Save up to $20 on Swimwear (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):

$10 for $30 of products in the Amazon Swim Shop (save up to $20)

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 June 17.

You'll get an email (right away), a link to Amazon Swim Shop and a promotion code to enter at checkout. Once you have the promotional code, you have until July 17 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).

Once again, this offer can be used more than once per accounts, so long as you have more than one KSO registered:

4. Limit one promotional code per device.

Just click on the ad on each device to receive the individual promotion codes via email.

I have to admit, I'm not big on buying a bathing suit via mail order. However, there are men's suits (where fit is more flexible than with women) and on the women's side I saw long sleeve shirts (for surfing, but wearable in winter while skiing or just under a sweater, just as easily) and cover-ups/swim dresses, in addition to suits of many, many styles (and prices).

Summer Kindle Sales Reminders

Just a reminder that today is the last day of the Amazon Sunshine Deals Sale. If you have any samples from the sale that you haven't read thru, you have until midnight Pacific time to do so (or just buy now and you'll have seven days to do a return, if needed).

Today is also the last day to take advantage of the KSO offer to Spend $5 on Kindle Singles and get a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card. I've already bought one at $1.99 (the Bittman title I mentioned in the post), so I might as well go ahead and buy a few more, since I'll get it all back as a credit on the account, at this point. My biggest problem is that I had already bought a few of the Singles, so now have to look a little deeper to see which ones I might want to read (there are new ones, though, including at least one new one today, so I should be able to find two or three).

For those in the UK, there is also a Summer Sale going on, which includes titles such as Robert Wilton's debut novel, The Emperor's Gold, for £1.00 (not available in the US). Most of the prices don't translate well for those in the US, but a many of the titles do seem to be marked down here, as well (for example, the two titles in the Cornelius Quaint Chronicles are $3.99 each, which means I can pick up the second in this series, as I got the first free in Feb '10). There are four titles in Ken McClure's Dr.Steven Dunbar Mystery series at $2.22 or less and another 17 by the same author at $5 ... cheaper than the UK prices, from what I can tell. David Ashton's Shadow of the Serpent is only $1.10 in the US and the next in the series, Fall from Grace, is only $2.22. Although it's not part of the sale, while looking at these books, I ran across The Innocent, by Vincent Zandri , for 99 cents. I don't like the cover much (too dark), but the reviews look promising.

Last, for those in the US, don't forget to enter the Amazon Father's Day Sweepstakes today, as one of the possible prizes is a $100 Amazon Gift Certificate.

Playstation 3 - $199

These may be gone in minutes, but you can get a Playstation 3, for watching blu-rays (including 3D) or playing games, for $199.99 in the Lightning Deals at Amazon right now.

Free Audiobook - Go the F--k to Sleep

You can get the unabridged edition of one of the odder kid's bedtime books I've seen, Go the F--k to Sleep [Unabridged], by Adam Mansbach, for free from Audible. It's definitely not the language you'll want your kids to hear at bedtime (ok, it's actually a MOCK bedtime story and for adults, not kids), but should be appreciated by those how struggle to get their little ones to sleep (including the 4-legged little ones; I have one now sitting with his head drooping, refusing to go to sleep in the other room, so long as I am also up and about -- at least he's now past the cranky/sleepy time of the evening where he is fighting to stay awake and is chewing everything in site).

Book Description
Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction) rocks this mock bedtime story, capturing a hilarious range of emotions as the voice of a father struggling to get his child to sleep.

Go the F**k to Sleep is a bedtime book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don't always send a toddler sailing blissfully off to dreamland. California Book Award-winning author Adam Mansbach's profane, affectionate, and radically honest verses perfectly capture the familiar - and unspoken - tribulations of putting your little angel down for the night. In the process, he opens up a conversation about parenting, granting us permission to admit our frustrations and laugh at their absurdity.

Beautiful, subversive, and pants-wettingly funny, Go the F**k to Sleep is a book for parents new, old, and expectant. Due to its explicit language, you probably should not play it for your children.

Go the F**k to Sleep is available free for a limited time. Feel free to share the link to this page with tired parents and other people who could use a good swear and a laugh.

Kindle WiFi $114

There is a very odd listing for the Amazon Kindle, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology in the Amazon store tonight. The price is $114, but there is no mention of Special Offers, no picture and no description. Rumor has it that it is a no-ad Kindle and the only thing missing is a power brick (so, it's likely an international Kindle; as that is the only difference between the US and non-US models). If you've been wanting that lower price, but no ads, it might be worth taking a chance and ordering it. You should get the same warranty as with a Kindle purchased on a regular order page. If it turns out to be an edition you don't want, you can always send it back.

Two Free Books and Three Free Songs

Update: 6/15/11 Ten Moments That Shook The Sports World is now free in the US Kindle store.

First, the nook only title from this morning, The Last Boy, is now free from both Amazon and Apple, both the same a/v enhanced titles that B&N will only let you see on the nookColor (Apple limits you to the iPad or iThing; Amazon's works on any Kindle device or app).

Second, Ten Moments That Shook The Sports World ($5.39 US), by Stan Isaacs, is free for UK and EU customers in the Kindle store. I expect the US to follow by tomorrow morning. (UK link/DE link)

Book Description
"The Shot Heard Round the World," in 1951. "The Fight of the Century," in 1971. The horror of the 1972 Munich Olympics. Secretariat's legendary win at the 1973 Belmont Stakes. Stan Isaacs saw them all live. Isaacs covered thousands of sports stories in his more than fifty years as a journalist. But ten moments stand out in his memory. Ten Moments That Shook the Sports World offers Isaacs's eyewitness accounts of the events that changed sports history. This collection offers those old enough to remember these events a chance to relive them, and younger sports lovers will get to hear this history from someone who was there. Isaacs makes sports history live again.

Last, but not least, zip over to the iTunes store to check out this week's free songs, which includes Forward to Love ($0.99 Amazon), by Ziggy Marley. This is a cut off of his newly released album, Wild And Free. Click HERE to get it free in iTunes.

Back in the Amazon store, Barry Manilow has a new album and a cut from it, Now It's For Real, is free to download, as is Coney Island Winter, by Garland Jeffreys. That's three songs and three completely different genres, so there should be at least one of interest in the bunch.

New Kindle Game - Futoshiki

Futoshiki ($0.99) is a new logic game for Kindle from Braintonik Games, the makers of Strimko. I have to admit I am a sucker for this type of game, so I've already downloaded it and played thru one game. It's a lot like Sudoku (but with a field of 5 or 7 and only one square), but with additional rules, where some blocks must be greater or lesser than the ones immediately adjacent to them. Definitely worth a buck and I've got 29 puzzles to go, just on the easy mode.

Book Description
Futoshiki is a Japanese number logic puzzle.

The rules of Futoshiki are deceptively simple but the game is challenging and addictive. Each row and column must be filled with unique numbers. However, Futoshiki has a twist. It adds greater-than or less-than signs between some cells. You must honor these signs in order to solve and complete the puzzles.

This collection of 120 puzzles is grouped into four different sets ranging from easy to expert. The grids are 5x5 in easy, medium, and hard modes. Expert mode holds thirty 7x7 puzzles. The game features annotations to help you keep track of possible solutions, and a hint function to help you keep playing if you get stuck.

Free Audiobook - The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

Tantor Audio has a new free download this month: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. They are also having a 50% off sale on their site to celebrate Audiobook Month -- to make things simple, they just marked down every title on the site, including the CD's (not just MP3 downloads) and pre-orders!

Book Description
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes are overshadowed by the event with which they close---the meeting of the great detective and Moriarty, the Napoleon of Crime. When "The Final Problem" was first published, the struggle between Holmes and his arch nemesis, seemingly to the death, left many readers desolate at the loss of Holmes, but it also led to his immortality as a literary figure. The stories that precede it included two narratives from Holmes himself---on a mutiny at sea and a treasure hunt in a Sussex country house---as well as a meeting with his brilliant brother Mycroft.

Included in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes are "Silver Blaze," "The Yellow Face," "The Stock-Broker's Clerk," "The 'Gloria Scott,'" "The Musgrave Ritual," "The Reigate Puzzle," "The Crooked Man," "The Resident Patient," "The Greek Interpreter," "The Naval Treaty," and "The Final Problem."

Click HERE to get the free download from Tantor. You'll need to log in before you see a download button; once you do, return to this same page and refresh - you should now see "CLICK HERE" where it did say "Log in to Download" (in red, above the title). You won't get the companion PDF ebook with the free download, but you can pick this classic book up free in the Kindle store (and elsewhere), if you like to read along.

Free Backlist Books

I've tracked down a few backlist titles that authors are now self-publishing, which are free in the Kindle store or elsewhere. The formatting isn't always up to professionally published standards, but at least you know that a publisher at one time thought these would sell to the mass market (and some did quite well in paperback).

Chasing Eden, by B.K. Sherer and Sharon Linnea, is the result of teaming up a mystery writer and an active duty US Army Chaplain. Good reviews in paperback, this is one that will definitely be in my TBR list.

Book Description
Modern-day Iraq: During a raging sandstorm in a war zone, army chaplain Jaime Richards is shocked to be reunited with her old friend Adara Dunbar--and devastated when, in the midst of an ambush, a black-robed man murders Adara in cold blood. But not before she delivers a final message to Jaime--one important enough to die for...and obviously to kill for. Why Adara? And how did her assassin know Jaime's name?

Jaime's quest for answers will lead her into danger beyond anything she's experienced on the battlefield. At an ancient site, she meets a stranger who reveals astounding truths about Adara's mission--and the war itself--that are impossible to ignore. For the roots of this war reach back to a time and place fixed in the history of civilization. Many have searched for the Garden of Eden before, because to find it is to unlock a power beyond human comprehension. Now, for Jaime, the chase is on--and the fate of the world hangs in the balance...

Through A Dark Mist ($2.99 Kindle), the first title in Marsha Canham's Robin Hood Trilogy, is free on Smashwords. Oddly enough, this title is not only in the Kindle store as a self-published book, but is also for sale from the publisher at a higher price.

Book Description
The author of The Blood of Roses presents the dark forests and royal intrigues of medieval England. En route to her wedding, Lady Servanne's party is attacked by notorious Black Wolf and his band. Her kingdom's future is changed forever when she and Black Wolf submit to their growing passion, and he claims to be the true heir to her future husband's title.

Marrying Miss Shylo ($2.99 Kindle), by Sharon Ihle, is also free on Smashwords. EPUB is the best choice there, as it's easily converted for the Kindle using Calibre (if you don't have Calibre, then grab the PDF or RTF (save it as DOC) to email to Amazon for conversion).

Book Description
PASSIONATE DECEPTION: Shylo McBride never thought her little fib about being related to the president would result in a proposal from Dimitri Adonis. He certainly was as stunningly handsome as his Greek god namesake, but Shylo had no real desire to marry—all she wanted was a ticket out west so she could find her mother.

Dimitri had his own less than noble motives for posing as a wealthy aristocrat and seducing an American debutante. While he and Shylo struggled with their tangled web of lies, they discovered that beneath their deceptions lay true love’s sweet embrace.

Letters from the Lost: A Memoir of Discovery (Our Lives: Diary, Memoir, and Letters) ($24.95 Paperback), by Helen Waldstein Wilkes, is free as an ebook, direct from from her publisher, in celebration of the book winning the Alberta Reader's Choice award. Once on their website, click on the 'ebook' tab, then 'download the entire book. It's in PDF format, but there is no DRM, so it's easily converted for the Kindle.

Book Description
On March 15, 1939, as Hitler's army rolled into Prague, Helen Waldstein's father snatched the last exit visa from a distracted clerk and fled with wife and child. Only letters from the rest of their family could follow as the Nazis closed in. Through the war years, letters kept coming to the southern Ontario farm where Helen's small family learned to speak English, to be Canadian farmers, and to forget they were Jewish.

Helen did not notice when the letters stopped coming, but they surfaced intermittently until she couldn't ignore them anymore. Reading the letters changed everything. As her past refused to keep silent, Helen followed the trail of letters back to Europe to find living witnesses of what the letters related. She has here interwoven their stories and her own in an engrossing narrative of suffering and rescue, survivor guilt and overcoming obstacles to intergenerational dialogue about a traumatic past.

Free Audiobook - Map of Bones

James Rollins just announced on his blog that you can get a free audiobook edition of Map of Bones ($8.99 Kindle), either as a direct download or on Audible or iTunes (where it will remain in your account), thru June 20. This is a promotion to garner interest in his newest book, The Devil Colony, which is being released next week. A special edition of Map of Bones was briefly free for the nook last summer and available as a $1.99 pre-order on Kindle, but those deals are now gone. If you are a big Rollins fan, be sure to check out Black Order with Bonus Material; it's currently only $1.99, includes an excerpt from The Devil Colony and I expect it to disappear from the Kindle store shortly.

Book Description
During a crowded service at a cathedral in Germany, armed intruders in monks' robes unleash a nightmare of blood and destruction. But the killers have not come for gold; they seek a more valuable prize: the bones of the Magi who once paid homage to a newborn savior . . . a treasure that could reshape the world.

With the Vatican in turmoil, SIGMA Force leaps into action. An elite team of scientific and Special Forces operatives under the command of Grayson Pierce and accompanied by Lieutenant Rachel Verona of Rome's carabinieri, they are pursuing a deadly mystery that weaves through sites of the Seven Wonders of the World and ends at the doorstep of an ancient, mystical, and terrifying secret order. For there are those with dark plans for the stolen sacred remains that will alter the future of humankind . . . when science and religion unite to unleash a horror not seen since the beginning of time.

Click HERE to get the audiobook from Audible.
Click HERE to get the audiobook from iTunes.
Click HERE to get the audiobook MP3 download; it's quite large, though, so there may be some delays in downloading it due to heavy traffic.

Get $50 off Strathwood patio furniture (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):

Get $50 off Strathwood patio furniture when you spend $100

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 Jun 13 (today).

You'll get an email (right away), a link to Strathwood furniture page and a promotion code to enter at checkout. Once you have the promotional code, you have until July 13 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).

The biggest problem I see with this coupon is that finding something that is only $100 (or so) won't be easy. I do see a Gibranta All-Weather Hardwood 2-Seater Bench for $129.99 and a Hardwood Chaise Lounge for $119.99, or I could combine Ryer 17-1/2-Inch Umbrella Base ($59.99) and the St. Thomas Aluminum Market Umbrella ($59.99) onto a single order to use the coupon (we can always use a bit more shade on the deck). Of course, I really like the St. Thomas Cast-Aluminum Round Table with Fire Pit, but it's still a bit pricey and I don't know how often we'd want to sit around the table and roast marshmallows.

I did find it interesting that this deal seems to clarify a question I've seen several times: what if you have more than one Kindle with Special Offers on your account? On the details page for the offer, I found this:

4. Limit one promotional code per device.

So, if you have more than one KSO, you can get this promotion once per device, it seems. Just click on each device to receive the individual promotion codes for each one.

Half Price Magazines

Amazon is having a half-price sale on magazine subscriptions (paper, not Kindle), just in time for Father's Day. I've already identified one that my Dad reads regularly, so may grab him an extension (and for only five bucks). I've copied a few covers, below, of the ones that grabbed my eye, but these are not the only ones in the sale.

Two Buck MP3 Albums

Update: 6/13/11 The Adagio album is still $1.99, but I expect it to change at any time, as Amazon announced it as a one-day deal.

Each of these albums at Amazon are just under two dollars, $1.99, for a limited time.

60 Essential Royal Wedding Classics, by the Royal Wedding Orchestra, is a bit late for the event and may or may not be the selections actually played at the wedding. Still, if you are wanting to give your own event a little more pomp and circumstance, this is the album for your.

Today only, download The 99 Most Essential Adagios at Amazon for only $1.99. This is another one of those mega sampler classical albums, put together by X5 Music and it's an awesome price on 11 hours, 40 minutes of music.

99 Must-Have Chillout Classics ($1.99) is a compilation from Cobra Entertainment LLC, giving X5 some competition in this area. This one is 7:17:15 in length, so it features shorter selections than the album above.

The Book Of Mormon ($1.99), the soundtrack of the musical from the creators of Southpark, features the original Broadway cast. Whether or not you are offended will no doubt depend on your religion (although at least one Latter Day Saint has weighed in via the comments and loves this album), but I have to say the tracks are a bit hilarious, although they also cover some very serious issues in Africa.

Free Audiobook - A Place of Healing

Christianaudio teamed up with David C Cook to give away an unabridged audiobook download of A Place of Healing ($13.19 Kindle), by Joni Eareckson Tada, for free during the month of June. You'll find two more of Tada's audiobooks, marked down to $4.98 each this month, as well as a free interview, at the bottom of the download page.

Book Description
In this eloquent account of her current struggle with physical pain, Joni Eareckson Tada offers her perspective on divine healing, God’s purposes, and what it means to live with joy.

Over four decades ago, a diving accident left Joni a quadriplegic. Today, she faces a new battle: unrelenting pain. The ongoing urgency of this season in her life has caused Joni to return to foundational questions about suffering and God’s will.

A Place of Healing is not an ivory-tower treatise on suffering. It’s an intimate look into the life of a mature woman of God. Whether readers are enduring physical pain, financial loss, or relational grief, Joni invites them to process their suffering with her. Together, they will navigate the distance between God’s magnificent yes and heartbreaking no—and find new hope for thriving in-between.

Get your free audio download HERE and scroll down the page for the discounted titles. The checkout process is very streamlined (a coupon code is no longer required), as isthe download process (no longer do you have to download each part of the book separately). You can also send a gift download of the free audiobook to someone else!

After you finishing your order, you download a zip file with the entire audiobook - select MP3 if you want to be able to play the book on your Kindle. Unzip the contents to the \audiobooks directory on your Kindle (not \music) in order to have audiobook controls and see it on your Kindle home page.

Free Book (iBooks) - Bobby Flay's Bold Flavors

Bobby Flay's Bold Flavors, by Bobby Flay, is free in the iBooks store. If you've upgraded to the latest version iTunes, you can even download this one directly from your desktop (no need to go search in iBooks on your iPhone); just click the title or cover, then click "View in iTunes", then on the FREE button in iTunes to grab the book. It isn't log, about 93 "pages", but the price is certainly right.

Book Description
Food Network superstar, restaurateur extraordinaire, and expert of all things grilled, Bobby Flay knows the key to mind-blowing food: flavor! Anyone can buy the finest cut of beef or find the ripest tomatoes, but if you don’t season them well—creating layers with freshly cracked black pepper and smoky paprika, or fresh citrus and spicy ginger—you’ll miss out on so much of what these great ingredients have to offer. In Bobby Flay’s Bold Flavors, Bobby shares twenty-five of his top recipes that will help you put an amazing dinner on the table any night of the week.

Known for his robust and vibrant dishes that make use of America’s best-loved foods, Bobby has built his career on strong, earthy, yet fresh flavors. Bobby Flay’s Bold Flavors has recipes for drinks and snacks, burgers, entrees, sides, and desserts that you can keep right at your fingertips as you shop for and plan your next cookout or get-together. Try Bobby’s Queso Fundido with Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette to start, then his famous Crunchburger, and Grilled Asparagus Panzanella for a casual meal, or Spanish Spice-Rubbed Steak with Sherry Vinegar Steak Sauce for an occasion. And no meal is complete without drinks—his Mesa Grill Margarita is pitch perfect—or dessert—Grilled Pineapple with Pound Cake and Rum-Caramel Sauce.

Explore cooking with crave-worthy ingredient combinations in Bobby Flay’s Bold Flavors, and never go back to bland weeknight chicken dishes again.

Free Book (nook) - Stupid History

Previously free back in November on Kindle (but now listed under a new ASIN), Stupid History: Tales of Stupidity, Strangeness, and Mythconceptions Throughout the Ages ($5.99 Kindle), by Leland Gregory, is now free from B&N.

Book Description
If it would shock you to learn that Benjamin Franklin didn't discover electricity, you'll appreciate this take on hundreds of historical legends and debacles. Historians and humorists alike may be surprised to learn that:

Samuel Prescott made the famous horseback ride into Concord, not Paul Revere. As a member of Parliament, Isaac Newton spoke only once. He asked for an open window. On April 24, 1898, Spain declared war on the U.S., thus starting the Spanish-American War. The U.S. declared war the very next day, but not wanting to be outdone, had the date on the declaration changed from April 25 to April 21.With these and many other stories, leading humorist Leland Gregory once again highlights both the strange and the funny side of humankind.

Click HERE for the free book from B&N.

25 Books for 25 Cents

Note: Just to clarify for those new to ebooks. Books with Adobe DRM will not work on Kindle. They will work on practically all other ereaders, your PC, iPad, iThing and most other smartphones.

Unbridled Books is having a big ebook sale and has 25 titles at 25 cents each (that's $6.25 total for those non-math majors amongst you), thru tomorrow (Jun 11). There are several interesting looking titles, so I'm going to grab them all, rather than miss a few because I wanted to look at samples first. The only "problem" is that they are Google EBooks, which means Adobe ADE DRM, plus you have to buy these from one of the bookstores that sells Google EBooks. Luckily, there is a list of independent booksellers that have started selling these (so that they can compete against the megastores with their own proprietary readers and DRM). None of the stores are in my state, though, so I picked the one in Palmer, Alaska. I have a friend that is moving back to that area (and his son is in the AK Highway Patrol), so there is a slight chance I'll manage to visit it in person, some day.

The process to get these into my cart was a bit tedious - I had to search for each one by title (the links below will take you to descriptions and reviews at Amazon) on the indie bookstore's website. For the store I picked, it always returned a paper book listing; I clicked for the Google eBooks listing instead, then added it to my cart. Repeat 24 more times, then click Checkout (verify your total is no more than $6.25 at this point). You then have to both create an account with the bookseller and link that account to your Google account; the steps to this vary by store, but you should be led thru the process after clicking on Checkout. Once this is done, you'll have to enter payment info (the store I picked was credit card only; some may accept PayPal, but I have no idea how to find one before checking out). Just a hint: be sure to create your account at the store and log in, before trying the checkout; my first try didn't work at all (even though I entered all the billing info) and I had to redo the checkout process after creating an account (everything stayed in my shopping cart, though, so I didn't have to do that part all over again).

The 25 book titles being offered are as follows:

Vanishing by Candida Lawrence
Shimmer by Eric Barnes
The Distance Between Us by Masha Hamilton
Wolf Point by Edward Falco
Small Acts of Sex and Electricity by Lisa Haines
The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish by Elise Blackwell
The Green Age of Asher Witherow by M. Allen Cunningham
Breath and Bones by Susann Cokal
Conscience Point by Erica Abeel
The Islands of Divine Music by John Addiego
The Wonder Singer by George Rabasa
Hick by Andrea Portes
The Phantom Limbs of the Rollow Sisters by Timothy Schaffert
Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same” by Mattox Roesch
The Evolution of Shadows by Jason Quinn Malott
The Good Doctor Guillotin by Marc Estrin
The Singer's Gun by Emily St. John Mandel
Captivity by Deborah Noyes
Taroko Gorge by Jacob Ritari
Rain Village by Carolyn Turgeon
Song of the Crow by Layne Maheu
The Pirate’s Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson ($0.25)
Panopticon by David Bajo
Stranger Here Below by Joyce Hinnefeld
The Journal of Antonio Montoya by Rick Collignon

Note that I am starting to see these drop in price to 25 cents at Amazon. Well, at least one has, so far! So, feel free to keep reporting the sale prices, as perhaps more of these will drop by tomorrow!

Smak-Dab Clips 50% Off

Smak-Dab Cover Secure Clip for the Kindle DX/2/3, normally $4.95, are half-price this weekend (thru Jun 12), in celebration of their one-year anniversary. I reviewed this a while back and gave some way, courtesy of the company. I keep one on every single Kindle that I have in a hinged cover (I prefer the side to the top, for position), so that it is anchored securely and there isn't any danger of bending the clips (or breaking one off, which would require the Kindle to be replaced, if you wanted to keep using a hinged cover with it). If you have free Prime shipping, you can just order one or two; if not, you can add a real book or another qualifying purchase to bump up to $25 for free Super-Saver shipping.

Book Description
DON'T LET YOUR AMAZON-BRANDED COVER BREAK YOUR KINDLE! No matter how careful you are, accidentally opening the back cover may crack the device, break the screen, or damage the cover by placing pressure on the spine hinge and Kindle. *It may be a friend or grandchild who picks up the Kindle and doesn't know which way to open it. *You're distracted when you grab it and inadvertently open it the wrong way. *The Kindle slips off your chair and makes a perfect landing between the Kindle and the cover's back jacket! *You repeatedly cram your Kindle with cover into a crowded backpack. *CRACK!* The damage may not happen "all-at-once". Often it occurs over time as a series of minor events with the stress weakening the plastic body of the Kindle or deforming the metal hinges of the cover. THE SMAK-DAB COVER SECURE CLIP (patent pending) is designed to secure the Kindle (DX, 2, or 3) to Amazon-branded covers which utilize the spine hinge (including the lighted cover). By firmly holding the back cover and the Kindle together, the cover secure clip keeps pressure off the spine hinge and the Kindle. No more accidental back cover openings and damaged Kindles and covers because of the spine hinge! Just clip it and forget it! FEATURES: The Smak-Dab Cover Secure has an exterior of non-marring thermoplastic polymer that protects the Kindle and the leather cover. Resilient stainless steel (encased in the polymer coating) maintains the clip's grip. The clip is sized so it cannot intrude upon the screen. When the clip is in place, all buttons and ports remain accessible. The clip adds no significant weight or bulkiness to the Kindle and cover. Complementing the style of the Kindle, the Smak-Dab Cover Secure comes in Briquette (Black) to match any cover color. Only one clip is needed to secure your cover, and one clip is included per package. KEEP YOUR COVER SECURELY ATTACHED TO YOUR KINDLE WITH THE SMAK-DAB COVER SECURE CLIP! "The Clip" for the Kindle! Your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Amazon's Father's Day Sweepstakes

I missed this one yesterday, but Amazon is having a Father's Day Sweepstakes. You need to enter every day and, today only, you can win a Kindle! All you have to do is visit the Father's Day Sale page and complete an online entry form for one of the Daily Prizes shown (and only one; you can only enter once a day). I'll put a link for the contest on the ad banner on the left, so we'll all be reminded to enter each day thru the 18th. Official rules, here.

There are some good deals on the page, such as the $20 off DEWALT tools special offer. What you may not have found is that there are extra deals for Amazon Moms; but, you don't have to be a Mom (or even in the program) to get the special prices. Included in their specials is a page of books that qualify for an extra 10% off with coupon code BOOK4DAD. I see two books about grilling, on hunting, fishing and foraging, two just on fishing and one book about survival, which should cover about every dad out there, when it comes to interacting with and finding his own food ... unless your's only hunts fast food. In that case, there is a book on Skills and Manners for the Modern Man or perhaps a book about Man's Best Friend (I'm considering
Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You A Better Friend to Your Pet myself, although in the Kindle edition, as we have a new addition to the house, who is now 10 weeks old and just starting with puppy training). If you Dad has a Kindle, of course, you can gift him a book from the the big Amazon Sunshine Deals sale, but you'll have to hurry - it ends this coming Wednesday! If you want to wait to give him the notice until the big day, send the gift using his name, but to your own email address. Then, forward the email to him late Saturday night, so it's in his email that morning (or load the book on his Kindle that night, if you share an account, as I do with my parents).

Amazon has also started their free overnight shipping in Electronics, for selected items, for those who wait until the very last minute to do their ordering (just a hint, though: even with overnight shipping, you generally can't get delivery on the weekends, so don't wait too long).

Bargain Price on The Clockwork Vampire Chronicles (Kindle)

Thanks guys, I fixed the link on this one.

If you read this morning's KindlePost, you saw the bargain price on Andy Remic's The Clockwork Vampire Chronicles: the first two in the series are marked down to $3.19 each. If you only need one of these to complete the trilogy, that's a good deal. But, here are Books on the Knob, we are all about getting the BEST deal! Some of you may, like me, have the first in this series already, as it was free on Kindle in Oct 2010. For the rest of you, grab a sample from one of the three volumes below, but then read all the way to the end of the post for the best possible deal.

Kell's Legend ($3.19)

Book Description
Ferocious fantasy from a real-life hardman come to claim the post-Gemmell world.

THEY CAME FROM THE NORTH AND THE CITY FELL.

It is a time for warriors, a time for heroes. Kell's axe howls out for blood. The land of Falanor has been invaded by an albino army, the Army of Iron. A small group set off to warn the king: Kell, a magnificent and brutal hero; his granddaughter, Nienna and her friend, Katrina; and Saark, the ex-Sword Champion of King Leanoric, disgraced after his affair with the Queen.

Fighting their way south, betrayal follows battle, battle follows deviation, and they are attacked from all quarters by deadly warriors, monstrous harvesters who drain blood from their victims to feed their masters. As Falanor comes under heavy attack and invasion, only then does Nienna begin to learn the truth about grandfather Kell -- that he is anything but a hero. Ferocious fantasy from a real-life hardman come to claim the post-Gemmell world.

Soul Stealers ($3.19)

Book Description
THE CLOCKWORK VAMPIRES THIRST FOR BLOOD-OIL. The land of Falanor has fallen. The renegade hero Kell is being hunted by the machine-vampires, the Vachine. On his way to recruit reinforcements to launch the counter-attack, the mighty hero finds himself the prey of two beautiful but deadly vampire assassins. Their bronze fangs are coming for him.

Vampire Warlords ($4.79)

Book Description
Legendary warrior Kell must choose to flee the conquered land of Falanor, or fight for its people. Even now it may be too late, that all is lost... for the Vachine invaders have called upon their ancient rulers, semi-immortal bloodsuckers who dwell on the edges between life and death. The vampire warlords have returned, and they will feed.

Ok, if you've read this far, then ancient military vampire fantasy is your type of book. But, you want to get the very best deal for your dollar, right? If so, then I've got the deal for you. Right now, you can pre-order The Clockwork Vampire Chronicles omnibus, containing all three volumes, for $3.59. The catch? It won't be published until Feb 28, 2012, so you'll have to wait nearly a year to read it. Of course, in the meantime, I'll bet you'll find plenty of free books here to keep you occupied. I do have to confess, though: I am not pre-ordering this one ... but only because I already have all three (the last two as review copies from Angry Robot). If I didn't, though, I'd have already snapped up this 832 page volume at that price.

Book Description
This volume contains all three books in the Clockwork Vampire Chronicles: Kell's Legend ~ Soul Stealers ~ Vampire Warlords

The land of Falanor is invaded by an albino army, the Army of Iron. A small group set off to warn the king: Kell, ancient hero; his granddaughter, Nienna and her friend, Katrina; and the ex-Sword Champion of King Leanoric, Saark, disgraced after his affair with the Queen.

Fighting their way south, betrayal follows battle follows deviation, and they are attacked from all quarters by deadly albino soldiers, monstrous harvesters who drain blood from their victims to feed their masters, and the twisted offspring of deviant vachine, the cankers. As Falanor comes under heavy attack and crushing invasion, only then does Nienna learn the truth about grandfather Kell - that he is anything but a noble hero, anything but a Legend.

Free Android Game and Three New Kindle Games

Today's free Android app is one that you'll want to grab, if you have any Android device so that you can (I've been told there is an Android emulator for the desktop that will allow you to get these, too, but I haven't tried it). At least one person has it running on his nookcolor (after jailbreaking) and I've just downloaded it to my phone (and played the first three levels). On the Kindle side, three new games, one of which is also a learning tool.

First up, the free game in the Amazon Appstore is the ad-free edition of Random Mahjong Pro (the Random means that game boards are randomly generated, so may not be always technically winnable; 50 preset boards are all winnable games).

Game Description
Just when you thought Mahjong had been covered, along comes a stylish new solitaire Mahjong game ready to take centre stage on the Android platform. Random Mahjong Pro looks incredible on tablets while still managing to stay visually sharp and play great on smartphones.

The game uses a unique, random-board generator. This means that every time you fire up your Android and start a game, a fresh challenge awaits. The levels can be as small as 32 tiles, or as large as 152 tiles. You can play a sequence of expanding boards (with Score, Levels and Lives), or use the random generator to build a custom level to fit your needs.

Tiles Ready!
With Random Mahjong Pro, you have full control over the look and feel of your games, whether you're a mahjong master or a someone that's brand new to the game. Choose to zoom in and scroll as much as you need during play and adjust the size and complexity of the levels. You can also look over the game guides and take a peek at the move hints option to bolster your learning during play.

For beginners there's the small, 32-tile level. For every level, there's a solution walkthrough corresponding with each board. The combination serves as a perfect teaching tool for the game's basic rules and logic, especially to anyone who has not played the solitaire or Shanghai variant of mahjong before.

On the Kindle, Pirate Stash ($1.99) is a new puzzle game from Amazon Digital Services. It's the first non-free game direct from Amazon and appears to be worth the two dollars being charged. there are 100 or so maps, each of which you play thru (but not much replayability). Of course, if you have more than one Kindle reader on your account, each person can download the game at no additional cost.

Game Description
Pirate Stash is a logic puzzle game that challenges you to hide all of your treasure chests on a deserted island.

X marks the spot as you push one or more treasure chests to be buried in designated hiding places. Maneuver your loot through a maze of obstacles, but be careful not to make the wrong move. You can only move one chest at a time and the chests cannot be pulled. When the treasure chests are all in place, you have solved the puzzle.

Your score for a puzzle is the number of times each chest is pushed, with a lower number of pushes being better. Achieve up to three stars on a puzzle. Gain one star for solving the puzzle, two stars for matching par for the puzzle, and three stars for a perfect score. Over 100 puzzles of increasing difficulty allow anyone, from beginners to experts, to challenge their minds. Can you beat them all?

If you like puzzle games, you'll love Pirate Stash!

Peg Solitaire ($0.99) is another puzzle game, this time from Nice Games. If you've ever played this at Cracker Barrel, while waiting in the endless line for a table (or for the food to arrive), then you know how it works. Big plus: you don't have to go to a noisy restaurant to play (or track down one of their boards, if that's where you currently are).

Game Description
Peg Solitaire is a collection of classic peg jumping puzzles.

The object of Peg Solitaire is to jump one peg over another, removing the jumped pegs until only one peg remains on the game board. You can choose from three difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, and Hard. Each difficulty level has nine different puzzles, for a total of 27 different puzzles. Easy puzzles are relatively simple and are a great introduction for new players. Hard puzzles on the other hand, can be very challenging and require some thinking and strategy to finish successfully.

Peg Solitaire also tracks how long it takes to solve each puzzle so you can try to beat your best times.

Spelling Star Spanish Edition ($2.99), by puzzle.tv, is played just like their well rated Spelling Star, just in Spanish, rather than English. I actually see two different markets for each game: first, those who are working on their written language skills for their native language (whether adults or children) and, second, for intermediate learners of a second language. If you are learning English or Spanish and the other is your native tongue, you're the perfect market for this company, as you may need both games.

Game Description
How good is your word knowledge? Find out by taking the Spelling Star Spanish Edition challenge and progress through 100 increasingly difficult levels to find out.

Spelling Star Spanish Edition features ten different game types using Spanish words including straight spelling; anagrams; misspellings; and noun, adjective and verb tests. Instructions can be shown in English or in Spanish to accommodate different fluency levels.

With thousands of words, ranging in difficulty from 'amor' to 'amodorrarse', Spelling Star Spanish Edition is suitable for all ages and abilities and adapts quickly to the proficiency of the user. The level at which you start is initially based on your age, and adjusts up or down according to your performance in the Main Challenge portion of the game.

Improve your Spanish spelling today with this entertaining game. Are you a Spelling Star?

Save 25% on Endless.com (KSO)

This offer is for those with the Kindle Wi-Fi with Special Offers or Kindle 3G 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):

Save 25% on Endless.com

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 June 9.

You'll get an email (right away), with a link to the Endless (an Amazon company) page and a promotion code to enter at checkout. Once you have the promotional code, you have until July 5 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. From what I can tell, this promotion isn't limited to a single item, but would apply to all items in your cart at the time of checkout. You may be able to use the code more than once (but, I would not count on that).

I generally don't shop for shoes online, but Endless also has handbags and watches, so may check out their sales this month. If you do buy shoes, you can return them if they don't fit (anytime within 365 days - a full year!), with free shipping on the return. Also, all NEW items ship to you overnight (free) and all others are shipped with 2nd Day shipping (also free). So, you won't have to wait long on any in-stock item to see if it fits (and return if it doesn't).

Free Book Updates (EPUB)

These are newly free from Kobo, catching up with other stores:

• Cotillion
• Seduced by the Wolf
• Outcast
• Allegra Biscotti Collection
• Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook
• Dating Mr. December
• The Strange Case of Finley Jayne
• L.A. Noire

Free Book (EPUB/nook) - Disturbed Earth

Update: Now free from B&N. Looks like a good one, so be sure to report the lower prices to Amazon.
Update: 6/10/11 Now free from Amazon!

Disturbed Earth ($9.99 Kindle), the fifth in the Artie Cohen Mystery series by Reggie Nadelson, is free in the Sony ebookstore.

Book Description
Winter 2003. Still reeling from 9/11, New York City is hit by the worst blizzard in years. On the verge of making peace with his own turbulent life, Artie Cohen-Reggie Nadelson's Russian-born, angst-ridden detective-is called to investigate a pile of blood-soaked children's clothes found on a Brooklyn beach. Artie is reluctantly drawn into a case that involves the death of one child, the strange disappearance of another, and growing anxiety about the fate of his own godson- all against the backdrop of a city already on edge. In his increasingly obsessive search for the missing child, Artie veers from posh parties on the Lower West Side of Manhattan to the remote coastal suburbs of Brooklyn, among the Russian community he thought he had left behind, only to discover truths that will haunt him in more ways than one.

Like Sara Paretsky in Chicago and George Pelecanos in Washington, D.C., Nadelson-a native New Yorker-captures the character of New York City and its outer boroughs. Disturbed Earth is both a riveting thriller and an insightful portrait of a post-9/11 New York.

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

Rice Krispies Now GLUTEN FREE!

I know a few of my readers are gluten free, like myself, and had to share the news. Kellogg's Rice Krispies are now not only whole grain brown rice, but are GLUTEN FREE! To introduce them, Amazon has a special sale on them, 10% off with coupon code GFRKMAYI. You can combine that code with Subscribe and Save for another 15% off, for a total of 25% off ($11.92, including shipping, for 4 12-oz boxes). I don't know if they'll make two options now or will switch over to only gluten free, as Chex has done (if they switch over, you'll have to watch closely in the store until the old stock runs out; make sure it says "Gluten Free" on the cover), but having this mainstream favorite back will be a big plus for many families (now you can easily make Rice Krispie Treats, as well as Chex Mix, gluten free).

Speaking of Chex, looks like you can get up to 30% off Chex Chocolate or Chex Honey Nut Cereal, by combining Subscribe and Save with coupon code JUNEBIGG this month!


Book Description
As the first crisped rice cereal, Kellogg’s® Rice Krispies® has been bringing families together in the kitchen for over 80 years. Whether it’s in a bowl with milk, or mixed into a ready-made snack, the magic and wonder of childhood can be found in every bite of the “cereal that talks.”

A gluten-free option with the same beloved sound
After hearing from so many gluten-free families, we’re happy to bring you Rice Krispies® Gluten Free cereal, made with brown rice. Now your kids can enjoy a bowlful for breakfast, and they won’t miss out on the timeless taste of homemade Rice Krispies Treats® marshmallow squares.

• Pack of four, 12-ounce, total of 48-ounce
• Kellogg's Rice Krispies Gluten Free Whole Grain Brown Rice Cereal 12 Ounce Box (Pack of 4)
• Toasted Brown Rice Cereal
• 100% Whole Grain; 31G Or More Per Serving.
• Gluten Free; Kosher

Book Review: Shadowmagic

When I bought Shadowmagic ($0.99), by John Lenahan, in October '09, I paid $3.40 and considered it a good bargain. At the current sale prices, you should grab this one and the newly released sequel Prince of Hazel and Oak (Shadowmagic Book 2) ($1.59), before the publisher (The Friday Project, an imprint of HarperCollins) decides to raise the prices. If you happen to have already purchased the sequel and got it when it too had the title "Shadowmagic", be sure to delete it and re-download so that you Kindle has the proper title (one of the few changes a publisher can make and you get an update just by redownloading).

When I saw the sequel was out (and the big price drop), I pulled out the first volume and read it thru in just three days (in between doing everything else). The paper edition says it is 288 pages, but they go by in a flash (unlike Lord of the Rings, which the synopsis compares it to). This is young adult fiction, but is entirely enjoyable by adults of any age; there is budding romance (but barely a kiss or two) and the story is told from the point of view of a teenage boy, who is getting ready to go to school, trying to find a good time to ask his dad for a bit more cash to take out a girl, when he answers the door ... only to have people on horseback try to kill him, a weird glow surround him and one of the attackers crumble to dust upon being unhorsed. His day only gets worse, but he quickly adapts to his new surroundings, after breaking free of his captors and finding himself not in the Real World, at all.

The action isn't non-stop (really, could anyone stand to read 200+ pages that were?), as, in addition to a bit of adventure, you get his reaction to the new land, descriptions of what he sees and finds and experiences, as he makes his way. Along that way, he first reacts without thinking, but gradually changes to reaction with forethought (well, as much as a teen can muster, at any rate), growing at least metaphorically during journey. As with most good teen fiction, good triumphs over evil, in the end (at least for the day), but there is also tragedy to provide a bittersweet tinge to the joy of the day.

At the end, you can see the hooks for a sequel are set, but the volume concludes well on it's own (no big cliffhangers to frustrate you if you do decide not to get the second title). For myself, though, I've put the sequel near the top of my TBR list (just as soon as I go thru the rest of the sale titles on the Kindle Sunshine Deals page, to see if there are any paperbacks I want to replace or any other series where I can fill in a missing title.

Book Description
A Lord of the Rings for the 21st century. Only a lot shorter. And funnier. And completely different.

Lord of the Rings for the 21st century. Only a lot shorter. And funnier. And completely different.Conor thought he was an average teenager. OK, so his father only had one hand, spoke to him in ancient languages and was a bit on the eccentric side but, other than that, life was fairly normal. Until, that is, two Celtic warriors on horseback and wearing full armour appear at his front door and try to kill him. After that, things get pretty weird.

Shadowmagic is a fantasy adventure for young adults (although grown ups will like it too). Written by one of the most popular magicians in the country it brings a fresh approach to the genre and will have a broad appeal beyond the fantasy sections.

Free Book (ADE/PDF) - The Lavender Scare

The University of Chicago Press' free book this month is The Lavender Scare: The Cold War Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government, by David K. Johnson. For those that don't want an ADE-DRM'd PDF, they also have the Kindle edition marked down to $1.99 (should be good all month).

Book Description
In Cold War America, Senator Joseph McCarthy enjoyed tremendous support in the fight against what he called atheistic communism. But that support stemmed less from his wild charges about communists than his more substantiated charges that “sex perverts” had infiltrated government agencies. Although now remembered as an attack on suspected disloyalty, McCarthyism introduced “moral values” into the American political arsenal. Warning of a spreading homosexual menace, McCarthy and his Republican allies learned how to win votes.

Winner of three book awards, The Lavender Scare masterfully traces the origins of contemporary sexual politics to Cold War hysteria over national security. Drawing on newly declassified documents and interviews with former government officials, historian David Johnson chronicles how the myth that homosexuals threatened national security determined government policy for decades, ruined thousands of lives, and pushed many to suicide. As Johnson shows, this myth not only outlived McCarthy but, by the 1960s, helped launch a new civil rights struggle.

Click HERE to sign up for the free book. You'll need to enter your email address, then check your email for the link to download the book. Mine arrived within seconds -- you get a .ACSM file, which, when opened, will load the PDF book inside of Adobe ADE. This is a DRM'd PDF and is not compatible with the Kindle.

Free Book (EPUB) - Jenny Lopez Has a Bad Week

Jenny Lopez Has a Bad Week ($2.60 Kindle), by Lindsey Kelk, is free from Kobo. This is a fairly short read (one commenter said it took about an hour), so no more than a novelette.

Book Description
Digital download exclusive story: if you love Lindsey Kelk, get your fix ahead of her new novel The Single Girl’s To-Do List.

Jenny Lopez is miserable. Having spent the summer working in LA, she’s back home in New York, and missing the three key elements in a girl’s life – a roommate, a job and a boyfriend. Jenny formulates a plan; surely someone must need a roommate and surely someone must need a girlfriend?By the end of the day, she has arranged a viewing for a potential roommate, the gay blond aka the Sex God,secured two dates, and work looking after a top supermodel. Things look like they are back on track; everything is going to work out great. If only life was so easy…

Click HERE to get the free book from Kobo.

20% off select HDTVs at Amazon.com (KSO)

This offer is for those with the Kindle Wi-Fi with Special Offers or Kindle 3G 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):

20% off select HDTVs at Amazon.com

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 June 5. You'll get an email (right away), a link to list of eligible TVs and a promotion code to enter at checkout. Once you have the promotional code, you have until Jul 9 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).

If you are already in the market for an HDTV (especially a 3D TV), then you want to grab one of the KSO's (and pay for overnight shipping, so you can get this offer before it's gone; with Prime, it's only $3.99 extra), even if you have to buy one from Target or Walmart (normally, I caution against buying a Kindle there, as the follow-up support if there is a problem can be abysmal in the stores and returns may have to go there first, rather than via Amazon). On some HDTV models, this works out to a $500 or more discount (including that stunning Samsung UN55D8000 model pictured above, that I've been watching in my cart for months; it also has another offer for a free set of movies, two additional glasses and a 3D blu-ray player for free, if ordered at the same time). The savings from this one offer will pay for your KSO (including shipping), a year of audiobooks and a great number of Kindle ebooks.

With this offer, it's been confirmed that those with the Kindle 3G with Special Offers get the same offers as those with the original Kindle Wi-Fi with Special Offers. That means that they have missed out on some of the early spectacular offers, but at least one of those is coming back around: $20 Gift Card for $10. Here's a list that Amazon has published, that will be available in the coming weeks:

• $10 for a $20 Amazon.com Gift Card - customers loved this offer, so we're making it available again in time for Father's Day
• Save up to $500 off Amazon's already low prices on HDTVs with a unique 20% discount on 200 HDTVs from brands including Sony, Panasonic, LG, and VIZIO
• $1 for a Kindle book, choose from thousands of books including Water for Elephants and the Hunger Games trilogy
• Spend $10 on Kindle books and get a free $10 Amazon.com Gift Card

If you aren't in the market for an HDTV, but do like audiobooks, stay tuned for another post, as I'll tell you how to get a KSO model for $100 off ($14 net for the WiFi only version), so that you can take advantage of these deals. That plus the other three announced deals would get you that KSO for free (and the net on the 3G version would drop to about $35).

Free/Bargain Book Update (Kindle)

Update: 6/3/11 Amazon has added Life's a Beach: Limited Edition, but is charging $1.59. Let them know about the lower prices and we'll see if it drops to zero!

Hybrid, by Brian O'Grady, published by FictionStudio, is free now free in the US Kindle store.

Book Description
A virus engineered for genocide has been released in Colorado Springs, leading to mass, and seemingly unexplained violence. Some of the survivors of the infection begin to evolve into something that is both less than and more than human. The race is on to prevent world-wide release of the virus.

Andrew Gross' The Blue Zone (with Bonus Material) is now 99 cents to pre-order in the Kindle store. Unfortunately for those who pre-ordered with B&N and want to switch to Kindle, there doesn't appear to be any method to cancel a pre-ordered nookbook in the B&N store. Then again, if you want it on Kindle badly enough, it's still under $2 to get it on both platforms.

Book Description
For a limited time, discover Andrew Gross's first stand alone novel, The Blue Zone, including an exclusive excerpt from his forthcoming book, Eyes Wide Open (Available July 21).

In The Blue Zone . . . Kate Raab's life seems almost perfect: her boyfriend, her job, her family . . . until her father runs into trouble with the law. His only recourse is to testify against his former accomplices in exchange for his family's placement in the Witness Protection Program. But one of them gets cold feet. In a flash, everything Kate can count on is gone.

Now, a year later, her worst fears have happened: Her father has disappeared—into what the WITSEC agency calls "the blue zone"—and someone close to him is found brutally murdered. With her family under surveillance, the FBI untrustworthy, and her father's menacing "friends" circling with increasing intensity, Kate sets off to find her father—and uncover the secrets someone will kill to keep buried.

Powerless: The Synthesis, by Jason Letts, is now free in the US. This one is self-published, but looks interesting and has a number of 4 and 5 star reviews.

Book Description
Mira Ipswich couldn't have ever known the startling difference that separates her from the rest of humanity. But when she discovers a strange anomaly in the midst of her seclusion, her parents are forced to reveal she exists in a world where everyone is imbued with a wondrous natural gift. Everyone except herself that is. Accompany Mira as her attempts to fit in among peers and understand her inconceivable condition embroil her with the dangerous forces threatening her homeland. Protected by nothing more than her imagination and ingenuity, she begins to explore the strange world around her she never knew was there.

The first book in the Powerless series is the tale of Mira’s turbulent and perilous entry into the world around her. And once she’s a part of it, nothing will ever be the same again.

Edited by Chuck Wightman, the story is already raking in the awards. It's won the Webb Weaver 2010 Writer's Competition, the judges proclaiming they were "entranced by the writer's ability to bring together this unlikely group of kids," and that the book could "be a hit in the YA book world." The story is a roller-coaster ride filled with lots to discover in an ever-expanding world, a set of diverse characters, and their deepest hopes and aspirations. If you like stories with plenty of dramatic twists and spirited intensity, it'll have you falling in love with a brand new series and begging for more!

Powerless: The Synthesis is approximately 89,000 words long. All five books in the Powerless series are now available on Amazon!

Andrew Gross Pre-Order 99 Cents (nook)

Update: 6/3/11 This is now 99 cents in the US Kindle store!

It isn't a part of Amazon's big Sunshine Deals sale, but Andrew Gross' The Blue Zone (with Bonus Material) has surfaced at B&N and Amazon as a pre-order. At B&N, the book is 99 cents (at least, for now), while at Amazon, the pre-order isn't available in the US, but is showing $3.19 in Canada and Australia and the price in both countries is often the same as for the US. Those who have both readers can take a chance it shows up in the Kindle store at 99 cents (or possibly free), or snap up the B&N edition immediately, before the price changes there. There is no guarantee it will be free (even the "free edition" of Guardian of Lies with Bonus Material, by Steve Martini, was never actually free ... and is now $1.99 and only for those in Canada and AU).

Book Description
For a limited time, discover Andrew Gross's first stand alone novel, The Blue Zone, including an exclusive excerpt from his forthcoming book, Eyes Wide Open (Available July 21).

In The Blue Zone . . . Kate Raab's life seems almost perfect: her boyfriend, her job, her family . . . until her father runs into trouble with the law. His only recourse is to testify against his former accomplices in exchange for his family's placement in the Witness Protection Program. But one of them gets cold feet. In a flash, everything Kate can count on is gone.

Now, a year later, her worst fears have happened: Her father has disappeared—into what the WITSEC agency calls "the blue zone"—and someone close to him is found brutally murdered. With her family under surveillance, the FBI untrustworthy, and her father's menacing "friends" circling with increasing intensity, Kate sets off to find her father—and uncover the secrets someone will kill to keep buried.

Click HERE to pre-order the book from B&N for 99 cents.