Bargain Book Roundup

It is nearly the end of the month, so a number of these prices will likely change on Friday or shortly thereafter (some, I know will change). Many of these are the same price at B&N or Kobo, especially those that are from the big Agency publishers. For the non-Agency books, be sure to use a coupon code at Kobo:

• $1 Off - KoboSpring1; expires 4/30
• 30% off - MarchKobo30; expires 4/4

Everywhere That Mary Went ($1.99), by Lisa Scottoline, is the first in her Rosato and Associates series.

Book Description
Who can you trust when everyone you know is a lawyer?

Mary DiNunzio has been slaving away for the past eight years trying to make partner in her cutthroat Philadelphia law firm. She's too busy to worry about the crank phone calls that she's been getting—until they fall into a sinister pattern. The phone rings as soon as she gets to work, then as soon as she gets home. Mary can't shake the sensation that someone is watching her. Following her every move. The shadowboxing turns deadly when her worst fears are realized, and she has to fight for something a lot more important than her partnership. Her life.

Final Appeal ($2.99), by Lisa Scottoline, is the second in her Rosato and Associates series.

Book Description
Do our Judges do us Justice?

To Philadelphia lawyer Grace Rossi, who's starting over after a divorce, apart-time job with a federal appeals court sounds perfect. But Grace doesn't count on being assigned to an explosive death penalty appeal. Nor does she expect ardor in the court, in the form of an affair with her boss, Chief Judge Armen Gregorian. Then the truly unimaginable happens and Grace finds herself investigating a murder. Unearthing a six-figure bank account kept by a judge with an alias. Breaking into another judge's chambers, and a secret apartment. Following a trail of bribery and judicial corruption that's stumped even the FBI. In no time at all, Grace under fire takes on a whole new meaning.

Look Again ($4.99), by Lisa Scottoline, is a stand-alone novel.

Book Description
When reporter Ellen Gleeson gets a “Have You Seen This Child?” flyer in the mail, she almost throws it away. But something about it makes her look again, and her heart stops—the child in the photo is identical to her adopted son, Will. Her every instinct tells her to deny the similarity between the boys, because she knows her adoption was lawful. But she’s a journalist and won’t be able to stop thinking about the photo until she figures out the truth. And she can’t shake the question: if Will rightfully belongs to someone else, should she keep him or give him up? She investigates, uncovering clues no one was meant to discover, and when she digs too deep, she risks losing her own life—and that of the son she loves.

Be Counted (Numbers): Living a Life That Counts for God ($3.56), by Warren W. Wiersbe

Book Description
Pursue a faith that counts.

Numbers can be deceiving. The book of Numbers opens with a count of every person fit to serve during the Israeli’s exodus from Egypt. Yet while over 600,000 were counted, only two were allowed to enter the Promised Land. The lesson? God values quality over quantity. And as the next generation finally experienced God’s promise, we discover that He doesn’t just want us counted as believers, but as people He can count on.

Part of Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe’s best-selling “BE” commentary series, Be Counted has now been updated with study questions and a new introduction by Ken Baugh. A respected pastor and Bible teacher, Dr. Wiersbe explores how we can make our faith matter. You’ll be encouraged to trust His word, and inspired to count on God, while counting for Him.

Elizabeth ($2.99), by J. Randy Taraborrelli, is a comprehensive look at the life of Elizabeth Taylor, spanning nearly 700 pages in print.

Book Description
For more than six decades Elizabeth Taylor has been a part of our lives. Now acclaimed biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli looks past the tabloid version of Elizabeth's life and offers the first-ever fully realized portrait of this American icon. You'll meet her controlling mother who plotted her daughter's success from birth...see the qualities that catapulted Elizabeth to stardom in 1940s Hollywood...understand the psychological and emotional underpinnings behind the eight marriages...and, finally, rejoice in Elizabeth's most bravura performance of all: the new success in family, friendships, and philanthropy she achieved despite substance abuse and chronic illness. It's the story of the woman you thought you knew--and now can finally understand.

Dragon Lady, by Gary Alexander, is on sale for 99 cents thru 3/31.

Book Description
In 1965 Saigon, Joe, a young draftee, becomes obsessed with a Vietnam girl named Mai, his own "Dragon Lady" from his beloved Terry and the Pirates cartoon strips that his mother still sends him. As he pursues a relationship with her, Saigon churns with intrigue and rumors--will the U.S. become more involved with the Vietnamese struggle? What's going on with a special unit that's bringing in all sorts of (for the time) high tech equipment? Will the U.S. make Vietnam the 51st state and bomb aggressors to oblivion? But for Joe, the big question is--does Mai love him or will she betray more than just his heart? Gary Alexander’s intelligent voice, filled with dry wit, and his own experiences give this story a sharp sense of truth, recounting the horror and absurdity of war. Reminiscent of books such as Catch-22, Dragon Lady serves up equal measures of outrageous humor and poignant remembrance.

Gary Alexander was one of 17,000 US soldiers in Vietnam that spring. When he left in the fall, there were 75,000 troops in-country.

The Goose Girl ($1.99), by Shannon Hale, is the first in her Books of Bayern series for younger readers.

Book Description
Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, spends the first years of her life under her aunt's guidance learning to communicate with animals. As she grows up Ani develops the skills of animal speech, but is never comfortable speaking with people, so when her silver-tongued lady-in-waiting leads a mutiny during Ani's journey to be married in a foreign land, Ani is helpless and cannot persuade anyone to assist her. Becoming a goose girl for the king, Ani eventually uses her own special, nearly magical powers to find her way to her true destiny. Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original and magical tale of a girl who must find her own unusual talents before she can become queen of the people she has made her own.

Firefly Lane ($4.99), by Kristin Hannah

Book Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of On Mystic Lake comes a powerful novel of love, loss, and the magic of friendship. . . .

In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all---beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer’s end they’ve become TullyandKate. Inseparable.

So begins Kristin Hannah’s magnificent new novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives.

From the beginning, Tully is desperate to prove her worth to the world. Abandoned by her mother at an early age, she longs to be loved unconditionally. In the glittering, big-hair era of the eighties, she looks to men to fill the void in her soul. But in the buttoned-down nineties, it is television news that captivates her. She will follow her own blind ambition to New York and around the globe, finding fame and success . . . and loneliness.

Kate knows early on that her life will be nothing special. Throughout college, she pretends to be driven by a need for success, but all she really wants is to fall in love and have children and live an ordinary life. In her own quiet way, Kate is as driven as Tully. What she doesn’t know is how being a wife and mother will change her . . . how she’ll lose sight of who she once was, and what she once wanted. And how much she’ll envy her famous best friend. . . .

For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship---jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they’ve survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart . . . and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.

Firefly Lane is for anyone who ever drank Boone’s Farm apple wine while listening to Abba or Fleetwood Mac. More than a coming-of-age novel, it’s the story of a generation of women who were both blessed and cursed by choices. It’s about promises and secrets and betrayals. And ultimately, about the one person who really, truly knows you---and knows what has the power to hurt you . . . and heal you. Firefly Lane is a story you’ll never forget . . . one you’ll want to pass on to your best friend.

Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together ($4.74), by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

Book Description
Meet Denver, a man raised under plantation-style slavery in Louisiana in the 1960s; a man who escaped, hopping a train to wander, homeless, for eighteen years on the streets of Dallas, Texas. No longer a slave, Denver's life was still hopeless-until God moved. First came a godly woman who prayed, listened, and obeyed. And then came her husband, Ron, an international arts dealer at home in a world of Armani-suited millionaires. And then they all came together.

But slavery takes many forms. Deborah discovers that she has cancer. In the face of possible death, she charges her husband to rescue Denver. Who will be saved, and who will be lost? What is the future for these unlikely three? What is God doing?

Same Kind of Different As Me is the emotional tale of their story: a telling of pain and laughter, doubt and tears, dug out between the bondages of this earth and the free possibility of heaven. No reader or listener will ever forget it.

In The Bleak Midwinter ($2.99), by Julia Spencer-Fleming, is the first in her Reverend Clare Fergusson series.

Book Description
It's a cold, snowy December in the upstate New York town of Millers Kill, and newly ordained Clare Fergusson is on thin ice as the first female priest of its small Episcopal church. The ancient regime running the parish covertly demands that she prove herself as a leader. However, her blunt manner, honed by years as an army pilot, is meeting with a chilly reception from some members of her congregation and Chief of Police Russ Van Alystyne, in particular, doesn't know what to make of her, or how to address "a lady priest" for that matter.

The last thing she needs is trouble, but that is exactly what she finds. When a newborn baby is abandoned on the church stairs and a young mother is brutally murdered, Clare has to pick her way through the secrets and silence that shadow that town like the ever-present Adirondack mountains. As the days dwindle down and the attraction between the avowed priest and the married police chief grows, Clare will need all her faith, tenacity, and courage to stand fast against a killer's icy heart.

In the Bleak Midwinter is one of the most outstanding Malice Domestic winners the contest has seen. The compelling atmosphere-the kind of very cold and snowy winter that is typical of upstate New York-will make you reach for another sweater. The characters are fully and believably drawn and you will feel like they are your old friends and find yourself rooting for them every step of the way.

Blood Game ($2.99), by Iris Johansen, is the seventh in her Eve Duncan series.

Book Description
First comes darkness, then comes fear
Eve Duncan is back! Blockbuster New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen’s latest thriller brings Eve closer to discovering her daughter’s killer…and into a web of danger from which she may not be able to escape…

Eve Duncan returns in a thriller that pits her against the most evil mind she has ever encountered: a ruthless killer who taunts her with his every move…and who has a special affinity for blood. When a Georgia senator’s daughter is found murdered, and her body drained of blood, Eve Duncan is drawn into the web of Kevin Jelak—a serial murderer who is on Eve’s short list of killers who might know something about her missing daughter Bonnie. When a goblet of blood is found in Eve’s refrigerator, she knows the taunting is over…and the games have begun. As Eve and Jelak engage in a dance of death, Eve must call upon those she loves and trusts the most…even if it means bringing them into the game as well.

Pushing Up Daisies ($2.99), by Rosemary Harris, is the first in her Dirty Business Mystery series.

Book Description
Meet Paula Holliday, a transplanted media exec who trades her stilettos for garden clogs when she makes the move from the big city to the suburbs to start a gardening business. Paula can handle deer, slugs, and the occasional human pest---but she’s not prepared for the mummified body she finds while restoring the gardens at Halcyon, a local landmark.

Casual snooping turns serious when a body is impaled on a garden tool and one of Paula’s friends is arrested for the crime.

Aided by the still-hot aging rocker who owns the neighborhood greasy spoon, a wise-cracking former colleague, and a sexy Mexican laborer with a few secrets of his own, Paula digs for the truth and unearths more dirty business the town has kept buried for years.

New Kindle Game - Reversi Deluxe

Reversi Deluxe ($1.99), by Mobigloo, is the latest entry in the Kindle active content game category.

Book Description
Reversi Deluxe is a classic strategy board game that's easy to learn.

The rules of Reversi Deluxe are simple. Your goal is to have more pieces of your color on the board than your opponent does. Players lay pieces on the board so they trap one or more of the opposing player's pieces. Opponent's pieces that are trapped turn into your color. Players take turns until the board is full or there are no remaining moves.

Reversi Deluxe provides four different levels of difficulty (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert) which allows players to be challenged regardless of skill. You can challenge your friends with Pass 'n' Play support, or play against Kindle. You can also ask Reversi to show all of your valid moves on the board.

Amazon Cloud Drive and Cloud Music Player

Today, Amazon has announced two new, but related services, Cloud Drive and Cloud Player. Cloud Drive is a virtual storage drive in the Amazon Cloud, free for all Amazon customers. You get 5GB free to start and can increase that by purchasing an annual license for an upgrade for amounts ranging from 20GB to 1 terabyte. For this year only, Amazon will give you the upgrade to 20GB for free, if you buy any (non-free) MP3 album. You can use your Cloud Drive to store anything that you have a legal right to backup or store (so, don't store your pirated books and music there), which means you can use it to back up books you have purchased outside the Kindle store, music you purchased before today (more on that later), documents you have created, etc.

I don't think it will take the place of Dropbox, which I use (and love) -- your Cloud Drive is accessed via a web page or on your Android device, while Dropbox automatically syncs with a directory/folder on your computer; this makes it much easier to move files to Dropbox and you can access your Dropbox folders from you iPhone/iPad (I use this feature to get EPUB's over to the iPad and open in BlueFire Reader, as well as to copy over PDF's that are easier to read there than the Kindle) and from the Kindle (including wirelessly downloading non-DRM'd mobi books, I've been told; I haven't used this feature myself, yet). If you Calibre folder is small, you can just move it inside the Dropbox folder and it will automatically sync to the web storage and every computer on which you've installed your Dropbox account (no more emailing files to yourself from other places). You can also set up directories inside Dropbox that you only share with certain people (I use this to share documents with someone else, so the copy being edited is quickly updated to all involved).

The Amazon Cloud Drive does none of this, but ... it's Amazon, so they have added one very cool feature -- any music that you upload can be played using the Cloud Player from any PC (via a web page) or your Android device (using the Amazon MP3 App). In addition, any MP3 music you purchase (as of yesterday) now gives you the option to send it to your Cloud Drive, rather than downloading to your computer right away. Make sure you pick this option with the next MP3 purchase (it will then set up a default for you, so you don't have to answer each time, which you can change later, if you want), as the Amazon MP3 purchases don't (repeat, DO NOT) count towards your storage limit. I've spent the morning re-purchasing (more on this later) some MP3's and have over 7GB installed, but not one single byte is counting towards my 5GB limit. Once stored on your Cloud Drive, you can either play the music directly from there (streaming) or download it to your PC or Android device.

There are a few limitations: only files up to 2GB in size can be stored and music files over 100MB won't upload using the upload tool in the Cloud Player. Also, you have to use the web interface to download the files back to your PC, unless you go into your MP3 Settings (on the Cloud Player page) and click to automatically download your MP3 purchases to the computer. You can, in fact, open up that same page on any number of computers (an unlimited number, from what I can tell), log in and have that computer also automatically download any MP3's purchased. Essentially, you now have a method of syncing all the computers you use (desktop, laptop, phone and work, for example) with your new MP3 music, with no additional effort on your part.

So, what about music you already have? Unfortunately, Amazon is not automatically adding your past purchases to your Cloud Drive. So, your existing music, unless repurchased via Amazon, will count towards your 5GB limit. If you purchase at least one non-free album, you'll have 20GB to store it in, but I have well over that just on my laptop (and the 20GB must be renewed each year). Amazon will, however, let you repurchase music, so I would suggest that you look thru the current Free MP3 Albums and Free MP3 Songs (I've sorted these by album and you can use the genre tags on the side to narrow down the choices) and repurchase those that you already own. You'll be prompted during checkout that you already own them (for those you do), but since they are free, the only thing this costs is your time. With the first one you purchase, make sure you tell it to send it to your Cloud Drive. Then, when you click on Upload to Your Cloud Drive from the Cloud Player, the music you have already installed will be removed from the total, letting you see if your music collection will fit in the default space provided.

If you need more space, consider picking up one of the 100/$5: 100 Albums for $5 Each or Seed Your Cloud Albums as $5 or less for an album you keep is a lot better than paying for the additional storage in the first year. There are quite a few interesting ones that still have a couple of days left on this month's sale (and there will be new ones this Friday). I've included a few albums below that I discovered while exploring today - two at $5 and three free albums that I had not seen previously (and which are now snugly tucked into my Cloud Drive.

• ...Featuring, by Norah Jones $2.99 (I paid $5 for this one!)
• What's Going On, by Marvin Gaye $5
• Greatest Hits - We Will Rock You Edition, by Queen $5
• Allegro 2011 Winter Sampler free
• Music for Massage, Meditation & Yoga free
• Celtic to Classic - Relaxing Guitars free

Update: It turns out that anything listed as an "album" counts, not just those with multiple songs. So, this album (currently the top selling album at Amazon) will upgrade you to 20GB of storage for only 69 cents:

Trouty Mouth (Glee Cast Version)

If you don't like that one, I found this one at the same price:

Big Ass Heart (Glee Cast Version)

I didn't cheap out, though, and found an album that I really like (bought and my space is now upgraded!):

Birth Of The Cool (Rudy Van Gelder Edition), by Miles Davis

Free Book (Kindle/EPUB/nook) - The Gospel of Ruth

Update: 11:45 PM Now free at B&N, as well. 6:30 PM No longer available from B&N.
Update: 3/30/11 Now free at Kobo.
Update: 4/5/11 Now free at Sony.

Update #2 6:30 PM This is no long available at B&N at all. I expect it will be back (and free, if it makes it this week), but have no idea when that will be. In the meantime, maybe Sony or Kobo will have it available.

The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules, by Carolyn Custis James, is free on Kindle and at B&N, courtesy of Christian publisher Zondervan. Since this is an Agency title, it should drop from it's current $9.99 at B&N sometime in the next day or so.

Book Description
This isn't the Ruth, the Naomi, or the Boaz we thought we knew. Carolyn James has unearthed startling new insights from this well-worn story ... insights that have life-changing implications for you.

• Naomi is no longer regarded as a bitter, complaining woman, but as a courageous overcomer.
• A Female Job.
• Ruth (typically admired for her devotion to Naomi and her deference to Boaz) turns out to be a gutsy risk-taker and a powerful agent for change among God's people. She lives outside the box, and her love for Yahweh and Naomi compels her to break the rules of social and religious convention at nearly every turn.
• Boaz, the Kinsman Redeemer, is repeatedly caught off-guard by Ruth's initiatives. His partnership with her models the kind of male/female relationships that the gospel intends for all who follow Jesus.

Carolyn James drills down deeper into the story where she uncovers in the Old Testament the same passionate, counter-cultural, rule-breaking gospel that Jesus modeled and taught his followers to pursue. Within this age-old story is a map to radical levels of love and sacrifice, combined with the message that God is counting on his daughters to build his kingdom.

The Gospel of Ruth vests every woman's life with kingdom purposes and frees us to embrace wholeheartedly God's calling, regardless of our circumstances or season of life. This story of two women who have lost everything contains a profound message: God created women not to live in the shadowy margins of men or of the past, but to emerge as courageous activists for his kingdom.

Click HERE for the free book from B&N.
Click HEREfor the free book from Kobo.
Click HERE for the free book from Sony.

A Trio of Cookbooks from Woman's Day

I was browsing thru the cookbooks at Amazon this weekend and ran into this trio of bargain cookbooks from Woman's Day. To get the bargains, you have to step away from their pre-orders; not only is Weeknight Meals in a Hurry: The Monday through Friday Eat-Well Cookbook Series ($29.99) outrageously overpriced, but the more modestly priced The Woman's Day Everyday Cookbook: 365 Tasty Recipes and Monthly Menus for the Whole Year ($14.99) can be beat with a bit of sleuth-work (although that last one does look interesting, I will admit).

First up is Woman's Day Cookbook for Healthy Living ($4.99), by Elizabeth Alston. I've already purchased this one and made the Fudge Brownie Pudding Cake only minutes after downloading it (the cake isn't bad at all and was easily modified for gluten and lactose free, but next time I'm going to serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream; in any case, not a crumb remained in anyone's bowl). The 224 page hardcover for this one is discounted by Amazon to $18.99, so the Kindle edition is a real steal. The recipes are well formatted on the Kindle itself, with a table of contents in the front that makes it easy to jump first to a section and from there to any recipe (I've got to try that Margarita Fruit Cocktail, next), while on the iPad or PC you get the addition of full color in the images to provide further inspiration.

Book Description
If you're ready to feel great and take charge of your health (and your family's), then this book is for you.

Relax! Just because the recipes in this book are "healthy" doesn't mean you have to give up the foods you love. This book offers a simple, enjoyable approach to delicious and healthful cooking that anyone can master. This is no diet book - the recipes are neither fat-free, sugar-free or sodium-free - rather, it is a daily guide to gradually changing your cooking habits to include a wide variety of nutritious foods: fruits and vegetables, meats and fish, whole grains and even sweets. Over time, you'll find that a positive transformation has taken place, without you even knowing it! You'll feel better, look better and save time while making fabulous meals the whole family will enjoy.

The best approach to building a healthy lifestyle is a balanced approach - none of those restrictive fad diets, splurging on the latest workout equipment or popping the vitamin du jour. Nor must you deny yourself the occasional slice of chocolate cake. Instead, we'll help you make positive choices that support your lifestyle while gradually developing a healthier way of cooking and eating.

From the same author, Elizabeth Alston, the next one that caught my eye was The Woman's Day Cookvook: Healthy Food for Everyday Living ($3.99). Yes, that isn't a spelling error, but an intentional play on words, as this one is intended for the iPad or iPhone (for now). There are 45 recipes and demonstrations, without the usual introduction and what to stock in your kitchen chapters - instead, each chapter is a single recipe and has an accompanying video, demonstrating just how to prepare the dish (two are included in the sample, with the complete recipes for each). Some of the chapters will no doubt be basic for some (how to cut an avocado and get the seed out, for example), but others may find just the training they are looking for, as they turn to cooking on their own for the first time, using real ingredients rather than just popping a boxed entree into the oven. I haven't bought this one yet, so if you do, let me know what you think of it.

Book Description
The Woman's Day Cookvook: Healthy Food for Everyday Living is the ultimate guide to good, healthy cooking with recipes tested by the experts at Woman's Day and prepared by everyday cooks -- from seasoned pros to culinary newcomers.

Packed with 45 nutritious and mouthwatering recipes from the trusted editors of Woman's Day, each one includes nutritional information and cooking time. This is the perfect cookvook for anyone who wants to eat low-sodium, low-fat, and low-sugar meals without sacrificing taste and fun.

Every recipe includes a video so you can cook along with other Woman's Day readers or watch a helpful cooking or shopping tip with Woman's Day experts.

The trio finishes up with a another volume from Elizabeth Alston, New Woman's Day Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Every Occasion. This one has so many desserts, they had to spread them across two chapters (with a few extras tucked into chapters on Entertaining and Celebrations).

At $8.99, it's a bit above my usual fair for this blog, but that Agency set price compares well to the $35 the 432 page print edition was listed for. With this one, though, you can have your cake and eat it too: the Hardcover is currently being discounted to $2.95 and the paperback to $5 (not as good a deal, but probably lighter to hold to read). So, you can get it on the cheap for under three bucks, spend a bit more and get the more convenient Kindle edition (on your PC and Kindle for under $10) or get both the print and Kindle editions for as little as $11.94 (plus shipping).

Book Description
Woman's Day, America's most popular and trusted magazine, brings you a comprehensive reference cookbook - perfect for every cook from novice to pro.

Reflecting today's busy lifestyles, this cookbook contains a wealth of time-saving recipes that will allow for less time in the kitchen while still creating healthy and delicious meals. The editors of Woman's Day presents over 350 wholesome meals with nutritious ingredients - many can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.

The savory recipes cover Pasta, Chicken & Turkey, Beef, Fish & Seafood, Pork & Ham, Eggs & Cheese, Pizzas & Breads, Soups, Salads, Cakes & Cookies, and Desserts. Some of the scrumptious dishes include: Roasted Red Snapper with Coconut-Ginger Sauce, Thai Steak Salad, Chicken Breasts with Fresh Orange Salsa, Tex-Mex Pulled Pork, Chorizzo Frittata, and Carribean Pumpkin Soup.

From the easy-to-follow directions to the appendix of cooking terms and essential preparation tips, The New Woman's Day Cookbook is an indispensable collection of classic and contemporary recipes to add to your cookbook shelf.

New Kindle Game - Checkers

It seems like only yesterday that I told you about a new Checkers game for the Kindle .... oh, wait, it was yesterday. I missed it yesterday, but there are actually two new Checkers ($0.99) games for the Kindle, the second from Code Mystics.

Best of all, if you are hesitating to spend another 99 cents (really? you can't even get a value menu chili for this anymore) and aren't sure if you would like this one better than the other edition, you can play this one in your browser.

Book Description
Enjoy the classic board game of Checkers on Kindle.

The object of Checkers is to jump over and capture all of your opponent's pieces before you lose all of your own, or to put your opponent in a position where there are no legal moves available.

Checkers allows you play against Kindle at one of eight difficulty levels, or play with a friend with a Pass 'n' Play mode. You can save your game at any point, and then continue at a later time. Checkers also includes a practice mode that lets you set up the starting board any way you like.

Enjoy Checkers today!

Free Book (noDRM) - Save My Soul

Save My Soul ($4.95 Kindle), the second book in the PreternaturalsPreternaturals series by Zoe Winters, is free on AllRomance today.

Book Description
All he’s asking for is her soul.

After buying the antebellum home she’s fantasized about since childhood, Anna Worthington discovers Luc, a dangerously seductive incubus who has been trapped in the house by a fifty-year-old curse. To rid herself of her problem house guest she’ll call on a priest, gypsies, ghost hunters, and the coven of witches from lust bunny hell. All she has to do is resist him long enough to break the spell so they can go their separate ways. If she doesn’t, she could die. And that would be the best case scenario.

Click HERE for the free download.

New Kindle Game - Checkers

If Chess ($2.99 $0.99) isn't your game, you may want to take a look at the new Kindle game, Checkers ($0.99), from A Gamz, makers of Maze A Thon.

Book Description
The classic board game of checkers is now available on Kindle.

Choose whether you wish to play against Kindle with up to ten levels of difficulty, or against a friend with Pass 'n' Play mode. You can customize the game with a variety of gameplay options including "Forced Jump" mode, which requires you to jump if you can, and a "Relaxed" mode which does not force you to make a jump. In addition, "Tournament" mode offers a different challenge by randomizing the first three starting moves, leaving you with a different game every time.

Stuck? You can ask for a hint on your next best move or look for pieces with letters to see your options for legal plays. And if all else fails, just undo your last move (or moves) - including all the way back to the beginning of the game if you wish.

Enjoy the classic board game of Checkers on the go!

You can find out more about the game direct from A Gamz.

Organic Gardening Magazine - Half Price

Today only, you can get a 2-year subscription to the print edition of Organic Gardening for $11.97 at Amazon. This price is good with or without the auto-renewal option (which you can cancel at any time, but I find it helpful to remind me when I have a magazine that I want to renew, since they all send renewal cards in the mail for many months ahead of time, which I generally toss without opening). This has been one of my go-to magazines for many years (thru many format changes and editors), so it's great to be able to add two years to my current subscription at this price.

Book Description
Since 1942, Organic Gardening has been delivering well-researched, practical and timely information and useful products and services. As the essential resource for any gardener, it provides current and authoritative information, with a focus on making the process of gardening fun and easy.

Who Reads Organic Gardening Magazine?
Organic Gardening readers are women and men who enjoy growing and eating the freshest food, want a yard that is beautiful year-round yet safe for people, pets and wildlife, and take deep satisfaction from working in harmony with nature. They rely on Organic Gardening for well-researched, in-depth reporting on the best plants to grow in their conditions, the most effective pest and weed control strategies, tips and techniques for keeping plants healthy, plus ideas for sustainable living indoors and out.

What You Can Expect in Each Issue:

• Food: We evaluate new and heirloom varieties of tomatoes and all your favorite vegetables in our nationwide network of test gardens. And we bring you the latest research on how to grow them to the peak of flavor. Each issue also includes hints on serving them simply to show off their homegrown goodness.
• Landscaping: A well-maintained property enhances your home’s value and gives you a comfortable space where you can relax with family and friends. We show you how to create a yard that is filled with color and interest in all four seasons, with details on the flowers, shrubs and trees that demand little care and deliver big impact. And we offer expert suggestions for giving your yard that “designed by a pro” look.
• Pest and Weed Control: Toxic pesticides and weedkillers not only harm wildlife and poison our fresh water supply, they threaten the health of people and pets. Organic Gardening readers get solutions that are proven to work, but safe for all living things.
• Soil: The secret to success in gardening is right below your feet. Organic Gardening is the only magazine that gives its readers information they can use to build the most fertile, well-balanced and healthy soil possible. Plus, find out how easy and rewarding composting can be.

Feature Articles:

• Test Garden Report: Each season, we grow the newest varieties in 12 locations around the country and name those that deserve space in your vegetable beds this year. We also try out tools and other gear, and highlight the products worth your money.
• Complete Beginner’s Guide: Everything you need to know to succeed in your first season. From how to set up your first bed to what to plant to where to shop, we take you by the hand and help you make the smartest choices. Even old hands will learn a new trick or two.
• Kitchen Garden Plan: Transform an ordinary vegetable bed into a practical yet attractive potager. Includes recommendations on the best crops to grow and how to plant them to help you enjoy fresh, homegrown food every day, all season long.
• The Time-Strapped Gardener: Hundreds of tested tips on how to get more food, beauty and pleasure from your garden, in just minutes a day.
• Tomatoes for Every Space: No matter how big or small your plot, we give you the varieties and strategies for growing your biggest and best harvest of tomatoes ever.
• Best Tasting Harvest: Get the most flavor from everything you grow with small but significant changes that make all the difference between “ah” and “blah.”
• Organic Roses: Yes, you can enjoy these most beautiful and fragrant of flowers without relying on noxious chemicals to protect them. An expert shares his most dependable varieties and his hints for keeping them healthy in even the worst conditions.
• Plant Now, Eat in Fall: Keep enjoying homegrown food even as the weather changes with this plan for summer planting and autumn harvesting.
• Drought Busters: Meet the tough flowers that thrive when the heat is on and the soil is parched.
• Four-Season Sensations: Trees and shrubs that are attractive and low-maintenance year-round and that attract colorful birds to your yard.

Past Issues:

Amazon GoldBox - 10 Classic Albums for $3.99 Each

Amazon's GoldBox Deal of the Day today is Get 10 Classic Albums for $3.99 Each. These are all MP3 downloads and the biggest problem I have with the selection is deciding which ones to get.

The Doors The Doors | Format: MP3 Download Price: $3.99		Boston Boston | Format: MP3 Download Price: $3.99		Van Halen Van Halen | Format: MP3 Download Price: $3.99		The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars David Bowie | Format: MP3 Download Price: $3.99		London Calling The Clash | Format: MP3 Download Price: $3.99
Moving Pictures Rush | Format: MP3 Download Price: $3.99		Purple Rain [Explicit] Prince | Format: MP3 Download Price: $3.99		Ramones [Expanded] Ramones | Format: MP3 Download Price: $3.99		Pet Sounds 40th Anniversary Stereo Digital The Beach Boys | Format: MP3 Download Price: $3.99		Kind Of Blue Miles Davis | Format: MP3 Download Price: $3.99

New Kindle Game - Strimko

There is a new Kindle game today: Strimko ($2.99), by Braintonik Games. This is Sudoku for those who are bored by the sameness of 81 tiny boxes. No longer do you solve the puzzle in a straight line, as you have to look to see if there are diagonals or loops attached to each position, nor does every puzzle use nine numbers (it looks like mediums goes up to five and master level only to seven).

Book Description
Jump into Strimko and enjoy classic Sudoku gameplay with a twist!

The object of the game is to place a set of numbers in rows or columns without repeating them in any row or column. Strimko adds a concept of "streams" that crisscross throughout the puzzle. With streams, you must consider not only the rows and columns, but also the streams, and make sure that each contains different numbers.

You can choose from four different difficulty levels. Each difficulty level increases the size of the grid you play on: "Easy" has a 4x4 grid, while the "Master" level challenges you with a 7x7 grid. Each of the four difficulty levels has 30 different puzzles, allowing for a total of 120 different puzzles to play. A hint function can also let you keep playing if you get stuck.

Challenge yourself and tease your brain as you master the logic required to solve Strimko puzzles!

Free Book (nook) - The Phantom of Pemberley

The Phantom of Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Murder Mystery ($9.70 Kindle), by Regina Jeffers, is today's Free Friday book at B&N.

Book Description
HAPPILY MARRIED for over a year and more in love than ever, Darcy and Elizabeth can’t imagine anything interrupting their bliss-filled days. Then an intense snowstorm strands a group of travelers at Pemberley, and terrifying accidents and mysterious deaths begin to plague the manor. Everyone seems convinced that it is the work of a phan-tom—a Shadow Man who is haunting the Darcy family’s grand estate.

Darcy and Elizabeth believe the truth is much more menacing and that someone is trying to murder them. But Pem-berley is filled with family guests as well as the unexpected travelers—any one of whom could be the culprit—so unraveling the mystery of the murderer’s identity forces the newlyweds to trust each other’s strengths and work together.

Written in the style of the era and including Austen’s romantic playfulness and sardonic humor, this suspense-packed sequel to Pride and Prejudice recasts Darcy and Elizabeth as a husband-and-wife detective team who must solve the mystery at Pemberley and catch the murderer—before it’s too late.

Click HERE for the free download from B&N.

Heating Up the Kitchen under a Buck

Heating Up the Kitchen: Recipes with Love from Lucky Harbor, by Jill Shalvis, can be pre-ordered for 99 cents in the Kindle store. The size is already filled in for this one, 874K, but that may include images, as I suspect this will be a fairly small volume, meant to whet your appetite for her upcoming novels, Christmas in Lucky Harbor: Simply Irresistible/The Sweetest Thing and Head Over Heels (both $7.99 pre-orders). For a buck, though, it's hard to go wrong, so I've already added it to my pre-order pile.

Book Description
Hello Readers,

Thanks for coming to Lucky Harbor. I'm sure your presence has already been noted by Lucille and the rest of her blue-hair posse and will shortly be posted on their Facebook page. Hope you don't have toilet paper stuck to your shoe.

Or any secrets...

In these pages are recipes on how to catch a man, how to cope with sisters, and bunches of wisdom. Whoops, sorry. Wrong book. (See either Simply Irresistible, The Sweetest Thing, or Head Over Heels).

There are, however, some fantastic recipes from my very own kitchen, and in the cooking of these recipes, I can guarantee you a culinary experience that will make you forget your troubles.

Happy cooking, happy eating, and happy reading!

Tara Daniels

Free Android App - Doodle Jump

Doodle Jump( $0.99), by Real Networks Inc., is today's free Android App at Amazon. If you don't yet have an Android phone or tablet, there is a way to get an emulator on your PC, so that you can get the Amazon App and the games. See the comments on this post for now and I'll try to put together a step-by-step primer for a post later on (it's a bit involved, but doable).

Book Description
If there is such a thing as a "classic" in a mobile gaming genre that is still very young, Doodle Jump is exactly that. Millions have been charmed by the delightfully addictive gameplay and irresistible style of this casual platforming game.

Nowhere to Go But Up
The object of Doodle Jump is to guide the Doodler, an adorable, interminably hopping four-legged creature, up a series of never-ending platforms. Watch your step--miss a jump and the Doodler will fall to its doom. Some platforms are solid and steady, while others move, explode, or have other properties that create interesting challenges for the Doodler.

Thru the Bible 1-5 (5-volume set)

Amazon has the Kindle edition of Thru the Bible 1-5, by J. Vernon McGee, a five volume set, currently marked down to $6.99. The list price is $90 and the Hardcover is selling for nearly $120. This isn't a small book, either, weighing in at over 12 MB in size. The description has obviously been copied from the Hardcover edition and there is some confusion as to whether there are five or 60 volumes in total, but this appears to be the "complete" set of commentaries (although it doesn't appear to contain the index to the set, which is sold separately in Hardcover)..

Book Description
A complete reference edition of the 60-volume Thru the Bible commentary series, this five-volume set is an excellent choice if you need a complete Bible commentary in durable hardcover bindings. It includes Dr. McGee's insightful study of each book of the Bible with in-depth, paragraph-by-paragraph discussions of key verses and passages. Purchase the entire five-volume set or collect them individually as your study progresses.

Free Book (noDRM) - The Walk of Fame

The Walk of Fame ($3.39 Kindle), by Heidi Rice (which was previously published under the title Public Affair, Secretly Expecting, which I've linked here, so you can see the reviews).

Book Description
Mac Brody's Hollywood life is far removed from his turbulent youth--and that's how he likes it. The legendary bad boy refuses to be judged by Juno Delamare for declining his brother's wedding invitation....

But he can't get feisty Juno out of his head! So he goes to the wedding--to strip away her defenses and her sexy bridesmaid dress. When their steamy night hits the headlines, Mac sweeps Juno away for a two-week affair....Soon Juno realizes she has more than memories to hold dear!

Click HERE to get the free download (or to get a different book by mail, if you live in the UK). Enter an email address on the left page of the "book" that displays and click "Click Here to start the date". On the next page, you'll see two "book pages" again - the left side is to get a book via snail mail (which only works if you live in the UK) and the right side is for the ebook. Click on "Choose Ebook". On the next page, fill in the details (pick "Other" for how you got your book and uncheck the box at the bottom if you don't want to get emails" and set up a password, then click on "Set up your date". The next page should have a download option on the left side. It is a DRM-free EPUB (so can be converted easily with Calibre).

Free Android App - World Series Of Poker: Hold'em Legend

World Series Of Poker: Hold'em Legend ($4.99), by Glu Mobile Inc., is today's free Android App at Amazon (yesterday's Angry Birds Rio is still free, too!). I added it to my library (it's free), but won't be playing it until I get an Android tablet, as it is too big to fit onto my phone (at least, until I can update it to Android 2.2, so that I can load apps onto the SD card). The reviews are not great, but it seems a number of them are complaints about the size and some had failed downloads due to their phones going to sleep (which can be resolved by turning off the sleep function during the download). Why, you ask, don't I have a tablet to put it on? Because I have an iPad (the original, as I really don't see paying the same amount, again, just to have a white iPad with a camera) and the rumors of Amazon bringing out an Android tablet have stopped me from picking up a NOOKcolor (which, if rooted, can be used as a generic tablet with access to the Marketplace, the Amazon Appstore, the Kindle App, games and still be used to read both nookbooks and ADE DRM'd EPUB and PDF books.

Book Description
Make your way from an amateur poker player to a Hold'em legend in World Series of Poker: Hold'em Legend for your mobile device. Win prestigious World Series of Poker events in Las Vegas and other popular casino venues around the world. Show off your winnings on your wrist as you win prestigious bracelets along the way. This game offers an in-depth career mode and global real-time multiplayer so you can practice solo or put your skills to the test online. Become a poker legend as you evolve from playing bar games to competing at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, Caesars Palace, and The Empire in London in this authentic and fast-paced game of Hold'em poker.

Lightning Deal: Belkin Vue Kindle Sleeve $24.99

This morning's Lightning Deal is $5 off the Belkin Vue Kindle Sleeve, which is normally $30, making it $24.99. You get a choice of four colors: Black, Midnight Blue, Coral Pink and Plum (which is going fast). For those who want to read their Kindle naked (as I've been doing since the last update, as my Kindle has started rebooting in the lighted case, as it did when it was first introduced and hasn't done since the first update they released to cure the issue), this looks like a nice protective case and there's a clear section in the front where you could slip in an ID or credit card when out and about.

The sale goes until 10 AM in Seattle (1PM EST) or until the stock runs out. Be sure to put the item in your cart on the Lightning Deal page to get the discount, but remember that you only have 15 minutes (or until the deal expires) to complete your purchase.

Description
Featuring a Perfect Plum color scheme, Belkin's Vue Sleeve (Fits 6" Display, Latest Generation Kindle) is designed to protect your Amazon latest generation Kindle so you can safely take it with you wherever you go. The unique Vue design offers a custom fit with a secure zipper closure and an expandable, see-through pocket for accessories. The durable neoprene sleeve has a slim profile with a surprising capacity. For added protection, a reinforced panel guards your device's screen, and the soft lining helps to keep it free of scratches.

Keep Your Kindle Safe from Harm
Built to fit both your Amazon Kindle and your favorite accessories, the Vue sleeve keeps your Kindle in top shape by protecting it from mishaps and jostling. The sleeve prevents it from rubbing against keys, pens, and all the other essentials in your day bag, safeguarding your e-reader investment. A reinforced panel offers added protection for your device's all-important screen. And the sleeve's soft lining prevents nicks and scratches.

See-Through Design with Room for Accessories
Whether you use your Kindle for casual reading or to review important documents on your way to the office, you know that the device's biggest virtues are convenience and portability. Naturally, you'll want a sleeve that's every bit as convenient and portable as your device. The Vue Sleeve delivers exactly that by ensuring quick access to your Kindle via a twin-zipper design. For further convenience, the sleeve opens along the full height of your device, and it features a large-capacity see-through pocket that makes your favorite accessories both easy to bring along and easy to locate.

Durable, Lightweight Materials Stand Up to Daily Use
Dependable and lightweight, the Vue Sleeve is made of durable neoprene for long-term use. And caring for your Vue Sleeve is easy. If it needs a cleaning, you can simply hand wash the case with mild soap and water.

This Belkin Vue Sleeve is backed by a one-year limited warranty.

Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging
This product features Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging that is recyclable. It comes without excess packaging materials such as hard plastic clamshell casings, plastic bindings, or wire ties. The packaging is designed to be opened without the use of a box cutter or knife, and it will protect your product just as well as traditional packaging. Products with Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging can frequently be shipped in their own boxes, without an additional shipping box, saving on resources and reducing waste. In addition, the packaging materials that are used are easily and frequently recycled, composted, or reused by our customers, and all the inks and dyes are biodegradable.