It's Christmas Eve and I hope everyone has a great Christmas weekend. I'm only posting the free books, any KSO offers and tomorrow's Daily Deals this weekend, after this post (unless something truly stunning crosses my path), so everyone can take a little break from sampling and enjoy the holiday.
Random notes:
- Everyone should go to Google.Com and search for "let it snow"! Be sure to then wait for a bit...
- Additional formats now for these free books: To Love Anew (Kindle/nook/EPUB) and Florida Heatwave (Kindle/nook)
- Today is the last day to take advantage of these KSO deals: Buy one of 100 Humor titles for $1. That leaves one other $1 book active and I hope that we get some new offers tomorrow. At least I got new ads today (and a notice of the Kindle Daily Deal).
- Diane Duane and Peter Morwood are giving everyone 55% off any purchases in her store today, using coupon code CHRISTMASEVE (which you don't enter until after the paypay/payment stage). That's not quite as good a deal as the Black Friday sale on Duane's Young Wizards series, but it is on anything there, not just the one series. If you happen to be order #2294, it ends up being free.
- Amazon has price matched B&N on Christmas Stories, by Max Lucado ($3.59).
- Fictionwise - 55% off coupon this weekend, 122311.
- If you've waiting this long to buy a Christmas Gift at Amazon, you are limited to a Gift Certificate or gifting an ebook, if you want it there in time. I suspect, though, that the sales (which retail stores are having today, to try to entice you in) will start again next week or just after the first of the year.
Dushau, the first title in the
Dushau Trilogy by Jacqueline Lichtenberg, is free in the Kindle store. This is a backlist title and the rest of the series is both reasonably priced and part of the Lending Library. You won't find this series on Fictionwise (the KLL requires exclusivity), but she has
several other titles there that are DRM-Free and very cheap with the current FW coupon code.
Book Description
Readying her Galactic Exploration department for a routine debriefing of a Dushau planetary scouting team led by Prince Jindigar, the newly dubbed "Lady" Zavaronne finds that the new Emperor has jailed some of her Dushau as scapegoats for his political failures. Assuming its all a mistake, Zavaronne befriends the team's Artificial Intelligence, Arlai, and breaks the team survivors out of jail. But when the Emperor embargoes the Dushau homeworld, she must decide which side she's on before the Emperor destroys the whole galactic civilzation.
Lady Zavaronne's story continues in the sequel Farfetch, and Prince Jindigar's story in the third book, Outreach reveals the alien Dushau notions of reincarnation and karma.
This first novel of The Dushau Trilogy Mass Market pb was originally published by Questar, from Popular Library, a Warner Communications Company, where it won the first Romantic Times Award for a Science Fiction Romance.
The heirs of Paul Edwin Zimmer, sister of Marion Zimmer Bradley (both deceased) have placed two of their jointly written titles into the Kindle Lending Library and
Hunters of the Red Moon, the first in their
Hunters series, is free on Kindle for the moment, with the second,
The Survivors, for $2.99 (or borrow from the KLL). I didn't expect to find the free title there, but
it's there and under $1 for members and using the current coupon (a great alternative for those that need EPUB). You'll find a number of Marion Zimmer Bradley's
older titles at Fictionwise, DRM-free and very cheap with the coupon.
Book Description
For the Hunters, the Hunt was a religion. The Sacred Prey, sentient beings collected from all over the galaxy, were literally given a fighting chance--they were allowed to choose weapons from an armory with every imaginable weapon and given time to train. Then they were taken to the place of the Hunt, where death awaited them. Those who survived until the eclipse of the red moon, however, were honored by the Hunters and rewarded with all the wealth they could desire. The trick, of course, was surviving.
The Sister Mafia, a semi-Finalist in Amazon.com's 2008 Breakthrough Novel competition by Jeff Hagkull, is free in the Kindle store.
Book Description
Patty, Mildred, Barb, and Margaret live in Turtle, Minnesota, where women of a certain age believe that grandchildren are as much a right as high school hockey and a good pair of scissors. Patty’s sisters are grandmothers fifty-one times over, but her own sons have disappointed. Jonathan, six barren years of marriage behind him, clearly has the “privates problems.” While Christopher is shackled to a baby-hating girlfriend. Is it any wonder Patty indulges in the occasional gin and tonic?
So when the sisters discover that Christopher and the baby-hater have split, they decide it’s high time to unleash “Operation Ironing”--a plan designed to find him a proper (and fertile) wife. Their ensuing adventures are part comedy of errors, part generation gap, and constantly fun.
Vyrso, the Christian ebookstore linked w/ Logos, has an exclusive on the ebook for John Piper's
A Holy Ambition and they are
giving it away thru Christmas. You'll need an account (including pmt info, even for a free order) and need to use their special ereader software (on Android and iThings) or read online at
Biblia (where you read side-by-side with a copy of the Bible).
Like ChristianBook, they have a number of
other free titles right now to choose from (but be careful on that page, as they keep all freebies from the month on it, even after they are no longer free - there is a cart, so you can double check prices before checking out).
Book Description
This collection of missions-oriented sermons by John Piper, compiled by Desiring God, challenges you to consider and cultivate a holy ambition to preach Christ where he has not yet been named.
The apostle Paul had a holy ambition - to preach the gospel to peoples who had never heard. He ached to proclaim Jesus where he had not yet been named. So today, missionaries cross cultures, learn languages, and pour out their lives in word and deed to break through thousands of years of darkness and the reign of Satan over a people who do not know the King of kings and the Savior of the world. Missionaries go to, and minister among, peoples who otherwise have little to no access to the saving news of Jesus' life, death and resurrection.
And since Jesus' Great Commission to make disciples of all nations is still in effect - and since there are thousands of peoples today who have never heard of him - every church should pray that God would not only make all of us evangelists among our own people, but also that he would raise up from among us missionaries to take the gospel where it has never gone before.
Solomon & Lord Drop Ancho, a short story with bonuses by Paul Levine, is free in the Kindle store.
Book Description
Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord, those squabbling Miami lawyers, are back in an original SHORT STORY involving a mysterious boat trip with a nefarious passenger.
Solomon says he's going fishing with Manuel Cruz. Victoria isn’t buying it. Cruz stole a bundle from Solomon’s favorite client. So just why is Solomon going out on a boat with the guy? Victoria decides to go along and find out, which is when she learns her law partner has an unorthodox method of "negotiating" a settlement.
Solomon and Lord have been compared to Nick and Nora of “The Thin Man” stories, to David and Maddie of TV’s “Moonlighting,” and of course, to Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn in “Adam’s Rib.
There are four novels in the series: ”Solomon vs. Lord” (nominated for the Macavity award and the James Thurber prize), “The Deep Blue Alibi” (nominated for an Edgar Award), “Kill All the Lawyers” (a finalist for the International Thriller Writers award), and “Trial & Error,” (not nominated for a darn thing).
Included as bonus material in this edition are free excerpts of the first two Jake Lassiter novels, “To Speak for the Dead” and “Night Vision,” and the stand-alone Supreme Court thriller, “Impact.”
Robert W. Walker's Christmas Craziness continues and today
The Serpentine Fire - Flesh Wars 1 is free in the Kindle store (along with a few others from previous days).
Book Description
THERE IS A LEGEND OF THE SERPENT GOD...
All that remains of its victims is charred human ash--as if she'd been torched from within. What looks like a freak accident to others, Detective Eric Bannon and medical examiner Angelica Hunter have seen before, and they have chased the monster that has spawned in India from where mankind had first encountered its deadly force. They are now truly the only two human beings who have had experience with the Kundalini snake god of ancient India. While they had once thrwarted its deadly rampage, on one continent, they have leaned of its having been reborn in the belly of a cult follower in the sequel, FLESH WARS..
The creature too has learned of its enemy, mankind by the time of FLESH WARS as it was killed or so everyone thought, but the evil returns with a vendetta born of its wicked DNA in book two. Whereas before it only took the prey it needed to survive in its mad quest to conquer a world, it is by book two bent on spreading an epidemic to wipe out all mankind.
The heroic efforts of a cop and a doctor may be mankind's only hope against this monster that has the ability to combust men like tender kindling to suck in the elemental gases of victims, leaving only a few knuckel and ankle bones.
This is the prequel to FLESH WARS wherein the action returns to India where the belief in the creature has spawned a protective cult devoted to its life....
The Emperor's Edge, by Lindsay Buroker, is free in the Kindle store. With 71 total reviews, all of them are 5 or 4 stars (mostly five).
Book Description
Imperial law enforcer Amaranthe Lokdon is good at her job: she can deter thieves and pacify thugs, if not with a blade, then by toppling an eight-foot pile of coffee canisters onto their heads. But when ravaged bodies show up on the waterfront, an arson covers up human sacrifices, and a powerful business coalition plots to kill the emperor, she feels a tad overwhelmed.
Worse, Sicarius, the empire's most notorious assassin, is in town. He's tied in with the chaos somehow, but Amaranthe would be a fool to cross his path. Unfortunately, her superiors order her to hunt him down. Either they have an unprecedented belief in her skills... or someone wants her dead.
The Emperor's Edge is approximately 105,000 words (400 paperback pages).
The Guild of the Cowry Catchers, Book 1: Embers, Deluxe Illustrated Edition, by Abigail Hilton, is free in the Kindle store.
Book Description
Imagine that the Chronicles of Narnia were written for adults and told with the gritty realism of George R. R. Martin’s Westross. The Guild of the Cowry Catchers is a dark, nautical fantasy for anyone who loves Robin Hobb, Stephen R. Donaldson, Pirates of the Caribbean, or any high seas fantasy adventure with complex, morally ambiguous characters.
These characters inhabit a chain of island kingdoms called Wefrivain. The kingdoms' querulous lords are united only by religion, a wyvern cult ruled by an eccentric High Priestess. The Temple is under attack by a gang of pirates, known as the Guild of the Cowry Catchers. They’ve been preying on Temple treasure ships. The Temple Police charged with eradicating this menace keep disappearing.
Enter Gerard, a young prince who was exiled from his small island kingdom for marrying the court minstrel. Chosen by the High Priestess as the new Captain of Police, Gerard is smart, honorable, and a little naïve. To break the pirate ring, he must cooperate with a wily, amoral admiral—who has already tried to kill him twice.
As Gerard struggles to protect his talented wife, obey his seductive employer, and forge a complicated friendship with his dangerous coworker, he becomes increasingly aware that the pirates have a legitimate quarrel with the wyverns. Dark secrets lurk in the Temple dungeons, and solving them will cost Gerard far more than his honor.
This 50,000-word book is DRM-free and carefully formatted. It includes 11 character portraits, 12 full-page illustrations, and 2 versions of the map (one optimized for color and one for black and white). Cowry Catchers looks beautiful on a black-and-white viewer, but you can also open this eBook on a color screen and view the illustrations in their full glory.
The Book of Deacon, by Joseph Lallo, is free in the Kindle store.
Book Description
Myranda is a young woman more interested in staying alive than being a hero. Orphaned by a continent-spanning war that has gone on for decades too long and shunned for failing to support it, she has been on the move since she was only a child. One can hardly blame her when she thinks that the chance discovery of a fallen soldier's priceless cargo is the moment that will change her life. No one could predict just how great that change would be. It will lead her through an adventure of rebels and generals, of wizards and warriors, and of beasts both noble and monstrous. Each step of the way will take her closer to the truth of her potential, of the war, and of the fate of her world.
Transparent Lovers, a novella by Scott Nicholson, is free in the Kindle store.
Book Description
Private investigator Richard Steele must solve his most difficult case ever—his own murder—while caught between women on both sides of the grave. His lover Lee is tangled up in the mess he left behind, and his dead ex-wife Diana has been waiting on the other side for her chance at revenge.
In a race against time as his spirit slips away, Richard confronts his many, many failings and faces a power beyond his understanding--love. His only weapon is faith, and he's running out of bullets.
It's going to be a hell of a final showdown.
DRM-free. About 22,000 words, equivalent of about 110 book pages. Includes the bonus ghost story "She Climbs a Winding Stair."
Cold Truth (Lou Mason Thrillers), by Joel Goldman
Book Description
When two of his partners are killed, corruption, sex and murder fill trial lawyer Lou Mason's docket as he tracks the killer. Will Lou be the next victim? Found out in Motion To Kill, the action-packed, can't-put-it-down first book in the Lou Mason thriller series!
And grab Shakedown and The Dead Man, Joel Goldman's thrillers featuring FBI Special Agent, Jack Davis!
When Jack Davis investigates a mass murder in Shakedown, a leak of crucial information and his imploding personal life throw him into the ultimate danger zone - where truth lies at the heart of betrayal.
When people in a study of the brain start to die exactly as they dreamed the would in The Dead Man, Jack Davis crosses paths with a serial killer, taking him onto both sides of the law and into the path of a murderer's terrifying rage.
Psion Beta (Psion series #1), by Jacob Gowans, is another free Kindle title with stellar reviews (only 5's and 4's, with a 5 average). It's intended for teens, I suspect, and has glowing reviews from teachers, but seems to be enjoyed by many adults, as well. Several reviews mentioned going straight on and reading the second title in the series:
Psion Gamma.
Book Description
Sammy, a 14-year-old fugitive, accidentally discovers he has the powers of a Psion.
Plucked off the streets, he is thrust into the rigorously-disciplined environment of Psion Beta headquarters. As a new Beta, Sammy must hone his newfound abilities using holographic fighting simulations, stealth training missions, and complex war games. His fellow trainees are other kids competing to prove their worth so they can graduate and contribute to the war effort.
But the stifling competition at headquarters isolates Sammy from his peers. Learning to use his incredible powers is difficult enough, but when things go horribly wrong on a routine training mission, he must rely on the other Betas to stay alive.
The Silent War is at a tipping point; even one boy can be the difference.
But to do so, he must survive.
I can definitely recommend
Hal Spacejock, by Simon Haynes, which is currently free in the Kindle store. Be sure to pick up his free short story,
Loss Leader, while you are there.
Book Description
Hal Spacejock doesn't mind navigating to an uncharted planet, landing in a deserted field, dodging customs and loading a suspicious cargo under cover of darkness.
That's a normal day's work.
No, the real battle starts when the customer sends a broken-down pilot to fly Hal's beloved ship ...
True North, by Marie Force
Dead Space (Charlie Willis), by Lee Goldberg
In Legend Born: Book One of the Silerian Trilogy, by Laura Resnick
Shepherd Avenue, by Charlie Carillo and Tony Carillo (Illustrator)
