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Saturday, February 4, 2012

Today's Deals

Now also free on Kindle:

Well-Offed in Vermont (A Pret' Near Perfect Mystery) ($1.99), by Amy Patricia Meade, is today's Kindle Deal of the Day.
Book Description
Manhattanites + Vermont = a pret' near perfect cozy debut

In bucolic small-town Vermont, Stella Thornton Buckley feels out of her element—and not just because she's fresh from Manhattan. Mere hours after moving to maple syrup country, she and her husband, Nick, find a dead man, Allen Weston, in their well. The police investigation forces the couple out of their lovely farmhouse and—since the motels are packed with leafpeepers—into a less than luxurius deer camp. Instead of mourning the loss of electricity and running water, Stella and Nick drive their Smart Car all over the Vermont hamlet to question the quirky locals about Weston, a shrewd businessman who rubbed a lot of folks the wrong way.

Stella and Nick may never shed their flatlander reputation, but they just might be able to make a few friends and help Sheriff Mills solve a murder.

That Summer in Ischia ($1.56 / £0.99 UK), by Penny Feeny, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $8.99).
Book Description
In the long hot summer of 1979, best friends Helena and Liddy travel to the beautiful island of Ischia to be au pairs to the children of two wealthy Italian families: the Verduccis and the Baldinis. From the opulent hillside villas and sun-drenched beaches the girls plan their great adventure to find romance and excitement, whatever the cost, on the sleepy island. But when a little boy in their care goes missing, the spell is broken and the girls find themselves under suspicion from police. Under pressure, the cracks in their relationship begin to show and one will betray each other, changing the course of both of their lives forever. Twenty-five years later, Liddy, walking her dog on an English beach, spies a figure oddly reminiscent of her estranged friend. And so begins a startling quest to the villa where it all went so wrong for Helena and to the heart of the mystery of what really happened that summer in Ischia.

Guernica ($2.99 Kindle, B&N), by Dave Boling, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.
Book Description
In 1935, Miguel Navarro finds himself on the wrong side of the Spanish Nationalists, so he flees to Guernica, the most ancient town of the Basque region. In the midst of this idyllic, isolated bastion of democratic values, Miguel finds more than a new life-he finds a love that not even war, tragedy or death can destroy.

The bombing of Guernica was a devastating experiment in total warfare by the German Luftwaffe in the run-up to World War II . For the Basques, it was an attack on the soul of their ancient nation. History and fiction merge seamlessly in this beautiful novel about the resilience of family, love, and tradition in the face of hardship.
Today's backlist/small press/indie free books on Kindle (not likely to be free for long; double check prices before one-clicking):
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Friday, February 3, 2012

Three Free Titles from PS Publishing (K)

UK publisher PS Publishing LTD has three free titles in the Kindle store today: a collection of short stories, what appears to be a novella and a third that is most likely a novelette.
  • Diversifications, by James Lovegrove

    James Lovegrove’s second collection of short fiction is a swirling kaleidoscope of ideas, language and wordplay. In this book you will meet robots living in a flesh world, travellers who vie to explore the most exotic alternate dimensions, and viruses that spread by speech. There’s a serial killer who preys on serial killers, a doctor who takes the concept of downsizing to hideous extremes, a hangman coming to terms with his guilt over the executions he performed, and a jogaholic forever trying to atone for the biggest mistake of his life.

    From the red plains of Mars to a back-garden party, from modern London as Jules Verne might have imagined it to a futuristic society out of Mary Shelley’s worst nightmares, Lovegrove demonstrates yet again the extraordinary diversity and depth of his talent. Here, from a writer described by the Bookseller as having “become to the 21st century what J.G. Ballard was to the 20th” and by SFX as “one of the UK SF scene’s most interesting, challenging and adventurous authors”, are sixteen unforgettable tales filled with powerful characterisation, vivid storytelling, and dazzling verbal dexterity.

  • Cliff Rhodes & The Most Important Journey (The Land at the End of The Working Day), by Peter Crowther

    On a windswept corner of Manhattan, just a stone's throw from the weathered facade of the legendary Chelsea Hotel, there's a small two-flight walkdown bar called The Land At The End Of The Working Day. Stop in and rest awhile... you'll meet the most fascinating people.

  • The City in These Pages, by John Grant

    City Hall is on Lewis-and-Clark Street, so it was the 14th Precinct that got the call, and very soon the 14th Precinct, in the persons of Detective Sergeants Moto and Pincus, was on the spot, bending down and looking into the car at the condom-shrouded figure of Ratty Scarlatti but not touching anything because the m.o. and the scene-of-crime crew hadn't gotten here yet, being stuck in the traffic jam on Eighth thanks to the burst sewer there...

    It might seem like just another case for the gallant boys of the 14th but, as the days progress and Moto (look, just don't make any jokes about his name, okay?) and Pincus delve deeper, the body count rises inexorably, with each murder reaching a new height of ludicrous surrealism—if not downright impossibility. It seems there's an avenger on the loose in the enigmatic city.
    Yet is the unknown perpetrator truly seeking vengeance. Or are there operators moving at an even deeper level than reality?

    John Grant has commented: “I've been a devotee of the works of Ed McBain (Evan Hunter) for decades—since puberty, perhaps longer—so that when the great man died in July 2005 it was almost like losing a family member. I wanted to write my own, very humble tribute to him by way of thanks for all the pleasure he'd given me, but it was some while before the right combination of ideas came along.”

    The result, The City in These Pages, is a McBain-style police procedural, full of crackling wit and sharp one-liners, that's also a multi-layered cosmological fantasy in whose shifting perspectives nothing is ever quite as it appears. You've never read anything like it.
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Free Short Story - Career Day (K)

Career Day, by Barry Lyga, is free to pre-order in the Kindle store. It does, unfortunately, come with a bloated, 10-chapter sampler of his upcoming novel, but you can still the advertising copy and just read the short story. If it weren't for the included short story, I would not even include it here, as it only encourages the publishers to continue using these to jack up their sales rankings (and to falsify their "books sold" numbers). Currently there are 33 of these free in the Kindle store (including two by indie authors!) and that only includes the ones that actually admit to being "previews" in the title; "excerpts" and "samplers" add nearly 40 more to this number.
Book Description
A 3,000 word short-story prequel CAREER DAY!

When your dad is a serial killer, things like Career Day don't go over so well. While classmates might be looking forward to joining the family business, Jazz knows he needs to find a new path in this original short story by Barry Lyga.
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Free Book - How to Survive The Hunger Games (K)

How to Survive The Hunger Games: A Brief Look at Katniss's Survival Strategy, by Lois H. Gresh, is free to pre-order in the Kindle store.
Book Description
Katniss Everdeen operates in survival mode on a daily basis. How to Survive The Hunger Games explores how Katniss’s childhood experience, combined with her survival instinct, makes her the ultimate opponent in The Hunger Games.

How to Survive The Hunger Games is a chapter taken straight from The Hunger Games Companion, the ultimate companion guide to the blockbuster Hunger Games trilogy—this book is not authorized by Suzanne Collins, Scholastic Press or anyone involved in the Hunger Games movie.
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Today's Deals

For those shopping at KobobBooks, there are some new coupon codes this weekend for 20% off a non-Agency title: feb3row20, feb3ca20, feb3uk20, feb3us20 and feb3au20. I've seen some rumors that some of the permanent coupon codes are no longer working, but have no way to check them; if you are a brand new customoer there, you can try the codes in the right sidebar and leave me a comment if you find one that doesn't work.

Today is the last day to take advantage of this KSO deal:

The Siege of Washington: The Untold Story of the Twelve Days That Shook the Union ($1.99), by John Lockwood and Charles Lockwood, is today's Kindle Deal of the Day.
Book Description
On April 14, 1861, following the surrender of Fort Sumter, Washington was "put into the condition of a siege," declared Abraham Lincoln. Located sixty miles south of the Mason-Dixon Line, the nation's capital was surrounded by the slave states of Maryland and Virginia. With no fortifications and only a handful of trained soldiers, Washington was an ideal target for the Confederacy. The South echoed with cries of "On to Washington!" and Jefferson Davis's wife sent out cards inviting her friends to a reception at the White House on May 1.

Lincoln issued an emergency proclamation on April 15, calling for 75,000 troops to suppress the rebellion and protect the capital. One question now transfixed the nation: Whose forces would reach Washington first: Northern defenders or Southern attackers?

For 12 days, the city's fate hung in the balance. Washington was entirely isolated from the North--without trains, telegraph, or mail. Sandbags were stacked around major landmarks, and the unfinished Capitol was transformed into a barracks, with volunteer troops camping out in the House and Senate chambers. Meanwhile, Maryland secessionists blocked the passage of Union reinforcements trying to reach Washington, and a rumored force of 20,000 Confederate soldiers lay in wait just across the Potomac River.

Drawing on firsthand accounts, The Siege of Washington tells this story from the perspective of leading officials, residents trapped inside the city, Confederates plotting to seize it, and Union troops racing to save it, capturing with brilliance and immediacy the precarious first days of the Civil War.

Ed King ($1.56 / £0.99 UK), by David Guterson, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $13.99).
Book Description
In 1962, actuary Walter Cousins makes the biggest mistake of his life. When mild-mannered Walter - ‘a man who weighs risk for a living' - sleeps with the sharp-tongued, not-quite-legal British au pair, Diane Burroughs, he can have no sense of the magnitude of his error.

For this brief affair sets in motion a tragedy of epic proportions, upending Sophocles's immortal tale of fate, free will, and forbidden desire. At the centre is Ed King, an infant given up for adoption who becomes one of the world's richest and most powerful men. But beneath the sizzling story of Ed's seemingly inexorable rise to fame and fortune is a dark and unsettling destiny, one that approaches with ever-increasing suspense as the book reaches its shattering and surprising conclusion.

An assured, propulsively written epic novel of unstoppable force, Ed King is a classic of contemporary American life: a daringly told story of a man and a myth, of blindness and narcissism, and of the precarious foundations on which carefully constructed lives are built - and timeless stories are created. From the bestselling author of Snow Falling on Cedars, a dazzling, darkly funny, extraordinary modern take on an ancient tragedy, quite unlike anything we've seen before.

Torn ($2.99 Kindle, B&N), by Erica O'Rourke, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle. This young adult title, published by Kensington, has very good reviews; I'm grabbing a sample myself to read thru this afternoon.
Book Description
Everyone has secrets.
Even best friends.

Swirling black descends like ravens, large enough to block the glow of the streetlights. A dull roar starts like a train on the ‘L', a far-away rumbling that grows louder as it pulls closer, until it's directly overhead and you feel it in your chest, except this doesn't pass you by. Verity, white-faced and eyes blazing, shouts through the din, "Run, Mo!"

Mo Fitzgerald knows about secrets. But when she witnesses her best friend's murder, she discovers Verity was hiding things she never could have guessed. To find the answers she needs and the vengeance she craves, Mo--quiet, ordinary, unmagical Mo--will have to enter a world of raw magic and shifting alliances. And she'll have to choose between two very different, equally dangerous guys--protective, duty-bound Colin and brash, mysterious Luc. One wants to save her, one wants to claim her. Which would you choose?
Today's backlist/small press/indie free books on Kindle (not likely to be free for long; double check prices before one-clicking):
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Free Book - Count to 10 (K)

Count to 10, by Emily Thompson, is free in the Kindle store, but only for those who have a Kindle Fire registered to their account. For the many parents out there that either use a Kindle Fire with their younger children or let them play with one on their own, this is a perfect addition and about time, as I have several such books for the NOOK Color and Tablet, which have been free in the last year or so. Unlike B&N, though, you can't add this one to your account without a Kindle Fire registered (although you could borrow one from a friend to register for a short time, it hardly seems worth it for one title).

Oddly enough, this title also says it is "optimized for larger screens", so perhaps it is an early indicator that a larger Kindle tablet is in the works!
Book Description
Elmo turns 3 1/2 this month! Celebrate Elmo's birthday with this free Kindle Fire book.

Double Tap to Zoom.

Count along from 1-10 with all your favorite Sesame Street friends.
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Repeat Freebies from Abingdon Press (N/E)

Four of Christian publisher Abingdon Press' books are repeating as freebies at Barnes & Noble and ChristianBook (although they are full price on Kindle). Rather than create new posts for all four, I'm linking in the original posts, where you'll find clickable links for the various stores.
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Free Book - Loving God With All You've Got (DF)

Loving God With All You've Got ($8.95 Kindle, B&N), by Sunder Krishnan, is free from ChristianBook, courtesy of Christian publisher WingSpread.
Book Description
Reordering Your Life’s Priorities and Perspectives
Loving God with All You’ve Got will inspire you to develop a deeper intimacy with God through worship, prayer and meditation. More than a book, Loving God is a unique, achievable journey that shows you how to love God with your entire being, fully surrendered to him. This new edition comes complete with a study guide for small groups and Sunday school classes.

Rev. Sunder Krishnan is the senior pastor of Rexdale Alliance Church in Toronto, Canada. He was born into an orthodox Hindu family in India and became a Christian through the ministry of Youth for Christ in New Delhi during his first year of college.
Get the free ebook from ChristianBook. This is a DRM-free EPUB and can be converted for Kindle using Calibre.
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Free Book - Amish Prayers (K/N/E)

Amish Prayers, by Beverly Lewis, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble and ChristianBook, courtesy of Christian publisher Bethany House.
Book Description
The Amish as well as other Anabaptist groups have used the same book of prayers for centuries. Now for the first time a selection of these prayers is readily available in English. This exclusive authentic translation from the original German--with an introduction by Beverly Lewis--will give readers insights into the spiritual foundations of the Plain people. Each prayer is paired with a Scripture passage to draw readers closer to God. This hardcover illustrated gift book is perfect for old and new fans of Amish fiction alike.

About the Author
Beverly Lewis, born in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, is the New York Times bestselling author of more than eighty books. Her stories have been published in nine languages worldwide. A keen interest in her mother's Plain heritage has inspired Beverly to write many Amish-related novels, beginning with The Shunning, which has sold more than one million copies. The Brethren was honored with a 2007 Christy Award. Beverly lives with her husband, David, in Colorado.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from ChristianBook.
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Free Book - Love Is A Flame (K/N/E)

Love Is A Flame, by James Stuart Bell, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble and ChristianBook, courtesy of Christian publisher Bethany House.
Book Description
Happily ever after. Does it only happen in fairy tales, or in real life? Over the years love may burn strong and steady, but sometimes it grows cold. However, it can be rekindled--and these stories show how. Be inspired by true accounts of how love was revived and renewed.

You'll discover that love can grow stronger and burn brighter through the years as you read more than forty stories from everyday people. The true stories in Love Is a Flame will warm your heart and show you how to create a new spark in your marriage and build it into a glowing flame.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from ChristianBook.
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Free Book - Hip-Hop Redemption (K/N/E)

Hip-Hop Redemption (Engaging Culture), by Ralph Basui Watkins, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble and ChristianBook, courtesy of Christian publisher Baker Academic.
Book Description
Hip-hop culture is experiencing a sea change today that has implications for evangelism, worship, and spiritual practices. Yet Christians have often failed to interpret this culture with sensitivity. Sociologist, preacher, pop-culture expert, and DJ Ralph Watkins understands that while there is room for a critique of mainstream hip-hop and culture, by listening more intently to the music's story listeners can hear a prophet crying out, sharing the pain of a generation that feels as though it hasn't been heard. His accessible, balanced engagement reveals what is inherently good and redeeming in hip-hop and rap music and uses that culture as a lens to open up the power of the Bible for ministry to a generation.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from ChristianBook.
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Free Book - Winston's War (K/N)

Winston's War: A Novel of Conspiracy, by Michael Dobbs, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble.
Book Description
An intriguing tale of espionage and treason?this is a work to enthrall." ? Daily Mail

Michael Dobbs' thrilling novel about the dawn of World War II, and Winston Churchill's rise to power.

It is the dawn of World War II, and Neville Chamberlain believes he has bought "peace for our time" from Adolph Hitler, who has just seized Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The English are alarmed by the huge German army, while the soldiers that would defend London don't even have steel helmets. For many, compromise and appeasement seem to be England's best defense.

But there are a few leaders who don't agree. Among them is Winston Churchill, who understands that the relentless march of fascism will be democracy's death knell. In October 1938, Churchill pleads his case in the press to the BBC's Guy Burgess. One of these two will become the most revered man of his time, and the other will be known as the greatest of traitors.

This stunning novel brings to life the surprising political intrigues that set the stage for World War II, and brings alive the passionate, grumpy, whiskey-drinking Winston Churchill, as he inspires his fellow countrymen to take on the world's mightiest army.

Includes bonus reading group guide.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
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Nine Free Books from New Word City (K)

There is a new batch of free books from New Word City in the Kindle store.
  1. What the Ivy League Won't Teach You, by William Deresiewicz
  2. No More Bad Decisions, by Sydney Finkelstein
  3. Discovering the World's Oldest City, by Edgar James Banks
  4. Lorenzo De Medici Rules in Florence, by Oliphant Smeaton
  5. Humphrey Bogart: A Life In Film, by Richard Schickel
  6. Laurence Olivier, A Life In Film, by Richard Schickel
  7. Nelson Mandela, A Life
  8. Michelle Obama: A Life
  9. Margaret Thatcher: A Life (repeat)
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Free Book - First Year Teacher (K)

First Year Teacher: Wit and Wisdom from Teachers Who've Been There, by Randy Howe, is free in the Kindle store.
Book Description
First Year Teacher is an invaluable resource for newbie teachers. It offers hundreds of tips, warnings, and anecdotes from experienced educators--all in one warm and charming package.

Benefit from their wisdom:
"Principals love a heads-up on both good and bad news. It only makes you look good if you keep the principal in the loop. Don't hide in your classroom!" —Fifth grade teacher

Learn from their mistakes:
"Don't put off returning phone calls of a pushy parent. The longer you wait, the longer they have to think of new questions!" —U.S. History and Government teacher

And remember that humor conquers all:
"When you're having a hard day, remember why you became a teacher in the first place. My neighbors wouldn't listen to me talk about environmental science, so I had to find a captive audience!" —Environmental Science teacher
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Free Book - From Here to Freshman Year (K)

From Here to Freshman Year: College Admissions Strategies for All Four Years of High School, by Kaplan, is a repeat freebie in the Kindle store.
Book Description
The essential pocket guide to making the most of high school, updated for today’s ninth through 12th-graders

Is it too early to start applying for college scholarships in ninth grade? Do I need to take AP classes? How important are extra curricular activities when I apply to college? These questions and many more are answered in this revised edition of Kaplan’s popular From Here to Freshman Year.

This easy-to-use guide provides up-to-date information for ninth, 10th-, 11th-, and 12th-graders to prepare them for college. Filled with tons of tips and time lines for all four years of high school, it also provides information for parents and students on time management, stress reduction, and problem solving.

Conveniently portable, From Here to Freshman Year takes parents and students through high school with the ease of knowing that they took the right steps to prepare for college each year.

Must-know topics include: the application process; campus visits; working with your guidance counselor; taking important tests like the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP exams; letters of recommendation; purchasing the right computer, and more.
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Free Book - Dead Angler (K)

Dead Angler, the first title in the Loon Lake Fishing Mystery series by Victoria Houston, is a repeat freebie in the Kindle store.
Book Description
Retired dentist Paul Osborne hasn’t fly fished since his wife died. He hasn’t had a woman tell him what to do since then either. But in the company of Lewellyn Ferris, he’s relearning both. And when he and his lady instructor find a well-dressed body floating in the moonlight, Paul adds deputy to his list of experiences...Whether the death is accidental -- or accidentally on purpose -- Lewellyn is determined to rell in the truth. She enlists Pail and his walleye-expert buddy, Ray, to help her get to the bottom of the murky mystery. Whoever thought small-town retirement could be this dangerous?
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Thursday, February 2, 2012

Get $2 Off an MP3 Classical Crossover Album (KSO)

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

Get $2 Off an MP3 Classical Crossover Album

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: Get $2 Off an MP3 Classical Crossover Album. Click on it, then on the link to Email Me This Offer.
  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 album; see below), click this link, then on the button labeled Enter Your Code, at any time up to the expiration date of March 4, 2012.
  5. Enter your code and follow the directions.
  6. Choose any of these albums and you'll get $2 off
You'll have a promotion code on your account that will apply to the FIRST album you buy (from the list) after that. Current prices range from $3.99 to nearly $18, but those can change at any time (so, if one you want is $5 or less, I'd grab it now; if over $10, I'd wait to see if it drops in price). You should save the code and not enter it until you are ready to buy an album (I find this helps me remember if I've used a code - when I go to apply it, if it isn't accepted, I know I've used that offer).

To recap: you must claim the offer by Feb 4 and must do so from your Kindle with Special Offers. You'll get a promotion code via email and you have until March 4, 2012, to enter and redeem the code. Once you enter it, it will work on the next album from the list that you purchase.

Comments

OK, who else had started to think we weren't ever getting another Special Offer? Other than the annoying AmazonEverywhere ads (at least, on mine they weren't "local", since I had four pages of ads for offers good in one city or another across the country, none of which were even within a day's driving distance). This isn't the best offer I've seen (groceries were my biggest money saver, so far), but I'm glad to see offers starting to show up again. I do see that a $1 romance book offer is on it's way (I would imagine that it will show up by Feb 14 at the latest).

There are 50 albums to choose from, including one I nearly bought yesterday, so this code should come in handy, for me.
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Free Book - Creating an Intimate Marriage (K/N)

Creating an Intimate Marriage: Rekindle Romance Through Affection, Warmth and Encouragement, by Jim Burns, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble, courtesy of Christian publisher Bethany House.
Book Description
A Marriage Full of A.W.E. If you think intimacy in marriage is an impossible goal, think again. Even if your relationship is the high maintenance variety, you can still find that meaningful connection you are seeking by cultivating three important ingredients in your relationship: Affection, Warmth, and Encouragement--AWE. Sharing personal stories of both success and failure, Jim Burns' candid and vulnerable style will encourage you to work toward rekindling the fires of your romance, no matter how chilly the coals may have grown. Important areas discussed include communication, sexuality, friendship, forgiveness, worship, attitudes, and priorities. This is not a pie-in-the-sky approach to marriage. The challenges of everyday life with a spouse are faced head-on by someone who has not only experienced them himself but also coached hundreds of other couples and individuals in their struggles. The practical help he offers will equip you to tackle the real-life issues of marriage and find true and lasting intimacy with your spouse. Each chapter includes helpful follow-up exercises and questions for personal reflection.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
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Free Book - Six Degrees of Romance (K/N/E)

Update: 2/3/12 Now free in the Kindle store.

A Valentine from Harlequin: Six Degrees of Romance ($0.99 Kindle), an anthology of novellas from Nancy Warren, Catherine Spencer, Margaret Moore, Maggie Shayne, Michele Hauf and Christine Bell, is free from Barnes & Noble and direct from the publisher, Harlequin.
Book Description
One opening paragraph, six unique stories...

What if you gave six authors the same opening paragraph and let their imagination fly? That’s what we’ve done in A Valentine from Harlequin: Six Degrees of Romance!

Experience the variety Harlequin romance has to offer with this collection of novellas from six Harlequin series, including the passionate drama of Harlequin Presents, steamy encounters of Harlequin Blaze, spooky and sensual tales of Harlequin Nocturne, and more.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from Harlequin.
Get the free ebook from Kobo.
Get the free ebook from Sony.
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Free Book - Digger the Dinosaur (N/I)

Digger the Dinosaur, by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Gynux (Illustrator), is free from Barnes & Noble (for NOOK Color and NOOK Tablet, as well as the NOOK Kids for iPad app) and iTunes (iBooks). There doesn't appear to be an edition available for the Kindle Fire.
Book Description
Welcome to the world of beginning readers starring Digger the Dinosaur!

Digger wants to go out and play, but he still hasn't cleaned his room. The race is on to tidy up-and with Digger in a rush, things might get a little topsy-turvy!
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from iTunes.
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Today's Deals

One More River ($1.99), by Mary Glickman (author of Home in the Morning), is today's Kindle Deal of the Day.
Book Description
Bernard Levy was always a mystery to the community of Guilford, Mississippi. He was even more of a mystery to his son, Mickey Moe, who was just four years old when his father died in World War II. Now it’s 1962 and Mickey Moe is a grown man, who must prove his pedigree to the disapproving parents of his girlfriend, Laura Anne Needleman, to win her hand in marriage. With only a few decades-old leads to go on, Mickey Moe sets out to uncover his father’s murky past, from his travels up and down the length of the Mississippi River to his heartrending adventures during the Great Flood of 1927. Mickey Moe’s journey, taken at the dawn of the civil rights era, leads him deep into the backwoods of Mississippi and Tennessee, where he meets with danger and unexpected revelations at every turn. As the greatest challenge of his life unfolds, he will finally discover the gripping details of his father’s life—one filled with loyalty, tragedy, and heroism in the face of great cruelty from man and nature alike.

A captivating follow-up to Mary Glickman’s bestselling Home in the Morning, One More River tells the epic tale of ordinary men caught in the grip of calamity, and inspired to extraordinary acts in the name of love.

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating ($2.03 / £1.29 UK), by Elisabeth Tova Bailey, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $8.38).
Book Description
While an illness keeps her bedridden, Elisabeth Bailey watches a wild snail that has taken up residence in a terrarium alongside her bed. She enters the rhythm of life of this mysterious creature, and comes to a greater understanding of her own confined place in the world. In a work that beautifully demonstrates the rewards of closely observing nature, she shares the inspiring and intimate story of her close encounter with Neohelix albolabris – a common woodland snail. Intrigued by the snail’s world – from its strange anatomy to its mysterious courtship activities – she becomes a fascinated and amused observer of the snail’s curious life. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is an affirmation of the healing power of nature, revealing how much of the world we miss in our busy daily lives, and how truly magical it is. A remarkable journey of survival and resilience, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating shows how a small part of the natural world can illuminate our own human existence and deepen our appreciation of what it means to be fully alive.

Organize Now!: A Week-by-Week Guide to Simplify Your Space and Your Life ($3.99 Kindle, B&N), by Jennifer Ford Berry, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle. I actually picked this one up last June; another you might find interesting in this category is Miss Minimalist: Inspiration to Downsize, Declutter, and Simplify ($0.99). Reading either on Kindle (and downsizing some of your paper books) seems a good start in the right direction, for either title.
Organize Now!
Get Organized Fast!

Clutter has a cost. It steals your storage space, robs your time and energy, and takes away the peace and beauty of your home. Don't pay for it another minute — get organized, now!

This updated and expanded edition of the bestselling Organize Now! features even more quick, effective organizing ideas. Easy-to-follow checklists show you how to organize any part of your life in less than one week. You spend more time organizing and less time reading — a perfect fit for your busy lifestyle! Long-term goals help keep the clutter away for the months and years to follow, so you can maintain the order you create.

You'll find help with everything from time management and routines to mental clutter, paperwork, pets, purses, toys, rooms and life events such as moving, and celebrating the holidays.

Special money saving tips show you how to use your organizing efforts to cut costs around the house and even make a little money.

Miss Minimalist
Would you like to live a beautiful life with less stuff?

This delightful collection of articles by Francine Jay, author of “The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide,” provides great inspiration to pare down your possessions. Jay breezes from practical topics, like “What’s in a Minimalist Kitchen” and “How Many Shoes are Enough,” to more philosophical musings, like what the Japanese or ancient Greeks can teach us about simple living.

Along with valuable tips and advice, the author shares her personal stories about decluttering and living with less. Her warmth, humor, and encouraging tone make you feel like you’re chatting with a good friend over a cup of coffee—a friend you’d love to invite over to clean out your closets!

These essays are a wonderful introduction to minimalist living, written by someone with a genuine passion for the topic. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by your clutter, or disenchanted with consumerism, you’ll find a kindred soul (and a wealth of advice) in Miss Minimalist. Best of all: you’ll likely empty a drawer or two by the time you’ve finished reading!
The Big Kindle Boogie contest continues, with a few new free book additions (which I'll try to include below).

Today's backlist/small press/indie free books on Kindle (not likely to be free for long; double check prices before one-clicking):
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Free Audiobook - The Power of Positive Thinking

The fourth (and final) free audiobook that The Guardian (a UK newspaper) is giving away as part of their Head Start program this year is The Power of Positive Thinking ($11.99 Kindle), by Norman Vincent Peale.
Book Description
The Power of Positive Thinking has helped millions of men and women to achieve fulfillment in their lives. In this phenomenal bestseller, Dr. Peale demonstrates the power of faith in action. With the practical techniques outlined in this book, you can energize your life -- and give yourself the initiative needed to carry out your ambitions and hopes. You'll learn how to:
  • believe in yourself and in everything you do
  • build new power and determination
  • develop the power to reach your goals
  • break the worry habit and achieve a relaxed life
  • improve your personal and professional relationships
  • assume control over your circumstances
  • be kind to yourself
Get the free Audiobook from The Guardian UK. You'll need to enter a name and email address, click to submit the info, then click a link that takes you to AudioGo; be sure to note the coupon code on that page, as you'll need it to get the book for free. Once at Audiogo, click on the ad, then click Checkout; log in (or create an account), then enter the promotional Code and click Update. Don't click on Continue until after you've confirmed that a total of $0.00/£0.00 is shown. You'll need an account with AudioGo, but should not need to enter any credit card info. Once you've added the audiobook to your account, you can download at any time (I'd expect download times to be very slow this week).
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Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Free Book Roundup

Starting off, JA Konrath appears to have lost his mind and has a HUGE number of titles for free today, including several boxed sets of horror/thrillers. It's all part of another Kindle Fire Givewaway, co-sponsored with several other authors. Even if you don't want to enter their contest (and hey!, one of my readers won in the last one), you can pick up enough free books, below, to keep you reading all year. If you do decide to enter, they are giving away 10 Kindle Fires, 75 ebooks, $300 in gift cards, and a $500 library donation.

First, the free books from the Kindle Fire contest (note that there is some overlap on these lists, when there are co-authors on a title):
The rest of today's backlist/small press/indie free books on Kindle (not likely to be free for long; double check prices before one-clicking).
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Free Book - Of Blood and Honey (K)

Of Blood and Honey, by Stina Leicht, is free in the Kindle store, courtesy of Night Shade Books. They gave this one away last March, but you had to email them and wait to get it emailed back (and only in EPUB format). If you missed it then, this one is a good one to move up to the top of your TBR list.
Book Description
Fallen angels and the fey clash against the backdrop of Irish/English conflicts of the 1970s in this stunning debut novel by Stina Leicht.

Liam never knew who his father was. The town of Derry had always assumed that he was the bastard of a protestant--His mother never spoke of him, and Liam assumed he was dead. But when the war between the fallen, and the fey began to heat up, Liam and his family are pulled into a conflict that they didn't know existed. A centuries old conflict between supernatural forces seems to mirror the political divisions in 1970s era Ireland, and Liam is thrown headlong into both conflicts. Only the direct intervention of Liam's real father, and a secret catholic order dedicated to fighting "The Fallen" can save Liam... from the mundane and supernatural forces around him, and from the darkness that lurks within him.
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Free Book - Wyatt's Revenge (K)

Wyatt's Revenge: A Matt Royal Mystery, by H. Terrell Griffin, is free in the Kindle store, courtesy of Oceanview Publishing.
Book Description
On balance, retired trial lawyer turned-beach bum Matt Royal is a pretty laid-back fellow. But when Laurence Wyatt, one of Matt's best friends, is murdered, Matt trades in his easygoing ways for a hard-hitting quest for revenge. Matt knows the Longboat Key police will do their job in investigating. But for Matt, finding Wyatt's killer isn't a job; it's personal.

Determined to do whatever it takes to solve Wyatt's murder, Matt takes matters into his own hands and embarks on a clandestine investigation. Soon, Matt finds himself in hot pursuit of a cadre of remorseless criminals and trained killers, but the tables turn and Matt becomes the pursued. Faced with mounting danger, Matt calls for backup from his buddies Jock Algren and Logan Hamilton.

Matt Royal would go to the ends of the earth to exact revenge for Wyatt's murder, but will he go outside the law?

Expect the unexpected in this wild and dangerous ride from Longboat Key, Florida, to Frankfurt, Germany, because hell hath no fury like Matt Royal scorned.
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Free Book - Collision of Evil (K)

Collision of Evil, by John J. Le Beau, is free in the Kindle store, courtesy of Oceanview Publishing.
Book Description
As evening falls against the majestic backdrop of the Bavarian Alps, Charles Hirter, an American tourist, is savagely murdered. In the peace, quiet and pastoral splendor of this magnificent setting, Charles Hirter draws his last breath. Was Charles simply in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Kommissar Franz Waldbaer, the German detective in charge of the case, faces an investigation that yields neither clues nor suspects nor motives. A gruff, go-it alone detective, Waldbaer is dismayed by the arrival of Robert Hirter, the victim's brother, who insists on joining the investigation. But there is more to Robert than meets the eye.

As Robert and the Kommissar uncover a nefarious nexus of evil past and evil present, they find themselves probing dark, long-forgotten episodes from the Third Reich in order to identify the present threat.

Thrust into a violent world of fanatic passions, malevolent intentions and excruciating urgency, Robert Hirter and Kommissar Waldbaer must race against the clock to stop a sophisticated, covert, and deadly plot.

About the Author
John J. Le Beau served as a clandestine operations officer in the Central Intelligence Agency for over twenty-five years. Since January 2006, Dr. Le Beau has served as a Professor of National Security Studies in the College of International SecurityStudies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch, Germany.
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Today's Deals

Amazon's 100 Kindle books for $3.99 or less list has been updated for the month and I already see a couple that I'm going to add to my library this month. The first sample I'm going to look thru is The Good Neighbor Cookbook: 125 Easy and Delicious Recipes to Surprise and Satisfy the New Moms, New Neighbors, and more ($2.99), by Suzanne Schlosberg and Sara Quessenberry.
Book Description
Forget about the same old boring pasta salad or tuna casserole when you need to bring dinner to exhausted new parents, care for a friend recovering from surgery, or contribute to a business breakfast. Sara Quessenberry and Suzanne Schlosberg offer 125 great new recipes inside The Good Neighbor Cookbook. Uniquely divided by occasion rather than food category, chapters include: Get Well Soon, Bringing Home Baby, Welcome to the Neighborhood, Novel Ideas for Book Club, Block Parties, Barbeques and Family Get-Togethers, and Meet and Eat.

In addition to flavorful and health-conscious recipes, The Good Neighbor Cookbook also includes tips for preparing food ahead of time or freezing dishes for later. With recipes such as Raspberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie; Smoky Corn Chowder; Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Lasagna; Potato Salad with Fennel, Lemon, and Herbs; Earl Grey and Orange Tea Cookies; Banana and Hazelnut Muffins; and Soy and Ginger Grilled Chicken Drumsticks, your friends, neighbors, and book club members will realize they have never had it so good. More than just a potluck cookbook, The Good Neighbor Cookbook is timely and relevant for today's potluck economy.

About the Authors
Suzanne Schlosberg is a top health, nutrition, and parenting writer. A former senior editor of Shape magazine, she is the author or coauthor of ten books, including Fitness for Dummies, The Ultimate Diet Log, and The Essential Breastfeeding Log. Her articles have appeared in Health, Ladies' Home Journal, Parents, and Parenting, among others. She resides in Bend, Oregon.

Sara Quessenberry is the chief recipe developer and food stylist for Real Simple magazine. With her easy-to-follow, time-saving recipes and down-to-earth approach, Quessenberry makes cooking seem like an inviting opportunity rather than a daunting task. She resides in New York, New York.

Vaccine Nation ($0.99), by David Lender, is today's Kindle Deal of the Day. I've been tempted by this one a time or two before; at this price, why not?
Book Description
Dani North is a filmmaker who just won at the Tribeca Film Festival for her documentary, The Drugging of Our Children, a film critical of the pharmaceutical industry. When she is handed "whistleblower" evidence about the U.S. vaccination program, she has to keep herself alive long enough to expose it before a megalomaniacal pharmaceutical company CEO can have her killed.

Excerpts from Trojan Horse, The Gravy Train and Bull Street, David Lender's other thrillers, follow the text of Vaccine Nation.

A Lily of the Field ($1.56 / £0.99 UK), the seventh (and latest) in the Inspector Frederick Troy series by John Lawton, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $8.69). For those in the US, you might pick up Bluffing Mr. Churchill (#4 in the series) instead, currently marked down to $5.
Book Description
'Observe in what an original world we are now living: how many men can you find in Europe who have never killed; or whom somebody does not wish to kill?'

Vienna, 1934. Ten-year-old cello prodigy Meret Voytek becomes a pupil of concert pianist Viktor Rosen, a Jew in exile from Germany.

The Isle of Man, 1940. An interned Hungarian physicist is recruited for the Manhattan Project in Los Alomos, building the atom bomb for the Americans.

Auschwitz, 1944. Meret is imprisoned but is saved from certain death to play the cello in the camp orchestra. She is playing for her life.

London, 1948. Viktor Rosen wants to relinquish his Communist Party membership after thirty years. His comrade and friend reminds him that he committed for life...

These seemingly unconnected strands all collide forcefully with a brazen murder on a London Underground platform, revealing an intricate web of secrecy and deception.

The ensuing events have personal significance for Scotland Yard Detective Frederick Troy. He finds himself pursuing a case with deadly and far-reaching consequences that ultimately threaten the balance of power in Europe.

Moving seamlessly from Vienna and Auschwitz to the deserts of New Mexico and the rubble-strewn streets of London, 'A Lily of the Field' is a fast-paced, thrilling addition for fans of the series and a captivating introduction for new readers of Lawton's work.

Detective Inspector Huss (Inspector Irene Huss Series #1) ($3.49 Kindle, B&N), by Helene Tursten, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.
Book Description
Inspector Irene Huss, stationed in Göteborg, is called through the rain-drenched wintry streets to the scene of an apparent suicide. The dead man landed on the sidewalk in front of his luxurious duplex apartment. He was a wealthy financier connected, through an old-boys’ network, with the first families of Sweden. But the "Society Suicide" turns out to have been a carefully plotted murder. As more murders ensue, she tangles with street gang members, skinheads, immigrants and neo-Nazis—a cross-section of Sweden’s disaffected—in order to catch the killer.

Helene Tursten has been compared to P.D. James in her native Sweden. Her three subsequent Irene Huss mysteries have been highly praised. She was born in Göteborg in 1954 where she now lives.
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Free Book - Ghost a la Mode (K/N/E)

Update: 2/5/12 Now free from Sony.

Ghost a la Mode (US/UK), the first in the Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery series by Sue Ann Jaffarian, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble, courtesy of Midnight Ink.
Book Description
A new series debut from Odelia Grey mystery author Sue Ann Jaffarian!

Granny was famous for her award-winning apple pies-and notorious for murdering her husband Jacob at their homestead in Julian, California. The only trouble is, Granny was framed, then murdered. For more than one hundred years, Granny's spirit has been searching for someone to help her see that justice is served—and she hits pay dirt when she pops in to a séance attended by her great-great-great-granddaughter, modern-day divorced mom Emma Whitecastle. Together, Emma and Granny Apples solve mysteries of the past—starting with Granny's own unjust murder rap in the final days of the California Gold Rush.

Along with a sprinkling of history, this spirited new mystery series features the amateur sleuth team of Emma Whitecastle and the spirit of her pie-baking great-great-great-grandmother, Granny Apples.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from Sony.
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Free Book - Something Secret This Way Comes (K/N/E)

Update: 2/5/12 Now free from Sony.

Something Secret This Way Comes (US/UK), the first in the Secret McQueen series by Sierra Dean, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble. This urban fantasy is from Samhain Publishing, so heed the content warning.
Book Description
For Secret McQueen, her life feels like the punch line for a terrible joke. Abandoned at birth by her werewolf mother, hired as a teen by the vampire council of New York City to kill rogues, Secret is a part of both worlds, but belongs to neither. At twenty-two, she has carved out as close to a normal life as a bounty hunter can.

When an enemy from her past returns with her death on his mind, she is forced to call on every ounce of her mixed heritage to save herself—and everyone else in the city she calls home. As if the fate of the world wasn’t enough to deal with, there’s Lucas Rain, King of the East Coast werewolves, who seems to believe he and Secret are fated to be together. Too bad Secret also feels a connection with Desmond, Lucas’s second-in-command…

Warning: This book contains a sarcastic, kick-ass bounty hunter; a metaphysical love triangle with two sexy werewolves; a demanding vampire council; and a spicy seasoning of sex and violence.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from Sony.
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Free Book - Project Daddy (K/N)

Project Daddy (US/UK), by Kate Perry, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble.
Book Description
How do you find the perfect match for the boss from hell?

Katherine Murphy needs to know. Her obsessive, demanding supervisor has given her an assignment that goes way beyond the call of duty: find her a man. But not just any man--he must have the perfect combination of good looks, job security, and solid genes to make him daddy-worthy. So, with a lofty promotion being dangled in front of her, Katherine dives back into the dating pool to find another woman's Mr. Right. . .

There is, however, a problem with Katherine's approach: for some reason, going up to strange guys and asking if they're ready for fatherhood is getting her nowhere. Which is why she recruits her best friend Luc to help with the man hunt. As he drags her out to gallery openings and bars, Katherine develops a new appreciation for Luc. But when Katherine strikes out in her search and Luc steps up to the plate as her boss's next date, she realizes he's perfect. Maybe too perfect to waste on someone else...
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
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Free Books from Infinite Ideas (K)

Infinite Ideas has marked a dozen or so books as free in the Kindle store; I'll be back later (on this post) with a list of titles, but for now, click the publisher's name for a list (it also contains the ones that were free yesterday, so double check prices before one-clicking).

OK, here's a list of the ones that are newly free:
  1. Life Management (Feel Good Factory on), by Elisabeth Wilson
  2. Looking Gorgeous (Feel Good Factory), by Elisabeth Wilson
  3. Beating the Blues (Feel Good Factory on), by Elisabeth Wilson
  4. Healthy Living (Feel Good Factory), by Elisabeth Wilson
  5. How to sell brilliantly in good times and bad, by Nicholas Bate
  6. Interview answers (52 Brilliant Ideas), by Ken Langdon and Nikki Cartwright
  7. Divorce (52 Brilliant Ideas), by Victoria Perrett
  8. Make more money (Infinite Success)
  9. MBA (52 Brilliant Ideas), by Nicholas Bate
  10. Unleash your creativity (52 Brilliant Ideas), by Tim Wright and Rob Bevan
  11. Live longer (52 Brilliant Ideas), by Sally Brown
  12. Look gorgeous always (52 Brilliant Ideas), by Linda Bird
  13. Lose weight (52 Brilliant Little Ideas)
  14. Orgasms! (52 Brilliant Ideas), by Marcelle Perks
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Free Book - Names of God (DF)

Names of God ($3.99 Kindle) is free from ChristianBook, courtesy of Christian publisher Rose Publishing.
Book Description
21 Names of God and Their Meaning

The Names of God eBook is a wonderful tool for understanding God's character and personal attributes. In less than 30 minutes, you will know the 21 Names of God found throughout the Old Testament and will gain new insights to build your faith.

Each name of God, e.g. El Shaddai (The All-Sufficient One), Jehovah-Rapha (The Lord Who Heals), and YHWH (I Am), holds a special blessing or promise for believers. Knowing the different meanings of the names of God will add dimension to your time spent in prayer, in praise and worship. The Names of God eBook has an interesting list of God's Names along with their meanings, an application, Bible reference(s), and pronunciation/comments.
Get the free ebook from ChristianBook. This is a DRM-free EPUB, so can be converted to read on Kindle, using Calibre.
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Free Book - How To Study the Bible (DF)

How To Study the Bible ($3.99 Kindle) is free from ChristianBook, courtesy of Christian publisher Rose Publishing.
Book Description

If you are new to studying the Bible or have studied the Bible for years, How to Study the Bible eBook will help you get more out of your personal Bible study. In 30 minutes or less, this eBook will give you a step-by-step approach for an inductive Bible study, and you will find descriptive resources and reference information that will help you dig deeper into God's Word.

How to Study the Bible shows how to approach your Bible study in an organized and life-touching way. The content is self-explanatory, easy to present and easy to use. How to Study the Bible will help you learn how to explore the Bible, understand what the Scriptures mean, as well as how the insights in the Bible can be applied to real-life applications. How to Study the Bible will encourage you to pursue a personal Bible study that will result in a more rewarding relationship with God.

Bible study leaders and teachers who use the How to Study the Bible eBook give their students an opportunity to enjoy a lifelong adventure with the Bible. In addition to a systematic approach to studying the Bible, How to Study the Bible provides helpful instruction for personal growth.

When you use How to Study the Bible, you will develop the confidence to read and study God's Word with a new passion. There is no easier way to learn how to study the Bible.
Get the free ebook from ChristianBook. This is a DRM-free EPUB, so can be converted to read on Kindle, using Calibre.
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