Down the Rabbit-Hole with Alice

Blackstone Audio and Audiofile are giving away a free download of the audiobook Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, read by Michael York. You can get either the MP3 (Kindle compatible; place in the \audible directory) or M4B (iTunes/Quicktime) versions of the book (or both), in one convenient (and large) zip file. Hurry, though, as the offer is only good until March 16.

Book Description
Alice chases the White Rabbit down a rabbit hole and encounters a world of delightfully eccentric characters like the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Cheshire Cat, the Mock Turtle, and the Queen of Hearts. This enduring and evocative tale can be read on many levels and enjoyed by adults and children alike.

Alice's Theme, from the album Alice In Wonderland ($7.99), by Danny Elfman, is free to download at Amazon. Put the MP3 into your \music folder on your Kindle and let the theme play while you read a free copy of Alice In Wonderland to yourself or out loud to your kids.

Update: If you have a nook, head down to your local Barnes & Noble store, as they have a free download of Alice in Wonderland that is only available there.

Book Giveaway - Marrying for King's Millions

Harlequin has once again sent me a surprise package: five paperback copies of Marrying for King's Millions (out of print; $3.40 Kindle), by Maureen Child.

So, I have four copies that I will mail out to four lucky readers (I've already read the remaining copy and will pass it on locally). I'll draw names from those who comment on this post. I'll keep the contest open until midnight (US/EDT) March 15, 2010. Be sure to leave me an EMAIL address that can be used to contact you (I'll need a real mailing address later on for the winners, but don't leave that here in the comments). If you subscribe on the Kindle or mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook or your own blog, leave a separate comment for each one, to get multiple entries.

Book Description
Wed and bed one of his biggest client's unsavory daughters? No thanks. But the only way millionaire Travis King could get the man off his back was to marry someone else. So he handpicked his temporary and on-his-terms bride--hometown girl Julie O'Hara. The woman was desperate and should easily fade into the background. And, as per their contract, she'd do exactly what he wanted during their year of platonic marriage. Unless what he wanted began to change...

Automobile Magazine $5/Year

Barnes & Noble's Deal of the Day is a one year subscription to the print edition of Automobile Magazine for $5.00 ($4.50 for members). The claimed savings is compared to a $71.88 list price, but you can subscribe normally there (and at Amazon, which only claims a $59.98 list price) for $10/year.

Description
Automobile magazine is dedicated to extraordinary cars and the people who make them, drive them and love them. Without pulling punches, Automobile brings you the world's most incredible cars -- in full color and with expert commentary.

This magazine is edited for automotive enthusiasts interested in the impact the automotive world has had. Its focus ranges from cars and machines to road tests and road trips. It also includes reviews of new vehicles, tips for vintage car collectors and information about auto sports and the automobile business.

Free Book - On the Origins of Joy Boy's Chasm

On the Origins of Joy Boy's Chasm ($0.99), by Liam James Leaven, can be downloaded for free from Smashwords, using coupon code JY73J, valid thru March 13 (the end of "Read an eBook Week", which starts next Sunday). The author has set up this free download in honor of March Madness and also in honor of Joy Boy's Chasm making it through the first round of the 2010 ABNA (Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award) selection process.

Book Description
The mysterious nature of women, coupled with what seems to be a life slated for nothingness, has Joy Boy reeling. His consequent search for Dude, and all that he must know, begins a zany quest for something, anything, with more meaning and staying power than the 18-word sitcom descriptions he writes for his job at the TV Talon Times.

So begins a hilarious series of events filled with a wildly diverse array of impassioned, lonely and restless searchers, culminating in an explosion of pastoral bliss.

Free Game - Westward II

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

Game Description

• Over 20 unique buildings
• Awards for in-game accomplishments
• All-new Sandbox mode
• Beautiful 3-D graphics

Navigate uncharted territories, build prosperous settlements and bring the dangerously elusive Copperhead Gang to justice in Westward II: Heroes of the Frontier®, an exciting real-time strategy adventure from Sandlot Games! Download Game and Play for Free!

Steer the fortunes of three distinctly different pioneers as they establish Oxbow Bend, a new outpost in the unexplored Wild West, and work to uncover the Mad Russian's base of operations. Gather resources, overcome natural disasters and plot a course through new terrain as you guide your settlers to safety and success.

Customize your towns with over 20 unique buildings, more than 30 luxury items and upgrades, and attempt to deliver justice in this all-new frontier adventure. Stake your claim in Westward II: Heroes of the Frontier today!

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

Free Book (Sony) - Half Past Dead

Half Past Dead ($8.00 Kindle), a double novella volume by Zoe Archer & Bianca D' Arc, is free in the Sony eBookstore.

Book Description
There are good guys, there are bad boys, and then there are men with a danger all their own--these are the ones who take you places you never imagined. . .and will never forget.

The Undying Heart by Zoe Archer

Samuel Reed had no idea magic existed, until it almost destroyed him. Thirsting for vengeance against the enemy who made him something less than human, Sam returns to England and crosses paths with Cassandra Fielding. His best friend's little sister has become a fearless woman on a dangerous mission of her own. And against all odds, she sees past what he's become, and stirs a desire he thought he'd lost forever. . .

Simon Says by Bianca D'Arc

Special Forces soldier Simon Blackwell ended his affair with Mariana Daniels three years ago, but he hasn't stopped protecting her. Mariana has no knowledge of the dark, deadly creatures that lurk in the forest surrounding her clinic, or of the mysterious powers that make Simon the only one who can defeat them. But soon he'll have no choice but to reveal the truth, and urge her to trust in an explosive passion that never faded. . .

Free Audiobook - Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die

ChristianAudio's has added a second free download this month: Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die by John Piper, narrated by Robertson Dean ($7.19 Kindle), which you can see from the cover is a special edition that normally sells for $5.98. After adding the audiobook to your cart, enter the coupon code MAR2010B during checkout. You'll need to purchase this one separately from the first one, as their cart can only handle one coupon code per order.

WHY? The most important questions anyone can ask are: Why was Jesus Christ crucified? Why did he suffer so much? What has this to do with me? Finally, who sent him to his sdeath? The answer to the last question is that God did. Jesus was God's Son. The suffering was unsurpassed, but the whole message of the Bible leads to this answer.

The central issue of Jesus' death is not the cause, but the meaning-God's meaning. That is what this book is about. John Piper has gathered from the New Testament fifty reasons. Not fifty causes, but fifty purposes-in answer to the most important question that each of us must face: What did God achieve for sinners like us in sending his Son to die?

Get your free audio download HERE (be sure to use the coupon code shown, so you won't get charged). After you finishing checking out, you will be asked which format you prefer - select MP3 if you want to be able to play the book on your Kindle.

Free Book - Prosper in the Spirit

Prosper in the Spirit , a Christian devotional by Jaye Seay, is free on Smashwords using coupon code GK65P, valid through February 28, 2011.

Book Description
Prosper in the Spirit contains eighteen powerful devotional messages that will inspire your faith. Each devotional was carefully crafted from the author's personal study of the Bible. Topics covered include God's providence, overcoming anxiety, prayer and walking with Christ. These devotionals will encourage you, strengthen your faith and bring you closer to Jesus.

Free Audiobook - The Cost of Discipleship

ChristianAudio's free download this month is The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, narrated by Paul Michael ($10.50 paperback). After adding the audiobook to your cart, enter the coupon code MAR2010 during checkout.

This book is quite simply, one of the most profound and important books of the 20th century. Dietrich Bonhoeffer lived a testimony of his thoughtful and engaging writers.

Focusing on the most treasured part of Christ's teaching - the Sermon on the Mount with its call to discipleship, and on the grace of God and the sacrifice which that demands.

Viewed against the background of Nazi Germany, Bonhoeffer's book is striking enough. At the same time, it shares with many great Christian classics a quality of timelessness, so that it has spoken, and continues to speak powerfully, to the varied concerns of the contemporary world.

Get your free audio download HERE (be sure to use the coupon code shown, so you won't get charged). After you finishing checking out, you will be asked which format you prefer - select MP3 if you want to be able to play the book on your Kindle.

Free Book (ADE-PDF) - Jokes

The University of Chicago Press' free book this month is Jokes: Philosophical Thoughts on Joking Matters ($8.58 Kindle), by Ted Cohen. This one is also in PDF format (DRM'd, not Kindle compatible; requires Adobe Digital Editions).

Book Description
Abe and his friend Sol are out for a walk together in a part of town they haven't been in before. Passing a Christian church, they notice a curious sign in front that says "$1,000 to anyone who will convert." "I wonder what that's about," says Abe. "I think I'll go in and have a look. I'll be back in a minute; just wait for me."

Sol sits on the sidewalk bench and waits patiently for nearly half an hour. Finally, Abe reappears.

"Well," asks Sol, "what are they up to? Who are they trying to convert? Why do they care? Did you get the $1,000?"

Indignantly Abe replies, "Money. That's all you people care about."

Ted Cohen thinks that's not a bad joke. But he also doesn't think it's an easy joke. For a listener or reader to laugh at Abe's conversion, a complicated set of conditions must be met. First, a listener has to recognize that Abe and Sol are Jewish names. Second, that listener has to be familiar with the widespread idea that Jews are more interested in money than anything else. And finally, the listener needs to know this information in advance of the joke, and without anyone telling him or her. Jokes, in short, are complicated transactions in which communities are forged, intimacy is offered, and otherwise offensive stereotypes and cliches lose their sting-at least sometimes.

Jokes is a book of jokes and a book about them. Cohen loves a good laugh, but as a philosopher, he is also interested in how jokes work, why they work, and when they don't. The delight at the end of a joke is the result of a complex set of conditions and processes, and Cohen takes us through these conditions in a philosophical exploration of humor. He considers questions of audience, selection of joke topics, the ethnic character of jokes, and their morality, all with plenty of examples that will make you either chuckle or wince. Jokes: more humorous than other philosophy books, more philosophical than other humor books.

Click HERE to sign up for the free download.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency for $1.99

Amazon started advertising this one early in the morning, but I held the announcement until the price change (sometime after 3PM and I suspect after 5PM or 6PM, due to when the other price changes planned for today occurred).

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency , by Alexander Mccall Smith, is available (for a limited time) in the Kindle store for $1.99.

Book Description
This first novel in Alexander McCall Smith’s widely acclaimed The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series tells the story of the delightfully cunning and enormously engaging Precious Ramotswe, who is drawn to her profession to “help people with problems in their lives.” Immediately upon setting up shop in a small storefront in Gaborone, she is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witchdoctors.

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency received two Booker Judges’ Special Recommendations and was voted one of the International Books of the Year and the Millennium by the Times Literary Supplement.

Also available at Barnes & Noble and Sony.

Bargain Book Roundup Continued

The first two in today's post are from Little, Brown and Company and the sale prices have already ended in some other ebookstores. After that, a selection from Amazon and Smashwords that are very low in price or free.

Just a reminder that today is the last day for books priced under a dollar in the Kindle store (or, at least, that is what Amazon has announced to authors). A few books on this list have already been increased to the new 99 cent minimum list price. I suspect this new rule has been put in place in order to accommodate titles from Smashwords, where many authors do list their books for free (resulting in free books in the B&N store, so far, as well). A partnership between Smashwords and Amazon has been announced by Smashwords, but the books have yet to make an appearance. With the new rule in place, the way is clear for them to be introduced without flooding the store with free entries that are not either public domain (as controlled by Amazon) or larger publishing house promotions.

The Big Love ($1.99), by Sarah Dunn

Book Description
Alison Hopkins isn't just looking for Mr. Right . . . or even Mr. Big. She's holding out for the Big Love.

When 32-year-old Alison's first real boyfriend unceremoniously dumps her - he steps out to buy mustard for a dinner party and never returns - it's time for Alison to reassess her lifelong search for romantic fulfillment. Does true love even exist? Is every romantic involvement with a coworker inevitably doomed? Does sex without commitment always lead to disaster? Is a girl's evangelical Christian upbringing an impediment to her finding true happiness?

Funnier than any "chick-lit," as poised and accomplished as any literary debut this year, The Big Love is a big-hearted, hilariously entertaining novel that readers all across America are falling for.

Seven Loves ($1.99), by Valerie Trueblood

Book Description
Who most deeply affects our lives? Sometimes it is those who touch us briefly, even unexpectedly. For May Nilsson, these include the lover she takes in her forties; the handsome, troubled young rebel she is determined to rescue; the police officer who inadvertently plays a major role in her greatest catastrophe.

Moving back and forth in time, from May's childhood to her eighth decade, SEVEN LOVES weaves together the strands of an ordinary life made extraordinary by the complex passions that drive it.

The Second Coming ($1.99), by David H. Burton, the first in the Words of the Prophecy series, is free in PDF form at the author's website thru March 2.

Book Description
Travel to a future of blood sacrifice, demons, witchcraft, and an immoral God that has returned to reclaim his former dominion.

When Do I See God? ($0.99), by Jeff Inlo, is free to download at the author's website, on Smashwords and on Feedbooks, in various formats.

Book Description
When a flash flood claims Steven Drilach's life, he finds that existence does not end with the death of the body. He steps into an afterlife where all his dreams can come true and anything he imagines can be his. Following the lead of his afterlife guide, he learns of the connections between the physical world he left behind and the spiritual realm where he now resides. During his journeys back to earth, he discovers lost souls unwilling to accept their own death and unable to move on to a spiritual existence. Through their experiences, he learns to face his own personal doubts and to understand what truly separates him from God.

For Sale in Palm Springs ($0.99), by Albert Simon, the first in the Henry Wright Mystery series is free on Smashwords.

Book Description
A murdered real estate agent. Unsatisfied home buyers. A possible celebrity scam. A secret society!

Retired police chief Henry Wright is now living in Palm Springs and is asked by his friend Wayne Johnson, a detective in the Palm Springs Police department to help solve a crime: who killed Palm Springs real estate mogul Rex Thornbird. Henry has been living as somewhat of a recluse since his wife passed away, but tracking down this killer brings him back to life.

Follow his adventures as he travels from Palm Springs to the Silicon Valley to find the killer!

Sin And Vengeance ($0.99), by CJ West, the first in the Randy Black series, has been optioned for a movie. The series also includes A Demon Awaits and Gretchen Greene ($1.99 each).

Book Description
When his knee shatters on the playing field, Charlie Marston is plunged into turmoil. The fallen college superstar joins the family winemaking business, but working alongside his parents is not the future he had planned. He escapes work whenever he can and soon finds a new friend named Randy Black. Randy is part stunt-pilot, part Casanova, and part drunken Pied Piper. Randy introduces Charlie to Deirdre Deudon, the provocative wife of a French farmer. They come together in an ill-conceived stunt that explodes into consequences that chase Charlie and Randy back home to Massachusetts and change Deirdre's life forever. The after-effects of this tragic mistake bind the three of them together and threaten everything they hold dear.

Taking Stock ($1.99), also by CJ West, is a stand-alone novel not connected to the above series.

Book Description
Tiny magnetic dots locked deep in Boston's financial district hold the keys to $44 billion. The massive fortune is spread among seventy-five thousand customers and only the computers know exactly how the shares are divided at any given time. Millions are spent to keep the systems safe in their temperature controlled room and keep Internet-based hackers at bay. No one knows this better than the people assigned to safeguard this fortune. Erica Fletcher is one such guardian, buried by an insurmountable workload, precisely how she likes it. Beautiful, smart, tough, nothing can knock her off course and nothing penetrates her defenses. She's locked her emotions away and poured her life into her career. She's a superstar among her peers and a nightmare to any man who tries to control her. Erica's boss wants her out and their confrontation wakes Erica to a stark reality. She's traded her life for success and security, forever running from her mother's mistakes. Her roommate convinces her to slow down and just as her first real romance blooms, her life is thrown into chaos. Two hundred million has disappeared from the firm and the evidence all points to Erica. She fights for her life as she struggles to hold on to the new woman she's become.

Fear of Fighting ($15.56 paperback), by Stacey May Fowles (Author) & Marlena Zuber (Illustrator), is free from the publisher until April.

Book Description
Through Marlena Zuber's whimsical and raw drawings and Stacey May Fowles’s humorous and biting prose, Fear of Fighting explores the conflict between the mundane details of daily life and a desperate need to find meaning. Set in the lonely, urban landscape of downtown Toronto, the story revolves around Marnie, a broken-hearted young woman fighting to find something more. Examining issues of loneliness, mental health, and the importance of human and community connection, Fear of Fighting reveals the stark contrast between the Marnie's inner dialogue and the invisibility and madness she feels daily.

The Third Kiss: Dorian's Dream ($1.00), by Heather Killough-Walden, has several 5-star reviews (one reviewer said "Hands down one of my favorite authors!").

Book Description
An ancient Roma foretelling speaks of vampire kings one day dreaming of the women who could bear them children. These children would be powerful vampire warriors and treasures to their kingdoms. Their mothers would become queens. However, a thousand years have passed and not a single vampire has dreamt of anything at all, much less of salvation through companionship.

And then, in a massive master bedroom in a mansion upon sprawling estate grounds in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the French vampire king awakens from a slumber ripe with visions of a young American beauty. Julian Adalard, the ruthless ruler of his people, has dreamt of his queen. At once, he sends his bounty hunter to retriever her.
However, the bounty hunter is not only a skilled hunter and an unwilling servant to the king – he is also Julian’s brother, Dorian Adalard, and the prince of his people.

And he, too, has dreamt of the young woman.

Emma Rose Nekoda doesn't know she's been ear-marked as America's French vampire queen. She's a free-lance photographer, traveling from South West to Deep South for a long-awaited photo shoot.

However, the bayou has more in store for Emma Rose than she’d anticipated. Amidst the marshy swampland and sticky heat of an old world steeped in magic, she will fight for her freedom from one gorgeous vampire brother to another – and in the process, kick off a world-wide war between vampire factions striving to become the first to develop an army of warrior offspring.

Angela ($0.99), by Rex Kusler, is free on Smashwords. He has a second novel out, Punctured ($0.99 Kindle and on Smashwords), which is worth taking a look at for the cover alone.

Book Description
Johnny Buck has a big heart, but it is so deeply hidden even he can’t seem to find it. One of his classmates, Julie Anderson knows it’s there and she’s attracted to his creative mind and part of his spunk—even though he ignores her because she isn’t a knockout.

Raised by a father who exhibits antisocial behavior, Johnny Buck struggles to overcome the traits he seems to have inherited with the indirect influence of three mysterious women who come into his life. They always seem to show up when he’s in danger. Although they all have the same name, Angela, and they’re all beautiful, they differ completely in appearance.

He also finds himself attracted to the writing of the mysterious and reclusive novelist Samantha Sommers. He’d like to meet her—but she thinks that’s a bad idea.

Go Right and You'll Never Go Wrong), by Michael Mefford, author of Whole World Blind ($2.99 Kindle and Smashwords), is free on Smashwords.

Book Description
When I left psychiatry five years ago to care for my children, I decided to write down the salient points from my years in practice. My hope was to capture the take-home lessons from my time in the trenches so I could share them with my kids as they grew older. What follows are the rules of the human condition as I've seen them. Take care.

L.K. Campbell has a free short story, Not For Me, on Smashwords.

Book Description
In this short story, Nicole is a divorced woman who tires of her employee, Brenda's meddlesome matchmaking. On Valentine's Day, the shoe ends up on the other foot when Brenda's husband leaves her, and Nicole suggests a girl's night out to console her.

God Helps Those... ($14.00 paperback), by Alan Cramer, is free on Smashwords.

Book Description
The year is 1983, Marcus Dupree is on his way to the top. He has it all, the great job, the girl of his dreams and a chance to live the truly good life. But Marcus has a secret, a secret that soon becomes to big to hide. He struggles to keep his family together, but it looks like it's all about to come crashing down. Only God can save him...

In Her Name: Empire ($2.39), by Michael Hicks, is free on Smashwords. This is one I purchased when it first came out and promptly bought the rest of the trilogy. A second, prequel trilogy is now up to the second volume and I'm looking forward to it's completion as well.

Book Description
In the first book of an epic futuristic fantasy trilogy, this is the coming-of-age story of Reza Gard, a young boy of the Human Confederation who is swept up in the century-long war with the alien Kreelan Empire. Nightmarish female warriors with blue skin, fangs, and razor sharp talons, the Kreelans have technology that is millennia beyond that of the Confederation, yet they seek out close combat with sword and claw, fighting and dying to honor their god-like Empress. Captured and enslaved, Reza must live like his enemies in a grand experiment to see if humans have souls, and if one may be the key to unlocking an ages old curse upon the Kreelan race. Enduring the brutal conditions of Kreelan life, Reza and a young warrior named Esah-Zhurah find themselves bound together by fate and a prophecy foretold millennia before they were born.

Publisher's note: This book is the first section of the original novel IN HER NAME, which is now the omnibus edition containing three complete novels - Empire, Confederation, and Final Battle - under one cover.

Twenty Dollar Bill ($1.99), by Elmore Hammes, is free on Smashwords with this coupon code: JS98J, valid through March 31, 2010. To go along with this free offer, this book will be featured in a book/reading club thread over on NookBoards and the author will be participating in the discussion.

Book Description
Follow the path of a twenty dollar bill as it is stolen, given, spent or otherwise passed from person to person, traveling from place to place.

No bombastic explosions, steamy sex scenes, political intrigue or cosmic encounters. Just slices of life from the people you walk by every day - glimpses into how ordinary people interact, how they think, how they feel and how they love.

A contemporary novel exploring every day interactions and relationships.

Surviving the Fog ($1.00), by Stan Morris, is free on Smashwords.

Book Description
Have you ever been to summer camp? What would you do if almost all of the adults left “for a few hours” and they had not returned a week later? What would you do if no one’s cell phone worked and your parents never showed up to take you home? What would you do if you realized that the area was surrounded by a mysterious brown fog that was dangerous? How would you survive the winter? How would you get more to eat?

This is what Mike, John, Desi and the other campers have to contend with in Surviving the Fog.

Warning: sexual situations, cursing, brief violence

JD Robb's Fantasy in Death $6.39

I know this is a bit more than my usual $5 cutoff, but JD Robb's Fantasy in Death is available for $6.39, just days after it was released in hardcover and as an ebook. The paperback has been announced for pre-order, with a $7.99 list price and the pricing genies at Amazon decided that the Kindle version shouldn't list for more than that. Combined with their 20% off discount, that means the ebook is available at paperback prices.

Book Description
In the latest novel from #1 New York Times-bestselling author J.D. Robb, it is game over for the criminals pursued by NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

Bart Minnock, founder of the computer-gaming giant U-Play, enters his private playroom, and eagerly can't wait to lose himself in an imaginary world, to play the role of a sword-wielding warrior king, in his company's latest top-secret project, Fantastical.

The next morning, he is found in the same locked room, in a pool of blood, his head separated from his body. It is the most puzzling case Eve Dallas has ever faced, and it is not a game. . . .

NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is having as much trouble figuring out how Bart Minnock was murdered as who did the murdering. The victim's girlfriend seems sincerely grief-stricken, and his quirky-but-brilliant partners at U-Play appear equally shocked. No one seemed to have a prob-lem with the enthusiastic, high-spirited millionaire. Of course, success can attract jealousy, and gaming, like any business, has its fierce rivalries and dirty tricks-as Eve's husband, Roarke, one of U- Play's competitors, knows well. But Minnock was not naive, and quite capable of fighting back in the real world as well as the virtual one.

Eve and her team are about to enter the next level of police work, in a world where fantasy is the ultimate seduction-and the price of defeat is death. . . .

Game of the Day - Liong: The Lost Amulets

Amazon's Game Download of the Day is a $2.99 download of Liong: The Lost Amulets. This game is a mix of Mahjong and a hidden puzzles and the two reviews so far are both 5-stars.

Game Description

• 100+ Levels Of Game Play.
• Gorgeous Graphics And Beautiful Backgrounds.
• Challenging Mini Games.
• Awesome Power Ups.

Long ago, five magical amulets were treasured by Oriental wise men, as they held the five natural elements in balance. Restore harmony to nature by finding these lost amulets! Liong: The Lost Amulets is a combination of hidden object games and tile-matching puzzles and also has a variety of mini games. Along your journey you'll visit hundreds of unique locations and collect power-up pearls. Reveal the magic spells and restore the sparkling gems of the lost magical amulets!

Pre-Order New Releases under $9

More deals on pre-orders in the Kindle store, one titles where the electronic editions are being delayed by the publisher, in the hope you'll buy a hardcover early and then the ebook as well once it releases. One problem with looking at the reviews of those that are out, though, is the campaign by some Kindle readers to make every delayed book with one star in protest; it makes it difficult to tell if the book is truly bad or just highly protested. All of these are marked to increase to $9.99 once their publication date rolls around, so for those you know you'll order, it makes sense to do so early. Be sure to check the price before clicking, as some of these have been going up and down quite a bit.

Gator A-Go-Go ($8.93 March 9, 2010), by Tim Dorsey

Book Description
That's right: Serge and Coleman do spring break!

It's been a long time coming, but they're at the party now—and you'll never look at a Frisbee the same way again.

One spring break location obviously isn't enough for Serge, so he must hit them all, traveling through various historic locales, spewing nuggets of history at anyone who won't run away and dispensing his own signature brand of Sunshine State justice.

Along the way he and his sidekick, Coleman, attract a growing following of the nation's top college students . . . and a mysterious gang that leaves a trail of young bodies in their wake.

Are the kids safer under Serge's protection? Or does being with him put them in more peril? The classroom and the pot brownies never prepared them for this.

Which raises more questions: Who's the guy studying satellite photos? Where did the protected witness go? When did Coleman get all those trophies? Why are the Feds hot on everyone's trail? How did the burnt corpse end up by the pool? What's the best way to keep beer cool on the beach?

Then there are the coke smugglers gone legit and a pair of the most dangerously sexy bartenders to ever mix a rum runner. Throw in some dirty dancing contests, illicit drugs, rockin' tunes, screamin' sports cars, bungee rides, pawned class rings, and church breakfasts, and you've got a potent concoction that keeps the hotel's concierge up all night stopping people from falling off the balconies.

Want even more? Serge says, "You got it!"

After years of quiet, a legendary Miami kingpin from the anything-goes eighties is suddenly back in the news . . . along with one of the state's most psychotic homicidal monsters, every bit as criminally insane as Serge—except without the morals.

The mysteries continue to mount: How did Coleman end up with even more disciples than Serge? Can kids successfully climb fences while carrying pizzas? Will Serge survive the carnage, armed with a GPS and a kiddie pool?

All will soon be answered—and of course every last moment is caught on tape as Serge creates his most excellent documentary ever, the making of Gator A-Go-Go.

Pack the cooler, load the car, and head to where the water is warm for a spring vacation you won't soon forget—no matter how much you might try!

False Convictions ($8.31 May 11, 2010), by Tim Green

Book Description
Casey Jordan returns-seeking justice in a small town riddled with . . . FALSE CONVICTIONS

Casey is counting on an open-and-shut case, a sure success for her first effort with the Freedom Project, the renowned charity group dedicated to helping exonerate wrongfully convicted prisoners. Not only is the Freedom Project giving Casey the chance to help innocent people, but its founder, Robert Graham, is offering Casey a one-million-dollar annual pledge to her legal clinic for taking on just two jobs a year.

Her first assignment is to revive the case of Dwayne Hubbard, an indigent black man serving a life sentence for the rape and murder of a college student seventeen years ago. Using DNA evidence, Casey expects to easily prove Hubbard's innocence. Yet when she arrives in rural Auburn, New York, she meets immediate and aggressive resistance.

Tormented by death threats and assassination attempts, Casey investigates a prosecution apparently rife with lies. From the judge, the lawyers, the jury, to the police, she traces a web of corruption surrounding the destruction of one young man. But in all the chaos, Casey's hardest challenge may be just staying alive.

Think Twice ($8.41 March 16, 2010), by Lisa Scottoline

Book Description
Unbeknownst to her identical twin Bennie Rosato, Alice Connelly is on the run from her drug-dealing confederates who are trying to kill her. Alice sees only one way out - to become Bennie. She slips a drug into her drink, and usurps her life. Not only does she sleep with her boyfriend, impersonate her at work - and steal her money, but she also warns the police that her evil twin is out to get her. Her plan works perfectly, because when Bennie emerges to fight back, everyone thinks she's Alice - including the police. Meanwhile, Mary DiNunzio, distracted by personal problems is also duped by Alice. The happy DiNunzio home is disrupted by the arrival of a sexy and mysterious cousin who claims to be a witch - and manages to put Mary's father under her spell! Bennie, with everything at stake, is fighting for her life - on all levels. She's reached breaking point. But when the chips are finally down, what will she do? Is blood thicker than water, and can an ordinary, law-abiding woman be driven to evil?

Burned ($8.49 July 20, 2010), by P. C. Cast, is the seventh in her House of Night series.

Book Description
When friends stop trusting each other, Darkness is there to fan the flames….

Things have turned black at the House of Night. Zoey Redbird’s soul has shattered. With everything she’s ever stood for falling apart, and a broken heart making her want to stay in the Otherworld forever, Zoey’s fading fast. It’s seeming more and more doubtful that she will be able pull herself back together in time to rejoin her friends and set the world to rights. As the only living person who can reach her, Stark must find a way to get to her. But how? He will have to die to do so, the Vampire High Council stipulates. And then Zoey will give up for sure. There are only 7 days left…

Enter BFF Stevie Rae. She wants to help Z but she has massive problems of her own. The rogue Red Fledglings are acting up, and this time not even Stevie Rae can protect them from the consequences. Her kinda boyfriend, Dallas, is sweet but too nosy for his own good. The truth is, Stevie Rae’s hiding a secret that might be the key to getting Zoey home but also threatens to explode her whole world.

In the middle of the whole mess is Aphrodite: ex-Fledgling, trust-fund baby, total hag from Hell (and proud of it). She’s always been blessed (if you could call it that) with visions that can reveal the future, but now it seems Nyx has decided to speak through her with the goddess’s own voice, whether she wants it or not. Aphrodite’s loyalty can swing a lot of different ways, but right now Zoey’s fate hangs in the balance.

Three girls… playing with fire… if they don’t watch out, everyone will get Burned.

Bargain Book Roundup

A number of indie authors have one or more of their books available as free downloads at Smashwords or are running discounts this month in the Kindle store. Most are contemplating raising their prices to $2.99 starting in July, due to the new royalty structure that Amazon will implement then (their rate doubles if they stay between $2.99 and $9.99), but for now many are still looking for readers (and reviews). In addition to the royalty change, Amazon is making another change effective March 1st - no books can be listed at prices under 99 cents, including those from Mobipocket (which many authors have bee using to list books from a penny up and sometimes even for free) or any other outside pubilshers. This won't affect truly free books that Amazon is offering in conjunction with major publishers, but will affect most of the independent authors and small publishers. So, you might want to check out this list to see if there are any you have missed (such as The Kiribati Test ($0.01), by Stacey Cochran), before the prices increase.

The Horns of September ($1.00), by Wendy Potocki . Use coupon code RU44P to get this free at Smashwords, thru the end of this month.

Book Description
Date: September 1961
Place: Longview, South Carolina
Nickname: Shucktown
Unofficial Motto: Someone is always shuckin’ something in Shucktown

Dilemma: All is not right in Shucktown. Just ask Chuck Beckett. He’s young, in love and readying his group to audition for Motown Records. He’s sure his will be the first interracial group signed by the emerging recording giant. He should be on top of the world, but he’s not. For despite living out his dreams, Chuck feels as if he’s headed for certain disaster. Repressed memories have begun to surface in the form of dark, paralyzing depressions. These debilitating episodes convince him of one thing – that he is soon about to die. Chuck tries his best to shake it off as so much teenage angst. He finds it increasingly difficult to do so after the good friend who warns him about “the devils in Shucktown,” winds up murdered. Her death is the catalyst that leads Chuck Beckett to step out of his comfort zone to confront cabals, demons, monsters knitted out of darkness and all the horrors that arise from the curse known as The Horns of September.

Amsterdam 2012 ($0.99), by Ruth Francisco, has been recommended highly by several readers on the Amazon forums. For non-Kindlers, the book is still $3.99 at Smashwords.

Book Description
A young woman witnesses a murder in Amsterdam that touches off a Muslim rebellion and leads to the Great Eurabian War—World War III.

During her summer break, Ann Aulis travels to Amsterdam with her boyfriend Peter to visit the Anne Frank Museum. They befriend a hip Dutch couple who invites them home for dinner. They spend the night, and the next morning discover their hosts have been murdered by Islamic extremists. Ann and Peter flee to London only to discover the murders have touched off a Muslim rebellion in Holland that spreads to England. They flee to the US, where Peter is detained at Kennedy Airport, then taken away by FBI agents.

Ann returns to her family in Los Angeles, horrified as she sees Muslim rebellions in Europe spread to civil war. With her lover in Guantanamo Bay Prison, Ann watches the United States slowly get dragged into the Eurabian war. As the Muslim world establishes a new caliphate, the United States falls into a major recession caused by high oil prices. Then a major flu epidemic. The only thing keeping Ann sane is her deep attachment to Anne Frank, and her love for Peter. Finally, Ann throws off her passivity, and decides to act.

The Gateway ($0.99; $3.99 Paperback), by Glenn G. Thater, the first in the The Harbinger of Doom series, is free at Smashwords.

Book Description
When mad sorcerers open a gateway to the very pits of hell, releasing outre demons of darkest nightmare upon the world, only the intrepid knights of House Eotrus stand in their way. Claradon Eotrus takes up the mantle of his noble house to avenge his father and hold back the tide of chaos that threatens to engulf the world and destroy mankind. Claradon recruits Angle Theta and Gabriel Garn, mysterious knights of mystical power to stand with him. Theta and Garn take up their swords one last time against the coming darkness - a darkness from which only one will emerge.

Ricky Sides, author of The Peacekeepers (Amazon) series, has dropped the price of the series down to $1.00 per volume, thru the end of the month. The books will go up to $1.99 to $2.99 next month. I've already finished the first two books and have the next three waiting on my Kindle (although I'm taking a break to read another genre for a bit, so I don't burn out on the series). The sale price is also in effect at Smashwords: The Birth of the Peacekeepers, Some Gave All, Liberty or Death, Eternal Vigilance and Descent into Madness.

Book Description (volume one)
Centered around a series of natural disasters of biblical proportions that are occurring on a global scale, tens of millions have died as a result of the earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, gigantic super cell thunderstorms and tornados that are ravaging the earth. A rogue nation decides to take advantage of the chaos at this time to attack America with nuclear weapons. The American intelligence network learns of the plan and the government decides to launch a first strike at this rogue nation. This information leaks out to other nations and soon the world is poised on the brink of all out nuclear conflagration as the nuclear nations choose sides in the coming conflict. As the militaries of the world go underground in preparation for the attack most of the world is blissfully ignorant of what is about to happen. There are a few exceptions to this. The civilians that are aware make plans to try to survive the attack as well. As the moment for the attack draws near, the disaster plagued planet is beset by earthquakes of unprecedented intensity and numbers. Oddly the epicenters seem to be located at every major military installation around the world. (It is implied and hinted at that divine intervention has saved mankind from nuclear war, though it is never outright stated.) When the survivors of the earthquakes look around them the next morning they see a world drastically changed. A few men and women struggle to cope with the devastation as best they can but many turn to marauding as a means of survival. Preying on any people they encounter they slaughter any that oppose them as they take anything they want. A few of the survivors band together to protect those weaker than themselves.

Another of Ricky Sides' titles, The Ultimate in Women's Self-Defense, is also a dollar at Amazon and on Smashwords. For those reading on a Kindle, I'd recommend the one at Amazon, as the Smashwords mobi version is missing the illustrations (they are in other formats), but you can also read the entire book online at the author's web site at no charge. You may also want to check out the free book No Man Has the Right at Free-eBooks.net (requires registration, PDF is free, other versions require paid membership).

Book Description
Even if you never do a single exercise in this book, the information contained within its pages could save your life.

The author is a master in the arts of Wing Chun Kung Fu and Chinese Ninja. He studied martial arts from 1980 to the early 1990s under the private instruction of Grandmaster Tony Ragasa Fong.

In the mid 1980s, the author decided to teach a women’s rape prevention seminar. As he delved into research to utilize during the course of that seminar, the author discovered the true scope of the problem women faced. He decided it was time for him to take a more active role in helping women avoid becoming a victim. But when one of his students related to him the details of her own abduction and rape, it took on a more personal aspect for him.

The author, already committed to helping women, dedicated a significant portion of his life toward that goal.

During an intensive private training course with his Grandmaster, the author learned the secret techniques that the masters teach their own families. With the blessings and assistance of his master, the author developed a comprehensive training course for his students.

This book reveals the secrets that Grandmaster Tony Ragasa taught Master Sides. These are the secrets that martial arts masters have taught their own families. The author believes that it is time to share these secrets. To that end, he undertook the challenge to write a book, which would be

The Ultimate in Women’s Self-Defense.

The Weight of Blood ($0.99), by David Dalglish, is the first of his planned Half-Orcs series. You can pay any amount you want (including nothing) on Smashwords.

Book Description
Harruq and Qurrah Tun, half-blood exiles of elves and orcs, have sworn their lives to the prophet of a death god, gaining power and magic in return for igniting war between the race of elves and man. Harruq's love of an elf may save him from his dark path, but to protect her means he must turn against his brother and fight the killing nature with which he was born.

No matter his decision, someone he loves will die.

Love, Lust, and Petty Crime ($1.99), by Harclubs Bartag, is free with coupon code KU63A at Smashwords, thru March 15, as is Symposia: Short Stories About Life In The Modern West ($0.99 Kindle) with coupon code YM27F.

Book Description
A humorous look at love and lust in the modern West where consumerism runs rampant and integrity can go and get stuffed.

Emmet Storch was an unemployed sponger who thought he had no calling in life. All that changed when he landed a job in the call centre at the monolithic Star Insurance where, from the very first day, he was magnificent. It was as if the very essence of insurance ran through his veins and he and his telephone were as one. Irate policyholders found comfort in his soothing words; recalcitrant contractors became polite and respectful.

It would have been perfect if not for his lecherous and treacherous hormones. Ignoring the available and sexually adventurous River, Emmet falls in love with Voula, who just happens to be in a committed relationship with the career obsessed Jurgen. Unable to control his hormonal impulses, Emmet plots, plans, and eventually turns to white-collar crime in an effort to win the woman he loves from the man she loves.

Haven ($0.99), by Justin Kemppainen, is free at Smashwords

Book Description
Before Proposition 172, being a Citizen was a way to separate one’s self from the rest of society. After Proposition 172, the rest of the world truly was separate from you. It was such a simple answer, really. How could one keep every undesirable part of society away from the parts that deserved better? Move it.

In the city of Haven, the dreams of the Citizens have been realized in the Separation project. No longer will people of good stature and breeding be required to interact with the working class, the filthy and disease-ridden rejects that fill the streets. No longer will real people have to suffer junkies, criminals, and thieves. Instead, a cleaner and purer world has been crafted to suit your every need. The best part? Well, all those undesirables had to be worth something, after all. Why not just use them? Give them a short re-education and make them docile workers.

This is the world that a young woman named Kaylee lives in. One where Citizens, the aristocratic elite, capture and enslave ordinary people to suit there needs. This is the Haven of constant fear, where any moment you might be brutally beaten by a gang, stolen by a squad of Citizen “recruiters,” or you might simply starve to death. It is a world of darkness, hidden far below the bright and shining city where the Citizens and their ilk live in splendor. It is a world without hope.

Yet in these dark slums beneath the city of Haven, things are being set in motion. Plans are being carried out, forces are being gathered. The powerful and reclusive slumlord, Elijah, starts a chain of events which will swallow everyone in the city - Citizen and undesirable alike.

Stuck in the middle, Kaylee and her companions will be forced into the horrifying realization that is at the core of life in Haven: no action is without consequence.

Alice in Wonderland "Screensavers"

Barnes and Noble has a free set of Alice in Wonderland "Screensavers" for the nook that anyone can download. If you have a Kindle, these fit fairly well as is or can be resized easily if a bit of the lower part of the image gets cut off.

The procedures for installing a custom screensaver differ for the various models, with the latest ones requiring various hacks to be installed, but I've already put the evil Cheshire Cat on my original Kindle (after adding my name and phone number, in case the Kindle gets lost - it's easy for anyone to find my contact info to call me and more difficult for a thief to claim ownership).

Agatha Christie under a dollar

Fictionwise is having a sale on all of their Agatha Christie titles, giving you a 75% rebate on top of any club or individual book sale price and you can use a 25% off coupon at the same time, which means members pay 95 cents or less per book.

In the five centuries that books have been published, few writers can claim the consistent hold on the public's imagination and patronage that was enjoyed for decades by England's Agatha Christie (1890-1976). Dozens of novels, stories and plays made her the most formidable mystery writer in the world, combining a mastery of suspense and detail with a graceful literary style that also bespoke the stately, well-tended and traditional England most readers love to imagine. Now ALL of her eBooks include a 75% Micropay Rebate when you purchase them with a credit card or PayPal.

Of course, there is one catch - these are all DRM'd, as only two of Christie's books are in the public domain So, none of them are Kindle compatible, but for those with other ereader devices, mobile devices or who read on their PC, this is a fantastic deal. Use the coupon code theiphoneblog25 for an additional 25% off. If you don't have enough micropay already, be sure to check out the NYT bestsellers and the eight or so 100% rebate books on the front page, in order to maximize your return.

You may not be able to get all 94 of her novels, short story collections and plays in this sale, but there are 81 different titles to choose from. Skip over the 8 copies of the public domain titles, Secret Adversary and The Mysterious Affair at Styles -- get these free at Mobileread, as only Secret Adversary is free at Amazon and likely is not as well formatted.