1.99 Kindle, B&N), the first title in the End series by Tim LaHaye and Craig Parshall, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle. It looks like this one was free a couple of years ago, but it's the same edition as is on sale today, so you should be able to see on the product page if you already have it and won't have to do a library search.

Book Description
Joshua Jordan, former U.S. spy-plane hero now turned weapons designer has come up with a devastatingly effective new missile defense system -- the Return to Sender laser weapon. But global forces are mounting against America, and corrupt White House and Capitol Hill leaders are willing to do anything to stop the nation's impending economic catastrophe -- including selling-out Joshua and his weapon. As world events begin setting the stage for the 'end of days,' Joshua is forced to consider not only the truth of the biblical prophecies preached by the pastor of his brilliant attorney- wife, but also what gut-wrenching price he is willing to pay to save the nation he loves.

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is four of Leslie Patricelli's Board Books for $1.99 apiece.

Filled with bright artwork and exuberant language, Leslie Patricelli's best-selling picture books for early readers star an adorable bald baby. Today only, save on four of the most memorable.

Age Level: 1 and up

Quiet LOUD

Sniffles are quiet, but sneezes are loud. Amiably illustrated in a bright, graphic style, Leslie Patricelli’s spirited board book, QUIET LOUD, stars an obliging, bald, and very expressive toddler who acts out each pair of opposites with comically dramatic effect.

Big Little

Ladies are big, but ladybugs are little. Amiably illustrated in a bright, graphic style, Leslie Patricelli’s spirited board book, BIG LITTLE, stars an obliging, bald, and very expressive toddler who acts out each pair of opposites with comically dramatic effect.

No No Yes Yes

Yanking cat by tail: no NO. Gentle pat on back: yes YES. And it’s funny how dumping a bowl of food gets a very different reaction from mastering the use of a spoon. An expressive baby demonstrates familiar behaviors — and their predictable responses — in an amusing board book that merits a giant YES!

Tubby

It’s time for a bath! Whee! And Baby obliges as only he can, playing with bubbles (and using them to make facial disguises from Santa’s beard to bunny ears), imitating a motorboat, and letting Mommy wash his single hair. And what would tubby time be without running away naked and shiny clean—only to be scooped up and tickled? A beloved bedtime ritual takes on new joy in Leslie Patricelli’s bright artwork, exuberant language, and simple, familiar scenes.

Today's Deals 12/20

Put off shopping until the last minute? Amazon is now giving everyone Free Two-Day Shipping on Kindle devices. Maybe you too can have this scene at Christmas?



Amazon posted a link to it on their website and I thought I'd share it with you.

Amazon has several hardcover cookbooks in the Holiday Book Deals today and Planet Barbecue! should be on sale there shortly.

Today's Audible Daily Deal is James Patterson's Along Came a Spider for $8.95. Members with credits can shot the James Patterson BOGO boutique (if you've used your credits up, then you should see an offer to buy 3 at a discount, up next to your name in the upper right corner of the page).

At Harlequin, Save 50% on featured Christmas books or ebooks, using coupon code HOHOHO50 at Checkout to claim this deal!

Additional formats on free books:

• Paradise Lost (K/N)
• Seven Wonders Journals: The Select (K/N)

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Terminal Value ($0.99), by Thomas Waite.

Book Description
"Be careful what you wish for." That’s a warning Dylan Johnson should have listened to. When his mobile computing firm is bought out by Mantric Technology, a red-hot company about to go public, it seems like a dream come true for the young entrepreneur and his partners. But the closer they get to payout, the more uncertain Dylan becomes.

Something doesn't feel right. When one of his colleagues is found dead on what should have been their night of triumph, Dylan is determined to find out what happened. But asking questions plunges him into a web of digital deceit and betrayal that will shake everything he thought he knew…

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is Woodrose Mountain ($1.99), by Raeanne Thayne.

Book Description
Evie Blanchard was at the top of her field in the city of angels. But when an emotional year forces her to walk away from her job as a physical therapist, she moves from Los Angeles to Hope's Crossing seeking a quieter life. So the last thing she needs is to get involved with the handsome, arrogant Brodie Thorne and his injured daughter, Taryn.

A self-made man and single dad, Brodie will do anything to get Taryn the rehabilitation she needs…even if it means convincing Evie to move in with them. And despite her vow to keep an emotional distance, Evie can't help but be moved by Taryn's spirit, or Brodie's determination to win her help—and her heart. With laughter, courage and more than a little help from the kindhearted people of Hope's Crossing, Taryn may get the healing she deserves—and Evie and Brodie might just find a love they never knew could exist.

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is A Kingdom Besieged ($0.99), the first novel in the Chaoswar Saga by Raymond E. Feist. The only reason not to grab this is if you already have it in your library! Or, I guess if you don't have a single person in the house that might, someday, read epic fantasy. You'll have plenty of time to finish reading it before the second volume in the series is released next Spring.

Book Description
After nearly thirty years and more than two dozen novels, Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar Cycle has become one of the most iconic, beloved, and enduring sagas in modern fantasy. The Riftwars—including the original Riftwar, the Serpentwar, the Darkwar, and the Demonwar—were epic battles between Good and Evil whose ramifications have echoed through generations. The latest entry in the epic, A Kingdom Besieged, ushers in the most fearsome threat the Kingdom has yet faced—the Chaoswar—a magic apocalypse with cataclysmic results.

A Kingdom Besieged

Years ago, the Empire of Great Kesh failed in its attempt to conquer Krondor after the Serpentwar, thanks to the bravery, cunning, and magic of the sorcerer Pug and the Conclave of Shadows. Since then, peace has benefitted both nations, and the Kingdom has been free from the threat of another Keshian invasion. Yet now, the dark clouds of war gather again. . . .

From the Far Coast in the west to the frontier with the Eastern Kingdoms, rumors, uncertainty, and political instability are rampant. Spies have gone missing—some were murdered while others have turned traitor. Factions are rising, powerful legions from the Keshian Confederacy have been mobilized, and an attack on the kingdoms of the Isles and Roldem is all but certain.

As the men of the Western Realm begin to mount a defense, Martin conDoin, the middle son of Lord Henry, Duke of Crydee, finds himself leading the charge against the invaders—like his legendary ancestor, Prince Arutha, who stood firm to the death against the Tsurani invasion. But Arutha had an entire army at his command. Martin has just a ragtag force comprised of a few old men and young boys.

As Kesh's invading hordes once again descend upon the Kingdom, no one is safe—not experienced masters of intrigue Lord James Dasher Jamison and the beguiling and deadly Lady Franciezka; not the brave warrior Knight-Adamant Sandreena and a new generation of loyal yet untested defenders; not even the great Pug himself, the most powerful magician the world of Midkemia has ever known. A threat far more terrifying has arisen, an evil whose burgeoning power portends Midkemia's demise. And soon even the Kingdom's enchanted defender will find himself questioning everything he's ever held abiding, true, and treasured . . . including the loyalty and desires of his beloved son, Magnus.

The Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK is three titles for £0.99 each (80% off).

Above Suspicion (Main/UK), by Lynda La Plante (US edition $5.99)

Young detective Anna Travis has been assigned to her first murder case - and it couldn't be a more shocking, more horrific set of killings. They began eight years before; now the body count is up to six. The method of killing is identical, the backgrounds of the girls very similar - all of them were drug-ridden prostitutes. Then a seventh body is found, same modus operandi but this time the victim is a young student, sweet and innocent, with the 'face of an angel'. The profile of the murderer has changed dramatically.

Anna stumbles on a vital piece of information which links one man to the killings. A household name, a much-loved actor who is about to become an international movie star. He has charm, good looks and the gift of the gab. Denial and protestations of innocence spring easily and confidently to his lips. An arrest, in the face of intense publicity, would create a media frenzy. And if he was found beyond doubt to be the wrong man, his career would be finished and Anna's hard fought-for reputation in the police force destroyed once and for all …

With absolute authenticity and extraordinary power, Lynda La Plante takes us deep into the criminal mind and the criminal world. And, in heroine Anna Travis, she has created another memorable and utterly engaging new female detective.

Want to Play? (Main/UK), by P. J. Tracy (US edition $9.99 titled Monkeewrench)

Want to Play? is the electrifying debut crime novel from PJ Tracy.

In this electrifying debut, the slaying of an old couple in small town America looks like one-off act of brutal retribution. But at the same time, in Minneapolis, teams of detectives scramble to stop a sickeningly inventive serial killer striking again in a city paralysed by fear.

When the two separate investigations converge on an isolated catholic boarding school, decades old secrets begin to fall away. It seems an old killer has resurfaced. Yet still the killer's real identity remains dangerously out of reach ...

Want to Play? introduces PJ Tracy's cult thriller characters Grace MacBride and Detectives Gino and Magozzi. Follow their journeys in subsequent works including Play to Kill and Dead Run.

Cemetery Girl (Main/UK), by David Bell (US edition $11.99)

In Cemetery Girl, David Bell's gripping psychological thriller, a father tries to uncover the secrets of his daughter's inexplicable disappearance.

Tom and Abby Stuart had everything: a perfect marriage, successful careers, and a beautiful twelve-year-old daughter, Caitlin. Then one day Caitlin vanished without a trace. For a while they grasped at every false hope and followed every empty lead, but the tragedy ended up changing their lives, overwhelming them with guilt and dread, and shattering their marriage.

Four years later, Caitlin is found alive-dirty and disheveled yet preternaturally calm. She won't discuss where she was or what happened. Then the police arrest a suspect connected to her disappearance, but Caitlin refuses to testify, leaving the Stuarts with a choice: Let the man who may be responsible for destroying their lives walk away, or take matters into their own hands. And when Tom decides to try to uncover the truth for himself, he finds that nothing that has happened yet can prepare him for what he is about to discover.

David Bell's Cemetery Girl will have readers biting their nails, and will accompany his new novel The Hiding Place. A real treat for all fans of Kate Atkinson, Dennis Lehane and Heather Gudenkauf.

The Toaster Project: Or A Heroic Attempt to Build a Simple Electric Appliance from Scratch ($2.99 Kindle, B&N), by Thomas Thwaites, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.

Book Description
"Hello, my name is Thomas Thwaites, and I have made a toaster." So begins The Toaster Project, the author's nine-month-long journey from his local appliance store to remote mines in the UK to his mother's backyard, where he creates a crude foundry. Along the way, he learns that an ordinary toaster is made up of 404 separate parts, that the best way to smelt metal at home is by using a method found in a fifteenth-century treatise, and that plastic is almost impossible to make from scratch. In the end, Thwaites's homemade toaster—a haunting and strangely beautiful object—cost 250 times more than the toaster he bought at the store and involved close to two thousand miles of travel to some of Britain's remotest locations. The Toaster Project may seem foolish, even insane. Yet, Thwaites's quixotic tale, told with self-deprecating wit, helps us reflect on the costs and perils of our cheap consumer culture, and in so doing reveals much about the organization of the modern world.

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is Six Holiday-Themed Picture Books for $1.99 each (80% off).

Turkey Claus, by Wendi Silvano (Author), Lee Harper (Illustrator)

Turkey needs Santa’s help so he won’t be eaten for Christmas dinner.

Turkey is in trouble. Again. He made it through Thanksgiving without becoming a turkey dinner, but now it’s almost Christmas, and guess what’s on the menu? Turkey decides the only thing to do is to ask Santa for help. He sets off for the North Pole, but getting in to see Santa at Christmastime isn’t as easy as Turkey expected. It’s going to take all his ideas—and his clever disguises—to find a way into Santa’s house. After many hilarious attempts, Turkey comes up with the perfect disguise, and Santa has the perfect solution! In this holiday treat, a companion to Turkey Trouble, Wendi Silvano’s story is once again matched with the watercolor artwork of Lee Harper.

Grade Level: Pre-K and up

The Twelve Days Of Christmas, by Gennady Spirin

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" is sung in churches, houses, and concert halls throughout the Christmas season. It would be hard to imagine a Christmas celebration without it. From the partridge in the pear tree to the five golden rings to the twelve drummers drumming, carolers enjoy taking turns singing different verses.

Gennady Spirin's sumptuous paintings bring new life and spectacular beauty to this classic song, making it a gift to be treasured at Christmastime. An Illustrator's Note is included which addresses the song's origin and history.

Sneezy the Snowman, by Maureen Wright (Author), Stephen Gilpin (Illustrator)

B-R-R-R-R! AH-CHOO! Sneezy the Snowman is cold, cold, cold. To warm up, he drinks cocoa, sits in a hot tub, stands near a warm fire – and melts! But the children know just what to do to build him up again – and make him feel "just right". Hilarity chills the air with playful mixed-media illustrations by Stephen Gilpin as Sneezy attempts to warm himself with some silly results.

Grade Level: 1st and up

The Reader, by Amy Hest (Author), Lauren Castillo (Illustrator)

In this timeless picture book, a new reader trudges through deep snow with a mysterious suitcase in tow. He has something important to share with his faithful companion, who bolts ahead to wait at the top of a tall hill. Our small hero climbs higher and higher, until finally, he is there, too. Then he opens his suitcase—click, click—and soon the only sound in the world is the sound of the reader reading their very favorite book to the very last page…the very last word.

Amy Hest’s spare evocative text is a true celebration of new readers and good friends everywhere, while Lauren Castillo’s pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, with their bold saturated colors against winter white, perfectly capture the wonder and delight of this magical day.

Grade Level: Pre-K and up

Snowzilla, by Janet Lawler

It snowed without stopping for week after week. When it ended at last, Cami Lou took a peek. She bundled and booted and zipped up her brother. “Let’s build a huge snowman unlike any other!” Cami Lou and her brother build the biggest, hugest, most mammoth snowman the world has ever seen. It’s Snowzilla! The snowman becomes an instant sensation, and tourists pour into the small town. But not everyone is impressed. Some say the giant snowman brings giant problems. Then a judge rules that Snowzilla must come down. Can Cami Lou and her brother save Snowzilla? This fun winter story combines rhyming text with adorable acrylic and colored pencil artwork.

Grade Level: Pre-K and up

Cock-a-doodle Christmas!, by Will Hillenbrand

When Old Rooster leaves the farm to live with his sister, young Harold takes over the job of waking the farm animals each morning. But Harold has a soft voice, and nobody can hear his cock-a-doodle-doo. Then one evening, the sky lights up and a miraculous birth takes place, causing Harold to shout the good news for all to hear. In this Christmas story, Will Hillenbrand shows with gouache, ink, and collage illustrations that even a small creature is changed by the birth of the Christ child.

Grade Level: 1st and up

Gluten Free Cooking Trio (K)

I've been watching for Blackbird Bakery Gluten-Free: 75 Recipes for Irresistible Desserts and Pastries ($3.99), by Karen Morgan and Knoxy (Photographer) , to drop in price since I was given a review copy. You can see a couple of the recipes in the free sample (something I wish more cookbooks would arrange, as so many samples don't give you any real feel for how the recipes will work).

Book Description
Celebrities such as Courteney Cox and Laura Dern love Blackbird Bakery for its famously scrumptious gluten-free desserts. Now these same sweets can be yours too, thanks to this beautiful cookbook that collects 75 delicious recipes for classic desserts and gorgeous French pastries, all made without gluten. Celiac disease is on the rise (more than 3 million Americans and an equal number of Europeans have been diagnosed), and millions more seek gluten-free products to supplement a healthy lifestyle. With this cookbook, gluten-conscious gluttons can dish up all sorts of delectable desserts -- anytime the craving strikes!

Gluten Free, Hassle Free ($2.99), by Marlisa Brown (a dollar less than when I bought this over the summer).

Book Description
Learning how to live gluten-free can seem so difficult and overwhelming- especially with all the mixed information out there. Gluten-Free, Hassle-Free shows you how easy and delicious it can be to go gluten-free! This down to earth, clear and friendly guide offers a wealth of simple and practical solutions, strategies, and shortcuts. It provides an easy-to-follow, three-step process for living a gluten-free life and eating your way back to health. In This Book You Will Find: Over 100 Delicious Gluten-Free Recipes Three Terrific Meal Plans Dining Out Cards in Fourteen Languages...and Much More

PLEASE NOTE ERRATA CORRECTION: An error in publication appears on page 49 of the Detailed Food Chart. The entry, Dinkle or spelt (S), is incorrect. The correct entry should be: Dinkle or spelt (NS).

Quintessential Quinoa Cookbook ($1.99), by Wendy Polisi, isn't an entirely gluten free cookbook, but many of the recipes in it are naturally gluten free and it appears it is well annotated for several common allergens.

Book Description
With over 200 pages of quinoa-inspired cuisine, The Quintessential Quinoa Cookbook is unlike any other quinoa cookbook. Inside you’ll find Wendy’s exclusive, hand-crafted recipes, photographs of every recipe, nutritional information for every recipe, and alternative ingredients and preparation methods. Included are vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, fast & easy, eating clean, quinoa recipes for kids, and even desserts! Let’s take a quick peek at the recipes included: Strawberry Spinach Quinoa Salad, Black Bean and Quinoa Tostadas, Quinoa Burgers, Almond Fudge Quinoa Brownies, Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Pizza, and much more!

Today's Deals 12/19

Enter the Amazon Music Gift Card Sweepstakes and you could win a $500 Gift Card.

Today's Audible Daily Deal is "Books from Our ACX Collection for $3.95 each". Looks like a number of really good deals and Wool Omnibus Edition (Wool 1 - 5) is only $1.99 (I suspect because I have the Kindle book).

At Harlequin, FREE stocking stuffers for your loved one. "These IOU coupons make perfect stocking stuffers for your loved one! Enjoy sharing this special little treat and put a smile on your loved one's face."

If you are a student or have an .EDU email address, you can sign up for Amazon Prime on the Amazon Student for half-price. Besides free 2-day shipping, Prime Instant Videos and the Kindle Lending Library, students also get special deals throughout the year. Not a student? Send the link on to any you know.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Pocket-47 ($0.99), a Nicholas Colt Thriller by Jude Hardin.

Book Description
Fifteen-year-old Brittney Ryan has taken to the streets. Leitha, her older sister and legal guardian, hires private investigator Nicholas Colt to find her and bring her home. Piece of cake, Colt thinks. With Brittney's forbidden boyfriend's address in hand, he plans to make a surprise visit and put this one in the scrapbook.But something more sinister is behind Brittney's disappearance, and Colt soon finds himself in an ever-widening maze of deceit, betrayal, and murder. When Colt learns what the mysterious phrase Pocket-47 means, he is haunted even more by the plane crash that killed his family and rock band twenty years ago-a crash he now realizes might not have been an accident.Determined to save Brittney, Colt struggles to untangle the threads of his own tortured past. Unfortunately, one of the most heinous and violent criminals in modern history has other ideas.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is The Laws of Love ($0.99), by Lisa White.

Book Description
Associate General Counsel Livi Miller believes she has reached the top rung of Hampton Steel’s corporate ladder. She is young, ambitious, and the best deal-maker Hampton Steel has seen since her boss started drinking. However, when her high school sweetheart Jake returns home from Iraq, Livi painfully discovers that having it all does not necessarily mean having it all at once.

When a newcomer threatens to destroy Hampton Steel, Livi is forced to make a decision: save her hometown or save her happiness.

Sensuality Level: Sensual

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is Wolf's Bluff ($1.99), The third title in the Nick Lupo series by Bram Stoker Award Nominee W. D. Gagliani. The first in the series, Wolf's Trap ($5), is what earned him the nomination and the second in the series, Wolf's Gambit, was a bargain book a couple of years ago (which is when I picked it up). I had a comment left yesterday that said you could read these books from the library, but here's an example of a series I can't find (electronically) at my library, but that that is much more affordable to read due to the bargains I've posted.

Book Description
Homicide cop -- and werewolf -- Nick Lupo has battled other werewolves before, killers who unlike Nick have no problem hunting human prey. So when a new series of savage animal attacks terrifies the area, Nick already has a suspect in mind. And he knows that if he's right it'll be up to him to destroy her. But even as he begins his surveillance, someone else is out there, watching them both. Someone with a very deadly plan. Someone who knows just what it takes to kill a werewolf.

The Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK is A Selection of 8 Books for £0.99 Each.

There's something for everyone in today's Kindle Daily Deal, from Christmas-themed crime to cutting-edge psychology. The eight books are: Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs, The Boy from Berlin by Michael Parker, Soul Dust by Nicholas Humphrey, Burned by Thomas Enger, The Sky's Dark Labyrinth by Stuart Clark, The Limit by Michael Cannell, If I Touched the Earth by Cynthia Rogerson and A Highland Christmas by MC Beaton.

The Given Day ($1.99 Kindle, B&N), by Dennis Lehane, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.

Book Description
Set in Boston at the end of the First World War, bestselling author Dennis Lehane's extraordinary eighth novel unflinchingly captures the political and social unrest of a nation caught at the crossroads where past meets future. Filled with a cast of richly drawn, unforgettable characters, The Given Day tells the story of two families—one black, one white—swept up in a maelstrom of revolutionaries and anarchists, immigrants and ward bosses, Brahmins and ordinary citizens, all engaged in a battle for survival and power. Coursing through the pivotal events of a turbulent epoch, it explores the crippling violence and irrepressible exuberance of a country at war with, and in the thrall of, itself.

Today's Kindle Teen Daily Deal is Wicked Lovely ($1.99), by Melissa Marr. Check your libraries on this one, as there was a Bonus edition free in early 2010.

Book Description
Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.

Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.

Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.

Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.

But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires.

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.

Faerie intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning 21st century faery tale.

Today's Deals 12/18

Join the festivities with 12 Days and 12 FREE comics during comiXology’s 12 Days of Gifting! Today, (until 1PM) get Happy #1, the first issue of the new image series for FREE today!

Today's Kindle Teen Daily Deal is Legend ($2.99), the first novel in the series by Marie Lu.

Book Description
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is The Devil of Nanking ($1.99), by Mo Hayder.

Book Description
With the redolent atmosphere of Ian Rankin and the spine-chilling characters of Thomas Harris, Mo Hayder's The Devil of Nanking, takes the reader on an electrifying literary ride from the palatial apartments of yakuza kingpins to deep inside the secret history of one of the twentieth century's most brutal events: the Nanking Massacre.

A young Englishwoman obsessed with an indecipherable past, Grey comes to Tokyo seeking a lost piece of film footage of the notorious 1937 Nanking Massacre, footage some say never existed. Only one man can help Grey. A survivor of the massacre, he is now a visiting professor at a university in Tokyo. But he will have nothing to do with her.

So Grey accepts a job in an upmarket nightspot, where a certain gangster may be the key to gaining the professor's trust. An old man in a wheelchair surrounded by a terrifying entourage, the gangster is rumored to rely on a mysterious elixir for his continued health. Taut, gritty, sexy, and harrowing, The Devil of Nanking is an incomparable literary thriller set in one of the world's most fascinating cities-Tokyo-from an internationally best-selling author.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is Love, Eternally ($0.99), the first title in the Roman Time Travel series by Morgan O'Neill.

Book Description
A witch's ancient curse propels talented flutist Gigi Perrin back to A.D. 408, to the court of the depraved Roman Emperor Honorius and his admirable sister, Princess Galla Placidia.

There, Gigi grapples with her disbelief about what has happened, and with the strange, new world of violent politics, social upheaval, and Visigoth barbarians straining at the very gates of an empire.

Through it all, she must struggle with her powerful attraction to a pagan senator and military commander, Quintus Magnus, a man exotically different from anyone she has ever known. On the brink of a dark and war-torn age, Gigi joins forces with Magnus, battling to save a princess and her people, and ultimately finding love amid the chaos, before the fall of Rome.

Sensuality Level: Sensual

Morgan O’Neill: Two authors writing as one, Cary Morgan Frates and Deborah O’Neill Cordes invite the reader on a journey to worlds of ancient splendor and abiding love.

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is Old Man's War ($2.99), by John Scalzi, with the companion audiobook for $3.95. This is a good price for those that didn't manage to grab it for free in 2008.

Book Description
John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army.

The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce--and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So: we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.

Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.

John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine--and what he will become is far stranger.

Trains and Lovers: The Heart's Journey ($1.60 / £0.99 UK), by Alexander McCall-Smith, is the first Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $11.99 pre-order).

Book Description
In the words of Alexander McCall Smith: 'You feel the rocking of the train, you hear the sound of its wheels on the rails; you are in the world rather than suspended somewhere above it. And sometimes there are conversations to be had, which is what the overarching story in this collection is all about. It is a simple device: people brought together entertain one another with tales of what happened to them on trains. It takes place on a journey I frequently make myself and know well, the journey between Edinburgh and London. It is best read on a train, preferably that one.'

The Invisible Circus ($1.60 / £0.99 UK), by Jennifer Egan, is the second Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $11.99).

Book Description
In Jennifer Egan's highly acclaimed first novel, set in 1978, the political drama and familial tensions of the 1960s form a backdrop for the world of Phoebe O'Connor, age eighteen.

Phoebe is obsessed with the memory and death of her sister Faith, a beautiful idealistic hippie who died in Italy in 1970. In order to find out the truth about Faith's life and death, Phoebe retraces her steps from San Francisco across Europe, a quest which yields both complex and disturbing revelations about family, love, and Faith's lost generation.

This spellbinding novel introduced Egan's remarkable ability to tie suspense with deeply insightful characters and the nuances of emotion.

The Still Point ($1.60 / £0.99 UK), by Amy Sackville, is the third Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $9.99).

Book Description
At the turn of the twentieth century, Arctic explorer Edward Mackley sets out to reach the North Pole and vanishes into the icy landscape without a trace. He leaves behind a young wife, Emily, who awaits his return for decades, her dreams and devotion gradually freezing into rigid widowhood. A hundred years later, on a sweltering mid-summer's day, Edward's great-grand-niece Julia moves through the old family house, attempting to impose some order on the clutter of inherited belongings and memories from that ill-fated expedition, and taking care to ignore the deepening cracks within her own marriage. But as afternoon turns into evening, Julia makes a discovery that splinters her long-held image of Edward and Emily's romance, and her husband Simon faces a precipitous choice that will decide the future of their relationship. Sharply observed and deeply engaging, "The Still Point" is a powerful literary debut, and a moving meditation on the distances - geographical and emotional - that can exist between two people.

No Proper Lady ($0.99 Kindle, B&N), by Isabel Cooper, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.

Book Description
Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year; Library Journal Best Book of the Year; RT Book Reviews Seal of Excellence and Finalist for Best Book of the Year

When a half-naked woman suddenly appears on his country estate, Simon Grenville doesn't have time to be shocked. Demonic beasts are hot on his heels until the beautiful stranger unsheathes several knives strapped to her skin-tight trousers and kills them. As he stares at her fierce, heart-stopping face, Simon knows he's in a hell of a lot of trouble...

Joan is from a time where demons run rampant and humanity is fighting for its existence. To prevent this terrible future, she is sent back to Victorian England to kill the magician responsible for unleashing the dark forces. But Joan is a soldier more used to sparring than dancing. To get close to her target, she'll need Simon to teach her how to fit into polite society. Joan doesn't mind practicing proper flirtation on Simon, but she can't allow herself to be distracted by his gentle hands or devilish smile-the very future depends on it.