Kindle for Blackberry now Available!

Read Kindle Books on Your BlackBerry

Amazon now has Kindle for Blackberry available. All you have to do is enter your Blackberry's email address and the download link will be sent to it.

• Get the best reading experience available on your BlackBerry. No Kindle required
• Access your Kindle books even if you don't have your Kindle with you
• Automatically synchronizes your last page read and annotations between devices with Whispersync
• Create bookmarks and view the annotations you created on your Kindle, computer, or other Kindle-compatible mobile device

Free Book - Bobby's Trace

Bobby's Trace ($0.99 Kindle), by Edward C. Patterson, is free over on Smashwords, through the end of this month. As he explains below, this is a newly revised and updated edition of the book:

"I am happy to announce the release and relaunch of Bobby's Trace effective this evening 2/14/10. The new edition, besides maintenance includes 2 new chapters and the work is expanded. To accommodate the many readers who have previously purchased the work and would like to replace the older version, for a two week period, expiring on 2/28/10, Bobby's Trace will be available at Smashwords for free in several eBook formats and in pdf. New readers, of course, are welcomed during this period."

Use Coupon Code HG65U upon check out and be sure to select the version dated 2010-2-13 for your download.

Book Description
Do ghosts mourn the living?

Perry Chaplin is in mourning for his life partner, Bobby - a time of stress, notwithstanding. The more he drifts, the more he becomes unhinged until he's one room short of a rubber one. "Get a grip, Perry." So he takes his chances on a blind date, which further plunges him along the nightmare highway. He gets an unsought lesson in life-after-death that turns his bereavement into a horrific adventure. Come peek through Perry Chaplin's mysterious window. See what there is to see. Enter Our Lady of Perpetual Grace, where the holy water boils and the confessionals whisper. What lurks in the rectory's attic? What lies beneath the surface of life and death? What comes in Bobby's - in Bobby's trace? Do ghosts mourn the living? Perry Chaplin knows. Will you?

Free Book (nook) - Flawless

Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History ($16.47 paperback), by Scott Andrew Selby, Greg Campbell, is free in the B&N store, in either eReader or EPUB format, depending on how you download it (or so I am told - all I get are eReader formatted books from B&N). Not Kindle compatible.

Book Description
On February 15, 2003, a group of thieves broke into an allegedly airtight vault in the international diamond capital of Antwerp, Belgium and made off with over $108 million dollars worth of diamonds and other valuables. They did so without tripping an alarm or injuring a single guard in the process.

Although the crime was perfect, the getaway was not. The police zeroed in on a band of professional thieves fronted by Leonardo Notarbartolo, a dapper Italian who had rented an office in the Diamond Center and clandestinely cased its vault for over two years. The “who” of the crime had been answered, but the “how” remained largely a mystery.

Enter Scott Andrew Selby, a Harvard Law grad and diamond expert, and Greg Campbell, author of Blood Diamonds, who undertook a global goose chase to uncover the true story behind the daring heist. Tracking the threads of the story throughout Europe—from Belgium to Italy, in seedy cafés and sleek diamond offices—the authors sorted through an array of conflicting details, divergent opinions and incongruous theories to put together the puzzle of what actually happened that Valentine’s Day weekend.

This real-life Ocean’s Eleven—a combination of diamond history, journalistic reportage, and riveting true-crime story—provides a thrilling in-depth study detailing the better-than-fiction heist of the century.

Click HERE for the free book.

2/17 Update: This one day offer was extended another day. So grab this now, as after today it will go back up to regular price.

Free Game - Boonka

The free game this week at Sandlot Games is Boonka ($6.99 Amazon Game Downloads).

Game Description

• Over 60 Fast-Paced Levels.
• 3 Game Modes.
• 15 Power-Ups And Bonuses.
• 41 Unique Level Challenges.

Restore peace and harmony to a once idyllic land in Boonka™, an original Match 3 title from Sandlot Games!

When a beautiful and distant land is overrun, the peace that had prevailed for ages is shattered. Now, to restore this once idyllic land to its former glory, you’ll need to subdivide into various little nature spirits called Boonkas and work to heal the flora and trees destroyed by the dark and powerful Skours.

With over 60 fast-paced levels, 15 powerful, level-changing power-ups and bonuses, 3 unique game modes, and truly addictive gameplay, Boonka has something for everyone!

Click HERE to sign up for the free download. For step by step purchase and installation instructions, see this post.

Wii Gold Box Day

For anyone that has a Wii console (currently sold out, once again), you'll want to check today's GoldBox and Lightning Deals at Amazon, as it's Wii Gold Box Day! There are already two deals up and there are new ones during the day, with the last to appear at 11:00 PM (EST) and every single one of them is on an Wii game.

One thing not on the sale that I hadn't noticed available before are these multi-colored Wii Controllers from Nintendo - much better solution than the colored skins (and they come with the motion plus add-on, for games that support the new accessory).

Walk It Out from Konami is the all-day deal at $19.98.

Game Description

• Uniquely motivational. Explore an in-game world where the more you step, the richer your world becomes. Discover new places and goodies every day!
• Music to get you going! The only fitness-focused game that keeps you in the game with great music! Move to the beat of 120 songs, including 20 favorite licensed tracks.
• Track your achievements. Get a visual feel for how well you¿re doing through charts and graphs that show burned calories, distance traveled, steps taken and more!
• Wii Balance Board compatible. Play with the peripheral of your choice! Accepts input from the DanceDanceRevolution Wii Controller, Wii Remote and Nunchuk or Wii Balance Board.

Get off the couch and get moving to the beat of over a hundred hot songs! Step to the beat of hot hits like the Black Eyed Peas’s “Boom Boom Pow” and Demi Lovato’s “La La Land” and explore a unique in-game world you create with each step you take! It’s a fun and easy way for the whole family to get their hearts pumping! Experience a revolutionary and unique workout where walking to the beat of great music unlocks an exciting in-game world. Keep movin' to the beat of all your favorite in-game tracks as you extend your workout in bonus minigames. Compatible with the Wii Balance Board and the Wii DanceDanceRevolution Controller, Walk It Out will have you groovin' your way to a healthier you! Uniquely motivational, explore an in-game world where the more you step, the richer your world becomes. Discover new places and goodies every day! The only fitness-focused game that keeps you in the game with great music! Move to the beat of 120 songs, including 20 favorite licensed tracks, including masters performed by the original artists! Hits include: Boom Boom Pow by the Black Eyed Peas, How Do You Sleep? by Jesse McCartney, La La Land by Demi Lovato, and more! Get a visual feel for how well you're doing through charts and graphs that show burned calories, distance traveled, steps taken and more! Play with the peripheral of your choice! Accepts input from the DanceDanceRevolution Wii Controller, Wii Remote and Nunchuk, or Wii Balance Board.

Free Book (nook/PDF) - The Hands of the Buddha

The Hands of the Buddha ($8.49 paperback), by Susan Brassfield Cogan, is free in the B&N store for those who have a nook or are willing to read it on a handheld device or their PC. You can also get a picture free version at Smashwords ($0.99) or a free PDF version at the author's website. she also has some beautiful calendar PDF's that you can download and print out, as well as a free PDF download of her book The Last Gift ($10.99 paperback) (also free on Smashwords, in several formats)

Book Description
This ancient book of Buddhist wisdom is older than the Bible. Rewritten in clear, clean modern language, the words of the Buddha will connect with the modern reader. The Dhammapada has been called the distilled essence of Buddhism. In 423 brief verses, said to be actual sayings from the Buddha himself, you will find inspiration and guidance.

Click HERE to get the book in the B&N store.

Free Book (Smashwords) - Tales of a Texas Boy

Tales of a Texas Boy ($0.99 Kindle), by Marva Dasef, is free at Smashwords. Deal expired.

Book Description
How do you handle a crazy jackass? Eddie knows. If you ask Eddie, he'll tell you pigs can fly and show you where to find real mammoth bones. Take his word for it when he tells you always to bet on the bear. These are things he learned while dreaming of becoming a cowboy in West Texas during the Depression. Through Eddie, the hero of "Tales of a Texas Boy," we find that growing up is less about maturity and more about roping your dreams. Hold on tight. It's a bumpy ride. A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys books like "Little House on the Prairie" or "Tom Sawyer." A great bit of nostalgia for seniors, too.

Music Download - The 99 Most Essential Romantic Masterpieces

A new mega music collection at Amazon, The 99 Most Essential Romantic Masterpieces, is on sale today for $2.99. This collection was released 2/13/2010, just in time for Valentine's Day, and contains just shy of 10 hours of classical music from the Romantic era.

Game of the Day - A Fairy Tale

Amazon's Game Download of the Day is a $1.29 download of A Fairy Tale.

Game Description

• A Unique New Type Of Puzzle Game.
• Collect Story Pages In Your Own Fairy Tale Book.
• Unlockable Extra 'Master Quest'.
• Humorous Light Hearted Storyline.

When a giant menace threatens the village, the young faeries Delfbert, Wilf and Angelica set out on a journey to save their home! Join them on their quest through 100 puzzling levels of stunning graphics and magical music that will fill you with wonder. Featuring an exciting new type of puzzle game play and a humorous, light hearted storyline sure to make you smile, A Fairy Tale is an unforgettable journey of enchantment!

Free Audiobook - All the King's Men

There are two versions of All the King's Men ($7.50 Paperback), by Robert Penn Warren, narrated by Michael Emerson, at Audible.com and they appear to only differ by four minutes of recording (both are unabridged) and the price - this one is free, while the other is $27.99.

Book Description
Robert Penn Warren, America's first Poet Laureate, penned one of the most widely read works in American literature with the Pulitzer Prize-winning All the King's Men. An unrivaled novel of American politics, Warren's masterpiece is a classic tale every bit as relevant today as it was upon its release more than 50 years ago.

The fictionalized account of Louisiana's colorful and notorious governor, Huey Pierce Long, All the King's Men follows the startling rise and fall of Willie Stark, a country lawyer in the Deep South of the 1930s. Beset by political enemies, Stark seeks aid from his right-hand man, Jack Burden, who will bear witness to the cataclysmic unfolding of this very American tragedy.

Click HERE for the free audiobook.

Free Book (DRM) - Too Good to Be True

Too Good to Be True, by Kristan Higgins,($5.76 Kindle), is free over on the eHarlequin website in several (DRM'd) formats.

Book Description
When Grace Emerson's ex-fiancé starts dating her younger sister, extreme measures are called for. To keep everyone from obsessing about her love life, Grace announces that she's seeing someone. Someone wonderful. Someone handsome. Someone completely made up. Who is this Mr. Right? Someone...exactly unlike her renegade neighbor Callahan O'Shea. Well, someone with his looks, maybe. His hot body. His knife-sharp sense of humor. His smarts and big heart.

Whoa. No. Callahan O'Shea is not her perfect man! Not with his unsavory past. So why does Mr. Wrong feel so...right?

Click HERE for the free book.

It's also Freebie Friday at eHarlequin. This Friday's deal: Buy 2 or more books and get Sheikh Boss, Hot Desert Nights, by Susan Stephens, absolutely FREE! Plus, for Valentine's day, you can save an additional 14% this weekend! Print and eBook.

Free Game - The Battle for Wesnoth

The Battle for Wesnoth is a free, turn-based tactical strategy game with a high fantasy theme, featuring both single-player, and online/hotseat multiplayer combat. Fight a desperate battle to reclaim the throne of Wesnoth, or take hand in any number of other adventures..

Game Description
Build up a great army, gradually turning raw recruits into hardened veterans. In later games, recall your toughest warriors and form a deadly host against whom none can stand! Choose units from a large pool of specialists, and hand-pick a force with the right strengths to fight well on different terrains against all manner of opposition.

Wesnoth has many different sagas waiting to be played out. Fight to regain the throne of Wesnoth, of which you are the legitimate heir... step into the boots of a young officer sent to guard a not-so-sleepy frontier outpost... vanquish a horde of undead warriors unleashed by a foul necromancer, who also happens to have taken your brother hostage... guide a band of elvish survivors in an epic quest to find a new home.

200+ unit types. 16 races. 6 major factions. Hundreds of years of history. The world of Wesnoth is absolutely huge and limited only by your creativity - make your own custom units, compose your own maps, and write your own scenarios or even full-blown campaigns. You can also challenge up to 8 friends - or strangers - and fight in epic multi-player fantasy battles.

• Build up a formidable fighting force, starting from a single leader and a small amount of gold.
• Over 200 unit types in six major factions, all with distinctive abilities, weapons and spells.
• Experienced units gain powerful new abilities as they advance.
• Several multi-player options available, including internet play.
• Scores of different custom-designed maps, and unlimited random maps.
• Hundreds of campaign scenarios available for download via a simple in-game procedure.
• 'Fog of war' feature available for a true test of generalship.
• Sophisticated mark-up language lets advanced users make their own maps, factions or campaigns.
• Excellent language support – 35 different languages currently available.
• Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux, RISC OS, BeOS, Solaris, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, DragonFly BSD, AmigaOS4, OS/2 & eComStation compatible.
  

Click HERE for the download.

Free Book (EPUB/PDF) - X Marks the Box

Waterstone, a UK bookseller, is giving away a free download of X Marks the Box, by Daniel Blythe, in advance of the printed edition. You can choose from DRM-Free EPUB or PDF versions (optimized for larger screens) after giving them your name and email address -- I'd recommend the EPUB, which is quickly converted to any format via Calibre.

Book Description
X Marks the Box helps the ordinary citizen to negotiate the political maze. In this political primer - designed to allay fears, explode myths and shake up apathy - self-confessed born-again voter Blythe argues that politics often has very little to do with Westminster. In his role as irreverent but informed guide to the workings of politics, he offers practical ways in which everyone can politicise themselves to fight for the things that they believe in.

As the most tightly-contested general election for 30 years approaches - and one which will be fought more than ever on local issues - Daniel Blythe gives an enjoyable, useful and penetrating insight into how to make your vote count.

Click HERE for the free download, valid thru March 3, 2010.

Free Short Story - Hunting Evander

Hunting Evander, by Kim Knox, is free in the Sony store tonight and has been free at Ellora's Cave since January 18. This one isn't in the Amazon Kindle or the B&N store and it's the first of the freebies from Ellora's that I've seen in the Sony store.

Book Description
Narda is on a hunt.

Her target, Doran Van Evander has holed up on a mining planet. But her hunt won’t be simple or easy. Planet Lisala-7 is in the grip of a festival, one they’ve made compulsory. Five days of licensed debauchery and now with her body on fire from the touch of strangers, she must find her target before her time runs out. Failing is not an option. But in this game, who is the hunter and who is the prey?

For the Sony reader, you'll need to use the Reader Library software and either search for the book's title or look on the Bargain Priced page.

Click HERE to get the story free from Ellora's Cave in any of these formats: Adobe PDF, Microsoft Reader, Mobipocket, Rocket Book, HTML. There doesn't appear to be any DRM on this one, as I was able to open the mobipocket version up in Calibre (so it should work fine on Kindle). While you are Ellora's, you might want to check out some of their other free reads (note that they, like the title above, are all on the erotica side of romance).

Accessorize Your Kindle for Valentine's Day

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Amazon has added two covers for the 6" Kindle (K2 and K2i), one in Hot Pink and the second in Burgundy (a deep red), for $34.99.

Book Description

• Official book cover designed by Amazon for Kindle (6" Display)
• Secure Kindle in place with patent-pending cover hinge and strap
• Sturdy and stylish genuine leather exterior protects Kindle
• Soft charcoal grey suede interior protects screen from scratches

Once you've taken care of the exterior of your Kindle, you can accessorize the inside with this Free Valentine's Day Playlist of MP3's (although one song on this list created and offered by Amazon is "Not Available") or this $2.99 Love Songs compilation from Aretha Franklin (which may only be marked down for today), which contains 16 songs or something from this list of The 100 Greatest Romantic Albums of All Time.

If, on the other hand, you aren't in the love song mood for Valentine's, you might want to listen to the Break Up Songs Playlist (although it hardly seems fair that it costs quite a bit more than most of the collections on their Love Song Collections page).

Pre-Order Cate Dermody under $4

All three books in Cate Dermody's Strongbox Chronicles series are available to pre-order in the Kindle store and all are currently marked $3.60. Cate Dermody is a pen name used by C.E. Murphy for her spy thriller series (she writes mainly fantasy under C.E. Murphy), which she describes as "action-adventure romance". Here they are, in series order.

The Cardinal Rule

Book Description
Somewhere in Italy, a powerful and secretive organization was creating an army of weaponized robots. The goal? To "persuade" the world that their vision of the future was the right one. And agent Alisha MacAleer had the job of infiltrating them while defending herself from a robot that had targeted her. Worse, the mission and Alisha's life soon hinged on three choices that only she could make: Alisha had to decide if her ex-lover turned mercenary was telling the truth this time. She had to learn if her boss's son was a double agent for or against the U.S.--and whether she'd been betrayed by the people she trusted most.

Yeah, just an average day in this spy's world....

The Firebird Deception

Book Description
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SIMPLE. GET IN, GET THE GOODS, GET OUT. YET WHAT SHOULD BE SIMPLE ALMOST NEVER WAS...

Once more Alisha MacAleer was racing around Europe, this time searching for the black box from a downed aircraft. Yet for the first time as a CIA agent, she doubted her work--and her superiors. Too many people were able to trace her movements. Was there a double--or triple?--agent in the CIA? How else could the dangerous, almost mythical group known as the Sicarii have targeted her?

The worst problem? She'd discovered the only person she could rely on was the man who'd once broken her heart--by shooting her in the back....

The Phoenix Law

Book Description
CAN YOU EVER QUIT THE SPY GAME?

All former spy Alisha MacAleer wanted was to lead a normal life, complete with settling down near her family. Then a hail of gunfire followed CIA agent Brandon Parker's arrival on her doorstep.

He'd done the impossible: created an AI, a sentient being with artificial intelligence. The U.S. government and two powerful secret societies--hell, even Europe's top underworld figure--all wanted it. And Brandon's arrival made Alisha the last obstacle between them and the AI.

The one person who could help had betrayed her years ago. Yet with the exasperating and elusive Frank Reichart on her side, Alisha might have a chance. If Alisha could use him without giving him her trust, she might just make it through this final mission alive....

Warriors pre-order $8.18

Another 3-month delayed ebook edition results in a discount for Kindle owners, this time for the anthology Warriors ($8.18), edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozios, which will be released on Kindle on April 27, 2010. The hardcover ($12.00) was released on January 30, so this is another one with a three month delay.

The price of this book will revert to $9.99 after the pre-order period ends on 6/7.

Book Description
From George R. R. Martin’s Introduction to Warriors:

“People have been telling stories about warriors for as long as they have been telling stories. Since Homer first sang the wrath of Achilles and the ancient Sumerians set down their tales of Gilgamesh, warriors, soldiers, and fighters have fascinated us; they are a part of every culture, every literary tradition, every genre. All Quiet on the Western Front, From Here to Eternity, and The Red Badge of Courage have become part of our literary canon, taught in classrooms all around the country and the world. Our contributors make up an all-star lineup of award-winning and bestselling writers, representing a dozen different publishers and as many genres. We asked each of them for the same thing—a story about a warrior. Some chose to write in the genre they’re best known for. Some decided to try something different. You will find warriors of every shape, size, and color in these pages, warriors from every epoch of human history, from yesterday and today and tomorrow, and from worlds that never were. Some of the stories will make you sad, some will make you laugh, and many will keep you on the edge of your seat.”

Included are a long novella from the world of Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin, a new tale of Lord John by Diana Gabaldon, and an epic of humanity at bay by David Weber. Also present are original tales by David Ball, Peter S. Beagle, Lawrence Block, Gardner Dozois, Joe Haldeman, Robin Hobb, Cecelia Holland, Joe R. Lansdale, David Morrell, Naomi Novik, James Rollins, Steven Saylor, Robert Silverberg, S.M. Stirling, Carrie Vaughn, Howard Waldrop, and Tad Williams.

Many of these writers are bestsellers. All of them are storytellers of the highest quality. Together they make a volume of unforgettable reading.

Game of the Day - Bookworm

Bookworm ($12.98), from PopCap Games, is today's Game Deal of the Day at Amazon. It looks like a very interesting word game for the Nintendo DS Lite or DSi and has almost all 5-star reviews. I have the (older) DS Lite and use it for word and number games - it's very portable (even more so than the Kindle) and I can get in a few minutes of play now and then (or during commercials on TV). If I didn't already have a console, I'd be interested in this new White DSi Bundle, which, at $210.75, includes 5 games: Brain Age Express: Math, Photo Clock, Brain Age Express: Sudoku, Brain Age Express: Arts & Letters, Clubhouse Games Express: Card Classics.

Book Description

• Boost scores and advance faster with Bonus Words and Reward Tiles and save your high scores and track your progress with the Lex-Ray.
• Form words from 20 themed book collections and unlock 18 rooms to build your customized libraries.
• Flex your lexicon in three game modes ¿ classic, action and wireless multiplayer.
• Pick up and play -- it's easy to start working wordy wonders in seconds.
• Unlimited levels to keep you rising up the ranks in the Hall of Fame.

A high-energy word puzzle game hosted by Lex the bookworm, Bookworm for DS/DSi challenges players use their vocabulary to create words from a play area of cascading individual letters. Time is of the essence though, as the play area contains red glowing letter tiles, that if unused will "burn down" the player's library if they reach the bottom of the screen, ending the game. The DS/DSi version of Bookworm contains the the same addictive action gamers have craved since the game appeared for PC, but also includes improvements like a wireless multiplayer mode and unlimited levels.

Free Book (EPUB) - The Me I Want to Be

The Christian publisher Zondervan is giving away a download of The Me I Want to Be ($9.99 Kindle), by John Ortberg, as part of a promotion for their ChurchSource Small Group Catalog. The only format available is EPUB, but there is no DRM, so it can be converted for most ereaders.

Book Description
God's vision is for each person to grow spiritually toward a life where the Spirit flows through them like a river. The Me I Want to Be guides readers through the great task and joy of becoming God's best version of ourselves. Bestselling author John Ortberg uses Scripture to confirm God's vision for his creation and reassure readers that this is God's project, not our own. Simply follow His lead and stay on task-not always easy for real people living in the real world. But this straightforward guide provides the inspiration and the tools people need for sidestepping the barriers they encounter. It also gives clear, practical instructions for building the skills and practices necessary for sustained spiritual growth.The Me I Want to Be resonates with Christians who are young or old, new or seasoned. It's the ideal guide for anyone who longs to be spiritually mature, fully alive, and more closely aligned with God's perfect vision.

Click HERE to access the catalog and begin your search. You need to find Gertie, the critter peeking out over the catalog in the picture at the right. I found her hanging of the edge of a page (but the location may vary for each person). Once you find her, click on her to start the process of getting the book. You'll have to click on the eBook link on that page, which will take you to a registration page for Zondervan's ChurchSource program. You can actually enter fake information on this page (or just tell them you don't want any follow up emails) and when you submit the info, you'll go to another page with the download code you need and a link on another website (ebits.net) where the book is actually stored. You'll need to create an account there and enter your code before you can download the book. You'll be given several options for where you'll be viewing the book - just choose Computer and EPUB as the format (EPUB is the only option, no matter where you tell it you want to read it), then pop the book into Calibre to convert it to a format you want (such as Mobi for the Kindle).

You can also register your church, HERE, to receive:

• FREE Church Leader Resource DVD—filled with audio, video, and print downloads to help you share with your staff and leadership team.
• FREE Consultation—Have questions about the campaign? Just mark the “contact me” button below and one of our church campaign consultants will help answer all your questions.

Free Game - Cake Mania Back to the Bakery

The free game this week at Sandlot Games is Cake Mania Back to the Bakery ($4.99 Amazon Game Downloads), the first followup game to Cake Mania ($6.99) which, as you may remember, was free at Amazon last September.

Game Description

• 36 all-new, fast-paced levels of baking!
• Help Jill renovate the Evans Bakery
• Customize your kitchen in the shop screen
• Hilarious new seasonal customers

In this all new adventure, Jill Evans™ has decided to renovate her grandparents' bakery in the hopes of winning them a deluxe grand prize - an all-expense-paid Hawaiian luxury cruise. With an all-new bakery to renovate, hilarious new characters, an all-new storyline and 36 levels of fast-paced baking, fans of Cake Mania can enjoy another great baking adventure!

Click HERE to sign up for the free download. For step by step purchase and installation instructions, see this post.

$1.99 Deals from 5 Spot

The publisher 5 Spot has five books marked down to $1.99 this month (Amazon only has one on their Big Deals page), all of which look to be light, humorous reads.

Knitting Under the Influence, by Claire LaZebnik

Book Description
When you're in your late twenties and nothing in your life seems to be falling into place, knitting is an awfully seductive way to spend your free time. After all, as long as you're following the instructions, you can knit row after row with the knowledge that the pattern will emerge and you'll end up with just what you wanted. Life, on the other hand, doesn't come with a stitch counter, so Kathleen, Sari, and Lucy, the heroines of Knitting Under the Influence, just have to figure things out as they go along.

Their weekly Sunday knitting circle is the only thing holding them together as Kathleen is cut off financially by her family and forced to enter "the real world" for the very first time at the age of twenty-seven, Sari finds herself falling for the man who made her life a living hell in high school but who now desperately needs her help, and Lucy finds herself torn between emotion and reason when her lab and her boyfriend are assailed by an animal-rights group.

At their club meetings, they discuss the really important questions: how bad is it, really, to marry for money if you like the guy a lot anyway? Can you ever forgive someone for something truly atrocious that they've done? Is it better to be unhappily coupled than happily alone? And the little ones: Can you wear a bra with a hand-knit tube top? Is it ever acceptable to knit something for a boyfriend? And why do your stitches become lopsided after your second martini?

I'm with Stupid, by Elaine Szewczyk

Book Description
A hilarious tale of girl meets boy, girl falls in lust, girl discovers boy is not playing with a full deck...

When Kas meets William while on safari in South Africa he seems perfect-a gorgeous park ranger, both kind and brave (he saved the tour from certain death by water buffalo). Her two best friends, Max, an endlessly scheming personal trainer, and Libby, a jobless bombshell, would like to get their hands on William...but he's only interested in Kas, an editorial assistant at a struggling New York literary agency who thinks William is out of her league. The two have a fling, and Kas returns home to New York wondering if she'll hear from William again. So when he finally sends an email, she's delighted.

Until she opens it.

The email is not quite the love missive Kas expected. Did she misjudge William? A miscommunication ensues, triggering a rapid-fire series of comic developments that, within days, bring William to New York, now under the impression that Kas has offered him a place to live. As he unveils his big plan to take Manhattan by storm and make his fortune, Kas finally recognizes how limited William's intellectual capabilities are: He makes Kevin Federline look like Albert Einstein.

Readers are along for the outrageous ride as Kas copes with her new roommate's eccentricities, including a preoccupation with the Psychic Friends Network and a passion for collecting Big Apple-themed souvenirs, and the realization that her dream man is a comic nightmare.

The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club, by Jessica Morrison

Book Description
28-year-old Cassie Moore has always played it safe, living life according to a meticulously organized Master Plan. But when she loses her Perfect Job and finds her fiancé in bed with his ex on the same day, it's clear that The Plan has failed her. She awakens the next day from a drunken stupor to discover that she's booked herself on a six-month trip to Buenos Aires. She speaks not a word of Spanish, but she's already emailed the news to everyone she knows, so there's no turning back. Once in Buenos Aires, Cassie is reluctantly seduced by this glorious city. Her exuberant landlady introduces her to the handsome but haughty Mateo, a man Cassie clashes with right from the start. She soon befriends other lovelorn travelers and together, they start a "Brokenhearts Club" at a local bar, attracting a cast of characters that includes Dan, a sweet handsome man who lives as carefully and predictably as Cassie. Before long, Cassie's making a new plan: 1. Learn Spanish. 2. Stop obsessing about impossible Mateo and fall for perfect-on-paper Dan. But staying on track isn't so simple anymore and Cassie finally realizes that sometimes life--and love--defies her best-laid plans.

Conversations with the Fat Girl, by Liza Palmer

Book Description
Everyone seems to be getting on with their lives except Maggie. At 26, she's still serving coffee at The Beanery Coffee House, while her friends are getting married, having babies, and having real careers. Even Olivia, Maggie's best friend from childhood, is getting married to the doctor with whom she lives. Maggie's roommate? Her dog Solo (his name says it all). The man in Maggie's life? Well there isn't one, except the guy she has a crush on, Domenic, who works with her at the coffee shop as a bus boy.Maggie and Olivia have been best friends since they were in grade school. Both fatties, they befriended each other when no one else would. Now grown-up, Maggie is still shopping in the "women's section" while Olivia went and had gastric-bypass surgery in search of the elusive size 2, the holy grail for girls everywhere. So now Olivia's thin and blonde and getting married, and Maggie's the fat bridesmaid. Ain't life grand? In this wonderful debut novel that is sure to remind readers of Jennifer Weiner's Good In Bed, Liza Orr is both witty and wise, giving voice to women everywhere who wish for just once that they could forget about their weight.

Carpool Diem, by Nancy Star

Book Description
Annie Fleming's family has always adjusted well to her hard driving career. How could they not? Annie keeps them in line at home with typed, edited, and proofed to-do and not-to-do lists for her husband, her babysitter, and her daughter. (No TV on a school night, please!) But when an obnoxious co-worker conspires to force Annie out of her job, she finds herself out of work and face-to-face with her family, who, it turns out, isn't quite as well-adjusted as Annie thought. Husband Tim doesn't have near the follow-through that Annie does (ordered to downsize his employees, he can't fire anybody!) And daughter Charlotte doesn't even try to make the local soccer team - a cut-throat, take-no-prisoners system run by Winslow West, a man who dreams of the Olympic gold his young charges will someday win for him.

Here Annie is unemployed and Charlotte's the one with the quitting attitude? Annie doesn't think so. She's determined to get Charlotte on the A team, but finds that the soccer sidelines are more cutthroat than a boardroom ever was.

You can get the same deal on these books in the Sony bookstore and in the Barnes and Noble store:
Knitting Under the Influence
I'm with Stupid
Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club
Conversations with the Fat Girl
Carpool Diem

Fictionwise 100% Rebates: Grafton, Evanovich & Leigh

Fictionwise is running a 100% rebate deal on three authors this weekend: Sue Grafton, Janet Evanovich and Lora Leigh. Every one of their ebooks are included and you can use existing micropay to pay for the titles (except for those on the NYT Bestseller list, which require payment by Credit Card or PayPal to qualify for the rebate: Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich and U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton).

Note that all of the titles are available only in DRM'd formats, so are not Kindle compatible. Most are available in Secure Mobipocket and eReader (nook compatible and the FW reader app on the iPhone) and quite a few show an ePub (nook/Sony) or PDF option (Sony). All, of course, have free reader software options for the PC and this is a cheap way to build up your library of these three bestselling authors.

If you don't have any credit there, you could start with the two NYT bestsellers above, then use that credit to buy a couple of books at a time, repeating until you have purchased them all. The deals on Evanovich are set to end today (which often means about 10am EST) and the other two end tomorrow.

Free Audiobook - She's Got It Bad

Audible.com currently has a free, unabridged download of She's Got It Bad, by Sarah Mayberry, narrated by Zoe Hunter.

Book Description
Twelve years ago, Zoe Ford let Liam Masters break her heart. But now? There's not a chance. Zoe is as tough and wild as they come. So when Liam shows up at her tattoo parlor, she's more than ready to take him on again. That's not going to be a hardship, since he's hotter than he ever was.

This time she's staying in charge. And she's not going to consider their score settled until he's hot, bothered, and begging for more! Then she'll move on as callously as he left her. Unless all that deliciously bad sex is just too good to give up....

Click HERE for the free download.

Free Book - Home of the Brave

Jeffry Hepple's Home of the Brave ($2.99 Kindle), the third in his Gone for Soldiers series, is finally being released, after a tussle with UPS, who lost his edited manuscript with the changes he wanted to incorporate before publication. For readers of this blog, he has created an exclusive coupon you can use to purchase a free copy of book, in any of several a DRM-free formats at Smashwords. In addition, the announcement for the book is only being seen here this weekend, so you can be one of the first to read it, before it is posted/announced in the Amazon and other Kindle book forums. Feel free to share the link to this post with anyone you think might want to read the book, but please don't share the discount code in other forums (it helps him track his sales).

Jeff's book are heavy on historical detail, which I consider a plus. You could start reading with Gone For a Soldier ($4.00 Kindle or Smashwords - see below for coupon on this one, also) and Land of the Free ($2.00 Kindle or Smashwords), the first two in the series, or start with this one as a stand-alone novel without feeling you have missed too much backstory.

Book Description
The Van Buskirk family becomes embroiled in the Texas Revolution and the Mexican War when Thomas resigns his commission and purchases a land grant from Stephen F. Austin.

Click HERE to find the book on Smashwords and use coupon code EJ93F during checkout for the discount, valid until the end of February. Although Jeff didn't ask (he's happy you are going to read his book), I'd ask that those who do read it consider adding a small review on either Amazon or Smashwords (links are all above). It doesn't have to be an opus, just a few sentences on what you enjoyed about the book. If you pick up Gone for A Soldier, you can use coupon code GH98N to get $2 off - the entire trilogy then costs you only $4.00.

2/21 Update: Here are some updated coupon codes, that expire at month end (but use the one above to get Home of the Brave for free).

• Coupon HY25U $0.99 Home of the Brave Number 1 best seller in historical fiction.
• Coupon UZ45J $0.99 Land of the Free Number 2 best seller in historical fiction.
• Coupon GH98N $2.00 Gone For a Soldier Number 5 best seller in historical fiction.

Politician pre-order $8.55

Add another another delayed ebook release to the discount bin. This time, it's Andrew Young's Politician ($8.55), which will be released on Kindle on April 27, 2010. The hardcover ($12.00) was released on January 30, so this is another one with a three month delay.

The price of this book will revert to $9.99 after the pre-order period ends on 4/26.

Book Description
The underside of modern American politics -- raw ambition, manipulation, and deception -- are revealed in detail by Andrew Young’s riveting account of a presidential hopeful’s meteoric rise and scandalous fall. Like a non-fiction version of All the King’s Men, The Politician offers a truly disturbing, even shocking perspective on the risks taken and tactics employed by a man determined to rule the most powerful nation on earth.

Idealistic and ambitious, Andrew Young volunteered for the John Edwards campaign for Senate in 1998 and quickly became the candidate’s right hand man. As the senator became a national star, Young’s responsibilities grew. For a decade he was this politician’s confidant and he was assured he was ‘like family.” In time, however, Young was drawn into a series of questionable assignments that culminated with Edwards asking him to help conceal the Senator’s ongoing adultery. Days before the 2008 presidential primaries began, Young gained international notoriety when he told the world that he was the father of a child being carried by a woman named Rielle Hunter, who was actually the senator’s mistress. While Young began a life on the run, hiding from the press with his family and alleged mistress, John Edwards continued to pursue the presidency and then the Vice Presidency in the future Obama administration.

Young had been the senator’s closest aide and most trusted friend. He believed that John Edwards could be a great president, and was assured throughout the cover-up that his boss and friend would ultimately step forward to both tell the truth and protect his aide’s career. Neither promise was kept. Not only a moving personal account of Andrew Young’s political education, THE POLITICIAN offers a look at the trajectory which made John Edwards the ideal Democratic candidate for president, and the hubris which brought him down, leaving his career, his marriage and his dreams in ashes.

Game of the Day - Big Kahuna Reef 2

Amazon's Game Download of the Day is a $1.79 download of Big Kahuna Reef 2, a sequel to the free game Big Kahuna Reef.

Game Description

• An Explosive Ocean Adventure.
• Discover More Than 40 Exotic Sea Creatures
• Over 750 Levels To Explore
• Quest To Become The Big Kahuna.

Go Hawaiian all over again with Big Kahuna Reef 2: Chain Reaction! This spectacular and explosively charged match-game of adventure will captivate you as you dive with Humpback Whales, discovering new and exotic fish at every turn. Creative designers from around the world deliver over 750 delightful and fantastical levels! With its breathtaking effects, dynamic explosions and thousands of new levels to download online, what are you waiting for? Come back to an underwater paradise!