Free and Bargain Book Updates and Free Movies

Today, I have some some updates on books that have been free recently and have returned, some tips on using coupon codes to get even better (non-Kindle) bargains and a deal for those who have never used Amazon's Video on Demand service.

First, for those who have never rented or purchased a movie or TV show using Amazon's Video on Demand service, you can get a $5 promotional credit that you can use in the VOD store for a rental or purchase. If you are unsure if you qualify, click the link and see - you'll either see a message that you are not eligible, or the terms for the promotion will be displayed; click Agree, choose to get the video newsletter or not, fill in the captcha and click on Continue. Note that the credit expires at 11:59:59 p.m. on March 31, 2011 and will be automatically applied to your future eligible purchases until the credit balance is used or until the credit expires (whichever comes first).

Next, some updates on free and bargain books (links to either the book or the original post with purchase links):

• How To Marry a Millionaire Vampire is now available free from additional stores.
• Knitting For Dummies, by Pam Allen, is back down to 99 cents (after rising to over $13 for most of the last two weeks.
• Origin Scroll (Targa Trilogy), by Richard S. Tuttle, has been re-issued with a new ASIN. It is still free for US Kindle customers, as well as from B&N and Smashwords.
• Raising Atlantis ($7.99 Kindle), by Thomas Greanias, was being given away in PDF form in fall '09, as part of a sweepstakes and promotion for his new book. The sweeps page is gone, but you can still get the PDF book free, HERE.
• Ravenous: A Food Lover's Journey from Obsession to Freedom, by Dayna Macy, has gone from free to $1.99 (as always, you have to act quickly on free books)
• When Darkness Falls: Free eBook Part 3, by James Grippando, is not free for Canadians. So, not only do they get three entries cluttering up their Kindle, they end up paying 99 cents for the free book. I suspect this may drop to zero for them later, but those in countries that pay $2/book plus VAT for free books will be looking at $6-$7 for this freebie, making it nearly as expensive as just buying the book as a whole.

Finally, you can use coupon codes at Kobo to try out some of the indie authors such as John Locke or Ruth Ann Nordin for free or get great bargains on some marked down (non-Agency) titles in the store. The only downside to using Kobo is that all their books will have Adobe ADE DRM and are in EPUB format. Which means you can read them on most readers, but not the Kindle; you can also read them on your phone, iPad or PC/Mac with the appropriate software/apps. Current/new coupon codes are feb23us1 or feb23row1 (expires 25 Feb 2011, $1 off, unlimited use) and feb25au30 or feb25ca30 (expires 27 Feb 2011, 30% off, unlimited use) and these two also are working, if you have not used them in the past: 35%offbook (one use) and FirstRead (35% one use). As a couple of readers pointed out, adding these codes to the currently discounted books from Sourcebooks results in getting them for under half what Amazon is charging.

Here are just a few books that I spotted that the coupons can be used upon (at least two of which I had already purchased on Kindle). The final price at Kobo will be either $1 or 30% less than the price I am showing below, depending on the coupon code you use (so, use $1 off for those under $3.33 and books at 99 cents end up free and use a percentage code for any over $3.33):

• To Defy a King ($2.39 Kindle, Kobo), by Elizabeth Chadwick
• Sins of the House of Borgia ($2.39 Kindle, Kobo), by Sarah Bower
• Atlantis ($1.59 Kindle, $1.79 Kobo), by David Gibbins
• Werewolf Upstairs ($2.39 Kindle, Kobo), by Ashlyn Chase
• Beneath ($2.99 Kindle, Kobo), by Jeremy Robinson
• The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie ($8.03 Kindle, $8.69 Kobo), by Alan Bradley
• The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag ($8.10 Kindle,Kobo), by Alan Bradley
• A Red Herring Without Mustard ($9.99 Kindle, Kobo), by Alan Bradley
• Second Son of a Duke ($0.99 Kindle, Kobo), by Gwen Hayes
• Knitting For Dummies ($0.99 Kindle, $0.89 Kobo), by Pam Allen; note that the Kobo edition ends up free, but it's a very short mini edition
• Hard Landing: The First Spider Shepherd Thriller ($7.37 Kindle, $0.65 Kobo), by Stephen Leather (not coupon eligible, but great price)

I picked up Hard Landing ($7.37 Kindle, $0.65 Kobo), by Stephen Leather, the first in his Spider Shepherd series, last December, when it was 79 cents at Amazon. If you want it on Kindle, you might want to report the lower price on the product page, then check it again in a day or two, to see if it drops.

Book Description
Hard Landing is the first book in the best-selling Dan ‘Spider’ Shepherd series. Former SAS trooper Shepherd is used to putting his life on the line. Working for an elite undercover squad he has lied, cheated and conned in order to bring Britain’s most wanted criminals to justice.But when a powerful drug baron starts to kill off witnesses to his crimes, Shepherd is given his most dangerous assignment yet. He has to go undercover in a top security prison, a world where one wrong move will mean certain death.As Shepherd gambles everything to move in on his quarry, he soon realises that the man he is hunting is even more dangerous than the police realise. And that he is capable of striking outside the prison walls and hitting Shepherd where it hurts most – his family.

A Red Herring Without Mustard ($9.99), by Alan Bradley, is the third and latest in his Flavia de Luce Mystery series, following The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie ($8.03) and The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag ($8.10). The prices are a bit higher than my usual selections, but with the coupon codes, these are a great deal from Kobo.

Book Description
Award-winning author Alan Bradley returns with another beguiling novel starring the insidiously clever and unflappable eleven-year-old sleuth Flavia de Luce. The precocious chemist with a passion for poisons uncovers a fresh slew of misdeeds in the hamlet of Bishop’s Lacey—mysteries involving a missing tot, a fortune-teller, and a corpse in Flavia’s own backyard.

Flavia had asked the old Gypsy woman to tell her fortune, but never expected to stumble across the poor soul, bludgeoned in the wee hours in her own caravan. Was this an act of retribution by those convinced that the soothsayer had abducted a local child years ago? Certainly Flavia understands the bliss of settling scores; revenge is a delightful pastime when one has two odious older sisters. But how could this crime be connected to the missing baby? Had it something to do with the weird sect who met at the river to practice their secret rites? While still pondering the possibilities, Flavia stumbles upon another corpse—that of a notorious layabout who had been caught prowling about the de Luce’s drawing room.

Pedaling Gladys, her faithful bicycle, across the countryside in search of clues to both crimes, Flavia uncovers some odd new twists. Most intriguing is her introduction to an elegant artist with a very special object in her possession—a portrait that sheds light on the biggest mystery of all: Who is Flavia?

As the red herrings pile up, Flavia must sort through clues fishy and foul to untangle dark deeds and dangerous secrets.

Second Son of a Duke ($0.99), by Gwen Hayes, is a short story (14K words) for mature readers.

Book Description
The Duke of Fenwick was a reprobrate.

Which is why it has always been up to Teddy Middleton, the second son, to run the estate and both their lives. But the Duke is full of surprises--the latest one a wedding. For Teddy. To the Duke's best friend's sister, Juliette.

Finding herself in church for her own surprise wedding was unnerving, to be sure. But to avoiding scandal seemed to be the most prudent thing to do, so Juliette said, "I do." She'd make the best of it and hope Teddy wouldn't be harder to take care of than her previous household had been. She simply had no idea how she could manage two estates on her own.

After a disastrous wedding night, Teddy and Juliette don't have very high hopes for a life of wedded bliss. As they forge ahead with resolute chagrin, it begins to dawn on them both that they are allies in the same war for sanity among their crazy relations. Mutual admiration turns to friendship which turns to...something neither one ever expected.

But the Duke has one more surprise for them both--one that will change everything.

Atlantis ($1.59), by David Gibbins, is the first title in his Jack Howard series.

Book Description
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from David Gibbins's The Mask of Troy.

From an extraordinary discovery in a remote desert oasis to a desperate race against time in the ocean depths, a team of adventurers is about to find the truth behind the most baffling legend in history. The hunt is on for…

Marine archaeologist Jack Howard has stumbled upon the keys to an ancient puzzle. With a crack team of scientific experts and ex–Special Forces commandos, he is heading for what he believes could be the greatest archaeological find of all time—the site of fabled Atlantis—while a ruthless adversary watches his every move and prepares to strike.

But neither of them could have imagined what awaits them in the murky depths. Not only a shocking truth about a lost world, but an explosive secret that could have devastating consequences today. Jack is determined to stop the legacy of Atlantis from falling into the wrong hands, whatever the cost. But first he must do battle to prevent a global catastrophe.

Beneath ($2.99), by Jeremy Robinson. This author has a number of traditionally published titles in the Kindle store, but this and the next two are ones he has self-published and are bargain priced. Only the first is available from Kobo, that I can see.

Book Description
Three thousand years after a chunk of iron the size of Khufu’s pyramid collides with Europa, Jupiter’s sixth moon, an asteroid borne of the collision crashes into Earth’s Arctic ice shelf carrying extraterrestrial microbial life. The first man to come into contact with the microbes hears voices—and then dies.

After determining the meteorite originated from Europa, the Global Exploratory Corporation sends oceanographer and biologist, Kathy Connelly, and her crew to the moon aboard the Surveyor, an experimental spacecraft. They are charged with the task of melting through miles of ice to the hidden ocean beneath, where the search for alien microorganisms begins. But a startling discovery awaits them on the surface of Europa.

Life.

Vast fields of red, plant-like organisms fill the cracks crisscrossing the moon’s surface, surviving on nutrients welling up from the waters below. Intoxicated by thoughts of what might lie beneath, Connelly and her crew activate the Thermal Exploratory System and melt through the ice—toward a world that does not want to be found, toward a force that will do anything to make sure they never leave.

They search for life. They find death.

I'm not sure where The Last Hunter - Descent (Book 1 of the Antarktos Saga) ($2.99), by Jeremy Robinson, fits in with his Antarktos Rising ($6.39), but it seems like you could read either one first.

Book Description
I've been told that the entire continent of Antarctica groaned at the moment of my birth. The howl tore across glaciers, over mountains and deep into the ice. Everyone says so. Except for my father; all he heard was Mother’s sobs. Not of pain, but of joy, so he says. Other than that, the only verifiable fact about the day I was born is that an iceberg the size of Los Angeles broke free from the ice shelf a few miles off the coast. Again, some would have me believe the fracture took place as I entered the world. But all that really matters, according to my parents, is that I, Solomon Ull Vincent, the first child born on Antarctica—the first and only Antarctican—was born on September 2nd, 1974.

If only someone could have warned me that, upon my return to the continent of my birth thirteen years later, I would be kidnapped, subjected to tortures beyond comprehension and forced to fight...and kill. If only someone had hinted that I'd wind up struggling to survive in a subterranean world full of ancient warriors, strange creatures and supernatural powers.

Had I been warned I might have lived a normal life. The human race might have remained safe. And the fate of the world might not rest on my shoulders. Had I been warned....

This is my story—the tale of Solomon Ull Vincent—The Last Hunter.

INSOMNIA and Seven More Short Stories ($0.99), by Jeremy Robinson

Book Description
INSOMNIA is a collection of seven exciting short stories (plus one bonus story) that tackle several different genres including action, science-fiction, horror, noir and thriller. Written by top thriller author, Jeremy Robinson, these stories include all of the action, imagination and twists that fans have come to expect, but they also contain experiments into subjects and voices not normally touched on in his novels.

INSOMNIA - In a world of super efficiency and equality, sleep is illegal and Feene keeps the masses going.

THE EATER - Three children discover a writhing black puddle in the woods of New Hampshire.

HARDEN’S TREE - A group of teens visit a tree planted atop the ashes of a mass murderer from late 1800’s.

STAR CROSSED KILLERS - Two lovers, both deadly killers, compete for the same target.

COUNTING SHEEP - A future terrorist gives an insomniac three minutes to fall asleep.

HEARING AID - In the future, a deaf man is healed, but does he like what he hears?

DARK SEED OF THE MOON - Vampires live, and kill, in the eternal shadow of the moon’s polar crater.

BOUGHT AND PAID FOR (Bonus Story) - A brutal character sketch for Scott Sigler’s THE CRYPT.

EXCLUSIVE SAMPLES INCLUDED:
-- THE LAST HUNTER by Jeremy Robinson
-- BENEATH by Jeremy Robinson
-- TORMENT by Jeremy Bishop

SPECIAL FEATURES:
-- Cover art included
-- Fully functional Table of Contents
-- Links to Robinson's other books

Free Book (nook) - Becoming American

Becoming American: The African-American Journey ($11.01 paperback), by Howard Dodson, is free today over at B&N, for the nook. You won't see this one on the Kindle, as it is from publisher Sterling, which is owned by B&N.

Book Description
Far too many Americans, of all races, are unaware of the pivotal role that people of African descent have played in shaping the US and the world. Even less is known about the role of African peoples in the history of all humankind. Becoming American: The African-American Journey will open their eyes—and enlighten even the already knowledgeable. It features two side-by-side chronological timelines that uniquely contrast the major events and personalities in both African-American and Global/African Diasporan history—spanning from 4 million BCE to Barack Obama’s momentous presidential campaign. In addition, a carefully-chosen collection of key political, historical, cultural and literary texts, quotes, speeches, and songs document the impact of the black presence in American and world history.

Click HERE to get the free download.

Notes on Free Books and Pre-Orders

Some thoughts and reminders for those new to the ebook world (and this blog).

Prices on eBooks are quite volatile and can change with no notice, at any moment. The price changes are not on any regular schedule, such as a specific time of day (although around midnight to 1AM in Seattle does see more changes from Amazon), so a free book may be free for only a few hours (or only one) or it may remain free for weeks or months (or even years, in some cases). When the price does change, it may go back to the price it was before, to a new discounted price or to a new all-time high.

Those who live outside the US will often find that the price they pay is different from what might be seen by others. Canada, Australia, the UK and often EU may see the same books as free or they may not -- the book may be full price in all non-US regions or it may have a slight surcharge added (by Amazon or the publisher, depending on who is offering the promotion). The book may not be available at all outside the US (true for almost everything at B&N and some other stores without international publisher contracts). Many books that are free on Kindle end up being $2.00, plus applicable VAT, in a large part of the world. No doubt this represents the higher cost of doing business in those countries, for Amazon, but it is not a "Whispernet delivery fee" -- it's the price of the book if you live in those regions; delivery is still free, whether via WiFi, 3G or USB cable. Keep in mind that in some countries, the contracts for 3G no doubt end up costing Amazon more, plus there are currency conversion issues (which they pay when forwarding money to publishers and taxing authorities there, as well as paying those 3G fees), added administrative and accounting overhead, etc. Considering that most of the other bookstores simply don't allow sales to those regions at all (and how high paper books are in some of the areas), it's still means Kindle books are often quite a bargain, even if you do have to think a bit more before picking up all the "free" books that those in the US can accumulate without thought as to whether they will read them or not.

Always be sure to double check the price and verify that it is still free before clicking, whether at Amazon or another store. The price you see is the price you will pay, regardless of whether it was free earlier or to those in other geographic territories. This is especially necessary if ordering from your Kindle (use "Book Description" from the Menu, not "Buy Now", to see the price before ordering). If you are purchasing on your PC, you'll either see a receipt with the final price (Kobo, B&N, Sony, etc.) or have a link you can click to check the price (Amazon). Be sure to do so. If you buy from your reader, you should get an email with the price you paid that you can check.

If you pre-order, you won't get a receipt right away with some stores (you do with B&N), but you can usually check the status and price you'll pay; with Amazon, you do that on the Manage My Kindle page, which is linked at the top of any Kindle book page. A lot of people get confused on how pre-orders work. First, there is not a lowest-price guarantee on Kindle eBooks, like there is on paper books. This is, no doubt, partly due to Agency Pricing, since Amazon has no control over pricing on those books. If you check Amazon's help on their lowest price guarantee, there are only a few specific categories to which it applies, the items have to be sold by Amazon (no third-party items) and it also requires that you see the Lowest Price Guarantee wording on the product page. So, if the price of a Kindle book goes down during the pre-order period, there is no guarantee that you will pay the lower price. It's true that with some books, Amazon has lowered the price of the pre-order as the book price fell, but with others they do not. It's hit or miss, as to whether any particular non-Agency book will be lowered, which is why I recommend checking the price now and then and if the price on the Manage My Kindle page hasn't come down to match, cancel the pre-order and re-order it.

What Amazon and other stores do guarantee, though, is that you won't be charged more than the price shown when you clicked (free or otherwise). They do require you to have a credit card on file at the time of the pre-order, even on free books, but that is because their program that sets up pre-orders does a check for a valid CC, regardless of price. If the book says $0.00 when you click and that is what is shown on your receipt (and on the Manage My Kindle page), then you will not be charged when the book is delivered. With Amazon, the credit card must be valid at the time of the order, but not necessarily after that. If it is a free pre-order, you can even remove the credit card from the account and the book will be delivered. This won't work at B&N, since your credit card number is used in the DRM scheme; it must be valid when you attempt to download the book, free or not. If you pre-order a non-free book at Amazon, then your current gift card balance will be used at the time of delivery and the credit card charged only if there is an insufficient amount on hand.

The only thing I dislike about gift cards at Amazon, is that you can't set them up to be used only for Kindle books; any Subscribe and Save item will use your gift card balance, as will anything you buy that uses a coupon code, is a lightning deal or personal GoldBox item or is part of a promotional deal. If you try to change your payment on any order with a promotional discount, you'll lose the discount. Other stores don't have that issue, but only because there isn't that much else you can buy from them. That said, using Amazon Gift Certificates or B&N Online Gift Certificates on your account can make it much easier to balance your credit card bill and avoid having your bank freeze the card due to a large number of small amount purchases. Note that with B&N, using gift certificates will not eliminate the need to keep a valid credit or debit card on file pretty much all the time and that every purchase (and download) will see a pre-authorization of a dollar; with credit cards, you never see these pending charges and they expire after a few days, but with debit cards, that amount is frozen in your bank account until the expiration passes.

DRM is an issue that you will run into at every store. Amazon uses a special version of Mobi DRM and the Kindle is not compatible with DRM'd mobi books (it can read DRM-free mobi books and any other non-DRM'd format can be converted using Calibre). Mobipocket and a few others do sell DRM'd mobi books and these can be used on your desktop and with some phone apps, as well as a few older readers. Most other readers now use Adobe's DRM'd EPUB, rather than DRM'd Mobi; it's just as proprietary, but due to being more popular now is considered by some to be "a standard". If you buy books from B&N, they also use a special version of DRM, making their books incompatible with other EPUB readers out there. So, the nook can read B&N and Adobe EPUBs, Sony and Kobo (and others) can read Adobe EPUB and all of them can read non-DRM EPUB and non-DRM'd books in other formats can be converted via Calibre for these readers, as well. Most of the readers support some type of PDF, but the handling and resolution is often poor, if only because PDF is a print format and the readers out today are all smaller than a standard sheet of paper.

Some stores require you to jump thru hoops to get books. Sony requires you to use their desktop software, so you are out of luck if you have a linux box and can't get it to run. Kobo sometimes has books that are only readable on the web and cannot be downloaded. Always check that you see "Adobe DRM EPUB" on the Download options line before purchasing. I've sometimes found the same issue with Borders (which makes sense, since Kobo is providing their ebookstore), but not always on the same books. Getting free books at Borders can always be tricky. I've found that maybe half cannot be added to your library using the Add to Library button on the page - you just get a message that there are Technical Difficulties. For these, open the Borders Desktop software (or find the book on your Border's WiFi Kobo reader, although this is a LOT slower and iffier in whether it will work). Go to the Store, then search on the book title. The free book will almost always be the first one listed in the search results and will say Download underneath, rather than showing a price. Click on Download, let the desktop sync the book to your library. After that, you can transfer it to the Kobo via USB, sync your WiFi Kobo or download the epub from your library via the web.

Free Book - The Sevenfold Spell

The novella The Sevenfold Spell ($2.39), by Tia Nevitt, is free direct from Carina Press, today only, using coupon code SEVENFOLDFREE.

Book Description
Have you ever wondered what happens to the other people in the fairy tale?
Things look grim for Talia and her mother. By royal proclamation, the constables and those annoying "good" fairies have taken away their livelihood by confiscating their spinning wheel. Something to do with a curse on the princess, they said.

Not every young lady has a fairy godmother rushing to her rescue.
Without the promise of an income from spinning, Talia's prospects for marriage disappear, and she and her mother face destitution. Past caring about breaking an arbitrary and cruel law, rebellious Talia determines to build a new spinning wheel, the only one in the nation--which plays right into the evil fairy's diabolical plan. Talia discovers that finding a happy ending requires sacrifice. But is it a sacrifice she's willing to make?

Click HERE to add the free book to your cart, then enter the coupon code on the Checkout page; double check your total for $0.00 before clicking on Place Your Order. The download is DRM-free, so get the EPUB format for easy conversion via Calibre or the PDF to have Amazon do the conversion. You'll generally get better results from the EPUB, but the PDF should convert OK.

Bargain Pre-Orders and New Releases

Just in case you missed it yesterday, Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #6: Sentinel, by John Jackson Miller, is now free on Kindle (as are the first five, all by the same author).

The books in this post are mostly pre-orders, with a few that are new releases this week, all at bargain prices. A few of these have had drastic price drops, so be if you already had them on order, make sure you go your your manage My Kindle page and cancel the old order and re-order at these prices. There is no pre-order price guarantee on ebooks, perhaps due to Agency Pricing; although Amazon does sometimes lower prices on pre-order books, it's hit or miss, while re-doing the order while the price is low is guaranteed to lock you into the lower price.

To Defy a King ($2.39 March 1), is the latest from Elizabeth Chadwick, who's Greatest Knight was recently available for free..

Book Description
Privileged daughter of William Marshal, Mahelt marries Hugh Bigod, heir to the earldom of Norfolk. But when King John sets out to subdue the Bigods, Mahelt faces the worst alone, knowing neither she, nor her marriage, are likely to survive. A story of emotional power set against the road to Magna Carta and the fight to bring a tyrant king to heel, "To Defy a King" is Elizabeth Chadwick at her best.

Sins of the House of Borgia ($2.39 March 1), by Sarah Bower

Book Description
Violante isn’t supposed to be here, in one of the grandest courts of Renaissance Italy. She isn’t supposed to be a lady-in-waiting to the beautiful Lucrezia Borgia. But the same secretive politics that pushed Lucrezia’s father to the Vatican have landed Violante deep in a lavish landscape of passion and ambition.

Violante discovers a Lucrezia unknown to those who see only a scheming harlot, and all the whispers about her brother, Cesare Borgia, never revealed the soul of the man who dances close with Violante.

But those who enter the House of Borgia are never quite the same when they leave—if they leave at all. Violante’s place in history will test her heart and leave her the guardian of dangerous secrets she must carry to the grave.

Regarding Ducks and Universes ($0.99), by Neve Maslakovic, is a new release from AmazonEncore.

Book Description
On a foggy Monday in 1986, the universe suddenly, without warning, bifurcated. Fast-forward to 35 years later: Felix Sayers is a culinary writer living in San Francisco of Universe A who spends his days lunching at Coconut Café and dreaming of penning an Agatha Christie-style mystery. But everything changes when his Aunt Henrietta dies, leaving Felix a photograph of his father and himself--dated ten days before Felix was born. It can only mean one thing: Felix has an 'alter' in Universe B. Panicked that his mystery novel may exist already, Felix crosses to San Francisco B and proceeds to flagrantly violate the rules of both worlds by snooping around his alter's life. But when he narrowly escapes a hit-and-run, it becomes clear that someone knows he's crossed over... and whoever it is isn't happy about it. Now Felix must uncover the truth about his alter, the events of one Monday, and a wayward rubber duck before his time in both worlds runs out.

Poke the Box ($1.00 March 1), by Seth Godin, was lowered due to fan request, after staging a sign-up campaign for his newsletter, even though he didn't hit the (self-set) required number of people to drop the price that low. What he did achieve was a lot of free publicity and buzz about the book, which is what it is about, after all. The price goes up at the end of the week, so don't dally if you want this one.

Book Description
We send our kids to school and obsess about their test scores, their behavior and their ability to fit in. We post a help wanted ad and look for experience, famous colleges and a history of avoiding failure. We invest in companies based on how they did last quarter, not on what they’re going to do tomorrow. So why are we surprised when it all falls apart? Our economy is not static, but we act as if it is. Your position in the world is defined by what you instigate, how you provoke, and what you learn from the events you cause. In a world filled with change, that’s what matters — your ability to create and learn from change. Poke the Box is a manifesto about producing something that’s scarce, and thus valuable. It demands that you stop waiting for a road map and start drawing one instead. You know how to do this, you’ve done it before, but along the way, someone talked you out of it. We need your insight and your dreams and your contributions. Hurry.

Royal Weddings: Three Royally Romantic Stories ($2.99 April 5), by Gaelen Foley, Stephanie Laurens, and Loretta Chase, is so new to the listings that there isn't a book description or a cover image yet. It's safe to say that it will end up being three short stories or novellas, all about romantic Royal weddings, though! If you follow any of the three authors involved, it is no doubt worth adding to your pre-order queue. I see over at Harper-Collins that they are planning to list this at $11.99.

The Righteous ($0.99), by Michael Wallace, is a new release from an indie author who has recently managed to get a number of good reviews for his books at Amazon, partially by giving away a number of copies and hoping the recipients would leave a review. This one is a completely different type of story line compared to the others he's already managed to get a number of positive reviews. There's no content warning, as with Samhain titles, but those of you that buy based on the more humorous of those may want to grab this one just based on the author bio he's written. I expect this one to up to $3 or so at the end of the month.

Book Description
Medical student Jacob Christianson is sent by church elders to investigate a murder within the polygamist enclave of Blister Creek, Utah. He brings his young sister Eliza, who must choose a husband from three old men jostling for power within the church hierarchy.

Jacob discovers that the murdered woman has been killed in accordance with secret blood oaths taken within the polygamist temple. Together with his sister, he uncovers a plot to overthrow the church leadership, with murders that reach beyond the community and into the “gentile” world. The Righteous is a heart-pounding suspense-thriller with a depth that will haunt the reader long after the last page is turned.

About the Author
Michael Wallace has trekked across the Sahara on a camel, ridden an elephant through a tiger preserve in Southeast Asia, eaten fried guinea pig, and been licked on the head by a skunk. In a previous stage of life he programmed nuclear war simulations, smuggled refugees out of a war zone, and milked cobras for their venom. He speaks Spanish and French and grew up in a religious community in the desert.

Damian's Assassin, by Lizzy Ford, is the sequel to Damian's Oracle. Both are free on Smashwords (and not in the Kindle store).

Damian's Oracle
Inspired by Slavic mythology, Damian’s Oracle is the entree into the ongoing battle between good and evil over the fate of humanity. The White God, Damian, and his Guardians protect the world from the Black God and his monsters while rescuing Naturals – humans with extraordinary paranormal gifts – from the Black God, who would kill or convert them.

Caught in the middle is cool-headed Sofia, a Natural whose gift will tip the scales in the war. Sofia begins her transformation from human into oracle, the first in thousands of years. Damian rescues her from the Black God in time to complete a ceremony that will bind her to him for eternity. Sofia struggles with her new world and her role as an oracle and Damian’s mate while haunted by a mysterious man from Damian’s past who’s supposed to be dead. Unbeknownst to her, her link to the dead man may be all that saves Damian, his Guardians, and the fate of humanity.

While he wants nothing more than for the petite beauty to take her place at his side like the oracles of legend did his White God forefathers, Damian can’t quite rationalize having to win her over instead of command her. Further complicating his life is the sobering realization that there are spies in his organization who are helping the Black God take out his Guardians. Damian must help Sofia reach her potential fast, especially when a threat from his past returns.

Damian's Assassin
With the White God in Europe, Dustin is left alone in Miami to protect the Grey God, a man-god struggling with his identity, and the White God’s mate. One of the Black God’s vamps in Miami suddenly goes rogue and starts killing humans by the dozen. Dustin initially doesn’t think much of the ruthless, human-hating thug, Talon, until it becomes clear that the vamp is receiving help from otherworldly beings whose intentions are nothing short of destroying humanity. To make matters even worse, Dustin’s begun to dream of his dead sister, who tells him he’ll be seeing her soon.

Dustin rescues Bianca and her troubled brother, a Natural whose mysterious talent makes him vital to Talon’s plans. Bianca, a woman as sunny and sweet as Dustin is hard and cold, has the rare Natural gift of healing. She can bring the recent dead back to life or turn a vamp back into a human. She can even reach Dustin’s heart, which he locked away long again after his sister’s death. Convinced he’ll be killed soon, Dustin won’t risk his heart or Bianca’s, despite their mutual attraction, and Bianca discovers even her incredible talent can’t save both the men she loves.

Paranormal Romance. Non-Erotica. Adult content warning is for language.

Book Review: Gideon's Sword

I stayed up late last night, to finish reading Gideon's Sword ($12.99), by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The intro starts out with Gideon's childhood, followed by what could have been a novella in it's own right, completing the backstory for Gideon Crew, a chameleon who blends in anywhere (with a bit of help from some stage props) and can lie his way thru nearly any situation, much like Frank W. Abagnale, in Catch Me If You Can. Add in a dash of James Bond, for this is an international thriller, and you start to get the flavor of the novel, which was released today.

It's one thrill after another, with twist and turns along the way and you never know when an ally might turn out to be your enemy. It all starts with a routine job (or, as routine as you might get, as independent contractor with DHS, offered $100K for a one week project) to retrieve the plans for a weapon that are being smuggled into the US by an agent who is to arrive within a couple of hours of Gideon's being hired for the job.

I thought the earliest chapters were the weakest of the book, especially when he is supposed to be a brilliant physicist, yet the math in a paper written by his father years earlier is described as "way over his head". Not to mention the likelihood of a master art thief who turned over a new leaf to become a government employed physicist, who fly-fishes in his spare time. But, once past the setup chapters (and after his father has been avenged) and the true story commences. From there on, the action is non-stop and each chapter ended with me wanting to read just one more, until I arrived at the "end", which was, of course, anything but. There are obviously going to be more books in this series and I'll have them on my wishlist for the future. I do see, though, that they'll all have to cover very short periods of time or the leverage that DHS used to get Gideon to agree to work with them will have to be proven false (or a cure found).

You can sign up for a newsletter from Child and Preston, which looks to be published monthly, more or less, to get samples of their works-in-progress or tidbits about the characters that might not make it into the books themselves.

Book Description
Introducing Gideon Crew: trickster, prodigy, master thief

At twelve, Gideon Crew witnessed his father, a world-class mathematician, accused of treason and gunned down.

At twenty-four, summoned to his dying mother's bedside, Gideon learned the truth: His father was framed and deliberately slaughtered. With her last breath, she begged her son to avenge him.

Now, with a new purpose in his life, Gideon crafts a one-time mission of vengeance, aimed at the perpetrator of his father's destruction. His plan is meticulous, spectacular, and successful.

But from the shadows, someone is watching. A very powerful someone, who is impressed by Gideon's special skills. Someone who has need of just such a renegade.

For Gideon, this operation may be only the beginning . . .

If you order the current Kindle edition of Gideon's Sword, you'll also get a bonus download of The Zero Game ($7.99), by Brad Meltzer. I picked this one up when it was under $2 last year. You don't order it separately (and the book page won't show that you own it, which is something I wish Amazon would fix), but a copy of the book just shows up in your library and on the same Kindle where you sent Gideon's Sword.

Book Description
The New York Times bestselling author of The Millionaires and The First Counsel returns to Wash-ington, D.C., with the story of an insider's game that turns deadly. Matthew Mercer and Harris Sandler are best friends who have plum jobs as senior staffers to well-respected congressmen. But after a decade in Washington, idealism has faded to disillusionment, and they're bored. Then one of them finds out about the clandestine Zero Game. It starts out as good fun-a simple wager between friends. But when someone close to them ends up dead, Harris and Matthew realize the game is far more sinister than they ever imagined-and that they're about to be the game's next victims. On the run, they turn to the only person they can trust: a 16-year-old Senate page who can move around the Capitol undetected. As a ruthless killer creeps closer, this idealistic page not only holds the key to saving their lives, but is also determined to redeem them in the process. Come play The Zero Game-you can bet your life on it.

A pre-publication, print copy of this book was provided by the publisher/publicist for this review.

Free Instant Video Streaming with Amazon Prime

Everyone with a paid Amazon Prime Membership now has access to Unlimited Free Streaming Videos with Amazon Prime. If you are a Student or Amazon Mom member, you have to upgrade to the paid membership to get this benefit (but when you do, you can share with it 4 other members of your family, which means students can share the cost with their parents, in most cases). I love Netflix and we have a plan that allows us one DVD at a time, plus streaming, but if you are going to get a streaming only account, you'll pay a lot less signing up with Amazon. Netflix streaming only is $7.99/month or $95.88 per year (plus taxes, in some states), so you'll save nearly $20 to start with, plus get all the added benefits of a prime membership.

Benefits of Amazon Prime

• Unlimited FREE Two-Day Shipping
• No minimum order size
• One-Day shipping for $3.99/item
• Unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of 5,000 movies and TV shows at no additional cost

After your free trial, Amazon Prime is just $79/year

Update: As noted by several readers, only the primary person on the Prime account gets access to free streaming videos. You would need to log in as that person to get access to the free videos (so, not something you would share lightly, as that person could order on your Amazon account). Still, it's a better deal than the same service from Netflix, but the two are different in selection and hardware supported. For example, no Wii or Playstation for Amazon, at least so far, and no Ipad support, which are the three I've used with Netflix.

Free Book Update - How To Marry a Millionaire Vampire

If you pre-ordered the free edition of How To Marry a Millionaire Vampire with Bonus Material, by Kerrelyn Sparks, it should have already synced to your Kindle. If you missed ordering, grab it now, before it disappears as so many other Bonus editions have done. This one is now also free from B&N and Sony. This edition contains the entire book How To Marry a Millionaire Vampire ($6.99), plus an excerpt from her upcoming Vampire Mine ($7.99).

Book Description
Kerrelyn Sparks introduces readers to a demon world that is curiously parallel to the human world. There are vampire cable channels that feature talks shows, soap operas and a celebrity magazine called Live! With the Undead. But as a human female crosses boundaries into this new reality, the results can be dangerous and hilarious ...

And, for a limited time with this FREE ebook, get an exclusive sneak peek at Kerrelyn's forthcoming novel, Vampire Mine, available March 29th.

So what if he's a bit older and usually regards a human female as dinner, not a dinner date? Yes, Roman Draganesti is a vampire, but a vampire who lost one of his fangs sinking his teeth into something he shouldn't have. Now he has one night to find a dentist before his natural healing abilities close the wound, leaving him a lop–sided eater for all eternity.

Things aren't going well for Shanna Whelan either...After witnessing a gruesome murder by the Russian mafia, she's next on their hit list. And her career as a dentist appears to be on a downward spiral because she's afraid of blood. When Roman rescues her from an assassination attempt, she wonders if she's found the one man who can keep her alive. Though the attraction between them is immediate and hot, can Shanna conquer her fear of blood to fix Roman's fang? And if she does, what will prevent Roman from using his fangs on her...

Click HERE to get the book from B&N.
Click HERE to get the book from Borders.
Click HERE to get the book from Kobo.
Click HERE to get the book from Sony.

Free Book - Covert Youth Agency: The Case of Tangled Love

Today only, if you email Jason Ancona, he'll send you a free (and drm-free) mobi edition of Covert Youth Agency: The Case of Tangled Love ($2.99 Kindle)

Book Description
An elite group of nerds fight school injustices by running a clandestine operation in high school.

The C.Y.A., a.k.a. Covert Youth Agency, hacked into the digital school sign and posted their message:

-- If ever you're in need of help and you have nowhere else to go, seek out the C.Y.A. We're always watching and we're here for you --

Peter "Pi" Samuels, a fourteen-year-old sophomore, runs the shadow operation at Trenton High School.

Pi's obsessed with the high school band's lead violinist, who's as beautiful as the music she plays. When she contacts the C.Y.A. to find out if her boyfriend cheated on her at a party, Pi's objective becomes clear. Prove that her beau was unfaithful. Then maybe Pi will be the perfect should to cry on.

Pi schemes to destroy his love's boy-toy, all while avoiding a deranged coach bent on exposing an untraceable geek squad for hire. The Covert Youth Agency.

Click HERE to see the offer on Facebook or HERE to get the email address for the offer.

New Kindle Game - Ultimate Movie Quiz

Ultimate Movie Quiz ($1.99) is a trivia game from Kindle newcomer HandyX.

Book Description
Ultimate Movie Quiz is a movie trivia game for film buffs. Do you remember the last line from Thelma and Louise correctly? Do you remember the name of the gladiator in Gladiator?

Test your film knowledge with 1,000 questions about films past and present. Answer sets of questions ranging from easy to hard, in rounds of 10, or in a continuous stream. Or turn on a question countdown timer for an even greater challenge!

Bargain Book Roundup, Part III

Here are a few non-fiction titles

The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget ($1.24), by Josh Dorfman

Book Description
In The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget, Josh Dorfman takes you inside the latest developments in green living to demonstrate how you can easily and affordably have your designer jeans and your planet too. From raising eco-conscious kids to greening your daily commute, Dorfman provides insights into the next wave of green innovation and the products and services that will lighten your planetary impact and lower your expenses.

Find bargain basement deals on stylish organic bedding and bamboo furnishings at the largest retailers in the world. Score instant rebates on everything from compact fluorescent light bulbs to energy-efficient air conditioners. And earn reward points for carpooling with friends.

In a time when many people are feeling financially restricted, The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget is your guide to effortlessly saving the planet while keeping some extra cash in your pocket.

About the Author
Josh Dorfman is the author of The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide to Easy, Stylish, Green Living (Stewart, Tabori & Chang) and host of The Lazy Environmentalist television series on the Sundance Channel. Dorfman is also the founder and CEO of Lazyenvironmentalist.com, a resource for consumers seeking the best green products and services, and of Vivavi, a retailer of modern, green furnishings. He lives in New York City.

The Ultimate Depression Survival Guide: Protect Your Savings, Boost Your Income, and Grow Wealthy Even in the Worst of Times ($1.75), by Martin D. Weiss

Book Description
An insightful look at how to protect, save, and grow wealth in difficult economic times

Having an effective financial and personal plan for the future is now more crucial than ever. And with the bestselling The Ultimate Depression Survival Guide now in paperback, you'll quickly learn how to create such a plan. This comprehensive guide was especially designed to help people map out a practical financial plan in this unpredictable economic environment, so that they can stop worrying about their money and just enjoy life.

Step by step, Martin Weiss-America's Consumer Advocate for Financial Safety-introduces, explains, and helps solve many of the new challenges and risks that face millions of Americans. Throughout the book, Weiss provides you with sound strategies for coping with the credit crunch, housing bust, and decline of the U.S. dollar.

• Discusses different ways to adapt to the realities of continuous market volatility
• Contains solutions to dealing with sinking real estate or falling stocks
• Examines the opportunities you'll have to buy choice assets at bargain prices during a depressed economy

The Ultimate Depression Survival Guide also examines important topics that today's investor must be familiar with-including global investing, foreign currencies, and commodities-if they intend to make it through the decade ahead.

The Senior: My Amazing Year as a 59-Year-Old College Football Linebacker ($1.17), by Mike Flynt, LeBron James, and Don Yaeger, is from Christian publisher Thomas Nelson.

Book Description
It's Never Too Late to Tackle Your Dreams!

Mike Flynt was swapping stories with some old football buddies when he brought up the biggest regret of his life: getting kicked off the college team before his senior year. So, one of his pals said, "Why not do something about it?" Most 59-year-olds would have laughed. Flynt's only concern was his eligibility. He not only returned to college football, but actually made the team at his alma mater - Sul Ross State, an NCAA division III school.

His remarkable story begins with a tough upbringing by a violent father who trained him to fight at every opportunity. His fighting habit took him in and out of jail several times, until a faith conversion turned his life around on the very day he was contemplating suicide.

Mike Flynt has much to offer others, not only through his story, but through his belief that it's never too late for God to heal your heart and fulfill your dreams.

Foreword by NBA Superstar LeBron James.

Of Moments and Miracles: A Collection of Ordinary People's Extraordinary Stories ($1.24), by Lupe Mirelez

Book Description
If you are likely to be offended by that four letter word, the "F" word, and believe that the word "God" should not to appear in the same story as "that" word, then this book might be offensive to you. These stories are about life's realities; the good and bad, the beautiful and ugly, the cowardly and courageous, joy and pain, tragedy and optimism; in essence, the human condition. Mostly, it is filled with love, hope, and faith in their actions, not simply the words. It is about ordinary people, people just like you, ordinary heroes, who live their lives without public recognition, never really knowing how their daily perseverance and their courageous attitude inspires and lifts the spirit and burdens of their fellow human beings.

Waiting for the Taliban: A Journey Through Northern Afghanistan ($2.99), by Anna Badkhen, is a new selection from AmazonEncore, while her upcoming release, Peace Meals: Candy-Wrapped Kalashnikovs and Other War Stories ($11.99) is being published by Simon & Schuster.

Book Description
War correspondent Anna Badkhen returns to Northern Afghanistan in search of the friends she made in the early days of the occupation, back when it was the safest part of an unsafe land. Blighted, hopeless, still unspeakably beautiful but now overrun by the Taliban, the region is a different place entirely than the one she first encountered. Traveling from village to village, she comes to understand what went so terribly wrong in the North—and, by extension, what is going so terribly wrong in Afghanistan in general. In her dispatches, which she calls “part diary entries, part love letters from a land that stole my heart,” she offers one of the most heartbreaking, lyrical portrayals ever of Afghanistan—and a powerful warning to those seeking to force the country into a bright new future.

Arnie & Jack: Palmer, Nicklaus, and Golf's Greatest Rivalry ($1.39), by Ian O'Connor and David Black

Book Description
Surprisingly, one of sport’s most contentious, complex, and defining clashes played out not in the boxing ring or at the line of scrimmage but on the genteel green fairways of the world’s finest golf courses. Arnie and Jack. Palmer and Nicklaus. Their fifty-year duel, in both the clubhouse and the boardroom, propelled each to the status of American icon and pushed modern golf to the heights and popularity it enjoys today.

Arnie was the cowboy, with rugged good looks, Popeye-like forearms, a flailing swing, and charm enough to win fans worldwide. Jack was scientific, precise, conservative, aloof, even fat and awkward. Ultimately, Nicklaus got the better of Palmer on the course, beating him in major victories 18-7. But Palmer bested Nicklaus almost everywhere else, especially in the hearts of the public and in endorsement dollars. By the end of this page-turning narrative, we see that each man wanted what the other had: Arnold wanted the trophies. Jack wanted the love.

In the tradition of John Feinstein and Mark Frost, Ian O’Connor has written a compelling account of one of the greatest rivalries in sports history.

Comrade Lost and Found:A Beijing Memoir ($1.33), by Jan Wong

Book Description
In the early 1970s, at the height of the Cultural Revolution, Jan Wong traveled from Canada to become one of only two Westerners permitted to study at Beijing University. One day a fellow student, Yin Luoyi, asked for help getting to the United States. Wong, then a starry-eyed Maoist from Montreal, immediately reported her to the authorities, and shortly thereafter Yin disappeared. Thirty-three years later, hoping to make amends, Wong revisits the Chinese capital to search for the person who has haunted her conscience. At the very least, she wants to discover whether Yin survived. But Wong finds the new Beijing bewildering. Phone numbers, addresses, and even names change with startling frequency. In a society determined to bury the past, Yin Luoyi will be hard to find.

As she traces her way from one former comrade to the next, Wong unearths not only the fate of the woman she betrayed but a web that mirrors the strange and dramatic journey of contemporary China and rekindles all of her love for—and disillusionment with—her ancestral land.

The Never Cold Call Again Online Playbook: The Definitive Guide to Internet Marketing Success ($1.80), by Frank J. Rumbauskas

Book Description
An all-in-one guide to online marketing from the New York Times bestselling author of Never Cold Call Again

In Never Cold Call Again, Frank Rumbauskas shows salespeople how to achieve sales greatness without using those dreaded old tactics like cold calling. Now, in The Never Cold Call Again Online Playbook, he gives small business owners, independent professionals, and entrepreneurs a complete, all-in-one guide to the best practices of effective online marketing.

The best marketers know all the secrets of using the Internet to fuel business growth. With The Never Cold Call Again Online Playbook, you'll have access to all the best proven Internet marketing wisdom, tactics, strategies, and tools. You'll learn how to develop a complete online marketing system that boosts sales and brings in customers galore.

• A comprehensive toolkit for creating a complete, powerful, and effective online marketing program for your business
• Written by online marketing guru Frank Rumbauskas, bestselling author of Never Cold Call Again and Selling Sucks
• A revolutionary system for increasing sales without tired old selling tactics that no longer work anyway
• How to explode your business with social media sites like Twitter and Facebook

For anyone who owns or operates a business and wants to increase their sales, profits, and visibility online, The Never Cold Call Again Online Playbook is the ultimate practical resource.

That's No Angry Mob, That's My Mom: Team Obama's Assault on Tea-Party, Talk-Radio Americans ($1.28), by Michael Graham

Book Description
Humorist and political commentator Michael Graham takes on President Obama's far-left policies and America's most controversial issues in this thought-provoking work

Have you hoisted a sign at a tea party protest? Asked your congressman a tough question at a townhall meeting? Liked what you heard on talk radio? If so, then welcome to the angry Mob.

Aided by their allies in the Democratic Party and the mainstream media, the Obama administration is out to silence you. As long as you support Team Obama, you’re okay. But if you disagree, they accuse you of being a violent, unhinged, hate-filled racist. Typical Americans, denounced by their own government, have been left on their own. Until now.

In That’s No Angry Mob, That’s My Mom, talk radio host Michael Graham delivers an uproarious, full-throated defense of millions of typical Americans like his mom—ordinary people who worry that Obama’s socialist policies are jeopardizing America’s future. In his unique, irreverent style, Graham fires on:
accusations that tea partiers are racists: “In the upside down world of the Obama Nation, people who spend a lifetime following Reverend Wright aren’t racists. But people who show up at a rally to oppose single-payer healthcare are.”accusations that tea partiers are terrorists: “Fashion terrorists, maybe. I doubt the typical tea partier is going to run amok in the halls of government, but many appear to have done so in the aisles of Wal-Mart.”a professor he debated on TV: “He really thought the tea parties were some dangerous new development, perhaps linked to the militia movement, survivalist cults, or (worst case scenario) the Glenn Beck show.”Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ insistence that reporters find out what tea partiers think: “Really, Maxine, you can’t figure that out on your own? The huge ‘No More Big Government!’ signs they’re waving aren’t a clue?”

The Obama administration promised “hope and change” for everyday Americans. They have delivered contempt and vilification instead. That’s No Angry Mob, That’s My Mom exposes this deception in a no-holds-barred takedown of Team Obama’s condescending arrogance.

The Unwritten Rules of Friendship: Simple Strategies to Help Your Child Make Friends ($), by Natalie Madorsky Elman and Eileen Kennedy-Moore

Book Description
Whether your child is having trouble resolving an argument with a friend or even making a friend in the first place, whether your child is painfully shy or a bit rambunctious, The Unwritten Rules of Friendship gives you the tools you need to nurture your child's social well-being.

This warm and practical book provides a sympathetic understanding of kids who struggle socially. It describes nine typical children who have trouble getting along with their peers, such as The Born Leader, The Little Adult, The Shy Child, and The Short-Fused Child. With clarity and compassion, it spells out strategies for helping these children learn the social guidelines tat they haven't managed to pick up on their own. It offers parents do-able solutions to use at home and to suggest at school.

Obese From The Heart: A Fat Psychiatrist Discloses ($1.98), by Sara L. Stein

Book Description
Finally a book comes along that answers why we are obese. Overweight is a lifestyle issue with risk to health; obesity is a brain disease with associated illness. Our current prescription of behavior modification fails to address the underlying causes of obesity, and sets the obese person up for failure. This is a why-not book, a what-about-me book, a my-turn-now book.

Drawing on her own battles with weight loss and years of experience as a physician and a psychiatrist, Sara L. Stein, M.D., tackles obesity with a fresh, honest, and holistic approach. Losing weight is the result of treating the whole person, mending Mind, Body, and Spirit.

Obese From the Heart addresses the everyday challenges of obesity - the fruitless struggle to lose weight, the self-conscious embarrassment of first impressions, and the hopeless, hollow chorus of 'I'll start tomorrow...'. Starting from the inside out, Dr. Stein teaches healthy, balanced, and energetic living that anyone can practice starting now.