Today's Deals 1/11

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Fujisan ($1.99), by Randy Taguchi and Raj Mahtani (Translator), with the companion audiobook also $1.99 .

Book Description
From acclaimed Japanese author Randy Taguchi come four unforgettable stories of redemption, discovery, loss, and remembrance anchored by one of the world’s holiest peaks. Mount Fuji has been a source of spiritual inspiration since it was first ascended by a monk over a millennium ago.

“Blue Summit” introduces a former cult member struggling to maintain his escape from a mountain monastery, seeking solace in the fluorescent lights of the convenience store he manages. In “Sea of Trees,” three teenage boys who share a fascination with the metaphysical confront the startling realities of death and despair on their final adventure together before parting ways for different schools. “Jamila” chronicles a privileged young man’s descent into disillusionment as he works with a compulsive hoarder to clear her mess. And in “Child of Light,” a nurse struggles as she comes to terms with her role in the oft-brutal cycle of birth, life, and death.

Throughout the stories, Mount Fuji stands sentinel even as it fades in and out of view—watching and remembering as it always has.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is The Wanting Heart ($0.99), by Rionna Morgan.

Book Description
Katherine White, a barrel racer from Colorado, lives in a fast-paced world where rhinestones shine, hooves pound, and dreams come true. She plans on winning World Champion Barrel Racer and being with her friends until she graduates from college.

She doesn’t plan on the man who broke her heart strolling back into her life. She doesn’t plan on finding solace in a charming stranger’s smile or falling victim to his knife.

Blake Spencer, the man who broke her heart, is all cowboy - from the hat on his head to the dust on his boots. He thought it’d be easy, coming back to town, bowing his head a little, saying he was sorry, and all would be forgiven. But what he didn’t know, what he didn’t plan on, was that the girl he thought he loved had become the woman he couldn’t have. If he doesn’t succeed in changing her mind, it won’t only cost him Kate’s love - it will cost Kate her life.

Will Kate survive the stalking of a serial killer and find what her heart truly wants?

Sensuality Level: Sensual

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is 100 Years of Vicissitude ($1.99), by Andrez Bergen.

Book Description
"First up, a disclaimer. I suspect I am a dead man. I have meagre proof, no framed- up certification, nothing to toss in a court of law as evidence of a rapid departure from the mortal coil. I recall a gun was involved, pressed up against my skull, and a loud explosion followed."

Thus begins our narrator in a purgatorial tour through twentieth-century Japanese history, with a ghostly geisha who has seen it all as a guide and a corrupt millionaire as her reluctant companion.

Thrown into the milieu are saké, B-29s, Lewis Carroll, Sir Thomas Malory, Melbourne, 'The Wizard of Oz', and a dirigible - along with the allusion that Red Riding Hood might just be involved.

The Woodcutter ($1.59 / £0.99 UK), by Kate Danley, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $3.99/KLL Eligible with companion audiobook $1.99).

Book Description
Deep within the Wood, a young woman lies dead. Not a mark on her body. No trace of her murderer. Only her chipped glass slippers hint at her identity.

The Woodcutter, keeper of the peace between the Twelve Kingdoms of Man and the Realm of the Faerie, must find the maiden’s killer before others share her fate. Guided by the wind and aided by three charmed axes won from the River God, the Woodcutter begins his hunt, searching for clues in the whispering dominions of the enchanted unknown.

But quickly he finds that one murdered maiden is not the only nefarious mystery afoot: one of Odin’s hellhounds has escaped, a sinister mansion appears where it shouldn’t, a pixie dust drug trade runs rampant, and more young girls go missing. Looming in the shadows is the malevolent, power-hungry queen, and she will stop at nothing to destroy the Twelve Kingdoms and annihilate the Royal Fae…unless the Woodcutter can outmaneuver her and save the gentle souls of the Wood.

Blending magic, heart-pounding suspense, and a dash of folklore, The Woodcutter is an extraordinary retelling of the realm of fairy tales.

Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings ($7.99 Kindle, $1.99 B&N), by Christopher Moore, is the Nook Daily Find.

Book Description
Just why do humpback whales sing? That's the question that has marine behavioral biologist Nate Quinn and his crew poking, charting, recording, and photographing very big, wet, gray marine mammals. Until the extraordinary day when a whale lifts its tail into the air to display a cryptic message spelled out in foot-high letters: Bite me.

Trouble is, Nate's beginning to wonder if he hasn't spent just a little too much time in the sun. 'Cause no one else on his team saw a thing -- not his longtime partner, Clay Demodocus; not their saucy young research assistant; not even the spliff-puffing white-boy Rastaman Kona (né Preston Applebaum). But later, when a roll of film returns from the lab missing the crucial tail shot -- and his research facility is trashed -- Nate realizes something very fishy indeed is going on.

By turns witty, irreverent, fascinating, puzzling, and surprising, Fluke is Christopher Moore at his outrageous best.

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is Old MacDonald Had a Dragon ($1.99), by Ken Baker and Christopher Santoro (Illustrator).

Book Description
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O! And on that farm he had . . . a dragon? The animals aren’t happy that there’s a dragon on the farm. But Old MacDonald likes his dragon . . . until it starts swallowing up the animals! Can Old MacDonald save his farm before it’s too late? Find out in this silly adaptation of the popular song. Christopher Santoro’s brilliant artwork combines with Ken Baker’s fun text for a story sure to tickle kids’ funny bones.

Grade Level: Pre-K and up

This book features Kindle Text Pop-Up for reading text over vivid, full-color images when using Kindle Fire/HD or select Kindle Reading Apps (Kindle Cloud Reader, Kindle for iPad or Kindle for Android); unlike some other Text Popup books, this one won't work on any of the eInk Kindles.

Free Audiobook - Speeches and Writings of Abraham Lincoln

The MP3 download edition of Speeches and Writings of Abraham Lincoln ($17.49 Audible), narrated by Alan Sklar, is free direct from Tantor Media.

Book Description
From Lincoln's personal letters to the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, and many more, this vital collection of speeches and writings gives listeners a uniquely intimate view of America's sixteenth president.

Abraham Lincoln was undeniably one of the most influential politicians in American history. In this collection of letters, speeches, and other writings by Lincoln, listeners can gain a uniquely intimate perspective on the sixteenth president of the United States. From personal letters to friends and family to Lincoln's speeches as an Illinois state legislator and a United States Representative, from his first inaugural address to the Emancipation Proclamation and the famous Gettysburg Address, Lincoln addresses such important political issues as slavery and states' rights and relates his personal views on marriage and depression. Also included are Lincoln's eulogy for Henry Clay, a letter of condolence for one of the Civil War's first casualties, the second inaugural address, Lincoln's last public address, his last written words, and many more. A vital glimpse into the mind of one of America's greatest statesmen, this is a must-listen for anyone interested in Lincoln's life and legacy.

Get the free ebook from Tantor Media, along with a bonus PDF ebook when you download the complete ZIP file from your library.

Today's Deals 1/10

Today's Gold Box at Amazon is with "Save up to 45% on strength & balance equipment from Gaiam, SPRI & Reebok" and includes the Gaiam Balance Ball Chair.

Today's free MP3, Guitarist by Rich Barry, is a very nice classical guitar album that you don't want to miss.

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is Hug Time ($1.99), by Patrick McDonnell, the creator of the MUTTS comic strip.

Book Description
There was once a kitten so filled with love he wanted to give the whole world a hug! And so Jules the kitten (also known in the Mutts cartoons as "Shtinky Puddin'") goes down the stairs to hug his friends, then all the birds in the park--and then he travels the world, hugging all those he meets! As Jules learns, a hug is the simplest--but kindest--gift we can give. And you can start giving right here, right now with the one who's closest to you. A joyous story about sharing love with a gently environmental theme.

Grade Level: P and up

This book features Kindle Text Pop-Up for reading text over vivid, full-color images when using Kindle Fire/HD or select Kindle Reading Apps (Kindle Cloud Reader, Kindle for iPad or Kindle for Android); unlike some other Text Popup books, this one won't work on any of the eInk Kindles.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is The Center of Everything ($1.99), by Laura Moriarty. Check your libraries, though - this book was only a penny in May '11 on both Kindle and Nook, so you may already have it.

Book Description
Critics and readers everywhere stood up and took notice when Laura Moriarty's captivating debut novel hit the stores in June '03. Janet Maslin of the New York Times praised The Center of Everything as "warm" and "beguiling." USA Today compared the scrappy yet tenderhearted Evelyn Bucknow to Scout Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. It garnered extensive national attention; from Entertainment Weekly to the Boston Globe and the San Francisco Chronicle, the press raved about the wisdom and poignancy of Moriarty's writing. The Book-of-the-Month Club snatched it up as a Main Selection, as did the Literary Guild. It was a USA Today Summer Reading Pick, a BookSense Top 10 Pick, and a BN.com book club feature title. And still, months after The Center of Everything's original publication date, reviews and features of the book continue to run nationwide.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is Aris Returns: A Vampire Love Story ($1.99), by Devin Morgan.

Book Description
Psychologist Sarah Hagan thought she had her life under control. She pulled herself together after a painful (and unexpected) divorce. She’s currently dating a successful but neglectful attorney—a relationship that is adequate, if not totally satisfying. She has a few good friends, lives in a beautiful condo in the heart of Chicago, and loves her work as a therapist. From the outside, it looks like her life is almost perfect.

It only takes one patient -- a handsome younger man named Carlos who is on parole for car theft -- to put her well-ordered life into a tailspin. As she regresses him with hypnotherapy, she discovers an unusual presence. Is this some elaborate alter ego that Carlos has created or is something much stranger going on? In Sarah’s attempt to help Carlos deal with his issues of anger and a troubled past, she is captivated by the persona she uncovers through hypnosis – Aris. Aris reveals that he is a vampire whose story begins in the time of Alexander the Great. His retelling of his lives, involvement and apparent demise in the court of Henry VIII keep her spellbound and hungry for more.

On top of grappling with a phantom vampire, Sarah begins to have the most disturbing (and sensual) dreams. They awake the emotion, passion and vulnerability that she thought she had buried for good. The dreams both terrify and excite her as she struggles to make sense out of her world turned upside down. Sarah genuinely cares about Carlos as a patient and wants to help him find his way to a better life, but he has brought chaos, confusion and danger into her neatly buttoned-up reality. And if that’s not enough to deal with, she is inexplicably drawn to Aris in a way she can’t begin to rationalize. Can Sarah possibly love this vampire “ghost” or will he destroy everything she treasures?

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is Shambling Towards Hiroshima ($1.99), by James Morrow.

Book Description
In the tradition of Godzilla as both a playful romp and a parable of the dawn of the nuclear era, this original satire blends the destruction of World War II with the halcyon pleasure of monster movies. In the summer of 1945 war is reigning in the Pacific Rim, while in the U.S., Syms Thorley continues his life as a B-movie actor. But the U.S. Navy would like to use Thorley in their top-secret Knickerbocker Project, putting the finishing touches on the ultimate biological weapon: a breed of gigantic, fire-breathing, mutant iguanas. Thorley is to don a rubber suit that will transform him into the merciless Gorgantis and star in a film that simulates the destruction of a miniature Japan—if the demonstration succeeds, the Japanese will surrender, sparing thousands of lives; if it fails, the mutant lizards will be unleashed. Godzilla devotees and history buffs alike will be fascinated by this conspiratorial secret history of a war, a weapon, and an unlikely hero who will have to give the most convincing performance of his life.

Island of Wings ($1.59 / £0.99 UK), by Karin Altenberg, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $9.99).

Book Description
Longlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction

1830. Neil and Lizzie MacKenzie, a newly married young couple, arrive at the remotest part of the British Isles: St Kilda. He is a minister determined to save the souls of the pagan inhabitants; his pregnant wife speaks no Gaelic and, when her husband is away, has only the waves and the cry of gulls for company. As both find themselves tested to the limit in this harsh new environment, Lizzie soon discovers that marriage is as treacherous a country as the land that surrounds her.

The Kashmir Shawl ($12.99 Kindle, $2.99 B&N), by Rosie Thomas, is the Nook Daily Find. Since Penguin is still an Agency pricing publisher, this should be price matched on Kindle sometime today.

Book Description
Over three decades of writing, bestselling novelist Rosie Thomas has earned an untold number of awards and glowing critical praise. Like Penny Vincenzi, Thomas has long enthralled readers around the world. Her latest, The Kashmir Shawl, is her most ambitious and captivating book yet and is currently dominating the bestseller lists in London. It is 1941 and World War II has engulfed the globe. Newlywed Nerys Watkins leaves rural Wales for the first time in her life, to accompany her husband on a missionary posting to India. When her husband leaves her in the exotic lakeside city of Srinagar to take on a more dangerous mission, Nerys discovers a new world. Here, in the heart of romantic Kashmir, the colonists dance, flirt, and gossip as if there is no war. Nerys becomes caught up in a dangerous liaison, and by the time she is reunited with her husband, she is a different woman.

Years later, when Mair Ellis clears out her dead father's house, she finds an exquisite shawl. Wrapped in its folds is a lock of child's hair. Tracing her grandparents' roots back to Kashmir, Mair embarks on a quest that will change her life forever . . .

A sweeping multigenerational tale of marriage, isolation, and finding love in a magical place, The Kashmir Shawl is the inimitable Rosie Thomas at her very best.

Today's Deals 1/9

Amazon's Android Appstore Free App today is Herd Herd Herd TM Deluxe and the Appstore Deals listing for it claims that "All bonus packs FREE today for Free App of the Day". To get these, download the app and open it - then go to the Shop option on the main menu. You should see a $0.00 price next to all the bonus packs - grab them today, while they are free.

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is Duck! Rabbit!, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld. It's supposed to be priced at $1.99, but so far, the price is stuck at $9.39; if you want this one, I'd call Kindle customer support and see if they'll get the price fixed or do a credit so you can can get the price advertised. Update: The price has been corrected and it's now $1.99.

Book Description
From author of Little Pea, Little Hoot, and Little Oink comes a clever take on the age-old optical illusion: is it a duck or a rabbit? Depends on how you look at it. Readers will find more than just Amy Krouse Rosenthal's signature sense of humor here--there is also a subtle lesson for kids who don't know when to let go of an argument. This is a smart, simple story that will make readers of all ages eager to take a side, Duck! Rabbit! makes it easy to agree on at least one thing: reading it again!

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is In the Land of the Long White Cloud ($1.99), by Sarah Lark and D.W. Lovett (Translator), with the companion audiobook also $1.99.

Book Description
Helen Davenport, governess for a wealthy London household, longs for a family of her own—but nearing her late twenties, she knows her prospects are dim. Then she spots an advertisement seeking young women to marry New Zealand’s honorable bachelors and begins an affectionate correspondence with a gentleman farmer. When her church offers to pay her travels under an unusual arrangement, she jumps at the opportunity.

Meanwhile, not far away in Wales, beautiful and daring Gwyneira Silkham, daughter of a wealthy sheep breeder, is bored with high society. But when a mysterious New Zealand baron deals her father an unlucky blackjack hand, Gwyn’s hand in marriage is suddenly on the table. Her family is outraged, but Gwyn is thrilled to escape the life laid out for her.

The two women meet on the ship to Christchurch—Helen traveling in steerage, Gwyn first class—and become unlikely friends. When their new husbands turn out to be very different than expected, the women must help one another find the life—and love—they’d hoped for.

Set against the backdrop of colonial nineteenth-century New Zealand, In the Land of the Long White Cloud is a soaring saga of friendship, romance, and unforgettable adventure.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is One Hit Wonder ($0.99), by Denyse Cohen.

Book Description
At nearly thirty, Audrey is stumbling through her own life. When she posts on Facebook her frustration at being laid-off, a long-lost childhood friend offers her a gig to photograph his wannabe rock band on tour. Her Brazilian mother believes it’s fate; Audrey believes it’s the power of DSL.

Inside a rundown Winnebago with the all-male band, her cynicism is only matched by her fear of being taken for a groupie. Despite her own resistance, she falls for the one member who keeps her at a distance. Then John writes a song that reveals his pent-up emotions for her and propels the band to instant stardom.

Audrey must choose between working with the band or pursuing her own accomplishments, a decision that creates room for the complications of fame to creep in between her and John. Despite their connection, they find themselves facing jealousy, betrayal, and a gut-wrenching sorrow that could unravel their relationship.

Sensuality Level: Behind closed doors

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is The Zombie Bible: Strangers in the Land ($1.99), by Stant Litore, with the companion audiobook also $1.99.

Book Description
Stant Litore’s The Zombie Bible retells biblical tales and ancient history as episodes in humanity’s long struggle with hunger … and with the hungry dead.

Four must stand against the dead. The aging prophetess Devora. Hurriya, the slave girl. Zadok, a legend among warriors. And the widower Barak, who has sworn to defend his homeland from a migration of walking corpses greater than has ever been seen.

Devora is all too familiar with the unclean dead. She was there when her mother was pulled screaming from her tent by zombies. And when her mother rose, famished for flesh, it was Devora's hand that ended her hunger. Now Devora has struck an uneasy alliance with those she fears most among the living. Yet the strangers in the land must stand together if they are to rid the land of its curse.

The Rest is Silence ($1.59 / £0.99 UK), by Carla Guelfenbein and Katherine Silver, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (no US edition).

Book Description
As the adults sit down to gossip over a long wedding lunch and the rest of the children rush off to play, a young boy slips out of sight beneath the table. Tommy is twelve years old but his weak heart prevents him from joining his cousins’ games, so he sets his MP3 player to record the voices chattering above him. But then the conversation turns to his mother’s death and he overhears something he was never meant to know: that she didn’t die of an illness, but took her own life. Confused and hurt, Tommy keeps what he has learned to himself and begins his own secret investigation into what really happened. At the same time, his father and stepmother have problems of their own to contend with. Juan is racked by private grief and guilt after the death of one of his patients, and Alma, his second wife, senses an increasing distance in their marriage and gradually finds herself drawn back towards an old flame. As all three withdraw into their own worlds, leaving more and more unsaid between them, their family story moves inexorably, affectingly towards its devastating conclusion.

Winners Never Cheat: Even in Difficult Times, New and Expanded Edition ($10.35 Kindle, $1.99 B&N), by Jon Huntsman, is the Nook Daily Find. This has been free several times in the last couple of years, so you most likely have it in your library and if not, it is likely to be free again. If you don't want to wait, it is likely to drop on Kindle by late afternoon.

Book Description
The nationwide bestseller--fully updated for today’s tough times and worldwide financial crises

“Everyone does it.” Everyone cheats. Cuts corners. Tells lies. Maybe it was different once. Not today. If you want to succeed in this economic climate, you simply have to make compromises. Right?

Wrong. You can succeed at the highest levels, without sacrificing the principles that make life worth living. The proof? You’re holding it.

Jon M. Huntsman built a $12 billion company from scratch, the old-fashioned way: with integrity. There were short-term costs and difficult decisions. There were tough times. Times just like today. But ultimately, leading with integrity wasn’t just personally right for Huntsman, it also proved to be the best business strategy.

In Winners Never Cheat, Huntsman tells you how he did it, and how you can, too. This book is about remembering why you work, and why you were chosen to lead. It’s about finding the bravery to act on what you know is right, no matter what you’re up against.

It’s about winning. The right way.

Think about the kind of person you want to do business with. Then, be that person--and use this book to get you there.

Author royalties from this book go to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation

Today's Deals 1/8

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

• $2 Credit on Apps and Games

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Dead In Red ($1.99), a Jeff Resnick Mystery by L.L. Bartlett.

Book Description
Sometimes it seems like murder and mayhem follow Jeff Resnick, challenging his psychic “sixth sense” to solve crimes. Since the vicious mugging that changed his life, he’s tried to keep his unwanted gift in check. But when a bartender at his favorite watering hole is murdered, visions of a sparkling red woman’s high-heeled shoe and a pair of bloody hands linger in his mind--and hit too close to home. When Jeff’s older brother, Richard, last helped him with an investigation, it nearly cost him his life. Still, Richard is determined to tag along as Jeff is drawn into the seamy world of fetishes and drag queens to find a murderer before another life is taken.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is Under the Moon ($0.99), the first title in the Goddesses Rising series by Natalie J. Damschroder. Be careful if searching on your Kindle, as there are two editions and only the one linked here is on sale.

Book Description
Their power gives them strength…and makes them targets.

Quinn Caldwell is the epitome of a modern goddess. Her power source is the moon, her abilities restricted only by physical resources and lunar phase. She runs a consulting business and her father’s bar, serves on the board of the ancient Society for Goddess Education and Defense, and yearns for Nick Jarrett, professional goddess protector and the soul mate she can never have.

But someone has developed the rare and difficult ability to drain a goddess of her powers, and Quinn is a target. With the world thinking Nick has gone rogue (whatever that means) and that Quinn is influenced by “family ties” she didn’t know she had, keeping themselves safe while working to find the enemy proves harder each day.

But not as hard as denying their hearts…

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is Technomancer ($1.99), the first novel in the Unspeakable Things series by B.V. Larson, another of the indie-authors gone mainstream that Amazon now publishes under their 47North imprint. The companion audiobook is also $1.99.

Book Description
A new kind of alien invasion…

When Quentin Draith wakes up in a private sanatorium, he has no memory of who he is or how he received the injuries riddling his body. All he knows is that he has to get out, away from the drugs being pumped into him and back to the real world to search for answers. His first question: How did his friend Tony’s internal organs fill with sand, killing him in a Las Vegas car crash?

After a narrow escape, he tracks down the basic facts: he is an investigator and blogger specializing in the supernatural—which is a good thing, because Quentin’s life is getting stranger by the minute. It seems he is one of a special breed, a person with unusual powers. He’s also the prime suspect in a string of murders linked by a series of seemingly mundane objects. The deeper he digs and the harder he works to clear his name, the more Quentin realizes that some truths are better off staying buried…

How to Destroy the Universe: And 34 Other Really Interesting Uses of Physics ($1.59 / £0.99 UK), by Paul Parsons, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $10.19).

Book Description
How do you generate a force field? Could you survive falling into a black hole? How do you turn lead into gold? If you thought physics was all about measuring the temperature of ice in a bucket or trying to fathom what E=mc squared means, think again. In a series of intriguing, entertaining and often extraordinary scenarios How to Destroy the Universe brings to life 35 key physics ideas in a way that anyone can understand. Read this book and you'll find out how to save the planet from energy shortages by mining the vacuum of empty space, engineer the Earth's climate to reverse the effects of global warming and fend off killer asteroids. You'll learn essential survival skills such as how to live through a lightning strike, how to tough it out during an earthquake and how to fall into a black hole without being turned into spaghetti. And you'll also discover how to turn lead into gold, how to travel to the centre of the Earth, how to crack supposedly unbreakable codes and how to use physics to predict the stock market. So if you want to get to grips with the science behind relativity, antigravity and parallel universes, or if you are really more interested in learning how to teleport, travel through time or achieve immortality, this is the perfect introduction to the astonishing world of modern physics.

Live Life Right Here Right Now: Make Every Day Your Best Day ($9.99 Kindle, $3.99 B&N), by Carole Lewis.

Book Description
Many people spend a majority of their time living either in the past or in the future. Those who live in the past are often filled with regret, replaying again and again decisions that might have led to a better today. Those who live in the future often forget that it’s the decisions they make today that will shape tomorrow. In this inspirational title, Carole Lewis challenges readers to treasure today and make it the very best day of their lives! Live Life Right Here, Right Now shows readers how to become the person they’ve always wanted to be by living into the joys and trials that today brings along. Carole’s message is simple: We cannot change the past, but making today count will have a profound effect on our future.

Today's Kindle Teen Daily Deal is Beta ($2.99), the first novel in a new series by Rachel Cohn.

Book Description
Elysia is created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen-year-old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of a teenage clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to exist.

Elysia’s purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air induces a strange, euphoric high, which only the island’s workers—soulless clones like Elysia—are immune to.

At first, Elysia’s life is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesne’s human residents, who should want for nothing, yearn. But for what, exactly? She also comes to realize that beneath the island’s flawless exterior, there is an under­current of discontent among Demesne’s worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care—so why are overpowering sensations cloud­ing Elysia’s mind?

If anyone discovers that Elysia isn’t the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When her one chance at happi­ness is ripped away with breathtaking cruelty, emotions she’s always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive.

The first in a dazzlingly original science fiction series from best-selling author Rachel Cohn, Beta is a haunting, unforgettable story of courage and love in a cor­rupted world.