Read an EBook Week Postscript

Twilight Times Books was late updating their free book list yesterday, so they will be leaving both yesterday's titles:

• Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine Issue Sept/Oct 2005
• Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine Issue Jan/Feb 2006
  

and some (currently all) of the others from this week (which are mostly novels, not short stories) up as free downloads until March 17th. In addition, they will be having a sale on several of their titles over at OmniLit - 50% off until March 17th (they are mixed in with other discounted titles on the sale page). The discounted titles include:

• Awkward Grace by Jeff McCord
• Burnout by Stephanie Osborn
• Bainstorming by Darrell Bain
• Darrell Bain's World of Books by Darrell Bain
• Dragon's Moon by Bent Lorentzen
• Embraced by the Shadows by Mayra Calvani
• Gate to Nowhere by Leanna Sain
• Hiding Hand by Lee Denning
• Human by Choice (book I) by Travis S. Taylor and Darrell Bain
• Krona by Bent Lorentzen
• Lady Runaway by Ginger Hanson
• Monkey Trap by Lee Denning
• The Cresperian Alliance (book III) by Stephanie Osborn and Darrell Bain
• The Elixir by Thomas Root III
• The Solomon Scandals by David Rothman
• The Y Factor (book II) by Darrell Bain and Stephanie Osborn
• Touch of Fate by Christine Amsden
• Usurper by Patrick Welch

A reader sent in a tip on In Over Her Head ($24.95 paperback), by Elsie Russell, which I highlighted last August, when she was giving away a copy as a PDF. It's now available for the Kindle and only $1.00. As I've said before, visiting her web site is worth the time, just to see the samples of her paintings.

Book Description
The debut of Penny Bell's's musical composition, featuring the use of mysterious extremely low frequency waves takes a tragic turn when several concert-goers die in their seats during the performance. The once-bright horizons of Penny's career collapse, and she retreats to a dank Soho basement apartment lit only by the glow of computer monitors and electronic displays. There, using herself as a guinea pig, she sets out to unlock the secrets of her beautiful and deadly symphonies. A series of strange coincidences intrude upon her solitary quest. Her neighbor, the erotic performance artist Ula Nova's, disappears after her studio is broken into. And then Ula's charming and damaged young choreographer appears, and sweeps Penny off to Europe to search for the diva, plunging Penny into a seedy and unfamiliar world of jet set artists and international intrigue where the threads of every encounter always seem to lead back to those ELF waves and their pint-sized progenitor.

I want to thank all the publishers and authors who made their books available for free or deeply discounted this week. I've added quite a few to my TBR stack and look forward to trying out several new authors.

Free Book (DRM) - Russell Rules

Russell Rules: 11 Lessons on Leadership from the Twentieth Century's Greatest Winner ($9.99 Kindle), by by Bill Russell & David Falkner, is free at Fictionwise (and probably not for long), in the following (DRM'd) formats: Secure Mobipocket, Microsoft Reader, eReader (nook), Adobe PDF, Adobe EPUB (Sony, others)

Book Description
He has been hailed as the greatest team player of the twentieth century. In Russell Rules, the star center of the Boston Celtics and five-time NBA Most Valuable Player reveals the eleven essential steps to attaining success in your professional and personal lives.

Leadership and teamwork are the hallmarks of becoming a champion, and in this book Russell shares the insights, the memories, and, most important, the enduring philosophy that made him a star. He talks about what leadership means to him, and how living by these eleven rules has influenced him in every aspect of his life, from being a single father raising a daughter to becoming a successful coach and mentor to others. Filled with rousing personal and professional anecdotes and never-before-revealed stories of his glory days playing with Celtic greats Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, Sam Jones, and their legendary coach Red Auerbach, Russell Rules offers inspiring lessons on teamwork, commitment, personal integrity, and what makes a winning team. This invaluable primer will help anyone become a champion...from the man who has successfully proven that playing-and living-by these rules really works. Foreword by Bill Bradley. How ironic!

Click HERE for the free book.

Read an EBook Week Saturday Update

Today is the last day of Read an Ebook Week, which ends at midnight tonight US Pacific time. If you haven't already, be sure to check out the sales at Smashwords, where there are hundreds of books discounted or free using the coupon codes RFREE, RAE25 and RAE50.

At CurrClick, today's selection is The Good Shepherd, from C4 Creations.

At OmniLit /All Romance eBooks today's book (only one so far) is:

• Curse of the Blue Stone, by Cara North

Jody Wallace is giving away a previously published story, Cooley's Panther, via email. Details are on her blog, HERE.

Brad Marlowe joined the Smashwords promotion late, but you can still pick up Sleepwalker: The Last Sandman for free today.

Free Book - Kill & Cure

Kill&Cure, by Stephen Davison, which was previously published in the UK, is currently free to download from the author's website in either PDF or PRC format.

Book Description

How far would you go to save those you love?

Pluck an ordinary man from the normality of his existence – and throw him into hell....

London chiropractor, David Stichell, a man in the business of freeing others from pain, may seem an unlikely, if intriguing, protagonist. Yet there are dark shadows in his past intent on catching up with him. As murder victims pile up, Stichell finds himself dragged into a remorseless web of treachery and lies, pursued not only by the police, but by very particular powers who want him dead.

Read an EBook Week Friday Update #2

Amazon also has a number of discounted books for Read an EBook Week, but there the effort is being made entirely by the authors, who have lowered their prices (which generally takes their books off the market for a day or so, as Amazon gets around to pushing their changes thru). Here are a few of the ones I've noticed (but not read, so be sure to sample), which are 99 cents for a limited time; some are free on Smashwords, but for those who prefer to keep their library at Amazon, the small price seems little enough (especially if you download it to more than one Kindle).

Red Cloud Pistachios, by David J. Heslop, has all five-star reviews.

Book Description
When Carla Doyle got pregnant at 17, she had no intention of pressing J.J. into marriage. After all, even at 22 he could scarcely take care of himself let alone a whole family. Instead, she determined to keep the baby’s father a secret. But in a small rural town like Red Cloud, secrets have a way of getting out — sometimes for the better.

All I Ever Wanted and In the Mood, by Ellen Fisher. Both have eye-catching covers and good reviews for the latter.

All I Ever Wanted
Maxfield Sinclair, the author of a popular science fiction series, is revered by fans everywhere as "The Creator." Drew Cooper, a snobbish literature professor, isn’t impressed with Max’s books, or with Max himself, for that matter. As Drew gets to know Max, however, she realizes there’s more to the shy, awkward writer than meets the eye. But can a woman who enjoys escargot and caviar fall in love with a guy who thinks fine cuisine means supreme instead of pepperoni?

In the Mood
Jude Patterson is a sexy but shy romance novelist who discovers the flowery language he's always used in historical love scenes doesn't translate well to contemporary romances. Alyssa Stone is a beautiful fan who offers to help him learn to write better love scenes.

Jude is fascinated by Alyssa, whose confident and sensual demeanor conceals a very vulnerable interior. Before long, he's the one showing her how to write love scenes... and maybe even how to write happy endings.

With This Ring, I Thee Dread is only one of the eleven titles by Ruth Ann Nordin available. You can get some of them free as PDF's on her website, as I've reported earlier, and they are free at Smashwords this week as well.

Book Description
Ryan Jackson and Elizabeth Valentine can't stand each other. Unfortunately for them, their parents get along great and decide to play matchmaker in a very unusual way.

In order to keep their jobs, they agree to marry for four months and spend their honeymoon in a remote Alaskan cabin. But they are determined that their parents' ruse will never work. Nope. They will return to Omaha and get an annulment.

And it all goes according to plan...until Ryan decides to wants to stay married. Then all bets are off.

*This contemporary romantic comedy is rated R.

Galaxy of Heroes, by Gus Flory

Book Description
A conspiracy against humanity. A breathtakingly beautiful cyborg. A battle like no other. An adventure you won't forget!

The lives of four space drifters intersect on a planet of hope as the most powerful war machine in the galaxy approaches, threatening to consume them all in a storm of metal and fire.

Capt. Jace Spade is a fighter pilot from the Roga System. He is determined to find his maker—the enigmatic Dr. Zander—even if his search means risking all in the conflagrations of the Inner Galaxy.

Capt. Mina Casey is also a fighter pilot, but from an advanced human civilization that arose in the Heliac System. Capt. Casey has drifted through the void for eons as visions of a warm planet where she can sink her feet in the sand and watch the sunset filled her dreams.

Sgt. Joe Grimes—a Heliac Ranger who once lived for the thrill of the fight—is now disillusioned after the total defeat and destruction of his home world. He would leave all humanity behind if he could only get away.

Genie is a beautiful and indestructible cyborg constructed by a technologically advanced civilization for the purpose of interacting with humans. Genie is programmed to love Joe Grimes, but she longs to be free.

Test Pilot's Daughter: Revenge, by Steve Ward

Book Description
Romance, adventure, murder and revenge, Christina Matthews does it all. An obsessed fly-girl with the Right Stuff and True Grit finds love in the oddest place, the cockpit.

A beautiful and brainy college girl born with jet-fuel in her blood is haunted by a gripping family tragedy and the violent murder of her best friend. The only thing she truly fears is sleep. Tortured by nightmares, this test pilot’s daughter has to find a way to save her sanity or die. Mike Clark, call name Lazer and a real Top Gun, look’s to be the best kind of therapy.

With dreams of becoming an Astronaut-Commander, Christina struggles through heart-stopping perils in the cockpit and crash-lands on a deserted island. Without hope for rescue, she concocts an oddball plan to get survivors back to civilization.

Risking her future at NASA, Christina decides to deliver on a promise to a dying friend and face her evil nemesis in the sky. Only by overcoming deep seated fears can she exorcise her ghosts and pursue a lifelong dream of flying in space.

Will true love conquer Christina’s curse, or will she auger in?

Mankind's Worst Fear (also at Smashwords), by David L Erickson

Book Description
On Mars, Air Force Colonel Kaider O’Brien leads scientists to a subterranean site containing an artifact of alien creation. On Earth, Professor George Schumer guides his experimental submarine through sudden, intense turbulence off the coast of Oregon. Through a twist of quantum physics, both men meet 300 years in the future on Earth, devastated by nuclear winter, to save mankind from extinction at the hands of an alien race fearful of the technological advancement of other worlds.

Right Ascension and Declination , by David Derrico, are also 99 cents at Smashwords.

Right Ascension
Humanity's struggle to assume a place of dominance within the galaxy is suddenly called into question when a sleek alien vessel arrives unexpectedly at Earth. Admiral Daniel Atgard and the crew of the Apocalypse embark on a mission to find these enigmatic aliens, but the focus of the mission quickly turns from finding answers to exacting revenge. Meanwhile, a belligerent species of reptilian warriors, seeking to avenge a previous defeat at the hands of the human-controlled United Confederation of Planets, takes this opportunity to plan an all-out assault on Earth. Faced with overwhelming odds and the terrible knowledge of humanity's most horrifying secret, Daniel must choose between honor... and humanity's very survival.

Declination
A continuation of the saga begun in Right Ascension, Declination finds us in the year 3050, ten years after the dreadful Lucani Ibron have been driven from Earth. Now, the Confederation's crises are spawned from within, and one brave woman struggles against all odds to keep mankind united amidst a hailstorm of rebellion, war, and moral declination....

The Lucani Ibron have yet to return, but all is not well within the Alpha Sector. Internal strife, terrorism, and ever-escalating conflicts with several neighboring species have spread the Confederation's resources dangerously thin. Captain Anastasia Mason, together with an eclectic group of humanity's most decorated heroes, struggles to hold the Confederation together against powerful forces that threaten to rip it apart at its very core. Then, at what appears to be mankind’s most desperate hour, an old enemy returns from a ten-year hiatus, casting humanity to the brink of civil war... and outright annihilation.

For all those who stuck with this post to the very end, there are four free books at Synergy as part of Read an Ebook Week, HERE, all in PDF format, in addition to the short stories they normally have as free reads:

• Hold the Light
• Hollywood Ending
• A Dangerous Woman
• Breach of Worlds

Read an EBook Week Friday Update

Dorrance Books, Rose Dog Books and Red Lead Books have updated their free books (you can also still download yesterday's books from all three sites). Click on "Free E-Books!" at the top of the menu on the left of each imprint's web pages. Here are today's free books (all PDF's):

• D.O.D. by Lynne Allsbrow.
• Three Short West Indian Folk Tales by Gregory Thorne
• The Story of King Wonder Wolf: Book 2: Wonder Wolf & Ane'Ta by Bonnie L. Bash

Twilight Times Books has updated their free book list. Today's title is Who is Margaret?, by Celia A. Leaman.

At CurrClick, today's selection is Discoverers and Explorers, from Brandenburg Studies.

At OmniLit /All Romance eBooks today's books are:

• Death Card: Jaclyn's Ghost and Passage to Messentia, by Dorlana Vann
• Love's Immortal Pantheon: Becoming Persephone by Dagmar Avery

Free Audiobook - Top Five Ways to Cut Your Tax Bill

JK Lasser's Top Five Ways to Cut Your 2009 Tax Bill (regularly $19.95), by Barbara Weltman & narrated by Joe Plummer, can be yours free from Audible.com, if you are or become a fan on Facebook.

Book Description
America's number one best-selling series of tax guides offer the best balance of thoroughness, organization, and usability. For over half a century, more than 39 million Americans have turned to J.K. Lasser for easy-to-follow, expert advice and guidance on planning and filing their taxes.

Here, a J.K. Lasser expert tells us five ways to save money on our 2009 tax bill.

Click HERE to become a fan (requires a Facebook account) and then download the book. I did have trouble downloading the standard quality version of the book, but after switching to the enhanced version, it downloaded without any other issues.

Free Game - Barnyard Invasion

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

Game Description

• Wacky Puzzle Gameplay
• Take The Animals On Vacation.
• Challenge yourself with over 60 levels and two difficulty settings
• Save 8 kinds of animals; all beautifully rendered and animated

Save farm animals from their cruel human masters and take them on a much-needed vacation. Use your superior alien powers to thwart human attempts to keep the happy livestock captive in this wacky puzzle game. See hilarious snapshots of vacationing aliens and liberated farm animals!

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

Read an EBook Week Thurs Update

Before the update on the daily free books for Read an EBook Week, here are a couple of free books and a Kindle Contest, from elsewhere on the web.

RW Ridley is giving away PDF's of both The Takers ($2.99 Kindle) and Lost Days ($2.99 Kindle), the first two books in his Oz Chronicles series, in conjunction with his contest to give away (yet another) Kindle.

The Takers
The first volume in The Oz Chronicles recalls both Stephen King’s The Stand and L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz. When 13-year-old Osmond “Oz” Griffith wakes from an illness on the floor of his closet, he discovers the world overrun by man-eating monsters, the Takers, and it’s largely his fault. In an effort to make things right, he gathers a band of survivors (a baby, an aged mechanic and a talking gorilla, among others), and sets off down his version of the yellow brick road, leading to the Atlanta Zoo. Along the way, he learns that his destiny was written by Steve, a boy from his past. Afflicted with Down Syndrome, Steve created new worlds, replete with battles between good and evil, in the comic books that served as his sole refuge from the teasing of Oz and his friends. Steve’s untimely suicide leaves only the comic books as clues to vanquishing the Takers.

Lost Days
For as long as she can remember, Hayley Wilkes has been oddly fascinated by her uncle Crew, the one everyone else in the family says is a bit “touched.” After her parents’ divorce, fifteen-year-old Hayley moves with her mom and brother into her grandparents’ house, where Uncle Crew lives in a room over the garage. It’s there she learns the source of her uncle’s trauma: when he was just four years old, Crew was lost in the woods of Lake Roosevelt, Washington, for over a year. He’s tormented by those lost days, and so Hayley makes it her mission to find out the truth about what happened to him so many years before. Delving into Crew’s past forges a fragile bond between the girl and her uncle and unexpectedly brings her face-to-face with a legendary creature whose very existence has long been a source of worldwide debate. Filled with quirky characters, Lost Days is an endearing coming-of-age novel about a loveable young girl who discovers that being different isn’t so bad after all.

Get both books, in PDF format, HERE. To enter the contest, be sure to check out his Spread the Word post, HERE.

Stone Maiden ($1.99 Kindle), by Ann Aguirre.

Book Description
An extraordinary first novel, a new fantasy in the exotic storytelling tradition of Tales from the Thousand and One Nights…

Muir is a slave, the lowest of the low. Yet hers is a magic great enough to shake the earth, great enough to topple kings from their thrones, perhaps even great enough to free the gods from their ancient prisons-if only she can free herself first. Rodhlann is among the last of the Daiesthai, a race of inhuman sorcerers who bled the gods of their magic in order to enjoy limitless power and eternal life. But now, after untold centuries, the Daiesthai have lost the will to live. Only Rodhlann resists oblivion’s siren song. Only he dares to dream of a future for his kind. And for that crime, they will kill him if they can.

Get this one free at the author's web site, HERE. There are also some other free reads on her web site that you can check out while you are there.

Dorrance Books, Rose Dog Books and Red Lead Books have updated their free books (you can also still download yesterday's books from all three sites). Click on "Free E-Books!" at the top of the menu on the left of each imprint's web pages. Here are today's free books (all PDF's):

• Mama Joe's Boutique by Jerry C. Merritt
• The Fibroid Book: A Guide to Treating the Most Common Cause of Hysterectomy by Francis L. Hutchins Jr., M.D. (112 pages)
  
• My Brother Beth by Rebecca Sardella

Twilight Times Books has updated their free book list. Today's title is The Last to Fall, by Anne K. Edwards.

At CurrClick, today's selection is Little Pockets of Time for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, from Fortunately For You Books.

At OmniLit /All Romance eBooks today's books are:

• Mercenary Heart, by Diane Merlin
• Love's Immortal Pantheon: Erato, by Cat Johnson

Read an EBook Week Wed Update

Dorrance Books, Rose Dog Books and Red Lead Books have updated their free books (you can also still download yesterday's books from all three sites). Click on "Free E-Books!" at the top of the menu on the left of each imprint's web pages. Here are today's free books (all PDF's):

• Hush! Our Brothers Are Speaking! by Margaret Marie Rose
• Strife of the Lorin by Stephen Prins (152 page novel)
  
• Education: Leadership in Positive Ways by Iwasan Kejawa, Ed.D.

Twilight Times Books has updated their free book list. Today's title is Striking Back from Down Under, by Dr. Bob Rich

At CurrClick, today's selection is The Adventures of Maya the Bee, Comprehension & Unit Study, from St Aiden's Homeschool, South Africa.

At OmniLit /All Romance eBooks today's books are:

• Svetkavista, by Kayleigh Jamison
• Sugar And Sin by Stella and Audra Price

Free Book (PDF) - Strange Angel (Very Limited Time)

Adam P Knave, who has one book out on Kindle, Stays Crunchy in Milk ($5.00), is offering a free PDF of his book Strange Angel ($13.20 paperback), to anyone that sends him an email by midnight tonight.

Book Description
Susie Sparrow's life has turned upside down. She's merged with Ferapont, who says he is an angel, and has dedicated her life to ridding the world of demon possessed people. Unfortunately she is also in High School. Trying to schedule fights around school, hanging out with friends and dinner with the parents might be too much for one girl with large flaming wings to handle. But don't tell her that. This volume collects all three volumes of the hit novella series as well as the original short story that started it all. As an added bonus it also contains a never before seen end story, exclusive to this volume!

Details and his email address HERE on his blog.

Read an EBook Week Tuesday Update #2

I found the list of free books from OmniLit (fiction and non-fiction) and All Romance eBooks this week. The books change daily (so we missed the Monday books), but today's books are available (the books are the same in each store, so you only need to check one or the other):

• Love's Immortal Pantheon:Hephaestus Lays Down the Law by Tilly Greene
• The Lovers: Destiny's Prerogative by Karen Michelle Nutt
  

Read an EBook Week Tuesday Update

Dorrance Books, Rose Dog Books and Red Lead Books have updated their free books (you can also still download yesterday's books from all three sites). Click on "Free E-Books!" at the top of the menu on the left of each imprint's web pages. Here are today's free books (all PDF's):

• Spring Break with Paddy O’Rourke by Patti B. Pruitt
• Scarlett's Heart by Dr. Jacqueline Cercek
• I Love to Sew by Awushie Dartey

Twilight Times Books has updated their free book list. Today's title is No Place for Gods, by Gerald Mills

At CurrClick, today's selection is Master Writer - Quotation Copybooks - Authors, from Westvon Publishing. There is also a nice looking template for journal pages, Nature Study ~ Birds ~ Notebooking Pages, that could be used by adults as well as kids.

There are some new additions to Read an E-Book Week, as well.

Booktaste.com: Small independent press from Australia. All Darling Newspaper Press books are free on Smashwords during Read an E-book Week.

Champagne Books: Sells e-books and print. Two free downloads and a selection of discounted books.

Book View Cafe and Book View Press are discounting several titles at Smashwords by at least 50%:

• Ars Magica by Judith Tarr $2.00
• Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith $2.50
• Dreamer: A Novel of the Silent Empire by Steven Harper FREE
• Nightmare: A Novel of the Silent Empire by Steven Harper $1.50
• In Camelot’s Shadow by Sarah Zettel $2.50
• For Camelot’s Honor by Sarah Zettel $2.50
• Under Camelot’s Banner by Sarah Zettel $2.50
• Camelot’s Blood by Sarah Zettel $2.50
• Glorieta Pass by P. G. Nagle $2.50
• Lacing up for Murder by Phyllis Radford $2.50
• Revise the World by Brenda Clough $2.50
• Laldasa: Beloved Slave by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff $2.50
• Taco Del & The Fabled Tree of Destiny by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff $2.50
• Uncategorized by Sue Lange $1.49
• Fools Paradise by Jennifer Stevenson $2.50

Stopping Time - 99 cents now, free soon!

Stopping Time, Part 1, by Melissa Marr, is currently 99 cents to pre-order in the Kindle store, but the author says that it will be free upon release, which is March 16. Stopping Time, Part 2 is also available to pre-order for 99 cents (so far, I don't see any indication that this one will be free); combined, the two form a between-the-books sequel to Ink Exchange ($5.59), the second in her Wicked Lovely series, which continues with Fragile Eternity ($9.99 Kindle; releasing in paperback March 23).

Part 1
An exciting e-story original sequel to INK EXCHANGE! Leslie walked away from the Dark Court, determined to reclaim her life and live it on her own terms-even if it meant leaving behind the two faeries who love her. She knows Niall and Irial watch over her, and she would give almost anything to keep them from hurting. But she resists the pull to be with either one of them. Someone knows about Leslie-s past, however, and is intent on using her to reach the fey. And he doesn-t care who gets hurt....

Part 2
When Leslie left the Dark Court for her own good, she never imagined she could be the instrument by which someone threatened Irial or Niall. When her darkest past catches up with her, and she must figure out how to keep the fey she loves safe-and how to save herself.

So far, only Part 1 is up at Barnes & Noble, but it is already free to pre-order. Update: Stopping Time, Part 2 is now available at B&N and is free to pre-order. That should mean that this title will be free at Amazon as well, once they catch up on pricing.

Fictionwise doesn't have them for free, but you can pre-order Part 1 for a penny and Part 2 for between 42 and 84 cents (use March2010 for 10% off, club members get additional 15%).

The Dark Tide - 99 cents now, free soon!

The Dark Tide, by Andrew Gross, is currently 99 cents in the Kindle store and at Fictionwise, but should be free soon (maybe not today, but usually within a day or two of this type of release) in the Kindle store.

Book Description
On the morning Karen Friedman learns that her husband, a hedge fund manager, has been tragically killed, Detective Ty Hauck begins his investigation of another man's death in a suspicious hit-and-run in Karen's hometown. The two seemingly unrelated tragedies are about to plunge a beautiful widow and a determined investigator into a maelstrom of murder, vast sums of missing money, and international conspiracy.This special free edition includes an excerpt from Andrew Gross's newest novel, Reckless.

For those with a nook (sorry, ereader format only), check HERE at Fictionwise. I doubt this will drop all the way to free, but with the current MARCH2010 coupon for 10% off and a club membership, it'll only cost you 65 cents and you'll get 29 cents back in micropay.

Rides a Dread Legion - 99 cents now, free soon!

Rides a Dread Legion, by Raymond E. Feist, is currently 99 cents in the Kindle store and at Fictionwise, but should be free soon (maybe not today, but usually within a day or two of this type of release or at least after the official release date) in the Kindle store.

Book Description
The last remnants of an ancient advanced race, the Clan of the Seven Stars, are returning at long last to their lost homeworld, Midkemia-not as friends, but as would-be conquerors. Led by the conjurer Laromendis, they are fleeing the relentless demon hordes that are sweeping through their galaxy and destroying the elves' vast empire planet by planet. Only by escaping to Midkemia and brutally overtaking the war-weary world can the last remnants of a mighty civilization hope to survive . . . if the Dread Legion does not pursue them through the rift. The magician Pug, Midkemia's brave and constant defender, is all too familiar with the Demon King Maarg and his minions and their foul capacity for savagery and horror, and he recognizes the even graver threat that is following on the heels of the elven invasion. The onslaught to come will dwarf every dire catastrophe his imperiled world has previously withstood, and there is no magical champion in all of Midkemia powerful enough to prevent it. Only one path remains for Pug and Midkemia's clandestine protectors, the Conclave of Shadows: forging an alliance of formidable magical talents, from the demon-dealing warlock Amirantha, brother of Pug's hated foe, and the demon-taming cleric Sandreena, to the elven Queen Miranda, to the warrior Tomas. However, uniting enemies and bitter, vengeful former lovers will be no easy task, and even together they may ultimately be unable to turn the death tide. But a failure to do so will most certainly ensure Midkemia's doom.This special free edition includes an excerpt from Raymond E. Feist's newest Demonwar Saga novel, At the Gates of Darkness.

For those with a nook (sorry, ereader format only), check HERE at Fictionwise. I doubt this will drop all the way to free, but with the current MARCH2010 coupon for 10% off and a club membership, it'll only cost you 65 cents and you'll get 29 cents back in micropay.

Read an EBook Week Monday Update

Dorrance Books, Rose Dog Books and Red Lead Books have updated their web pages to provide links to the free books - click on "Free E-Books!" at the top of the menu on the left of each imprint's web pages. Here are today's free books (all PDF's):

• Crusty Old Cheesedog by Judy Murphy
• Magic Every Month by Naela Hurst
• Pirates, The Untold Story by Kendall Davekos

You can also still download yesterday's books from all three sites.

Twilight Times Books has updated their free book list. Today's title is Jerome and the Seraph, by Robina William, and yesterday's titles are still available.

DriveThru Comics' graphic novel of the day is Darkness - Pitt 01.

At CurrClick, today's selection is Step-by-Step Stories books 1 and 2: Slim and Jim and Matt's Cat

Read an E-Book Week Update

Dorrance Books, Rose Dog Books and Red Lead Books have updated their web pages to provide links to the free books - click on "Free E-Books!" at the top of the menu on the left of each imprint's web pages. Here are today's free books (all PDF's):

• Property Owner's Sewer and Drain Guide by Melvin Ladon White
• At the Door by Maly M. Kiendl
• Robert Browning: Idealism and Disillusionment in His Life and Work by Cheryl Lodico

Open Books is offering all of their books free on Smashwords, using coupon code RFREE, as has author Des Greene.

E-Reads has their free books posted: Highland Hearts by Hannah Howell and Ship of Death (Destroyer 28) by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir.

Read an Ebook Week

Once again, it's Read an E-Book Week! For those who are new to ebooks, this is a promotion started by Rita Toews (read the story behind the promotion, HERE), where ebook publishers and authors try to entice us to try them out by offering free and discounted books. Many of these change daily, so I'll try to find them and recap each day. A number are specials that run all week and I'll try to summarize those here today. Many of the deals are ones that are advertised on the Read an E-Book Week page and not all are active (it isn't a normal workday, so I expect some to start working tomorrow), so be sure to double check before clicking, that it is, in fact, free.

Ebookstores and Publishers

Smashwords has a huge number of free and discounted books this week. From the main page, click on Read an E-Book Week Specials on the left/upper side of the page, then use the Filter By links to see just the free (with coupon code RFREE) and discounted books (coupon codes RAE25 and RAE50).

BeWrite Books was a big sponsor last year, but their website is undergoing renovations this week. They have partnered with Smashwords, though, to offer much of the catalog as "Set Your Own Price" - get any (or all) the books for free or donate any amount paid to the Red Cross for Haiti (see details HERE). Other books look to be 50% off with coupon code RAE50.

Kobo Books has a couple of coupon codes available. 4steal will get your $4 off one book, today only, while Read2010 is valid from March 7-13th and will get you any one book for free is good for $1 off any book (or, at least that is what it is advertised to do - so far, it's only giving you 10% off) , as will Buy5 for any five books (today only; this actually worked for more than 5 books, for me), while tweetkobo works for $3 off any title, valid thru March 8, both GET250 and kobo250 will get you $2.50 off, while Buck150 and Love150 work for $1.50 (thru March 31) and ip2 works for $2 off.

BooksonBoard is offering a free download during Read an E-Book Week (looks like it is a Sherlock Holmes collection).

OmniLit (fiction and non-fiction) and All Romance eBooks (the romance and erotica) will have free downloads and specials this week. The two share a bookshelf/library, so your login info on one will work on the other.

CurrClick.com sells downloadable curriculum for parents, educators and students. Participate in their Twitter Contest and you could win a Nook eReader. CurrClick.com will be giving away a free eBook every day, March 7-13th! It looks like today's book is Inside My Body Lapbook with Study Guide (there is a link at the top of the page to another 200 or so items that are free all the time).

Mindset Triathlon specializes in running, swimming, biking, nutrition and training eBooks. Will offer a free eBook every day this week - looks like it's only a chapter from 500 ironman triathlon questions & answers today, but if you click on the EBook Week logo, there are some other free downloads.

DriveThruComics has a wide selection of digital comics, including Judge Dredd, Mouse Guard, Girl Genius and more. Offering a free eBook every day during Read an E-Book Week, as well as many free all the time.

Wargame Vault: The world's largest wargame download site, offering hundreds of e-books for games and rule sets, plus paper terrain and paper figures. Wargame Vault will have dozens of free e-book downloads available during Read an E-Book week.

Diesel eBook Store: Many free e-books at Diesel's e-book store. Check the list at the left side of the screen.

Sylvan Dell Publishing: Picture books that excite children's imaginations. Offering a free download of Pandas' Earthquake Escape (although I could not figure out how to get this one free - I'll check again after the work week starts - it appears you can read it free online HERE).

eBook Pie offers free chapters to many of their books and has a free download of Triple Threat (which is also free from Harlequin and many other ebookstores) this week.

Twilight Times Books will have a different free book each day, plus Darrel Bain's World of Books available all week. Today's book is Behold the Eyes of Light, by Geoff Geauterr, available in both PDF and HTML versions.

Dorrance Publishing will have a free book each day this week from each of their imprints (Dorrance Books, Rose Dog Books and Red Lead Books), but I don't see the free books for today (of course, it is a Sunday and I seem to remember them being a bit late posting last year, as well). Visit each bookstore daily to get the free books.

Zulu Express has some free downloads in each of their genres (some or most appear to be public domain titles).

Drollerie Press has free short stories, limited full length novels.

BooksInMyPhone: Free e-books in many genres for Java enabled phones.

BooksForABuck: offers free and $1.00 stories and novels. If you mention Read an E-Book Week and buy 2 e-books, you'll get one free.

Birds Hill Publishing: Bullying: A Parent’s Primer, a 19 page booklet, free this week if you request it by email (link is mid-way down their page).

Ellora's Cave: Romantica/Erotica in all genres.

E-Reads: Two free downloads. E-Reads is a publisher dedicated to bringing out-of-print books back in electronic and print formats.

Badosa.com: Free e-books in Spanish, Catalan, English and French.

Sharing Books: Offers e-books, stories and classic children's literature.

Bast Press: Offers a free download of the illustrated poem: The Effects of Gravity on the Soul of a Poet.

Cerridwen Press: Mainstream fiction for all tastes.

SynergEbooks.com: Free eBooks in a myriad of genres during Read an E-Book Week.

ireadiwrite Publishing: Digital small press. Offering 1/2 price on longer works and daily $2.00 deals.

Macabre Ink Digital Publishing: Offering a 50% discount on all e-books. Use coupon code eBOOKWeek.

Authors

Steve Jordan is giving away Chasing the Light this week, HERE, in several different formats. In addition, you'll find more of his work free on his novels page (as well as a number of reasonably priced novels if you enjoy the free downloads).

Warren Adler: writer and playwright, is a great supporter of e-books. Check out his website for a writing contest.

Lillie Ammann, writer and editor Will be giving away a number of e-books, both fiction and non-fiction.

Cliff J. Burns Canadian author (noir). Free short stories and novels. Two novellas have been optioned for movies.

Patricia and James Taylor (spiritual) Free e-book On the Wings of the Wind.

Pauline Rowson: Offers a free download of In For the Kill. (Marine Mystery)

Cory Doctorow: Fans can find a download of his book Eastern Standard Tribe and a collection of free essays (IN ITALIAN) entitled Content .

David Bowles : Free downloads of Spring House: Book 1 in the Westward Sagas and Adam's Daughters: Book 2 in the Westward Sagas.

Heather Wardell (women's fiction) Free novels Life, Love and a Polar Bear Tattoo and Go Small or Go Home.

Rae Lori: Free download of short story The Real Miranda.

L. Diane Wolfe: Free download of The Circle of Friends Book V...Heather.

Jeffrey A. Carver: Free downloads, including a Nebula Award finalist.

Meira Eliot: Free download of Moldavite.

Jean Sheldon: Free download during Read an E-Book Week.

Nara Malone: A draw each day for a flash drive with starter e-library and e-reading program pre-installed so readers have a no hassle way to discover e-reading.

Online-Business-Guide: 10 Easy Steps to Write an E-book for free. Sharon L. Cohen authored three books on Internet businesses and writes/ghostwrites e-books.

A Summer Ago: R. Andrew Reeves, Jr. and Tzynya L. Pinchback combine poetry, haiku and prose with imagery in this unique e-book. Free during Read an E-Book Week.

Rita Toews: Offering a free download of Confessions of a Failed Domestic Goddess at Smashwords.

Danielle Raine: 50% off Housework Blues-A Survival Guide. Non-fiction motivational/inspirational manual for women who 'have issues' with the domestic stuff.

Dawn Colclasure: Offers free download of BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL: How We Survive as Writing Parents.

Beth Trissel : Will give away a download of each of her e-books to individuals chosen from comments on her blog.

Websites

Kiwa Media QBook: Touch enabled read-along colour story book for iPhone. Free download of Sebastian's Tail Lite on the iTunes app store. Ready for iPad.

The Lewis Four: A blog on eReaders and eReading will offer a contest for a $15.00 gift card to either Sony's Reader Store or Amazon.

Ideomancer Speculative Fiction: Free download of their magazine containing short stories.

The Long and the Short of It: Free e-book download. Long and short romance reviews - and more.

Book Glutton: An on-line book club! Very interesting! Thousands of free e-books, ranging from classics to contemporary works. Offers bookgroups, shared annotations and previews of for-sale books.

Password Incorrect: Piotr Kowalczyk, Polish tech-absurdist and writer 3.0 beta. His zany, short stories are like ultra-slick easy-to-break gadgets, showing how deeply our lives depend on technology. Follow links to free download of short stories.

RAWSISTAZ Literary Group: An online community of readers and writers interested in African-American literature. Seven+ free e-book downloads during the week.

Online Novels: Well organized website of free e-novels by published and unpublished authors who have made their work available for download.

The Great White Ebook Shark : Unique website offering expert critique of e-books and links to their site. Teaser first chapters and directions for downloads.

You can read more about Read an Ebook Week on the promotion's official home page, HERE.

Game of the Day - Cradle of Persia

Amazon's Game Download of the Day is a $2.99 download of Cradle of Persia. With seven total reviews, six are five-star and the remaining one is three-star.

Book Description

• Travel Through 7 Historical Epochs.
• 100 Engaging Levels.
• 8 Original Bonus Items.
• Build The Masterpieces Of Ancient Persia.

Build Ancient Persia in this engaging puzzle game! This land was filled with luxurious gems and metals that were set to impress peasants and visiting nobles alike! But its exotic gardens and majestic architecture have long since vanished in the passing sands. Now you can seek out the riddles of these ruins as you travel through the land of a thousand and one nights. You will need skill and a keen wit to unlock a mystery never before seen by man, here in the Cradle of Persia!

Free Read Friday

To start off your weekend and in anticipation of Read an Ebook Week (coming up next week), today's post will feature only free reads from around the internet. The first one is free only today and the next few are online reads at Harper Collins (no downloads and you must read while connected to the internet); I've linked in the Amazon pages for the newest additions so you can read the reviews or buy a copy if you decide reading online isn't for you (or you want to keep the book - these online reads change frequently and with no notice).


Stranger in Paradise, by stan graham, is free on Smashwords with coupon code WX68C, valid only today.

Book Description
Janice moves from the Midlands to a sheltered housing unit in the south of England. Taking with her the ghost of her former husband.A humorous look at life in sheltered housing

Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow ($4.79), by James Rollins, can be read online HERE.

Book Description
When a mysterious envelope arrives for Jake Ransom, he and his older sister, Kady, are plunged into a gripping chain of events. An artifact found by their parents—on the expedition from which they never returned—leads Jake and Kady to a strange inhabited by a peculiar mix of long-lost civilizations, a that may hold the key to their parents' disappearance.

But even as they enter the gate to this extraordinary place, savage grackyls soar across the sky, diving to attack. Jake's new friends, the pretty Mayan girl Marika and the Roman Pindor, say the grackyls were created by an evil alchemist—the Skull King. And as Jake struggles to find a way home, it becomes obvious that what the Skull King wants most is Jake and Kady—dead or alive.

Gone ($6.39), by Michael Grant, can be read online HERE.

Book Description
In the blink of an eye.

Everyone disappears.

Gone.

Everyone except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not a single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Gone, too, are the phones, internet, and television. There is no way to get help.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents-unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers-that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen and war is imminent.

The first in a breathtaking saga about teens battling each other and their darkest selves, gone is a page-turning thriller that will make you look at the world in a whole new way.

Evernight ($5.59), by Claudia Gray, can be read online HERE.

Book Description
Bianca wants to escape.

At the eerily Gothic Evernight Academy, the other students are sleek, smart, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.

When she meets handsome, brooding Lucas, he warns her to be careful—even when it comes to caring about him. But the connection between them can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart . . . and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.

The Thief ($3.79), by Megan Whalen Turner, can be read online HERE.

Book Description
"I can steal anything."After Gen's bragging lands him in the king's prison, the chances of escape look slim. Then the king's scholar, the magus, needs the thief's skill for a seemingly impossible task to steal a hidden treasure from another land.To the magus, Gen is just a tool. But Gen is a trickster and a survivor with a plan of his own.

Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism ($7.99 paperback), by Georgia Byng, can be read online HERE.

Book Description
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Hypnotism

Molly Moon is no ordinary orphan. When she finds a mysterious old book on hypnotism, she discovers she can make people do whatever she wants. But a sinister stranger is watching her every move and he'll do anything to steal her hypnotic secret...

For those that missed some of the earlier reads, you can also still read The Amanda Project: Book 1: invisible I ($9.99), The Summoning (Darkest Powers, Book 1) ($5.59) and The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle ($7.99 paperback) for free as well, just click HERE.

Twinkle, by Dan McGirt, author of Hero Wanted (free smashwords; $13.49 paperback), is free on Smashwords

Book Description
Twinkle. A small town with big secrets. Can Stella find eternal love with her vampire boyfriend Edmund? Will werewolf Jake's own desire for Stella drive him to a fatal decision? Or will the arrival of a certain famous vampire slayer turn all their lives upside down? Twinkle is the vampire epic you’ve waited for—if you’ve already read all the other vampire epics. Enter Twinkle if you dare!

The short story Robot Confessional, by David Dalglish, author of The Weight of Blood (free Smashwords; $0.99 Kindle), is free to read online.

Book Description

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.