Borders Kobo Reader - Pre-Order now for Father's Day

By now, you've probably heard that Borders Bookstore is coming out with their own reader, the Kobo eReader. It's already been introduced in Canada (by KoboBooks, a Borders subsidiary) and is available to pre-order in the US ($149) and Australia ($199 AU; from the Kobo Global website). Delivery should be just in time for Father's Day (current delivery date is June 17). I was talking to the manager at our local store last weekend and he said they will be putting in a download station in place of most or all of the customer service desk, so that customers can purchase ebooks in the store and load them onto their readers. That'll eliminate the need for a computer and for much technical know-how on the part of those who get one (although you can still do your own backups and transfers at home, using either bluetooth or (I'll presume) USB).

So far, there isn't a Borders eBook Store, but it is being worked upon (and scheduled to open in June). There are quite a few differences with the readers available already - a quilted back should make it quite a bit easier to hold, but the big single button on the front seems to perform most of the chores that several keys or buttons are needed for with others. The desktop app is preloaded on the device - hook it to your computer and it will install, eliminating the requirement to find the software yourself (which I've run into with other readers). You get five type sizes and a choice of serif or sans serif fonts; there are several options for sorting books, but the only "collection" appears to be a way to tag "books I'm currently reading". The screen is a now-standard 6" eInk display and the unit is one of the lighter ones out there, at 8 ounces. Capacity-wise, though, you get one gigabyte of memory and an SD slot (but not an SDHC slot) that essentially means an unlimited capacity. So far, the formats supported at ePUB, PDF, and Adobe DRM (which should mean PDF and EPUB); I don't see any support for DOC, TXT or some of the other formats that many other readers support, but all of those are easily converted to ePUB by an application like Calibre.

Once you buy any books at Borders, one big question is always which devices can be used to read them. So far, they have announced free eBook Apps for the Mac, PC, Blackberry, Android, iPhone, and iPad. Books can be synced among devices (including via Bluetooth directly from the Reader to a phone). It looks like you'll be able to buy books from other bookstores, as well, so long as they "support Reader^® Mobile Technology from Adobe." The only downside to their bookstore, that I see so far, is that they claim you'll need to use the Borders eBook Desktop App to search or browse for books (which you will presumably also be able to do in stores). I'd much rather use a web based store and download books to my computer for manual transfers. So far, it appears that only PDF's can be manually loaded, while EPUBs will require the desktop application.

I'm not sure I'd like it for a primary reader, but as a secondary reader (for those DRM'd epubs you keep picking up, to read books from Penguin that you can't get for Kindle, currently, or for additional people in the household, for example), it looks like a very good deal (especially at $100 or so less than the other readers that are the same size).

Music to Read By - Indie & Alternative Rock

Amazon is having an Indie and Alternative Rock Music Sale. In addition to a number of MP3 albums marked down (to $5, $7.99 or $8.99), they have several sampler albums available for free download.

Any eBook at O'Reilly for $9.99

O'Reilly has a one-day special running, for all ebooks other than those by Microsoft Press: $9.99 with coupon code FAVFA. Most of their ebooks are in multiple DRM-free formats (including some that are showing up in Android)

To get the discount, click HERE, find a book and add it to your cart. Then enter the coupon code FAVFA. Click on Proceed to Checkout and you'll see a summary of your order and the discounted price.

Sleeping Beauty for $2.39

Sleeping Beauty ($7.99 Kindle), by Phillip Margolin, is on sale for $2.39 at KoboBooks. This is a stand-alone title, written four years prior to the currently free Executive Privilege. So far, Kobo is the only one with this price (wasn't the Agency agreement supposed to guarantee the same price in all the stores, according to Steve Jobs?).

Book Description
Author Miles Van Meter is on a book tour to promote his sensational bestseller Sleeping Beauty, a true-crime account of a deeply personal subject: the attack by a serial killer that left his twin sister, Casey, in a coma. Tonight the audience waits to hear Miles discuss recent developments in his sister's case -- unaware that pieces of this complex puzzle of violence, unknown even to the author, are about to be revealed.

Six years earlier, life was much simpler for everyone involved, especially seventeen-year-old Ashley Spencer, a popular high school soccer star. Then one night an intruder entered Ashley's home and murdered her father and her best friend. Traumatized and suffering from a crippling sense of survivor guilt, Ashley is ready to give up on both soccer and life until help comes from an unexpected source -- a scholarship to the Oregon Academy, an elite private school, is extended to her by school dean Casey Van Meter. The school quickly becomes a haven for both Ashley and her mother, Terri. As Ashley regains her sense of self through the school's soccer program, Terri joins a writing group for adults led by Joshua Maxfield, a former literary wunderkind who has disappeared from the bestseller lists since his second book was panned by both critics and fans.

Then tragedy strikes again and Ashley has to run for her life, unaware that the key to her survival is in the one book she's afraid to read -- Sleeping Beauty.

With its blend of dizzying plot twists and thrilling suspense, Sleeping Beauty shows Phillip Margolin at the very top of his form.

Click HERE for the discounted book. Note that this is a DRM'd EPUB (not Kindle compatible) and requires Adobe Digital Editions.

Free Book - Summer Grilling Cookbook

Last fall, Sirius/XM Radio aired their annual Thanksgiving Hotline on The Martha Stewart Living channel; this spring they are hosting a Grilling Hotline on May 24. And just as they did at Thanksgiving, they are giving away a cookbook, the Martha Stewart Living Radio’s Summer Grilling Cookbook, a 51 page PDF download available HERE.

In the tradition of Martha Stewart Living Radio’s Thanksgiving Hotline comes the first annual Martha Stewart Living Radio Grilling Hotline, a 10-hour marathon featuring some of the biggest names in the worlds of grilling and BBQ — including Mike Mills, Tim Love, Steven Raichlen and Elizabeth Karmel — live in studio with the Martha Stewart Living Radio hosts to share tips, tricks, recipes and take questions from listeners across the country as the summer entertaining season kicks off.

All of the acclaimed chefs and experts participating in the first-annual Martha Stewart Living Radio Grilling Hotline contributed their own recipes for Martha Stewart Living Radio’s Summer Grilling Cookbook, a free online cookbook created for SIRIUS|XM especially for the occasion. This extraordinary collection of recipes and tips covers everything from delicious sides, salads and starters to savory burgers, steaks and chicken, desserts and summer drinks.

If you'd rather download only selected chapters, or for more information on the Hotline, see the Martha Stewart Living page at Sirius.

Free game - Glyph

The free game this week at Sandlot Games is Glyph ($6.99 Amazon Game Downloads), the precursor to Glyph 2 ($6.99 Amazon Game Downloads) that they had as a free download in early April.

Game Description

• Save The World In 2 Modes.
• 255 Custom Levels In 5 Unique Environments
• Assemble Glyphs In The Bonus Levels
• 14 In-Game Artifacts

As a descendant of the Elemental Masters, it is up to you to restore the world of Kuros to its once beautiful state by harnessing the powers of Wood, Fire, Water, Metal and Aether. Break through layers of rock by matching Guardstones to uncover the mystery of the Glyphs. With 14 interactive objects, power-ups with 3 boost levels and 125 custom levels, Quest Mode will keep you busy. Action Mode will challenge your skills and reflexes with 130 additional levels to play. Save Kuros, before it's too late!

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

Free Book - Decide Better! For a Better Life

Decide Better! For a Better Life ($9.99 Kindle), by Michael E. McGrath, is completely free to download at Smashwords. I don't know anything about the author, but he has three books in this self-help series (all are available on Kindle), according to his web site.

Book Description
Decide Better! is the essential resource to help everyone improve their lives through better decisions. The decisions you make shape your life and better decisions will make your life much better. This is the powerful principle behind Decide Better! for a Better Life. It is a thought provoking book developed to help everyone improve their decision-making skills. Each of the 90 short chapters are insightful, yet fun to read, words of wisdom that take the complexity and mystery out of decisions. It is filled with proven and comprehensive decision-making techniques that can be used right away. Not only can Decide Better! For a Better Life teach anyone how to make better decisions, it also explains how people try to influence the decision-making process in order to control outcomes.
 
About the Author
 
Michael E. McGrath is one of the world s leading experts on decision-making. He is a renowned management consultant, business executive and visionary, entrepreneur, author of five books, and family man who has studied decision-making for more than 25 years. He has applied his decision-making skills as a CEO with i2 Technologies, and he currently serves as Executive Chairman of Thomas Group. He co-founded and led Pittiglio Rabin Todd & McGrath (PRTM), one of the most successful consulting firms in the world and creator of PACETM a decision process used by many global corporations. In 2007, Michael was featured in Forbes Magazine for his CEO decision-making and turn-around skills.

Click HERE for the free download.

Free book (nook) - The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency ($7.99 Kindle), by Alexander Mccall Smith, is available free this week using a coupon you pick up in a physical Barnes and Noble store. Previously, this one was in the Kindle store for $1.99 (and several other stores, as well, including B&N), so many of you may have it, but it's a great deal for those who missed it.

All you have to do is take your nook or ANY device with B&N's eReader software installed (not the fictionwise version; although some are reporting that you don't have to show any device, just ask for the coupon) into the store and get the paper coupon code. Use the code in the B&N online store (using your computer) and the book will either be automatically added or show as a zero amount when added to your account (haven't went to get my coupon code yet, but will later this week).  This is the start of a 5-week campaign to get you into B&N stores; there will be a new free book each week. I'll post future titles as they announce them, both as reminders and to save you a trip if it's one you don't need.

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.

Free Audiobook - E.M. Bounds: Man of Prayer

I may have goofed on the genre of Soul Catcher yesterday (thanks all, who posted to let me know), but I'm pretty sure you will all agree that THIS one is in the Christian domain. E.M. Bounds: Man of Prayer by Lyle Dorsett, narrated by Kyle Prue ($15.98 Audio CD) is free to download at ChristianAudio, through May 31st.

The name of E.M. Bounds is familiar to anyone who has an interest in prayer. In a world awash in books that jam the isles of bookstores everywhere, few will even begin to survive the lifetime of the authors, but that is not true of E.M. Bounds. After a century, many of his books are still in print. Their long life is a testimony to the timeliness of the prayer lessons he learned from his own deep Christian spirituality. In view of the popularity of E.M. Bounds writings, it seems incredible that so little of him has been published. To remedy that amazing state of affairs, Lyle W. Dorsett has read every scrap of paper related to Bounds, and the family has made available to him for the first time a private collection of the Bounds correspondence. From that, Dorsett wrote this account of Mr. Bounds' life.

Get your free audio download HERE; enter the coupon code MayPray during checkout. After you finishing your order, you will be asked which format you prefer to download - select MP3 if you want to be able to play the book on your Kindle.

There are also a number of other biographies (Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Edwards, Spurgeon, Moody, Lewis, etc) they have on sale this month, as well as notable philosophers, such as Aristotle, Kierkegaard, and Plato, some of the Armchair Theologian series and back issues of Christian History Magazine.  All only $4.98 until May 31, available HERE.

Sony Reader under $110

There have been a number of sales recently on the Sony Reader, both for Mother's and Father's Day, but also at Borders in advance of the Kobo Reader being released (they are promised to be in the store by Father's Day). You can pick up a Touchfor $199 and the Pocket Edition for $149 or a bit less at Amazon and many other places (Sony, Best Buy, etc) or order a Kobo for $149. WOOT, however, has a special deal today on the Sony Digital Reader Pocket Edition, which has a 5" screen. Refurbished units in Black, Red or Silver are selling for $109.99, while supplies last (often well under the one-day that their specials are on the front page). If you want one (or two), grab them while you can.

Note that I have no connection with WOOT and have not bought from them previously, but have corresponded with a number of people who have. They are a legit company and seem to be quite good at honoring their deals. The warranty is entirely from Sony (the same as if you bought it there) and covers 90 days. That should be more than enough time to discover any defect.

Video Game Day at Amazon

It looks like Amazon is having video games all day in their Gold Box Deals, starting with the DanceDance Revolution Bundle for $34.99 and a current lightning deal on Karaoke Revolution Bundle for the same price.

Game Description

• Extensive new modes, including a fresh new Workout Mode, fun new Story Mode, Kids Modes with much simpler controls and Lesson Mode (DDR School) to practice timing and the direction of arrows so that new dancers can learn the basic.
• Game bundled with DanceDanceRevolution dance pad floor controller for Wii with additional controller compatibility including: Wii Remote/nunchuck and Wii Balance Board.
• Exclusive gimmicks such as the Hip Roll and Bump Arrows appear in-game and built-in fitness functionality allows you to punch while moving your hips to get a workout in while playing.
• Costume customization of your DanceDanceRevolution dancer, including your importable Miis.
  Game include 2-4 local multiplayer support in versus mode and contains 60 tracks on disc, including major licensed master original Latin tracks.

Either or both would go great with a new Black Wii with Wii Sports Resort bundle for Father's Day (don't forget the Black Wii Classic Controller Pro or additional Black MotionPlus Controllers to go with it).

Game Description

• Netflix instant streaming functionality allows for thousands of movies, TV shows, cartoons and more right on your TV (Netflix unlimited account, Netflix disc and broadband connection required)
• Bundle contents including Wii Sports Resort and the Wii MotionPlus accessory (black) with original Wii Sports also included, along with the Wii console (black)
• Intuitive controller system highlighted by the included motion controlled Wii Remote and Nunchuk (black)
• A wealth of games at your fingertips including those on disc as well as backwards compatibility to all Nintendo GameCube games and most peripherals
• Built-in Wi-Fi access for easy connection to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection gaming services WiiWare and Virtual Console as well as the Internet

For the non-WII fans out there, there is an awesome deal on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Buy any version and get another Call of Duty title for free. See additional details, HERE. The only reason this deal isn't for the pure WII fan is that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 isn't available for the WII; the free titles available on the deal do include the WII (and the DS), though, so there is something for about all the consoles there.

Sign up for Kindle for Android!

Amazon has announced Kindle for Android this morning and I've already signed up to be notified when it releases. Yes, I have an iPhone, but I don't use AT&T (so, it functions as a iPod Touch). I've been thinking of upgrading my phone to one of the newer Android selections and I'll definitely make a switch when this is available (now, just to choose which Android phone to get). From following the Kindle forums, this has been the most requested for Kindle App in recent months (the Palm and a few others get mentioned now and then, but Android phone users, followed by Mobile Windows users have really been feeling left out).

Read Kindle books on your Android phone

• Get the best reading experience available on your Android phone. No Kindle required
• Access your Kindle books even if you don't have your Kindle with you
• Automatically synchronizes your last page read and annotations between devices with Whispersync
• Adjust the text size, add bookmarks, and view the annotations you created on your Kindle, computer, or other Kindle-compatible device
• Read in portrait or landscape mode
• Tap on either side of the screen or flick to turn pages

View larger image

Shop for books in the Kindle Store optimized for your Android phone Buy a book from the Kindle Store optimized for your Android phone and get it auto-delivered wirelessly Search and browse more than 500,000 books, including more than 96 of 110 New York Times bestsellers. If you are a non-U.S. customer, book availability may vary Find New York Times® Best Sellers and new releases from $9.99 Get free book samples. Read the beginning of books for free before you decide to buy Books you purchase can also be read on a Kindle, computer, or other Kindle-compatible mobile devices Kindle newspapers, magazines and blogs are currently not available on Kindle for Android View larger image Technical Details Requires Android OS 1.6 or greater Requires an SD card Supports Droid Incredible, Google Nexus One, HTC MyTouch, Motorola CLIQ, Motorola Droid, and many more Android phones

Game of the Day - Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos

Amazon's Game Download of the Day is a $2.99 download of Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos, which is a hidden object game and puzzle game. Unlike the one last week, this one appears to take several hours to play through (the only negative reviews seem to come from people who found that too much of the same type of play).

Game Description

• Locate Hundreds Of Corrupted Items.
• Clever Mini-Games.
• Glamorous World-Wide Locations.
• Stop Dr. Chaos

Can you stop the evil mastermind Dr. Chaos as he embarks on a global initiative of doom and destruction? Bent on seeking out and jeopardizing classified data, the mad doctor's criminal exploits grow by the minute. Follow his trail through many glamorous world-wide locations, including Moscow, London, Hollywood, Tokyo and more! Locate all the items that he has corrupted, and use your intuitive investigative skills to bring him to his final justice!

Free Books - Saardu

Carma Dillon has put her two books at Smashwords up as free downloads, today only. This science fiction series is aimed at the Young Adult or Teen demographic. Since there isn't a coupon code, you can't add this one to your Smashwords library and keep it there; instead, download any format you think you might want and back them on your PC.

Saardu: The Adventure Begins
Ruby is the only child with an active imagination in a future spaceship community run by superstitious genetic engineers. She escapes on a sweetly scary planet called Saardu. (This novel launches a new myth in A Science Fiction Fantasy Series for Incurable Daydreamers. This story expands the author's award-winning screenplay. Endorsed by KIDS FIRST! and recommended by UCLA's Richard Walter.)

The Ills of Saardu
The Ills of Saardu is a story of forbidden love and rebellious secrecy; of science vs. plague and problems caused by a dying star; of political maneuvers, tyranny, anarchy and murder. As on Earth, those who regard themselves as the crown of creation are far from being the most enlightened species on this mystical planet. Special 25th Anniversary Ebook Edition, never before published.

Want to download the first one directly to your Kindle? Enter this URL into the Basic Web browser (it is  case sensitive):

• http://ow.ly/1LHSz

But, don't forget to head over later today and grab a copy of the second for your own archives (I couldn't get the auto-download to work for it).

Free Book - The Oort Perimeter

The Oort Perimeter ($15.99 Paperback), by Steven Lake, is free to download at EZReads.com, as part of a promotion of a new feature where they have interviews with authors. The book is a DRM-free EPUB, so is easily converted to read with your Kindle or other book reader.

Book Description
Born of a need to protect their homeworld, Earthfleet the Military arm of the Society, struggles continuously to ensure the safety of Earth and all who live on it. But a dark force arises within the galaxy, one who wishes to use Earth as a pawn in their quest for power. In a struggle for survival, the Society, Earthfleet and their allies must race against time to uncover the truth about this dark force, before it can destroy Earth.

Click HERE to get the free download. The only difficulty you might run into is that they chose to compress the file using the RAR format, rather than ZIP. If your computer doesn't have the software to open this format already, then I recommend you download and install 7-ZIP, a free program that does opens practically all the compression formats and lets you create zipped files of your own using it's own 7z format or the more common ZIP format.

Big Discount on Mathematica Cookbook

Mathematica Cookbook ($54.72 Paperback), by Sal Mangano, is available at a significant discount, today only, from O'Reilly Books: $9.99 for the ebook and $19.50 for the paperback. Their ebooks are in multiple, DRM free, formats, so you'll be able to use it on your computer or most ereaders. This is a pretty specialized book, though, on using the Mathematica 7 computing platform, so not for everyone.

Book Description
Mathematica Cookbook helps you master the application's core principles by walking you through real-world problems. Ideal for browsing, this book includes recipes for working with numerics, data structures, algebraic equations, calculus, and statistics. You'll also venture into exotic territory with recipes for data visualization using 2D and 3D graphic tools, image processing, and music.

Although Mathematica 7 is a highly advanced computational platform, the recipes in this book make it accessible to everyone -- whether you're working on high school algebra, simple graphs, PhD-level computation, financial analysis, or advanced engineering models.

* Learn how to use Mathematica at a higher level with functional programming and pattern matching
* Delve into the rich library of functions for string and structured text manipulation
* Learn how to apply the tools to physics and engineering problems
* Draw on Mathematica's access to physics, chemistry, and biology data
* Get techniques for solving equations in computational finance
* Learn how to use Mathematica for sophisticated image processing
* Process music and audio as musical notes, analog waveforms, or digital sound samples

To get the discount, click HERE and put the ebook and/or print book into your cart. Then enter the coupon code DDMTC. Click on Proceed to Checkout and you'll see a summary of your order and the discounted prices (free shipping for the paper book, but you may have to pay sales tax).

Free Book (ADE-DRM) - Cartographies of Danger

Cartographies of Danger: Mapping Hazards in America($15.00 Kindle), by Mark Monmonier, is free this month from the University of Chicago Press.

Book Description
No place is perfectly safe, but some places are more dangerous than others. Whether we live on a floodplain or in "Tornado Alley," near a nuclear facility or in a neighborhood poorly lit at night, we all co-exist uneasily with natural and man-made hazards. As Mark Monmonier shows in this entertaining and immensely informative book, maps can tell us a lot about where we can anticipate certain hazards, but they can also be dangerously misleading.

California, for example, takes earthquakes seriously, with a comprehensive program of seismic mapping, whereas Washington has been comparatively lax about earthquakes in Puget Sound. But as the Northridge earthquake in January 1994 demonstrated all too clearly to Californians, even reliable seismic-hazard maps can deceive anyone who misinterprets "known fault-lines" as the only places vulnerable to earthquakes.

Important as it is to predict and prepare for catastrophic natural hazards, more subtle and persistent phenomena such as pollution and crime also pose serious dangers that we have to cope with on a daily basis. Hazard-zone maps highlight these more insidious hazards and raise awareness about them among planners, local officials, and the public.

With the help of many maps illustrating examples from all corners of the United States, Monmonier demonstrates how hazard mapping reflects not just scientific understanding of hazards but also perceptions of risk and how risk can be reduced. Whether you live on a faultline or a coastline, near a toxic waste dump or an EMF-generating power line, you ignore this book's plain-language advice on geographic hazards and how to avoid them at your own peril.

Click HERE to sign up for the free book. You'll need to give them an email address and then check for their message to get the download link. The book is a DRM'd PDF and will requires Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) to download and read.

Free Book (nook) - I Will Carry You

I Will Carry You: The Sacred Dance of Grief and Joy ($9.99 Kindle), by Angie Smith, is free in the Barnes & Noble ebookstore.

Book Description
In 2008, Angie Smith and her husband Todd (lead singer of the group Selah) learned through ultrasound that their fourth daughter had conditions making her -incompatible with life.- Advised to terminate the pregnancy, the Smiths chose instead to carry this child and allow room for a miracle. That miracle came the day they met Audrey Caroline and got the chance to love her for the precious two-and-a-half hours she lived on earth. Upon receiving the original diagnosis, Angie started a blog (Bring the Rain) to keep family and friends informed of their journey. Soon, the site exploded in popularity, connecting with thousands who were either experiencing their own heartbreaking situations or simply curious about how God could carry someone through something so tragic. I Will Carry You tells the powerful story of a parent losing her child, interwoven with the biblical story of Lazarus to help those who mourn to still have hope-to find grace and peace in the sacred dance of grief and joy.

Click HERE for the free download from B&N.

Free Book - For the Win

Cory Doctorow's For the Win ($12.23 Hardcover) released yesterday and, like all of his previous books, he has put the electronic version up on his web site as a free download.

Book Description
In the virtual future, you must organize to survive.

At any hour of the day or night, millions of people around the globe are engrossed in multiplayer online games, questing and battling to win virtual “gold,” jewels, and precious artifacts. Meanwhile, others seek to exploit this vast shadow economy, running electronic sweatshops in the world’s poorest countries, where countless “gold farmers,” bound to their work by abusive contracts and physical threats, harvest virtual treasure for their employers to sell to First World gamers who are willing to spend real money to skip straight to higher-level gameplay.

Mala is a brilliant 15-year-old from rural India whose leadership skills in virtual combat have earned her the title of “General Robotwalla.” In Shenzen, heart of China’s industrial boom, Matthew is defying his former bosses to build his own successful gold-farming team. Leonard, who calls himself Wei-Dong, lives in Southern California, but spends his nights fighting virtual battles alongside his buddies in Asia, a world away. All of these young people, and more, will become entangled with the mysterious young woman called Big Sister Nor, who will use her experience, her knowledge of history, and her connections with real-world organizers to build them into a movement that can challenge the status quo.

The ruthless forces arrayed against them are willing to use any means to protect their power—including blackmail, extortion, infiltration, violence, and even murder. To survive, Big Sister’s people must out-think the system. This will lead them to devise a plan to crash the economy of every virtual world at once—a Ponzi scheme combined with a brilliant hack that ends up being the biggest, funnest game of all.

Imbued with the same lively, subversive spirit and thrilling storytelling that made LITTLE BROTHER an international sensation, FOR THE WIN is a prophetic and inspiring call-to-arms for a new generation.

To get the free downloads, click HERE and pick your format. If you are on the Kindle and want to download it directly, then type this URL into your Kindle browser (it is case sensitive, but quite short): http://ow.ly/1K54Q

Free Game - Eye for Design

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

Game Description

• Design 52 homes containing numerous rooms
• 7 uniquely themed neighborhoods
• More than 200 increasingly-challenging levels
• Bonus rooms awarded for in-game accomplishments

Become a design diva in Eye for Design!

After attending the most prestigious interior decorator academy in Paris, and graduating at the top of her class, Halle is ready to take the next step; starting her own business.

Design and decorate ultimate dream homes for Halle's stylistically demanding clientele - from single-room studio apartments to elaborate multi-room mansions - while choosing from hundreds of colorful, uniquely chic accessories and pieces of furniture in this challenging, puzzle-filled adventure.

To reach the top, it's going to take a lot of hard work, patience, and most of all, an Eye for Design!

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

Free Book (nook/Kobo) - Rage of Angels

Rage of Angels ($14.99 Kindle), by Sidney Sheldon, is free in the Barnes and Noble store (and the price dropped in the Kindle store from it's very high initial price).

Update: Now also free at Kobo.

Book Description
A worldwide bestseller first published in 1980, this novel tells the story of Jennifer Parker, a successful lawyer who is loved by two men, one a politician, the other, a mafia don.

Beautiful Jennifer Parker, having risen from disaster to become a glamorously successful defense attorney, becomes the victim of two powerful men who determine to destroy one another.

Click HERE for the free download from B&N.
Click HERE for the free download from Kobo.

Milrose Munce - Kindle Update

I just heard from the author -- Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help is back to a penny in the Kindle store (which I confirmed). Just as that occured, though, he got a note from his publisher in Canada that they were trying to make the book entirely free. Which may mean that it'll become unavailable again for a period of time, as the pricing update works it's way thru the system. For now, though, if you missed it last time (and don't mind paying a penny extra), you can once again get this book on Kindle. It's entirely free in the Sony store and I picked up that version as well. But after fighting with my new Sony reader the last few days, I'll definitely never pick it over the Kindle (in fact, the Sony reader has been "syncing" under 100 books for the last few hours; I thought it was finished, once, but then it decided to do it again; I could have copied the books over myself in less than ten minutes, if I could have bypassed the Sony software).

Free Book - The Colorado Kid

The Colorado Kid ($3.60 Kindle), by Vicki Lewis Thompson, is free direct from Harlequin today. You can get one or more (DRM'd) formats, so grab any you might want later as well. None, however, are Kindle compatible.

Book Description
The Rancher

Smart, sexy, and very, very conservative, Sebastian Daniels prides himself on always doing the right thing. So why didn't he know he had a child?

His Woman

Spunky Matty Lang has been hopelessly, secretly, in love with Sebastian for years. Now, thanks to little Elizabeth, it's not a secret any longer...

His Baby...?

Matty can't believe it—Sebastian's found a baby on his doorstep! And worse, now Sebastian thinks the little buckaroo is his. He's even thinking about marrying the child's absentee mother! There's only one thing to do—seduce Sebastian absolutely senseless! Because no baby girl is going to stop Matty from getting her man...

Click HERE to get the free book.

Pick a Free Book from Jon Merz

Jon F. Merz, who recently gave us a free copy of his short story Prisoner 392, has released a new novella, Ninja ($1.99 Kindle), and a short story collection This Time of Night ($1.99 Kindle). He's also giving away another free novel or novella of your choice, in celebration of Mother's Day. Here's his letter and the deal:

To say Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms out here on the Kindle Boards, I'd like to make the following offer: choose any of my novels or novellas available in Kindle form and you get one for free today only! Here's the list:

• Shadow Chaser (espionage/thriller)
• Parallax (psychic suspense thriller)
• Vicarious (supernatural thriller)

Novellas:

• Ninja (fantasy/sword & sorcery)
• Fool for Green (hardboiled mystery w/monsters)

To take advantage of this, just drop me an email at jonfmerz@verizon.net and let me know which of my works you'd like to check out for free. I'll set you up with the Kindle file direct from me or I'll send you a discount code over at Smashwords (your choice). I'll be out for several hours today, but promise to get to everyone when I return. I hope you all have a fantastic day!

Best wishes,
Jon

So, follow the directions, send him an email and you'll get either a mobi file or a coupon code over on Smashwords to get your free book. Can't beat a deal like that!

Happy Mother's Day!

Free Book (PDF) - Getting Started in Genealogy Online

WorldVitalRecords.com is giving away a free PDF copy of Getting Started in Genealogy Online ($12.95 paperback), by William Dollarhide, as a Mother's Day gift to everyone. This is a short (66 page) introduction to the topic, with somewhat mixed reviews.

Book Description
Getting Started in Genealogy Online is so basic that it brings the world of Internet genealogy into instant focus. Designed as a beginner's guide, its 67 pages pack more clout than any pages ever written on the subject of online genealogy. If you ever wanted to trace your family tree online, this book will help you do it.

This excellent book is written by William Dollarhide, published by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., and sponsored as a free download by WorldVitalRecords.com.

Click HERE and then on the DOWNLOAD button (ignore the Sign Up Now button/offer).

Web Site Update - Free Books in the Kindle Store

Blogger now supports multiple "pages" on a blog, so I've updated the web site's appearance, re-arranging a few elements and adding a new Navigation Menu (located at the top/left of the web page) that includes a quick link to a new Free Books in the Kindle Store page. So far, I have this page divided only between the older books that are free from Harlequin (no longer the Harlequin 16, as the numbers have dwindled) and the more recent books (27 currently). All chapters and samples have been excluded. Clicking on a book will take you to a product detail page that includes customer reviews (from there you can click to get to the Amazon product page, where the book can be ordered).

Let me know what you think - is this handy and/or useful to you?

Would you prefer to have the books arranged more by category/genre?

I've been considering arranging these by Scifi/Fantasy, Paranormal/Romance, Fiction and Non-Fiction. I don't want too many categories, but I also don't want overlap (a book should be listed only once). It's true there are some Paranormal genre books that are not Romance, but it seems to be very few that fit into that category that have been offered as free downloads. That that are will fit into the SciFi/Fantasy category.

Game of the Day - Princess Isabella

Amazon's Game Download of the Day is a $2.99 download of Princess Isabella: A Witch's Curse, which is a hidden object game and puzzle game. The reviews are pretty much universal in praising the gameplay and graphics, but do note that it's a fairly short one, solvable in a few hours.

Game Description

• Try To Reverse The Curse.
• 135 Game Scenes.
• Tricky And Challenging Puzzles.
• Can You Defeat The Evil Witch?

Princess Isabella is all set to marry the love of her dreams, Prince Adam. After returning home from a trip, however, she finds that an evil curse has been placed on her castle by a mysterious witch. The curse has placed evil in every room, and turned everyone inside the castle into mirrors! Follow a fairy friend as you piece together the clues and save her friends and family in this gorgeous Hidden Object Adventure game!

Magazine Bargains under Five Bucks

Much as I love my Kindle, for magazines I still prefer paper (so far). Between the pictures (and even ads), the ability to rip out pages and just leave it behind after reading, magazines are just more versatile than the current implementations of electronic magazines, at least as far as those available on ereaders. Last winter I signed up for Backpacker when it was $5 a year (currently $9.95 for two years) and used several other inexpensive subscriptions as gifts. I was glancing thru the current sale and found a few other at five dollars or less for a year.

Boston Magazine ($4.95/year)
New England Home ($4.95/year)
Seventeen ($5.00/year)
Time Out New York Kids ($4.95/year)
Teen Vogue ($5.00/year)
Scholastic Parent And Child ($4.97/year)
Ladies Home Journal ($5.00/year)
Popular Mechanics ($7.00/year) (technically over the limit, but still a good bargain)