Bargain Book Roundup

Today's roundup will have links to the Kindle store, but I suspect a few of them will have matching prices elsewhere, such as Barnes & Noble or Kobo. Those that are pre-orders, though, you'll usually have to wait until release day to check.

Promised Land ($0.99), by Robert B. Parker, appears to be a price drop in reaction to a special being run at Copia Books. That means the price could change back at any time or stay that way for weeks. Great price, though, for a good author.

Book Description
Spenser is back. The fourth novel featuring the wisecracking boxer-turned private-detective finds him investigating a marriage in turmoil, a shady business deal, a nefarious loan shark and, of course, a murder. The real charm of the book, however, is Spenser himself, his inimitable wit, his keen grasp of human nature, his love of food and good beer, and his reluctant but capable fists.

Nut, Egg, and Dairy-Free Sweets for the Classroom ($0.99), by Lori Sandler, is a mini-cookbook taken from her larger text, The Divvies Bakery Cookbook: No Nuts. No Eggs. No Dairy. Just Delicious!. It's available now and a second mini-book, Nut, Egg, and Dairy-Free Sweets for Birthdays ($0.99), is available for pre-order. Between the two, they may have all the recipes you need for baking occasions and the total is $11 less than the full book.

Book Description
This mini cookbook is filled with an assortment of delicious recipes from Lori Sandler of DIVVIES BAKERY that are not only perfect for taking to school and sharing with friends but also are free of the four major food allergens – peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, and eggs (all vegan!). What ingredients are left out have been replaced by double dollops of the good and the gooey – like chocolate, oatmeal, and molasses, – making the confections not only safe to eat, but absolutely delicious for everyone, even those without food allergies.

Divvies, an irresistible “fun-foods” company devoted to baking safe-to-eat, tasty treats for people with life-threatening food allergies, has been featured on Good Morning America and The Martha Stewart Show, as well as in the New York Times, New York Post, Gourmet Magazine, Vogue, Everyday with Rachel Ray, Daily Candy, and Urban Baby. All of their products are made in a dedicated facility where no nuts, eggs, milk, or ingredients that may have been exposed to these allergens are allowed in the door.

Soups, Salads, and Sandwiches Your Family Will Love for $5 or Less ($0.99), by Erin Chase, is another mini-cookbook, this one taken from The $5 Dinner Mom Breakfast and Lunch Cookbook: 200 Recipes for Quick, Delicious, and Nourishing Meals That Are Easy on the Budget and a Snap to Prepare.

Book Description
The $5 Dollar Dinner Mom—savings guru, savvy supermarket shopper, and mommy extraordinaire Erin Chase of www.5dollardinners.com —shares favorite recipes for sandwiches, soups, quiches and salads that use her fool proof system for cutting your weekly food budget and putting a healthy and delicious $5 meal on the table for your family. With the help of Erin, you can create delicious meals for less than $5 that are easy and kid-friendly too!

The Six O'Clock Scramble: Dinner in 20 Minutes or Less ($0.99), by Aviva Goldfarb, a mini-cookbook taken from SOS! The Six O'Clock Scramble to the Rescue: Earth-Friendly, Kid-Pleasing Dinners for Busy Families, is available for pre-order.

Book Description
Dinner with kids shouldn’t be a battleground. And it shouldn’t make a martyr out of the parent whose job it is to get it on the table fast, fresh and hot every day at 6 PM. Aviva Goldfarb’s cheerful Scramble system takes the hassle, stress and worry out of mealtime. Now, with The Six O’Clock Scramble: Dinner in 20 Minutes or Less, Goldfarb is taking an extra of-the-moment stress away from meal planning for busy families: concern about the environment, about the cost of shipping out-of-season food halfway around the world, about packaging, about additives and preservatives.

In SOS! The Six O'Clock Scramble to the Rescue, readers will recipes that:

• help readers eat seasonally without missing their favorite foods
• move toward a slightly more vegetarian menu for health and a lighter environmental footprint
• save money through easy, efficient planning, bulk buying, freezing and storing, and avoiding waste
• and much more!

Executive Lunch ($0.99), the first in the Sedona O'Hala Mystery series from Maria E. Schneider, is marked down to this special price for the weekend, only, if the price lasts that long (she's changing it tomorrow morning and it usually takes a couple of days to update, but could do so at any time after that.

Book Description
Sedona is given the opportunity of a lifetime: play an up-and-coming executive with all the trappings of wealth with someone else footing the bill. The catch: find out who is stealing company funds before the criminals find out that their program is being debugged.

Sedona runs into danger, the corporate glass ceiling, and an occasional chance at romance in her quest to figure out who is stealing money from Strandfrost. Unfortunately, Sedona is better at writing computer code than deciphering political vitriol, and if she doesn’t find a way to wade through the red tape and red herrings, she could lose both her job and her quarry!

Captured by the Highlander ($2.99), by Julianne MacLean, is currently being discounted by Macmillan, to get you hooked on the series before Seduced by the Highlander is released this October.

Book Description
Lady Amelia Sutherland would rather die than surrender to a man like Duncan MacLean. He is the fiercest warrior of his clan—her people’s sworn enemy—and tonight he is standing over her bed. Eyes blazing, muscles taut, and battle axe gleaming, MacLean has come to kill Amelia’s fiancé. But once he sees the lovely, innocent Amelia, he decides to take her instead…

Stealing the young bride-to-be is the perfect revenge against the man who murdered Duncan’s one true love. But Lady Amelia turns out to be more than a pawn of vengeance and war. This brave, beautiful woman touches something deep in Duncan’s soul that is even more powerful than a warrior’s fury. But when Amelia begins to fall in love with her captor—and surrenders in his arms—the real battle begins…

Taken by the Cowboy ($0.99), by Julianne MacLean, looks to be a backlist title from the same author as the one above, but she's self-published it and has it marked way, way down.

Book Description
HERO AND PROTECTOR
Former bounty hunter, expert gunslinger, and the toughest sheriff Dodge City has ever known, Truman Wade is a real man from the tip of his black Stetson right down to his spurs and leather boots. He’s never met his match in a gunfight, but he’s never met a gorgeous, gutsy woman from the twenty-first century either…

TORN BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
Newly single after a rocky breakup with her self-absorbed fiancé, newspaper columnist Jessica Delaney crashes her car in a lightning storm and soon finds herself dodging bullets in the Wild West. Before the night is out, she’s tossed in jail for a murder she didn’t commit, and if things don’t seem complicated enough, the impossibly handsome sheriff in charge of her arrest has danger written all over him - and a sexy swagger to die for. Jessica knows she needs to get home, but when Sheriff Wade’s enticing touch sets her passions on fire, she begins to wonder if fate has other plans for her, and soon she must choose between the life she longs for in the future… and the greatest love she’s ever known.

The Samurai's Wife ($2.99), the fifth in the Sano Ichiro Mysteries series by Laura Joh Rowland, is being discounted by Macmillan. Sure enough, a bit of poking around found a new title in the series, The Ronin's Mistress:, to be released in September.

Book Description
Far from the Shogun's court at Edo, Most Honorable Investigator Sano Ichiro begins the most challenging case of his career. Upon the insistence of his strong-willed and beautiful wife Reiko, Sano arrives with her at the emperor's palace to unmask the murderer--who possesses the secret of kiai, "the spirit city," a powerful scream that can kill instantly. A high Kyoto official is the victim. Treading carefully through a web of spies, political intrigue, forbidden passions, and intricate plots, Sano and Reiko must struggle to stay ahead of the palace storm--and outwit a cunning killer. But as they soon discover, solving the case means more than their survival. For if they fail, Japan could be consumed in the bloodiest war it has ever seen...

A legendary land comes alive in this compelling murder mystery set in seventeenth-century Japan. Filled with finely drawn characters and suspenseful plot twists, The Samurai's Wife is a novel as complex, vivid, and artful as the glorious, lost world it portrays.

Dying Bites ($2.99), the first in the Bloodhound Files series by DD Barant, is being discounted to get you ready for the upcoming volume Better Off Undead (which, so far, can only be pre-ordered in a paper edition). It has good reviews and looks like my kind of book, so I've sent a sample to my Kindle, already.

Book Description
Her job description is the “tracking and apprehension of mentally-fractured killers.” What this really means in FBI profiler Jace Valchek’s brave new world—one in which only one percent of the population is human—is that a woman’s work is never done. And real is getting stranger every day…

Jace has been ripped from her reality by David Cassius, the vampire head of the NSA. He knows that she’s the best there in the business, and David needs her help in solving a series of gruesome murders of vampires and werewolves. David’s world—one that also includes lycanthropes and golems—is one with little knowledge of mental illness. An insane serial killer is a threat the NSA has no experience with. But Jace does. Stranded in a reality where Bela Lugosi is a bigger box office draw than Bruce Willis and every full moon is Mardi Gras, Jace must now hunt down a fellow human before he brings the entire planet to the brink of madness. Or she may never see her own world again…

Winter and Night ($2.99), by S. J. Rozan, is one I've already bought (the sample definitely had me hooked).

Book Description
From the critically acclaimed, award-winning S. J. Rozan comes her finest novel to date - an explosive novel about the corrosive power of secrets and corruption in a small town.

In the middle of the night, private investigator Bill Smith is awakened by a call from the NYPD. They're holding a 15-year-old kid named Gary -- a kid Bill knows. But before Bill can find out what is going on, Gary escapes Bill's custody into the dark night and unfamiliar streets. Bill, with the help of his partner Lydia Chin, tries to find the missing teen and uncover what it is that led him so far from home. Tracking Gary's family to a small town in New Jersey, Bill finds himself in a town where nothing matters but high school football, where the secrets of the past - both the town's and Bill's own - threaten to destroy the present. And if Bill is to have any chance of saving Gary and preventing a tragedy, he has to both unravel a long buried crime and confront the darkness of his own past.

Borrowed Time and Blind Faith (both $0.99), by USA Today Bestseller CJ Lyons, are both marked down for a limited time (although I don't see an end date specified).

Borrowed Time
Pittsburgh Police Officer Kate O'Hern is on the trail of a killer targeting cops. Only problem, he's already killed her once...

Trauma surgeon Joshua Lightner saved Kate's life, only to have her awaken suffering from an unexpected side effect: visons of other people's deaths. As a doctor, he refuses to believe in "psychic mumbo-jumbo" but as a man, he can't deny his feelings for Kate.

When the killer targets them both, are they living on BORROWED TIME?

Blind Faith
When her husband and son are murdered, she thought she'd lost it all. But for Sarah Durandt the nightmare is just beginning...

Sarah has just witnessed the execution of the man who confessed to killing her husband and son, among others. She leaves with no closure as the killer has refused her repeated requests to reveal the site of her family's graves. Sarah returns home to her small town of Hopewell in the Adirondacks Mountains and vows to search until she finds Sam and Josh.

Her hunt leads her to a trail of lies and unearths a new killer. In a race to save everything she holds dear, Sarah is forced to place her faith in the man who betrayed her...her husband.

Today's Deals

Kobo has a few new coupon codes for non-Agency titles: aug25ca1, aug25us1, aug25au1 and aug25row1 ($1.00 off, each) and Borders20 and save20offer (20% off). All are one-time use only. It looks like the Georgette Heyer books are still $1.99 there, which means you can pick several of them up for 99 cents each, using these coupon codes.

Wonder EBooks has a 40% off discount code for the rest of the month, MURDER40OFF, on their mystery and science fiction titles. I haven't shopped there and it's all vintage titles, so I don't know if there is DRM (or if it's all public domain stuff you can get elsewhere).

Elizabeth Street ($1.99), by Laurie Fabiano, is today's Kindle Deal of the Day.

Book Description
Based on true events, ELIZABETH STREET is a multigenerational saga that opens in an Italian village in the 1900's, and crosses the ocean to New York's Lower East Side. At the heart of the novel is Giovanna, whose family is targeted by the notorious Black Hand -the precursor to the Mafia. Elizabeth Street brings to light a period in history when Italian immigrant neighborhoods lived in fear of Black Hand extortion and violence-a reality that defies the romanticized depiction of the Mafia. Here, the author reveals the merciless terror of the Black Hand-and the impact their crimes had on her family. Giovanna is based on Fabiano's great-grandmother, and the book's heroes and villains - such as Lieutenant Petrosino, the crusading cop and "Lupo the Wolf," a cold-blooded criminal - are drawn from real life in this thrilling tale. While set in a dynamic historical context, Elizabeth Street is, above all, the dramatic story of the heroine, Giovanna, and how she triumphed over tragedy.

The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream, by Paulo Coelho, narrated by Jeremy Irons, is today's $7.95 audiobook at Audible.

Book Description
Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its simplicity and wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an Alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a meditation on the treasures found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is art eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

Today's Deals

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void ($8.24 Kindle), by Mary Roach, narrated by Sandra Burr, is today's $7.95 book at Audible. If you watch Eureka and saw the recent episode about the isolation chamber and the origami cranes, you'll find out how that is a mere shadow of the actual candidate selection process in Japan, amongst other behind-the-scenes trivia (Canada? They practice high altitude jumps from a burning space capsule, while China disqualifies candidates with bad breath).

Book Description
“America’s funniest science writer” (Washington Post) returns to explore the irresistibly strange universe of life without gravity in this New York Times bestseller.

Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can’t walk for a year? have sex? smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour? To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations. As Mary Roach discovers, it’s possible to preview space without ever leaving Earth. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA’s new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), Roach takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.

If you are not an Audible member, you might be interested in the two-book trial membership that has joined the ads on my KSO today. It isn't a KSO offer, though, as it is open to anyone with an Amazon account (making today perhaps the first without two new offers on the 4-day schedule that Amazon has been following). You tie together your Audible and Amazon logins, so that your Audible books can be seen in the archives on any WiFi enabled Kindle (and sent to one directly from your Audible library, as well, eliminating the need to find the USB cable). With the trial, you can get your two books and participate in the New Day, New Deal sale this month and still cancel before the trial is over, with no additional charges or obligation.

Fine print: This offer is available only to new customers who have never joined an AudibleListener membership plan, or who have never participated in a free trial or handheld device offer.

Water for Elephants ($2.99), by Sara Gruen, is today's Kindle Deal of the Day.

Book Description
An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of Riding Lessons.

When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.

Beautifully written, Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.

Save $20 on coffee & tea essentials (KSO)

This offer is only for those with a Kindle with Special Offers:

Save $20 on a $50 purchase of coffee & tea essentials at Amazon.com

Click on offer, then click on the link on the offer page to receive an email with the promotion code. Sign-up for this offer expires on August 28.

You'll get an email (right away), a link to the Special Offer page and a promotion code to enter at checkout. Once you have the promotional code, you have until September 28 to complete your purchase. 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).

This offer can be used more than once per account, so long as you have more than one KSO registered. Just click on the ad on each device to receive the individual promotion codes via email.

When I first saw this offer, I first thought "ooh, we can always use more coffee", then I saw the word "essentials". My next thought - "how did Amazon know we were talking about getting a new, glass French Press?' Alas, neither is on this sale. Instead, there are dozens of items, from gorgeous to whimsical: coffee servers (some porcelain, some silver and goofy red tower that includes the cups), tea pots, cups, thermoses, travel mugs, cream and sugar sets, glassware and a lot of stuff that isn't "coffee" related, at all - cake stands, serving platters, knife sets, cutting boards, etc. There is one french press, but it's a travel mug version (and I actually have one of those, already). I don't doubt I'll find a few things there I might like; for those starting out, though, there are several essentials that would work well, so be sure to check out the list if you have any graduation or newlywed gifts on the horizon. I noticed a few of the items also qualify for a 4-for-3 promotion, so you may be able to double up on that with this offer, as well (I saw one Tea For One Set (a pot/cup single serving combo) on this offer, for example, that worked out to getting four of the item for the cost of about 2; or you could get three of them and the discount and pick any item on the 4-for-3 promotion as the "free" item).

Free and Bargain Book Updates

The $7.95 audiobook at Audible today is Watership Down, by Richard Adams, narrated by Ralph Cosham. It looks like we can access the previous books for at least a couple of days (maybe even throughout the sale).

Some updates on free books:

• The Promise, by Robert J. Morgan, is now free in the Kindle store (and from iBooks, as well).
• Whispers in the Sand, by Barbara Erskine, is no longer free from B&N and isn't likely to drop at Amazon.
• Both Itsy Bitsy, by Swedish author John Ajvide Lindqvist, and The Lake, by Tananarive Due, are now free from B&N, making all three three short stories in this post available both there and from Kindle.

New Kindle Games - Diamond Crosswords

If there is one thing readers like in a game, it seems to be more words! Puzux, maker of Diamond Crosswords - 50 Easy Puzzles, has expanded this line of crosswords and added three new selections:

• Diamond Crosswords - 200 Easy Puzzles
• Diamond Crosswords - 50 Challenging Puzzles
• Diamond Crosswords - 200 Challenging Puzzles

Game Description
Diamond Crosswords, is a unique twist on the classic crossword puzzle.

Diamond Crosswords combines the fun of classic crossword puzzles with a unique, diamond-shape design. Each puzzle is smaller than a traditional crossword and features everyday vocabulary words. You can navigate clues and change the solving direction - Across or Down - using quick keyboard shortcuts, and an indicator will always show you which clue you're working on and in what direction. You can also zoom in or out to increase or decrease the puzzle grid size to fit your preference, as well as check for errors, reveal a letter, or get a puzzle completely solved if you're stuck. Designed by professional puzzle writers and developers Myles Mellor, Bob Williams, and David L. Hoyt, Diamond Crosswords is sure to be enjoyed by crossword lovers.

Try Diamond Crosswords on Kindle today!

As with all Active Content, these are restricted from export, so only available to US Kindle customers.

New Kindle App - Doodle for Kindle

Doodle for Kindle, a line drawing app from 16 Hands, really seems to be pushing the envelope, as far as possibility with the Kindle hardware. Essentially, they've given us an etch-a-sketch app on Kindle and I suspect most of us will be hard pressed to draw anything that is easily recognizable, while the artists amongst us will create breathtaking images that the rest of us can't imagine how they achieved. Unlike that etch-a-sketch, though, you can save your masterpieces. It looks like it might be a good time filler for kids (assuming you let your kids play with your Kindle, especially an app that uses the five-way extensively) and I suspect it won't be long before some enterprising groups start using it as a bar game or during charades. Amazingly, it has all 5-star reviews, so far, and I have to wonder if it will work even better on any new Kindle hardware that might be released later this year (rumors abound of a touch screen version of the Kindle).

App Description
A great drawing tool for kids, Doodle makes creating line art easy and fun.

We know how much kids like to take a break and draw every once in a while, and Doodle for Kindle helps kids create line drawings as simple or as complex as their imagination allows. Your kids can use the 5-way or keyboard to start drawing on Kindle right away, and they can use drawing features that include a press-and-hold to draw mode, a continuous mode in which they can press once to start drawing, and press again to stop, or use a step mode which lets them draw short, precise segments with each press. It's easy for them to change segment lengths, save their drawings, change drawing speeds, and choose between black on white drawings or white on black drawings.

Doodle comes with drawing samples that include an elegant swan, the Mona Lisa, a mouse, and the Seattle skyline. Don't worry about the samples being drawn over. Your child can save the drawings with their changes or reset them back to their original state.

Have fun watching your kids create their own works of art, or even enjoy the fun of doodling on Kindle yourself! Get Doodle today.

Kindle Game Sale - Learning Games for 99 Cents

As part of a back-to-school sale, it seems, Amazon has teamed up with several of the Kindle Game developers to bring you an even dozen learning games at a sale price of 99 cents (thru Aug 29). At these prices, I've picked a few that I had resisted earlier.

1. Scripps Spelling Bee: Word Games, by THQ
2. Math Star, by puzzle.tv
3. Spelling Star, by puzzle.tv
4. Spelling Star Spanish Edition, by puzzle.tv
5. Ultimate Math Skills Quiz, by HandyX
6. Ultimate Shakespeare Quiz, by HandyX
7. Letter Lander, by Gameblend Studios
8. Flash Cards: Basic Math for Kids, by Digi Ronin Games
9. Flash Cards: Fractions for Kids, by Digi Ronin Games
10. Flash Cards: Animals for Kids, by Digi Ronin Games
11. Flash Cards: Alphabet and Spelling for Kids, by Digi Ronin Games
12. Flash Cards: Foods for Kids, by Digi Ronin Games

Return of the Kindle Deal of the Day

Amazon had resurrected the Kindle Deal of the Day and hopefully this time it will last longer than it did before (it was only around a couple of weeks, if I recall correctly). Each day they will feature a different book at a substantial discount. Kicking off the feature is a book for middle-grade readers, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane ($1.39), by Kate DiCamillo and Bagram Ibatoulline (Illustrator). I don't know about calling the pictures stunning on the eInk screen of the Kindle, but they are readable.

Book Description
Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who adored him completely. And then, one day, he was lost... Kate DiCamillo takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis. Along the way, we are shown a miracle--that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again.

THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE is a timeless story told by Newbery-Award winning author Kate DiCamillo. Stunning full-color plates by fine artist Bagram Ibatoulline complement this powerful story about the enduring power of love.

Free Kindle Game - Jigsaw Words

Jigsaw Words, a new Kindle game from Amazon Digital Services, is free for those in the US (for those outside the US, Kindle games still can't be exported).

Game Description
Jigsaw Words is a word game that challenges you to combine groups of letters into words that match the clues given.

In each Jigsaw Words puzzle, you start with a set of 10 clues. You also have a set of randomly arranged puzzle pieces with letters on them. Your goal is to solve the clues in the puzzle by arranging the puzzle pieces so that the letters form the word that matches each clue. Start with the easiest clues first. As you use each puzzle piece, it is removed from play, making it easier to find the more difficult matches. You can also shuffle the grid of puzzle pieces at any time for a different perspective.

Jigsaw Words has 100 puzzles and each puzzle has 10 clues to solve. The puzzles are organized into 10 themed categories like Holidays and Animals, and you can use the theme to help you solve the clues.

If you enjoy working with words and patterns, try Jigsaw Words and test your ability to build words today!

Three Albums at 3 Bucks (and one free)

I've been trolling around the Amazon MP3 store today, trying to decide what to spend my $10 MP3 credit on and ran into three new (to me, anyway) albums at $2.99 each (all classical and produced by Cobra Entertainment):

• 99 Must-Have Piano Masterpieces
• Sweet Dreams: Baby's First Classics & Lullabys
• 66 Must-Have Sensual Classics

I really love the cover on the last one of the group.


If I do get these three, that'll leave just enough to pick up Bob Marley's High Tide Or Low Tide: Save The Children's East Africa Fund [+Video], proceeds of which go to the named fund. You can also get the single, without the video, but since they are the same price, you might as well get the full album.

I also chanced up on this new, free album: Dancehall & Reggae Top Ten, from Tad's Record, who, I'll admit, I've never heard of, although I have heard of some of the artists on the album. It's a strange mix of Carribean and Reggae dance/club music, but it mostly works (and, hey, it's free!). The label guys apparently can't count either, as this top 10 album contains 12 songs....

Random Notes

Today's the last day to take advantage of the Get $25 Gift Card with Android Phones and Save $20 on Beauty products KSO offers. The latter includes everything from hair driers to shampoo, not just makeup and lotions.

Today's Audible New Day/New Deal book is Ice Limit, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, narrated by Scott Brick, for $7.95. It looks like you can still get yesterday's book, Life of Pi, at the sale price, as well.

Don't forget to check AudioGO each weekday for a free comedy audiobook.

Fictionwise has another 60% off coupon code, 081911. Technically it has expired, but is still working today (and is likely to expire early tomorrow). The multiformat books can be used on any reader and I added the latest edition of several magazines to my library with this code. Their DRM'd books are for the nook or one of their ereader apps only, but are a good source for those who like Harlequin, as they continue to add dozens of books each week.

Ellora's Cave is having a huge sale and nearly 500 titles are priced at $1.49 over at Amazon (two at 99 cents). While those two dollar books are matched over at B&N (A Hero's Welcome and Dyad Dreams), the rest are not, such as these backlist titles from Roberta Gellis. You can also shop the Values from the Vault sale at Ellora's Cave, directly, where there are now about 102 pages of sale books (and some of those Roberta Gellis books are only 99 cents).

If you are in the UK, Mills & Boon is having a sale and you can use coupon code 30AUG to get 30% off you order, thru Aug 30.

Kobo still has a few coupon codes going for non-Agency titles: JUNE20OFF (20% off), Kobodollaroff ($1.00 off), aug25ca1, aug25us1, aug25au1 and aug25row1($1.00 off, each), GIFTREAD (25% off), save20offer (20% off - One time use), Welcome20 (20% off - One time use), FirstRead (35% off - One time use), DIAMOND (Free book - Diamondhead by Patrick Robinson). All but the first are one-time only use codes.

Allromance eBooks is giving a 30% rebate on all books from Samhain Publishing (they were doing a discount, but had to stop, as this is an Agency publisher -- don't know how they can go rebates on the and the other stores can't, though) and a 50% rebate on titles from Ellora's Cave (including some titles not on the other EC sale). That makes those $1.50 titles at Amazon only 74 cents after rebate (you can buy a few, then use the rebate amount to buy a few more, from what I can tell). They also have a deal to get you to open an ARe Cafe account, where if you "import" your library (so you can share it with others in the forum), they will give you a 50% rebate on your next purchase (presumably excluding Samhain titles in this one).

If you grew up reading Diane Duane's Young Wizards series (or just want to discover it now; it's a young adult fantasy series that pre-dates Harry Potter), she has a bundle of all nine books on her web site (in either EPUB, Mobi or both formats ... although why anyone wouldn't choose to get both formats is a bit of a mystery) for $39.99. Add in discount code BUNDLE for another 20% off, which works out to $3.56 per book (may only work if you choose the bundle with both formats). You don't enter the code until after the payment info, so keep going past the PayPal login screens and when you return back to the website you can enter the code. It's confusing enough, though, that she set up a help page to show you how it works. These are the original editions; she is going to update some of them (at least the first four) for a post-Harry Potter audience and those will be released starting in September; while you are there, you might as well also pick up the free short story and novella not from this series). After you order, you'll need to wait for three emails, one of which will contain your download link (and which can only be used 10 times). There, each book is downloaded separately (once per format), rather than in one large zip file.

Free Book (nook) - Whispers in the Sand

Update: 8/24/11 No longer free from B&N.

Whispers in the Sand ($9.99 Kindle), by Barbara Erskine, is free in the Barnes & Noble store tonight, courtesy of Sourcebooks. Their free books generally work their way around to the Kindle store, eventually, but I'm reporting the price to Amazon (and grabbing the nook version, just in case). Most likely, you already have her Lady of Hay in your library, as it was free for both Kindle and nook in July.

Book Description
Past and present collide in richly mysterious Egypt, where recently divorced Anna Coburn is retracing a journey her great grandmother Louisa made in the 19th century. Cruising down the Nile from Luxor to the Valley of the Kings, Anna carries with her two mementos: an ancient Egyptian scent bottle, and the diary of that original Nile voyage, which has lain unread for a hundred years. As she follows Louisa's footsteps, Anna discovers both the chilling secret of the bottle and the terrifying specters that pursued her great grandmother.

Click HERE for the free book from B&N.

New Day/New Deal Audiobook Sale

Audible is having another sale, with a different audiobook marked down each day to $7.95. The first one up is Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, narrated by Jeff Woodman (normally $18.11). I've added a banner at the top/right of the blog, so all you have to do is click it each day to find the new book (the selection changes at 10AM Eastern (US) time, but the sale ends at midnight on the 31st). Since they seldom sell a credit for $7.95, this is a pretty good deal, if you find one or two that you've been wanting to listen to.

Book Description
There's a reason why Life of Pi is such a huge seller around the globe - and why listeners love Jeff Woodman's performance of Yann Martel's magical tale. At once a castaway adventure and powerful fable, this Booker Prize winner makes the perfect end-of-summer thrill ride (with a Bengal tiger!) across the vast Pacific Ocean.

Pi Patel has been raised in a zoo in India. When his father decides to move the family to Canada and sell the animals to American zoos, everyone boards a Japanese cargo ship. The ship sinks, and 16-year-old Pi finds himself alone on a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra with a broken leg, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger.

Soon it's just Pi, the tiger, and the vast Pacific Ocean - for 227 days. Pi's fear, knowledge, and cunning keep him alive until they reach the coast of Mexico, where the tiger disappears into the jungle. The Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi refuse to believe his story, so he tells a second one - more conventional, less fantastic. But is it more true?

A realistic, rousing adventure and meta-tale of survival, Life of Pi explores the redemptive power of storytelling and the transformative nature of fiction. It's a story, as one character claims, to "make you believe in God."

Save 50+% on Back-to-School Groceries/Snacks (KSO)

This offer is only for those with a Kindle with Special Offers (but the sweepstakes above is open to all):

Save an Extra 50% on Back-to-School Groceries at Amazon.com

Click on offer, then click on the link on the offer page to receive an email with the promotion code. Sign-up for this offer expires on August 24.

You'll get an email (right away), a link to the Special Offer page and a promotion code to enter at checkout. Once you have the promotional code, you have until September 24 to complete your purchase. 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).

This offer can be used more than once per account, so long as you have more than one KSO registered. Just click on the ad on each device to receive the individual promotion codes via email.

Even if you don't take advantage of this deal, be sure to enter the Back to School Sweepstakes at Amazon - the top prize is a $1,000 Amazon Gift Card, which you could use for pretty much anything at Amazon.

This is a great promotion! You get 50% off your entire order and can choose from anything on the Back to School grocery page that is sold by Amazon. You get one offer per device, which means entire orders (not just single items). Order some now, sample what you like, then place another order near the end of the time period, if you have more than one KSO. You could also get an order for home and one drop-shipped to your student living on campus (or sent to a shut-in relative). There is even an extensive gluten-free section (yay!) with dried fruit, snack bars, rice bowls, Mac & Cheese dinners and even hummus and rice cracker meals for on-the-go convenience (be careful in this section, as the "gluten-free" tag kept dropping off my search as I changed pages, resulting in many non-gf products being shown; on the other hand, there are many gluten free items that are not tagged as GF, so you will want to look at the entire list).

Some items have additional coupon codes, so pay close attention while shopping (I even ran into one that had a personal $1 off coupon for me), as you can enter most of those coupon codes first, then the 50% off promo code from this offer. You can't combine this particular deal with the 15% Subscribe and Save, but you should still be able to score a number of great deals on this one. I just saved over 60% on items we eat all the time (and usually get from Amazon anyway); this one coupon code can more than make up the entire cost of a KSO (plus a lot more, if you are a big shopper). Don't forget to add in all the per-item coupon codes and your $5 off $10 Amazon KSO offer code, if you have one.

Update: Just wanted to let you know that I have confirmed that you get 50% off with the promotion code PLUS any other promotional discounts that you enter (plus those $1 coupons that I happened to hit; those are randomly given out, but you might run into one). Also, you can place as large an order as you want (and order multiple quantities of items you use a lot and that keep well); since the promotion code can only be used once, be sure to make it count (and thanks to those to click-thru to Amazon from here, before filling their cart!). I even found doggie treats (from FunBites) that qualified; you can get breakfast cereal, coffee, splenda (plain or flavored) and a pretty wide variety of things that I would not have thought of as "back to school" (which brings to mind snacks and lunches to go) and which are not specific (or appropriate) for kids. There are also big bags of various hard candies, breath mints, gums ad more (about 1,500 items in all, that are sold by Amazon.com - here's a shortcut to the entire list).

Buy a Business or Investing Book for $1 (KSO)

This offer is only for those with a Kindle with Special Offers:

Buy one of 100 Kindle books on Business & Investing for $1

To take advantage of this offer:

1. First, turn on your Kindle with Special Offers, click Menu, then View Special Offers.
2. Find the offer: Buy one of 100 Kindle books on Business & Investing for $1. Click on it, then on the link to Email Me This Offer. Repeat for each KSO on your account, as you'll get a separate code for each one and can take advantage of this deal more than once.
3. You will get an email from Amazon with your promotional code, right away.
4. Once you have the promotion code (and have selected your book; see below), click this link, then on the button labeled Enter Your Code, at any time up to the expiration date of September 24.
5. Enter your code and follow the directions.
6. Choose any of these books and you'll pay only $1.

You'll have a promotion code on your account that will apply to the FIRST book you buy (from the list) after that. Note that even if the book is free, you'll pay a dollar, so be careful which one you pick after you enter the code -- make sure you don't grabbing a low cost title by accident, which can happen if you apply the code right away, before you are ready to buy the book. Current prices range from $2.99 (not your best choice) to $17.68 (a text by Thomas Sowell). You should save the code and not enter it until you are ready to buy a book.

To recap: you must claim the offer by August 24 and must do so from your Kindle with Special Offers. You'll get a promotion code via email and you have until September 24 to enter and redeem the code. Once you enter it, it will work on the next book on the list that you purchase.

Looking thru the title available, they run the gamut, from personal finance and investing to broad economics text, with business books on management (businesses and humans), marketing, social media and personal self-help. I found at least one I already had (but under a new ASIN, so be sure to check your Kindle library, even if you think a book is new to you). There's even a book on how to shop for free and another on shopping for baby bargains, as well as an inside look at major league baseball!

There is language on the offer page that says that Amazon can modify or cancel this offer at any time - I suspect because a few of the books on previous offers were pulled by the publishers before the offer period was up. In fact, I already see several books that are not available for sale in the US, despite this being a US only promotion (could they have been pulled already or did Amazon just screw up in their selections?). So, I would not count on waiting until the last day, if there is a title you see that you really want. Also, most of the latest offers have had language requiring the KSO to be registered to your account not only when you get the emailed code, but also when you take advantage of the deal (as well as prohibiting the sale or transfer of the code to someone else). If you want to give someone a book in the offer as a gift, that apparently works fine, but I would not risk an audit catching you using a code when you don't have a KSO on your account or having someone else use the code that Amazon knows it sent to your KSO (the promo code is tied to your KSO's serial number, as near as I can tell, as you get the same code over and over, if you try having it emailed again from the same KSO). Best case, Amazon may charge you the promotional discounts; worst case, you could lose the Amazon account and access to any Kindle books on it.

Bargain Book Roundup

First, for those who've been holding out on the Georgette Heyer sale, a few pricing drops. The following are all now $1.79:

• Beauvallet
• These Old Shades
• Talisman Ring
• Royal Escape: In which a dare-devil King with a price on his head fools his enemies and terrifies his friends

The sale only goes thru Sat, Aug 21, so don't wait too long. I also discovered that the Sourcebooks coupon code, WELCOME2011, can be used more than once, if you want to pick up a few more EPUB's there.

I've just finished reading The Demon Trapper's Daughter ($2.99), by Jana Oliver, and I definitely recommend it to any who are into young adult paranormal fantasy. The setting is our near future, with rampant unemployment and recycling thieves even stealing the signal lights in downtown Atlanta. Oh, and the demons are getting a bit out of hand. Definitely also pick up the (free) short prequel, Retro Demonology. I'm considering pre-ordering the next in the Demon Trappers series, Soul Thief, which comes out at the end of the month.

Book Description
Riley Blackthorne just needs a chance to prove herself – and that’s exactly what the demons are counting on…

Seventeen-year-old Riley, the only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper, Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father's footsteps. The good news is, with human society seriously disrupted by economic upheaval and Lucifer increasing the number of demons in all major cities, Atlanta’s local Trappers’ Guild needs all the help they can get – even from a girl. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing crush on fellow apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving distressed citizens from foul-mouthed little devils – Grade One Hellspawn only, of course, per the strict rules of the Guild. Life’s about as normal as can be for the average demon-trapping teen.

But then a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, sudden tragedy strikes the Trappers’ Guild, spinning Riley down a more dangerous path than she ever could have imagined. As her whole world crashes down around her, who can Riley trust with her heart – and her life?

Promised Land ($6.15 Kindle), by Robert B. Parker, is 99 cents over at Copia.

Book Description
Spenser is back. The fourth novel featuring the wisecracking boxer-turned private-detective finds him investigating a marriage in turmoil, a shady business deal, a nefarious loan shark and, of course, a murder. The real charm of the book, however, is Spenser himself, his inimitable wit, his keen grasp of human nature, his love of food and good beer, and his reluctant but capable fists.

You can pre-order a bonus edition of StarCrossed, by Elizabeth C. Bunce, for $2.99 at Amazon. This is the author's second novel and the start of a new series, the second title, Liar's Moon, of which releases in November. Pick up a sample from the original edition of StarCrossed to see if you want the pre-order (just be careful and don't one-click it, by mistake).

Book Description

16-year-old Digger thrives as a spy & sneak-thief among the feuding religious factions of Gerse. But when a routine job goes horribly wrong and her partner & lover Tegen is killed, she disguises herself in a group of young nobles & sneaks out of the city. Accepted as a lady-in-waiting at the stronghold of the powerful Nemair, she finds new peace & friendship (*and* some new targets). But when an old client from the city comes to the castle, she realizes her hosts may be planning the ultimate uprising against the king - & rather than true peace, she may be at the heart of the rebellion.

Dog Training in 3 Easy Steps: How to Make Your Dog Confident, Secure, and Able to Understand and Follow Rules ($1.99 pre-order), by Julie A. Bjelland, contains material previously published in her popular Imagine Life with a Well-Behaved Dog: A 3-Step Positive Dog-Training Program.

Book Description
Do you consider your dog part of the family? Most dog guardians do. But just like children, dogs need structure. Structure to show him that he shouldn’t jump on every person who enters your house, or urinate indoors, or drag you down the road when you walk him. In DOG TRAINING IN 3 EASY STEPS, Julie Bjelland offers you clear and easy-to-follow steps to make your dog confident, secure and able to understand and follow rules. Drawing on years of experience, Julie teaches basic training, how to communicate with your dog, and how to prevent and solve behavior problems. She discusses puppies and adult dogs, even special needs dogs, and tells how to choose the right dog for your family and how to integrate him into a home with kids, other dogs, or cats.

I contacted the author to see how much overlap there would be in the two books and I've put in my pre-order, after reading her reply, as our puppy is past the stage of needing most of the material in the original title, it seems:

Dog Training in 3 Easy Steps will detail the steps in actually training your dog to walk politely, come, etc., the original book is a holistic approach to living with a dog (how to choose one for your family, what to consider with adopting, how to integrate the pet with your family/other pets, how to address and prevent specific behavior problems, crate training, house training, and working with puppies, etc.). While obedience training is vitally important to being the guardian of a dog, all of these other life factors make Imagine Life With A Well-Behaved Dog a more comprehensive approach. Additionally, readers of Imagine Life... even have access to ask me personal questions about their dogs through my website www.webdogtrainer.com to handle any unique situations that may arise.

One of my favorite authors, Jeaniene Frost, has two novellas available as stand-alone ebooks. Devil to Pay ($1.99 pre-order), previously appeared in Four Dukes and a Devil anthology, while Happily Never After ($1.99), previously appeared in Weddings From Hell anthology.

Devil to Pay
Blake Turner had it all—until a demon decided to take residence in his soul. Plagued with constant black outs and a trail of dead bodies in his wake, Blake thinks vampire Elise is his best chance at ending the nightmare. It’s just too bad he’s fallen in love with the gorgeous vamp right before he has to die… Featuring characters from New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress world.

Happily Never After
Isabella Spaga is about to reluctantly walk down the aisle with Mr. Dangerously Wrong…but not if dashing vampire Chance has anything to say about it. As a favor to Bones, Chance has come to derail this wedding of beauty to the beast. Now if only he can keep his hands off the bride. From New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress world, it’s the wedding of the season…that everyone wants to miss.

Winter and Night ($2.99), the eighth in the Bill Smith, Lydia Chin series by S. J. Roza, is currently bargain priced, no doubt to promote her upcoming release, Ghost Hero (#11 in the series). I do wish the publishers would be more consistent in dropping the price on the first of a series, though, as I sort of hate to start in what is nearly the middle of the series. On the other hand, if the discounted title were the latest released in the series, I'd then be ready for the upcoming release. With book #8, I'd probably skip the early books entirely, but still need to get two additional ones before moving to the new release. With this series, though, it doesn't look like they are all available as ebooks, yet.

Book Description
In the middle of the night, private investigator Bill Smith is awakened by a call from the NYPD. They're holding a 15-year-old kid named Gary -- a kid Bill knows. But before Bill can find out what is going on, Gary escapes Bill's custody into the dark night and unfamiliar streets. Bill, with the help of his partner Lydia Chin, tries to find the missing teen and uncover what it is that led him so far from home. Tracking Gary's family to a small town in New Jersey, Bill finds himself in a town where nothing matters but high school football, where the secrets of the past - both the town's and Bill's own - threaten to destroy the present. And if Bill is to have any chance of saving Gary and preventing a tragedy, he has to both unravel a long buried crime and confront the darkness of his own past.

KSO Notes and Reminders

Just a reminder, tonight is the deadline to use the Save $10 on Kindle Accessories KSO offer. You can also use the 50% off Kindle Lighted Cover, the Save $5 on Kindle reading lights offer and the $5 off a $10 purchase at Amazon offer at the same time, doubling up on the savings.

I've also noticed a number of other offers popping up that can be combined with a KSO offer. The Save $25 on Textbooks offer can be used on the same books that qualify for the Get $5 in MP3s with the Purchase of $50 or More in Textbooks deal.

Several other offers have various amounts of overlap. I even found several combos that would let you use the Save $40 on a Printer and Save 20% on Select Laptops offer along with a $100 off a combined purchase deal, plus some of the printers come with an MP3 credit. One even qualifies for the free XBOX with a Windows 7 PC offer for Amazon Student members (sadly limited to one per household), which means you can get a nice notebook, a printer, an XBOX and $25 in MP3 credits for $519.98, if you qualify for all the deals.

Note that these additional offers (including up to a $25 MP3 credit with some printers and other electronics), are available to all and a Kindle with Special Offers is not required (nor do you need a promotional code for any of them).

Three Free Audiobooks

There are three free audiobook selections you can grab today, all three of which can be played on your Kindle (or PC or most MP3 players). The first one also includes the ebook, for those that like to read along as they listen.

Hard Times ($19.95 Amazon), by Charles Dickens, narrated by Simon Prebble, is the freebie this month from Tantor Audio. While you are there, it might be time to stock up on a few other audiobooks, as you can use coupon code AUG11 to get $40 off $80 in audiobooks (and purchases over $80 are apparently half price, for the amount over $80). You'll need an account at Tantor, even for the free download, but once you are logged in, the red banner above the title that says Log in to download! will change and you click it to start the download. It is a fairly large download (325MB ZIP file, which includes the ebook and MP3 files for the audio), so if you have problems, I'd try again later at night or during the weekend. It looks like Learn Out Loud also has the free download (but I don't know if it comes with the ebook and they are not having the same sale).

Book Description
Full of suspense, humor, and tenderness, Hard Times is a brilliant defense of art in an age of mechanism and a blistering portrait of Victorian England as it struggles with the massive economic turmoil brought on by the Industrial Revolution.
...
Red brick, machinery, and smoke-darkened chimneys. Reason, facts, and statistics. This is the world of Coketown, the depressed mill town that is the setting for one of Charles Dickens's most powerful and unforgettable novels.

The highest priority for Thomas Gradgrind, head of the Gradgrind model day school, is his version of education---feeding the mind while starving the soul and spirit. Inflexible and unyielding, he places conformity above curiosity and sense over sentiment...only to find himself betrayed by the very standards that govern his own unhappy life.

Hard Times is Dickens's scathing portrait of Victorian industrial society and its misapplied utilitarian philosophy. And Thomas Gradgrind is one of his most richly dimensional, memorable characters. Filled with the details and wonders of small-town life, Hard Times is also a daring novel of ideas---and ultimately a celebration of love, hope, and the limitless possibilities of the imagination.

The Ghosts of Ragged-Ass Gulch, by Bill Pronzini, narrated by Nick Sullivan, is free over at Audible. Strangely enough, AudioGO is the publisher on this one, but I don't even see it on their website (but see below for a freebie from them).

Book Description
Ravaged by time and abandoned by the people who once flocked there in search of golden nuggets, Ragged-Ass Gulch is a ghost town. What’s left is a small, proud, and close pack of people who aren’t looking for change. But change seems to be afoot as several mysterious fires plague the town. That’s where the Nameless Detective comes in….

AudioGO is hosting a new free download everyday, on their Comedy Page (click on the brown box on the right side that says Get Your Free Daily Comedy Download). Today, it is Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off, Series 1, Part 1: Sudan ($3.95 Amazon), but the selection will change every weekday, thru Aug 29. You'll need an account at AudioGo, but you should be able to register from any country and get the download. No credit card info should be needed, so long as you stick to their free selections.

Book Description
Meet Giles Wemmbley Hogg. 2ms, 2gs. Traveller, backpacker, ethnologist, fearless investigator of cultural diversity, connoisseur of all Eastern and Mystic philosophies, and upper middle-class student ponce from Budleigh Salterton.

In his gap year between school and University, Giles travels far and wide along the student trail from Beijing to Bolivia by way of Thailand and the North Pole. Each week, with his trusty portable DAT and his Charterhouse rugby shirt, Giles travels to far-off foreign lands, and records his adventures for the benefit of the Radio 4 listener. And each episode, he makes a thumping great prat of himself.

Free Book (nook) - First, There Is a River

First, There Is a River ($7.99 Kindle), by Kathy Steffen, is this week's Free Friday book at B&N, courtesy of Medallion Press. Look like I'll be reporting the lower price to Amazon on this one.

Book Description
An old riverboat and the colorful characters aboard it form the backdrop for this tale of a woman's heartache and self-discovery and her crazed husband's quest for revenge. After her children are sent away, Emma seeks solace on her uncle's boat, where she is greeted by the kindness and companionship of a stranger. As she learns about herself and the possiblity of happiness, her husband follows close behind, determined to take his anger out on her and everyone else aboard the boat.

Click HERE for the free book from B&N.

Free Book (EPUB) - The Professors' Guide to Conquering College

The Professors' Guide to Conquering College, by Jeremy S Hyman and Dr. Lynn F Jacobs, is free over at Copia. They are the authors of Professors' Guide(TM) to Getting Good Grades in College and The Secrets of College Success (Professors' Guide), but this newest title (which is about 80 pages long) doesn't appear in the Kindle store.

Book Description
From the introduction: When you think about "conquering" college - overcoming all its hurdles and getting the most out you can - probably think of acing the exams and killing the papers. About how you’ll reach the end of the semester with sweet-looking A’s in all your courses – the required ones, the electives, and those in your major. And you wouldn’t be wholly wrong, either. One mark (though not the only one) of college success is the grades you get. Others include whether you learn something of value, whether you get on track for a good career or graduate education, and, most generally, whether you have a productive and rewarding experience in your four (or five or six or seven) years of college.

Click HERE for the free book from Copia. You will have to install their reader and use it to download the book (there is no other choice), but you can move it once it is downloaded, to either you Adobe ADE so that you can load it on your ereader.

Free nookColor App - Minesweeper

Here's something I don't find very often: a free game for the nookColor! Minesweeper, by Toy Studio LLC, has been temporarily reduced to free in the nookColor app store. For those with a Kindle, it's version of Minesweeper is still free and there are quite a few versions in the Amazon App Store (for Android).

Game Description
The classic word game of Minesweeper is now available on your NOOK Color™ by Barnes & Noble. With 3 types of difficulty levels, beginner, intermediate, and advanced you will have hours and hours of addicting and fun gameplay. You won't want to put it down! Experience for yourself why hundreds of players love this addicting game. Enjoy an AD-FREE game of Minesweeper in the car, at home, or on the go.

Guest Review - Zendegi

One of the last 5 books I read was called Zendegi ($0.01 Kindle, Kobo; free B&N), by Greg Egan. Greg is an excellent writer and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked how he started in a place, which, as an American, I know nothing about (modern Iran), and brought it to life. He then was able to take current (albeit controversial) research and turn it into a nice storyline for the rest of the book. Kudos to Greg for a great story. At this price pick it up for yourself and enjoy.

- The Step Son (Brian)

New Kindle Game - POGO Hearts, Spades and More!

POGO Hearts, Spades and More! ($3.99), by Electronic Arts Inc., is a collection of five card games for Kindle. This is the seventh entry in the Kindle Game arena for EA and I suspect it's only a matter of time before I give in and get it - I have the other six and all are great implementations (and Monopoly got played here nearly every day for months after it came out).

Game Description
Play 5 popular card games: Hearts, Spades, Euchre, Gin and Canasta.

In Hearts, the object is to win as few points-paying hearts as possible or to win all of the points-paying cards at once. The winner is the one who finishes with the fewest points at the end of the game. In Spades, the object is to bid and win a specific number of hands, by playing the highest card by round or by playing the highest spade. The team that bids and wins the most hands, wins the game. In Euchre, the object is for you and your partner to get as many tricks per round as possible. You get tricks by having the highest trump card or highest suited card if no trump card is played. The team that scores 10 points first wins. The goal of Gin is to make sets of cards, based on runs in suit or matching rank. The player who can make the most matches earliest typically wins. In Canasta, you make sets of up to seven cards. The player who first makes sets of all his cards will make the most points and typically wins.

Learn and master each game through in-depth tutorials with rules and tips on how to improve your play and track your stats across all 5 games.

What game are you going to play first?

New Kindle App - TakeNote

TakeNote ($0.99), by IzzyLabs, is a new note taking app for Kindle, the first one from this publisher.

App Description
TakeNote is a tool for Kindle that lets you jot down whatever is on your mind quickly and easily.

TakeNote is designed to make note taking quick and easy. For example, as soon as TakeNote opens, you can start taking notes right away without having to press any buttons to begin. You can capture a phone number or address, add to a daily diary, take some meeting notes, and even save a shopping list while on the go.

For easy access, your notes are listed in your notebook in chronological order. You can add, edit, or delete them as you see fit. While navigating a note, you can quickly jump to the top or bottom if needed. Help pages are available from anywhere in the title.

TakeNote lets you jot down what you are thinking right now.

Free and Bargain Book Updates

First, for those taking advantage of the Georgette Heyer sale, a few pricing updates.

• Sylvester: or The Wicked Uncle has finally dropped to $1.99. It was apparently and very briefly marked as free while the price was fluctuating (mostly between $9.39 and $9.99), but this price should stay until the end of the sale.
• Frederica is apparently selling so well, it's price has dropped further to $1.59
• Simon the Coldheart has dropped to $1.79

The pricing genies at Amazon often drop the price of (non-Agency) books that are selling well or jumping a lot on the movers and shakers list, so the last two books could see their prices go back to $1.99 at any time.

Next up, a number of books that are now free in additional formats (links are to the original posts). The first is a novella that is finally free in the Kindle store, the next two books that were originally only free for Kindle customers in the UK and Europe, that are now free in the US, while the rest have additional EPUB formats that are now free..

• Haunting the Night (Kindle/EPUB/nook/noDRM)
• More Than Me (Kindle)
• The Seeking Kiss (Kindle/nook)
• Free Short Story Trio (Kindle/EPUB/nook)
• Zendegi (Kindle/EPUB/nook) - recommended!
• The Everything College Survival Book (Kindle/EPUB/nook)
• Grammatically Correct (Kindle/EPUB/nook)
• The Edge of Grace (Kindle/EPUB/nook)
• Guns (Kindle/EPUB/nook)
• The Slackers Guide to U.S. History (Kindle/EPUB/nook)
• The Everything Guide to Study Skills (Kindle/EPUB/nook)
• The Everything Guide to Algebra (Kindle/EPUB/nook)
• The Wind Knot (Kindle/EPUB/nook)
• Portable MFA in Creative Writing (Kindle/EPUB/nook)
• Organized Teacher, Happy Classroom (Kindle/EPUB/nook)
• I'm an English Major--Now What? (Kindle/EPUB/nook)
• Robert's Rules of Writing (Kindle/EPUB/nook)
• Hurricanes in Paradise (Kindle/EPUB/nook)
• Crossing the Bridge (Kindle/nook)

$5 off a $10 purchase at Amazon (KSO)

This offer is only for those with a Kindle with Special Offers:

Save $5 on a $10 purchase at Amazon.com

Click on offer, then click on the link on the offer page to receive an email with the promotion code. Sign-up for this offer expires on August 20.

You'll get an email (right away), a link to the Special Offer page and a promotion code to enter at checkout. Once you have the promotional code, you have until September 20 to complete your purchase. 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).

This offer can be used more than once per account, so long as you have more than one KSO registered. Just click on the ad on each device to receive the individual promotion codes via email.

There are a few restrictions on this offer - no gift cards or digital products (including Kindle books). But, there is no restriction on adding this promotion onto any other valid promotion at Amazon, including the KSO offers, such as the $10 off Kindle Accessories offer that expires on Aug 19, the Save $5 on Kindle reading lights offer (stack all three and get some of the reading lights for free), the 50% off Kindle Lighted Cover offer, the Save $25 on Jewelry offer (net $30 off $50) or the Save $25 on Textbooks offer (yielding $30 off $100 if you were taking advantage of that one) or .... Well, you get the idea. Remember, too, if you don't have Prime shipping, that it's the total before the promotion codes are added that counts towards the $25 free shipping requirement, so even if the total ends up being under $25 (or even free), you shouldn't have to pay shipping on most items for these offers, either.

Save $40 on Watches at Endless.com (KSO)

This offer is only for those with a Kindle with Special Offers:

Save $40 when you spend $100 on watches at endless.com

Click on offer, then click on the link on the offer page to receive an email with the promotion code. Sign-up for this offer expires on August 20.

You'll get an email (right away), a link to the Special Offer page and a promotion code to enter at checkout. Once you have the promotional code, you have until September 20 to complete your purchase. 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).

This offer can be used more than once per account, so long as you have more than one KSO registered. Just click on the ad on each device to receive the individual promotion codes via email.

There are definitely some extremely expensive watches on Endless, but there seem to be a number of reasonably priced ones as well. You don't have to buy a single watch that costs over $100, but can add multiple watches to a single order totaling $100. I know I'm going to look thru the list and maybe pick out an early Christmas gift (if you have someone graduating soon, it might be a good time to look for him or her, as well).

New Kindle Game - Doodle Fit

Doodle Fit (A Spatial Thinking Game) ($1.99) is the first entry in to the Kindle Game arena by Gamelion Studios. This one looks pretty interesting and should give your brain a bit of a workout, as well as giving you an activity you can fit into those odd moments waiting in line.

Game Description
Doodle Fit is a spatial skills game in which you need to fit a set of blocks into a given shape.

Select and move blocks of varying shapes and sizes into position in search of the layout that covers the whole shape. A level is complete when all blocks have been used and there is no more empty space in the shape.

Some puzzles have more than one solution, and some only have one. There is a Beginner's Pack to help you get started, but if you need a hint you can get one. Use your hints wisely; you earn one hint for every two solutions you find, and you may need to stock up on hints for the more difficult puzzles.

There are over 250 puzzles in nine themed puzzle packs like Winter Pack and Nature Pack. Each of the puzzles has a creative shape such as 'Old Ship', 'Alien', and 'Fox'. The more difficult puzzle packs are unlocked when all the puzzles in the previous pack are solved.

If you liked Tangrams or Tetris, you'll certainly love Doodle Fit!

New Kindle Game- Ultimate Math Skills Quiz

Ultimate Math Skills Quiz ($1.99 $0.99), by HandyX, was recently added to the Kindle store. It's currently marked half-price (thru Aug 29).

Game Description
Whether you are a student reinforcing your math skills or just want to have fun working your brain, Ultimate Math Skills Quiz is a great title for you.

Practicing math is always more fun when it's part of a game, and this application uses game play to help you test your mathematics understanding. Questions vary in difficulty from basic multiplication and division to topics like Algebra and Geometry.

Two different game play modes can be used test your speed and knowledge. Continuous Questions just keep the questions coming until you decide to stop, and Round by Round gives you questions in groups of 10, and you must answer 5 correctly to continue to the next round. Each mode can be played with or without a timer, so whether you want to play under the pressure of a timer or see how far you can get with multiple choice questions, this quiz has options that can inspire and build your confidence.

Ultimate Math Skills Quiz has 1000 questions covering the following topics: Algebra, Geometry, Data Handling & Charts, Fractions, Decimals & Percentages, Multiplication & Division, Order of Operation, Ratios, Powers & Roots, and Approximation.

Unleash your math genius with Kindle today!

New Kindle App - Finance Manager

Finance Manager (Financial Tools for Kindle) ($1.99), by SwashApps, is a new App in the Kindle store. I'm not sure how much I'd use the calculator portion, but the calendar section looks pretty interesting (although if you use it, be sure to activate the password on your Kindle).

Book Description
Finance Manager is a financial calculator and financial calendar for your Kindle.

The financial calculator has 12 commonly used financial calculators including fixed and variable rate mortgages, term deposits with simple and compounding interest, regular deposit, monthly income deposits, and a credit card payment calculator to help you in evaluating your financial options. A unique feature of these calculators is evaluation of the impact of inflation on your finances over the tenure of your mortgage or investment.

Finance Manager also has a financial calendar on which you can schedule alerts. For example, you can add the amortization schedule from the financial calculator to the Calendar as a series of alerts. You can also create your own custom alerts with various recurrence options: Once only, Daily, Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly, Semi-Yearly and Yearly. To make staying on top of things easy, you can check daily, weekly, or monthly alerts in your financial calendar.

When will you be a Millionaire? Get Finance Manager and use the 'When will I be A Millionaire?' calculator to find out! Use Finance Manager to help you get and stay on top of your finances.