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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

UK Kindle Daily Deal 6/12

The Dog Stars (£0.99 UK), by Peter Heller [Review], an Amazon Best Books of the Month, August 2012, is the Kindle Deal of the Day for for Science Fiction & Fantasy Fans in the UK (the US edition is $11.99). Shorlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2013.
Book Description
THE ROAD - but with hope.

Hig, bereaved and traumatised after global disaster, has three things to live for - his dog Jasper, his aggressive but helpful neighbour, and his Cessna aeroplane. He's just about surviving, so long as he only takes his beloved plane for short journeys, and saves his remaining fuel.

But, just once, he picks up a message from another pilot, and eventually the temptation to find out who else is still alive becomes irresistible. So he takes his plane over the horizon, knowing that he won't have enough fuel to get back. What follows is scarier and more life-affirming than he could have imagined. And his story, THE DOG STARS, is a book unlike any you have ever read.

A Spy by Nature (£0.99 UK), by Charles Cumming [Harper], is the Kindle Deal of the Day for those in the UK (the US edition is $8.89).
Book Description
For all fans of TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY comes this masterclass in suspense about a spy caught up in his own web of deception…

Alec Milius is young, smart and ambitious – with a talent for deception. When a chance encounter opens the door to a career with MI6, he is desperate to make his mark.

But life as a spy begins to take a terrible toll on himself and those around him, and soon Alec is chasing not just success but survival. Forced to work alone, he spins a web of deceit that traps him centre stage in a game of global espionage.

In this new job, the difference between truth and a lie can be a matter of life and death. And for Alec, it’s getting harder to tell them apart…

A Spy By Nature is the bestselling novel with which Charles Cumming announced his arrival as heir apparent to masters like John le Carré and Len Deighton; compellingly told, utterly authentic and heart-racingly intense, it will grip you till the very last page.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Daily Deal - Who's on Top?

Who's on Top? ($4.50 $3.91 Kindle), the first novel in the Man-Handlers series by Karen Kendall [Harlequin Blaze], is today's Deal of the Day at at Diesel E-Books, where it's discounted to $0.80 (8 copies left).
Book Description
In the battle of the sexes, who will win this round? Jane O'Toole is determined to come out ahead, even though Dominic Sayers is a formidable--and hot--competitor. She's been hired to assess his ability to be a team player, but the sparks between them are tempting her to test his other abilities.

While it seems inevitable that they're going to end up tangled in the sheets, she's not giving in quietly. For every one of his naughty suggestions, she'll counter with two of her own. And when their seductive games are done, the only challenge will be to see who's the most satisfied.
Get the book from Diesel; be sure to check the sales price, as the Deal of the Day often sells out. Deals change at 11AM Eastern Time, USA.

Kindle Daily Deals 6/11

Today on Amazon's Gold Box save 66% on "Smallville: The Complete Series."

Today's Free MP3 download is Green Hill Music - Latin Music Sampler and it's definitely worth picking up.

The $20 off a Kindle Fire HD promotion has been extended until June 15.

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

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is Reach for Tomorrow ($1.99), by Arthur C. Clarke [RosettaBooks]. It appears that this is one of the volumes that was skipped in the last big sale on his titles.
Book Description
This collection of short stories brings numerous lesser-known works from the world’s foremost master of science fiction together for the first time. Reach for Tomorrow includes twelve highly memorable stories. Included is “Rescue Party,” a short story that may have served as an origin story for the renowned Rama series.

As a cross-section of Clarke’s work, Reach For Tomorrow is astonishingly diverse. Readers will find tales ranging in scope from the time of the dinosaurs to the unimaginably distant future; locations as far-flung as distant galaxies and as close as London; and voyages to the center of the earth and beyond the stars. It’s a fun and fascinating read for any fan of Clarke or science fiction in general.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is three exciting Rachel Scott Adventure novels by Traci Hohenstein that delve into the mysteries and suspense of missing-person investigations for $0.99 apiece [Thomas & Mercer]. Although I received a review copy of Cut & Run, at this price I'll pick up a permanent copy for my library (and grab the first two, as well).

Asylum Harbor
Amber Knowles, a beautiful high school senior and Florida governor John Knowles’s daughter, has everything going for her until she disappears during a cruise to the Bahamas. After an extensive search of the ship SeaStar, it’s clear that Amber has vanished without a trace. When Governor Knowles receives the distressing news, he asks for Rachel Scott’s help.

The teenager’s disappearance represents every parent’s worst fear, and Rachel, founder of Florida Omni Search, knows only too well what losing a daughter feels like. Her three-year-old, Mallory, went missing five years ago. As she works with FBI special agent, Drake Reynolds, Rachel discovers an organized crime ring linked to the cruise line. The last person known to see Amber aboard the ship was an incognito DEA agent, who also has vanished. Where is he? And where is Amber? Finally, where is Mallory?

Traci Hohenstein’s Asylum Harbor draws inspiration from the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in 2005 and delves deeply into the mysteries and suspense of missing-person investigations and organized crime detection. The first in a series, Asylum Harbor introduces Rachel Scott and her team and compels readers to follow Florida Omni Search and all their investigations.
Burn Out
The week before she is to testify at her estranged husband’s trial on drug charges, firefighter Lieutenant Samantha Collins vanishes while combating a warehouse fire, leaving only her helmet behind.

With Sam missing, her mother seeks the help of Florida Omni Search, a nonprofit organization founded by Rachel Scott, whose own daughter, Mallory, disappeared when only three years old. Rachel has worked with law enforcement agencies all over the United States, but she can’t possibly anticipate how terrifying the Sam Collins case will be. Rachel learns of Sam’s husband’s drug operation, and as she digs deeper, not only does the investigator expose Sam’s surprising past, she also uncovers clues that could reveal what happened to her own daughter.

The second book in the Rachel Scott series, Burn Out is a Traci Hohenstein original, an emotionally charged mystery-thriller that takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride of plot twists, turns, and startling surprises.
Cut & Run (companion audiobook $1.99)
When Matt O’Malley turns up at a truck stop with a nasty concussion and no recollection of what happened to him or his family, investigator Rachel Scott knows she and the Florida Omni Search team have to act fast. Whoever attacked him still has his wife and children, and a gruesome piece of evidence points to deadly possibilities.

While Matt sweats under the scrutiny of the FBI, his shattered memory slowly pieces together disturbing details. Afraid to trust even his brother with this new information, he turns to Rachel, who scours southern Louisiana for clues. Along with retired police detective Red Cooper, Rachel searches everywhere from a voodoo parlor to an eerie Houma swamp, unearthing troubling secrets about the O’Malleys…and a shocking truth behind the disappearance of Rachel’s own daughter.

Traci Hohenstein picks up her suspenseful Rachel Scott series with its third entry, Cut and Run—a gripping thriller that captures the haunting spirit and intoxicating mystery of New Orleans.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is Incandescent ($0.99), by M. V. Freeman [Crimson Romance].
Book Description
Some gifts are unwanted, and Laurie Hudson’s affinity for fire is one she hates. It has destroyed her relationship with her family and she has few friends. She’s fought hard to keep the fire inside suppressed, living a low key life as a bartender, until a brutal and charming man blows into her life.

Around Mikhail Petrov, her careful control disintegrates. She is at once drawn to his urbane, cool demeanor and irritated by his overbearing manner. Her options are taken away when he kidnaps her, forcing her into a fight she wants nothing to do with. As she learns to survive, Laurie faces the hardest choice of all, her freedom or the destruction of the frustrating man she’s come to care for.

A formidable Tri-elemental, Mikhail Petrov commands earth, air, and water. He will use anyone or anything to free himself from the oppressive rule of the Mages, including the untrained fire element he discovers, Laurie. Most of his family has been wiped out in an effort to manipulate him. He thinks he has nothing left to lose. To him, Laurie is a tool, a rare and powerful elemental that is his to use. He fights his feelings for the fire elemental because with caring comes weakness, another opening for destruction. Rarely are emotions as easy to control as his elements.

As he trains Laurie to work with him, he doesn’t expect his growing attachment to her. With the Mages closing in, Mikhail faces a choice: destroy the fledgling relationship with Laurie to gain his coveted freedom, or sacrifice himself for hers.

Sensuality Level: Behind Closed Doors

Today's Kindle Teen Daily Deal is Who I Kissed ($1.99), by Janet Gurtler [Sourcebooks Fire].
Book Description
Janet Gurtler’s books have been hailed as "just right for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jodi Picoult" (Booklist) and "reminiscent of Judy Blume" (RT Book Reviews). Her latest contemporary YA novel is by turns gripping, heart-wrenching, and joyous as one teen girl has to find the courage to carry on after a devastating tragedy.

She never thought a kiss could kill...

As the new girl in town, Samantha just wants to fit in. Being invited to a party by her fellow swim team members is her big chance...especially since Zee will be there. He hasn’t made a secret of checking her out at the pool. Sam didn’t figure on Alex being there too. She barely even knows him. And she certainly didn’t plan to kiss him. It just kind of happened.

And then Alex dies—right in her arms...

Consumed by guilt and grief, Sam has no idea what to do or where to turn when everyone at school blames her. What follows is Sam’s honest, raw, and unforgettable journey to forgive herself and find balance—maybe even love—in a life that suddenly seems to be spinning out of control.

Nook Daily Find 6/11

The Silver Boat ($12.99 Kindle, $2.99 B&N), by Luanne Rice [Penguin], is the Nook Daily Find; the price should drop on Kindle sometime later this morning, since this is an Agency pricing publisher.
Book Description
From New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice, a moving family story that "will strike a chord in every mother, daughter, or sister" (Marie Claire)

In The Silver Boat, New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice has written a heart-wrenching yet heartwarming portrait of a family in all its flawed complexity. The McCarthy sisters have come to Martha's Vineyard to say good-bye to their family's beach house—the place they were happiest together. Each has her own complicated issues and is struggling with the difficult process of letting go, but when a cache of old letters spurs them to visit Ireland, each woman comes to see herself in a new light. True-to-life sisters, the beach, laughter, and passionate love—The Silver Boat is Luanne Rice at her very best.

UK Kindle Daily Deal 6/11

Snow Crash (£0.99 UK), by Neal Stephenson [Penguin], is the Kindle Deal of the Day for for Science Fiction & Fantasy Fans in the UK (the US edition is $9.99).
Book Description
The only relief from the sea of logos is within the well-guarded borders of the Burbclaves. Is it any wonder that most sane folks have forsaken the real world and chosen to live in the computer-generated universe of virtual reality? In a major city, the size of a dozen Manhattans, is a domain of pleasures limited only by the imagination. But now a strange new computer virus called Snow Crash is striking down hackers everywhere, leaving an unlikely young man as humankind's last best hope.

The Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK is eight books to help you get ahead for £2.29 each (~70% off).

The Presentation Coach: Bare Knuckle Brilliance For Every Presenter (£2.29 UK; US edition $13.17), by Graham G. Davies
You probably hate giving presentations. You probably hate listening to them too. Why? Because most business presentations are too long, too detailed, too boring...and submerged under a blizzard of PowerPoint.

But the single most important presentational tool known to man isn't a slideshow. It's you.

Whether you're speaking to one person across a table, 20 people in a boardroom or 1,000 people in a ballroom, it's all about the words you say and how you say them.
Body Language: It's What You Don't Say That Matters (£2.29 UK; US edition $14.99), by Robert Phipps
Body language matters. From getting a job to getting a pay rise, and from closing a deal to managing the people around you, it makes a big difference. Robert Phipps, one of the world's leading body language experts shows you how to make it work for you. Busting some of the biggest body language myths, Phipps shows how to read other people's body language and to use yours to succeed in business and life.

Loaded with practical tips, this book covers everything you ever need to know about body language, in a variety of business situations.
How to Be Great at The Stuff You Hate: The Straight-Talking Guide to Networking, Persuading and Selling (£2.29 UK; US edition $16.99), by Nick Davies
You have to do it… you might as well enjoy it

No one likes a pushy, smarmy salesman – no one wants to be that guy…but most of us need to sell to some extent. How else can we get any business? We all have to do it now, whether we’re lawyers, accountants or start-ups. But don’t despair – there’s no need to go on some cringey sales training day. How to be Great at the Stuff You Hate shows you how to develop all the skills you need to sell yourself, your business and your ideas. So ditch the dread, forget the fear and start enjoying yourself! Selling isn’t something you ‘do’ to people, it's not some dark art practised by pushy and manipulative people – it’s a process, it’s a relationship…it’s fun! All you need to do is cut the crap, be yourself and win some business.
How To Shine: Insights into unlocking your potential from proven winners (£2.29 UK; US edition $9.99), by Simon Hartley
FIX YOUR MINDSET AND UNLEASH YOUR TALENT

Simon Hartley spent many years working with world class athletes and helping them to new levels of achievement. Then he got wondering: What is it that enables some people to develop their talent in a more impactful way than others? What differentiates the winners from those who almost made it? And how can we be world class in our chosen fields?

How To Shine is more than just a window into the world of winning. It’s the distillation of all Simon has learned from talking to and coaching some of the world’s top success stories, from Premiership footballers and Olympiads to champions of business. It’s a practical, step by step guide to honing skills which are as vital in the office as they are on the athletics track and truly shining in your field.
Straight to Yes: Asking with Confidence and Getting What You Want (£2.29 UK; US edition $9.99), by Haider Imam
MAKE YOURSELF A “YES” MAGNET

You’ve finally plucked up the courage to ask for something. The afternoon off. A pay rise. Then comes that crucial moment where you wait with baited breath for the response. It’s tense, but it doesn’t have to be. You just need to master the art of ‘the ask’.

Taking a direct, light-hearted, wholly practical approach, Haider Imam zooms straight in on that moment of truth providing a set of proven tools and techniques for getting to ‘yes,’ every time. He instils readers with the confidence to ask bigger, more often and even ask for the impossible – and to get it.
Get Productive!: Boosting Your Productivity And Getting Things Done (£2.29 UK; US edition $9.99), by Magdalena Bak-Maier
Rewire your brain and overcome the 20 key time drains that diminish productivity

For anyone who's felt valuable time frittered away in checking emails or answering wrong phone numbers, or listening to a coworker giving you a minute-by-minute account of their previous night's date, help is finally here. Your time is, indeed, your own. And this handy guide, written by a leading executive coach, shows you how to retool your brain, reclaim your schedule, become a master of each minute, and make yourself more productive.

Using a method that is intuitive, easy to remember, and simple to use, this book will help you transform how you think, what you focus on, and what you do so that you can begin to create tangible results.
How to Persuade and Influence People (£2.29 UK; US edition $14.99), by Philip Hesketh
Wouldn't it be great if you could always get people to see things your way? Now you can.

You won't go far in business if you can't bring people round to your way of thinking. Some people find it easy; the rest of us just need a little help. How to Persuade and Influence People reveals some of the most powerful influencing and persuasion techniques known to man. This enhanced second edition contains new tools, new research, new case studies and plenty of practical exercises to help you.
Yes, I Can!: Using Visualization To Achieve Your Goals (£2.29 UK; US edition $9.99), by Robin Nixon
Yes I Can! is for anyone who ever said, "I wish I could be like that person." Deep down we know that we all have the potential to be "that person", but achieving it seems impossible in practice. Well it's not impossible because you have the power to dramatically change your life. You can become more confident and motivated and find greater focus and direction in your life. You can become a better leader or manager and fill yourself with positive energy. You can lead the fulfilling life you have always dreamed of, and much more.

And it can all start today by following the simple five-minute exercises in this book. Once you get used to the techniques provided and have seen the real results you can achieve, you'll understand how you can adapt the exercises directly to your own specific life and circumstances, to achieve much more specific goals.