Game Downloads under Four Bucks

Namco and Freeze Tag have several game downloads on sale, all under four bucks. Each also has a free trial available, so you can get in a couple of hours (2.5, to be exact, since you 30 minutes per game) of play trying them out before deciding which ones are for you.

The Otherside: Realm of Eons ($3.49)

Game Description

• Solve The Riddles Of The Otherside.
• 25 Fantastic Locations.
• 10 Mini-Games.
• Combine Hidden Objects To Solve Tricky Puzzles.

After receiving a strange book on her doorstep, Miranda finds herself drawn into the fantastic world of The Otherside. With the help of the mischievous Jovie, travel between worlds and unravel the mystery of a missing girl. Journey through over 25 detailed locations as you discover hidden objects and combine items to create new tools. As the story unfolds through animated in-game comics, solve over 10 puzzling mini-games and help Miranda locate the missing Louise to save her from a ghastly fate.

Nertz Solitaire ($3.99)

Game Description

• Competitive Solitaire.
• Challenge 8 Squirrelly Opponents.
• 3 Exhilarating Game Modes.
• Unlock New Music, Backgrounds And More.

Nertz Solitaire is competitive solitaire at its best! Just like traditional solitaire, build piles of cards in ascending and descending order. Win by scoring the most points and getting rid of your Nertz pile before your opponent. Enjoy three exhilarating game modes: Quick fun in Quick Play mode, the classic card game with Nutzy and his squirrelly family in Classic mode or go for the ultimate prize in Championship mode. But be careful 'cause Nertz can drive you nuts!

Xango Tango $3.99)

Game Description

• Crate-Crashing 3D Action.
• 48 Exotic Environments.
• 3 Phenomenal Game Modes.
• See The Surprise Ending.

Help the amazing toy robot Xango find his upgrade parts in this brain-stretching, 3D animated action puzzler adventure. Three game modes guarantee many hours of action, puzzling and relaxing fun. Match three colored crates and watch 'em explode in Classic mode. Solve brain-twisting puzzles in Puzzle mode. Play without time pressure in Relax mode. Exotic landscapes, lively tango music, wacky dances and a surprise ending make Xango Tango fun for the whole family!

Etch A Sketch $3.99)

Game Description

• The World's Favorite Drawing Toy.
• Play Knobby's Quest Or Knobby's Bounce.
• Discover Classic Etch A Sketch.
• Unlock Hidden Items And Drawing Templates.

Grizelda the witch has shaken things up inside the Etch A Sketch, and Knobby must restore "draw and order" to his world. Help Knobby save his kidnapped friend and stop Grizelda's evil plan to turn everything in the Land of Aha! to Dullsville! Full of creative art tools, four unique game modes, tons of unlockable hidden items and a cast of hilarious characters, Etch A Sketch is innovative fun for the whole family! Check out this digital upgrade to the World's Favorite Toy today!

Mystery Masterpiece: The Moonstone $3.99)

Game Description

• Try And Catch A Jewel Thief.
• Cryptic Clues To Unravel.
• Music From Tchaikovsky Brings The Game Alive.
• Is The Diamond Cursed? Find Out.

Who stole the Moonstone diamond? Is it cursed? It's up to you to investigate and unravel the mystery! Investigate every person who was in the Victorian mansion at the time of the crime to locate the thief and try and find the ancient jewel in this hidden object adventure! Play the role of Detective Cuff, exploring every room to find valuable clues and hopefully return the enormous diamond to its rightful owner.

Free Book (PDF) and Audiobook - The Painted Darkness

The Painted Darkness ($2.99 Kindle), a novella by Brian James Freeman, is being given away in PDF form by the publisher and is low-priced at Amazon prior to the hardcover release. In addition, the free version contains some extras not found in the hardcover (no idea if they are in the Kindle version):

The free eBook includes some great bonus features that won’t appear in the hardcover:

• An exclusive new interview with Ray Bradbury: “We Have Too Many Inventions!”
• Comments from bestselling authors such as Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, William Peter Blatty, Jodi Picoult, Carolyn Parkhurst, Anne Perry, Jane Green, M.J. Rose, Douglas Clegg, J.A. Konrath, Seth Godin, Michael Marshall Smith, Scott Adams, and many others about eBooks and the future of publishing.
• Author’s Afterword: “Did I Really Commit ‘Career Suicide’ by Giving The Painted Darkness Away for Free?”
• Norman Prentiss interviews Brian James Freeman
• $5.00 discount coupon valid on an order for the trade hardcover edition of The Painted Darkness for a limited time only (presumably direct, not via Amazon).

Book Description
When Henry was a child, something terrible happened in the woods behind his home, something so shocking he could only express his grief by drawing pictures of what he had witnessed. Eventually Henry's mind blocked out the bad memories, but he continued to draw, often at night by the light of the moon.

Twenty years later, Henry makes his living by painting his disturbing works of art. He loves his wife and his son and life couldn't be better... except there's something not quite right about the old stone farmhouse his family now calls home. There's something strange living in the cramped cellar, in the maze of pipes that feed the ancient steam boiler.

A winter storm is brewing and soon Henry will learn the true nature of the monster waiting for him down in the darkness. He will battle this demon and, in the process, he may discover what really happened when he was a child and why, in times of trouble, he thinks: I paint against the darkness.

But will Henry learn the truth in time to avoid the terrible fate awaiting him... or will the thing in the cellar get him and his family first?

Written as both a meditation on the art of creation and as an examination of the secret fears we all share, The Painted Darkness is a terrifying look at the true cost we pay when we run from our grief—and what happens when we're finally forced to confront the monsters we know all too well.

Click HERE for the free downloads.

Free Book (nook) - Weddings Can Be Murder

Weddings Can Be Murder ($5.39 Kindle), by Christie Craig, is free today at Barnes and Noble. This looks like a light romantic suspense title with a little comedy thrown in for good measure. If you like it, I'd suggest your grab up Divorced, Desperate and Deceived ($2.56 Kindle, B&N), Gotcha! ($2.56 B&N) and Shut Up and Kiss Me ($2.99 Kindle, B&N) while they are on sale, as well. Only Divorced, Desperate and Deceived is part of a series, while the others are stand-alone novels.

Book Description
When her wedding planner is murdered, Katie Ray is forced into close proximity with bad boy PI Carl Hades - and into reconsidering the man with whom she wants to spend the rest of her days.

Click HERE to get the free download.

Borders Ebook Store Opens with Free Books

Borders Bookstore has finally opened their ebookstore (although they still have a few issues on their free books list) and thru July 14th they are giving away 5 free ebooks on their Borders Free Books Offer page. You'll have to create and account and either get their app (free online or preloaded on the Kobo; it's essentially a branded version of Kobo's reader app) or use Adobe Digital Editions (the offer page says you must download the app, but it appears you can stick with ADE for at least some books). After adding a book to your library (which doesn't always give you a confirmation it has completed, unfortunately, nor is there a clue that you've purchased a book or added it to your library, when you revisit a book's product page, other than trying to add it to your library twice results in an error message), then go to your Ebook Library (it's on the left menu of the Your Account page). From there, you can use Open eBook to read using the Borders/Kobo app or Download Epub to open with ADE.

These are the books included in the Borders Free Books Offer. The page is a bit confusing, in that it refers to you being able to click on "one title" below, but I added all five to my library and loaded them into ADE without any problem.

One Shot ($6.39 Kindle), by Lee Child, the ninth in the Jack Reacher series.

Book Description
Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me. And sure enough, from the world he lives in—no phone, no address, no commitments–ex–military investigator Jack Reacher is coming. In Lee Child’s astonishing new thriller, Reacher’s arrival will change everything—about a case that isn’t what it seems, about lives tangled in baffling ways, about a killer who missed one shot–and by doing so give Jack Reacher one shot at the truth.…

The gunman worked from a parking structure just thirty yards away–point-blank range for a trained military sniper like James Barr. His victims were in the wrong place at the wrong time. But why does Barr want Reacher at his side? There are good reasons why Reacher is the last person Barr would want to see. But when Reacher hears Barr’s own words, he understands. And a slam-dunk case explodes. Soon Reacher is teamed with a young defense lawyer who is working against her D.A. father and dueling with a prosecution team that has an explosive secret of its own. Like most things Reacher has known in life, this case is a complex battlefield. But, as always, in battle, Reacher is at his best.

Moving in the shadows, picking his spots, Reacher gets closer and closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. And for Reacher, the only way to take him down is to know his ruthlessness and respect his cunning–and then match him shot for shot….

Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom ($9.46 Kindle), by Julia Child

Book Description

• How many minutes should you cook green beans? Is it better to steam them or to boil them?
• What are the right proportions for a vinaigrette?
• How do you skim off fat?
• What is the perfect way to roast a chicken?

Julia Child gave us extensive answers to all these questions–and so many more–in the masterly books she published over the course of her career. But which one do you turn to for which solutions? Over the years Julia also developed some new approaches to old problems, using time-saving equipment and more readily available products. So where do you locate the latest findings?

All the answers are close to hand in this indispensable little volume: the delicious, comforting, essential compendium of Julia’s kitchen wisdom–a book you can’t do without.

Frankenstein: Prodigal Son ($6.49 Kindle), by Kevin J. Anderson and Dean Koontz

Book Description
From the celebrated imagination of Dean Koontz comes a powerful reworking of one of the classic stories of all time. If you think you know the story, you know only half the truth. Get ready for the mystery, the myth, the terror, and the magic of…

Dean Koontz's Prodigal Son

Every city has secrets. But none as terrible as this. His name is Deucalion, a tattooed man of mysterious origin, a sleight-of-reality artist who’s traveled the centuries with a secret worse than death. He arrives as a serial killer stalks the streets, a killer who carefully selects his victims for the humanity that is missing in himself. Detective Carson O’Connor is cool, cynical, and every bit as tough as she looks. Her partner Michael Maddison would back her up all the way to Hell itself–and that just may be where this case ends up. For the no-nonsense O’Connor is suddenly talking about an ages-old conspiracy, a near immortal race of beings, and killers that are more—and less—than human. Soon it will be clear that as crazy as she sounds, the truth is even more ominous. For their quarry isn’t merely a homicidal maniac—but his deranged maker.

The Alchemyst ($7.09 Kindle), by Michael Scott, was previously free in the Kindle store (April '09).

Book Description
He holds the secret that can end the world.

The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly 700 years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life.

The records show that he died in 1418.

But his tomb is empty.

The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.

Sometimes legends are true.

And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

Master Your Metabolism: The 3 Diet Secrets To Naturally Balancing Your Hormones For A Hot And Healthy Body! ($9.99 Kindle), by Jillian Michaels

Book Description
Does it feel as if you’re fighting your body to lose even one pound—or just to maintain your current weight? Respected health and wellness expert and bestselling author Jillian Michaels has been there, too. So she consulted top experts in the field of metabolism and discovered that she’d inadvertently been abusing her endocrine system for years. After “fixing” her own metabolism, she decided to share what she learned by devising this simple, 3-phase plan that engages all the weight-loss hormones (including the friendly HGH, testosterone, DHEA; and the not-so-friendly: insulin, cortisol, and excess estrogen).

In Master Your Metabolism, discover how to:

• REMOVE “anti-nutrients” from your diet
• RESTORE foods that speak directly to fat-burning genes
• REBALANCE energy and your hormones for effortless weight loss

Michaels offers a wealth of information throughout, including: shopping lists and online shopping resources, hormone-trigger food charts, how to eat “power nutrient” foods on a budget, smart strategies for eating out, quick and easy recipes, as well as mini-programs for addressing PMS, andropause, metabolic syndrome, PCOS, and menopause.

Music to Read By

Amazon and X5 Music Group have added another free classical sampler in the MP3 download store. This one, The Classical Period, has five selections and runs just under 40 minutes in length. As part of their I Love Music promotion, they also have five of their longer 99 Essentials samplers at only $1.99 each. The shortest of these (Handel) is nearly five hours in length, while the longest (Schubert) runs well over 13 hours.

Another classical sampler is free from Musical Concepts . Also 40 minutes in length, this one has only five star reviews, so far.

If Jazz is more your style, grab a copy of the Trippin N' Rhythm Sampler, which features 40+ minutes of traditional instrumental jazz or try out Grover Washington, Jr.'s East River Drive, both of which are currently free to download.

Songs From Hotel Carolina 2010 is a free download that Amazon has classified as Folk, but it really doesn't fall into just one genre and is one I'd group more with "singer/songwriter" (and the first cut more as pop). One of the organizers behind the event promoted by the sampler is Ernie Halter and you can download his 4U album for free as well.

Free Game - Monster Mash

Today's free game at Sandlot Games is a repeat from January, Monster Mash ($4.99 Amazon Game Downloads); it has one 3-star review at Amazon now and is described as challenging in the later levels (and as "cute", so is probably also suitable for you kids).

Game Description

• Defend Curly Valley.
• 20 Quirky And Bizarre Monsters.
• 9 Unique Scenes.
• Hours Of Challenging Gameplay.

The villagers of Curly Valley are under attack from legions of quirky and bizarre monsters. Use all of your cunning and might to repel these mysterious invaders by fortifying the vulnerable villages with various towers, upgrades and unusual defensive armaments. With more than 25 increasingly powerful tower upgrades and 9 unique storybook-inspired scenes, the grateful villagers of Curly Valley will cheer you on with every conquest in Monster Mash, an addictive, strategic adventure!

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

Dominion Audiobook under a Buck

Christian Audio is offering an abridged audiobook of Dominion ($9.99 Kindle), by Randy Alcorn, for 98 cents. This is a 72 hour special, with about 48 hours left on the offer.

Book Description
Sweet Revenge?

When two senseless killings hit close to home, columnist Clarence Abernathy seeks revenge for the murders—and, ultimately, answers to his own struggles regarding race and faith. After being dragged into the world of inner-city gangs and racial conflict, Clarence is encouraged by fellow columnist Jake Woods to forge an unlikely partnership with a redneck homicide detective. Soon the two find themselves facing dark forces, while unseen eyes watch from above. This re-release of Randy Alcorn’s powerful bestseller spins off from Deadline and offers a fascinating glimpse inside heaven.

Can One Man’s Search for Justice Stand Up to the Forces of Evil Threatening to Destroy Him?

A shocking murder drags black newspaper columnist Clarence Abernathy into the disorienting world of inner-city gangs and racial conflict. In a desperate hunt for answers to the violence (and to his own struggles with race and faith), Clarence forges an unlikely partnership with redneck detective Ollie Chandler. Despite their differences, Clarence and Ollie soon find themselves sharing the same mission: victory over the forces of darkness vying for dominion.

Filled with insight—and with characters so real you’ll never forget them—Dominion is a dramatic story of spiritual searching, racial reconciliation, and hope.

Click HERE to get the audiobook. Be sure to use the coupon code ALCORN7210 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.

Free Book - My Love Lies Bleeding (Hearts at Stake)

My Love Lies Bleeding (not available in US), by Alyxandra Harvey, is the UK title of Hearts at Stake ($7.79 Kindle) and is free, today only, as a PDF download from the UK publisher Bloomsbury (as far as I can tell, only the cover is different between the two).  This is a young adult/children's book and the book is being offered to celebrate the release of Blood Feud ($7.99 Kindle), the second book in the The Drake Chronicles series.

Note that they are five hours ahead of the east coast, so the deadline to download is 7PM EST.

Book Description
The Drakes are rather different to your usual neighbours. They are vampires and some of the members of the family date back to the twelfth century. One of the children, Solange, is the only born female vampire known and, as such, she poses a direct threat to the vampire queen. Her best friend Lucy is human, and when Solange is kidnapped Lucy and Solange's brother, Nicholas, set out to save her. Lucy soon discovers that she would like to be more than just friends with Nicholas. But how does one go about dating a vampire? Meanwhile, Solange finds an unlikely ally in Kieran, a vampire slayer on the hunt for his father's killer . . .

Click HERE to get the free download.

Free Book - The Wicked House of Rohan

The Wicked House of Rohan ($2.39 Kindle), by Anne Stuart, is free today direct from Harlequin and in the Barnes & Noble ebookstore. This appears to be a very short prequel to the upcoming House of Rohan trilogy.

Book Description
A fallen woman. A most wicked plan for redemption.

Venice, 1740.

Desperate, starving, Kathleen Strong makes her way to a job interview that promises a chance at proper employment...and maybe a bite to eat. Accused of "gross immorality," she's adrift after being dismissed from her governess position, despite being entirely innocent.

That innocence is precisely what a mysterious group of debauched aristocrats finds so alluring about Miss Strong. When they propose a scandalous offer that she can't refuse...she can't refuse. But if the darkly gallant Alistair Rohan, a gentleman involved in all manner of wicked deeds himself, has anything to say about it, Kathleen can escape her disrepute in another way.

Of course, the escape route looks very similar to the group's illicit proposition itself...

Click HERE to get the book from Harlequin.
Click HERE to get the book from B&N.

Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb

Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb, by Brian Lamb, is $2.43 on Kindle today.

Book Description
C-SPAN's unique guide to the final resting places of the nation's presidents.

Some presidents have been larger than life but none of them have been larger than death. Brian Lamb has visited the gravesites of every American president, living and dead, in order to put together this book, with assistance from the staff of C-SPAN. Heavily illustrated and with contributions from historians Richard Norton Smith and Douglas Brinkley, Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb? is about the presidents' lives as much as it is about their final resting places. The book's collection of the presidents' last words, from Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "I have a terrific headache" to John Adams's "Thomas Jefferson still survives" offers a poignant and sometimes humorous look at the last moments of the great men. This is a great way to encounter the presidents, from the great ones to the near-forgottens. Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb? belongs in the glove box of every traveler and the bedside table of every fan of the American presidency and American history.

Happy Defiance Day!

As a Fourth of July special, Amazon has Ted Nugent's version of Star Spangled Banner as a free download today and his Happy Defiance Day Everyday double album is only 76 cents! Ted's music definitely isn't for everyone (and can be quite explicit), but if there's even one song there you like, this is a good deal.

If Ted isn't your cup of tea, there are a number of other, more traditional versions of The Star Spangled Banner available, in case you need a little background music while you celebrate the nation's birthday, today. However you celebrate, have a safe Fourth of July!

Free Audiobook - The Pursuit of God

A.W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God ($0.95+ Kindle), narrated by Grover Gardner, is this month's free audiobook at ChristianAudio.

During a train trip from Chicago to Texas in the late 1940's, A.W. Tozer began to write The Pursuit Of God. He wrote all night, the words coming to him as fast as he could put them down. When the train pulled into McAllen, the rough draft was done. Although written in such a remarkably short period of time, Tozer's passionate classic offers not only a deeper understanding of Biblical Truth, but a personal encounter with the very Source of that Truth.

Get your free audio download HERE; lower down on the order page, you'll find discounted ($4.98) downloads for a few related titles. Enter the coupon code JUL2010 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.

Refurbished Kindle DX under $250

As soon as the new Graphite Kindle DX was released with a price of $379, I was certain that the price of refurbished and white Kindle DX's would drop as well. This morning, you can get a refurbished Kindle DX (US) for $249.99. That's right, for less than what you would have spent for a Kindle (or a nook or a Sony Reader) a month ago, you can now get a 9.7" screen Kindle DX with free 3G wireless.

Update: The price on the original Kindle DX has now dropped to $359 (with global wireless). For the $20 difference, though, I'd order the Graphite Kindle DX with the improved eInk screen.

Here is a current list of all the refurbished prices, which appears to subject to change at any moment. First, the US versions with Sprint wireless coverage:

• Kindle (6" Display, U.S. Wireless) ($139.99)
• Kindle DX (9.7" Display, U.S. Wireless) ($249.99)

These are the latest generation, global versions and have AT&T wireless coverage:

• Kindle (6" Display, Global Wireless) ($169.99)
• Kindle DX (9.7" Display, Global Wireless) ($299.99)

Free Book (nook) - Northfield

Northfield ($3.99), by Johnny D. Boggs, is free to download today at Barnes & Noble.

Book Description
On September 7, 1876, the James-Younger gang attempted to rob the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota, with disastrous consequences. In a unique, compelling approach, author Johnny D. Boggs shifts perspectives from one first-person account to another to describe the bloody robbery, as well as the events leading to it and its aftermath.

Click HERE for the free download, which is a DRM'd EPUB.

Free Classics from Barnes and Noble

Barnes and Noble has a number of their All American Classics free for 4th of July. These normally sell for $1.99 apiece in the B&N store (and presumably have been checked for formatting and typing errors, making them more desirable than the raw scans from Gutenberg). There are two pages of titles, for a total of 21 ebooks to choose from.

Free Book (ADE-DRM) - Making Patriots

Making Patriots ($14.00 paperback), by Walter Berns, is free this month from the University of Chicago Press.

Book Description
The founding principles of the United States—freedom of speech and conscience, individual rights, and democratic dissent—often sit in opposition to the patriotic ideals of public spirit and self-sacrifice. But American history reveals scores of citizens who have put the good of the nation above their own self-interest, whether at home or abroad. It is this paradox that Walter Berns tackles with this magnificently argued book: What makes patriots? And is it still possible to make them?

Amazon.com Review

Walter Berns, an eminent constitutional scholar, plumbs the mysteries and paradoxes of American patriotism in this slim volume. How is it, he asks, that Americans can pursue their individual liberties and at the same time demonstrate public spirit? "Patriotism means love of country and implies a readiness to sacrifice for it, to fight for it, perhaps even to give one's life for it," writes Berns. "Why, especially, should Americans be willing to do this? In theory, this nation began with self-interested men, by nature private men, men naturally endowed not with duties or obligations but with certain unalienable rights, the private rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that each defines for himself."

The short answer is that Americans dedicate themselves to universal principles enumerated in the Declaration of Independence and other founding documents. This is, at bottom, a book on why Americans love their country. But it does not drip with star-spangled sentiment. Rather, it is almost wholly intellectual. Berns might have included more storytelling and less analysis on these pages. His narrative is occasionally character-driven--Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass make significant appearances--but Berns is primarily interested in their ideas. Making Patriots has the virtue of being both succinct and direct, and it addresses a set of thorny problems in clear language. Berns offers smart chapters on how patriotism interacts with religious devotion and racial identity, plus commentary on how patriotism is learned ("No one is born loving his country; such love is not natural, but has to be somehow taught or acquired"). Making Patriots may be read quickly, even as its insights are deep. Readers will find themselves returning to the book again and again, long after they thought they were done with it. --John J. Miller

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.

It's Here! The New Graphite Kindle DX

The Kindle DX has a new color and a new price. The Graphite Kindle DX is available to order, sells for $379.00 and will be shipped next week, starting July 7. According to the product page, there is an entirely new E-Ink screen in the Graphite Kindle DX, with 50% better contrast. Otherwise, it reads pretty much like the white Kindle DX, which is still available (and at the same price). There don't appear to be any outer changes (which is a disappointment, as the keyboard needs to be redesigned to have dedicated number keys and it would be much easier to use if there were page control buttons on both sides, as the smaller Kindle has.

As always, if you purchased a Kindle DX in the last 30 days, you can call Kindle customer service (use the Help page on any Kindle store item, then Contact Us on the right side; email works, but if you use the phone option, you'll talk to someone in just a few seconds, usually) and get a credit for the difference. So far the refurbished Kindle DX, price is still $369.00, but if that drops you may be able to get an adjustment on that, as well.

Say Hello to the Newest Kindle DX
All New, High Contrast E-Ink Screen: Our graphite Kindle DX uses our all new, improved electronic ink display, with 50% better contrast for the clearest text and sharpest images

Beautiful Large Display: The 9.7" diagonal E-ink screen is ideal for a broad range of reading material, including graphic-rich books, PDFs, newspapers, magazines, and blogs

Read in Sunlight with No Glare: Unlike backlit computer or LCD screens, Kindle DX's display looks and reads like real paper, with no glare. Read as easily in bright sunlight as in your living room

Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines

Books In Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered wirelessly in less than 60 seconds; no PC required

Free 3G Wireless: No monthly payments, no annual contracts. Download books anywhere, anytime

Long Battery Life: Read for up to 1 week on a single charge with wireless on. Turn wireless off and read for up to two weeks.

Carry Your Library: Holds up to 3,500 books, periodicals, and documents

Buy Books Once, Read Them Anywhere: Kindle books can be read on all your devices. Our Whispersync technology saves and synchronizes your Kindle library and last page read across your Kindle(s), PC, iPhone, Mac, iPad, Android phone, and BlackBerry device

Social Networks: Share your passion for reading with friends and family by posting meaningful passages to Twitter and Facebook directly from your Kindle

Global Coverage: Enjoy 3G wireless coverage at home or abroad in over 100 countries. See details. Check wireless coverage map.

Built-In PDF Reader: Carry and read all of your personal and professional documents on the go. Now with Zoom capability to easily view small print and detailed tables or graphics

Auto-Rotating Screen: Display auto-rotates from portrait to landscape as you turn the device so you can view full-width maps, graphs, tables, and Web pages

Read-to-Me: With the text-to-speech feature, Kindle DX can read newspapers, magazines, blogs, and books out loud to you, unless the book's rights holder made the feature unavailable

Large Selection: Over 620,000 books and the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read, including 109 of 112 New York Times® Best Sellers, plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs. For non-U.S. customers, content availability and pricing will vary. Check your country.

Out-of-Copyright, Pre-1923 Books: Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are available to read on Kindle, including titles such as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Pride and Prejudice, and Treasure Island. Learn more

Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases from $9.99.

Free Book Samples: Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy

The Lace Reader

A new edition of the bestselling The Lace Reader ($4.99), by Brunonia Barry, has been released, with an excerpt added from her new novel, The Map of True Places ($12.99).

Book Description
In the tradition of The Thirteenth Tale, Brunonia Barry's bewitching gothic novel, The Lace Reader, is a phenomenon. Called "[a] richly imagined saga of passion, suspense, and magic" by Time Magazine, it is a haunting and remarkable tale told by an unforgettable, if strangely unreliable narrator - a woman from an enigmatic Salem family who can foretell the future in patterns of lace. The Lace Reader was a runaway New York Times bestseller - hitting the top lists in major cities across the country, from Boston to Chicago to Los Angeles - and has immediately established debut author Brunonia Barry as a major force in contemporary American fiction.

This one is also available at the same price at Barnes and Noble and Kobo, while it's $5.24 at Sony.

Free Game - Cake Mania

The free game this week at Sandlot Games is Cake Mania ($6.95 Amazon Game Downloads). If you missed picking this one up when Amazon had it free last November, now is your chance.

Game Description

• 48 Levels Of Baking Fun.
• Customize And Upgrade Your Kitchen
• 4 Unique Bakeries To Run
• Hilarious Seasonal Characters

Help a young baker show big bad business who's boss in this fast-paced treat! When the retail behemoth "Mega-Mart" moves in, Jill's beloved family bakery is forced to close. But she's determined to get the business back on its feet with delicious sweets. Help Jill open her own bakery, bring in customers, and earn enough money to re-open her grandparents' bakery! With 48 levels and four different bakeries, Cake Mania is full of mouth-watering fun. Let's get cookin'!

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

Indie Book Roundup Continued

Deed To Death, by D. B. Henson, is currently 99 cents in the Kindle store, but I know the author has put in a request to raise the price (as have many indie authors, as Amazon's new payment schedule will kick in at the end of the month - those charging 2.99 to 9.99 will get 70% of the net sales price, while others get 35%). I just finished this fast-paced thriller (a review copy was provided by the author) and there were twists and turns that I definitely didn't see coming. It's well written and I'm looking forward to her next novel (already in the works). Definitely recommended!

Book Description
Real estate agent Toni Matthew's problems begin when her fiancé, Scott, is murdered. Having to bury the man she loves on the very day they planned to be married is almost more than Toni can take. Dealing with her loss becomes even harder when Scott's estranged brother, Brian, contests the will, threatening to take away her home.

After learning Brian is in deep financial trouble, Toni suspects he may be the one who killed Scott. Determined to find the truth and frustrated with the police, she begins her own investigation. Toni soon realizes she didn't know her fiancé quite as well as she had thought. Scott had been keeping secrets. Secrets that make Toni the killer's next target.

Resurrection ($2.99), by Gabriel May, is free to download at Smashwords, using coupon code LP88X (today only).

Book Description
On the eve of a new Millennium, Jon York expected midnight to come and go without incident. Instead, a brutal home invasion left Jon in a coma, his wife dead, and his daughter beaten and raped. Eight years later Jon awakens from the coma with no recollection of the attack. Fueled by rage, he will stop at nothing to avenge what has been done to his family.

Cries in the Dark ($0.99), by P.A. Woodburn, is free on Smashwords today (no coupon code, but you can't add it to your library, either).

Book Description
When Alex has an accident she discovers that she can telepathically communicate with animals. Losing her summer job in a heart transplant lab she lands a job in a chimpanzee lab instead. Raised by her research scientist stepfather to appreciate the necessity of animal research for curing diseases, Alex discovers that her two closest friends are animal activists. All she desires is to be a regular family doctor. She tries to deal with these challenges to her core beliefs. Then she finds that a brilliant serial killer is stalking her. This vile criminal is so slick that the police claim all of his murders are accidents.

Will Alex survive long enough to sort all of this out or will she become the next victim?

My Blood Approves ($0.99), by Amanda Hocking, has a number of good reviews (avg 4.5 stars) and is aimed at the young adult age group.

Book Description
Seventeen-year-old Alice Bonham's life feels out of control after she meets Jack. With his fondness for pink Chuck Taylors and New Wave hits aside, Jack's unlike anyone she's ever met.

Then she meets his brother, Peter. His eyes pierce through her, and she can barely breathe when he's around. Even though he can't stand the sight of her, she's drawn to him.

But falling for two very different guys isn't even the worst of her problems. Jack and Peter are vampires, and Alice finds herself caught between love and her own blood...

My King The President ($1.00), by Tom Lewis

Book Description
Investigative journalist, Jeb Willard, learns that his old college friend, a Secret Service agent, fatally shot the controversial President of the United States and then killed himself. Devastated, Jeb attends his friend's funeral where he is approached by a priest who gives Jeb a note from his Secret Service agent friend hinting of treason within the highest levels of the government. Uncertain what he should do, Jeb returns home to North Carolina to consult with Cal, his father and witty small town newspaper owner/editor. Cal advises Jeb to not get involved, at least not until more information is learned by the FBI and government investigators. Jeb follows his father's advice, but is eventually forced into action as the new President, Helene Fordham, calls him to Washington for a personal meeting. Jeb cannot refuse the persuasive first female President or her close friend, his former editor, and reluctantly agrees to begin his own investigation. It isn't long before Jeb, Cal, and Liz McCarty, the beautiful sister of the murderer, are running from the chief suspect, former Chief Justice Ezekial Koonce, as well as the FBI, police, a professional hit man, the Mafia, and even the U.S. Army! Stubbornly digging out facts of the conspiracy while barely keeping himself and his friends alive, Jeb manages to stay half a step ahead of all those in pursuit. With Cal's assistance, Jeb peels off layer after layer of the astonishing plot, which races through exciting and surprising turns of events, culminating in an amazing, highly explosive climax you won't believe!

Bourbon Street ($1.99), by Leonce Gaiter

Book Description
It's Mardi Gras in 1958 New Orleans, and Alex Moreau wants revenge. He doesn't want it. He needs it. He needs it for the death of his mother at his gangster father's hands. He needs it for the half-imprisoned life to which his father's condemned him. He needs it... because that's who he is.

So Alex invites Texas gambler Deke Watley to a high stakes Mardi Gras poker game. Deke thinks he's hit the jackpot when his chance to win big collides with a woman he once knew—a woman he wronged—a wrong he's regretted ever since.

But it's Alex's game, and he weaves the worst of his troubled past to create an orgy of vengeance, only to find that the other players have scores to settle, too. Amid the noise and the frenzy of the drunken crowds, streamers flying like electric currents, bejeweled costumes glittering, Deke stumbles through this foreign, lurid town, seeking a return to the innocence he turned his back on long ago. However, the time is running out and old debts must be paid before Alex lets Deke—or any other hustler—leave Bourbon Street alive.

Dreamshade ($0.99), by A. J. Lath, is free at Smashwords using coupon code BS86Q.

Book Description
Benjamin Crosskeys always thought he was ordinary. But when he meets Lilac Zhenrei, a magical adventuress from a land of living dreams, he soon discovers he has reason to believe otherwise. For Benjamin has a rare and wonderful ability. And in an epic adventure, he will discover the price that comes with this gift, as he strives to save his family from a monster born of nightmares...

I bought Deadly Gamble ($0.99), by Connie Shelton, last November and realized that I hadn't read I saw it mentioned on an Amazon forum this week. This is the first in her Charlie Parker Mystery series and I believe I have the first three sitting in my TBR list.

Book Description
In this debut mystery series novel, Charlie Parker, accountant and partner in an Albuquerque private investigation firm, is visited by her old school friend, Stacy North. Stacy's Rolex watch is missing and she begs Charlie to help locate it before her husband finds out. Things are complicated by the fact that Stacy had been seeing another man, Gary Detweiller, and he's the one she suspects of having stolen the watch. With a little detective work, Charlie retrieves the missing watch and all should be well. But three days later, Detweiller is murdered. All eyes turn to Stacy as the prime suspect.

Once again, Stacy begs Charlie's help in proving her innocence. As she begins to ask questions, Charlie learns that Detweiller's life was not as simple as first perceived and that any number of people had grievances against him. And before she can pinpoint the killer, her own life is in danger as well.

Kindle for Android Arrives - Download it Now!

Speculation around the internet was that Amazon would release Kindle for Android around July 21 (when the Samsung Vibrant will hit the market, as it will have Kindle for Android pre-installed). Today, though, seems to be the day for announcements at Amazon and Kindle for Android is now available to download.

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 600,000 books, including 109 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 Kindle for Android is currently available for customers in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States View larger image Technical Details Requires Android OS 1.6 or greater

Kindle Books Add Audio/Video

Amazon has just announced support for embedded audio clips and video in their books. So far, this is limited to books downloaded to your iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, excluding those on the Kindle hardware and (inexplicably) those using a PC or Mac to read books. The app was updated a few days ago, but it looks like they held off on announcing the new feature until they had a few books available. The Audio/Video enabled versions of books are quite large - one reason they are only on the Apple platform (so far) is that they only will load via WiFi, rather than being sent via the cellular network. That shouldn't be an issue on Kindle for PC or Mac (or for Android, once it releases), but no word yet on whether these apps will be updated to add this capability.

Downloading Kindle Editions with Audio/Video Due to large file size, Kindle for iPad/iPhone/iPod touch requires WiFi to download this title. You will see your purchase on your home screen, but the download will not begin on these devices until they are connected to WiFi.

Kindle Edition with Audio/Video Incorporates video and audio for a rich reading experience. Only available on Kindle for iPad/iPhone/iPod touch.

There are not a lot of titles available yet (in fact, there are only 13 so far, on the Kindle Editions with Audio/Video page). You'll want to keep an eye out for the text (Kindle Edition with Audio/Video) in the title or the graphic shown on the left, as that will indicate that it is only compatible with the new app. For some books, such as Rick Steves': Florence & Tuscany 2010, you will see two versions - one with (Kindle Edition with Audio/Video) in the title and one without. If you want the book on your Kindle and your iPad, you'll have to either choose the non-enhanced, text & images only edition or purchase both versions.

Here are a few of the more interesting looking titles that are now available. I'm still waiting for my samples to load (so, unless you are on a very high speed network, you might not want to follow my example and grab several samples at once).

Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song ($9.99), by Les Beletsky

Book Description
Drawing from the collection of the world-renowned Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Songs presents the most notable North American birds, including the rediscovered Ivory-billed Woodpecker, with lavish full-color illustrations and accompanied by their corresponding songs and calls. Renowned bird biologist Les Beletsky provides a succinct description of each of the 250 birds profiled, with an emphasis on their distinctive songs.

In his foreword, North American bird expert and distinguished natural historian Jon L. Dunn shares insights gained from a lifetime of passionate study. Complete with the most up-to-date and scientifically accurate information, Bird Songs is the first book to capture the enchantment of these beautiful birds in words, pictures, and song.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, located in Ithaca, New York, is a nonprofit institution focused on birds and whose mission is to interpret and conserve the earth's biological diversity through research. The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab is the major source of sound recordings of birds for research, education, conservation, the media, and commercial products.

Rose's Heavenly Cakes ($9.99), by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Book Description
At last an all-new, full-color cake lover's companion from Rose Levy Beranbaum, The Diva of Desserts! Rose Levy Beranbaum is a much beloved and widely respected baking legend, "a worshipped woman ... revered by serious cooks and part-timers alike", in the words of USA Today. Eagerly-awaited by her legions of devoted fans, Rose's Heavenly Cakes is a must-have guide to perfect cake-baking from this award-winning master baker and author of The Cake Bible, one of the bestselling cookbooks of all time.

This comprehensive guide will help home bakers to create delicious, decadent, and spectacularly beautiful cakes of all kinds with confidence and ease. With her precise, foolproof recipes, Rose shows you how to create everything from Heavenly Coconut Seduction Cake, Golden Lemon Almond Cake, and Devil's Food Cake with Midnight Ganache to Orange-Glow Chiffon Layer Cake, Mud Turtle Cupcakes, and Deep Chocolate Passion Wedding Cake. Everything you need to create heavenly cakes-every time-can be found in this new collection of tried-and true recipes by one of the most celebrated bakers of our time.
Offers over 100 simply wonderful recipes for cakes for every occasion, from exceptionally delicious butter and oil cakes, sponge cakes, and mostly flourless cakes and cheesecakes, to charming baby cakes and elegant wedding cakes.

• Features Rose's trademark easy-to-follow, expertly tested (and retested) recipes for perfectly delicious results every time.
• Features special tips and tricks from a beloved baking expert for creating amazing special effects and beautiful cake decor .
• Contains 100 tempting full-color photos.
• Contains video clips of baking tips featuring Rose

Together We Cannot Fail ($9.99), by Terry Golway

Book Description
An uncommon portrait of Roosevelt's presidency, in words, photographs, and his own voice

This vivid portrait shows a nation at its best and at its worst, through the lens of a president's words during the first presidency truly impacted by the media age. An FDR biography unlike any other, Together We Cannot Fail offers a new view of Roosevelt's transformation of an insular America into the world's most revered and feared superpower. An exclusive accompanying audio integrates with the biography to reveal in his own words how he led the nation through the Great Depression and World War II to its "rendezvous with destiny."

Historian Terry Golway brings alive how Roosevelt saved America from its worst fears and led the nation to victory in a cataclysmic world war and by doing so forever changed how Americans live and view themselves. Crafted from Roosevelt's own stirring words, this unique biography shows how he invented and established the practice of the media presidency with his famous fireside chats, the first presidential speeches broadcast nationally from the White House.

For twelve tumultuous presidential years, Roosevelt regularly spoke to the American people, this man of wealth and privilege giving voice to the downtrodden's American Dream. The first in a long line of media presidencies, Roosevelt's innate ability to connect with the people remains the standard by which even the best of them-Kennedy, Reagan, and Obama alike-are judged. Roosevelt's words would define a remarkable presidency that faced and overcame the country's worst economic crisis and a war to end all wars.

Together We Cannot Fail brings the president and his era to life like no other biography, combining the insight of noted historian Terry Golway with Roosevelt's own voice in audio excerpts from his most memorable speeches and chats.

Kindle Edition with Audio/Video includes audio for 30 famous speeches.

Best of the Beatles for Acoustic Guitar ($9.99), by Wolf Marshall

Book Description
Learn the trademark acoustic guitar elements of rock's most influential band. This audio/ebook by guitar dean, Wolf Marshall, provides in-depth analysis of 21 songs including: Across the Universe, And I Love Her, Blackbird Girl, Here Comes the Sun, Hey Jude, I Will, I've Just Seen a Face, Julia, Norwegian Wood, Rocky Raccoon, Till There Was You, Yesterday, You've Got to Hide Your Love Away, and more.

Kindle Edition with Audio/Video includes:

• 21 favorite songs
• Audio included for each song
• Accompanying musical notes and lyrics

Lullaby Baby ($9.99), by Audrey Ficociello

Book Description
Every new parent, whether musical or not, needs a good repertoire of lullabies. Filled with 50 classic songs, this beautiful, lavishly illustrated songbook lets parents learn each song as they sing along with the melody. The unique sound component makes for a unique package, perfect for sitting by the crib, and also works wonderfully on the road, putting little ones to rest anywhere, anytime. A timeless gift, Lullaby Baby celebrates the joy of sharing music with children.

Kindle Edition with Audio/Video includes:

• 50 well known lullabies
• Written lyrics and audio track
• Full color illustrations

Here's the complete press release from Amazon:

Amazon Announces New Functionality for Kindle Apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch

Readers can now enjoy embedded video and audio clips in Kindle books on their iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch

SEATTLE, Jun 27, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced a new update to Kindle for iPad and Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch, which allows readers to enjoy the benefits of embedded video and audio clips in Kindle books. The first books to take advantage of this new technology, including Rick Steves' London by Rick Steves and Together We Cannot Fail by Terry Golway, are available in the Kindle Store at http://www.amazon.com/kindleaudiovideo.

"We are excited to add this functionality to Kindle for iPad and Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch," said Dorothy Nicholls, director, Amazon Kindle. "Readers will already find some Kindle Editions with audio/video clips in the Kindle Store today--from Rose's Heavenly Cakes with video tips on preparing the perfect cake to Bird Songs with audio clips that relate the songs and calls to the birds' appearances. This is just the beginning--we look forward to seeing what authors and publishers create for Kindle customers using the new functionality of the Kindle apps."

"We are truly excited to have collaborated with Amazon to launch Kindle Editions with audio/video," said Peter Balis, Director, Digital Content Sales, Wiley. "Innovations like these represent the advantages that digital can offer. Advancing our content in this manner is important for our authors and our readers and it will raise the bar on what digital reading can offer for years to come."

"In the new Kindle Edition with audio/video of Rick Steves' London, the embedded walking tours allow customers to listen to Rick as they explore the sites of London," said Bill Newlin, publisher, Avalon Travel. "Rick's narration adds depth to the reader's experience, while listeners can follow the routes more easily with the text."

Kindle Editions with audio/video are available now with the latest Kindle App on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Kindle for iPhone is now optimized for iPhone 4's retina display. For more information, go to http://www.amazon.com/kindleapps.

Handel for $1.99

In another great deal for those who load classical music onto their Kindle for listening while reading, Amazon has the MP3 download version of The 99 Most Essential Handel Masterpieces currently marked at $1.99. I'm not going to list the cuts included, as there are (obviously) 99 of them, totaling just under 5 hours of music. The orchestras appear to be heavily eastern European, mostly from the area from Munich to Russia, with a few Japanese cuts (and what appears to be a few from an Italian orchestra).