Kindle Books for a Buck or less

The bargains at a dollar or under continue in the Kindle store, as independent authors lower their prices to the minimum in order to attract readers (ten times the sales at an average of $4 off actually makes them more money and readers get a bargain as well, truly a win-win situation). I've also started seeing these authors note in their descriptions that their books are TTS enabled, so I've included that note in the descriptionls. All books are 99 cents unless otherwise noted, book descriptions, in italics, courtesy of Amazon. As always, remember to sample first, as styles and interests vary, but you should be able to find at least a few gems in today's roundup of nineteen titles.

Mystery / Suspense / Thriller

Sudden Death by Michael Balkind. Reid Clark is a pro golfer at the top of the leader board during the PGA tour; he's also a hot-head with a reputation for trouble. Reid receives a death threat right before teeing off on the final day of the Master's Tournament, and hires a P.I. to track down the perpetrator. Suspense builds throughout as Reid tries to compete in one of golf's most prestigious contests...and woo the woman he loves...while dodging death at every turn. For golfers and mystery lovers in general, Sudden Death will score big.

J.D. The Plot to Steal J.D. Salinger's Manuscripts by Sierra Philpin. He's a professor with a mission: "I, Leonard Wellington Worthy the third, spent twenty-five years designing an assault on a fortress, an expropriation of certain documents, and a perfect escape." Find out what happens when the fortress is J.D. Salinger's bunker, the documents are his unpublished manuscripts, and a messy murder thwarts a perfect plan. Political intrigue? Sure, there's plenty of that, too. J.D. is a funny, sexy romp for the literary set (relax: no authors were harmed in this book). Adult language and situations. Two others from the same author are available under a buck: The Absence of Color and Emily Dickinson Beyond the Myth (A Novel). TTS is ENABLED on all three.

Uncubicled by Josh McMains. Joe Tompkins was having a bad day at the office: boring meetings, pointless assignments, and this feeling that he was being watched. When he could take no more, he did what anyone would do. He knocked out his co-worker with a keyboard and escaped.... Uncubicled follows the drastic series of events that would take one man from his mid-level desk job to an elaborate getaway from the long arm of the law—and perhaps something even more sinister. Along the way, Joe crosses paths with former friends whose destinies have been intertwined from the start. Joe encounters mystery, adventure, and car trouble as he struggles to find out what he was always meant to do and who, exactly, wants him dead. And you thought YOUR job sucked.

The White Lady Murders by Wendy Potocki. In a Malibu beach house, David Lynx struggles with writing with his latest tour de force – a book on magic. It’s a subject he knows nothing about. In a desperate attempt to understand, he decides to perform an ancient ritual not realizing that he will unwittingly open a door for a forty-year-old unsolved murder spree to start all over again. While The White Lady Murders is immersed in the supernatural, fans desiring a solid murder mystery will not be disappointed. At its core, The White Lady Murders offers an action-packed detective story replete with a hard-boiled, hard-nosed police officer named Robert Moran leading the charge. Moran is a veteran police officer who vividly remembers the original murders that occurred during The Summer of Blood. The string of vicious crimes terrorized the city and held its residents captive in the killer's steely grip. No one felt safe and now Moran desperately races to solve the mystery of who or what is behind the new wave of brutal killings to prevent The White Lady Murders from beginning again. The White Lady Murders is the book that will keep you guessing up until the very end!

Fantasy / Science Fiction

Elfhunter (A Tale of Alterra, The World That Is) by C S Marks. Elfhunter is the first of the tales of Alterra, The World That Is. It concerns the quest of an unlikely pair of heroines, Gaelen and Nelwyn, who are Wood-elves of the Greatwood Forest. They are hunter-scouts in the realm of King Ri-Aruin, and they have sworn to protect their woodland home, but they are drawn into a quest to defend all the Elves of Alterra as they seek to destroy the 'Elfhunter', a monstrous entity intent on exterminating the Elves until none remain. Along the way, Gaelen and Nelwyn are joined by other interesting characters as they make their way through the realms of Alterra in pursuit of the Elfhunter, whose true name is 'Gorgon'. What headstrong Gaelen and her gentle cousin do not know is that Gorgon is in league with the Dark Power, and that the forces of Evil have forged an entanglement between Gorgon and Gaelen herself. Now she and all she loves are in jeopardy, and only an inspired plan put forth by Orogond, a mortal man, can save her.

The Rebirth of Rhin by Julian Traas. The Rebirth of Rhin tells the story of a young man’s journey as he sets out into the world of Iora, after his parents die in a horrific fire. Rhin’s goal is vengeance at first, but he soon learns that his destiny is grander and nobler than retribution. He finds himself at the virtual center of a conflict spanning the ages between Gods and Demons. During his travels he encounters many strange creatures, some more friendly than others, as he becomes immersed in a dark secret involving Iora’s creator, the tyrannical God, Jiaïro. Powers push at him from all sides and soon he finds himself on a quest to destroy the God Jiaïro and free the world from violence and oppression. There are great battles and genocides, magic, spiritual weapons, militant Gods, disgraced angels and demons wreathed in green flame -- as Rhin embarks on a personal journey of self-discovery.

Admiral's Ghost: Book One in the Onyalum Series by NB VanYoos ($0.80). From LA drug dealer to planetary hero of an alien world, the Universe must have a sense of humor. Tyler Jensen, an earthling lost in the cosmos, struggles to understand the technologically advanced world whose hero he has inadvertently become. Posing as the Supreme Commander of the planet's fleet, Tyler must quickly learn the murky alliances of the military to succeed against their neighboring enemy. Will Tyler's naiveté doom the warring world, or can he navigate the political trappings of the Admiral's world to conquer another? This is the first book in the Onyalum Series. This one is also available free, in several formats, at the author's web site, where you can leave a tip directly. Eighty cents isn't much to pay, though, to keep a copy in your Kindle Library and to sync with the iPhone app.

Cross-Winds, A Seventh Cross Novel (The Seventh Cross) by Brian L. Stowe. This epic adventure, brimming with realistic-seeming characterizations, details an unprecedented war of magic. The core story involves the ties of family, village, alliances, the drive to power, warring factions, ruthlessness and despair, wizards and witches, mystical powers, and the battle against long odds to rout the darkness that is blotting out the light. Stories of the forces of the Emperor Hammer, who comes to control six kingdoms, entwine with the multi-generational exploits of the Cross-Wind family members and their associates. Cross-Winds puts a human face on the many individuals, from both sides, who are forever changed by the carnage, death, and injuries to their souls and spirits. It instills the classic fantasy themes of adventure, loss and triumph. Just who triumphs in the end remains to be seen.

THE GATEWAY (Harbinger of Doom), by Glenn G. Thater, has been listed before, but the author has fixed the problem with the book's formatting and it looks pretty good now.

Religious / Poetry

Expressions - Poetry by Robert A Meacham. These works are rhythmical creations and are aimed for pleasure for the reader.If such pleasure is attained, then I have written poetry. -- Robert A Meacham.The synopsis of this one is pretty scanty, but it has received some good reviews on Kindle forums and blogs. Note that it is quite short (only 26K), as poetry often is.

The Song of Songs: A Lover's Poetic Dialogue by Andrew Cort. Think the Bible is stuffy? You're in for a huge surprise. Solomon's "Song of Songs", which is found in the Old Testament, is a beautiful, sacred and erotic masterpiece that reverberates on many levels -- from the courtship of the king and his betrothed, to the mystical wedding of Heaven and Earth, to the sweet, sensual pillow talk of all happy lovers. This adaptation, which holds closely to the original, is written as a poetic dialogue and is meant to be read out loud together. Presumably not by the built-in TTS voice, though.

Children's / Young Adult

The Little Prince or Le Petit Prince (Illustrated) by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Published by MobileReference, this is an illustrated edition optimized for the small screen (Kindle, PDA, etc), with full color pictures on the iPhone version. The Little Prince (French: Le Petit Prince), published in 1943, is French aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupery's most famous novella, which he wrote in the United States while renting The Bevin House in Asharoken, New York, on Long Island. The novella includes a number of drawings by Saint-Exupery himself, which are reproduced in most versions.

Baling by Carol Hanrahan. In this heartwarming young adult novel, two teenage brothers, unwillingly sent to the country for a summer to bale hay, discover adventure, danger, and love all wrapped around a lost Civil War treasure mystery. The last place Nick Lawson wants to be is out in the middle of the country with his little brother John, helping his Aunt Jess bale hay all summer long. After discovering a Civil War uniform in the attic with a key hidden in the jacket lining, the boys search for a treasure they believe was hidden years ago by their great-uncle. With the help of the neighboring dairy farmer?s daughter, Lainey, Nick finds adventure at every turn, when he barely escapes a tornado, gets into a fight at the county fair, almost burns up in an old chapel, explores a cave, and experiences a first kiss while swimming in the nearby creek.

Public Domain

Acres of Diamonds by Russell H. Conwell, Robert Collier, Robert Shackleton and John Wanamaker. In Acres of Diamonds Russell H. Conwell shows us how to identify the riches and opportunity that lie all around us. Many people search their entire life for opportunity never realizing that everything they need to succeed is already within their reach if only they recognized it. This edition has an introduction by John Wanamaker; a biography of Conwell by Robert Shackleton; and an additional essay entitled "The Acre of Diamonds" by Robert Collier, with his take on the same subject matter, that you wont find in any other edition of this book. The basic text is available free at Manybooks.

Victory by Joseph Conrad. Set in the islands of the Malay Archipelago, Victory tells the story of a disillusioned Swede, Axel Heyst, who rescues Lena, a young English musician, from the clutches of a brutish German hotel owner. Seeking refuge at Heyst’s remote island retreat on Samburan, the couple is soon besieged by three villains dispatched by the enraged hotelier. The arrival on the island paradise of this trio of fiends sets off a terrifying series of events that ultimately ends in catastrophe. Also available free at Feedbooks.

Thieves Like Us, by Edward Anderson, is available at Amazon for under a buck, but the formatting is awful, with the space between lines all over the place and sometimes two lines on top of each other. Munsey's is listed as the original source, which is odd, since you can get a well-formatted version of this title there for free. Bowie teams up with fellow thieves Chicamaw and T-Dub to rob a bank - he needs the money to hire a lawyer to prove he's innocent of murder. On the run, Bowie finds momentary peace when he elopes with a young woman. But Chicamaw and T-Dub want to reel him back in for one more job.

The Four Feathers by A.E.W. Mason, is another one in need of reformatting at Amazon (this time it's just that the left margin takes up too much space). Instead, head over to Manybooks to get this one. British officer Harry Faversham resigns his commission just prior to the Battle of Omdurman for personal reasons, rather than cowardice, but he is faced with censure from three of his comrades, each of whom presents him with a feather, and the loss of the support of his fiancée, who presents him with the fourth feather. Questioning his true motives, Harry resolves to redeem himself in combat, travelling on his own to the war-ravaged Sudan.

Free Ebook: Funny in Farsi

Random House has put Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America, up as a free PDF download on their For High School Teachers web site. In addition to the full text of the book, the free download also includes: a letter and two essays from the author, a Teacher's/Discussion Guide for Funny in Farsi and an excerpt from Firoozeh's latest book Laughing Without an Accent: Adventures of a Global Citizen (not yet available for Kinde).

Synopsis

In 1972, when she was seven, Firoozeh Dumas and her family moved from Iran to Southern California, arriving with no firsthand knowledge of this country beyond her father’s glowing memories of his graduate school years here. More family soon followed, and the clan has been here ever since.

Funny in Farsi chronicles the American journey of Dumas’s wonderfully engaging family: her engineer father, a sweetly quixotic dreamer who first sought riches on Bowling for Dollars and in Las Vegas, and later lost his job during the Iranian revolution; her elegant mother, who never fully mastered English (nor cared to); her uncle, who combated the effects of American fast food with an army of miraculous American weight-loss gadgets; and Firoozeh herself, who as a girl changed her name to Julie, and who encountered a second wave of culture shock when she met and married a Frenchman, becoming part of a one-couple melting pot.

In a series of deftly drawn scenes, we watch the family grapple with American English (hot dogs and hush puppies?—a complete mystery), American traditions (Thanksgiving turkey?—an even greater mystery, since it tastes like nothing), and American culture (Firoozeh’s parents laugh uproariously at Bob Hope on television, although they don’t get the jokes even when she translates them into Farsi).

Above all, this is an unforgettable story of identity, discovery, and the power of family love. It is a book that will leave us all laughing—without an accent.

Free Ebook: When Graveyards Yawn

When Graveyards Yawn (The Apocalypse Trilogy - Book 1) by G. Wells Taylor is now out of print, a problem many independent authors with small press runs often face. It isn't out yet in the Kindle store, but the author has released it as a free ebook in many formats, including the AZW native Kindle format. Book 2 of the trilogy and some others are listed on his website, but he is selling those thru LuLu.com, so only PDF and paperbacks are currently available.

MURDER IS STILL MURDER IN GREASETOWN - Even if life has become a little complicated. Fifty years ago, at the end of the last Millennium we expected something bad to happen, but we never expected the Change. People stopped aging, the dead rose from their graves, it started raining and it’s been raining ever since.Things looked so bad that everyone thought it was the end of the world, but a guy’s still got to make a living doesn’t he?

A dead lawyer enters the office of Wildclown Investigations and hires the detective to find his killer. Wildclown and his dead sidekick Elmo soon find themselves entangled in a battle for control of a secret that offers either hope or doom for humanity. WHEN GRAVEYARDS YAWN takes the reader to a unique setting that mixes gothic horror with the two-fisted pragmatism of a hard-boiled detective novel.

Free Ebook: Star Wars Fate of the Jedi: Dramatis Personae

Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Outcast, by Aaron Allston, is the start of a new nine-volume series, set 40 years after the end of Return of the Jedi, and Random House is giving away a PDF download of Star Wars Fate of the Jedi: Dramatis Personae, a guide to what has been going on and who everyone is, so you don't have to reread all the original Star Wars volumes before starting the new series. The guide also includes an excerpt from Outcast.

THE NEXT CHAPTER IN THE EXTRAORDINARY HISTORY OF THE STAR WARS GALAXY BEGINS HERE. . . .

After a violent civil war and the devastation wrought by the now-fallen Darth Caedus, the Galactic Alliance is in crisis–and in need. From all corners, politicians, power brokers, and military leaders converge on Coruscant for a crucial summit to restore order, negotiate differences, and determine the future of their unified worlds. But even more critical, and far more uncertain, is the future of the Jedi.

In a shocking move, Chief of State Natasi Daala orders the arrest of Luke Skywalker for failing to prevent Jacen Solo’s turn to the dark side and his subsequent reign of terror as a Sith Lord. But it’s only the first blow in an anti-Jedi backlash fueled by a hostile government and suspicious public. When Jedi Knight Valin Horn, scion of a politically influential family, suffers a mysterious psychotic break and becomes a dangerous fugitive, the Jedi become the target of a media-driven witch hunt. Facing conviction on the damning charges, Luke must strike a bargain with the calculating Daala: his freedom in exchange for his exile from Coruscant and from the Jedi Order.

Though forbidden to intervene in Jedi affairs, Luke is determined to keep history from being repeated. With his son, Ben, at his side, Luke sets out to unravel the shocking truth behind Jacen Solo’s corruption and downfall. But the secrets he uncovers among the enigmatic Force mystics of the distant world Dorin may bring his quest–and life as he knows it–to a sudden end. And all the while, another Jedi Knight, consumed by the same madness as Valin Horn, is headed for Coruscant on a fearsome mission that could doom the Jedi Order . . . and devastate the entire galaxy.

Kindle Bargain: The Koran/Quran

Since there have been several Bibles highlighted today, I thought I would also point out that there is a translation of the Koran/Quran at a bargain price as well. The Quran - A Pure and Literal Translation ($0.95) translated by The Monotheist Group, claims to be an unbiased, non-denominational, literal translation. Of course, literal translations often fail to convey the intended meaning, as even in the same culture there are cultural drifts and round-about ways of describing things can change (after all, how many of us have heard dozens of, often hilarious, guesses as to what ails those with "the vapors" in recent classical literature?). Nonetheless, the few reviews of this translation are mostly positive: one complained of the classification in Amazon's store, nothing to do with the book at all, which had not even been purchased or read by the "reviewer", while the only two-star review wanted to see the original arabic as well, while the remaining reviews are all five stars. If you just are curious as to the text of the Koran (after all, we see references in news stories daily) or want a translation for daily use, this one seems to fit the bill.

Synopsis
Over the course of centuries, Islam has undergone a process of sub-categorization into numerous denominations. As such, nearly all translators have belonged to one school of thought or another, allowing the influence of such denominations to come across in their interpretation of specific words or verses, and how they choose to translate them.
The Quran - A Pure and Literal Translation is the result of a group effort by people who do not belong to any denomination, and for the first time in many centuries, are simply proud to call themselves Muslims as God had named us centuries ago.
The Quran - A Pure and Literal Translation is also unique in the fact that it uses neither footnotes nor comments, letting the text speak for itself and delivering to the reader as close a rendition of the pure message of the Quran as physically possible.

About the Translators
The Monotheist Group is a pen name used by the Free-Minds Organization which is an Islamic reform movement that began in 1997, dedicated to the promotion of God alone. The movement seeks the abandonment of all sectarian innovations through a return to the principles of the Qur'an. The Free-Minds Organization has attracted the attention of a number of think tanks (namely the Rand Corporation in its Building Moderate Muslim Network report) as well as some noted authors in the field of Islamic Reform.

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

Afraid by Jack Kilborn has been marked down from the $5.59 initial price to $1.99.

ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? YOU WILL BE . . .

Welcome to Safe Haven, Wisconsin. Miles from everything, with one road in and out, this peaceful town has never needed a full-time police force. Until now . . .

A helicopter has crashed near Safe Haven and unleashed something horrifying. Now this merciless force is about to do what it does best. Isolate. Terrorize. Annihilate. As residents begin dying in a storm of gory violence, Safe Haven's only chance for survival will rest with an aging county sheriff, a firefighter, and a single mom. And each will have this harrowing thought: Maybe death hasn't come to their town by accident . . .

April Orbit Dollar Book: Winterbirth

Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley

Synopsis
An uneasy truce exists between the thanes of the True Bloods.

Now, as another winter approaches, the armies of the Black Road march south, from their exile beyond the Vale of Stones. For some, war will bring a swift and violent death. Others will not hear the clash of swords or see the corpses strewn over the fields. They instead will see an opportunity to advance their own ambitions. But all, soon, will fall under the shadow that is descending.

For, while the storm of battle rages, one man is following a path that will awaken a terrible power in him -- and his legacy will be written in blood.

So far, the pricing has come down at Booksonboard (Adobe Digital Edition only) and Sony. It should drop soon also at Fictionwise (ereader) and Amazon. Amazon has been the latest with this promotion every month, so far. They've already announced the bargain pricing on their deals page, but the listing itself hasn't caught up, so just keep checking it.

Update: Amazon now has this listed at $1, so one-click away.

April Kindle News

This really seems to be the month for Kindle and book news. First up, some exciting news about the Kindle itself:

Amazon Kindle coming to Walmart by the end of the month

and a related announcement from Amazon on the new scope of their Cloud computing (which is where all your Kindle books live, when they say they are archived): Up, Up, and Away - Cloud Computing Reaches for the Sky.

It seems that other attorneys are watching the Kindle with interest (and not just in connection with any TTS or DMCA lawsuits). All 800 attorneys and 200 Paralegals at an undisclosed BigLaw firm are to receive Kindle 2's, preloaded with the entire National Reporter Sets, US Code, CFR and Federal Register. No official word on whether they'll be able to download fiction as well (or will have to have a second, personal Kindle for that purpose), but the firm looks to pay for the Kindle's just in personnel reductions in the mail room, while getting more space to use for trial prep instead of storing musty old books.

A major announcement that Kenyon Review Acquires Random House will be sure to please Kindle fans who have been boycotting their books due to the TTS (text-to-speech) controversy. Let's hope the new guys will let Tom read to us anytime we want.

The financial crisis continues to pressure the publishing industry, this time driving a nearly two century old newspaper online: Twitter switch for Guardian, after 188 years of ink. Not only will their costs be lowered, but the 140 character limitation of the new format is hoped to be responsible for getting people to read the news once again. All those paragraph or two articles, full of pesky details apparently detracted from the headlines, so only headlines will be retained. This also eliminates the personnel costs of those reporters, copy editors and fact checkers, leaving only the headline writer's as a major obstacle to a cost-free edition in the future.

Harper Studio is also making a major move to Twitter and has announced a new ebook pricing policy for twitter reviewers. Other reviewers are feeling the pressure to print only glowing reviews, as evidenced by the newly revised Mrs. Giggles review site, features lots of fluffy bunnies. Those who fail to comply or reveal secrets of the publishing trade risk being shut down, as evidenced by the takedown notice at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.

In a stunning victory for an indie/self-publishing press, comes this news:

J.K. Rowling Publishes Harry Potter Ebooks on Smashwords

Best of all are the prices, almost as low as a paperback, but which let's JK pocket even more profit per book, which was the main reason she considered the move.

Another author has finally released a long awaited book, but as a series of novelletes rather than in a single tome: George R. R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons to release later this month

Lastly, if you are tired of all your bibliophile and librarian friends complaining that your ereader (Kindle, Sony or whatever) lacks that book smell, be sure to check out the new and improved Smell of Books. Frankly, I don't see the appeal of those volatiles from the ink (like new car smell and new house smell, no doubt these cause cancer and many other illnesses that we haven't discovered yet), but at least most don't say they prefer Old Book Smell as that seems to be a blend of mold, stale tobacco and random spoiled food (at least from what you find in used bookstores and the library) or Eau de Cat. If your friends are smelling that on their books all the time, I can see why they prefer the smell of new books (but suggest they buy some flowers or step outside now and then). It seems I'm not alone in being tired of this argument, as these articles also take on the issue: Enough With The Smell of Books, Okay? and Smell of Books Fails the Sniff Test.

Well, that wraps up today's news coverage - be sure to tune back in next April Fool's Day for an update...

Free Ebook: Beekeeper's Apprentice

An Agatha Award Best Novel Nominee, and named One of the Century's Best 100 Mysteries by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association, The Beekeeper's Apprentice: Or On the Segregation of the Queen/A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes by Laurie R. King is available as a free download (PDF only) today (April 1st) only and that's no Fool's Joke. Visit the author's site for the PDF download (the link was updated from earlier and should now work). You'll have to convert the PDF to read it on your Kindle -- it isn't available yet in the Kindle Store.

Update: I have my copy of the book. Since it's the printer's markup version of a PDF, it will be nearly impossible to convert for reading on the Kindle. There are four PDF's in total and you'd have to cut/paste every page into a document (word would work) and then convert that into a mobi formatted book (or email to your Kindle). Way too much effort, in my opinion. So, either read it on your computer (even on a Sony Reader, which supports PDF, it's going to look just as bad) or wait until they get proper ebooks released for this series. It's a shame that they didn't take the tiny bit of effort that would have been needed to at least produce a PDF ebook for their giveaway, as this would have brought them thousands of readers to get hooked on a new series, which would have increased their sales (as has happened with nearly every author that has done this in the last year at Amazon and even on their own web sites). Instead, everyone gets a hard to read (and bloated in size) series of PDF's and will probably give up before getting thru the book.

The most fun you've had in an airport, in years!

These days, going to the airport in person isn't a lot of fun, even if you are a kid - no more going all the way to the windows overlooking the runway and watching the planes take off and if you are flying, it's an all day ordeal even if it's a short, direct flight (although at least you can take your Kindle with you, to fight off boredom, especially in terminals that lack bookstores).

Amazon, however, is bringing the fun back to airports, if only virtually. Today (and today only), you can download Airport Mania: First Flight for 98 cents. There are eight airports and 84 levels to play thru -- enough to fight off boredom, even if you're stuck in a real airport at the time.

Pack your bags for a trip through the skies in Airport Mania! Travel through 8 amusing airports while you land a variety of planes, purchase upgrades, and avoid delays. Stay on your toes as some planes carry precious cargo and will need to land in a hurry, while others might need a trip to the repair shop. But, with good planning, you'll make it to the gate on time! With unique challenges, whimsical characters, and fun that will put a smile on your face, Airport Mania is one flight you can't miss!

It should provide you will hours of fun and stress relief, while working on your strategy skills. This download is for the PC, but should run on a Windows netbook or any laptop, in case you really are in an airport.

Free Ebook Coming Soon: Beekeeper's Apprentice

An Agatha Award Best Novel Nominee, and named One of the Century's Best 100 Mysteries by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association, The Beekeeper's Apprentice: Or On the Segregation of the Queen/A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes by Laurie R. King will be available as a free download (PDF only) on April 1st and that's no joke. Visit the author's site on April 1st (don't worry, I'll remind you on Wednesday) for the full book or check now for a free sample. You'll have to convert the PDF to read it on your Kindle -- it isn't available yet in the Kindle Store.

Synopsis

Sherlock Holmes meets his match in a formidable new enemy -- and his surprising new partner.

In 1915, long since retired from his crime-fighting days, Sherlock Holmes is engaged in a reclusive study of honeybees on the Sussex Downs. Never did the Victorian detective think to meet an intellect matching his own -- until his acquaintance with Miss Mary Russell, a young twentieth-century lady whose mental acuity is equaled only by her penchant for deduction, disguises, and danger. Under Holmes's reluctant tutelage,

Russell embarks on a case involving a landowner's mysterious fever and the kidnapping of an American senator's daughter in the wilds of Wales. Then a near-fatal bomb on her doorstep -- and another on Holmes's -- sends the two sleuths on the trail of a murderer who scatters bizarre clues and seems utterly without motive. The villain's objective, however, is quite unequivocal: to end Russell and Holmes's partnership -- and then their lives.

Kindle Batteries in Stock

If you have the original Kindle and your battery is starting to give you a little less time between charges, you'll need to start thinking about getting a Replacement Battery soon. Even if your battery is fine, there are many reasons for wanting a second battery on hand, not the least of which is that last time they went out of stock, they stayed that way for several months. People who ordered last November as just now seeing shipments. But, for now, the Kindle battery is back in stock and can be ordered and shipped right away. Best of all, they only cost $20 (w/ free shipping if your total order is over $25), not the $50+ that some other devices' batteries cost (including the Kindle 2, which also has to be shipped to Amazon for battery replacement).

Kindle Books Under A Dollar

When searching Kindlespace for a good read at under a dollar, you end up finding mostly independent authors. Sure, there are thousands of classics (many of them free) and the few big name authors whose publishing houses have temporarily set their prices to free or $1.00. But independent, self-published authors can't set their books are zero cost (unless they do so on their own web sites). Instead, they have a minimum price of 99 cents required by Amazon (one exception is if they are also published at Mobipocket.com, where they can list the book for a penny, then have Amazon pick up the title that way, as happened with Soul Identity, below). The biggest problem, though, is in finding those independent authors amidst the thousands of public domain titles (many of which have no indication of such in their listings). That price, $0.99, is so popular with those who care more about getting readers than making millions (at least for now), that all the books on today's list are currently available at that price, unless otherwise stated. Below are a few that I've run across, mostly from postings by the authors themselves. Unlike those big name writers at the major publishing houses, the independents have to do all their own publicity, so you'll find them haunting many forums where books are being discussed, especially those discussing Kindle books, since Amazon makes it so much easier for them to find an audience (vanity presses and print on demand are there for hard copies, but the cost per book often means that only a few read them outside of libraries).

The Complete User's Guide To the Amazing Amazon Kindle 2: A Kindle Owners Toolkit Of Over 500 Tips, Tricks, & Links (For Amazons Revolutionary e-Book Reader & Free Wireless Web Browser) by Stephen Windwalker has been marked down to 99 cents (from $2.39). For those who haven't done much with their Kindle 2 other than read books purchased from Amazon, this is a must have purchase. What if you still have the Kindle 1 (or have both)? This older version ($3.99) is still available, but has been updated for the Kindle 2 (and no longer seems to be the recommended edition). The only copy of the original Kindle 1 Guide I could find is this Complete User's Guide to the Amazing Amazon Kindle 1 & Complete Step-by-Step Guide To Publishing for the Kindle combo edition ($9.99). Frankly, many of the tips in this guide will work on the Kindle 1, in any case. Sure, the buttons are bit different, but most of the information on using the web and finding free books will apply to both. Some of the techniques will be different (deleting content from the Home page, for example, or the use of the Content Manager), but the information on using GMAIL or publishing your own content to your Kindle will be useful to all Kindle owners. What if you are using the iPhone, though, you ask? He's got that covered too, with No Kindle Required. Many of the added features in the Kindle are not needed in the iPhone/iPod Touch, what with Safari and more built in, so this title concentrates on using the reading app, shopping in the store and syncing your devices, if you have more than one. Also included are excerpts from the Kindle 2 title, so you may only need this latter volume if you have both.

Sandy Nathan's Numenon (Bloodsong Series) has received good reviews in paperback (18.95) and has now been marked down to $0.99. There are no reviews on the Kindle Edition, which seems to be a common problem amongst some independent, self-published authors, as they are very much dependent on Amazon linking their different editions together. I couldn't pass up what a reviewer called an adult Harry Potter of epic proportions similar to Clan of the Cave Bear (neither of which is available for the Kindle). Set in modern times, an RV caravan of modern Native Americans are driving towards a religious retreat when "all hell breaks loose."

A couple of other authors have figured out how to link in their hard copy reviews (or been lucky) and they have also ventured into the 99 cent territory this week. Bobby's Trace by Edward Patterson and The Feathery by Bill Flynn have solid 4 to 5 star reviews. I'll admit the first isn't a genre I normally read, but horror/ghost stories are very popular and how often does a computer programmer get a starring role? The lead character has lost his life partner to AIDS, but the story revolves more around his relationship (much like Brokeback Mountain) and grief, rather than being in the gay erotica genre. The Feathery is a more mainstream title, with good old-fashioned intrigue and murder over the possession of sports memorabilia (in this case, an original golf ball from when the game was invented). You get a little history, a little PGA golf tour and British Opens and what is looking to be a great read, all for under a buck!

Keith Knapp has updated Moonlight for the Kindle, something that isn't possible with traditional publishing. Readers found some formatting issues, he fixed them and all you have to do is redownload the book to get the new version. Moonlight is an apocalyptic horror tale and, as he says, "not for little children". If storms tend to take down the electricity in your area, I'd recommend that you read it during the day (or somewhere with a generator), since everything begins when the power fails and the lights go out...

Bryan Belrad's Rage of Night also looks to be an intriguing horror/fantasy tale, even if two of the reviews read like aid advertisements or as if they were written by the author or his mother. But an honest, but good, third review holds out promise that it's an 80 cents that won't be wasted (and let's face it - that isn't enough to get you something from the bargain menu at McDonald's, anymore).

One I just started reading is Boyd Morrison's The Adamas Blueprint. When I reached the end of the sample, I not only bought this book, but both of the others for the Kindle: The Ark and The Palmyra Impact ($1.59 each). This a a pure action/thriller, not fantasy, and I definitely recommend it.

A Death at the North Pole by Joel Andre is another self-published mystery and has received mostly positive reviews (although one said he could stand to do a little more proofreading). A prominent figure (guess who?) is killed at the North Pole and a cynical detective sets off to solve the murder. As you can probably guess, not one you will want to use as a bedtime story for the little ones.

Shadow of the Ghost: Book 1: Lord of Chaos Trilogy by Tanner Artesz is $0.99 thru the end of the month. The second book in the trilogy is planned for a May release and will also debut at that price when released. I'll admit I haven't gotten more than a couple of chapters into this one and I'm not sure when I'll get back to it, as it is a fairly complicated fantasy, but the reviews and reader comments on other forums are a solid four stars.

Another fantasy that I may start on, instead, is The Gateway (Harbinger of Doom) by Glenn Thater. Dennis Batchelder, author of Soul Identity had this to say: "set in a world of men, gnomes, elves, and wizards, [The Gateway] asks a tough question: what if we've got it all wrong? What if the God we follow turned bad, and the one we call the Devil is really a maligned angel on a quest to rid the world of evil? So goes Thater's tale, and he tells it in a voice as pretentious as Tolkein's." Tolkien may have been pretentious, but that isn't always a bad thing, at least in his case. In any event, it's in my TBR queue.

If you prefer a female heroine, be sure to pick up Catherine M. Wilson's When Women Were Warriors Book I. The first in a trilogy, with Warriors Book II and Book III both available for the Kindle (but $7.99 each), When Women Were Warriors is set in a world where women are nurturing and warriors, rather than attempting to set a female heroine in a man's world. Relationships and personal growth are as much, if not more, a part of this series as strength of arms and war. Warning: This series does include some scenes of F-F sex.

Another female heroine, albeit a dead one, is central to Charlie Martin's Shadowslayers (Blackwood) ($0.80). A sorceress who has fallen in battle, she works from the afterlife while her husband, another powerful wizard, stands the empires last chance against the evil dragon-god Derrezen. One reviewer was even motivated to buy her own paperback copy, after reading a friend's copy, a sure sign of a great re-readable book.

And of course, there are some I've mentioned earlier this month: Soul Identity ($.01), Mighty Hammer Down ($.99), Legends of WitchBane ($0.99), Empress ($1), Pleasure Unbound ($1). These (and some others above) are all time-limited reductions in price and at the last two are scheduled to go up in April.

So, there you have it - twelve good picks at 99 cents, two at 80 cents, one for a penny and the last two at a dollar each. Seventeen titles you can pick up for less than the cost of a single hardback at your local bookstore, a total of $15.49, and without even leaving your house (or the beach).