Today's Deals 12/29

In a repeat of the sale after last Christmas, Amazon has over 2,000 MP3 Albums for $5, so you can fill up your Cloud Player (or your new Kindle Fire) at a discount. This list of albums is separate from their usual 100 MP3 Albums for $5 monthly deal. The sale lasts thru the end of January (although I suspect some albums have a limit on the number included in the sale and that the total selection may decline as the sale continues.

For those that missed it when it was free in a bonus edition (two years ago), this is now free on Kindle, in addition to B&N (but may not last long):

• Executive Privilege (K/N)

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is Bridge to Terabithia ($1.99), by Katherine Paterson and Donna Diamond (Illustrator).

Book Description
All summer, Jess pushed himself to be the fastest boy in the fifth grade, and when the year's first school-yard race was run, he was going to win.But his victory was stolen by a newcomer, by a girl, one who didn't even know enough to stay on the girls' side of the playground. Then, unexpectedly, Jess finds himself sticking up for Leslie, for the girl who breaks rules and wins races. The friendship between the two grows as Jess guides the city girl through the pitfalls of life in their small, rural town, and Leslie draws him into the world of imaginations world of magic and ceremony called Terabithia. Here, Leslie and Jess rule supreme among the oaks and evergreens, safe from the bullies and ridicule of the mundane world. Safe until an unforeseen tragedy forces Jess to reign in Terabithia alone, and both worlds are forever changed.

In this poignant, beautifully rendered novel, Katherine Paterson weaves a powerful story of friendship and courage.

Grade Level: 4 and up

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is is another blockbuster sale! "Save up to 90% on a diverse selection of more than 200 books, including literary fiction, mysteries and thrillers, biographies and memoirs, and more." I actually see 233 titles, at $1.99 each, in the sale and once on the deals page, you can narrow the list by genre, using the menu on the left sidebar. There are way too many to list, so I'll leave you to explore on your own (good thing it isn't a workday for most of you!). My problem will be narrowing down my choices, as I've already spotted such interesting titles as Kitty Cornered: How Frannie and Five Other Incorrigible Cats Seized Control of Our House and Made It Their Home by Bob Tarte, Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America's Heartland by Thomas Wolf and Patricia L. Bryan, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Baileyand An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England by Brock Clarke.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is Last Bite: A Novel of Culinary Romance ($1.99), by Nancy Verde Barr. I bought this in September, but haven't managed to get to it yet.

Book Description
After ending a bad relationship, Casey Costello, an executive chef at a morning television show, swears off men. Who has the time anyway? She's busy overseeing a rambunctious food-prep crew in a kitchen the size of a closet; trying to please high-maintenance celebrity guest chefs; and dealing with her large extended Italian American family, who believe that the solutions to life's problems involve food. And in the midst of her high-energy, stress-inducing career—punctuated by a steady stream of parties and restaurant openings that must not be missed—she's trying to uncover why Sally Woods, a grand old dame of the culinary world and regular on the television show, is suddenly ready to jump ship and find a new station and a new executive chef.

When Danny O'Shea, a handsome chef from one of New York's hottest new restaurants, makes a guest appearance on the show, Casey smells trouble. But feelings ignite faster than a flambé dessert, especially when Danny whips up a few surprises during a television shoot in Italy.

Narrated in Casey's smart and refreshingly disarming voice, Last Bite is an irresistible culinary caper, with characters whose appetites are as big as their personalities.

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is Hillary Jordan's When She Woke, Steve Stern's The Frozen Rabbi, Carrie Brown's Rose's Garden, and Jack O'Connell's The Resurrectionist, each on sale for $1.99 (up to 90% off).

When She Woke, by Hillary Jordan

Bellwether Prize winner Hillary Jordan’s provocative new novel, When She Woke, tells the story of a stigmatized woman struggling to navigate an America of a not-too-distant future, where the line between church and state has been eradicated and convicted felons are no longer imprisoned and rehabilitated but chromed—their skin color is genetically altered to match the class of their crimes—and then released back into the population to survive as best they can. Hannah is a Red; her crime is murder.

In seeking a path to safety in an alien and hostile world, Hannah unknowingly embarks on a path of self-discovery that forces her to question the values she once held true and the righteousness of a country that politicizes faith.

The Frozen Rabbi, by Steve Stern

Award-winning novelist Steve Stern’s exhilarating epic recounts the story of how a nineteenth-century rabbi from a small Polish town ends up in a basement freezer in a suburban Memphis home at the end of the twentieth century. What happens when an impressionable teenage boy inadvertently thaws out the ancient man and brings him back to life is nothing short of miraculous.

Rose's Garden, by Carrie Brown

Conrad and Rose met as children, fell in love as teenagers, and married young. Conrad earned a living as a gilder, raised homing pigeons, and worshipped Rose. Rose gardened. They lived together for more than fifty years, and then Rose died. At seventy-five, Conrad found himself alone, staring at the walls of his house and neglecting Rose's garden. Then an angel came to the garden, the last person he ever thought to see wearing wings. Startled, he felt compelled to spread the news throughout his town, and to his surprise, people he'd known all his life began to reveal their deepest selves to him. ROSE'S GARDEN tells an unforgettable story of a woman whose garden extended far beyond the boundaries of property and time, and the man who came into full blossom in its bower.

The Resurrectionist, by Jack O'Connell

The Resurrectionist is a wild ride into a territory where nothing is as it appears. Part classic noir thriller, part fabulist fable, it is the story of Sweeney and his comatose son, Danny. Hoping for a miracle, Sweeney has brought Danny to the fortresslike Peck Clinic, whose doctors claim to have "resurrected" patients who were similarly lost in the void. but the real cure for his son's condition may lie in Limbo, a comic book world beloved by Danny before he slipped into a coma.

O'Connell has crafted a spellbinding novel about stories and what they can do for and to those who create them and those who consume them. About the nature of consciousness and the power of the unknown. And, ultimately, about forgiveness and the depth of our need to extend it and receive it.

The Kindle Fire edition of Guinness World Records 2013 ($2.09 / £1.29 UK) is the first Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $9.99). Don't have a Kindle Fire? Grab the e-Ink Edition ($2.09 / £0.99 UK) at an even lower price.

Book Description
The Guinness World Records 2013 eBook (Kindle Fire) has been specifically designed for the Kindle Fire and features thousands of brand new inspirational achievements and exclusive pictures in full colour chronicling Guinness World Records from all over the world! With more than 4,000 records and a dozen chapters Guinness World Records 2013 is the must-have eBook of the year for aspiring record-breakers of all ages. From Wacky Vehicles and Animalympics to special pages devoted to a world tour of superlatives and an exploration of the extremes of record-breaking, Guinness World Records 2013 is lavishly designed and brings to you the world of record-breaking like you’ve never seen it before!

Do Cats Have Belly Buttons?: And Answers to 244 Other Questions on the World of Science: And Answers to 249 Other Curious Questions ($1.60 / £0.99 UK), by Paul Heiney, is the second Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $9.32).

Book Description
Why do jellies wobble? Why don't the oceans overflow? Why do racing cars have fat tyres? How do widgets in beer cans work? How many bones does a giraffe have in that long neck? I've been told that dogs only see in black and white. Is that true? How do we know that no two snow crystals are the same? Why is the earth round? And how do we know it is? why do camels have such bad breath? What is a bruise? Are chemicals in my brain responsible for my falling in love? Will they fade as I grow older? How long can love last? Do Cats Have Belly Buttons? is a follow-up to the successful Can Cows Walk Down Stairs?. Answering life's big questions, as well as the small, it unravels the science behind those things we take for granted, and explains just why the world and its contents are as they are. Informative, entertaining, humorous, it is the perfect present for quizaholics, science addicts, the insatiably questioning, and anyone curious about life on earth.

Can Cows Walk Down Stairs?: Perplexing Questions Answered: The Best Brains Answer the Biggest and Smallest Scientific Questions ($1.60 / £0.99 UK), by Paul Heiney, is the third Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $8.15).

Book Description
What is ear wax for? Do bacteria have sex? How do they put stripes in toothpaste? Does your nose run in space? What are stars made of? This book answers those tantalising or perplexing questions for which you thought you'd never find an answer. A book for the naturally curious, as well as those seekers after scientific truths, it unravels both those things we take for granted, such as wehn you boil an egg, why does the yolk stay in the middle, or why is the sky blue, as well as questions which probe deeply, such as, what does an atom look like, or what was there before the beginning of time? if you were to write in the dust on the moon, how big would the letters have to be so you could see them from earth without a telescope? Drawing on the expertise of a team of enthusiastic scientists around the world, authoritative, entertaining, and often a touch humorous, it will appeal to anyone who's ever been curious about life on earth.

A Will & a Way ($4.99 Kindle, $1.99 B&N), by Nora Roberts, is the Nook Daily Find; it's likely to be price matched on Kindle later today.

Book Description
It was worse than winning the lottery—much worse. This bequest might mean more money, but the strings attached had Pandora McVie tied up in knots. Respecting Uncle Jolley's last wishes meant spending time isolated in the Catskills with Michael Donahue, her least favorite—though best looking—distant relative and cobeneficiary.

Living with a carrottopped termagant wasn't Michael's idea of a good time, either, but he realized they were stuck. Jolley was a matchmaker to the end—and apparently for some time beyond. What could happen in six months? Michael answered that one himself: almost anything.

RSS and Email Update

For those who get the Emailed version of the RSS Feed, I believe the new Feedblitz subscription is working and now delivers once a day, between 4 and 7 PM Eastern US time (more or less). So, I'll shut off the old feedburner emails this weekend (so those who only get that subscription will see this message and subscribe to the new feed, instead).

Note that the new subscription allows YOU to change how often you want it to be updated. You can keep the default once/day update or use the Click here to change your preferences link at the very bottom of any email to change your Delivery schedule. Options available are Default, Every 4 Hours, Every 8 Hours and Every 12 Hours. Any of these additional options may result in more than one email per day, but they'll also get you any late-breaking articles (like this one) many hours before the default subscription time.

Today's Deals 12/28

Today's Gold Box at Amazon has up to 60% Off Select Crucial and Lexar Memory and SSD Drives.

Amazon's Android Appstore spotlight today is on Pudding Monsters, a new game from the creators of Cut the Rope. It comes in a free and 99 cent HD version.

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is 11 books from the award-winning, best-selling series starring independent-minded third-grader Judy Moody, by Megan McDonald and Peter H. Reynolds (Illustrator), for just $1.99 each.

Ages: 6+ | Grades: 1+

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Under the Dome ($1.99), by Stephen King.

Book Description
On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's hand is severed as "the dome" comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when -- or if -- it will go away.

Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens -- town newspaper owner Julia Shumway, a physician's assistant at the hospital, a select-woman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing -- even murder -- to hold the reins of power, and his son, who is keeping a horrible secret in a dark pantry. But their main adversary is the Dome itself. Because time isn't just short. It's running out.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is These Old Shades ($1.99), by Georgette Heyer (Sourcebooks Casablanca).

Book Description
Set in the Georgian period, about 20 years before the Regency, These Old Shades is considered to be the book that launched Heyer's career. It features two of Heyer's most memorable characters: Justin Alastair, the Duke of Avon, and Leonie, whom he rescues from a life of ignomy and comes to love and marry.

The Duke is known for his coldness of manner, his remarkable omniscience, and his debauched lifestyle. Late one evening, he is accosted by a young person dressed in ragged boy's clothing running away from a brutal rustic guardian. The Duke buys "Leon" and makes the child his page. "Leon" is in fact Leonie, and she serves the Duke with deep devotion. When he uncovers the true story of her birth, he wreaks an unforgettable revenge on her sinister father in a chilling scene of public humiliation.

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is Odd Thomas ($1.99), by Dean Koontz.

Book Description
“The dead don’t talk. I don’t know why.” But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Meet Odd Thomas, the unassuming young hero of Dean Koontz’s dazzling New York Times bestseller, a gallant sentinel at the crossroads of life and death who offers up his heart in these pages and will forever capture yours.

Sometimes the silent souls who seek out Odd want justice. Occasionally their otherworldly tips help him prevent a crime. But this time it’s different. A stranger comes to Pico Mundo, accompanied by a horde of hyena-like shades who herald an imminent catastrophe. Aided by his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, Odd will race against time to thwart the gathering evil. His account of these shattering hours, in which past and present, fate and destiny, converge, is a testament by which to live—an unforgettable fable for our time destined to rank among Dean Koontz’s most enduring works.

The Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK is three titles for £0.99 each (80% off).

The Lighthouse (Main/UK), by P. D. James (US edition $11.99)

A secure and secluded retreat for the rich and powerful becomes the setting for an unsettling series of murders.Combe Island off the Cornish coast is a restful haven for the elite. But when one of its distinguished visitors is found hanging from the island’s famous lighthouse in what appears to have been a murder, the peace is shattered. Commander Adam Dalgliesh is called in to handle the sensitive case, but at a difficult time for him and his depleted team. He is uncertain about his future with his girlfriend Emma Lavenham; his principle detective Kate Miskin is going through an emotional crisis; and the ambitious Sergeant Francis Benton-Smith is not happy about having a female boss. After a second brutal killing, the whole investigation is jeopardized, and Dalgliesh is faced with a danger even more insidious than murder.

The Dinner (Main/UK), by Herman Koch and Sam Garrett (Translator) (US edition $11.99)

An evening in Amsterdam and two couples meet for dinner. They need to discuss their teenage sons. The boys have committed a horrifying act, caught on CCTV. They remain unidentified - except by their parents. How far will each couple go to protect their child?

Hamish Macbeth Omnibus: Books 1-4 (Main/UK), by M.C. Beaton (no US edition)

DEATH OF A GOSSIP: When society widow and gossip columnist Lady Jane Winters joins the local fishing class she wastes no time in ruffling feathers - or should that be fins? - of those around her.Among the victims of her sharp tongue is Lochdubh constable Hamish Macbeth, yet not even Hamish thinks someone would seriously want to silence Lady Jane's shrill voice permanently - until her strangled body is fished out of the river.Now with the help of the lovely Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, Hamish must steer a course through the choppy waters of the tattler's life to find a murderer. But with a school of suspects who aren't willing to talk, and the dead woman telling no tales, Hamish may well be in over his head for he knows that secrets are dangerous, knowledge is power, and killers when cornered usually do strike again.

DEATH OF A CAD: When Priscilla Halburton-Smythe brings her London playwright fiancé home to Lochdubh, everyone in town is delighted... except for love-smitten Hamish Macbeth. Yet the affairs of his heart will have to wait.Vile, boorish Captain Bartlett, one of the guests at Priscilla's engagement party, has just been found murdered - shot while on a grouse hunt. Now with so many titled party guests as prime suspects, each with their own reason for snuffing out the despicable captain, Hamish must smooth ruffled feathers as he investigates the case... and catch a killer, before they fly the coop!

DEATH OF AN OUTSIDER: The most hated man in the most dour town in Scotland is sleeping with the fishes, or - more accurately - has been dumped into a tank filled with crustaceans. All that remains of the murdered victim are his bones. But once the lobsters have been shipped off to Britain's best restaurants, the whole affair quickly lands on the plate of Constable Hamish Macbeth.Exiled to the dreary outpost of Cnothan, Macbeth sorely misses his beloved Lochdubh, but before he can head back home he has to contend with a detective chief inspector who wants the murder hushed up, a dark-haired lassie who is out to seduce him, and a killer who has made mincemeat of his last victim, and will no doubt strike again...

DEATH OF A PERFECT WIFE: Hamish Macbeth is savouring the delights of a Highland summer, but as fast as the rain rolls in from the loch his happy life goes to hell in a handbasket.The trouble begins when his beloved Priscilla Halburton-Smythe returns to Lochdubh with a new fiancé on her arm. His miseries multiply when clouds of midges descend on the town. And then a paragon of housewife perfection named Trixie Thomas moves into Lochdubh with her cowed husband in tow.The newcomer quickly convinces the local ladies to embrace low-cholesterol meals, ban alcohol and begin bird-watching. Soon the town's menfolk are up in arms and Macbeth must solve Lochdubh's newest crime - the mysterious poisoning of the perfect wife.

The Last Lion: Volume 1: Winston Churchill: Visions of Glory, 1874 - 1932 ($4.99 Kindle, B&N), by William Manchester, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle, where the companion audiobook is $4.95.

Book Description
William Manchester met Winston Churchill on January 24, 1953. Their encounter on the Queen Mary sparked an intense curiosity in Manchester that would eventually result in his classic three-volume magnum opus The Last Lion.

In this, the first volume, we follow Churchill from his birth to 1932, when he began to warn against the remilitarization of Germany. Born of a lovely, wanton American mother and a gifted but unstable son of a duke, his childhood was one of wretched neglect. He sought glory on the battlefields of Cuba, Sudan, India, South Africa and the trenches of France. In Parliament he was the prime force behind the creation of Iraq and Jordan, laid the groundwork for the birth of Israel, and negotiated the independence of the Irish Free State. Yet, as Chancellor of the Exchequer he plunged England into economic crisis, and his fruitless attempt to suppress Gandhi's quest for Indian independence brought political chaos to Britain.

Throughout, Churchill learned the lessons that would prepare him for the storm to come, and as the 1930's began, he readied himself for the coming battle against Nazism--an evil the world had never before seen.

Today's Deals 12/27

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is 20 novels for adults and teens by top romance authors for just $1.99 each (two are only $0.99).

1. Risky Business, by Nora Roberts
2. Big Sky Mountain, by Linda Lael Miller
3. Catching Fireflies (The Sweet Magnolias), by Sherryl Woods
4. All He Ever Needed (The Kowalskis), by Shannon Stacey
5. Wicked Nights, by Gena Showalter
6. The Unholy (Krewe of Hunters), by Heather Graham
7. Playing Dirty, by Susan Andersen
8. Undone by Her Tender Touch, by Maya Banks ($0.99)
9. Within Reach, by Sarah Mayberry ($0.99)
10. Real Men Will, by Victoria Dahl
11. Lakeside Cottage (The Lakeshore Chronicles), by Susan Wiggs
12. The Wrangler, by Lindsay McKenna
13. Secrets of the Lost Summer (A Swift River Valley Novel), by Carla Neggers
14. Dreams of Forever: Seduction, Westmoreland Style\Spencer's Forbidden Passion, by Brenda Jackson
15. The Iron King, by Julie Kagawa
16. The Goddess Test, by Aimée Carter
17. Pushing the Limits, by Katie McGarry
18. The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden), by Julie Kagawa
19. Speechless, by Hannah Harrington
20. Forever Buckhorn: Gabe\Jordan (Buckhorn Brothers), by Lori Foster

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is Touch of Power ($1.99), the first title in the Avry of Kazan series by Maria V. Snyder.

Book Description
Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life….

The Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK is three titles for £0.99 each (~80% off).

Swimming Home (Main/UK), by Deborah Levy (US edition $8.53)

Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2012.

Swimming Home is a subversive page-turner, a merciless gaze at the insidious harm that depression can have on apparently stable, well-turned-out people. Set in a summer villa, the story is tautly structured, taking place over a single week in which a group of beautiful, flawed tourists in the French Riviera come loose at the seams.

The Firemaker (Main/UK), by Peter May US edition $7.99)

A burned corpse is a disturbing mystery for Beijing Detective Li Yan, until he enlists forensic pathologist Margaret Campbell. Having abandoned a broken life in Chicago for her work, she’s as determined as Li to ask difficult questions about the man’s death. But some questions have answers that they’d rather not hear; facts that others are desperate to conceal.

Peter May is the author of The Blackhouse, The Lewis Man and The Chessmen. The Firemaker is the first of his China thrillers. He lives in France.

The Eagle of the Ninth Chronicles (Main/UK), by Rosemary Sutcliff (US edition $8.99)

The Ninth Legion marched into the mists of northern Britain-and they were never seen again. Four thousand men disappeared and their eagle standard was lost. It's a mystery that's never been solved, until now . . . So begins the story of The Eagle of the Ninth, set against a backdrop of Roman Britain and featuring a young soldier, Marcus Aquila, who sets off into the unknown north to find out what happened to the lost legion. Following on from this are The Silver Branch in which two young soldiers uncover a plot to overthrow the Emperor, and The Lantern Bearers which is set at a time when the Romans are leaving the shores of Britain and tells of Aquila who, having served in the Roman army, is now returning home to his farm-but when he gets there everything he knows and loves has been destroyed and so he sets out to seek revenge. To have three such exciting stories in one volume is a treat for fans old and new.

The Shoemaker's Wife ($7.99 Kindle, $1.99 B&N), by Adriana Trigiani, is the Nook Daily Find.

Book Description
The fateful first meeting of Enza and Ciro takes place amid the haunting majesty of the Italian Alps at the turn of the last century. Still teenagers, they are separated when Ciro is banished from his village and sent to hide in New York's Little Italy, apprenticed to a shoemaker, leaving a bereft Enza behind. But when her own family faces disaster, she, too, is forced to emigrate to America. Though destiny will reunite the star-crossed lovers, it will, just as abruptly, separate them once again—sending Ciro off to serve in World War I, while Enza is drawn into the glamorous world of the opera . . . and into the life of the international singing sensation Enrico Caruso. Still, Enza and Ciro have been touched by fate—and, ultimately, the power of their love will change their lives forever.

A riveting historical epic of love and family, war and loss, risk and destiny, inspired by the author's own family history, The Shoemaker's Wife is the novel Adriana Trigiani was born to write.

Today's Deals 12/26

Today is Amazon is having a recap of 2012 Free Apps for Android Greatest Hits and if you missed some of the best deals of the year, you get another chance to get them for free, including OfficeSuite Professional 6 (reg. $15). There is also a remote access app, a calendar/tracking app, an internet radio app and a number of games; I even found one I had missed, myself!

For those with young children or grandkids, you definitely will want to check out the Dr. Seuss sale, which has a number of my childhood favorites marked down to 99 cents, regularly $4-$5. There are more than two dozen titles in the sale, with some priced at $1.99 or $2.99, so you should be able to stock up your or you kids' new Kindle Fires with a lot of entertainment at a low cost.

If you "buy" any of the free apps created by Smule, Amazon will give you a $1 MP3 credit.

For those with eInk Kindles, be sure to check out the Best Kindle E Ink Games of 2012 for $0.99, which includes Uno, Scrabble, Brain Trainer and more.

At Audible, the Holiday Relief sale has 100+ books at $7.95.

At BooksonBoard, get 50% off and 5% rewards on non-Agency books using coupon code eKlaus (capitalization is important).

In the UK, the 12 Days of Kindle sale is back, with "great books from as low as £0.99 [and] at least 50 books [added] to the selection every day."

Also for those in the UK (and Australia), iTunes is having a 12 Days of Christmas givewaway, with a new gift free each day.

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

• Get 1 of 50 Books for $1

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is The Host ($1.99), by Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series. Audible listeners can get the companion audiobook for only $3.95.

Book Description
Now available as a special edition eBook: New Bonus Chapter and Reading Group Guide, including Stephenie Meyer's Annotated Playlist for the book with linking to and back from text.

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST
is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal saves up to 93% on biographies and memoirs by Caitlin Moran, Neil Young, Patti Smith, Ellen DeGeneres, and more, all $2.99 or less (up to 93% off).

• When We Were the Kennedys: A Memoir from Mexico, Maine, by Monica Wood
• Bad Habits: Confessions of a Recovering Catholic, by Jenny McCarthy
• Washington: A Life , by Ron Chernow; companion audiobook $3.95
• Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him, by Luis Carlos Montalvan; companion audiobook $3.95 (I listened to this last year; recommended)
• Just Kids, by Patti Smith
• My Horizontal Life, by Chelsea Handler; companion audiobook $3.95
• How to Be a Woman, by Caitlin Moran
• Waging Heavy Peace, by Neil Young (this one has been on our wishlist!)
• Seriously...I'm Kidding, by Ellen DeGeneres (I listened to the audiobook on this one last year and it was hilarious; from what I read, the book is different from the audiobook, but just as funny)
• Let's Pretend This Never Happened: (A Mostly True Memoir), by Jenny Lawson

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is The Handmaid's Tale ($1.99), by Margaret Atwood. Check your libraries though, as I have it in mine, but in an edition that is no longer available.

Book Description

The Handmaid's Tale is not only a radical and brilliant departure for Margaret Atwood, it is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States, now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men of its population.

The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment's calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions. The Handmaid's Tale is funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing. It is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force. It is Margaret Atwood at her best.

The Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK is six titles for £0.99 each (~80% off).

Angels (Main/UK), by Marian Keyes (US edition $7.99)

Marian Keyes' sixth novel is a truly captivating story about a marriage that's gone wrong and a sensible girl who suddenly just wants to let her hair down.

"We will shortly be landing at Los Angeles International Airport. Please ensure your seat is in the upright position, that you weigh less than a hundred pounds and that you have excellent teeth."

Maggie Walsh has always done everything right. Sensibly. By the book. Until the day she leaves her husband and runs away to Hollywood, that is.

Follow her on a journey of discovery, from suburbia to a suntan - taking in some heartache and lots of martinis along the way - as she discovers what she really wants in life and why she really walked out of her marriage.

Artemis Fowl (Main/UK), by Eoin Colfer (US edition $5.69)

Twelve-year-old villain, Artemis Fowl, is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. His bold and daring plan is to hold a leprechaun to ransom. But he's taking on more than he bargained for when he kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance Unit). For a start, leprechaun technology is more advanced than our own. Add to that the fact that Holly is a true heroine and that her senior officer Commander Root will stop at nothing to get her back and you've got the mother of all sieges brewing!

A Long Way Down (Main/UK), by Nick Hornby (US edition $11.99)

A Long Way Down - Nick Hornby's hilarious bestseller about strangers and secrets

'Can I explain why I wanted to jump off the top of a tower block?'

For disgraced TV presenter Martin Sharp the answer's pretty simple: he has, in his own words, 'pissed his life away'. And on New Year's Eve he's going to end it all . . . but not, as it happens, alone. Because first single-mum Maureen, then eighteen-year-old Jess and lastly American rock-god JJ turn up and crash Martin's private party. They've stolen his idea - but brought their own reasons.

Yet it's hard to jump when you've got an audience queuing impatiently behind you. A few heated words and some slices if cold pizza later and these four strangers are suddenly allies. But is their unlikely friendship a good enough reason to carry on living?

Shortlisted for the 2005 Whitbread Award and the Commonwealth Writers Prize, A Long Way Down is a darkly hilarious and moving novel by bestselling author Nick Hornby. If you like Jonathan Coe, David Sedaris and David Nicholls, you will love this book.

The Chase: The Isaac Bell Adventures #1 (Main/UK), by Clive Cussler (US edition $9.99)

In The Chase Clive Cussler introduces a historical hero- Isaac Bell.

1950: the rusting hulk of a steam locomotive is raised from the depths of a Montana lake. Inside are three bodies, bloody clue to a fortune lost for over forty years . . .

1906: For two years banks across the western United States have been living in terror of the 'Butcher Bandit'. This cold-blooded bank robber empties safes and murders all witnesses, vanishing without trace. In desperation, the US Government calls in Isaac Bell, the best detective in the country. From Arizona to Colorado to the streets of San Francisco during the great quake, Bell uses all his guile and ingenuity to catch up with the murderous Bandit.

But when Bell has him almost cornered - the Bandit turns really nasty. And suddenly the stakes have changed. Bell isn't just battling to get his man. He's fighting for his very survival . . .

Bestseller Clive Cussler - author of the Dirk Pitt novels Arctic Drift and Crescent Dawn - sends hero Isaac Bell to solve a mysterious series of bank-robberies and murders in the first novel of historical thriller series The Isaac Bell Adventures. The Chase is followed by The Wrecker and The Spy.

The Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid (Main/UK), by Rick Riordan (US edition $7.99)

A brilliant new adventure series from the best-selling author of Percy Jackson.

Carter and Sadie have nothing in common but their parents: their father Dr. Julius Kane, a brilliant Egyptologist, and their mother, a famed archaeologist who died under mysterious circumstances when they were young.

The siblings barely know each other, but one night, their father brings them together at the British Museum, promising a 'research experiment' that will set things right for their family.

His plans go horribly wrong.

An explosion unleashes an ancient evil - the Egyptian god Set who banishes Dr. Kane to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives. Now orphaned, Carter and Sadie must embark on a dangerous quest - from Cairo to Paris to the American Southwest, to save their father and stop Set from destroying everything they care about . . .

Never Look Back (Main/UK), by Lesley Pearse (no US edition)

One good deed takes her into another world . . .

Sixteen-year-old Matilda is a poor Covent Garden flower girl until the day she saves the life of Tabitha, a minister's daughter. Welcomed into Tabitha's family, Matilda is offered the chance of a lifetime.

She leaves behind London's slums and enters the darkest corners of New York. And she travels across the plains to the Wild West, where San Francisco is in the grip of the gold rush.

Streetwise and strong-willed, Matilda forges a new life for herself and Tabitha among pioneers like Captain James Russell - a man to whom she is deeply attracted. Yet a civil war will soon rip apart this new nation.

Can Matilda and those she loves brave separation and carry on, never looking back?

Black List ($2.99 Kindle, B&N), the eleventh and latest thriller in Brad Thor's Scot Harvath series, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.

Book Description
A stunning masterwork of action, intrigue, and ingenious plot twists.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor returns with his most explosive thriller ever. Somewhere deep inside the United States government is a closely guarded list. Members of Congress never get to see it—only the President and a secret team of advisers. Once your name is on the list, it doesn’t come off . . . until you’re dead.

Someone has just added counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath’s name.

Somehow Harvath must evade the teams dispatched to kill him long enough to untangle who has targeted him and why they want him out of the way.

Somewhere, someone, somehow can put all the pieces together. The only question is, will Harvath get to that person before the United States suffers the most withering terrorist attack ever conceived?

An intense, page-turning novel that is action-packed and frighteningly real, Black List blurs the line between fiction and reality and once again reaffirms why Brad Thor “is arguably the best thriller writer of our time” (Suspense Magazine) and “America’s favorite author” (KTTX).

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is Diary of a Wimpy Kid ($1.99), by Jeff Kinney.

Book Description
Boys don't keep diaries—or do they?

The launch of an exciting and innovatively illustrated new series narrated by an unforgettable kid every family can relate to.

It's a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you're ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary.

In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley's star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend's newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.

Author/illustrator Jeff Kinney recalls the growing pains of school life and introduces a new kind of hero who epitomizes the challenges of being a kid. As Greg says in his diary, "Just don’t expect me to be all 'Dear Diary' this and 'Dear Diary' that." Luckily for us, what Greg Heffley says he won't do and what he actually does are two very different things.

Since its launch in May 2004 on Funbrain.com, the Web version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been viewed by 20 million unique online readers. This year, it is averaging 70,000 readers a day.

Free Audiobook from Downpour

While it lasts, download a free audiobook from Downpour.com (Blackstone Audio's new consumer site). There are twenty to choose from and you can download either an MP3 (Kindle compatible) or MP4 (iTunes) format after the audiobook is in your library.

40% Off Qualifying Kindle Accessories (AL)

This is another AmazonLocal deal, so you must be in the US, but don't have to find a special offer on your Kindle: 40% Off Qualifying Kindle Accessories. Grab a voucher now, before they sell out and you'll have over a week to look thru the qualifying items and decide which ones you want (although popular ones may sell out, as always with these offers).

Deal Description
Whether you've owned your Kindle Fire or Kindle E-reader for years, or just got one as a gift, today's deal from the Kindle Accessories Store is the perfect opportunity to personalize -- and protect -- your device. Get a free voucher for 40% off qualifying purchases ($40 maximum discount) in the Kindle Accessories Store.

• Free voucher for 40% off select Kindle accessories
• Choose from a wide selection of qualifying Amazon Branded Accessories and Made for Kindle Accessories from brands like Marware, Verso, Punchcase and more
• Voucher will expire if not used toward a qualifying purchase in the Kindle Accessories Store by January 5, 2013
• Voucher is valid for a 40% discount on your order total (up to the first $100 spent) for qualifying items in the Kindle Accessories Store; your order total can be over $100, but the maximum discount is $40.

Today's Deals 12/25

Merry Christmas, everyone! I'll be checking on the free books later, but will be busy with family on and off, so it may later this afternoon.

Be sure to grab today's free Android App, World of Goo (usually $5). I also see that Need for Speed Most Wanted (Kindle Tablet Edition) and Asphalt 7: Heat (Kindle Tablet Edition) are on sale for 99 cents (down from $6.99). All are great choices for any new Kindle Fire HD's under the tree.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ($1.99), by Stieg Larsson and Reg Keeland (Translator).

Book Description
An international publishing sensation, Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel.

Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is five sensual, seasonal romances by Debbie Macomber, Sherryl Woods, Brenda Novak, RaeAnne Thayne, and Susan Mallery for just $1.99 or less.

The Perfect Christmas ($1.99), by Debbie Macomber

What would make your Christmas perfect?

For Cassie Beaumont, it's meeting her perfect match. Cassie, at thirty-three, wants a husband and kids, and so far, nothing's worked. Not blind dates, not the internet and certainly not leaving love to chance.

What other options are there? Well…she could hire a professional matchmaker. Simon Dodson has quite a reputation, but he's very choosy about the clients he takes on—and very expensive. Cassie considers him a difficult, acerbic know-it-all, and she's astonished when he accepts her as a client.

Claiming he has her perfect mate in mind, Simon assigns her three tasks to complete before she meets this paragon. Three tasks that are all about Christmas: being a charity bell-ringer, dressing up as Santa's elf at a mall and preparing a traditional turkey dinner for her neighbors (most of whom she happens to dislike). Despite a number of comical mishaps, Cassie does it all—and then she's finally ready to meet her match.

But just like the perfect Christmas gift, he turns out to be a wonderful surprise!

An O'Brien Family Christmas ($1.99), by Sherryl Woods

Dating Matthew O'Brien—a playboy and a younger man—cost Laila Riley her career and her parents' respect. A high price, even for love—and when Laila decides it was just a fling, she breaks it off, despite Matthew's objections.

But the O'Brien family has other ideas, and they conspire to get Laila to join them on a Dublin holiday. It's a great time to get away from it all, but Laila has reservations about the trip. Matthew's bound to be there, and she's far from immune. What if she can't resist temptation?

Meanwhile, the O'Briens are in an uproar over matriarch Nell's unexpected romance with an old flame. Will she follow her heart, despite the risks? And will Laila discover that some risks are actually once-in-a-lifetime opportunities?

When Snow Falls ($1.99), by Brenda Novak

After growing up in cheap motels, moving from town to town with her sister and mother, Cheyenne Christensen is grateful to be on her own. She's grateful, too, for the friends she found once her family settled in California. But she's troubled by the mystery of her earliest memories, most of which feature a smiling blonde woman. A woman who isn't her mother.

Although Cheyenne has repeatedly asked for explanations, the people who could help aren't talking. Cheyenne is set on finding answers, but without so much as a birth certificate, it won't be easy.

Things get even more complicated when her closest friend is attracted to the man Cheyenne has secretly loved for years. For Eve's sake, she decides to step aside—which lands her right in the arms of Dylan Amos, oldest and baddest of the hell-raising Amos brothers. He's the kind of guy she's sworn to avoid. She can't afford to make a mistake, not when she finally has a chance to learn who she really is and change her life for the better. But…maybe there's more to Dylan than she thought. Maybe letting him go would be a bigger mistake.

A Cold Creek Noel ($0.99), by RaeAnne Thayne

Caidy Bowman had been the apple of her family's eye—until a devastating tragedy forced her to hide from the world. She was used to devoting her time to the animals on her family's ranch. Then widower Ben Caldwell and his two adorable children arrived in Pine Gulch, and suddenly, Caidy wanted more than a life in the shadows….

As the town's new vet, Ben needed a place to stay for the holidays—and for his family to heal from their own loss. He absolutely wasn't looking for love again! But Caidy Bowman's sparkling green eyes and sweet smile touched Ben's broken heart, giving him hope for a new future. Their future—if he could convince the beautiful cowgirl that Christmas was a time for new beginnings….

A Christmas Bride: Only Us: A Fool's Gold Holiday\The Sheik and the Christmas Bride ($1.99), an anthology by Susan Mallery

Only Us
Pet groomer Carina Fiore wants nothing more than to confess her feelings to the man she loves. She's drawn to veterinarian Cameron McKenzie's good looks, caring nature and especially his devotion to his young daughter. There's just one problem—he's her boss. Putting her heart on the line could cost Rina both her job and their friendship forever. But when a kiss under the mistletoe unlocks the simmering passion between them, Rina and Cameron may just find love for the holidays after all….

The Sheik and the Christmas Bride
When Prince As'ad of El Deharia agrees to adopt three orphaned American girls, he does so on one condition—that their beautiful teacher, Kayleen James, become their nanny. His plan is to leave her to deal with the children as he continues his life, undisturbed. But all that changes when Kayleen and the girls invade the palace—and As'ad's heart—and change it for the better.

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter ($1.99), by Seth Grahame-Smith.

Book Description
Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother's bedside. She's been stricken with something the old-timers call "Milk Sickness."

"My baby boy..." she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, "henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose..." Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

The Millennium Trilogy ($3.70 / £2.29 UK), by Stieg Larsson , is the first Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $29.99, so a better deal is to start with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo at $1.99 and pick up the other two volumes, later).

Book Description
Together in ebook for the very first time, discover the novels millions of readers worldwide could not put down:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned by the powerful Vanger clan. Her uncle employs disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist and tattooed hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders, they begin to unravel a dark family history…

The Girl Who Played With Fire
Lisbeth Salander is now a wanted woman, on the run from the police. Mikael Blomkvist, editor-in-chief of Millennium magazine, is trying to prove her innocence. Yet Salander is more avenging angel than helpless victim. She may be an expert at staying out of sight – but she has ways of tracking down her most elusive enemies.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest
Salander is plotting her final revenge – against the man who tried to kill her, and against the government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. With the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his researchers at Millennium magazine, Salander is ready to fight to the end.

A Taste for Death ($1.60 / £0.99 UK), by P. D. James, is the second Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (the US edition is $11.99).

Book Description
When the quiet Little Vestry of St. Matthew's Church becomes the blood-soaked scene of a double murder, Scotland Yard Commander Adam Dalgliesh faces an intriguing conundrum: How did an upper-crust Minister come to lie, slit throat to slit throat, next to a neighborhood derelict of the lowest order? Challenged with the investigation of a crime that appears to have endless motives, Dalgliesh explores the sinister web spun around a half-burnt diary and a violet-eyed widow who is pregnant and full of malice--all the while hoping to fill the gap of logic that joined these two disparate men in bright red death. . . .

Thrill! ($1.63 / £0.99 UK), by Jackie Collins, is the third Kindle Deal of the day for those in the UK (no US Kindle edition; Audible).

Book Description
From chic New York and the exclusive Hamptons to the hungry heart of L.A., this high-suspense tale pulses with deadly obsessions and relentless desires in the seemingly perfect world of a gorgeous film actress.

She could have any man - but the one she can't resist is a mysterious lover with a shadowed past. As their jolting affair skyrockets with electric passion, shocking secrets break through their hidden traps - in a brilliantly twisting story that sparks with the explosive Jackie Collins touch

Caught ($2.99 Kindle, B&N), by Harlan Coben, is the Nook Daily Find, price matched on Kindle.

Book Description
Reporter Wendy Tynes is making a name for herself, bringing down sexual offenders on nationally televised sting operations. But when social worker Dan Mercer walks into her trap, Wendy gets thrown into a story more complicated than she could ever imagine. Dan is tied to the disappearance of a seventeen-year-old New Jersey girl, and the shocking consequences will have Wendy doubting her instincts about the motives of the people around her, while confronting the true nature of guilt, grief, and her own capacity for forgiveness.…

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is two wonderful recent classics for young readers--Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) and Chris Van Allsburg's The Polar Express --are just $2.99 each.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends -- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena -- Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

Grade Level: 5 and up

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg.

Since its publication in 1985, Chris Van Allsburg’s holiday classic has sold millions of copies and has come to signify the essential spirit of Christmas for countless readers. Now, after more than twenty-five celebrated years of publication, the Caldecott Award-winning The Polar Express is available as a read-aloud e-book, featuring dramatic audio of the timeless tale as read by Liam Neeson. Readers young and old are sure to treasure this inspiring book, which brings to life the magic of Christmas for all who believe.

Age Level: 5 and up

Bargain Roundup

Just a reminder that you only have until 12/26 to pick out your $1 book from the AmazonLocal Deal. There is a new AmazonLocal deal for those that shop at Starbucks: a $10 gift card for $10, that also gets you a 20% discount on all purchases thru the end of the year (even after you've used up the gift card balance).

Here are a few late, Christmas Eve bargains I ran across. Over at Kobo, they've started their Boxing Week specials and they don't really care that those in the US don't normally celebrate the event - we get to take advantage of some prices up to 80% off thru December 31, along with those of other countries (those in Canada have the same sale pages as those in the US). There are a number of books in the $2-$3 range that you may want to investigate, such as The Art of Racing in the Rain or Outlaw Platoon. Those in the UK, AU, NZ have a 50% off sale on Bestsellers and then AU and NZ get a one Boxing Week sale, with a second for the UK and AU. You can also try using coupon code BOXINGDAY50, which should work for 50% off one non-Agency book.

11/22/63 ($3.99), by Stephen King; if you don't already have, you should grab it at this price, which works out to under a 1/2 cent per page (it's 866 pages in print, not to mention over 2-1/2 lbs. in weight).

Book Description
On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? Stephen King’s heart-stoppingly dramatic new novel is about a man who travels back in time to prevent the JFK assassination—a thousand page tour de force.

Following his massively successful novel Under the Dome, King sweeps readers back in time to another moment—a real life moment—when everything went wrong: the JFK assassination. And he introduces readers to a character who has the power to change the course of history.

Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program. He receives an essay from one of the students—a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk.

Not much later, Jake’s friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane—and insanely possible—mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life – a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.

A tribute to a simpler era and a devastating exercise in escalating suspense, 11/22/63 is Stephen King at his epic best.

The G-Free Diet ($2.99 Kindle, Kobo), by Elisabeth Hasselbeck

Book Description
For years, Elisabeth Hasselbeck couldn't figure out what was making her sick. She asked doctors and consulted nutritionists, but no one seemed to have any answers. It wasn't until spending time in the Australian Outback, living off the land on the grueling Survivor TV show, that, ironically, her symptoms vanished. Returning home, she pinpointed the food that made her sick -- gluten, the binding element in wheat. By simply eliminating it from her diet, she was able to enjoy a completely normal, healthy life. But that wasn't all. Hasselbeck discovered the myriad benefits that anyone can enjoy from a gluten-free diet: from weight loss and increased energy to even the alleviation of the conditions of autism.

In this all-inclusive book, Hasselbeck shares her hard-earned wisdom on living life without gluten and loving it. She gives you everything you need to know to start living a gluten-free life, from defining gluten - where to find it, how to read food labels - to targeting gluten-free products, creating G-Free shopping lists, sharing recipes, and managing G-Free living with family and friends.

Download the free companion app Eating Out G-Free (iPhone).

Two To Mango ($1.99) is the sequel to Jill Marie Landis' Mai Tai One On, which is free this week.

Book Description
Forget the grass skirts. Some of the Island's top hula dancers are pushing up daisies.Everyone at Em Johnson’s famous North Shore Kauai hang-out, The Tiki Goddess Bar, knows that the bar’s irrepressible Hula Maidens take their hula dancing seriously. So when famed hula instructors from a rival dance troop start dropping like over-ripe passion fruit, Em and the Hula Maidens go undercover at the Kukui Nut Festival Hula Competition to uncover the killer. Em is once again up to her okole in danger and mystery, not to mention the seductive challenge of working with hunky detective Roland Sharpe, who moonlights as one of the island’s sexiest fire dancers. The hula is lively, the luau is smoking, the mai tais are delicious, and a killer is looking to get away with murder in paradise. Praise for Book One of The Tiki Goddess Mysteries "Fun, charming and full of atmosphere, Mai Tai One On is a delightful beginning to what promises to be a terrific mystery series."Susan Mallery, New York Times Bestselling AuthorJILL MARIE LANDIS has written over twenty-five novels, which have earned awards and slots on such national bestseller lists as the USA TODAY Top 50 and the New York Times Best Sellers Plus. She is a seven-time finalist for Romance Writers of America's RITA Award in both Single Title and Contemporary Romance as well as a Golden Heart and RITA Award winner. She's written historical and contemporary romance as well as inspirational historical romance, and she is now penning The Tiki Goddess Mystery Series, which began with MAI TAI ONE ON.

Royal Pain ($4.99 Kindle, B&N), by Megan Mulry

Book Description
A life of royalty seems so attractive...until you're invited to live it...

Smart, ambitious, and career driven, Bronte Talbot started following British royalty in the gossip mags only to annoy her intellectual father. But her fascination has turned into a not-so-secret guilty pleasure. When she starts dating a charming British doctoral student, she teases him unmercifully about the latest scandals of his royal countrymen, only to find out—to her horror!!—that she's been having a fling with the nineteenth Duke of Northrop, and now he wants to make her...a duchess?

In spite of her frivolous passion for all things royal, Bronte isn't at all sure she wants the reality. Is becoming royalty every American woman's secret dream, or is it a nightmare of disapproving dowagers, paparazzi, stiff-upper-lip tea parties, and over-the-top hats?

SEALed with a Kiss ($0.99), by Mary Margret Daughtridge

Book Description
He can handle just about anything, except this...

Jax Graham is a member of an elite military team, but when it comes to taking care of his four-year-old son after his ex-wife dies, he's completely clueless.

One person can help him, if he'll let her...

Family therapist Pickett Sessoms knows just how to help a rough, tough Navy SEAL deal with a scared and lonely little boy, but not if he insists on going it alone.

When Jax and his young son Tyler get trapped by a hurricane, Pickett takes them in against her better judgment. Jax figures Pickett's high maintenance, just like all the women he knows, and she figures he's not commitment material. But when an outing turns deadly, Pickett discovers what it means to be a SEAL, and Jax discovers that even a hero needs help sometimes...

The Book of Tomorrow: A Novel ($1.99), by Cecelia Ahern, author of the New York Times bestseller P.S. I Love You ($4.61).

Book Description
Born into the lap of luxury and comfortable in the here and now, spoiled, tempestuous Tamara Goodwin has never had to look to the future—until the abrupt death of her father leaves her and her mother a mountain of debt and forces them to move in with Tamara's peculiar aunt and uncle in a tiny countryside village.

Tamara is lonely and bored, with a traveling library as her only diversion. There she finds a large leather-bound book with a gold clasp and padlock, but no author name or title. Intrigued, she pries open the lock, and what she finds inside takes her breath away.

Tamara sees entries written in her own handwriting, and dated for the following day. When the next day unfolds exactly as recorded, Tamara realizes she may have found a solution to her problems. But in her quest to find answers, Tamara soon learns that some pages are better left unturned and that, try as she may, she mustn't interfere with fate.

The Gift ($2.99) is a second bargain by Cecelia Ahern.

Book Description
Extremely successful executive, Lou Suffern is always overstretched, immune to the holiday spirit that delights everyone around him. The classic workaholic who never has a moment to spare, he is always multitasking while shortchanging his devoted wife and their adorable children. And ever since he started competing for a big promotion, he has barely seen his family at all.

One frigid morning in an uncharacteristic burst of generosity, he buys a cup of coffee for Gabe, a homeless man huddled outside his office building. Inspired by his own unexpected act of kindness, Lou decides to prolong his charitable streak and contrives to get Gabe a job in his company's mailroom. But when Gabe begins to meddle in Lou's life, the helping hand appears to be a serious mistake. Gabe seems to know more about Lou than Lou does about himself, and, perhaps more disturbingly, Gabe always seems to be in two places at once.

With Lou's personal and professional fates at important crossroads and Christmas looming, Gabe resorts to some unorthodox methods to show his stubborn patron what truly matters and how precious the gift of time is. But can he help him fix what's broken before it's too late?

The Christmas Pearl ($2.99), by Dorothea Benton Frank

Book Description
Still spry at ninety-three, Theodora has lived long enough to see her family grow into an insufferable bunch of truculent knuckleheads. Having finally gathered the whole bickering brood together for the holidays at her South Carolina home, the grand matriarch pines wistfully for those extravagant, homey Christmases of her childhood. How she misses the tables groaning with home-cooked goodies, the over-the-top decorations, those long, lovely fireside chats with Pearl, her grandmother's beloved housekeeper and closest confidante. These days, where is the love and the joy . . . and the peace?

But this is, after all, a magical time. Someone very special has heard Theodora's plea—and is about to arrive at her door with pockets full of Gullah magic and enough common sense to transform this Christmas into the miracle it's truly meant to be.

Any Given Christmas: A Sugar Shack Novel ($0.99), by Candis Terry

Book Description
Dean Silverthorne’s mother may be dead, but she still has matchmaking to do.

When an injury dashes NFL Quarterback Dean Silverthorne's Super Bowl dreams, he heads back to Deer Lick, Montana with a chip on his wounded shoulder, more determined than ever to get back in the game. He loves his kooky family, but this trip home is going to be a very brief Christmas visit.

His game plan doesn't include an instant attraction to Emma Hart, a feisty kindergarten teacher who seems to be the only person in Deer Lick not interested in the hometown hero. Or his dearly departed mom popping up with mistletoe in hand and meddling on the mind. Now Dean can't help but wonder if there’s more to love than life between the goal posts.