UK Kindle Daily Deal 6/21

The Pumpkin Man (£0.99 UK), by John Everson [47North], is the Kindle Deal of the Day for those in the UK (the US edition is $3.99).

Book Description
After her father's gruesome murder, Jenn needed a place to get away from it all with some friends, to take her mind off her sorrow. The empty seaside cottage she inherited seemed perfect. Jenn didn't know that the cottage held arcane secrets, mysteries long hidden and best left alone. She didn't realize until it was too late that the old books and Ouija board she found there really do hold great power. And it was only after her friend's headless body was discovered that she knew the legend of the local bogeyman was no mere legend at all. An evil has been unleashed, a terrifying figure previously only spoken of in whispers. But now the whispers will become screams. Beware...The Pumpkin Man.

The Kindle Romance Deal of the day for those in the UK is three Western Romance novels from Mills & Boon for £0.99 each (~80% off).

Midnight Rider (Main/UK), by Diana Palmer (US edition $8.13)

Diana Palmer delivers a tale of two unlikely lovers in turn-of-the-century Texas who are about to find love where they least expect it...

Count Eduardo Cortes’s fortune—and future at his beloved ranch—is in question. Tragedy, money woes and family pressure are now driving him toward a marriage of convenience. That is, until he encounters Bernadette Barron, wandering frightened and disheveled after a society ball….

Beneath the grime, it’s clear Bernadette is beautiful and rich. But is she just another heartbreak waiting to happen or has Eduardo finally found the one woman who can save his ranch and heal his heart? The Spanish count can provide Bernadette with the title she needs—but can he return her feelings? Gazing into her husband’s penetrating eyes, Bernadette sees not only his calculating ways but also his quick arousal to passion.

Will their growing desire be enough to overcome the mounting challenges they face…and claim the love she will not be denied?

Big Sky Mountain (Main/UK), by Linda Lael Miller (US edition $4.74)

The "First Lady of the West," #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller, brings you to Parable, Montana—where love awaits.

With his rugged good looks, vast wealth and family name, hell-raiser Hutch Carmody is still the golden boy of Parable, Montana. But he’s done some growing up—making peace with his illegitimate half-brother and inheriting half of Whisper Creek Ranch, which should have been all his. These days, Hutch knows there are some things money can’t buy: like the heart of loving, ladylike divorcee Kendra Shepherd.

Kendra’s quiet mansion reminds her of what she wants most—a devoted husband and the pitter-patter of little feet. She can’t get Hutch Carmody out of her mind, but a rough-and-tumble cowboy like Hutch, coming home for family dinner? Seems crazy! Then again, crazier dreams have become reality under the vast Montana sky.

Untameable (Main/UK), by Diana Palmer and Linda Lael Miller (no US edition)

Let Diana Palmer and Linda Lael Miller take you to the dusky plains of Texas – where the men are real men and love stories are built to last!

Former Navy Seal Jon Blackhawk wasn’t afraid of anything, even a psychotic killer. Until his assistant, Joceline, and her precious son came under threat. He’d lay his life on the line to keep them safe, but is he ready for the ultimate job of husband and father?

Tate McKettrick’s a powerful rancher and capable single dad, but he’s been immune to a woman’s love since his ex-wife walked out. Now high-school sweetheart Libby’s back in town and needs his help. She might also be the only girl who can find a way into the cowboy’s guarded heart… Have these alpha males met their match?

Books for a Buck (continued)

A few more ideas from the HarperCollins 99 cent sale. I'll be back later on with some other bargains I've turned up...

Science Fiction:

• Artifact, by Gregory Benford
• Metaplanetary, by Tony Daniel
• Superluminal: Metaplanetary #2, by Tony Daniel
• The X-Files: Antibodies, by Kevin J. Anderson
• The X-Files: Ground Zero, by Kevin J. Anderson
• Year's Best SF, edited by David G. Hartwell
• Year's Best SF 2, edited by David G. Hartwell
• Year's Best SF 3, edited by David G. Hartwell
• Year's Best SF 4, edited by David G. Hartwell
• Year's Best SF 5, edited by David G. Hartwell
• Year's Best SF 6, edited by David G. Hartwell
• Year's Best SF 7, edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer
• Year's Best SF 8, edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer
• Year's Best SF 9, edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer
• Year's Best SF 11, edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer

Fantasy:

• Legacy: The Sharing Knife #2, by Lois McMaster Bujold
• Acorna, by Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball
• The One Kingdom: The Swan's War Trilogy #1, by Sean Russell
• The Isle of Battle: The Swan's War Trilogy #2, by Sean Russell
• The Shadow Roads: The Swan's War Trilogy #3, by Sean Russell
• The Family Tree, by Sheri S. Tepper
• The Visitor, by Sheri S. Tepper
• The Fresco, by Sheri S. Tepper
• Singer from the Sea, by Sheri S. Tepper
• Spiral Hunt: Evie Scelan #1, by Margaret Ronald
• The Amber Wizard: The Osserian Saga #1, by David Forbes
• Year's Best Fantasy, edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer
• Year's Best Fantasy 2, edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer
• Year's Best Fantasy 3, edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer
• Year's Best Fantasy 4, edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer
• Year's Best Fantasy 5, edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer

Mystery/Suspense/Thrillers:

• Bitter Sugar (Lupe Solano Mysteries), by Carolina Garcia-Aguilera
• SOAR: A Black Ops Mission, by John Weisman
• The Death of an Irish Politician: A Peter Mcgarr Mystery #1, by Bartholomew Gill
• The Death of an Irish Consul: A Peter Mcgarr Mystery #2, by Bartholomew Gill
• The Death of an Irish Lass: A Peter Mcgarr Mystery #3, by Bartholomew Gill
• The Death of a Joyce Scholar: A Peter Mcgarr Mystery #8, by Bartholomew Gill
• The Death of Love: A Peter Mcgarr Mystery #9, by Bartholomew Gill
• The Death of an Irish Sea Wolf: A Peter Mcgarr Mystery #12, by Bartholomew Gill
• Death of an Irish Tinker: A Peter Mcgarr Mystery #13, by Bartholomew Gill
• Death of an Irish Lover: An Peter Mcgarr Mystery #14, by Bartholomew Gill
• The Death of an Irish Sinner: A Peter Mcgarr Mystery #15, by Bartholomew Gill
• Whirlwind, by oseph Garber

Non-Fiction:

• The Code of Man, by Waller R. Newell
• The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 1, by C.S. Lewis
• The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3, by C.S. Lewis
• Learning To Love: Exploring Solitude and Freedom, by Thomas Merton
• Entering the Silence: Becoming a Monk and a Writer, by Thomas Merton
• Bistros of Paris, by Robert Hamburger and Barbara Hamburger
• Spirit of Service, by HarperCollins Publishers (daily reading format)
• Duty First: A Year in the Life of West Point, by Ed Ruggero
• Bingsop's Fables: Little Morals for Big Business, by Stanley Bing and Steve Brodner
• Business Is Combat: A Fighter Pilot's guide to Winning in Modern Warfare, by James D. Murphy
• Financial Security in Troubled Times, by Ric Edelman
• SAFE: Science and Technology in the Age of Terrorism, by Martha Baer, Katrina Heron, Oliver Morton and Evan Ratliff
• Inside Gitmo, by Gordon Cucullu

Two Free Audiobooks - Once & Letter from Birmingham Jail

It's time for this week's free audiobooks from Sync. I've linked in the info from the ebook or audiobook version of each title (Amazon has the best reviews), followed by the link to get your copies free, with directions to ensure you get the complete download.

Start off with Once ($6.76 Kindle; $16.95 Audible), the first novel in the series by Morris Gleitzman, read by Morris Gleitzman.

Book Description
Felix, a Jewish boy in Poland in 1942, is hiding from the Nazis in a Catholic orphanage. The only problem is that he doesn't know anything about the war, and thinks he's only in the orphanage while his parents travel and try to salvage their bookselling business. And when he thinks his parents are in danger, Felix sets off to warn them--straight into the heart of Nazi-occupied Poland.

To Felix, everything is a story: Why did he get a whole carrot in his soup? It must be sign that his parents are coming to get him. Why are the Nazis burning books? They must be foreign librarians sent to clean out the orphanage's outdated library. But as Felix's journey gets increasingly dangerous, he begins to see horrors that not even stories can explain.

Despite his grim suroundings, Felix never loses hope. Morris Gleitzman takes a painful subject and expertly turns it into a story filled with love, friendship, and even humor.

Letter from Birmingham Jail ($4.95 Audible), by Martin Luther King, narrated by Dion Graham, is the second selection for this week. There are a couple of editions to choose from on Kindle ($2.99+), for those that like to read as they listen.

Book Description
April 16th, the year is 1963. Birmingham, Alabama, has had a spring of nonviolent protests known as the Birmingham Campaign, seeking to draw attention to the segregation against blacks by the city government and downtown retailers. The organizers longed to create a nonviolent tension so severe that the powers that be would be forced to address the rampant racism head on. Recently arrested was Martin Luther King, Jr....

It is there in that jail cell that he writes this letter; on the margins of a newspaper he pens this defense of nonviolence against segregation. His accusers, though many, in this case were not the white racist leaders or retailers he protested against, but eight black men who saw him as "other" and as too extreme. To them and to the world he defended the notion that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere".

Click HERE to get the free downloads (you'll need to enter your name and an email address. You'll end up clicking about three pages (for each book), before the audiobook actually downloads. Don't stop so long as you still see a button that talks about your Sync download (or until you see the Overdrive software open up; there is a link at Sync, if you don't already have Overdrive installed).

Once in Overdrive, you'll need to tell it where to save the files (just click OK to use the default location, since Overdrive will keep track of them for you), then again to actually start the download (by default, all parts of the book are downloaded; I would suggest not changing this in the last dialog box, just click on OK to get the download started). Make sure your audiobook is fully downloaded before the end of the week, as once the promo period is over, you won't be able to get them free.

You can't get any titles that have been missed, but once they are loaded into Overdrive (which you will need to install, if you are not already using it for library books), they are yours to keep (there is no expiration date).

Daily Deal - Serpent's Kiss (E)

Serpent's Kiss: A Witches of East End Novel ($23.99 $11.99 Kindle), by Melissa de la Cruz [Hyperion/HarperCollins], is today's Deal of the Day at at Diesel E-Books, where it's discounted to $4.80 (9 copies left).

Book Description
The intriguing Beauchamp family, introduced in the New York Times bestselling Witches of East End, returns in Serpent's Kiss, with dizzying plot twists and spellbinding magic.

Joanna and her daughters, bookish Ingrid and wild-child Freya, are just settling into the newfound peace that has been cast over their small, off-the map town of North Hampton. With the centuries-old restriction against practicing magic lifted, casting spells, mixing potions, and curing troubled souls has never felt so good for the three witches. That is, until everything gets turned upside down--from Joanna's organized kitchen to Ingrid's previously nonexistent love life to Freya's once unshakeable faith in her sexy soul mate, Killian Gardiner.

When Freya's twin brother, Freddie, suddenly returns, escaped from Limbo and professing innocence on a long-ago crime, Freya should be ecstatic. The golden boy can do no wrong. Or can he? Freddie blames no other than her fiancÉ Killian for his downfall, and enlists Freya's help to prove it. Now Freya doesn't know who to believe or trust.

And for the first time in--well, forever, really--Ingrid is also busy in love. Matt Noble, the handsome and charming police detective, has won her heart. But can romance work between a virgin witch and a mortal who doesn't believe in magic? Things get even more complicated when it appears Ingrid is harboring the prime suspects in Matt's police investigation.

To add to the chaos, a dead spirit is attempting to make contact with Joanna--but does it mean to bring harm or help? Joanna asks her sort-of ex-husband Norman to help figure it out, only to accidentally invite him to a Thanksgiving dinner with a dapper gentleman she's recently begun dating.

As the witches pull together to discover the serpent within their midst and the culprit behind Freddie's imprisonment, everything is thrown into peril. Will the discovery come too late to save those they love most?

Melissa de la Cruz weaves all this and more in a blockbuster sequel that is not to be missed by her fans, and one that is sure to enchant new readers of the series.

Get the book from Diesel; be sure to check the sales price, as the Deal of the Day often sells out. Deals change at 11AM Eastern Time, USA.

Kindle Daily Deals 6/20

This week's Software Deals at Amazon are 50% off Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus 2013 and Antivirus 2013, as well as 38% off Rosetta Stone language courses.

Amazon's Android Free App of the Day is Combat Mission : Touch. (usually $5).

Today's Kindle Teen Daily Deal is Stolen Away ($1.99), a YA stand-alone novel by Alyxandra Harvey [Walker Childrens].

Book Description
When a cute guy dressed like a Victorian pirate kneels in front of Eloise the day after her seventeenth birthday, she knows that something strange is going on-and that's before he vows to be her champion and mentions her flaky aunt, Antonia, who's gone incommunicado once again. But this appearance isn't a coincidence, and when Eloise is attacked and pushed into an alternate world called Faery, she becomes embroiled in the underground politics of this world. Her captor is Lord Strahan, the ruler of Faery who is desperately clinging to his throne and will do anything to keep it. The only one who can break his power is his wife, Eloise's aunt Antonia-and Eloise has become his bargaining chip. Now Eloise must find a way to save her aunt from Lord Strahan, and she'll need the help of her best friends Jo and Devin, along with the other Fae captives of Strahan's hall, including his son, Eldric. With a whole world of Faeries out to get her, Eloise must stop Strahan both worlds are thrust into complete chaos.

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is The Empty Chair ($0.99), the third Lincoln Rhyme novel by Jeffery Deaver [Simon and Schuster]. You can't go wrong at this price and I'm upgrading the sample on my Kindle today.

Book Description
Lincoln Rhyme is back...

From the bestselling author of The Bone Collector and The Devil's Teardrop comes this spine-chilling new thriller that pits renowned criminalist Lincoln Rhyme against the ultimate opponent -- Amelia Sachs, his own brilliant protégée.

A quadriplegic since a beam crushed his spinal cord years ago, Rhyme is desperate to improve his condition and goes to the University of North Carolina Medical Center for high-risk experimental surgery. But he and Sachs have hardly settled in when the local authorities come calling. In a twenty-four-hour period, the sleepy Southern outpost of Tanner's Corner has seen a local teen murdered and two young women abducted. And Rhyme and Sachs are the best chance to find the girls alive.

The prime suspect is a strange teenaged truant known as the Insect Boy, so nicknamed for his disturbing obsession with bugs. Rhyme agrees to find the boy while awaiting his operation. Rhyme's unsurpassed analytical skills and stellar forensic experience, combined with Sachs's exceptional detective legwork, soon snare the perp. But even Rhyme can't anticipate that Sachs will disagree with his crime analysis and that her vehemence will put her in the swampland, harboring the very suspect whom Rhyme considers a ruthless killer. So ensues Rhyme's greatest challenge -- facing the criminalist whom he has taught everything he knows in a battle of wits, forensics, and intuition. And in this adversary, Rhyme also faces his best friend and soul mate.

With the intricate forensic detail, breathtaking speed, and masterful plot twists that are signature Deaver, The Empty Chair is page-turning suspense of the highest order, destined to continue Jeffery Deaver's bestselling track record and thrill his legions of fans worldwide.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is Daniel's Desire ($0.99), a novella by Callie Hutton [Crimson Romance].

Book Description
When Confederate soldier Lt. Daniel McCoy makes his escape from a Union prison toward the end of the Civil War, his only thought is to get as far away from enemy territory as possible. But he doesn’t count on saving young widow Rosemarie Wilson’s life.

Rosemarie has no use for Rebels soldiers, having lost everything, including her husband, the last time they came to her home. However, Daniel has not only saved her life, but is sticking around to help with the farm and her three children until she recovers.

With Union soldiers searching for him, every day Daniel remains puts him in danger. Or is the beautiful widow who has captured his heart the greater risk?

Sensuality Level: Behind Closed Doors

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is Heart of Iron ($1.99), the second novel in the London Steampunk series by Bec McMaster [Sourcebooks Casablanca]. With any luck, you have the first, Kiss of Steel, in your libraries, either from when it was on sale at the first of the year or featured as a Daily Deal a couple of months ago. That gives us two to read before My Lady Quicksilver comes out in October.

Book Description
In the mist-shrouded streets of London's dreaded Whitechapel district, werewolves, vampires, and a clockwork army are one step away from battle...

No One to Trust
Dangerous. Unpredictable. That's how people know the hulking Will Carver. And those who don't like pretty words just call him The Beast. No matter how hard Will works to suppress his werewulfen side, certain things drive him beyond all control. And saucy Miss Lena Todd tops the list.

Lena makes the perfect spy against the ruling Echelon blue bloods. No one suspects that under the appearance of flirtatious debutante lies a heart of iron. Not even the ruthless Will Carver, the one man she can't wrap around her finger and the one man whose kiss she can never forget. He's supposed to be protecting her, but he might just be her biggest threat yet...

Nook Daily Find 6/20

A Series of Unfortunate Events Collection, Books 1-3 with Bonus Material ($15.29 Kindle, $2.99 B&N), by Lemony Snicket [HarperCollins], is the Nook Daily Find; this is likely to be price matched on Kindle later today. It's a very good price for those who missed the big pricing snafu a couple of years ago, which saw most of the series titles posted as free, very briefly.

Book Description
Lemony Snicket’s unhappy tale of the unlucky Baudelaire siblings begins with The Bad Beginning. In this short bothersome book alone, the three orphans encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.

Should you not mind deadly serpents, slippery salamanders, lumpy beds, large brass reading lamps, long knives, and terrible odors, then proceed with caution to the second book in the miserable series, The Reptile Room.

Readers unbothered by inclement weather, hungry leeches, and cold cucumber soup will want to continue with the third installment, The Wide Window. Others will not.

If you’ve got the stomach to wade through the first three tragic tales in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, then this troubling collection might be the one for you. Several loathsome extras, including a compilation of unsettling quotations and a very disturbing portrait, await those who successfully complete the wretched journey. You’ve been warned!

Age Level: 8 and up

UK Kindle Daily Deal 6/20

Diamonds are for Marriage (£0.99 UK), a Diamond Brides anthology by Margaret Way, Trish Wylie and Jennie Adam [Mills & Boon], is the Kindle Deal of the Day for for Romance Fans in the UK (no US edition).

Book Description
The Australian’s Society Bride
Leona has known Boyd, the most eligible bachelor in Australia, since she was a child. He is so out of her league that she hides behind a wall of indifference. Until the kiss that sets tongues wagging and gives Boyd the means he’s been waiting for to make the redhead his…

Manhattan Boss, Diamond Proposal
Manhattan boss Quinn doesn’t believe in love. But since Quinn hired Clare O’Connor, he has less control over his heart. His route to romance has always been easy. But now a real gem is involved. He has to tread softly. And if he does, the way will be paved with diamonds…

Australian Boss: Diamond Ring
Fiona Donner breezed into Brent MacKay’s office with her sunny smile and bouncy enthusiasm – and promptly turned his ordered world topsyturvy. She may be the woman to finally release Brent’s fears – and uncover the secret he’s lived with his whole life…

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

An Exquisite Sense of What is Beautiful (Main/UK), by J David Simons (no US edition)

An eminent British writer returns to the resort hotel in the Japanese mountains where he once spent a beautiful, snowed-in winter. It was there he fell in love and wrote his best-selling novel, The Waterwheel, accusing America of being in denial about the horrific aftermath of the Tokyo firebombings and the nuclear destruction at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As we learn more about his earlier life, however – as a student in Bloomsbury, involved with a famous American painter – we realise that he too is in denial, trying to escape the past events that are now rapidly catching up with him. An Exquisite Sense of What is Beautiful is a sweeping novel of East and West, love and war, truth and delusion. Featuring richly drawn characters and a narrative that perfectly builds the tension up to the explosive climax, this book has all the hallmarks of a modern classic.

Mr g: A Novel About the Creation (Main/UK), by Alan Lightman (US edition $11.99)

With echoes of Calvino, Rushdie, and Saramago, this is a stunningly imaginative work that celebrates the tragic and joyous nature of existence on the grandest possible scale.

'As I remember, I had just woken up from a nap when I decided to create the universe.'

So begins Alan Lightman's playful and profound new novel, Mr g, the story of Creation as narrated by God. Bored with living in the shimmering Void with his bickering Uncle Deva and Aunt Penelope, Mr g creates time, space, and matter-then moves on to stars, planets, consciousness, and finally intelligent beings with moral dilemmas.

But even the best-laid plans can go awry, and Mr g discovers that with his creation of space and time come unforeseen consequences - especially in the form of the mysterious Belhor, a clever and devious rival. An intellectual equal to Mr g, Belhor delights in provocation: he demands an explanation for the inexplicable, requests that intelligent creatures not be subject to rational laws, and maintains the necessity of evil. As Mr g watches his favourite universe grow into maturity, he begins to understand how the act of creation can change the Creator himself.

The Woman Who Walked into the Sea (Main/UK), by Mark Douglas-Home (US edition $8.79)

Cal McGill watches the young woman through the dirty windscreen of his Toyota. There’s something compelling about her stillness, about the length of time she has been standing square-shouldered, erect, staring out to sea, like an Antony Gormley statue waiting for another of its cast-iron tribe to emerge from the deep. What has brought her to this remote beach, he asks himself. Is she a kindred spirit who finds refuge by the shore? Idle curiosity soon turns into another investigation for oceanographer and loner McGill as he embarks on a quest to discover why, 26 years earlier, another young woman stood on the same beach before walking into the waves. According to the police, she killed herself and her unborn baby. McGill, the Sea Detective, questions this version of events and confronts the jealousies, tensions and threats of a coastal community determined to hold on to its secrets.

Daily Deal - The Book Club (E)

The Book Club ($9.99 $7.69 Kindle), by Mary Alice Monroe [Harlequin Mira], is today's Deal of the Day at at Diesel E-Books, where it's discounted to $1.60 (8 copies left).

Book Description
On the surface, it is a monthly book club. But for five women, it is so much more. For Eve Porter, whose husband's sudden death cheats her of every security she had planned on, the club is a place of sanctuary. For Annie Blake, a brilliant attorney intent on starting a family late in life, it is the chance to finally let down her guard and dream of other possibilities. For Doris Bridges, it is her support group as she acknowledges her dying marriage and finds the ultimate freedom in her husband's betrayal. For Gabriella Rivera, the "perfect" wife, mother and friend who offers support to everyone but is afraid to ask for it herself, it is a sense of community. And for Midge Kirsch, an artist who has always lived her life against the grain, it is a haven of acceptance.

They are five women from different walks of life, embracing the challenge of change. And as they share their hopes and fears and triumphs, they will hold fast to the true magic of the book club—friendship.

Get the book from Diesel; be sure to check the sales price, as the Deal of the Day often sells out. Deals change at 11AM Eastern Time, USA.

Kindle Daily Deals 6/19

Today on Amazon's Gold Box deal, save an extra $31 on a Goal Zero 19010 Guide 10 Plus Solar Charging Kit.

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is Blood Red Horse ($1.99), by K. M. Grant [Walker Childrens].

Book Description
You need three things to become a brave and noble knight: A warhorse. A fair maiden. A just cause. Will has a horse-a small chestnut stallion with a white blaze in his brow. Ellie is a fair maiden, but she's supposed to marry Will's older brother, Gavin. And as for the cause, King Richard is calling for a Crusade. The Knights of England must go to the Holy Land to fight. Will and Gavin will go. Blood will be shed. Lives will be taken. But through it all, two things will be constant-Ellie, and a blood-red horse called Hosanna. . . .

Age Level: 10 and up

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is 4:50 from Paddington ($1.99), a Miss Marple Mystery by Agatha Christie [HarperCollins].

Book Description
For an instant the two trains ran side by side. In that frozen moment, Elspeth McGillicuddy stared helplessly out of her carriage window as a man tightened his grip around a woman's throat. The body crumpled. Then the other train drew away. But who, apart from Mrs. McGillicuddy's friend Jane Marple, would take her story seriously? After all, there are no other witnesses, no suspects, and no case -- for there is no corpse, and no one is missing. Miss Marple asks her highly efficient and intelligent young friend Lucy Eyelesbarrow to infiltrate the Crackenthorpe family, who seem to be at the heart of the mystery, and help unmask a murderer.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is The Abolitionist's Secret ($0.99), by Becky Lower [Crimson Romance].

Book Description
In 1856 New York, Heather Fitzpatrick, a bashful abolitionist, falls for young Army lieutenant David Whitman, who is tracking a runaway slave - the very slave she and her parents rescued from the hands of the slavemongers a few nights earlier.

Despite their divergent views on slavery, romance ensues when David dances with Heather at the Cotillion Ball and later that night, walks her home. An engagement quickly follows. When he receives word that his father is ailing, David wants her to accompany him home to Savannah to meet his family.

Heather wants to make the trip with him, especially since his father’s death seems imminent. With her maid as chaperone, they board the train heading South. After his father passes, his mother insists any marriage will have to wait the requisite year, which is proper for mourning. She hopes to send Heather home for the year, and to use the time to dissuade David from his foolish choice, especially since his mother has already handpicked his potential bride from a neighboring plantation.

Heather longs to stay to wait out the year, and to begin teaching the slaves how to read and write, since she knows those accomplishments will be needed when slavery comes to an end.

But she knows the South is no place for an abolitionist.

Sensuality Level: Sensual

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is 2082: The Chronicles of Hope ($0.99), by Robert Breeze [indie/"Palace Park Press" publicist].

Book Description
Frank Noon divides opinion. Whilst some say he’s a philosophical genius, some say he’s a fanciful dreamer who deliberately courts controversy with his anti-establishment views about the failings of modern society.

Seemingly nearing the end of his life in politics, he reluctantly fronts an experimental inter-galactic government project late in the 21st century aimed at making life on an overpopulated Earth more sustainable. As he battles to gain control of a relative asylum, consisting of a cross section of the populous as much at odds with themselves as the situation, he unwittingly embarks on a life-changing journey of self-discovery.

As they learn more about the project and its intentions how far-reaching might the consequences be for the future of humanity?

Nook Daily Find 6/19

Hiking Through: One Man's Journey to Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail ($9.39 Kindle, $1.99 B&N), by Paul Stutzman [Revell], is the Nook Daily Find, which I'd definitely be watching to buy later today, if I hadn't picked it up the last time it was on sale.

Book Description
After Paul Stutzman lost his wife to breast cancer, he sensed a tug on his heart--the call to a challenge, the call to pursue a dream. Paul left his stable career, traveled to Georgia, and took his first steps on the Appalachian Trail. What he learned during the next four and a half months changed his life--and will change readers' lives as well.

In Hiking Through, readers will join Paul on his remarkable 2,176-mile hike through fourteen states in search of peace and a renewed sense of purpose, meeting fascinating and funny people along the way. They'll discover that every choice we make along the path has consequences for the journey and will come away with a new understanding of God's grace and guidance. Nature-lovers, armchair adventurers, and those grieving a loss may not be able to hike the AT themselves, but they can go on this spiritual pilgrimage with a truly humble and sympathetic guide.

UK Kindle Daily Deal 6/19

Love Rules (£0.99 UK), by Freya North [HarperCollins], is the Kindle Deal of the Day for those in the UK (no US edition).

Book Description
An intelligent, sexy novel about best friends, about settling down and about throwing it all away…

When you fall in love do you follow your heart or use your head?

Thea Luckmore believes in love – the magic spark of true, old-fashioned, romantic love. She's determined only ever to fall head over heels, or rather, heart over head.

Alice Heggarty, her best friend, is always falling in lust – with dashing rogues who invariably break her heart. As yet another disastrous relationship ends, Alice makes a decision. It's time to marry and she knows just the man.

For Thea, Saul Mundy promises to be the perfect fit and Thea finds herself falling in love and loving it.

But though newly wed Alice encourages Thea to settle down and conform, she finds that she's not as keen as she thought on playing by the rules. Alice starts to break them left, right and centre… At the same time, Thea's world, in which love reigns supreme, is shaken to core.

When it comes to love, should you listen to your head, your heart, or your best friend?

Royal's Bride (£0.99 UK), by Kat Martin [Mills & Boon], is the Kindle Deal of the Day for for Romance in the UK (the US edition is $6.15).

Book Description
Forced to choose between his soulmate and his salvation!

After years abroad, Royal has returned to Bransford Castle to find his father dying and the family treasury almost empty. Guilt-ridden, Royal makes the old Duke a rash promise: to marry heiress Jocelyn Caulfield and restore the estate to its former glory. Unhappily, Royal’s fiancée leaves him cold… It’s her beautiful cousin Lily Moran who quickens his pulse!

Penniless Lily knows that nothing can come of their undeniable attraction – but there is a way she can help. Enlisting some questionable characters from her past, she concocts an elaborate ruse to recover some of the Bransford fortune. As the dangerous scheme unfolds, Lily and Royal are thrown together in pursuit of the very thing – money – that keeps them apart…

Bargain Book Roundup

Some of these are also on sale at B&N and Kobo, but links below are generally for Amazon.

Death of a Kitchen Diva ($1.99 Kindle, Kobo), the first novel in the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series by Lee Hollis [Kensington Books]

Book Description
Welcome to Bar Harbor, Maine, one of New England's most idyllic coastal towns. But as new food writer Hayley Powell is about to find out, the occasional murder can take a bite out of seaside bliss. . .

Single mom Hayley Powell is barely keeping her leaking roof over her head when her boss at the Island Times gives her a new assignment--taking over the paper's food column. Hayley's not sure she has the chops--she's an office manager, not a writer, even if her friends clamor for her mouth-watering potluck dishes. But the extra income is tempting, and Hayley's chatty first column is suddenly on everyone's menu--with one exception.

When rival food writer Karen Appelbaum is found face-down dead in a bowl of Hayley's creamy clam chowder, all signs point to Hayley. To clear her name, she'll have to enlist some help, including her BFFs, a perpetually pregnant lobster woman, and a glamorous real estate agent. As she whips up a list of suspects, Hayley discovers a juicy secret about the victim--and finds herself in a dangerous mix with a cold-blooded killer.

Includes seven delectable recipes from Hayley's kitchen!

Garfield...Recipes with Cattitude! ($0.99 Kindle), by Gooseberry Patch (free recipe for Meatball Pizza Pockets on the product page).

Book Description

Gooseberry Patch and Garfield the cat... it's a match made in food heaven! The first new Garfield cookbook in ten years, Garfield...Recipes with Cattitude! is packed with over 230 yummy recipes near and dear to Garfield's tummy. Gooseberry Patch fans will love this fun new twist on the quick & easy recipes they've come to expect. Garfield collectors will love the strips and quips by Jim Davis, while the simple recipes will entice even inexperienced cooks.

Garfield...Recipes with Cattitude! delivers heaps of homestyle flavor and Garfield's humor adds tons of fun to each page. Readers will love Cheesy Scramblin' Pizza for breakfast. Happy Burgers, Baked Chili Fries and Jim's Spicy Deviled Eggs (from Davis himself!) are on the lunch menu. Spicy Honey Chicken Wings and Crispy Bacon Bread Sticks are perfect for snacking and sharing.

At dinner, they'll love Bow-Tie Lasagna, Creamy Salmon Manicotti, and Meatball Pizza Pockets just as much as Garfield does. Even a bachelor like Garfield's owner, Jon Arbuckle, can make Incredibly Easy Pot Roast and Spicy Roasted Potatoes with these simple-to-follow recipes. Of course, it isn't dinner without dessert, so treat yourself to Caramel Apple Pie.

Chapters include: Breakfast Is Served...Time to Get Up!; First Lunch, Then a Catnap; Snack Attack!; Lotsa Lasagna, Pasta & Pizza; It's Dinner Time...Now!; and Dinner is Over, What's for Dessert? There are plenty of Garfield gags and illustrations, plus easy cooking tips and simple substitutions... the kind of advice Gooseberry Patch fans have come to love.

Wild About You ($2.99 Kindle), the twelfth novel in the Love at Stake series by Kerrelyn Sparks [Avon/HarperCollins]; the next in the series, The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo, can now be pre-ordered.

Book Description
New York Times bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks pens the next installment in her witty Love at Stake series, featuring a band of vampires and shape-shifters—and those who dare to defy them, or desire them! In Wild about You, a warrior on a mission of revenge encounters the woman who may just be the key to his survival. Too bad the beauty who could save him is also the last woman he should fall in love with. If you love paranormal romances by Lynsay Sands, Katie MacAlister, and Mary Janice Davidson, you'll love Kerrelyn Sparks.

Vampires Gone Wild ($2.99 Kindle), by Kerrelyn Sparks, Pamela Palmer, Amanda Arista, and Kim Falconer [Avon Impulse]

Book Description
Vampires Gone Wild brings together four paranormal romance novellas by Kerrelyn Sparks, Pamela Palmer, Amanda Arista, and Kim Falconer, authors and bloggers at Supernatural Underground.

Kerrelyn Sparks's demure Pamela and sexy vampire sidekick battle the Malcontents in "V is for Vampwoman." Kim Falconer's aqueous San Francisco vampires in "Blood and Water" want nothing from "landers" -- unless it's dinner, but that's until Stellan meets Angelina. Pamela Palmer carries readers to Vamp City in "A Forever Love" where trapped Lukas pines for his lost love. When she appears, Lukas will fight to keep her alive. It's been a hundred years since Valiance has dated; all is great until they're attacked, but quiet Esme will shock Valiance in Amanda Arista's "First Dates Are from Hell."

The Forbidden Lady ($1.99 Kindle), by Kerrelyn Sparks [Avon Impulse], originally published under the title FOR LOVE OR COUNTRY (and long out of print).

Book Description
Before New York Times bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks created a world of vampires, there was another world of spies and romance . . .

Virginia Munro could not believe her ears. This bewigged, bejeweled, and bedeviling man was trying to buy her? As if she were some trollop on the Boston docks?

Before she's fully able to give in to her outrage, the fop moves on—and Virginia refuses to spare him another thought.

But Quincy Stanton is not what he seems. By day, he poses as a carefree Loyalist with an army of wigs and a wardrobe that favors lavender. By night, he wages a secret war against the British with an impressive collection of eighteenth-century spy gadgets. If anyone were to discover the truth, Quincy would hang, yet he can't seem to stay away from the lovely and saucy Virginia. Will their attraction lead to love . . . or danger?

Under a Vampire Moon and Immortal Ever After ($2.99 Kindle), the sixteenth and eighteenth novels in the Argeneau Family series by Lynsay Sands [Avon]; the next in the series, One Lucky Vampire, can now be pre-ordered for Sept. delivery.

Under a Vampire Moon

Lynsay Sands, the nationally bestselling author of the Argeneau/Rogue Hunter vampire series, is one of the superstars of paranormal romance. Her latest Argeneau novel, Under a Vampire Moon, features a recently single, romantically-wary mortal who encounters a gorgeous vampire male waiting for her on a pristine Caribbean beach. Under a Vampire Moon is a treat for fans of Charlaine Harris and her Sookie Stackhouse novels—for anyone, in fact, who appreciates a good island romance between a hot blooded human and a love-hungry immortal.

Immortal Ever After

New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands enthralls with Immortal Ever After, the latest entry in her sizzling paranormal vampire series featuring the wickedly alluring Argeneau family.

When Valerie is saved by the Argenau rescue team after being kidnapped by an immortal madman, Anders finds himself captivated by the strong, sultry woman. Engaged in a steamy affair, he promises to do everything in his power to protect Valerie while her abductor is still at large—and on the hunt.

Sexy, fun, and full of passion, Lynsay Sands’s Immortal Ever After delivers a tantalizing adventure and a smoldering romance.

Heartsong ($2.99 Kindle), Debbie Macomber's first published novel [Ballantine Books; reprint edition].

Book Description
One of beloved author Debbie Macomber’s classic novels, a heartwarming story of hope and possibility, is available for the first time in decades—and exclusively as an eBook.

Skye Garvin treasures her work as a volunteer in the pediatric ward of the local hospital. Bringing even a small amount of joy to a suffering child—whether through her playful attitude or her gift for music—is a blessing that Skye cherishes. But due to overcrowding, her favorite young patient’s new roommate is an adult—a man who catches Skye completely off guard. Despite his gruff exterior, Skye is compelled to help the unnerving man. But the old scars of personal tragedy—and a fundamental difference of faith—might undermine Skye’s chances at a happy ending.

Jordan Kiley can’t imagine anything more frustrating than his current situation. A car accident has left him confined to a hospital bed, his arm painfully pinned in traction. He can’t even feed himself. But when he first lays eyes on the beautiful volunteer, he knows there are far greater challenges awaiting him. Astutely, he senses that Skye’s sparkling wit hides a heart that has been unbearably broken. And Jordan has deep secrets of his own. Can he convince Skye that she is worthy of love—and earn her heart in the process?

BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Debbie Macomber's Rose Harbor in Bloom.

Daily Deal - Stalking the Others

Stalking the Others ($6.99 $5.38 Kindle), the fourth novel in the H & W Investigations mystery series by Jess Haines [Kensington/Zebra], is today's Deal of the Day at at Diesel E-Books, where it's discounted to $1.40 (10 copies left).

At Amazon, though, you can pick up the Jess Haines Bundle: Hunted By The Others, Taken By The Others, Deceived By The Others, Stalking The Others for $9.99, saving $11 off the bundle's list price and letting you start the series in order (if only I didn't already have some of the titles in my library...). If you already have the first four (or grab the bundle), you just have time for a marathon of reading before Forsaken By the Others is released July 2.

Book Description
Vampires, werewolves, mages--the Others are very real, and wreaking havoc in Shiarra Waynest's life. But now, she's returning the favor. . .

Once, she was one of the good guys--or as close as a New York P.I. can get. Then Shiarra Waynest was drawn into the world of the Others. Every faction has its own loyalties and agenda. And Shia's recent betrayal by her ex-boyfriend means that she may be on the verge of becoming a rogue werewolf at the next full moon. . .

Of course, with all the threats against her, Shia's not sure she'll live long enough to find out. The enigmatic vampire Royce wants her back in his clutches, as do two powerful werewolf packs, along with the police. Instead of going into hiding, Shia is enlisting the aid of her enchanted hunter's belt and every dirty P.I. trick she knows. If she's going down, she'll take out as many of her enemies as she can--and hope that in the process, she keeps whatever humanity she has left. . .

Get the book from Diesel; be sure to check the sales price, as the Deal of the Day often sells out. Deals change at 11AM Eastern Time, USA.

Kindle Daily Deals 6/18

The HarperCollins 99 cent sale is still going on. I did see some of the titles on sale at B&N, but didn't find any easy way to create a link to isolate the sale items from the regularly 99 cent short stories, there.

Kobo is having another trivia contest for coupons: Summer Blockbuster Trivia (get up to a 75% off coupon).

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

• 30 Kindle Books for $1 Each

Today's Kindle Kids Daily Deal is Splashing by the Shore: Beach Activities for Kids ($0.99), by Lisa Mullarkey [Gibbs Smith].

Book Description
Why does the ocean have salt in it?
Do you know what a tide pool is?
Where does sand come from?
In Splashing by the Shore, you'll discover how to have fun in and out of the water, and, with tips on good beach etiquette and how to be sun savvy, you'll be ready to play games all day at the lake or on the coastal shore.
Land-lovers will also learn how to throw a beach party at home any time of the year and will find tips on low-cost decorations, invitation ideas, games, and party foods and favors.
So grab your shades, slather on the sunscreen, and let's hit the beach!

Today's Kindle Daily Deal is Stalin's Ghost ($1.99), the sixth Arkady Renko novel by Martin Cruz Smith [Simon and Schuster].

Book Description
Investigator Arkady Renko, the pariah of the Moscow prosecutor's office, has been assigned the thankless job of investigating a new phenomenon: late-night subway riders report seeing the ghost of Joseph Stalin on the platform of the Chistye Prudy Metro station. The illusion seems part political hocus-pocus and also part wishful thinking, for among many Russians Stalin is again popular; the bloody dictator can boast a two-to-one approval rating. Decidedly better than that of Renko, whose lover, Eva, has left him for Detective Nikolai Isakov, a charismatic veteran of the civil war in Chechnya, a hero of the far right and, Renko suspects, a killer for hire. The cases entwine, and Renko's quests become a personal inquiry fueled by jealousy.

The investigation leads to the fields of Tver outside of Moscow, where once a million soldiers fought. There, amidst the detritus, Renko must confront the ghost of his own father, a favorite general of Stalin's. In these barren fields, patriots and shady entrepreneurs -- the Red Diggers and Black Diggers -- collect the bones, weapons and personal effects of slain World War II soldiers, and find that even among the dead there are surprises.

Today's Kindle Romance Daily Deal is Once Upon a Prince ($1.99), by Rachel Hauck [Zondervan/HarperCollins].

Book Description
Once Upon a Prince, the first novel in the Royal Wedding series by best-selling author Rachel Hauck, treats you to a modern-day fairy tale.

Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess---just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn't going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life.

The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simons Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family's tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna's aid under the fabled Lover's Oak, he is blindsided by love.

Their lives are worlds apart. He's a royal prince. She's an ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel's coronation.

It's the ultimate choice: His kingdom or her heart? God's will or their own?

Today's Kindle SciFi/Fantasy Daily Deal is A Fall of Moondust ($1.99), by Arthur C. Clarke [RosettaBooks]. It doesn't appear that this one has been discounted previously, as it wasn't (yet) in my library.

Book Description
A lunar cruise ends in disaster after a moonquake sinks the cruiser Selene beneath a sea of liquid-fine lunar dust on the Moon’s Sea of Thirst. Facing enormous environmental barriers, the rescue team finds their courage, ingenuity, and resources tested to the breaking point—as trapped passengers and crew slowly run out of time.

Originally published in 1961, A Fall of Moondust was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Novel, and was the first science fiction tale chosen as a Reader’s Digest Condensed Book. Informed by the most current scientific knowledge of the time, A Fall of Moondust is a realistically conceived and gripping story of human resourcefulness and triumph in the face of nearly insurmountable challenges.

Nook Daily Find 6/18

The Color of Hope ($8.79 Kindle, $2.99 B&N), by Kim Tate [Thomas Nelson], is the Nook Daily Find.

Book Description
Hope shines brightest when all seems lost.

Stephanie London led a life of comfort and ease in St. Louis before feeling inexplicably drawn back to her father’s roots in the tiny Southern town of Hope Springs. Charlotte Willoughby has lived there all her life and longs to make a new life somewhere else. Stephanie doesn’t know exactly what she’s doing there—or how to occupy her time. And Charlotte doesn’t understand why, despite her overbearing family and reminders of her failed engagement, she’s suddenly led to stay.

Despite its small-town charm, Hope Springs itself is at a crossroads. After a failed reconciliation attempt by two well-meaning pastors, the town is split along racial and cultural lines, with little hope for redemption.

When a terrible tragedy puts Hope Springs on the national radar, the entire town is tested, and both Stephanie and Charlotte feel their lives unraveling. In the midst of heartache, though, they’ll discover the true color of hope . . .

UK Kindle Daily Deal 6/18

Advent (£0.99 UK), by James Treadwell [Hodder], is the Kindle Deal of the Day for those in the UK (the US edition is $10.38).

Book Description
A drowning, a magician’s curse, and a centuries-old secret.

1537. A man hurries through city streets in a gathering snowstorm, clutching a box in one hand. He is Johann Faust, the greatest magician of his age. The box he carries contains a mirror safeguarding a portion of his soul and a small ring containing all the magic in the world. Together, they comprise something unimaginably dangerous.

London, the present day. Fifteen-year-old Gavin Stokes is boarding a train to the countryside to live with his aunt. His school and his parents can’t cope with him and the things he sees, things they tell him don’t really exist. At Pendurra, Gavin finds people who are like him, who see things too. They all make the same strange claim: magic exists, it’s leaking back into our world, and it’s bringing something terrible with it.

First in an astonishingly imaginative fantasy trilogy, Advent describes how magic was lost to humanity, and how a fifteen-year-old boy discovers that its return is his inheritance. It begins in a world recognizably our own, and ends an extraordinarily long way from where it started—somewhere much bigger, stranger, and richer.

A Mother's Wish (£0.99 UK), by Debbie Macomber [MIRA], is the Kindle Deal of the Day for for Romance Fans in the UK (no US edition).

Book Description
Finding a soul-mate for a mother who deserves to be loved! Meg’s teenage daughter, Lindsey, had the nerve to place a personal ad on her behalf – ‘Wanted: Perfect Partner. I’m dating-shy, divorced and seeking a man with marriage in mind.’ Worse, Steve Conlan, who answered the ad, was perfect, according to Lindsey. Did a teenage matchmaker get it right? Robin Masterton’s young son, Jeff, thinks he needs a dog more than anything in the world. And there just happens to be one next door! But the friendly black Lab belongs to Cole Camden, the unfriendliest man in the neighbourhood. Still, Jeff persists – and ropes his mum in as the persuader. Perhaps there’s a chance he’ll have a dog, and a dad in time for Father’s Day… Make time for friends. Make time for Debbie Macomber.

Books for a Buck, Part 2

More selection from the HarperCollins 99 cent sale. Although it's getting late and I don't have room to list them, there are also a number of very good Science Fiction and Fantasy titles on the sale.

The Bone Chamber, the second novel in the Sydney Fitzpatrick series by Robin Burcell

Book Description
“A very talented writer” (Lee Child), who is “smart, tough, and right on the mark” (Catherine Coulter), and “among the best writers of crime fiction” (Jan Burke), Anthony Award-winning author Robin Burcell broadens her canvas with The Bone Chamber—an electrifying thriller that recalls the best of James Rollins and Dan Brown as it races across the globe. An extraordinary adventure that combines C.S.I. forensic investigation with global conspiracy and ancient secrets of the Vatican and the Knights Templar, The Bone Chamber is a non-stop thrill ride that never slows down.

To Have and to Kill, the first Piper Donovan/Wedding Cake Mysteries novel by Mary Jane Clark

Book Description
New York Times bestselling author and mystery writer par excellence, Mary Jane Clark kicks off her delicious new Wedding Cake mystery series with To Have and To Kill. A tasty departure from her thrillers featuring KEY News television anchor Eliza Blake (Dying for Mercy, It Only Takes a Moment), To Have and To Kill introduces readers to actress-turned-wedding cake decorator Piper Donovan, who discovers that the heat in the pastry kitchen can be hotter—and deadlier—that she ever imagined…and that her creative new enterprise is anything but a piece of cake. Foodies and fans of cable TV’s Amazing Wedding Cakes, as well as Faye Kellerman, Jayne Anne Krentz, and Diana Mott Davidson readers are going to eat this one up!

Guys & Dogs by Elaine Fox (one of several of her titles in the sale)

Book Description
A GUY VS. A DOG

One of them is affectionate, loving, and eternally loyal –– a companion for life who lives only to make you happy...

Small–town veterinarian Megan Rose doesn't usually wake up next to strangers. But this morning she finds one sleeping in her bed. Unfortunately, "Baywatch" a stray puppy, doesn't belong at the address on her tags, either: the mansion of Sutter Foley, millionaire software mogul and six fabulous feet of gorgeous, eligible male.

Sutter doesn't even like dogs. He does, however, like the sexy, spunky vet who's trying to saddle him with a pooch. The animal magnetism they share is intense, but so is the spotlight in which Sutter lives. Can Megan stand the heat? Though her outspoken ways make a lot of waves in Sutter's goldfish–bowl world, he's never enjoyed life so much. Could she be the trustworthy companion he's been looking for . . . or should he stick with the dog?

It's the old story: girl meets dog . . . girl and dog meet guy . . . guy loses girl, gets dog . . . Or will there be a frisky new twist to this puppy's tale?

Cold Granite, Dying Light and Broken Skin, the first three Logan McRae novels by Stuart MacBride (several more in the series are on sale under $4).

Cold Granite

Stuart MacBride’s Number One bestselling crime series opens with this award-winning debut. DS Logan McRae and the police in Aberdeen hunt a child killer who stalks the frozen streets.

Winter in Aberdeen: murder, mayhem and terrible weather…

It’s DS Logan McRae’s first day back on the job after a year off on the sick, and it couldn’t get much worse. Three-year-old David Reid’s body is discovered in a ditch, strangled, mutilated and a long time dead. And he’s only the first. There’s a serial killer stalking the Granite City and the local media are baying for blood.

Soon the dead are piling up in the morgue almost as fast as the snow on the streets, and Logan knows time is running out. More children are going missing. More are going to die. And if Logan isn’t careful, he could end up joining them…

Dying Light

The Number One bestselling detective series from the award-winning Stuart MacBride continues in this second crime thriller. It’s summertime in Scotland: the sun is shining, the sky is blue and people are dying…

She’s just the first. How many more will die?

It starts with Rosie Williams, a prostitute, stripped naked and beaten to death down by the docks – the heart of Aberdeen’s red light district. For DS Logan McRae it’s a bad start to another bad day.

Rosie won’t be the only one making an unscheduled trip to the morgue. Across the city six people are burning to death in a petrol-soaked squat, the doors and windows screwed shut from the outside. And despite Logan’s best efforts, it’s not long before another prostitute turns up on the slab…

An unputdownable serial killer tale packed with mystery and suspense, as well as Stuart MacBride’s distinctive grittiness and dark humour.

Broken Skin

In this third DS Logan McRae thriller, The Granite City’s seedy side is about to be exposed…

A crime of passion, or cold-hearted murder?

A serial rapist is leaving a string of tortured women behind him, but while DS Logan McRae’s girlfriend, PC Jackie ‘Ball Breaker’ Watson, is out acting as bait, he’s trying to identify a blood-drenched body dumped outside Accident and Emergency.

Logan’s investigations suggest someone in the local bondage community has developed a taste for violent death, and he soon finds himself dragged into the twilight world of pornographers, sex-shops and S&M.

Meanwhile, the prime suspect in the rape case turns out to be Aberdeen Football Club’s star striker, and he has an alibi for every attack. Logan thinks they’ve got it horribly wrong, but can he get anyone to listen before the real rapist strikes again? Especially as Jackie is convinced the footballer’s guilty and she’s hell-bent on a conviction at any cost.

Plant Seed, Pull Weed by Geri Larkin

Book Description
Gardens have often been used as metaphors for spiritual nurturing and growth. Zen rock gardens, monastery rose gardens, even your grandmother's vegetable garden all have been described as places of refuge and reflection. Drawing on her experience working at Seattle's premier gardening center, Zen teacher Geri Larkin shows how the act of gardening can help you uncover your inner creativity, enthusiasm, vigilance, and joy. As your garden grows, so will your spirit.

Larkin takes you through the steps of planning, planting, nurturing, and maintaining a garden while offering funny stories and inspiring lessons on what plants can teach us about our lives. As soothing as a bowl of homemade vegetable soup, Plant Seed, Pull Weed will entertain, charm, and inspire you to get your hands dirty and dig deep to cultivate your inner self.

Mother of Purl by Edith Eig and Caroline Greeven

Book Description
The category–killing knitting guide from one of the major influences of the back–to–knit movement and the owner of La Knitterie Parisienne, a Hollywood hotspot (her in–store knitting circle has included Debra Messing, Sofia Coppola, Sarah Jessica Parker and Russell Crowe).

Mother of Purl, written in Edith's warm, humorous but no–nonsense voice, allows readers to feel as though she is there knitting alongside them. The book combines clear instructions that Edith has honed over 30 years of teaching with the refined Parisienne styling and sophistication that has drawn the elite of Hollywood and fashion stylists to rely on her. Packed with hundreds of Edith's Secret Tips, dozens of longer–format 'Tips from the Top' and multiple celebrity anecdotes, Mother of Purl will be to knitters what The Joy of Cooking is to chefs. This is an invaluable reference, warm and witty, packed with practical techniques, inspiring projects and the kind of insight that only comes from 30 years of teaching experience.

The Complete Angler: A Connecticut Yankee Follows in the Footsteps of Walton by James Prosek

Book Description
James Prosek has been called "the Audubon of the fishing world" by the New York Times. A passionate fisherman and talented artist from a young age, he published two illustrated books on fish and fishing while still an undergraduate at Yale. After winning a traveling fellowship to follow in the footsteps of Izaak Walton, The Compleat Angler became his obsession. He was fascinated by Walton, a humble man who won the friendship of kings, and he was intrigued by the book's philosophies concerning the timelessness and immortality that could be achieved by fishing. Although Walton was sixty when The Compleat Angler was published and Prosek only twenty when he set off to visit England, they each had traits in common: a love of fishing and an extraordinary ability to make friends.

This is the story of a young man's pilgrimage through England, fishing the waters that are now privately held. Along with wonderful stories about good times, great fishing, and fine eating, this trip becomes an exploration of Waltonian ideals: how to live with humor, wisdom, contentment, and simplicity.

The original watercolors complementing the text are wonderful. Like Walton's book, The Complete Angler is not about fishing but about life. Or rather, it is about fishing—but fishing is life.

The Geese of Beaver Bog by Bernd Heinrich

Book Description
When award-winning writer and biologist Bernd Heinrich became the unwitting -- but doting -- foster parent of an adorable gosling named Peep, he was drawn into her world. And so, with a scientist's training and a nature lover's boundless enthusiasm, he set out to understand the travails and triumphs of the Canada geese living in the beaver bog adjacent to his home. In The Geese of Beaver Bog, Heinrich takes his readers through mud, icy waters, and overgrown sedge hummocks to unravel the mysteries behind heated battles, suspicious nest raids, jealous outbursts, and more. With deft insight and infectious good humor, he sheds light on how geese live and why they behave as they do. Far from staid or predictable, the lives of geese are packed with adventure and full of surprises. Illustrated throughout with Heinrich's trademark sketches and featuring beautiful four-color photographs, The Geese of Beaver Bog is part love story, part science experiment, and wholly delightful.

The Fire Inside: Firefighters Talk About Their Lives by Steve Delsohn

Book Description
In the tradition of Mark Baker's Cops, more than 100 top firefighters describe the highs and lows of the world's most dangerous profession.

Fascinating and packed with emotion,The Fire Inside is a unique look at the unseen world of firefighters who risk their lives for strangers every day In their own words, these male and female heroes vividly describe how they cope with scorching flame, injuries, earthquakes, hazardous waste, and wildfire-and the rewards that keep them climbing back on the fire truck.

The Autobiography of Mark Twain by Charles Neider

Book Description
Due to copyright restrictions, this eBook may not contain all of the images available in the print edition.

"Mark Twain's autobiography is a classic of American letters, to be ranked with the autobiographies of Benjamin Franklin and Henry Adams.... It has the marks of greatness in it--style, scope, imagination, laughter, tragedy." --From the Introduction by Charles Neider

Mark Twain was a figure larger than fife: massive in talent, eruptive in temperament, unpredictable in his actions. He crafted stories of heroism, adventure, tragedy, and comedy that reflected the changing America of the time, and he tells his own story--which includes sixteen pages of photos--with the same flair he brought to his fiction. Writing this autobiography on his deathbed, Twain vowed to he "free and frank and unembarrassed" in the recounting of his life and his experiences.

Twain was more than a match for the expanding America of riverboats, gold rushes, and the vast westward movement, which provided the material for his novels and which served to inspire this beloved and uniquely American autobiography.

Walk Two Moons, a Newbery Trophy winner by Sharon Creech

Book Description
"How about a story? Spin us a yarn."
Instantly, Phoebe Winterbottom came to mind. "I could tell you an extensively strange story," I warned.
"Oh, good!" Gram said. "Delicious!"
And that is how I happened to tell them about Phoebe, her disappearing mother, and the lunatic.

As Sal entertains her grandparents with Phoebe's outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold--the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother.

In her own award-winning style, Sharon Creech intricately weaves together two tales, one funny, one bittersweet, to create a heartwarming, compelling, and utterly moving story of love, loss, and the complexity of human emotion.

Raise the Barre by Richard Giorla and Laurel House

Book Description
A comprehensive guide to the hottest new fitness program in the country-Cardio Barre-a dance-based workout that combines cardio, strength training and stretching, in one fast-paced, fat-burning, body-lengthening session. With a full nutrition program as well, you'll see life-changing results in only eight weeks.

While yoga, pilates, aerobics and weightlifting are all successful, popular fitness routines, each one of them is missing something that the others offer. And with our hectic lives that leave little time for sleep, let alone hours of daily exercise, the Cardio Barre workout is the perfect combination of cardio, strength training and stretching—achieving multiple desired results from one fast-paced workout.

Richard Giorla is a classically trained dancer who has learned from his decades of training that the key to strength and endurance is developing core muscle—the center of the body must be strong in order to support the other areas of the body. In Cardio Barre, you work from your core—maintaining your balance using a barre, a countertop, a chair, or even your own strength—then repeat low-resistance motions such as plies, arm extensions, and leg flexes. With no kicking, jumping, or punching, this effective and complete workout leaves participants with long, lean muscles, flexibility, and endurance.

With the success of the Cardio Barre workout in LA, where it has gained celebrity adherents and a long waiting list of others, as well as the recent launch of Cardio Barre in New York, this is poised to become the new "it" workout. And unlike past fitness fads, Cardio Barre sets realistic goals, including following a healthy eating program, and offers the desired results of both cardio health and strength in only eight weeks.