Books for a Buck

Real Life & Liars with Bonus Material, by Kristina Riggle, is a 99 cent pre-order in the Kindle store. The current edition without bonus material is $9.99 (linked for sampling).

Book Description
For Mirabelle Zielinski's children, happiness always seems to be just out of reach. Her polished oldest daughter, Katya, clings to a stale marriage with a workaholic husband and three spoiled children. Her son, Ivan, so creative, is a down-in-the-dumps songwriter with the worst taste in women. And the "baby," impulsive Irina, who lives life on a whim, is now reluctantly pregnant and hitched to a man who is twice her age. On the weekend of their parents' anniversary party, lies will be revealed, hearts will be broken...but love will also be found. And the biggest shock may come from Mirabelle herself, because she has a secret that will change everything.

London Calling ($1.11), by James Craig, is also a pre-order, this time for a Scottish author (the odd price is no doubt caused by an exchange rate and a listing on the UK site).

Book Description
Can you win an election and cover up murder at the same time? When Inspector John Carlyle finds a body in a luxury London hotel room he begins a journey through the murky world of the British ruling classes which leads all the way to the top. In the middle of a General Election, a murderer is stalking the man poised to be the next Prime Minister. With power almost in his grasp, Edgar Carlton will not stand idly by while his birthright is threatened. Operating in a world where right and wrong don’t exist and the pursuit of power is everything, Carlyle has to find the killer before Carlton takes the law into his own hands.

The Widow's War ($0.99), by Sally Gunning

Book Description
Married for twenty years to Edward Berry, Lyddie is used to the trials of being a whaler's wife in the Cape Cod village of Satucket, Massachusetts—running their house herself during her husband's long absences at sea, living with the daily uncertainty that Edward will simply not return. And when her worst fear is realized, she finds herself doubly cursed. She is overwhelmed by grief, and her property and rights are now legally in the hands of her nearest male relative: her daughter's overbearing husband, whom Lyddie cannot abide. Lyddie decides to challenge both law and custom for control of her destiny, but she soon discovers the price of her bold "war" for personal freedom to be heartbreakingly dear.

Includes the fascinating "story behind the story" of The Widow's War, a map of colonial Brewster, and a driving tour of the village of Satucket.

Best Friends ($0.99) is a backlist title by Consuelo Saah Baehr. You'll find two of her titles at 99 cents, a Kindle single (Thinner Thighs In Thirty Years) at the same price and three additional titles under $4, making this author's backlist very affordable.

Book Description
It was unlikely they would ever meet. Yet fate brought them together first as naïve schoolgirls . . . then as complicated women facing events that would alter the shape of their lives forever.

NATALIE– betrayed by her first love and consoling herself with the richest husband in America who is both powerful and dangerous.

SARA – buried her ambitions until a blazing passion reminds her of all she has given up. Her suburban security is about to be shattered by a new job and a passionate affair.

MIRANDA – exotically beautiful, dangerously trusting and driven by her own sexuality. She is in love with a famous screenwriter whose scenario doesn’t include a wife.

Three women with little in common . . . except a pledge made when they were children when they knew nothing about what life would bring . . . a pledge they will be called upon to keep.

Drives Like a Dream ($1.24), by Porter Shreve

Book Description
Shreve’s second novel, Drives Like a Dream, is a smart, wry tale about a modern-day mother in the midst of a lifestyle crisis — and her outlandish attempts to get her family back.

Lydia Modine is sixty-one and about to come undone. Her three grown-up children have flown the coop. She hasn’t seen them together in more than a year, and now her ex-husband is about to remarry a woman half his age. And the insults keep coming: Lydia is stuck on a book she’s writing about Detroit’s car industry, which uncannily parallels her own life — out with the old model, in with the new. She's poured her soul into her family, only to be abandoned in the City of Dream Machines. But then a twist of fate introduces her to Norm, an eco-car fanatic out to remake her and the world. Is he the answer to all of her problems, or does he hold the one secret that just might get her children back to Detroit, home for good?
A warm, funny, and affecting novel that's sure to appeal to anyone who has longed for an alternate life, Drives Like a Dream confirms that sometimes when you set out for a spin, the twists and turns can be perfectly rewarding — and right.

Celebrities for Breakfast ($0.99), by Shelley Stout

Book Description
Personal shopper to the stars, Judith Collington, refuses to spend one more day in LA, answering the whiney demands of her Hollywood clientele. To escape, Judith and her seventh-grader, Shannon, give up their lucrative lifestyle to run a bed and breakfast in central Illinois. Judith prepares to purchase the property, until it changes hands in a poker game. New owner: Hollywood actor and part-time egomaniac, Ren Spencer. Judith installs Ren into the nearest guest room, where he insists on heated towels and meals on a tray. She would love to hate him, except he’s pathetic in an endearing sort of way. Oh, and did I mention he’s about to become engaged?

If you really want the latest, just read Shannon’s private computer journal. Her bedroom wall is plastered with posters of her all-time favorite star, but Shannon could care less if Ren Spencer’s a has-been at 35. He’s so hot, she can’t stop writing love stories about him. So what if Ren drinks too much and has to sober up in jail? And why can’t Shannon just have a normal mother like everybody else?

CELEBRITIES FOR BREAKFAST is a romantic comedy told through Judith’s voice, but sprinkled throughout are Shannon’s journal entries and Ren’s two cents.

Mile High Guy and Mr Right for the Night ($0.99 each), by Marisa Mackle

Mile High Guy
A romantic comedy written by a former flight attendant and number one Irish bestseller!

Mr Right for the Night
The hugely funny Number One bestselling novel from Irish author Marisa Mackle.

Anna is looking for Mr Right. For just one night. Her dreaded high school reunion is looming and she's determined to have the perfect partner to show off. She has three months to find this charming, intelligent, handsome man and is convinced he is just around the corner. But which corner?

Touchdowns And Potions ($0.99), by Markee Anderson

Book Description
Real estate agent Jenna Steele has to sell pro quarterback Andy McKnight’s huge home. She hates professional athletes. When he convinces her he does have a heart, she falls in love with the man. There’s only one problem—Jenna’s been splashed with a love potion and now men are falling at her feet. Once the potion wears off, Andy will be gone and she’ll be forced to find another job out of state to get away from the paparazzi.

*** This eBook contains bonus material at the end from Sandra Edwards' 'Crazy for You'. Approximately 243 pages in length.

Ken McClure is releasing his backlist on Kindle and Donor is bargain priced at $1.10.

Book Description
The first Dr Stephen Dunbar thriller.When seven-year-old Amanda Chapman is admitted to hospital with acute renal failure, her parents are in despair. Their hope is renewed when Amanda is accepted for treatment in a pioneering, state-of-the-art dialysis unit in an exclusive private hospital in Glasgow, but behind the lavish hospital corridors, private rooms and friendly staff lies something much more sinister. Dr Dunbar goes undercover to find out in the first of Ken McClure's gripping thrillers featuring the ex-Special Forces medic.

About the Author
Ken McClure is the internationally bestselling author of medical thrillers such as Wildcard, The Gulf Conspiracy, Eye of the Raven and Past Lives. His books have been translated into over 20 languages and he has earned a reputation for meticulous research and the chilling accuracy of his predictions. McClure's work is informed by his background as an award-winning research scientist with the UK's Medical Research Council. Dr Steven Dunbar, an ex-Special Forces medic, is one of his most popular characters.

My Hometown: One of Most Well-Read Cities in the US

I know I buy a lot of ebooks, but I can't really take credit (alone) for my hometown making it to #11 on the list. In fact, we beat out a number of cities much larger than we are. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. We managed to escape the recent round of Borders closures and have an ever-busy large used bookstore, as well as having 4 large chain bookstores, at least one University bookstore (and press) and numerous small bookstores.  And, I see a number of Kindles and even nookColors when out in town, in addition to paperbacks and hardcovers being read at the solo tables in restaurants.

So, tell me: did your town make the list?

Amazon.com Reveals the Most Well-Read Cities in America

Cambridge, Mass., tops the list with the most books, magazines and newspapers purchased per capita of any city in the United States

SEATTLE, May 26, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

(NASDAQ: AMZN)--Just in time for the summer reading season, Amazon.com announced its list of the Top 20 Most Well-Read Cities in America. After compiling sales data of all book, magazine and newspaper sales in both print and Kindle format since Jan. 1, 2011, on a per capita basis in cities with more than 100,000 residents, the Top 20 Most Well-Read Cities are:

1. Cambridge, Mass.
2. Alexandria, Va.
3. Berkeley, Calif.
4. Ann Arbor, Mich.
5. Boulder, Colo.
6. Miami
7. Salt Lake City
8. Gainesville, Fla.
9. Seattle
10. Arlington, Va.
11. Knoxville, Tenn.
12. Orlando, Fla.
13. Pittsburgh
14. Washington, D.C.
15. Bellevue, Wash.
16. Columbia, S.C.
17. St. Louis, Mo.
18. Cincinnati
19. Portland, Ore.
20. Atlanta

In taking a closer look at the data, Amazon.com also found that:

• Not only do they like to read, but they like to know the facts: Cambridge, Mass.--home to the prestigious Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology--also topped the list of cities that ordered the most nonfiction books.
• Boulder, Colo., lives up to its reputation as a healthy city by topping the list of cities that order the most books in the Cooking, Food & Wine category.
• Alexandria, Va., residents must be reading a lot of bedtime stories - they topped the list of the city that orders the most children's books.
• Summer reading weather all year long? Florida was the state with the most cities in the Top 20, with Miami, Gainesville and Orlando making the list.

"In anticipation of the summer reading season--one of our favorite times to catch up on pleasure reading and unwind with the new titles being published this season--we're excited to reveal the Most Well-Read City list," said Mari Malcolm, managing editor of Books, Amazon.com. "We hope book lovers across the country enjoy this fun look at where the most voracious readers reside, and that everyone gets the chance to relax with some great summer reads."

For summer reading suggestions for adults, teens and kids, please visit:

• Adults -- www.amazon.com/summerbooks
• Teens -- www.amazon.com/summerbooksforteens
• Kids -- www.amazon.com/summerbooksforkids

New Kindle App - Sticky Notes

Another new Kindle app this morning: Sticky Notes (A Note Taking Tool for Kindle) ($0.99), by Mobigloo. This looks like it will have a pretty nice interface, letting you see the first few lines of each note, as if there were sticky notes actually posted to the face of the Kindle. It's competitor, Notepad (which I own), instead shows a list of the note titles (so, more per page), but you have to open a note to see any of the contents.

Book Description
Sticky Notes offers an easy way to keep information readily available by creating electronic notes on your Kindle.

Whether you want to write down ideas, quck lists, reminders, or phone numbers, Sticky Notes provides an efficient and intuitive graphic interface to do so. Sticky Notes features up to nine notes per screen and multiple pages so you can write and organize up to 250 notes. The appearance of the notes can be customized, allowing you to choose the font and size; and a zoom feature that lets you edit your notes full screen which can be helpful for longer notes.

Sticky Notes will help you keep your thoughts organized and always accessible on your Kindle!

Lady Gaga Encore - New Album 99 Cents (Today Only)

Amazon sold so many of Lady Gaga's new album, Born This Way, at 99 cents on Monday that their Cloud Drive servers could not keep up with the number of transactions, which meant that those who bought after about 8:00 AM on the eastern coast had to wait hours, sometimes until the next day, to access all the tracks. Some people may have hesitated to get a copy then, due to the flood of one-star reviews that were criticizing the delivery, not the album, or were waiting to listen to the album before buying it as a gift. Or, perhaps you just didn't find out about the sale until it was too late?

For those people, Amazon has brought the 99 cent price back as a one-day encore ($11 less than at the fruit flavored competition). If you don't want to burn a copy for your kids or grandkids (and they are teens or adults with their own accounts), this is a perfect time to gift them a copy (and get your upgrade to 20GB of Cloud Drive storage at the same time).

Product Details

• Original Release Date: May 23, 2011
• Release Date: May 23, 2011
• Label: Streamline/Kon Live/Interscope
• Copyright: (C) 2011 Interscope Records
• Record Company Required Metadata: Music file contains unique purchase identifier.
• Total Length: 1:01:10
• Genres: Pop/General

Three Buck Books

These are mostly available from Amazon, but a few are EPUB only deals. All are currently on sale for $3.00 or less. Many of these are also Agency publisher titles, so will be the same price on all platforms, provided the book is available at multiple ebookstores, so you might want to check Barnes & Noble or Sony.

Blood Vines ($2.99 Kindle, Kobo), by Erica Spindler, is a stand-alone novel. You'll also find a few others under $4 and under $5 in the Kindle store for this author.

Book Description
In this bare-knuckled adrenaline ride from New York Times bestselling author Erica Spindler, Alex Clarkson’s worst nightmares are about to come true…

A sinister, hooded figure…

When Alexandra Clarkson starts having terrifying visions filled with blood and ceremonial images, she tries to find a rational explanation – maybe her mind is playing tricks on her, resurrecting creepy tableaux from her research on religious ceremonies and sects. But when Alex’s mother, Patsy, commits suicide without leaving behind any information, Alex is left wondering: could she be haunted by something from the childhood she doesn’t remember?

Naked, writhing bodies…

Detective Daniel Reed was the last person to speak to Patsy. What he reveals to Alex is shocking. Twenty-five years earlier, Patsy was married to Harlan Sommer, one of Sonoma County’s most prominent vintners, when their infant son disappeared without a trace. The loss destroyed the Sommers’ marriage, causing Patsy to leave and take Alex with her.

A dead child…

Called on to investigate the identity of a baby’s remains unearthed in a Sonoma vineyard, Reed had picked up a trail that led him to Patsy in San Francisco. Now Reed and Alex both wonder if the cold bones could be her baby brother Dylan, and Alex decides to accompany Reed back to Sonoma for the investigation. No sooner does she arrive, however, than she is drawn deep into the search for a twisted killer…

Eight Million Ways to Die ($2.99 Kindle, Kobo), by Lawrence Block, is the fifth in his Matthew Scudder series.

Book Description
Nobody knows better than Matthew Scudder how far down a person can sink in this city. A young prostitute named Kim knew it also—and she wanted out. Maybe Kim didn't deserve the life fate had dealt her. She surely didn't deserve her death. The alcoholic ex-cop turned p.i. was supposed to protect her, but someone slashed her to ribbons on a crumbling New York City waterfront pier. Now finding Kim's killer will be Scudder's penance. But there are lethal secrets hiding in the slain hooker's past that are far dirtier than her trade. And there are many ways of dying in this cruel and dangerous town—some quick and brutal ... and some agonizingly slow.

All the Flowers Are Dying ($1.99 Kobo), by Lawrence Block, isn't on Kindle, from what I can tell.

Book Description
In his sixteenth Matthew Scudder novel, All the Flowers Are Dying , New York Times bestselling author Lawrence Block takes the award-winning series to a new level of suspense and a new depth of characterization. Building on the critical and commercial success of Hope to Die , Block puts Scudder -- and the reader -- at the very edge of the abyss. Scudder, a complex character who has grown and aged in real time, confronts the implacable challenge of mortality. But he must also tackle a determined, relentless, and icily inhuman adversary, perhaps the most unforgettable villain Block has ever created. A man in a Virginia prison awaits execution for three hideous murders he swears, in the face of irrefutable evidence, he did not commit. A psychologist who claims to believe the convict spends hours with the man in his death row cell, and ultimately watches in the gallery as the lethal injection is administered. His work completed, the psychologist heads back to New York City to attend to unfinished business. Meanwhile, Scudder has just agreed to investigate the ostensibly suspicious online lover of an acquaintance. It seems simple enough. At first. But when people start dying and the victims are increasingly closer to home, it becomes clear that a vicious killer is at work. And the final targets may be Matt and Elaine Scudder. The suspense is breathtaking, the outcome never certain. A series that has garnered no end of awards -- the Edgar, the Shamus, the Philip Marlowe, the MalteseFalcon -- has ascended to a dizzying new height. With this novel, Lawrence Block, who recently received the Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement from the Crime Writers Association of the United Kingdom, is at the very top of his form.

Sworn to Silence ($2.99 Kindle, Kobo), by Linda Castillo, is the first in her Kate Burkholder series.

Book Description
A killer is preying on sacred ground....

In the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and “English” residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. In the aftermath of the violence, the town was left with a sense of fragility, a loss of innocence. Kate Burkholder, a young Amish girl, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer but came away from its brutality with the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish.

Now, a wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. Her Amish roots and big city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate. She’s certain she’s come to terms with her past—until the first body is discovered in a snowy field. Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to do so, she must betray both her family and her Amish past—and expose a dark secret that could destroy her.

One of Those Malibu Nights ($2.99 Kindle, Kobo), by Elizabeth Adler, is the first in her Mac Reilly series.

Book Description
It was just one of those Malibu nights, dark as a velvet shroud, creamy waves crashing onto the shore, breeze soft as a kitten’s breath....

But when Private Investigator to the stars, Mac Reilly, hears the sound of a woman’s scream over the crashing waves, his low-key beach-bum lifestyle is changed forever. A beautiful, distraught woman wearing only a black lace negligee stands in the doorway of a fabulous beach house. In her hand, a gun, and it’s pointed directly at him.

Mac escapes her bullet, but barely. Who is that woman? Days later she’s disappeared and the Smith & Wesson she almost killed him with finds its way into his car.

Not so coincidentally, Allie Ray, star of the big screen and America’s sweetheart, has also gone missing. The two women are connected, and Mac suddenly finds himself tangled up in a web of deception. He’s going to need some help if he’s going to get to the bottom of it all.

This is where Sunny Alvarez comes in. Sunny and Mac have an on-again, off-again relationship. Lately it’s been more off than on. But now he needs her more than ever. Together they go on a quest that takes them from Southern California, to the beaches of Mexico, to the streets of Rome, and the countryside of France. All the while they’re one step behind an elusive murderer and one step ahead of an actress who wants nothing more than to get lost….

With Elizabeth Adler’s trademark descriptions, plot twists, and irresistible characters, One of Those Malibu Nights is beach-reading suspense at its best.

Point Man ($2.99 Kindle, Kobo), by Steve Englehart (who is probably best known for his work with Marvel Comics and DC Comics).

Book Description
Max August was a point man when he served during the Vietnam War, the guy who had to lead his patrol through dangers he couldn't possibly anticipate. Now he’s a disc jockey, at one with the music and his faithful audience . . . until the day when he is swept into a battle invisible to all but the participants.

For nearly five centuries, Cornelius Agrippa has fought against an evil that has threatened to corrupt and destroy everything good and untainted in the world. Now, Max has joined the battle. It wasn't his idea to fight a demonic entity that can become anything it wants: an undying monster or the most desirable woman in the world. Max has been chosen by fate to fight those who would use magick to destroy freedom and wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world. Along with Agrippa and Valerie Drake, a beautiful, talented singer, Max is the only hope of the free world.

Strong Enough to Die ($2.99 Kindle, Kobo), by Jon Land

Book Description
INCLUDES A SNEAK PEAK OF JON LAND'S THRILLING NEW CAITLIN STRONG NOVEL, STRONG AT THE BREAK, AVAILBLE IN JUNE!

Caitlin Strong is a fifth-generation Texas Ranger, proud to wear the badge of her father and grandfather—until a deadly shoot-out along the Mexican border causes her to question her calling.

Five years later, Caitlin is still trying to purge herself of guilt from the day that ended her Ranger career. But a shattering discovery will reopen old wounds, and Caitlin’s renewed investigation into the truth behind the bloody desert firefight uncovers a terrifying plot that reaches into every home and threatens the very core of the country.

Her only hope for success—and survival—is to team up with Cort Wesley Masters, a deadly outlaw who has every reason to want her dead. But he also holds the key to the truth she desperately seeks in the anguished brain of an amnesiac torture victim.

Caitlin’s tormented quest for redemption takes her to a dark world, ranging from Washington to Bahrain to the wastelands of Mexico, as she finds that the strength to live comes from learning how to die.

Bad Day for Sorry ($2.99 Kindle, Kobo), by Sophie Littlefield

Book Description
Winner of the Anthony Award for Best First Novel!

Stella Hardesty dispatched her abusive husband with a wrench shortly before her fiftieth birthday. A few years later, she’s so busy delivering home-style justice on her days off, helping other women deal with their own abusive husbands and boyfriends, that she barely has time to run her sewing shop in her rural Missouri hometown. Some men need more convincing than others, but it’s usually nothing a little light bondage or old-fashioned whuppin' can’t fix. Since Stella works outside of the law, she’s free to do whatever it takes to get the job done---as long as she keeps her distance from the handsome devil of a local sheriff, Goat Jones.

When young mother Chrissy Shaw asks Stella for help with her no-good husband, Roy Dean, it looks like an easy case. Until Roy Dean disappears with Chrissy’s two-year-old son, Tucker. Stella quickly learns that Roy Dean was involved with some very scary men, as she tries to sort out who’s hiding information and who’s merely trying to kill her. It’s going to take a hell of a fight to get the little boy back home to his mama, but if anyone can do it, it’s Stella Hardesty.

A Bad Day for Sorry won an Anthony Award for Best First Novel and an RT Book Award for Best First Mystery. It was also shortlisted for Edgar, Barry, Crimespree, and Macavity Awards, and it was named to lists of the year's best mystery debuts by the Chicago Sun-Times and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Wishbones ($2.99 Kindle, Kobo), by Carolyn Haines, is the eighth in her Sarah Booth Delaney series.

Book Description
Southern gal Sarah Booth Delaney packs up her hound dog and her P.I. business and sets off for Hollywood to take a shot at stardom. No stranger to acting, she aces the screen test for a racy remake of the movie Body Heat alongside leading man Graf Miliau. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and why not? Graf has already starred in one of Sarah’s previous affairs and is well on his way to landing a big part in the sequel.

Thrilled as Sarah is, her dream come true comes at a price. She has to leave behind her family’s ancestral home in Mississippi, her closest friends, and the possibility of settling down with her longtime love to film on location in Costa Rica. And it’s not long before rivalries flare, mysterious accidents occur, and this leading lady finds herself in some steamy tabloids without turning up in a single frame of film.

Carolyn Haines’s Wishbones takes the sultry romance and colorful friendships of this delightfully Southern series and heads out west for a mystery that is as thrilling off camera as it is on.

Poison: A Novel of the Renaissance ($2.99 Kindle, Kobo), by Sara Poole, is the first in her Poisoner Mysteries series.

Book Description
In the simmering hot summer of 1492, a monstrous evil is stirring within the Eternal City of Rome. The brutal murder of an alchemist sets off a desperate race to uncover the plot that threatens to extinguish the light of the Renaissance and plunge Europe back into medieval darkness.

Determined to avenge the killing of her father, Francesca Giordano defies all convention to claim for herself the position of poisoner serving Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, head of the most notorious and dangerous family in Italy. She becomes the confidante of Lucrezia Borgia and the lover of Cesare Borgia. At the same time, she is drawn to the young renegade monk who yearns to save her life and her soul.

Navigating a web of treachery and deceit, Francesca pursues her father’s killer from the depths of Rome’s Jewish ghetto to the heights of the Vatican itself. In so doing, she sets the stage for the ultimate confrontation with ancient forces that will seek to use her darkest desires to achieve their own catastrophic ends.

Soldier of God ($2.99 Kindle, Kobo), by David Hagberg, is the tenth in his Kirk McGarvey series.

Book Description
"My dearest mother," the letter from the young Saudi Arabian suicide bomber begins, as have so many before it. "The day of joy will soon arrive. Send out presents and sweets; prepare my father and my brother for my wedding to come. My black-eyed wife waits for me in Paradise. Rejoice, o my mother, for we will meet in heaven."

Suicide bombers are coming to America's heartland. Their targets: our most precious and vulnerable assets, our children.

Following the most terrifying lead of his life, CIA Director Kirk McGarvey traces the threat to a terrorist known as Khalil. But upon further investigation he is convinced that Khalil and the Saudi playboy prince Abdul Hasim bin Salman are the same man. The White House wants nothing to do with McGarvey's assumptions; accusing a Saudi prince of such a heinous plan will surely strain the delicate political balance between the US and the Saudis, always thought to be allies as well as our major oil suppliers. But McGarvey refuses to let politics stand in the way of him stopping Khalil, even if it means that the President of the United States will call him a traitor, even if it means he must resign as Director of the CIA to pursue him, and even if it means his meddling will lead to the kidnapping and brutal beating of his own wife.

From the deadly frigid Alaskan waters, to the balmy breezes of the French Rivera and finally to the embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C., Mac has to unravel the latest threat from Osama bin Laden in order to save American school children from a cadre of suicide bombers willing to martyr themselves for the cause as Soldiers of God.

Kindle Apps and Games Sale - 99 Cents

There are several apps and one game on sale in the Kindle store for 99 cents right now. The first one is SCRABBLE, by Electronic Arts Inc., which I gladly paid $4.99 for when it first came out. This is a great deal (and I love this game, which you can play with others or against the computer). If you, like me, have already bought this one, then go get the (free) update, as they promise the graphics are improved. The price goes back up at the end of the month.

Game Description
Simple controls make it easy to play any way you want, whether you're a casual or experienced SCRABBLE player. Pass N' Play with a friend, challenge the Kindle, or play a solo game. If you need help, use the Best Word feature to create the highest scoring word possible. You can even pause the game anytime and pick it up later.

Follow your progress game by game with instant statistics tracking. As your game-play and strategy improves, you'll find more ways to rack up double and triple word scores. Enjoy the number one name in crossword games, and sharpen your vocabulary in a fun new way.

The three apps on sale are from Nickel Buddy and are designed to help you keep on track with your exercise programs. These are half-price and will go back to $1.99 after June 6.

My Yoga Studio (A Yoga Partner on Kindle)
My Yoga Studio is like having a personal yoga teacher on your Kindle.

There are many benefits to practicing yoga. Done properly, yoga can help you increase your strength, flexibility, and balance. It can improve your posture as you become more aware of your body, and it can help you relax, even in the midst of a stressful environment.

My Yoga Studio will guide you step-by-step through a series of poses illustrated with a picture and a text description. As you move through the routine, a timer will count down, showing you how long to hold each pose before gently transitioning to the next. 25 different poses are included. You can use one of three included routines (Sun Salutation, Stress Melter, or Balance & Peace), do poses individually, or create your own custom routine. Exercises are designed to strengthen your core, and do not require any special equipment. As you can do these exercises anywhere you have floor space, My Yoga Studio is a perfect companion for frequent travelers or home use.

My Yoga Studio is ready to be your personal guide anytime you want to steal a few moments to center yourself.

Anywhere Abs (A Workout Partner on Kindle)
Anywhere Abs is like having a workout partner on your Kindle. It will guide you step-by-step through an exercise routine to strengthen your core. The exercises don't require any special equipment and can be performed anywhere there is space on the floor. It's perfect for the frequent traveler or for home use.

Anywhere Abs offers 2 routines, each consisting of 6 timed exercises. A countdown timer guides you through each routine, and a detailed description of each exercise is available at any time.

Having a strong core is important for any sport, and Anywhere Abs makes your workout partner as close as your Kindle.

Anywhere Legs (A Workout Partner on Kindle)
Anywhere Legs is a workout planner for Kindle.

Anywhere Legs will guide you step-by-step through an exercise routine that tones the major muscle groups in your legs. The exercises don't require any special equipment and can be performed anywhere there is space on the floor. It's perfect for the frequent traveler or for home use.

Anywhere Legs offers 3 routines, each consisting of 6 timed exercises. A detailed description for each exercise, pictures of the exercises, and a countdown timer help you complete your workout. Each routine has a beginner, intermediate, and advanced level, and can be completed in just 6-10 minutes.

With Anywhere Legs, your workout is as close as your Kindle.

New Kindle App - Calculator

There is a second Calculator in the Kindle store, this one from 7 Dragons (the first, Easy Calculator, is from Mobigloo); both are selling for 99 cents. If anyone buys them both, let us know how they compare. I already have the one from Mobigloo (and a calculator on my phone), but might consider this one, if there are enough added features. This app will need something to distinguish it before it can knock Easy Calculator out of its #6 slot in the Active Content lists.

Book Description
Now a calculator can be with you wherever you travel. Use Calculator for Kindle to make those quick, every-day calculations like computing sales discounts, double-checking an invoice, or computing a restaurant tip.

In addition to basic math operations, Calculator also includes Square Roots, percentages and exponents, and the trigonometric functions Sine, Cosine, and Tangent. You have standard calculator Memory Functions, and you also get Calculator History; in which the last 10 items and last 10 calculation results are saved for later reference.

Calculator offers keyboard shortcuts to help you work quickly, and a last function undo and digit by digit undo functions to help you correct errors. Help pages explain each feature, and a Shortcuts List page clearly lists all shortcuts.

Now you can do all your calculations on Kindle.

50% off a Kindle Lighted Leather Cover (KSO)

This offer is for those with the Kindle Wi-Fi with Special Offers or Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi with Special Offers only. View the Special Offers on your Kindle (Menu, Special Offers) and you should see a new promotion (if you don't, turn on your wireless, click Menu, Sync & Check for New Items, then after the sync has completed, go to the Special Offers screen):

50% off a Kindle Lighted Leather Cover

Click on offer, then click on the link on the offer page sign up and get an email with the promotion code. Sign-up for this offer expires on May 28 (so those who have just ordered a KSO have plenty of time to take advantage of this deal).

You'll get an email (right away), a link to Kindle Lighted Leather Covers page and a promotion code to enter at checkout. Once you have the promotional code, you have until Aug 28 to complete your purchase. Details and terms are on this page. Like previous offers, this one requires you to use the full checkout process in order to enter your promotional code. Also, like all Amazon sales that use promotional codes, if you have a gift card balance, you must use it for the payment (if there is not a sufficient balance, then you can pick which credit card or other payment to use).

Maybe now I'll order a cover for my naked KSO, to protect it a bit better in the event it gets knocked off the shelf.

Free Book (PDF) - Little Caesar

Little Caesar ($7.99 Kindle), by W.R. Burnett, is free in DRM'd PDF format over on Copia.

Book Description
The savage chronicle of a gangland boss's odyssey toward power and destruction in the savage Chicago underworld of the 1920's. Burnett's criminous short story, DRESSING UP, won the O. Henry First Prize in 1929. Edward G. Robinson made a landmark role of his portrayal in the film adaptation.

Click HERE to get the free book from Copia. Make sure it still says "Your Price: $0.00" before clicking on Buy Now (don't use the cart, it doesn't show up as free). You'll need an account there, if you don't have one already, and the Copia reader to download the books (this is a requirement, no way around it). Once downloaded, though, you can move the books into Adobe ADE or onto your EPUB ereader.

Free Book (EPUB) - In the Heat of the Night

In the Heat of the Night ($4.49 Kindle), by John Dudley Ball, is free in EPUB format over on Copia.

Book Description
Winner of an Edgar Award and recently named one of the top one hundred mystery novels of the century, John Dudley Ball's classic In the Heat of the Night tells the story of Virgil Tibbs, a black detective tracking a murderer in a small Southern town. The novel inspired both the 1967 film starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger and the television series starring Carroll O'Connor and continues to delight readers with its gripping narrative and honest look at race relations during the Civil Rights Era..

Click HERE to get the free book from Copia. Make sure it still says "Your Price: $0.00" before clicking on Buy Now (don't use the cart, it doesn't show up as free). You'll need an account there, if you don't have one already, and the Copia reader to download the books (this is a requirement, no way around it). Once downloaded, though, you can move the books into Adobe ADE or onto your EPUB ereader.

Free Book (EPUB) - Bang the Drum Slowly

Bang the Drum Slowly ($5.39 Kindle), by Mark Harris, is free in EPUB format over on Copia.

Book Description
Henry Wiggen, hero of The Southpaw and the best-known fictional baseball player in America, is back again, throwing a baseball "with his arm and his brain and his memory and his bluff for the sake of his pocket and his family." More than a novel about baseball, Bang the Drum Slowly is about the friendship and the lives of a group of men as they each learn that a teammate is dying of cancer.

Bang the Drum Slowly was chosen as one of the top one hundred sports books of all time by Sports Illustrated and appears on numerous other lists of best baseball fiction. In the introduction to this new Bison Books edition Mark Harris discusses the making of the classic 1973 film starring Robert DeNiro, based on his screen adaptation of the book. Also available in Bison Books editions are The Southpaw, It Looked Like For Ever.

Click HERE to get the free book from Copia. Make sure it still says "Your Price: $0.00" before clicking on Buy Now (don't use the cart, it doesn't show up as free). You'll need an account there, if you don't have one already, and the Copia reader to download the books (this is a requirement, no way around it). Once downloaded, though, you can move the books into Adobe ADE or onto your EPUB ereader.

Free Book (PDF ) - Baseball's Most Wanted

All three titles in the Baseball's Most Wanted(TM) Boxed Set: Baseball's Most Wanted(TM), Baseball's Most Wanted(TM) II, and The World Series' Most Wanted(TM) ($24.95 Paperback), by Floyd Conner and John Snyder, are free in DRM'd PDF format over on Copia.

Book Descriptions

• Baseball's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of the National Pastime's Outrageous Offenders, Lucky Bounces, and Other Oddities
• Baseball's Most Wanted 2: The Top 10 Book of More Bad Hops, Screwball Players, and Other Oddities
• World Series' Most Wanted: The Top Ten Book of Championship Teams, Broken Dreams, and October Oddities

Links to the titles on Copia:

• Baseball's Most Wanted
• Baseball's Most Wanted II
• World Series' Most Wanted

For each title, make sure it still says "Your Price: $0.00" before clicking on Buy Now (don't use the cart, it doesn't show up as free). You'll need an account there, if you don't have one already, and the Copia reader to download the books (this is a requirement, no way around it). Once downloaded, though, you can move the books into Adobe ADE or onto your EPUB ereader.

Free Book (EPUB) - Miss Entropia and the Adam Bomb

Miss Entropia and the Adam Bomb ($9.99 Kindle), by George Rabasa, is free in EPUB format over on Copia.

Book Description
No other obsession strikes as hard as the love that hits a teenaged boy — especially if he’s the sort of kid who is no saner than he wants to be. From the moment Adam Webb sees Francine Haggard—in the van that is supposed to return them to the Institute Loiseaux—the two young mental patients are inextricably connected. Adam will never let this girl go. From hiding her in his bedroom to spiriting her away to Minnesota’s north woods, “Miss Entropia” becomes the focus of Adam’s every thought and of everything he does. He believes her to be a goddess, his own goddess. But the pyromaniacal Miss Entropia will be neither worshiped nor owned. And so Adam’s possessiveness is destined to push her to the breaking point. Theirs is an incendiary love story, an unbalanced Romeo and Juliet, that spins and arcs its way strangely toward tragedy.

Click HERE to get the free book from Copia. Make sure it still says "Your Price: $0.00" before clicking on Buy Now (don't use the cart, it doesn't show up as free). You'll need an account there, if you don't have one already, and the Copia reader to download the books (this is a requirement, no way around it). Once downloaded, though, you can move the books into Adobe ADE or onto your EPUB ereader.

Free Book (EPUB) - Revolution in the Air

Revolution in the Air - The Songs of Bob Dylan, 1957–1973 ($14.37 Kindle), by Clinton Heylin, is free in EPUB format over on Copia.

Book Description
By far the most comprehensive book on Dylan’s words ever written, including a number of songs that no one has ever heard, this first volume will fundamentally change how these lyrics are interpreted and understood. Arranged in a surprising chronology of when they were actually written rather than when they appeared on albums—the middle verse of “Blowin’ in the Wind” was written much later than the first and third verses, and the songs on John Wesley Harding were written prior to some of the songs on The Basement Tapes—hundreds of surprising facts are uncovered in this catalog of 300 songs, spanning his career up prior to Blood on the Tracks. Newly discovered manuscripts, anecdotal evidence, and a seemingly limitless knowledge of every Bob Dylan live performance contribute to this definitive resource of the words of a celebrated American singer-songwriter.

Click HERE to get the free book from Copia. Make sure it still says "Your Price: $0.00" before clicking on Buy Now (don't use the cart, it doesn't show up as free). You'll need an account there, if you don't have one already, and the Copia reader to download the books (this is a requirement, no way around it). Once downloaded, though, you can move the books into Adobe ADE or onto your EPUB ereader.

Kindle with Special Offers and 3G - $164

If you've been jealously reading about the special deals that those with a Kindle Wi-Fi with Special Offers have been getting, but you wanted to also have 3G service on your Kindle, then your prayers have been answered. Amazon has just released the Kindle 3G, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 3G Works Globally, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology - includes Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers and priced it at $164.

In other news, Kobo/Borders and B&N have introduced their new touchscreen the last day or two, but I can't get very excited about those, after having a Sony touchscreen for the last year or two. The screen gets smudged and the keyboard interface is clunky (and I don't care for the wifi interface on the Kobo/Borders reader, especially it's insistence in downloading every single book in my library when I first sync'd). This new Kindle, though, shows that Amazon is still committed to keeping 3G service (neither of the other two have it in their latest generation readers) and making their ereaders affordable for all.

Blogger has been having issues again...

If you've been having problems seeing the blog today, please try clearing CACHE and all Cookies (at the very least, all those for blogspot.com, blogger.com and booksontheknob.org), then reload the blog. This should fix any problems you may have had with not being able to enter comments.

If you have a blog on blogger, try the above, then go to http://www.blogger.com/home and you should find blogger has been fixed (don't try to get to the admin page for your blog using a saved link, as it seems to cause a redirecting loop, with whatever it is they did to "fix" the login issue earlier today.

Free Book (EPUB) - How To Slay a Dragon

Update: 5/26/11 Now free from Borders.

How To Slay a Dragon ($8.59), the first title in Bill Allen's Journals of Myrth series, is free from KoboBooks.

Book Description
Greg Hart can't slay a dragon. He'd be lucky to win a fight against one of the smaller girls at school.His only real skill is that he can run faster than any other twelve-year-old boy in his class, a necessity, since that's who he's usually running from. Oh, it's not like he's never been the hero at the center of an adventure. It's just the kind of adventures he's been involved with have always been the made-up kind he's written about in his journal.Now the magicians of Myrth have yanked Greg into a strange new world, where the monsters he must run from are far scarier--and hungrier--than anything he's ever run from before. He tries to tell everyone there's been a mistake. Ruuan is a very large dragon, while Greg, on the other hand, is neither large nor a dragon. He's barely much of a boy. Unfortunately, such trivialities could never stop the people of Myrth from believing Greg will rescue King Peter's daughter from Ruuan. After all, Greg has been named in a prophecy, and no prophecy has ever been wrong before.Why, Greg wonders, does he have to be at the heart of the first one that is?

Click HERE to get the free book from Kobo.

Free Book (noDRM) - Something Better

Something Better ($6.99 Kindle), by Gail R. Delaney, is free as a DRM-free EPUB at Books on Board.

Book Description
Andrea Parker made a career out of romance, except hers was the kind that happened between the pages of a book. Or, now, on the big screen when her best selling novels are adapted to film. Just because she writes romance doesn't mean she believes in happily ever after.

David Bishop's face---and okay, yeah, much of his body---is known world wide as the Hottest Bachelor in Hollywood. But just like the rest of the world, he is smitten with the brilliant and talented Andi Parker. Little did he know the easy part would be convincing her to give him a chance

Just like in the novels, enter the 'dastardly bastardly' villain to screw up their potential Happily Ever After.

Click HERE to get the free book from BoB. Make sure you use Add to Cart (not Buy Now). Then, pick the $0.00 EPUB addition (add to cart, then view cart and complete the purchase). You'll get a download button at the end (if you have problems with that, try to get it from your library and you might even have to switch browsers, since their last web site update -- seems to be a flash related issue). Once it's downloaded, you can convert it for Kindle using Calibre.

Free Books by the Dozens (Kindle) - Part VII

The flood of free indie books from this post, continued. These are indie published (new or previously published backlist) and public domain (only or only free) titles. Be sure to check the prices before ordering, in case a title has gone back up in price.

1. Adventures of a Motorcycle Despatch Rider During the First World War, by W.H.L. Watson
2. Macbeth, by William Shakespeare
3. Above the Arctic Circle, by Brian Lawrenson
4. HOW TO WRITE CLEARLY. RULES AND EXERCISES ON ENGLISH COMPOSITION , by M.A. REV. EDWIN A. ABBOTT
5. Dinosaur Wars: Earthfall, by Thomas Hopp
6. One Fall, by Spencer Baum
7. Manalive, by G. K. Chesterton
8. Conversationstoppers: Puns, Non Sequitors, Impossible Scenarios, by Leon Shure
9. Memoirs of a Vending Machine, by James Pollard
10. The I Love Lukla Club (Silk Road Travel Series), by Brian Lawrenson
11. Jacks School of Shines, by Jack Sorenson
12. The Log of the Flying Fish (A Sci-Fi Pulp Classic!), by Harry Collingwood
13. Straw Hats and Bicycles (Asian), by Brian Lawrenson
14. Voodoo Cloud, by Mathew Ferguson
15. The Harcombe Diet: 25 Members' Recipes, by Zoe Harcombe
16. A Journey into the Interior of the Earth, by Jules Verne and Frederick Malleson (Translator)
17. Rockets Mice and Men (USA), by Brian Lawrenson
18. The Curse of Scattershale Gulch, a Mick and Casey Mystery Novelette, by Camille LaGuire
19. Dangerous Journey, by Marie Harlech-Jones
20. Psmith in the City (with linked TOC), by P. G. Wodehouse
21. Daron's Guitar Chronicles: Volume One, by Cecilia Tan
22. The Interior Life, by Thomas C. Upham
23. Bible Holiness, by E. P. Ellyson (Beacon Hill Press)
24. My Objection to a Sinning Religion, by Bud Robinson (Beacon Hill Press)
25. Temptations Peculiar to the Sanctified, by C. W. Ruth (Beacon Hill Press)
26. Sermons on Isaiah, by P. F. Bresee (Beacon Hill Press)
27. The Certainties of Faith, by Phineas. F. Bresee (Beacon Hill Press)
28. Nazarene Missions International Handbook and Constitution 2009-13, by Various
29. Gay Enough 1&2, by German Alcala ((poetry)
30. Children of Another God (The Broken World), by T C Southwell (fantasy)
31. The Emo Bunny that Should - A Story for Demented Children, by John H. Carroll (short)
32. Zachary Zombie and the Lost Boy, A Story for Demented Children, by John H. Carroll (short)
33. Test Pilot - A short story, by John H. Carroll (short)
34. George Müller of Bristol, by Arthur T. (Arthur Tappan) Pierson
35. Bouvard and Pécuchet, by Gustave Flaubert
36. A Half Century of Conflict - Volume I, by FRANCIS PARKMAN
37. Project Daedalus, by Thomas Hoover
38. Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor (Unexpurgated Edition) (Halcyon Classics), by R.D. Blackmore
39. !Tention, by George Manville Fenn
40. Delver Magic Book II: Throne of Vengeance, by Jeff Inlo
41. Delver Magic Book III: Balance of Fate, by Jeff Inlo
42. Don't Ever Change - A short story, by John H. Carroll
43. Freak City (Dragon City Trilogy), by Tom Lichtenberg
44. True Stories of Crime from the D.A.'s Office, by arthur train
45. Blue Haired Alien Girlfriend - A short story, by John H. Carroll
46. A Short Walk on a Cold Night with a Dead Friend , by Jim Haffner
47. Turing Evolved, by David Kitson
48. Over The Bridge, by Randy Noble
49. The Demon of Walker's Woods, by Dan Dillard
50. Mind Cafe, by Lizzy Ford
51. Fair Price, by Laura Lond
52. The Taking of FLOTUS, by Clayton Spann
53. The Prophet, by Brent Knowles
54. The West Wind Blows, by Linsey Lanier
55. The Blood-stained Belt, by Brian H. Jones and Elaine Cornwell (Illustrator)
56. The Secret Garden (Original Version), by Frances Hodgson Burnett (no illustrations)
57. Madam How and Lady Why: First Lessons in Earth Lore for Children, by Charles Kingsley

Free Book (nook) - L.A. Noire

L.A. Noire: The Collected Stories ($0.99 Kindle), by Rockstar Games , is free to pre-order at Barnes and Noble. This one is from an Agency publisher, so be sure to let Amazon know of the price difference (it's against their contract) and it should drop for Kindle, as well.

Book Description
Rockstar Games has partnered with Mulholland Books to publish a collection of short fiction expanding the world of the newest groundbreaking achievement in storytelling: the interactive crime thriller L.A. Noire.

1940s Hollywood, murder, deception and mystery take center stage as readers reintroduce themselves to characters seen in L.A. Noire. Explore the lives of actresses desperate for the Hollywood spotlight; heroes turned defeated men; and classic Noir villains. Readers will come across not only familiar faces, but familiar cases from the game that take on a new spin to tell the tales of emotionally torn protagonists, depraved schemers and their ill-fated victims.

With original short fiction by Megan Abbott, Lawrence Block, Joe Lansdale, Joyce Carol Oates, Francine Prose, Jonathan Santlofer, Duane Swierczynski and Andrew Vachss, L.A. Noire: The Collected Stories breathes new life into a time-honored American tradition, in an exciting anthology that will appeal to fans of suspense and gamers everywhere.

Click HERE for the free book from B&N.

Free Book (Kindle/EPUB/nook) - The Dogs of Rome

Update: 5/26/11 Now free from Borders.

The Dogs of Rome, by Conor Fitzgerald, the first in his Alec Blume series, is free in the Kindle store and from B&N and Sony.

Book Description
On a hot summer morning, Arturo Clemente is sloppily murdered in his Roman apartment by a mysterious slasher. When his wife, an eminent politician, finds his body, she swiftly springs into action--by calling the Ministry of the Interior. By the time police inspector Alec Blume arrives at the scene, evidence has been collected, command taken, and, in short--his investigation has been compromised. As the details of the case continue to trickle out, Blume soon realizes he is being watched from on high--and that solving this crime may be the least of his worries. Losing sleep and unsure who to trust, Blume feels the case spinning out of control: does anyone involved even want justice? At what price will it come? And who runs this town--the police, the politicians, or organized criminals? In this riveting novel, we are introduced to Blume, an American expatriate and seasoned police veteran. Intelligent yet sometimes petulant, instinctive yet flawed, Blume is a likeable and trustworthy protagonist for this, the first installment of a gritty and promising series.

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

Free Book (Kindle) - The Lens & The Looker

The Lens & The Looker, by Lory S. Kaufman, the first in her Verona Trilogy, is free in the Kindle store.

Book Description
It's the 24th century and humans, with the help of artificial intelligences, (A.I.s) have finally created the perfect society. To make equally perfect citizens for this world, the elders have created History Camps, full-sized recreations of cities from Earth’s distant pasts. Here teens live the way their ancestors did, doing the same dirty jobs and experiences the same degradations. History Camps teach youths not to repeat the mistakes that almost caused the planet to die. But not everything goes to plan.

Like in all groups of youth, there are those who rebel, “hard cases” who just don’t get it. In this first installment of a trilogy, three spoiled teens from the year 2347 are kidnapped back in time to 1347 Verona, Italy. There they are abandoned and left with only two choices: adapt to the harsh medieval ways, or die. Hansum, almost 17, is good looking, athletic and, as his A.I. teacher says, he can charm the fuzz off a peach. Shamira is 15. She has green eyes, auburn hair, and a Caucasian complexion. That's something people don't see that much of in the 24th century. She's sassy, independent and has an artistic genius for drawing. Lincoln, 14, is the smart-aleck. But you don't have to scratch too far beneath the surface to find his insecurities.

There are two types of artificial intelligences (A.I.s) in the 24th-century. The first are authorized by society and very conservative. Then there are ‘genies’. Made by black-market hackers, or blackers, these rascals are the bi-polar opposite of their unadventurous cousins. A genie’s aim in life is to help rebellious youth make mischief. Pan, is a very mischievous genie. A curious mix of past and future, he’s an eccentric, all-knowing, holographic artificial intelligence in the cartoon shape of the vaunted Greek god. Pan's antics and insights get the kids both into and out of trouble.

Our three teen protagonists meet at a History Camp where everything and everybody must act like it is 14th-century Verona, Italy. Society’s plan is to put trouble-making kids into situations where they are “scared straight”. But Hansum knows better. He’s aware that behind the scenes there are armies of humans and A.I.’s making sure they are safe. Using Pan, the teens devise a plan to drive the History Camp enactors crazy, and they succeed. But what they’re not prepared for is that a History Camp elder from the 31st century, (where time-travel is possible) kidnaps them back to the real medieval Verona. Here they are indentured to an alcoholic lens maker. Now, unquestionably, the dangers are real.

All of this is hardly the ideal environment to fall in love – but, for Hansum, that’s exactly what happens. Guilietta is the beautiful daughter of the master the teens are working for. She becomes the star-crossed and time-crossed lover of our story’s Romeo - Hansum. In fact, the novel is peppered with lots of fun allusions to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In an attempt to survive the teenage trio, with Pan’s help, risks introducing technology from the future. It could save them – or it could change history.

Free Book (Kindle/nook) - Heart of the Witch

Last week's Free Friday book at B&N, Heart of the Witch, by Alicia Dean, is now free on Kindle (and the paperback copy is still $2.43).

Book Description
A beautiful young witch must choose between maintaining the anonymity of her coven and trusting the detective who would bring a heartless serial killer to justice.

Ex-homicide detective Nick Lassiter has seen a lot in his day, but the world-weary PI has never had a case like this. A merciless serial killer is on the loose, but his latest victim narrowly escaped with her life. Lassiter can tell from the start that Ravyn isn’t your typical crime victim—she has a steely resolve that is both frightening and intriguing in equal measure. As the two allies team up to pursue the killer, their relationship goes beyond the professional as the desperate circumstances lead to a very personal bond. And as Lassiter learns more about Ravyn, he begins to suspect that she may not be exactly who she seems.

Click here for the free book from B&N.

Free Book Update (Kindle/EPUB) - Is There More?

Is There More?: Heaven, Hell, and the Eternal Life that Begins Now, by Leslie D. Weatherhead, is now free on Kindle in addition to ChristianBook.

Book Description
Think you know what happens after death? Think again. In this groundbreaking book Leslie Weatherhead rejects proof-texts and conventional wisdom to focus on the big picture of life after death. Is God's love stronger than our sin? How does God respond when people reject God's love in Christ? Is Jesus' atoning death on the cross for everybody, or only for some? How can we truly know what God has in store for us in the life to come? The author of the best-selling Will of God answers these questions and many others in this straightforward, surprising book.

Click HERE to get the free download from ChristianBook.

Free Book (Kindle/EPUB/nook) - Coffee Shop Conversations

Update: 5/26/11 Now free from ChristianBook.

Coffee Shop Conversations: Making the Most of Spiritual Small Talk, by Dale and Jonalyn Fincher, is free once again in the Kindle store and from Barnes and Noble, courtesy of Christian publisher Zondervan.

Book Description
This Coffee Shop Conversations Ebook, by Dale and Jonalyn Fincher, will help you discover the fine art of sharing your faith ... without losing your friends.There are as many different styles of faith these days as there are ways to order your latte. So how do you talk to people about Jesus without offending them? By learning to cultivate respect and love for those who are different. Dale and Jonalyn Fincher will help you:*Gently invite others to share.*Cultivate an attitude of tolerance.*Avoid the buzzwords that will stop a conversation cold.*Talk about Jesus as a unique spiritual leader.*Listen more effectively.*Strengthen your own knowledge of your faith.Make the most of those casual, coffee shop moments. Find common ground as you gently and lovingly invite people to become followers and students of Jesus. It's all here for you in this Ebook---Coffee Shop Conversations: Making the Most of Spiritual Small Talk.

Click HERE to get the free book from B&N.
Click HERE to get the free book from ChristianBook.

Eight Audible Books for $6

Update: Looks like the part of the offer that says it will cancel an existing membership is in conflict with a statement you get when you click the Sign Up button (there, it says you can't be an existing plan member). In order to get my membership offer to be accepted, I had to first cancel my existing membership (which took 5 clicks on four pages, but was essentially painless). I've updated the steps below to take this into account.

This offer is for those with the Kindle Wi-Fi with Special Offers only. View the Special Offers on your Kindle (Menu, Special Offers) and you should see a new promotion (if you don't, turn on your wireless, click Menu, Sync & Check for New Items, then after the sync has completed, go to the Special Offers screen):

$6 for 6 Audible books (normally $68)

Click on offer, then click the link on the offer page and you'll get an email with the promotion link (nearly immediately). Sign-up for this offer expires on May 24, so it's only valid for two days (to click the offer on your Kindle; you have until June 24 to sign up with Audible, according to my email). You can also sign up by going directly to the sign-up page, HERE. Here's what you will get:

Get 6 months of AudibleListener Gold Membership for just $6 and enjoy an Audible book per month.

You'll receive a credit for a free Audible book* every month during your membership as well as 30% off any audiobook purchased without a credit, free daily subscription to The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal and other member-exclusive sales and promotions.

*A very small number of titles require more than one credit.

Limit one discounted membership per customer. Membership does not automatically renew. Offer expires midnight (PDT) June 24, 2011.

But, wait.... don't sign up just yet. First, sign up for Amazon's Two Months Free at Audible trial offer. This puts two credits in your account (I already had an account, but no current membership, so I tested this and it works for both new members and members with no current subscription plan).

Once you have the two credits in your account, you need to use both of them before you sign up for the 6 for $6 deal, otherwise your two promotional credits will expire. So, just browse thru Audible, pick out your two free audiobooks (or a single audiobook that requires two credits: there are a few of those to be found), before June 24.

Then, click the link in the email you receive today to sign up for the 6 for $6 offer, which will put one credit in your account during each of the next six months. This special trial membership will automatically cancel any membership you now have (such as that trial membership from Amazon, above) and it expires without requiring additional payment at the end of the six months (at which point, you could sign up for a membership using some other deal, such as the one above, or keep an unpaid account for future access to your eight free books). With any luck, this six month membership will also overlap one of Audible's super-deal sales, where they have a number of titles available for $5; every one I've seen has been limited to those with a membership, not just an account, so I've never been able to take advantage of them.

Here's the fine print on the deal (*Audible® Promotional Offer Details):

*Get 6 months of the AudibleListener® Gold membership plan for just $6. With your membership, you will receive one credit per month plus members-only discounts on all audio purchases. In almost all cases, one credit equals one audiobook. If you cancel your membership during the 6 months, any unused credits will expire. After the 6 months, your membership will automatically expire, but unused credits will not expire and will remain in your Audible.com account, subject to the terms of the Policy on Audible Content Plans. Limit one discounted membership per Kindle with Special Offers customer. You must have or open an account on Audible.com to participate. If you sign up for this discounted membership and are a current member of one of Audible's AudibleListener membership plans, your current Audible membership plan will terminate as of the date you sign up for the discounted membership. Any unused credits in your Audible account as of the date of termination will remain in your Audible account, subject to the terms of the Policy on Audible Content Plans. All discounted memberships are subject to the terms of the Policy on Audible Content Plans and the other terms on Audible.com.

So, just to recap, here are the steps:

1. Today (or tomorrow, at the latest): Click on the Special Offer on your Kindle and get an email with the Signup link
2. Today: Sign up for the Two Months Free at Audible trial offer.
3. Before June 24: Use up your two credits at Audible by purchasing two audiobooks.
4. Before June 24: After buying your two books, cancel your membership at Audible (click on Change Plan, Cancel Membership at bottom of page, then keep clicking until you get to a confirmation page.
5. Before June 24: After buying your two books, find the email from Amazon that you receive today and click the link to sign up for a 6 month membership at a total cost of $6.