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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Free and Bargain Book Roundup

The One-Click Buy: November Harlequin Presents ($4.10) contains eight full novels, which is a super-buy for romance fans. Grab it quick, I expect the price to go up soon (most of the other bundles like this are in the $14 range).
Book Description
One convenient download. One bargain price. Get all November Harlequin Presents with one click!

Mix irresistible desire, sizzling sensuality and undeniable passion with tormented jealousy, cynical mistrust and foolish misunderstandings, and you have the perfect recipe for breathtaking drama and thrilling romance. And when you set these enthralling stories in lush locales and people them with powerful, wealthy, privileged men and innocent, alluring, feisty women, you have the makings of a classic Harlequin Presents romance.

Enjoy eight new stories chock full of gripping emotions and sexual tension, by some of Harlequin Presents's top selling authors in this fabulous bundle, which includes: Ruthlessly Bedded by the Italian Billionaire by Emma Darcy, Sicilian Husband, Unexpected Baby by Sharon Kendrick, Mendez's Mistress by Anne Mather, The Sheikh's Wayward Wife by Sandra Marton, Bedded by the Greek Billionaire by Kate Walker, The Mediterranean Prince's Captive Virgin by Robyn Donald, Public Scandal, Private Mistress by Susan Napier and A Night with the Society Playboy by Ally Blake.

Marriage and Babies Bundle ($4.75) isn't quite as good a deal, but still gets you 4 novels for not much more than the cost of a Frappucino.
Book Description
First comes love, then marriage and babies...right? Not in these books! With scintillating marriage of revenge plots, classic reunion romance, and unexpected pregnancies of passion, the four books in the Marriage and Babies Bundle prove sometimes the best loves comes last! Bundle includes: The Konstantos Marriage Demand by Kate Walker, Claiming His Wedding Night by Lee Wilkinson, The Italian's Ruthless Baby Bargain by Margaret Mayo, and Pregnant with the De Rossi Heir by Maggie Cox.

One-Click Buy: December Harlequin Blaze ($3.70) gets you six (older - 2008) titles for one low price.
Book Description
One convenient download. One bargain price. Get all December Harlequin Blaze with one click!

The holidays are a magical time. But, oh, the stress of shopping and preparing for them! So we've got the perfect relief for your weary brain and sore feet. Fix yourself a hot mug of cocoa, put up those aching tootsies and cozy up with one of these blistering holiday romances from Harlequin Blaze At one low price for all six books, you'll hardly make a dent in your holiday budget.

Bundle includes: Heating Up the Holidays by Jill Shalvis, Jacquie D'Allessandro and Jamie Sobrato, Yule Be Mine by Jennifer LaBrecque, Come Toy with Me by Cara Summers, Who Needs Mistletoe? by Kate Hoffman, Restless by Tori Carrington and No Peeking... by Stephanie Bond.

I know, I know, Christmas is over already! But, it'll be Christmas again later this year and you'll be read with One-Click Buy: December 2009 Harlequin Blaze ($3.70), which gets you another six titles for the cost of a Mocha Latte.
Book Description
One convenient download. One bargain price. Get all December 2009 Harlequin Blaze with one click!

Have you been nice all year to get gifts from Santa? Well, now it's time to be naughty by indulging in six sexy stories from Harlequin Blaze! This bundle includes: Better Naughty Than Nice by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Jill Shalvis and Rhonda Nelson; Starstruck by Julie Kenner; Texas Blaze by Debbie Rawlins; Santa, Baby by Lisa Renee Jones; Christmas Male by Cara Summers; and Twelve Nights by Hope Tarr.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Teens: Simple Ways to Keep Your Cool in Stressful Times ($3.35), by Richard Carlson
Book Description
Now the #1 bestselling author of the Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Series, Richard Carlson, Ph.D., offers teenagers simple, helpful wisdom for coping with everyday issues

Anyone who thinks teens have it easy hasn't been to a high school recently. As the headlines remind us almost daily, America's teenagers deal with stress in just about every facet of their lives: academics, sports, social situations, family life, money matters, even work. Now Richard Carlson, author of the Don't Sweat series, with sales of 12 million copies, applies the same techniques to teens that have made his other books required reading for anyone coping with life's everyday challenges. In simple, straightforward language, Dr. Carlson addresses common teen concerns with chapters such as: "Make Peace with Your Mistakes," "Be Creative in Your Rebellion," "Be Okay with Your Bad Hair Day," "Turn Down the Drama Meter," and "Notice Your Parents Doing Things Right." As with his other Don't Sweat the Small Stuff titles, teens and their parents will find that Richard Carlson's positive approach helps to minimize the impact stressful situations have on their lives.

With Infinity ($2.99) Sherrilyn Kenyon brings her Dark Hunter series to the Young Adult market, starting a new series, the Chronicles of Nick. If you haven't read the author, is can be a good place to start -- you'll have plenty more to read before you get sick of the series, as the adult titles include 50 NYT bestsellers.
Book Description
At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

Wanna Get Lucky? ($2.99) kicks off Deborah Coonts' light mystery series, Lucky O'Toole Las Vegas Adventures. There's also a bargain novella in the series, Lucky in Love ($1.99), and the latest title, So Damn Lucky, releases next week.
Book Description
A young woman plunges from a Las Vegas sightseeing helicopter, landing in the Pirate’s lagoon in front of the Treasure Island Hotel in the middle of the 8:30 Pirate Show. Almost everyone writes her off as another Vegas victim.

But Lucky O’Toole smells a rat. She’s head of Customer Relations at The Babylon, the newest, most opulent mega-casino and resort on the Strip, so she’s got a lot on her plate: the Adult Film industry’s annual awards banquet, a spouse-swapping convention, sex toy purveyors preying on the pocket-protector crowd attending ElectroniCon…. Still, Lucky can’t resist turning over a few stones.

When a former flame is one of the snakes she uncovers, Lucky’s certain she’s no longer dealing with an anonymous Sin City suicide. To top it all off, Lucky’s best friend Teddie—Las Vegas’ finest female impersonator—presses to take their relationship to the next level. Leave it to Lucky to attract a man who looks better in a dress than she does.

Lucky must manage the Babylon’s onslaught of outrageous festivities, solve a murder, and struggle to keep her life and libido from spinning out of control… not to mention keep her balance in six inch heels.

Highlander's Heart ($1.99), is the second in the Highlander series by Amanda Forester, published by Sourcebooks. With any luck, you already have the first title, Highlander's Sword, as it was on sale last year, but, if not, it's marked down to $1.99 right now, as well. Start reading now and you should be ready when True Highland Spirit ($5.59 pre-order) is released in two weeks.
Highlander's Heart
Fleeing into the wilderness to escape an abusive marriage, Lady Isabelle Tynsdale would sooner face down a wild boar than spend another night with her wretched husband. Battered by the elements, desperate to elude a band of attackers, and defending herself against, as fate would have it, a wild boar she is rescued by the handsome Laird David Campbell.

Campbell knows holding Isabelle captive for ransom is his best chance to temper the storm threatening to destroy his clan. The ransom of an English countess should be more than enough to pay off his debts to England and save him from an unwanted marriage. But Isabelle didn't escape her husband just to become another man's captive and Laird Campbell is seriously misguided if he thinks she's going to go quietly.


Highlander's Sword
A quiet, flame-haired beauty with secrets of her own...
Lady Aila Graham is destined for the convent, until her brother's death leaves her an heiress. Soon she is caught between hastily arranged marriage with a Highland warrior, the Abbot's insistence that she take her vows, the Scottish Laird who kidnaps her, and the traitor from within who betrays them all.

She's nothing he expected and everything he really needs...
Padyn MacLaren, a battled-hardened knight, returns home to the Highlands after years of fighting the English in France. MacLaren bears the physical scars of battle, but it is the deeper wounds of betrayal that have rocked his faith. Arriving with only a band of war-weary knights, MacLaren finds his land pillaged and his clan scattered. Determined to restore his clan, he sees Aila's fortune as the answer to his problems...but maybe it's the woman herself.

The Three Musketeers (illustrated young readers' edition) ($0.99), by Alexandre Dumas, with illustrations by Brett Helquist, appears to be a well-formatted edition of this classic, from HarperCollins.
Book Description
All For One, One For All!

When daring young swordsman d’Artagnan travels to Paris seeking honor and fortune in the king’s Guard, he quickly befriends the famed three Musketeers—Athos, Porthos, and Aramis.

Loyal servants to the crown, the four friends cross swords with street criminals, face the cardinal’s Guards—who seek to destroy them—in duels to the death, and save the honor of the queen by unraveling treasonous schemes in a race against time. It will take epic courage, chivalry, and skill to thwart the plots against them and achieve victory at last.

Carefully adapted and abridged, this young reader’s edition of Alexandre Dumas’s classic swashbuckling tale of adventure, swordplay, and unbreakable friendship is enriched with brand-new, action-packed illustrations by renowned artist Brett Helquist.

Prevention Magazine has four of their Healthy Favorites series cookbooks on sale for 99 cents apiece. Each of these are fairly small (around 80 pages), but contain 48 recipes each (more than some large cookbooks I've looked at) and focus on a single theme. I already have the Chicken recipes, but may add the other three to my cookbook collection. I've always liked the magazine and Rodale publishes some beautiful cookbooks (although I haven't looked at these, just yet).
Like good cooks everywhere, the editors of Prevention magazine love nothing more than sharing their favorite healthy and delicious dishes. That's the whole idea behind the Prevention Healthy Favorites series of essential cookbooks, each one gathering 48 of the best Prevention-tested recipes that make it easy to enjoy wonderful homemade food fast.

Dessert Recipes: 48 Easy and Delicious Treats!
Dessert! Just the word brings a smile to even the seasoned cooks at Prevention. Who doesn't love the thought of luscious cheesecake, a warm-from-the-oven cookie, or a perfect piece of lemon meringue pie? But there's nothing enjoyable about creating a dessert in your own kitchen only to be dissatisfied with the results.

There is no worry of disappointment here. This Prevention-tested recipe collection is focused on treats we know will satisfy you. With an assortment of reliable flavor combinations and some new surprises, they all have an eye toward good health (really!). Within these pages you'll find fabulous desserts for every occasion. Get your chocolate on with Chocolate-Pecan Cheesecake or Chocolate Lava Cake; satisfy your taste for fruit with Pear-Cranberry Upside-Down Cake; linger over the crunch of a Dark Chocolate Biscotti; or just have some fun with a Whoopie Pie! Each of our recipes was created to nourish both body and spirit, and to be as easy as possible to put together.


Snack & Appetizer Recipes: 48 Easy and Delicious Bites!
Without some trusty recipes, it's easy to fall into the trap of grabbing unhealthy prepared foods when hunger strikes. That's why the editors at Prevention magazine are always on the lookout for satisfying snacks and appetizers to keep on hand or put together fast. These nibbles are so tasty and versatile, they can do extra duty as light suppers or party mainstays.

Snack & Appetizer Recipes focuses on delicious flavors packed into small bites. Within these pages you'll find a variety of treats that work for different occasions. Spicy Potato Skins (you won't believe how healthy they are!) are a game-day delight; Stuffed Artichokes are a breeze-to-make smash-hit for dinner parties; and Marshmallow Cereal Bars will satisfy any sweet tooth. Each of our recipes was created to nourish both body and spirit and to be as simple as possible to prepare.


Slow Cooker Recipes: 48 Easy and Delicious Meals!
Slow cooking is one of the Prevention editors' favorite ways to prepare true comfort food - which for us means food that is as easy to make as it is to eat. It's all about effortless: Just put together simple ingredients in the morning, and come home to a wholesome meal and delicious-smelling house at night! What could be better?

With this Prevention-tested collection, you can't go wrong: We chose our recipes carefully, each is designed to nourish both body and spirit. Within these pages you'll find a great variety of flavors and ingredients, from Mexico's gentle heat (Pork Chile Verde) to the delightful Moroccan Chicken with Olives. You'll even find some lovely surprises, including Shrimp Arrabiata, which tastes so good you won't believe it's so healthy; and even rich and satisfying brownies that couldn't be any easier to make, yet fit into a healthy, enjoyable diet.


Chicken Recipes: 48 Easy and Delicious Meals!
Chicken is versatile and tasty, making it the centerpiece of many family dinner. The challenge is making it flavorful and satisfying, not boring or packed with unhealthy ingredients. No home cook wants to hear "Chicken again?".

At Prevention magazine, we do love rising to meet a challenge! So we focused this recipe collection on taking dinner from dull to delightful with fabulous flavor. You'll find a delicious variety of tastes and textures, from Chicken and Portobello Mushroom Pasta Bake to Lime-Marinated Chicken with Salsa. You'll even discover some lovely twists on old favorites, including versions of Oven-Fried Buttermilk Chicken and Chicken-Spinach Parmesan, that are incredibly satisfying and unbelievably healthy for you and your whole family. Whatever your favorite taste combinations, all of our recipes were created to nourish both body and spirit and to be as simple as possible to prepare.

It's been over two years since I had any of Janette Kenny's books on the bargain list; her historical/cowboy romance, In a Cowboy's Arms, is definitely bargain priced at $1.79, but you'll also find that a number of her Kindle edition books are in the $2-$3 range. It's close, but you can actually come out ahead (about $1 less) buying this title, plus One Real Cowboy and A Cowboy Christmas, instead of her Cowboy bundle.
Book Description
Love On The Run. . .

Colorado sheriff Dade Logan has waited twenty years to reunite with his long lost sister, Daisy. But when she finally turns up, they barely recognize each other. That's because the beautiful stranger isn't Daisy, but her childhood friend Maggie, on the run from an impending marriage. Moved by this last link to Daisy, Dade determines to bend any law that stands between him, his sister--and the intriguing Maggie. . .

Maggie Sutton will risk anything to escape her fate, though accompanying the broad-shouldered sheriff in his pursuit of Daisy rattles her to the core. But as their search--and desire for one another--escalates, the two provoke a vicious bounty hunter, one who threatens their hopes for a future together. . .

Notes on a Beermat: Drinking and Why It's Necessary ($2.99), by Nicholas Pashley, is published by HarperCollins Canada, but is on sale here in the US (and possibly elsewhere).
Book Description
First published in 2001 to national acclaim, Notes on a Beermat is Nicholas Pashley’ s ode to the amber nectar of the gods, a witty meditation on beer and everything that goes with it— from socializing to the solitary pleasures of a beer and a book, to the qualities necessary in a good pub.

Most books about beer focus on the beverage itself, how to make it and how to buy it. Notes on a Beermat, the only Canadian book of its kind, explains how to drink beer and why it is absolutely necessary. With characteristic wit and charm, Pashley observes, for example, that “ to ensure a steady and regular supply of beer, it was necessary to cultivate grain. This in turn transformed early man from the hunter-gatherer to the agriculturist. Even then, beer was making people smarter.”

Whether you’ re out for an after-work drink with colleagues or you’ re looking for a seat at your favourite watering hole, Pashley is your guide. His stories about searching for the perfect pub, the best time of day to drink beer and the silliest pub conversation he’ s ever had will leave you laughing into your pint.

Sweet Caroline ($3.88), by Rachel Hauck, is the first in her Lowcountry Romance series, published by Thomas Nelson (a Christian Fiction publisher).
Book Description
When a Southern waitress inherits the Lowcountry cafe where she works, she suddenly has to balance more than just her next food order.

Caroline Sweeney has always done the right thing--the responsible, dependable thing--unlike her mother who abandoned her family. But when her best friend challenges her to accept an exciting job adventure in Barcelona, Spain, Caroline says "yes" to destiny.

Then, without warning, ownership of the run-down cafe where she's been waitressing falls right into Caroline's lap. While she's trying to determine the cafe's future, handsome Deputy Sherriff J.D. Rand captures Caroline's heart.

But when her first love, Mitch O'Neal, comes back to town, fresh from the heat of his newly-found fame as a country music singer in Nashville, Caroline must make some hard choices about love and the pursuit of the sweet life.

Beyond the Searching River ($1.53) and Rivers Rushing To The Sea ($2.10) are the fourth and fifth books in The River series by Jacquelyn Cook, is published by Bell Bridge Books, who has given us several good free books, lately.
Beyond the Searching River
As a child, Libba Ramsey lost her family in the Civil War. Her life since then-orphaned, a charity case-has been hard. Now the kindly Wadley family of Central Georgia has invited her to their home in Macon. But how can a young woman still struggling with memories of the war's horrors find a future in a new place? And how can she ever give her heart to a man until she fully resolves her past?

The fourth book in Jacquelyn Cook's popular and inspirational River series once again treats her fans to vivid, heartfelt, historically accurate stories of faith, romance and hope.


Rivers Rushing To The Sea
Can she balance her ideals with the lure of her heart?

Mignonne Wingate, a beauty in post-Civil War Alabama, intends never to love again. But then she meets the Edgefield brothers at a fashionable resort in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Dashing, wild, Cooper Edgefield is hard to resist, yet also frightening. Kind, quiet Robert Edgefield appeals to her, but she worries that his duty to his ill father overshadows his interest in marriage. As Mignonne moves among the elite society of the railroad barons she witnesses a world far less genteel and far more aggressive than her Southern upbringing.

This fifth novel in Jacquelyn Cook's classic historical romance series gracefully waltzes THE RIVER SERIES to a satisfying conclusion. Cook's highly researched historicals bring to life the antebellum South and its people, mixing fiction and fact

Jacquelyn Cook is the author of acclaimed historical novels and historical romances, with over 500,000 copies sold. Her classic, five-book River series authentically recreates the romance and drama of the Civil War era in historic Eufaula, Alabama. Formerly collected in a popular anthology titled Magnolias, the River Series is now offered to readers in these updated editions.

The Cake Mix Doctor Returns!: With 160 All-New Recipes ($1.64), by Anne Byrn
Book Description
What could be better than a phenomenon? The return of a phenomenon. Ten years ago Anne Byrn's The Cake Mix Doctor began its extraordinary run as one of the most popular baking books of all time. Now Anne Byrn is back with the all-new Cake Mix Doctor Returns! From the beloved author who showed home bakers how adding a touch of sweet butter or a dusting of cocoa powder, a dollop of vanilla yogurt or flurry of grated lemon zest could transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Here are 160 brand-new recipes—that’s right, 160 amazing cake mix recipes—for luscious layer cakes, sheet cakes, brownies, bars, cookies, and more.

And the book is needed more than ever. Today 90 percent of home cooks use prepackaged mixes, while the economy is creating a perfect excuse to let them eat cake—cake equals happiness. And what cakes! 40 layer cakes, from Tiramisu Cake to The Best Red Velvet Cake, Strawberry Refrigerator Cake to Chocolate Swirled Cannoli Cake. 35 sheet cakes. 38 bundt and pound cakes. 16 cupcakes and muffins, plus the cult classic Whoopie Pie. And brownies, bars, and cookies, including Spice Drop Cookies, Angel Food Macaroons, and Chocolate Espresso Biscotti. There's even a wedding cake, a frequent request from the author's passionate online community.

The Cake Mix Doctor is back—just say ahhhhh!

Wild Cards I ($2.99), by George R.R. Martin
Book Description
Back in print after a decade, expanded with new original material, this is the first volume of George R. R. Martin’s Wild cards shared-world series

There is a secret history of the world—a history in which an alien virus struck the Earth in the aftermath of World War II, endowing a handful of survivors with extraordinary powers. Some were called Aces—those with superhuman mental and physical abilities. Others were termed Jokers—cursed with bizarre mental or physical disabilities. Some turned their talents to the service of humanity. Others used their powers for evil. Wild Cards is their story.

Originally published in 1987, Wild Cards I includes powerful tales by Roger Zelazny, Walter Jon Williams, Howard Waldrop, Lewis Shiner, and George R. R. Martin himself. And this new, expanded edition contains further original tales set at the beginning of the Wild Cards universe, by eminent new writers like Hugo–winner David Levine, noted screenwriter and novelist Michael Cassutt, and New York Times bestseller Carrie Vaughn.

If you've read your free copy of Invisible, by Lorena McCourtney, and wanted to continue the Ivy Malone Mysteries series, but held off due to price, then today you are in luck! The next three titles of this series from Christian publisher Revell are now marked down to $4.99 apiece, so you can follow the spunky spinster's adventures without breaking the bank. The author has another mystery series that is self-published (Julesburg Mysteries $2.99/title), if you run out of titles before Revell publishes Dying to Read in August, starting a new series, The Cate Kincaid Files.
In Plain Sight
Ever wonder how a little old lady with possum-gray hair could wind up on a homicidal hit list? Well, nothing is too outlandish for Ivy Malone. She's back and she's brought her mutant curiosity gene with her. And ever since the evil-intentioned Drake Braxton and his family threatened to make road kill out of Ivy, her life has been crazier than ever!

With the ever-present threat of looming Braxtons, Ivy decides to get out of Dodge for a while. But for someone who slides down banisters and drives a T-Bird, hiding from the mob does not come easily. And when strange things start happening to her new neighbors, Ivy's snooping sense kicks into overdrive. Will she unravel the mystery? Or will the threats to her safety scare her away?

With Invisible, readers laughed so hard they cried. In Plain Sight, the second Ivy Malone mystery, promises to be even better!


On the Run
Super senior sleuth Ivy Malone is spunkier than Miss Marple, with a curiosity that just won't quit. That inquisitiveness has gotten her into plenty of trouble, including murder, mayhem, and a place on a mini-Mafia hit list.

Now Ivy's headed across the country with a stray cat and God as her only companions. But just when she thinks she's safe, two dead bodies turn up-discovered by Ivy, of course. A flock of emus, a survivalist outpost, and paintball are just a few of the strange things Ivy has to deal with in order to solve this latest crime. But will anyone believe the truth?

On the Run, the third book in the Ivy Malone mysteries, is a mix of great fun and great suspense. Readers will love Ivy's latest lively adventure.


Stranded
Super sleuth Ivy Malone's inquisitiveness has gotten her into plenty of trouble, including murder, mayhem, and a place on a mini-Mafia hit list. Still on the run from the mob, Ivy ends up in a small town in the Pacific Northwest with a broken-down motor home, a young traveling companion running from a violent husband, and a stray cat. With no way to fix their vehicle, Ivy and her companion are invited to stay in an old Victorian house by a compassionate young woman attorney. But when Ivy discovers that the former resident was murdered and that the prime suspect happens to be Ivy's kind benefactor, she's on the case-digging up clues and getting into plenty of trouble along the way.

Today's backlist/small press/indie, totally free, books for everyone on Kindle. These are are not likely to be free for long, so double check prices before one-clicking (genres are my best guess), as most of them go back up after a day or two (sometimes less), at which point most of them become eligible for the Kindle Lending Library.

Today's Deals

Don't forget, also, to enter the Kobo daily contest.

Additional formats on these free books are now available:

The Shop ($0.99), by J. Carson Black, is today's Kindle Deal of the Day. I thought it was a good price a few days ago at $2.99, but hadn't finished the sample; at this price, I'm snapping it up. It will join several self-pubbed books in my library by the same author, but this one is from Amazon's Thomas & Mercer imprint.
Book Description
In Aspen, Colorado, a pop star and her entourage are brutally murdered in their luxury chalet. The lead assassin, ex-Navy SEAL Cyril Landry, has no qualms about carrying out his mission until the instant before he kills the young star—an intense, shared moment that will ultimately drive him to find out why these people had to die. Landry transforms from mercenary to hunter as he delves into the depths of The Shop, the shadowy organization that has hired him to execute people across the country.

Thousands of miles away, in a seedy motel in Gardenia, Florida, a local police chief is found shot to death. The scene has all the signs of a romantic rendezvous gone wrong, but Detective Jolie Burke isn’t so sure. As she digs for clues, the tangled threads of evidence lead to a disturbing place: Indigo, the lush tropical estate of the powerful Haddox clan and home of US Attorney General Franklin Haddox. As Jolie continues to pursue the truth, she quickly discovers that Haddox will do anything to protect his country’s ugly secrets—even kill.

Landry’s quest to uncover The Shop’s motives throws him into the dark currents of Jolie’s investigation, and they find themselves working together as an unlikely duo: a cop and a killer, joining forces to expose a shocking conspiracy that ascends to the highest offices in the land.

Intricate and fast-paced, The Shop is a breathtaking thriller in the vein of Nelson DeMille and David Baldacci.

Killed at the Whim of A Hat ($1.56 / £0.99 UK), the first in the Jimm Juree series by Colin Cotterill, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $8.16). His short story collection is also discounted (Ageing Disgracefully $0.99 US / £1.54 UK) and he's listed as the illustrator for the (self-pubbed) The Dude De Ching ($0.99 US / £0.77 UK), which says it is "an interpretation of the Tao Te Ching for followers of Dudeism."
Book Description
When crime reporter Jimm Juree is forced to quit the city for a fishing village on the Gulf of Siam, she expects much in her life to change. Quiet will replace quick, and, surely, crime will give way to calm. There goes the career, then.

Not a chance. No sooner has she settled than a surprise discovery springs from a local well. Two skeletons: both wearing the signs of thirty years of decay, with one also wearing a hat. And, if this wasn't uncommon enough, a monk is soon killed in a neighbouring town.

Who are the skeletons? Who murdered the monk? Is there a connection? Step forward Jimm Juree...

Double Exposure ($2.99 Kindle, $3.99 B&N), by Michael Lister, is the Nook Daily Find, which is better than price matched on Kindle. In addition, this book was free last November, so it's likely you already have it in your library.
Book Description
A 2010 Florida Book Award finalist!

One fateful fall evening, as the sun sinks and the darkness expands, wildlife photographer Remington James ventures deep into the river swamp to try out some new equipment and check his camera traps.

While checking his camera traps, scanning the eerie images of overexposed deer and bats and foxes, Remington comes across the most haunting images of his life—the frame-by-frame capture of a shocking crime. By exposing the criminal, Remington has exposed himself to danger, even possible extinction. Hunted like an animal by the predator and his psychotic friends, Remington must do two things: make it through the night and make it to the river—and the odds of doing either are slim to none.

Free Book - Antiques Maul (K/N)

Antiques Maul, the second in the Trash 'n' Treasures Mysteries series by Barbara Allan, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble. If you've had your Kindle awhile, you may already have the first book, Antiques Roadkill, as it was free last March. If not, it and two others are currently marked down to bargain prices (Antiques Flee Market and Antiques Bizarre) by Kensington, in anticipation of the release of the sixth in the series, Antiques Disposal, this April, which can now be pre-ordered on Kindle.
Book Description
As autumn splashes color across the small Mississippi River town of Serenity, newly divorced Brandy Borne is on the brink of going crazy after her ever-impossible mother quits the local theater group. She comes up with a brilliant idea for preserving her sanity and keeping Mother busy: open their own booth at the new antiques mall in town. But they are about to cross paths with a killer...

Brandy, along with Sushi, her spoiled Shih Tzu, pays a visit to the town's Chief of Police to ask about federal auctions of confiscated goods, a little-known source of great antiques and collectibles. Her buys at her first auction in Rockford, Illinois turn out to be a success. On the other hand, her first visit from ten-year-old son Jake, who has been living with his father, turns out to be a challenge.

While Halloween looms large on the horizon, things turn grim when a body is found at the antiques mall. To the cops, the case seems pretty clear cut: the victim's dog, the normally good-natured Brad Pit Bull, mauled its owner to death. But Brandy knows her canines, and this dog has definitely been framed.

Brandy and Mother are soon snooping into nooks, crannies, and cubbyholes while stepping on assorted toes. As All Hallow's Eve shenanigans grow increasingly frightening, true terror unmasks itself when Jacob goes missing. Is his disappearance just a childish prank? Or are sinister forces bubble-bubble-toiling trouble in Serenity?

Now Brandy and her over-the-top mom are on the hunt to find Jake before a devious killer mauls again...

Don't miss Brandy Borne's tips on antiques!
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.

Free Book - Reclaiming Lily (K/N)

Reclaiming Lily, by Patti Lacy, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble, courtesy of Christian publisher Bethany House.
Book Description
Product Description
A storm the size of Texas brews when Gloria Powell and Kai Chang meet in a Dallas hotel. They have come to discuss the future of Lily, the daughter Gloria adopted from China and the sister Kai hopes to reclaim. Kai is a doctor who had to give up her little sister during the Cultural Revolution and has since discovered that an inherited genetic defect may be waiting to fatally strike Lily.

Gloria's relationship with her daughter is tattered and strained, and the arrival of Kai, despite the woman's apparent good intentions, makes Gloria fearful. Gloria longs to restore her relationship with Lily, but in the wake of this potentially devastating diagnosis, is Kai an answer to prayer...or will her arrival force Gloria to sacrifice more than she ever imagined?
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Free Book Roundup (K)

Hatchette has changed the title on The 500 and now claims it is only a preview - I recommend you cancel the order, so the all those "sales" of just a sample won't boost it's rankings at Amazon.

I'm battling a cold, so tonight's list may be a bit short.

Today's backlist/small press/indie, totally free, books for everyone on Kindle. These are are not likely to be free for long, so double check prices before one-clicking (genres are my best guess), as most of them go back up after a day or two (sometimes less), at which point most of them become eligible for the Kindle Lending Library.

Two Free Short Stories - Girls to the Rescue (K/N/E)

Update: 3/25/12 Both titles now free from Sony.
Update: 3/7/11Tulia is now free from B&N.
Update: 3/5/11The Royal Jouse is now free from B&N.

Bruce Lansky has two free short stories in the Girls to the Rescue series available on Kindle today: The Royal Joust and Tulia (Kindle pre-order; March 6).
The Royal Joust (Kindle, B&N, Sony)
On the last day of the Royal Joust, Reggie is in too much pain to get out of bed. He asks his sister Lindsey to tell the judges he has to drop out of the tournament. Lindsey borrows Reggie’s horse. Unbeknownst to Reggie, she also borrows his armor. She’s Reggie’s training partner; if nobody finds out she’s not he, maybe “Reggie” won’t have to drop out of the tournament…

In most fairy tales, a helpless young lady waits around for a prince to rescue her. But the spunky girls in the entertaining Girls to the Rescue series are much too busy saving the day to wait for Prince Charming. “The Royal Joust” is one of ten stories from Girls to the Rescue Book #1.


Tulia (Kindle, B&N, Sony)
Tulia means “calm down” in Swahili. Aisha’s mom often used the Swahili word “tulia” to help calm down her children, now Aisha uses the word herself when she is in scary situations.

One night Aisha was visiting her sister, Ellen, while she was babysitting. After the little boy Ellen was babysitting was tucked into bed for the night Ellen scooped-up bowls of her favorite ice cream for each of them, but that’s when Aisha’s keen senses kicked in, she smelled something… she smelled smoke. In this scary moment, a very brave girl, armed with her mother’s voice, finds courage…

In most fairy tales, a helpless young lady waits around for a prince to rescue her. But the spunky girls in the entertaining Girls to the Rescue series are much too busy saving the day to wait for Prince Charming. “Tulia!” is one of ten stories from Girls to the Rescue Book #5.

Free Short Story - Newfangled Fairy Tales (K/N/E)

Update: 3/25/12 Now free from Sony.
Update: 3/16/12 Now free from Barnes & Noble.

Newfangled Fairy Tales - free short story, by Bruce Lansky (author of the popular Girls to the Rescue series), Timothy Tocheris free to pre-order in the Kindle store. This looks like it is a single story from a planned 20 story book or it is referring to the entire series in the description, as you can currently, you can get New Fangled Fairy Tales Book #1 and New Fangled Fairy Tales Book #2 for $3.99 apiece (discounted from $17.20 or $11.50, it claims, but I suspect that is the normal price for this series), might very well be worth grabbing, as well, for those with middle-grade reader. Each of the latter books contains 10 stories.
Book Description
The Big Bad Wolf is running a successful scam on Little Red's Grandma until Little Red catches him in the act.

The Newfangled Fairy Tale series consists of twenty contemporary fairy tales, each puts a delightful new spin on classic stories and themes. King Midas is a workaholic banker who would rather play with his money than attend his son's Little League baseball games. The Three Bears invade Goldy's house because their forest home is being stripped to build a super highway. A Prince refuses to marry any of the grumpy princesses who lost sleep because there were peas under their mattresses. A clever princess pays a dragon to lose a fight so she can marry the man she loves.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from Sony.

Today's Deals

A big coupon code at Kobo today: c4auto40 for 40% off any non-Agency title, expires February 25. Don't forget, also, to enter their daily contest.

If you pre-ordered Evernight with Bonus Materials, a YA urban fantasy by Claudia Gray, it should have been delivered this morning. For those who can't (or won't) do a pre-order, you can still get it free, to have at it.

Additional formats on these free books are now available:

House of Thieves ($0.99), a short story collection by Kaui Hart Hemmings, is today's Kindle Deal of the Day.
Book Description
In her debut collection of short stories, House of Thieves, Kaui Hart Hemmings has set the magnificent islands of Hawaii as a backdrop to describe bold frustrated adolescents and adults as they wrestle with themselves and each other over the age-old issues of deprived freedom, misguided love, being cool, and being true; and as they experience together the loneliness of feeling miserable in paradise.

The nine stories in House of Thieves are told from varied points of view--a father, a child, a young woman, an adolescent boy, and more. Rooted in the circumstances and situations of island people, they reveal the mundane cycle of small triumphs and tragedies that make up the lives of ordinary people everywhere. A single mother's discovery of a pornographic magazine in her thirteen-year-old son's room sends her down a spiral of jealousy that ultimately guarantees her loss of him. A middle-aged man struggles with this secret hatred for his brother and finds a way to enact a revenge whose absolute destructiveness promises to heal him. A white man who is left by his native Hawaiian wife struggles to understand why he and his daughter, abandoned together, feel such deep resentment for each other. A boy who insists on the illusion of his happy family suddenly recognizes his father's lack of real love and comes to "the understanding that certain things are severed and they can't grow back again, the sorrow from loving a place that doesn't love you back."

Hemmings' tart, confident voice plunges headfirst into the unfamiliar world of a Hawaii far from the tourist track, providing glimpses of the islands' divisive racial and class issues, as well as the proud heritage of kings and warriors and the legacy of colonialists and missionaries. Her unceremonious dealing with issues like drugs, sex, and abandonment and her entirely unself-conscious prose allow her stories to wash effortlessly like an ocean wave, portraying with unsentimental insight and wry humor the complex forces that bind family members together in love and hate.

Young Sherlock Holmes: Death Cloud ($1.56 / £0.99 UK), by Andrew Lane, is the Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (no US edition).
Book Description
The year is 1868, and Sherlock Holmes is fourteen. His life is that of a perfectly ordinary army officer’s son: boarding school, good manners, a classical education – the backbone of the British Empire. But all that is about to change. With his father suddenly posted to India, and his mother mysteriously ‘unwell’, Sherlock is sent to stay with his eccentric uncle and aunt in their vast house in Hampshire. So begins a summer that leads Sherlock to uncover his first murder, a kidnap, corruption and a brilliantly sinister villain of exquisitely malign intent . . . The Death Cloud is the first in a series of novels in which the iconic detective is reimagined as a brilliant, troubled and engaging teenager – creating unputdownable detective adventures that remain true to the spirit of the original books.

The 25 Sales Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople ($2.50 Kindle, B&N), by Stephan Schiffman, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.
Book Description
Now you can join the hundreds of thousands of salespeople who have followed Stephen Schiffman's advice and watch your performance soar. Schiffman lets you in on the industry's best-kept secrets. Learn how to: Convert leads to sales; Motivate yourself and motivate others; Give killer presentations; Keep your sense of humor. This new edition includes: New examples using the latest advances in sales presentation technology; Up-to-date cases of these successful habits in action; Five bonus habits showing readers how to overcome mistakes, set sales timetables, and reexamine processes to shore up weaknesses. If you're a salesperson looking to succeed, this is the book for you! Stephen Schiffman has trained more than a half-million salespeople at firms such as AT&T, Information Systems, Chemical Bank, Manufacturer's Hanover Trust, Motorola, and U.S. Health Care. He is president of D.E.I. Management Group and the author of such bestselling books as Cold Calling Techniques (That Really Work!) and Closing Techniques (That Really Work!).

The author of The 25 Most Common Sales Mistakes . . . And How to Avoid Them teaches salespeople how to demonstrate trustworthiness, turn a customer's objection around, and 23 other proven habits for sales success.

Free Book - Stuck With You (K)

Stuck With You, by Trish Jensen, is free in the Kindle store.
Book Description
Two feuding divorce lawyers. One infectious "love bug" virus. The symptoms are hard to resist . . .

Paige Hart is blessed and cursed with a large, loving and ... colorful Southern family. As the only lawyer in the clan, she can't say no when her cousin needs her help in a messy, no-holds-barred divorce. Tax attorney Paige squares off with Ross "the Snake" Bennett - one of the slickest divorce lawyers in the county. The case is going as well as an acrimonious, zinger-filled, wrangle of epic proportions can go until exposure to an infectious bug with an unusual side effect lands both lawyers in quarantine together.

Free book - Dark River Road (K)

Dark River Road, by Virginia Brown, is free in the Kindle store.
Book Description
One powerful man . . .has always controlled this small Southern town. Unchallenged, until now.

Like everyone else in Cane Creek, Mississippi, Chantry Callahan grew up in the shadow of town boss Bert Quinton. Quinton held the lives of local people in his harsh grasp, never letting go. He knew where all their secrets were buried, along with the bodies of anyone who had dared to defy him. As a boy, Chantry couldn't best Quinton. Couldn't protect the people he loved, including his own mother. But now Chantry is grown. He's come back for answers. And for justice.

Free Book - Taking A Stand (K)

Taking A Stand, by Kenneth Casper, is free in the Kindle store.
Book Description
Homebuilder Jesse Amorado and former Air Force Captain Tori Carr come from the same Texas town but from very different worlds. When she returns home to Coyote Springs to help her father, a real-estate developer, turn the seediest neighborhood into an exclusive resort for the wealthy, Tori and Jesse immediately clash. He'll do whatever it takes to save his heritage, and she is caught up in proving herself to her father.

As personal tensions rise and local trouble begins to brew, Jesse and Tori fall in love-despite it all. They soon find, however, that they must not only confront vested interests and prejudices, they have to fight for their very lives.

Ken Casper brings readers back to Coyote Springs for another tension-filled visit. Come along for another story of mystery and passion from the author of AS THE CROW DIES, book one of The Jason Crow West Texas Mystery Series.

Free Book - The 500 (K)

Update: Looks like a bait-and-switch attempt to boost ratings without actually giving anything away, as the book now claims to be a free preview (which it did not do, when first posted). I recommend you not "purchase" this one and delete your pending order, so it won't boost the original book's ratings.

The 500, by Matthew Quirk, is free to pre-order in the Kindle store (at least, for now). This is no doubt a pricing error or limited time promotion, meant to give it a big bump on release, but if you get your order in while the price is $0.00, you won't pay a nickel when it is delivered. You do have to have a credit card on file (it won't be charged, but that is how pre-orders work at Amazon) when you place the order. You can confirm the price you'll pay both on the order summary and on your Pending Deliveries tab in the Manage Your Kindle page, later on.
Book Description
Mike Ford is a former con artist who's been plucked from his Harvard Law School classroom to be an associate at The Davies Group, Washington's most high-powered and well-respected strategic consulting firm. Their specialty: pulling strings and peddling influence for the five hundred most powerful people inside the Beltway, the men and women who really run Washington -- and by extension the country, and the world.

The namesake of the firm, Henry Davies, knows everyone who matters; more importantly, he knows their secrets. Davies' experience goes back 40 years -- he worked for Lyndon Johnson, jumped shipped to Nixon, then put out his own shingle as the Hill's most cut-throat and expensive fixer. Now he's looking for a protégé to tackle his most high-stakes deal yet, and Mike fits the bill.

Quickly pulled into a seductive, dangerous web of power and corruption, Mike struggles to find his way out. But how do you save your soul when you've made a deal with the devil?

Free Audiobook - The Ascent of George Washington

Tantor Audio is giving away the audio download edition of The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon ($9.99 Kindle; $23.95 Audible), by John Ferling, narrated by Norman Dietz. This is a Presidents' day special, so grab it fast, before it goes away (once on your bookshelf, you can download it anytime, though).
Book Description
Even compared to his fellow founders, George Washington stands tall. Our first president has long been considered a stoic hero, holding himself above the rough-and-tumble politics of his day. Now John Ferling peers behind that image, carefully burnished by Washington himself, to show us a leader who was not only not above politics but a canny infighter—a master of persuasion, manipulation, and deniability.

In the War of Independence, Washington used his skills to steer the Continental Army through crises that would have broken less determined men; he squeezed out rival generals and defused dissent from those below him. Ending the war as a national hero, Washington "allowed" himself to be pressed into the presidency, guiding the nation with the same brilliantly maintained pose of selfless public interest. In short, Washington deftly screened a burning ambition behind his image of republican virtue—but that image, maintained not without cost, made him just the leader the overmatched army, and then the shaky young nation, desperately needed.

Ferling argues that not only was Washington one of America’s most adroit politicians—the proof of his genius is that he is no longer thought of as a politician at all.

Bestselling historian John Ferling draws on his unsurpassed knowledge of the Founding Fathers to provide a fresh and provocative new portrait of the greatest of them all, George Washington.
Get the free audiobook from Tantor Audio.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Free and Bargain Book Roundup, Redux

Found this one late, so not much time left: PRES12 to save $5 on purchase of $15 or more at Samhain. Ends at midnight 2/20.

Kobo is having another contest for coupon codes. Enter daily and get codes worth up to 35% off (one book, non-Agency). You need to register for the contest (can be the same or different email/pwd as you use at Kobo) the first time, then can log in quickly after the first time. Skip the refer-a-friend screen by clicking on Play Now. You have to answer a trivia question (I have no idea if doing so correctly gets you a better coupon), then will see your coupon code (you'll get a copy via email, also).

These Christian published titles are repeating (once again) in the Kindle store. It's been less than a month, so I'm just linking to the previous posts.

I've had several people recommend Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles series to me, but I've been holding out for at least one in the series at a discount. This isn't quite that, but the 3-Book Bundle: Hounded, Hexed, Hammered can now be pre-ordered. It's $19.99 for those of us in the US (better than the individual titles, but not a super deal), but less in most other markets (and only $9.99 for those in Canada!!!). The fourth in the series, Tricked, is now available to pre-order, with a price of $7.99 for those in the US, ranging down to $5.75 for those in Germany.
Book Description
With a sly blend of fantasy, humor, and paranormal adventure, Kevin Hearne is the trickster god of action-packed mash-ups. In The Iron Druid Chronicles, Atticus O’Sullivan is a folk hero for the twenty-first century, battling legendary beasts, shadowy mystics, and demonic demigods from around the world. Now get Hounded, Hexed, and Hammered all at once in this eBook bundle, a triple dose of mayhem straight out of Hearne’s genre-smashing imagination.

Includes a preview of the fourth book in the series, Tricked, as well as two bonus short stories set in the world of The Iron Druid Chronicles: “Clan Rathskeller” and the eBook exclusive “Kaibab Unbound.”

HOUNDED
Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Tempe, Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time. A handsome, tattooed Irish dude, he looks like he’s about twenty-one years old—actually, he’s twenty-one centuries old and he wields a magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer. Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and now Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, and a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

HEXED
Atticus doesn’t care much for witches, but he’s about to make nice with the local coven when suddenly the witch population in Tempe quadruples overnight. And the new girls are not just bad, they’re badasses with a dark history on the German side of World War II. But with a fallen angel feasting on local students, a horde of Bacchants blowing in from Vegas, and a dangerously sexy Celtic goddess of fire vying for his attention, Atticus is having trouble scheduling the witch hunt.

HAMMERED
Thor, the Norse god of thunder, is a blowhard and a bully, and Viking vampire Leif Helgarson has asked his friend Atticus for help taking down this Norse nightmare. As a rule, Atticus generally tries to stay away from the guy with the lightning bolts. Soon, though, Atticus and Leif are off to the plane of Asgard, where they team up with a werewolf, a sorcerer, and an army of frost giants for an epic showdown against vicious Valkyries, angry gods, and the hammer-wielding Thunder Thug himself.

Tricked
Druid Atticus O’Sullivan hasn’t stayed alive for more than two millennia without a fair bit of Celtic cunning. So when vengeful thunder gods come Norse by Southwest looking for payback, Atticus, with a little help from the Navajo trickster god Coyote, lets them think that they’ve chopped up his body in the Arizona desert.

But the mischievous Coyote is not above a little sleight of paw, and Atticus soon finds that he’s been duped into battling bloodthirsty desert shapeshifters called skinwalkers. Just when the Druid thinks he’s got a handle on all the duplicity, betrayal comes from an unlikely source. If Atticus survives this time, he vows he won’t be fooled again. Famous last words.

Lady Lazarus ($2.99), the first in the series by Michele Lang, is on sale from Macmillan and you can still get The World of Lady Lazarus for free and the novella The Magic of Fabulous for $2.99 (both self-published). The second novel in the series is out (Dark Victory), but it's still $9.99
Book Description
With the romance of Twilight, the suspense of The Dresden Files, and the delicious thrills of True Blood, the enthralling saga of Magdalena Lazarus unfolds. Descended from the legendary witch of Ein Dor, she alone holds the power to summon the angel Raziel and stop Hitler and his supernatural minions from unleashing total war in Europe. The Nazis have fighters more fearsome than soldiers, weapons more terrifying than missiles, and allies that even they are afraid of SS werewolves; the demon Asmodel who possesses a willing Adolf Hitler, and other supernatural creatures all are literally hell-bent on preventing Magda from possessing the Book of Raziel, a magical text with the power to turn the tide against Hitler’s vast war machine.

Magda, young and rebellious, grew up in the cosmopolitan city of Budapest, unaware of her family’s heritage. When her mother dies, Magda--ready or not--is the Lazarus, who must face the evil that holds Europe in an iron grip. Unready to assume the mantle of her ancient birthright, but knowing that she must fight, she sets out across Europe searching for the Book. Magda is desperate enough to endanger her soul by summoning the avenging angel Raziel. When she sees him in the glory of his celestial presence, her heart is utterly, completely lost…

The Agatha Raisin Companion ($1.99), by M. C. Beaton, is a must for those who collect the series.
Book Description
This book is a celebration of all things Agatha Raisin. It includes an introduction by M C Beaton, Agatha's biography, her background and retirement to the Cotswolds, her complex love life and the details of village life in Carsely.

There are brief bios of all the men in her life (there are many), a piece on her cats Hodge and Boswell, and a section on Agatha's Cotswolds, both real and fictitious. Plot summaries of all twenty titles in the series, a quiz to test your Agatha knowledge and a selection of her favorite dishes in Raisin's Recipes rounds off the complete Agatha Companion.

It also features line drawings by Alice Tait - the artist of the all new covers in the Agatha Raisin series - throughout.

I've sent a sample of Shadow Prowler ($2.99), by Alexey Pehov, to my Kindle, to see if it's going to be my next read (after Cat Adams).
Book Description
After centuries of calm, the Nameless One is stirring.

An army is gathering; thousands of giants, ogres, and other creatures are joining forces from all across the Desolate Lands, united, for the first time in history, under one, black banner. By the spring, or perhaps sooner, the Nameless One and his forces will be at the walls of the great city of Avendoom.

Unless Shadow Harold, master thief, can find some way to stop them.

Epic fantasy at its best, Shadow Prowler is the first in a trilogy that follows Shadow Harold on his quest for a magic Horn that will restore peace to the Kingdom of Siala. Harold will be accompanied on his quest by an Elfin princess, Miralissa, her elfin escort, and ten Wild Hearts, the most experienced and dangerous fighters in their world…and by the king’s court jester (who may be more than he seems…or less).

Reminiscent of Moorcock's Elric series, Shadow Prowler is the first work to be published in English by the bestselling Russian fantasy author Alexey Pehov. The book was translated by Andrew Bromfield, best known for his work on the highly successful Night Watch series.

The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog, and of His Friend Marilyn Monroe ($1.24), by Andrew O'Hagan, looks like it would be an interesting read for fans of Marilyn (or even the new show, Smash, which I've put right behind Glee on my must-watch list).
Book Description
Meet Maf: The hilariously opinionated, well-read, politically scrappy, and complex canine companion to Marilyn Monroe.

In November 1960, Frank Sinatra gave Marilyn Monroe a dog. His name was Mafia Honey, or Maf for short. Born in the household of Vanessa Bell, brought to the United States by Natalie Wood’s mother, and given as a Christmas present to Marilyn the winter after she separated from Arthur Miller, Maf was with Marilyn for the last two years of her life, first in New York and then in Los Angeles, and he had as much instinct for celebrity and psychoanalysis as he did for Liver Treat with a side order of National Biscuits. Marylin took him to meet President Kennedy and to Hollywood restaurants, to department stores, to interviews, and to Mexico for her divorce. Through Maf's eyes, we see an altogether original and wonderfully clever portrait of the woman behind the icon—and the dog behind the woman.

Some more backlist/small press/indie, totally free, books for everyone on Kindle, that I missed the first time around. These are are not likely to be free for long, so double check prices before one-clicking (genres are my best guess), as most of them go back up after a day or two (sometimes less), at which point most of them become eligible for the Kindle Lending Library.
I've probably missed some more (can't ever find them all), but I'm off to go read (and try the chili I made tonight).

Three Free Books for Aussies (K)

A trio of free pre-order books for Australians in the Kindle store today. All are from HarperCollins and are most likely pricing errors that will be corrected later on, but if you order them while they are free, you'll get them at no charge when they are finally released.
Collins New Naturalist Library (9) - A Country Parish, by A. W. Boyd
The natural history of an ordinary English country parish was one of the first subjects that suggested themselves when the New Naturalist series was planned. This edition is exclusive to newnaturalists.com

The natural history of an ordinary English country parish was one of the first subjects that suggested themselves when the New Naturalist series was planned. Being chiefly farmland and therefore practically all man-made, most country parishes are extremely complex from the naturalist’s point of view and also inevitably contain a vast amount of human history. Any attempt to describe their plants and animals has to be closely related with the ways of man himself, who must be regarded as the chief element in the community – a fact which has been obvious enough to naturalists ever since the days of Gilbert White. For this book we are fortunate to have found an author who combines a thorough all-round knowledge of natural history with a sound insight into human customs, history, pastimes and farming methods. Arnold Boyd has lived in Cheshire all his life – since 1902 in the parish of Antrobus, part of the old parish of Great Budworth, the character of which is typical of much of the Cheshire Plain. In keeping with the best tradition of English amateur naturalists, he excels as a collector of facts, as has been apparent from his previous books, his writing in the Manchester Guardian and other journals, and in his assistant editorship of British Birds. By weaving together his collection of facts he presents us with a book of remarkable unity and which shows a wide grasp of every aspect of the living communities. This charming yet erudite portrait will protect his beloved parish forever from the ravages of human forgetfulness.


Plato: Philosophy in an Hour, by Paul Strathern
Philosophy for busy people. Read a succinct account of the philosophy of Plato in just one hour.

Plato is still seen by many as the greatest of all philosophers, inspiring many of the finest thinkers through the ages. Indeed, many see all later philosophy as nothing but attempts to answer the questions he raised. He founded the Academy, the world’s first university, in 387 BC and taught that the physical world is not reality but rather a reproduction of the true source.

Plato: Philosophy in an Hour is a concise, expert account of Plato’s life and philosophical ideas – entertainingly written and easy to understand. Also included are selections from his work, suggested further reading and chronologies that place Plato in the context of the broader scheme of philosophy.


Pretty as a Porn Star, by Madelaine Moore
Emily and Luke meet at film school and become lovers. One night, while they are making love, she notices the red light on his camera. The SOB is recording them! She’s angry but also turned on and gives the sexual performance of her life. Luke confesses that he shoots their nights of passion, but only because his rampant desire for her has ruined him for porn. His only source of visual stimulation is this very private collection of movies. Ever-pragmatic Emily realises that if watching herself in action turns her on, wouldn’t watching themselves do it for other people? The couple begins making private-consumption porn movies that Emily writes and Luke directs. Their crew of film students expands to include ‘talent’ as they branch out into producing porn for sale, often shot guerilla-style, using public events as a backdrop for films with stories and dialogue as well as increasingly dangerous, exciting sex. And Emily’s desperately torn between wanting to star in her own scripts and her fear of discovery. If her lovely but puritanical step-mother, who controls her trust fund, were ever to find out . . . And she does, but with an outcome that Emily could never have predicted.

Free book - Day of War (K/N/E)

Update: 2/24/12 Now from Sony.

Day of War, the first title in the Lion of War series by Cliff Graham, is a repeat free in the Kindle store and from ChristianBook and a first-time freebie from Barnes & Noble, courtesy of Christian publisher Zondervan. The next book in the series is also available to pre-order, Covenant of War, and will be delivered tomorrow!
Book Description
Day of War, author Cliff Graham's first novel, has earned him a film option for the entire book series---Lion of War---from director David L. Cunningham (Path to 9/11) and producer Grant Curtis (Spider-Man films).

In ancient Israel, at the crossroads of the great trading routes, a man named Benaiah is searching for a fresh start in life. He has joined a band of soldiers led by a warlord named David, seeking to bury the past that refuses to leave him. Their ragged army is disgruntled and full of reckless men. Some are loyal to David, but others are only with him for the promise of captured wealth. While the ruthless and increasingly mad King Saul marches hopelessly against the powerful Philistines, loyal son Jonathan in tow, the land of the Hebrew tribes has never been more despondent---and more in need of rescue. Over the course of ten days, from snowy mountain passes to sword-wracked battlefields, Benaiah and his fellow mercenaries must call upon every skill they have to survive and establish the throne for David---if they don't kill each other first.

Day of War brings to life the exploits of the Mighty Men of Israel, a rag-tag band of disgruntled warriors on the run with David, the soon-to-be King. Their legendary deeds are recorded in 2 Samuel 23 and 1 Chronicles 11.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from ChristianBook.
Get the free ebook from Sony.

Free Book - Now You're Thinking! (K/N)

Now You're Thinking!: Change Your Thinking...Revolutionize Your Career ... Transform Your Life, by Stewart Emery, Russ Hall, Heather Ishikawa and John Maketa, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes and Noble, courtesy of FT Press.
Book Description
If you can change the way you think, you can change the world. That’s the theme of Now You’re Thinking! as it tells the story of how a 2-year old Iraqi girl’s life was saved through determination, courage, and critical thinking. The book begins with the heroic story of how a Marine battalion beat the odds to save this little girl, and ends with a model of critical thinking that will help you STOP and THINK to recognize your emotions, evaluate arguments, and draw conclusions to make better life decisions. This book also provides the opportunity for you to take the My Thinking Styles assessment for free to learn your natural thinking preferences, strengths, and biases. This short read will give you a real-life example of great thinking plus tons of resources to guide your further interest in effective thinking.

Living the good life and want to make it great? Desperate to give your career an “extreme makeover”? Either way, the changes you want start inside your own head, with the way you think.

This book is the blueprint you need to build greater success by teaching you breakthrough techniques for thinking far more effectively. That’s the secret of making better decisions: whether you’re working toward a promotion or considering refinancing your house. Some thinking processes simply work better than others, and this book teaches you the ones that are proven to work best.

The authors start with the extraordinary true story of Amenah, just two years old, dying in an Iraqi village and in desperate need of complicated open-heart surgery unavailable in her own country. The authors reveal the extraordinary thinking and courage that saved her life and show how you can use the same approaches to transform every aspect of yours.
Get the free book from Barnes & Noble.

Free Book - Your Brain and Business (K/N)

Your Brain and Business: The Neuroscience of Great Leaders, by Srinivasan S. Pillay, is a repeat freebie in the Kindle store and from Barnes and Noble, courtesy of FT Press.
Book Description
What does neuroscience have to do with leadership? Everything.

Recent advances in brain science and neuroimaging can dramatically improve the way leaders work with colleagues to drive successful change. As the brain is increasingly examined in the context of personal and organizational development, remarkable insights are being uncovered: insights that are leading to powerful new strategies for improving business execution.

In Your Brain and Business, Harvard psychiatrist, brain-imaging researcher, and executive coach Srinivasan S. Pillay illuminates the rapidly emerging links between modern brain science and the corner office. He reveals powerful ways that neuroscientific insights can be used practically by today’s executives and presents new lessons for coaches who want to help their clients overcome common leadership problems.

Discover how leaders and coaches worldwide are already applying this knowledge to dramatically improve personal performance--and learn how you can do it, too.
  • How positive thinking impacts the business brain - Building on “strengths-based” approaches that encourage the brain to learn
  • Guiding leaders and managers to more effective relationships - Applying the fascinating neuroscience of social intelligence
  • Innovation, intuition, and impostors - Overcoming the intangible vulnerabilities in the brains of great leaders
  • Transforming the idea of change into execution - Clearing the pathways from thought to “action orientation” to real action
  • Coaching the executive brain - Specific interventions that target different brain regions and processes
Get the free book from Barnes & Noble.

Free Book - Know What You Don't Know (K/N)

Know What You Don't Know: How Great Leaders Prevent Problems Before They Happen, by Michael A. Roberto, is a repeat freebie in the Kindle store and from Barnes and Noble, courtesy of FT Press.
Book Description
In Know What You Don’t Know, best-selling author Michael Roberto shows leaders how to go beyond mere “problem solving” to uncover and address emerging problems while they’re still manageable—before they mushroom into disaster! Roberto first identifies the diverse, sometimes surprising reasons why problems typically fester in the shadows, ignored and unaddressed. Next, he systematically introduces seven powerful solutions. You’ll discover how to become a business “anthropologist,” observing how your employees, customers, and suppliers actually behave, not just how they’re “supposed” to behave. Roberto shows how and when to circumvent your gatekeepers to see crucial raw data...how to “connect the dots” among issues that seem unrelated, but are really signs of a deeper pattern...how to promote candor among front-line employees...encourage “useful” mistakes, and more. Along the way, Roberto offers powerful insights for overcoming the “isolation trap” so many senior executives face: the trap that can keep you assuming everything is fine, while your company’s problems are spiraling out of control!
Get the free book from Barnes & Noble. Be careful if doing a search by title on your nook, as there are two editions and the other is full price.

Free Book - Mobile DNA: Finding Treasure in Junk (K/N)

Mobile DNA: Finding Treasure in Junk, by Haig H. Kazazian, is a repeat freebie in the Kindle store and from Barnes and Noble, courtesy of FT Press.
Book Description
In Mobile DNA, leading geneticist Haig Kazazian thoroughly reviews our current understanding of the substantial role mobile genetic elements play in genome and organism evolution and function. He offers an accessible intellectual history of mobile DNA, rich and insightful perspectives on how investigators ask and answer research questions, and his predictions about future developments and research directions for this active field.

Haig Kazazian reviews our current scientific understanding of mobile DNA and its role in the evolution and function of genomes and organisms, offering an in-depth portrait of the developing perspectives and research strategies pursued by the workers in his own laboratory. He presents an engaging history of the field, showing how advances have presented unexpected new questions, and how new tools and techniques have promoted further progress. Coverage includes: multiple types of mobile DNA; retrotransposition and other key concepts; important mobile DNA research advances in the human genome, mammals, and plants; mobile DNA’s role in increasing genome plasticity and diversity; and the roles of leading scientists in moving mobile DNA research forward. Kazazian concludes with informed reflections on the possible biological roles of mobile DNA, and his own current best guesses about how a number of the leading questions currently under active investigation will likely be answered.
Get the free book from Barnes & Noble.

Free Book - The Clinch Knot (K)

The Clinch Knot, the third title in the Fly Fishing Mysteries series by John Galligan, is a repeat freebie in the Kindle store (but not for B&N, this time around).

Book Description
The Dog is in Livingston, Montana, daydreaming about fishing the Stone and, as usual, subsisting on Swisher Sweets, vodka-Tang, and the hope that pretending to forget will be enough.

He's forged a few tenuous friendships, and now finds himself watching from the bank as troubled local girl Jesse Ringer leads D'Ontario Sneed into the swift current of young love. It's sweet, really . . . but some of the locals object to the relationship on the basis of Sneed's skin color.

Then the unthinkable: vibrant, wild Jesse is found shot in the head, and Sneed is passed out in her car, gun beside him, window seams taped, and engine running. Sneed is hospitalized for severe carbon monoxide poisoning and can't string together a sentence to defend himself, so it falls to the Dog.

If only the Dog could run from his life without ending up in the tangle and snarl of the lives of others. A man who wants to lose himself in the current must be careful of his backcast; it'll always keep him tethered to a life he's trying to forget.

Free Book - Safe at Home (K/N/E/DF)

Update: 2/24/12 Now from Kobo.

Safe at Home, by Richard Doster, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble and ChristianBook, courtesy of Christian publisher David C. Cook.
Book Description
The spring of ’53 started out like any other for sports columnist Jack Hall, as he and the rest of his small southern town, Whitney, eagerly awaited the magical first pitch that would open the Bobcat’s season. But when ticket sales wane with the new distractions of air conditioning and I Love Lucy, the Bobcats face an early end not only to the season but to their careers as well. The team needs a white knight to save them and ironically, that white knight seems to be a 17 year old "colored kid", Percy Jackson, who’s got a .364 batting average and has never seen a grounder he couldn’t chase down.

Not everyone—not even most people—though can wrap their heads around an integrated baseball field, even if they have seen them on TV. This is Whitney. Things don’t change and they don’t need to change. Do they?

Hearts, minds, faith and tradition will be tested as will friendships and marriages when this sleepy southern town comes to grips with itself amid the early years of the Civil Rights Movement.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from ChristianBook (DRM-free).
Get the free ebook from Kobo.

Free Book Roundup

First, a couple of indie books that are on sale today, since not every author is joining the free KDP bandwagon.
  • Tribute of Death ($0.99), by Simon Levack, is the fourth in his Aztec Mysteries series, originally published in the UK. The first two are on Kindle from publisher Macmillan (at $6.99 each) and the third is missing, so I don't know if he is going to publish the ebook himself or if the rights to that are all tied up, somewhere.
  • Catch an Honest Thief (A Haven Mystery) ($0.99), by Maria E. Schneider

Today's backlist/small press/indie, totally free, books for everyone on Kindle. These are are not likely to be free for long, so double check prices before one-clicking (genres are my best guess), as most of them go back up after a day or two (sometimes less), at which point most of them become eligible for the Kindle Lending Library.