UK Kindle Daily Deal 6/5

The Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK is three titles for £0.99 each (75%-87% off): The Heart Specialist by Claire Rothman, The Villa by Rosanna Ley and The Real McCoy by Sheryl Leonard.

The Heart Specialist (Main/UK), by Claire Rothman (US edition $9.39) [Oneworld Publications]

Fleeing accusations of a hideous crime, Agnes White's father left her with precious little: an old pipe, half-recollections of a bristling moustach, and jars upon jars of preserved medical specimens. What began as the only way to remember her absent father soon develops into a passion to understand, and to marvel at, the workings of life. Following her vocation into the medical profession, it takes all her intelligence and determination to defy the establishment and win the right for women to hold medical degrees. Yet despite a rapid rise to stardom, she continues to find herself up against a wall of prejudice and exclusion. Set against the conflicts and upheaval that permeated the early 1900s, The Heart Specialist charts one woman's struggle for the freedom to do what she loves.

The Villa (Main/UK), by Rosanna Ley (no US edition) [Quercus]

When Tess Angel receives a solicitor's letter inviting her to claim her inheritance - the Villa Sirena, perched on a clifftop in Sicily - she is stunned. Her only link to the island is through her mother, Flavia, who left Sicily during World War II and cut all contact with her family. Initially resistant to Tess going back to her roots, Flavia realises the secrets from her past are about to be revealed and decides to try to explain her actions. Meanwhile, Tess' teenage daughter Ginny is stressed by college, by her blooming sexuality and filled with questions that she longs to ask her father, if only she knew where he was.

Three women, all seeking answers. Will Villa Sirena bring them together - or drive them apart?

The Real McCoy (Main/UK), by Sheryl Leonard (US edition $2.99) [Montlake Romance]

Stephanie Hays, RN, has been infatuated with the handsome, well-respected Dr. Peter Granville since her days in nursing school. And now she has the good fortune of working alongside the “Great Granville” in his hospital unit. There, she spends her days longing for precious scraps of his attention, even if they’re won only by her legendary clumsiness.

Dr. Luke Carter is Granville’s senior resident—and a man who attracts women like ants to a picnic. But the only woman he wants is Stephanie, and she’s blinded by her attraction to Granville. She fails to see him through Luke’s eyes: as a cold, egocentric bully who’ll do anything to get to the top.

Determined to make Stephanie realize the unsettling truth about her idol, Luke conceives a plot to reveal Granville for who he really is. Is this the ticket to winning Stephanie’s heart at last…or will it drive her straight into Granville’s arms?

Kindle DX Returns, Keyboard Exits

I think we all knew that the Kindle Keyboard 3G's days were limited and apparently they are now over, as this model has been removed from the current Kindle Family lineup at Amazon. Amazon is no longer taking orders on any of the Keyboard models, both are showing as out of stock and no known time when they will come back in (there are a few used ones that can be ordered).

In the meantime, though, a model we all thought was gone for good has come back: the graphite Kindle DX, complete with free 3G and global coverage. From the specs and images I can see, this is identical to the 2nd generation Kindle DX that disappeared from their lineup earlier. For those who read a lot of PDF's, the DX's size is ideal; it can be a bit slow loading PDF's and those that are image only can be slow turning pages, but those are the same files that can be impossible to read on the smaller Kindles that are out there. If your eyesight isn't as good as it used to be, the DX lets you enlarge the print much more (and you get more words on the page when you do), plus it has sound support (which is lacking in the rest of the eInk Kindle line-up, at this point). That means you can use the Read-to-Me feature on your books and newspapers, as well as load up on audiobooks for the times when reading isn't as convenient. And, of course, you can listen to music and podcasts and there is a basic web browser for checking your email or shopping on the web.

I will say, I was hoping that the DX would return with a lit screen (essentially, a Paperwhite DX), preferably without losing features and memory, as has been the recent direction Amazon has taken with their devices. One by one, we've lost the ability to add books and music via SD card, then the keyboard, then sound entirely. Sure, some of those features are on the tablets, but none of those will give us 2-3 weeks of battery life (or even 3 days, for mine) and it is a lot easier (and faster) to transfer music and audiobook via an SD card than it is to try to reload them via the slow internet connection we have here (or find in most hotspots).

Kindle Daily Deals 6/4

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Dog Lived (and So Will I) ($1.99), by Teresa Rhyne [Sourcebooks], which is also the Nook Daily Find today.

Amazon's Android Free App of the Day is Lulu in the Amazon, an interactive storybook for kids.

If you are one of those that bought Scrabble for their Kindle Fire (1st Gen) and was disappointed when it would not work on your new Kindle Fire HD, you need to go to your library and check for the newest update. If you've held off on buying Scrabble because it wasn't compatible, you'll want to visit the Amazon store and get it now. All new HD graphics, it's compatible with all the current (and the original) Kindle Fire/HD models and the Single User mode is also back (it apparently disappeared in an interim version that I didn't upgrade to).

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is A Cowboy's Touch ($1.99), the first novel in Denise Hunter's Big Sky Romance series [Thomas Nelson].

Book Description
Abigail is just in Moose Creek, Montana for the summer to temporarily care for her great aunt. But a tender-hearted cowboy beckons her to stay.

Abigail Jones intends to spend just one summer in middle-of-nowhere Montana with her Aunt Lucy. Time away from her job is just what Abigail needs to reassess her life. The slow pace has her breathing deeply for the first time in years. And the majestic scenery encourages her to get reacquainted with herself . . . and God.

What she didn't count on was the handsome widowed cowboy who owns the ranch where her aunt lives. When the rancher loses his daughter's nanny, Abigail decides to lend a hand for the summer.

Wade Ryan can't help being attracted to Abigail. But he's given up everything to protect his daughter, and he's not about to risk it all on a pretty face.

Under Abigail's care, Wade's home and daughter thrive. And with Wade's touch, Abigail's heart feels at home at last. But Abigail knows this elusive rancher is hiding something. Will her own secrets separate her from the cowboy who finally captured her heart?

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is White Raven: The Sword of Northern Ancestors ($1.99), by Siberian author Irina Lopatina [Light Messages Publishing].

Book Description
In the kingdom of Areya, humans, animals, and the magical creatures that inhabit the Eternal Forest have long coexisted peacefully, but now something is horribly wrong. A terrifying stream of monstrous creatures has begun to emerge from the secret depths of the earth, terrorizing all of Areya's native inhabitants. From the tiny, wise drevalyankas to the bellicose cave-dwelling gnomes to the devious kikimoras who gather roots and herbs in the marsh, everyone is in danger. With the aid of Urart, the magical sword that has been passed down from the time of the ancient northern ancestors, Grand Duke Vlady can offer temporary protection to his people. But Prince Vraigo, Vlady's nephew, who is endowed with magical power himself, understands that the source of the evil monsters must be found if there's any hope of survival. Along with a motley crew of his forest-dwelling friends, Vraigo sets off on a perilous quest in search of the koschei, the powerful, corrupt Archmagus whose mission is the destruction not just of Areya, but of the entire world. As if this weren't bad enough, Urart disappears from the duke's stronghold. Without it, Areya is doomed, and only Vraigo, the White Raven, can possibly get the sword back. This journey requires Vraigo to use all of his keen wits and magical abilities, as well as to ally himself to dangerous creatures like yagas and werewolves, natural enemies of man, and precipitates the young prince into the most bewildering, complex challenge he has faced yet: life in the twenty-first century.

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is The Boy at the End of the World ($1.99), by Greg Van Eekhout [Bloomsbury USA Childrens].

Book Description
This is what he knew:

His name was Fisher.

The world was dangerous.

And he was alone.

Fisher is the last boy on Earth - and things are not looking good for the human race. The carefully crafted survival dome where Fisher and dozens of other humans have been sleeping for millenia has been destroyed. Through a lucky accident, only Fisher survived.

The world Fisher wakes up in is a lot like ours - but it's changed, too. After the human race wiped itself out, nature took over, and wild creatures evolved into barely familiar beasts. Fisher must face them all as they set off on a journey that seems hopeless - at first. Then Fisher uncovers evidence that there may be a second survival dome far to the west. What was once a struggle for one boy's survival becomes a journey of hope.

With a broken robot and a friendly mammoth as his only companions, Fisher heads West. But something is watching them... something that wants to find the second survival dome just as badly as they do.

Age Level: 10 and up

Nook Daily Find 6/4

Dog Lived (and So Will I) ($10.09 Kindle, $1.99 B&N), by Teresa Rhyne [Sourcebooks], is the Nook Daily Find.

Book Description
The tale of a dog who wouldn't let go and the woman who followed his lead.

Teresa Rhyne vowed to get things right this time around: new boyfriend, new house, new dog, maybe even new job. But shortly after she adopted Seamus, a totally incorrigible beagle, vets told Teresa that he had a malignant tumor and less than a year to live. The diagnosis devastated her, but she decided to fight it, learning everything she could about the best treatment for Seamus. Teresa couldn't possibly have known then that she was preparing herself for life's next hurdle - a cancer diagnosis of her own.

She forged ahead with survival, battling a deadly disease, fighting for doctors she needed, and baring her heart for a seemingly star–crossed relationship. The Dog Lived (and so Will I) is an uplifting and heartwarming story about how dogs steal our hearts, show us how to live, and teach us how to love.

UK Kindle Daily Deal 6/4

The Gilded Edge (£0.99 UK), the second Vince Treadwell novel by Danny Miller [Robinson], is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (no US edition).

Book Description
London 1965, and Vince Treadwell investigates the seemingly unrelated murders of a playboy aristocrat from Belgravia and a young black nurse from the wrong side of town. It takes the detective to the illegal drinking dens of Notting Hill run by the self-styled Black Power leader, Michael X; the nightclubs of Soho owned by the legendary gangster, Billy Hill; and the exclusive gaming tables of the Montcler Club in Berkeley Square, where the blue bloods and power players of England gamble thousands on the turn of a card.

But as Vince Treadwell digs deeper he finds himself not only embroiled with a beautiful society girl, Isabel Saxmore-Blaine, but a world of espionage and corruption where the underworld mixes easily with the aristocracy, and no one is innocent.