Changes Afoot at Suvudu Free Library?

One of the reasons there have been so many free books, on the Kindle and other eReaders, over the last year has been the Suvudu Free Library. Each month, two or three fantasy or SciFi books were added to the library, each the first in a series and mostly from Del Rey (or one of their other publishing houses). At first, they added the PDF versions to the web page, followed by links for the big ebookstores, as they were marked as free, then holding the announcements until they were free in all the stores (no doubt, to reduce the complaint emails about only having PDF formats available). At first, the books stayed after being placed in the library (if only in PDF format), but now they disappear from the list after a few months, often when they cease being free on Kindle and in the other stores.

This month, though, no new books have been added. Instead, about a week into the month and again this week, they have added short stories, only in PDF format and only available on the Suvudu Free Library page. I haven't tried converting the three that are up so far or viewing them in their native PDF on my Kindle (mostly because I dislike PDF's on any of the small screens, Sony included), but you can currently download these stories:

• John Langan - City of the Dog
• Kelly Meding - The Hoarder
• Kelly Meding - Pride Before Fall

I just hope that this is a one-month changeup in their offerings and that they are not abandoning their earlier strategy of giving away backlisted titles in series or from prolific authors, in order to attract new readers in the new eformats.

Also, if you like Kelly Meding's short stories, you might want to check out Three Days to Dead ($6.39 Kindle), which takes place in the same universe. It doesn't look as though this one will be a series, at least not with the same heroine (but then again, you never know...)

Book Description
They'll never see her coming. . . .

When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab at the morgue--in a stranger's body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there--her troubles are only just beginning. Before that night she and the two other members of her Triad were the city's star bounty hunters, mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three of them their lives but also convinced the city's other Hunters that Evy was a traitor--and she can't even remember what it was.

Now she's a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice--and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days Evy will die again--but this time there's no second chance. . . .

Music - Tina Turner for $2.99

This is yesterday's MP3 Deal of the Day, which I missed seeing until now, but it's still valid (at least, right this minute). Tina!, by Tina Turner, is a best of album, with 18 tracks and 1.25 hours of music. Ike Turner is on a couple of the tracks, but otherwise it's all Tina.

Game of the Day - Big Kahuna Words

Amazon's Video Game of the Day is a 99 cent download of Big Kahuna Words, looks to be a word based variation of Big Kahuna Reef, which is a free download and which I played as much for the screensaver/fish tank as I did for the game itself.

Game Description

• Travel Back To The Islands In 2 Unique Play Modes
• Awesome Coral Reef Screensaver
• Earn Word Creation Rewards
• Dive Into Even More Levels Online.

Travel back to the Islands in this brilliant word game of adventure! Dive between the Hammerhead Sharks and other aquatic life, breaking stone blocks with your words in an explosive twist on puzzle game play. Explore an almost infinite number of underwater realms with the levels online to download and included level editor. Discover the might of the Tiki Totem and earn rewards for your word-creation prowess in either Action or Relaxed play. Download and unearth the journey of a lifetime!

Amazon Kindle DTP goes International

As of today, the Amazon Digital Text Platform, which enables publishing on Kindle, is open to International Authors and no longer restricted to US authors. Non-US authors will have taxes withheld according to US law and IRS guidelines (see below, from the FAQ page), which means at a 30% rate unless you are from a reciprocal filing country, obtain a US taxpayer id and file the proper tax forms with Amazon. Sounds like a lot of hoops to jump thru, but they are the same as any non-US person or business jumps thru in order to do business inside the US (which you are doing, even if the only market for your books in a non-English language are outside the US).

I foresee even longer delays in the DTP process for non-US authors who choose to publish in languages other than English, now that Amazon is insisting on verifying copyright of every listing ahead of time, rather than responding to take-down notices as pretty much everyone else in the digital world has chosen to do. However, the complaint that there are no Portuguese language books for those in Brazil can no be answered by responding that the opportunity is there for those that wish to publish them (although doing so will limit the sales of the book, since English is, for now, the unifying language of those who have purchased a Kindle). Also, although it appears that any source language may be published (although the announcement actually only mentioned English, German and French, surely they mean to support Spanish or variants thereof, as that's the second most commonly used language in the US and one that's been asked for almost since the introduction of the Kindle and there is nothing on the FAQ or Terms page that specifies any restrictions), for practical purposes it is limited to those using a Roman based alphabet and specifically those using characters in the 'Latin-1' character set.

2-1 What are the sign up requirements?
Anyone can sign up for a Digital Text Platform account; all you need is Internet access and an email account...

2-4 Why do you need a social security number/taxpayer ID for US publishers?
In order to pay US publishers for sales on the Kindle Store, federal law requires us to collect taxpayer information and report sales income to the federal government.


2-5 Is tax withheld for publishers outside the US?
Royalties paid to a foreign entity or person are subject to tax withholding in the U.S. A foreign entity or person is someone who is not a resident or citizen of the U.S. or a green card holder. The general rate of tax withholding is set by U.S. tax rules and regulations and is currently 30% of royalties paid. This withholding tax rate can be reduced if the recipient (you) is a resident in a jurisdiction that has a valid income tax treaty with the U.S. This reduced rate is only available if we receive the appropriate documentation from you. Without this documentation, the 30% withholding tax rate will apply. This documentation is either Form W-8BEN or Form W-8ECI issued by the Internal Revenue Service and includes a valid U.S. tax-payer identification number (obtained by filing Form W-7 or SS4). For more information on these forms and instructions and description of which form may be appropriate for you, please refer to the Internal Revenue Service website at www.irs.gov. We are required to receive a new form from you every three years. If you are eligible for reducing your tax withholdings, please contact us with the appropriate forms.

Free Game - Word Monaco

You can get a free copy of Word Monaco ($6.99 Amazon Game Downloads) directly from Sandlot Games this week.

Game Description

• A Unique Word Solitaire.
• 50,000+ Entries In A Massive Word List.
• 5 Decks From Easy To Champion.
• 75 Progressively Challenging Levels.

Welcome to Word Monaco! Relax under the warm sun of the Mediterranean and play a unique blend of word-creation and solitaire. Create words by moving letters from column to column and use power-ups for bonus points. When all of the letters are used, you'll move on to the next of 75 progressively difficult levels in 6 different locations! With a word list of over 50,000+ words and 5 decks of varying difficulty, there are endless possibilities.

Click HERE to sign up for the free download. For step by step purchase and installation instructions, see this post.

Free Book (Smashwords) - Cutting the Cheese

Edward C. Patterson has updated Cutting the Cheese and has set up a coupon to get the book free at Smashwords thru the end of the month, since those who have purchased the book on Kindle or other readers are unable to simply download the latest version. Use coupon code FB57N at checkout.

Be sure to read the descriptionm, to make sure the genre is one you are interested in, before downloading If not, there will be another free book along soon, no doubt.

Book Description
Luke Oliver has just come out of the closet and confronts a brave new world - a meeting of the Gay and Lesbian Activist Association of New Birch and Sipsboro (GLAABS) - your run of the mill, gay political caucus. Run of the Mill? . . . my @$$. Stepping across the threshold of the Otterson estate exposes Luke to horny and hilarious shenanigans that give the Boys in the Band a run for its money.

Update - Flip from Random House Australia

As I reported earlier, Random House in Australia is giving away the EPUB version of book Flip ($9.59 Kindle), by Peter Sheahan, in return for signing up for one of their newsletters. Unfortunately, when they first set up the web page, the links they sent out for download the book didn't work. Once they fixed that (not for a week and after their next newsletter came out announcing the book), the links only generated error messages (various ones, usually that someone else had used the license).

Today it seems they have corrected the problem, as I managed to get the book to download, although it still took a couple of tries, either because my Sony Reader software tried to do the download the first time or because the old .acsm files were still being tried by Adobe Digital Editions. In any case, if you received the links in email before and were unsuccessful, go ahead and try again. You don't need to re-register, but I'm including that link below, for those that didn't do so earlier.

Click HERE to sign up for the free book (EPUB, not Kindle compatible).

Music to Read By

There are a couple of new classical samplers free at Amazon, which can be loaded into the \music directory and played as background music when reading or just for listening at other times - we got the Logitech Squeezebox Internet Radio as a joint gift to each other this past for Christmas and love it. Not only will it play internet stations, but it will connect to (free) software on your PC and play any MP3's you have stored there (by artist, genre or iTunes playlists). Best of all, it uses WiFi, so to move it to a new room only requires picking it up and plugging it back in.

Analekta: Classical Gems is from Groupe Analekta Inc. and focuses on the c.1770-1830 period. Composers included are Beethoven, Handel, Vivaldi, Bach, Rachmaninov, Morricone and Peter Heidrich.

I Love the 80s, Vol. 1 would be a fantastic bargain, even if it were not not free: five hours and good performances and great composers.

• Performers: Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Halasz, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Imrich Szabo, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Gustav Mahler, Stephen Gunzenhauser, Anton Bruckner, Alexander Porfir'yevich Borodin, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Antonin Dvorak, Johannes Brahms, Antoni Wit, Georg Tintner, Camille Saint-Saens, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop
• Composers: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Gustav Mahler, Johannes Brahms, Camille Saint-Saens, Antonin Dvorak, Alexander Porfir'yevich Borodin, Anton Bruckner
• Conductors: Antoni Wit, Michael Halasz, Marin Alsop, Georg Tintner, Stephen Gunzenhauser

Help Victims of the Haiti Earthquake

Amazon has organized a program for giving to the relief effort for the victims of the Haiti earthquake, the Mercy Corps. The links here will take you directly to the Amazon web page to make your donation, so you will be sure that any donations wind up in the proper hands. It's sad to say, but the scam sites are already being set up and scam emails are sure to be flooding our mailboxes soon, as they have with every disaster over the last few years. I would suggest you be wary of any donation efforts on individual web sites and stick with either the larger retailers who have set up donation campaigns for their customers or donate directly to the relief organizations, such as the Red Cross (just be careful to make sure you are on the correct websites and that a smaller organization really is involved; many are, but are government funded or collect in local churches, so may not have web donation efforts).

I've added a link to the Mercy Corps donation page at the top of the menu on the left side of the page and will leave it up as long as Amazon is accepting donations. Thank you for making a donation in this time of great need.

Free Book (EPUB) - And Another Thing . . .

And Another Thing . . . ($9.99 Kindle), by Eoin Colfer, is free at Kobo today, in secure EPUB format or as a web-only read. This is a fairly new release (Nov 09) and, as the cover states, part six of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy.

Book Description
An Englishman's continuing search through space and time for a decent cup of tea . . . Arthur Dent's accidental association with that wholly remarkable book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, has not been entirely without incident. Arthur has traveled the length, breadth, and depth of known, and unknown, space. He has stumbled forward and backward through time. He has been blown up, reassembled, cruelly imprisoned, horribly released, and colorfully insulted more than is strictly necessary. And of course Arthur Dent has comprehensively failed to grasp the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. Arthur has finally made it home to Earth, but that does not mean he has escaped his fate. Arthur's chances of getting his hands on a decent cuppa have evaporated rapidly, along with all the world's oceans. For no sooner has he touched down on the planet Earth than he finds out that it is about to be blown up . . . again.

And Another Thing . . . is the rather unexpected, but very welcome, sixth installment of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. It features a pantheon of unemployed gods, everyone's favorite renegade Galactic President, a lovestruck green alien, an irritating computer, and at least one very large slab of cheese.

Click HERE to get the book free from Kobo.

Impact pre-order $8.87

Yet another delayed ebook release has been discounted. This time, it's Douglas Preston's Impact, which will be released on Kindle on May 4, 2010. The hardcover ($14.97) has already been released, so this one is showing a four month delay.

Book Description
Wyman Ford is tapped for a secret expedition to Cambodia... to locate the source of strangely beautiful gemstones that do not appear to be of this world.A brilliant meteor lights up the Maine coast... and two young women borrow a boat and set out for a distant island to find the impact crater.A scientist at the National Propulsion Facility discovers an inexplicable source of gamma rays in the outer Solar System. He is found decapitated, the data missing.High resolution NASA images reveal an unnatural feature hidden in the depths of a crater on Mars... and it appears to have been activated.Sixty hours and counting.

The Swan Thieves pre-order price drop

The Swan Thieves, by Elizabeth Kostova, is $8.79 as a pre-order and will go back up to $9.99 on the April 12th when it is officially released. Too bad that this is another where the ebook version is being delayed by three months after the hardback. I think publishers will find this strategy backfires and will require more cuts in the ebook price (closer to paperback prices, not the $10 "bestseller and new release" prices they have been getting), as their book loses momentum and visibility after three months.

Book Description
Psychiatrist Andrew Marlowe, devoted to his profession and the painting hobby he loves, has a solitary but ordered life. When renowned painter Robert Oliver attacks a canvas in the National Gallery of Art and becomes his patient, Marlow finds that order destroyed. Desperate to understand the secret that torments the genius, he embarks on a journey that leads him into the lives of the women closest to Oliver and a tragedy at the heart of French Impressionism.

Kostova's masterful new novel travels from American cities to the coast of Normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love. THE SWAN THIEVES is a story of obsession, history's losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope.

Dragon Keeper pre-order $7.99

Robin Hobb's latest novel, Dragon Keeper, is currently available to pre-order on Kindle for $7.99. This is the first book her The Rain Wild Chronicle series and was first published in the UK last year. The Kindle and Hardcover edition ($17.81) are being released simultaneously in the US. Many of you probably picked up her earlier book, Assassin's Apprentice, when it was free early last year.

Book Description
Enter the spellbinding world of dragons . . . and those who tend them One of the most gifted fantasy authors writing today, New York Times bestselling author Robin Hobb has dazzled readers with brilliantly imaginative, emotionally resonant, and compulsively readable tales set in far-flung realms not unlike our own. In this enthralling new novel, she returns to the territory of her beloved Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies with a story of dragons and humans, return and rebirth, and the search for meaning, belonging, and home. For years, the Trader cities valiantly battled their enemies, the Chalcedeans. But they could not have staved off invasion without the powerful dragon Tintaglia. In return, the Traders promised to help her serpents migrate up the Rain Wild River after a long exile at sea-to find a safe haven and, Tintaglia hopes, to restore her species. But too much time has passed, and the newly hatched dragons are damaged and weak, and many die. The few who survive cannot use their wings; earthbound, they are powerless to hunt and vulnerable to human predators willing to kill them for the fabled healing powers of dragon flesh. But Tintaglia has vanished and the Traders are weary of the labor and expense of tending useless dragons. The Trader leadership fears that if it stops providing for the young dragons, the hungry and neglected creatures will rampage-or die along the river's acidic muddy banks. To avert catastrophe, the dragons decree a move even farther up the treacherous river to Kelsingra, their ancient, mythical homeland whose mysterious location is locked deep within the dragons' uncertain ancestral memories. To ensure their safe passage, the Traders recruit a disparate group of young people to care for the damaged creatures and escort them to their new home. Among them is Thymara, an unschooled forest girl of sixteen, and Alise, a wealthy Trader's wife trapped in a loveless marriage, who attaches herself to the expedition as a dragon expert. The two women share a deep kinship with the dragons: Thymara can instinctively communicate with them, and Alise, captivated by their beauty and majesty, has devoted her life to studying them. Embarking on an arduous journey that holds no promise of return, the band of humans and dragons must make their way along the toxic and inhospitable Rain Wild River-an extraordinary odyssey that will teach them lessons about themselves and one another, as they experience hardships, betrayals, and joys beyond their wildest dreams.

Free Screenplay (PDF) - Avatar

I'll assume by now that you've seen James Cameron's Avatar (and for many of you, more than once). If not, call in sick tomorrow and go see it (in 3D; Imax optional, but not 3D). After you have, then pop over to the Fox Screenings web page and grab the free PDF copy of the screenplay.

There are a number of other Avatar related items at Amazon - video games, the Soundtrack, a children's adaptation, The Na'vi Quest for $4.99 and a coffee table book ($17.51), all on the Avatar products page. There isn't anything out on Kindle, and no pre-order for the DVD/BluRay yet (when there is, I'll probably have my order in the first day), so the screenplay will have to hold me over until then.

Game of the Day - Ricochet Infinity

Amazon's Video Game of the Day is a 99 cent download of Ricochet Infinity, which has all five star reviews. This makes the fourth in the Ricochet series that has been on special this year and the third one I've picked up (spending under $3). This one says it is multi-player as well, so I may even try that out.

Game Description

• Over 210 Action-Packed Levels, With 1000's More Online.
• Unlock New Ships, Balls And Ranks.
• Innovative Recall Feature Makes YOU The Master.
• Travel To The Stars...And Beyond.

Ricochet around the Galaxy in this dynamically brilliant breakout action game! Trek across 216 awesome levels, with thousands more online, earning new ranks in the Galactic Tournament, by yourself or with a friend. Play the re-energized Ring Game, winning new balls and ships with unique specialties to give you the edge! Control your ball with the wildly innovative Recall feature...once you've tried it, you can't go back! Travel to the stars and beyond in your glorious quest to become the Ringmaster Grand Champion!

Free Game Download - Tradewinds Legends

You can get a free copy of Tradewinds Legends ($6.99 Amazon Game Downloads) directly from Sandlot Games this week.

Game Description

• Trade And Battle With Legendary Heroes.
• Choose A Character Or Create Your Own
• Hundreds Of Special Items
• 10 Amazing Ports To Visit

Get carried away in this latest installment in the acclaimed Tradewinds Series. Sail, trade and battle with legendary heroes such as Sinbad in the mythical Far East. Enter a world of danger and intrigue as you complete over 100 unique tasks. Build a flotilla of ships armed with weaponry, both man-made and magic. Sail into the sky to discover new ports and engage in aerial combat with other magical sky ships. Encounter a world of legend, play Tradewinds Legends today!

To get the free game, follow these steps:

1) If you don't have an account at Sandlot Games, create one first (click on Create Account in the banner of the next step or click HERE now). You could do this during the check out process, but if you do, you'll have to start the checkout all over again. The email address you enter will be used both for sending your activation code (which you'll need later) and to send you a newsletter (you can opt out) with future offers.

2) Click HERE for the offer and then on Get It Free! to add it to your cart. Click on Begin Checkout.

3) You'll see a screen asking about a CD backup of your game - be sure to check off "No Back-up CD" , so that the default $7.99 charge is removed from your cart - at this point you should see a zero balance in the cart. Once you do (and not before), click on Continue Checkout and then on Complete Order.

4) Your invoice will be displayed, confirming the zero billing. Scroll midway down and click on Download to get your game installation file (be sure to save it somewhere that you can find it later, and back it up in case you need it again later on - I don't know that you can redownload directly from Sandlot, as you can with Amazon).

5) Install and run the game. You'll be asked for an activation code - that should have arrived via email. If you are using GMAIL (as I do), be sure to check your Spam folder online - that's where my confirmation landed and I had to tell it that it wasn't spam (they apparently use a secondary server for sending out these codes, which triggered some of the spam settings at gmail). You'll be able to play the game for 60 minutes before you need to enter the activation code, but it's easy enough to go ahead and do so the first time you play the game - just click on "Already Purchased" (below the Buy Now button) and enter the code in the box provided and click on Unlock Game.

B1G1F on Kindle: Leighton Gage

Through February 5, 2010, buy the latest (Vol 3) in Leighton Gage's Chief Inspector Mario Silva series, Dying Gasp ($9.99), and receive a free download of the first in the series, Blood of the Wicked (normally $9.99). Two books for essentially five dollars each and both books have very good reviews. Of course, that does leave the middle book of the series, Buried Strangers, to be purchased, currently at $9.99.

Dying Gasp
The granddaughter of a prominent politician is missing. Silva and his team find her in Manaus, a jungle hellhole on the Amazon where an evil female doctor is making gory snuff films. Silva must overcome his own department's indifference and the corrupt local cops before he can obtain a semblance of justice for the victims.

Blood of the Wicked
In the remote Brazilian town of Cascatas do Pontal, where landless peasants are confronting the owners of vast estates, the bishop arrives by helicopter to consecrate a new church and is assassinated.

Mario Silva, chief inspector for criminal matters of the federal police of Brazil, is dispatched to the interior to find the killer. The pope himself has called Brazil's president; the pressure is on Silva to perform. Assisted by his nephew, Hector Costa, also a federal policeman, Silva must battle the state police and a corrupt judiciary as well as criminals who prey on street kids, the warring factions of the Landless League, the big landowners, and the church itself, in order to solve the initial murder and several brutal killings that follow. Justice is hard to come by. An old priest, a secret liberation theologist, finally metes it out. Here is a Brazil that tourists never encounter.

In case you haven't had your Kindle very long, these Buy One, Get One Free offers from Amazon work a little differently for Kindle books, versus other items. When you one-click to buy the first book, you'll find that the second book shows up both on the same Kindle and in your Media Library. You won't, however, see any mention of it on the invoice you are emailed and you don't see the banner at the top of the product page for the second book to indicate that you have previously purchased it. In all other ways, however, it works just like any other purchased book - you can download it to multiple Kindles, read it on your PC, etc. Just don't accidentally purchase the "free" book of the pair or you'll be paying double on these deals - always look for the banner immediately below the list of other formats available that indicates you are on the correct page to get the free book with purchase.

Three Free Books (PDF) from Harlequin

Harlequin has added a few new titles to their free offerings, however these are currently only available as PDF's from their website.

Passion to Die For ($3.60 Kindle), by Marilyn Pappano

Book Description
Little did Ellie Chase know those would be the last words she ever spoke to her estranged mother. When Martha’s body was found the next morning, all eyes were on Ellie… who couldn’t remember what she’d done that night. So when Tommy Maricci—the man she refused to let herself love— came to her rescue, she couldn’t say no.

Tommy believed in his former girlfriend’s innocence—no matter how damning the evidence against her was. She may have broken his heart, but he took her into his home for protection. Because if Ellie wasn’t the killer, someone had set her up. And Tommy refused to let anyone hurt the woman he loved.

The Italian's Inexperienced Mistress ($3.60 Kindle), by Lynne Graham

Book Description
When Angelo sought revenge Gwenna Hamilton added another delicious dimension. Innocent and pretty, she didn’t stand a chance when the Italian tycoon offered her the devil’s bargain: pay for her father’s freedom with her body.

In her naiveté, Gwenna thought that Angelo would tire of her and her innocence very quickly. But he had more in mind that just one night…

Married by Mistake (out of print), by Abby Gaines

Book Description
Do not adjust you set. That really was Casey Greene being jilted by her fiancé on live TV! And that really was Memphis’s most eligible bachelor who stepped in to marry her instead.

Millionaire businessman Adam Carmichael wanted only to help Casey save face. He isn’t prepared for the news that their “fake” wedding is legal and binding.

While they secretly wait for an annulment, media and family scrutiny forces them to put on their best loving-couple act. Except by now, neither one is quite sure who’s acting….

Click HERE to get the titles from Harlequin - you have to locate the cover in the scrolling bar, click on it, then wait for the book info to display, then click on the PDF button to download.

If you have a nook or Sony reader, you can still get the original free "Harlequin 16" titles in their respective stores (they are no longer free for the Kindle).

More New Year's Fitness Deals at Amazon

First, another group of (paper) magazine subscriptions that you can get for $5/year. Included is Eating Well, Vegetarian Times, Fitness, Yoga Journal and Backpacker Magazine, either as a one-year or automatically renewing subscription (but no info on what the cost would be when it renews). Offer expires January 9, 2010.

The second deal is Today's Goldbox Deal of the day: a number of Fitness DVD Bundles for $19.99 each. It looks as though there is one focused on Yoga, one on Dance, one on Pilates and the last one comes with an Exercise Ball. This one will expire tonight at midnight, PDT.

Amazon Releases Kindle DX with Global Wireless

Amazon has just released the Kindle DX with Global Wireless and it's the the same $489 as the previous version. Unlike the confusion that ensued with the release of the Kindle 6" with Global Wireless, Amazon has immediately marked the US Wireless version of the DX as an obsolete item, pointing you to the newer version and listing only used or refurbished options otherwise. Currently there are no refurbished DX's available and the used units start at $589 (the original Kindle listings are nearly as bad, with the only unit under $200 being one with a cracked screen, which presumably you would then use to try to get a $99 refurbished/replacement Kindle direct from Amazon).

The official shipping date for the newest Kindle is January 19, but orders are being taken now to reserve those earliest units. If the past is any indication, those who pay for overnight shipping will get the ones shipped the very first day, as will perhaps be those who pay for 2nd day shipping. Picking standard or Free SuperSaver shipping will result in a later shipping date (even though you ordered earlier than others than choose the faster shipping method). If you want to be one of those with a bright shiny new toy on Martin Luther King's birthday or any time that week, I'd recommend you pick one of the faster methods. Also, if this is your first Kindle, they ship in clearly marked boxes and it's not the kind of delivery I'd want my postman to leave balanced on top of my mailbox (especially if it is raining).

Free Book (EPUB) - Flip

Random House in Australia has another free EPUB book in return for signing up for one of their newsletters: Flip ($9.59 Kindle), by Peter Sheahan. Again, this one is not Kindle compatible and when I tried to download it, they were having some technical difficulties. Last I heard, they were working on it, but with their time difference from here, I haven't had a chance to check on it again (but will later today).

Book Description
Emphasizing flexible, counterintuitive decision making, Flip calls for a new way of doing business in an economy where conventional wisdom won't get you anywhere

"Business today requires new perspectives" this is how Peter Sheahan, one of the youngest and fastest-rising stars on the international consulting and speaking circuit, begins this essential guidebook for succeeding in the twenty-first century. Sheahan reveals how the world's most effective organizations and individuals distinguish themselves from the competition, instead of running with the pack.

In Flip he uncovers what the superstars of modern business have in common: an ability to "flip" to think counterintuitively and then act boldly, with no regard for "business as usual" conventions. Sheahan explores six major flips:

• Action Creates Clarity -- to move forward you must act in spite of ambiguity. Your action will create the clarity you're looking for.
• To keep pace with rising expectations, you can't just be fast, good, or cheap. Instead you must recognize that Fast, Good, Cheap: Pick Three...Then Add Something Extra has become the new standard in every industry.
• To develop competitive advantage, you must Absolutely, Positively Sweat the Small Stuff.
• To satisfy customers' needs for engagement and contact -- spiritual, emotional, physical -- remember that it's not just business, Business Is Personal.
• To win mass-market success, Find It on the Fringe. The way to separate yourself from the competitive herd is to be courageous and create new market space.
• To Get Control, Give It Up. You cannot command and control customers or the talented staff needed to reach them. Instead you must empower others to create, dream, and believe for you.

Sheahan teaches today's decision makers how to embrace change and successfully operate in an economy that runs on new ideas. Those who take on these lessons will be in position to join other "flipstars" such as Richard Branson, Google, Toyota, Rupert Murdoch, and Apple.

Stick to what you learned in business school at your peril. . . . The small-world economy calls for a new way of doing business. It calls for Flip.

Click HERE to sign up for the free book.

Fictionwise Under a Dollar, Redux

Three more books at Fictionwise that are priced ultra low (below a dollar). Like the books from the earlier post, these are only available in DRM secured formats and are not Kindle compatible. Also, there were some problems with the earlier bargain books, but reports are that most (if not all) of the feeds have been corrected, so you should be able to redownload them and replace the public domain classics that were being downloaded in error. I haven't checked these three, so there may or may not be a similar issue with the feeds at first, but Fictionwise has been very good about fixing any such issues.

The Eternal Prison ($9.35 Paperback), by eff Somers, the third in his Avery Cates Trilogy.

Book Description
Avery Cates is a wanted man. After surviving the worst bioengineered disaster in history, Cates finds himself incarcerated - in Chengara Penitentiary. As Chengara has a survival rate of exactly zero, the system's most famous gunner must do some serious plotting. And a betrayal or so later, he achieves his goal. At a price.

All he has to do now is defeat some new personal demons, forge some unlikely alliances, and figure out why the people he's killed lately just won't stay dead.

Blood Ties ($9.99 Paperback), by Pamela Freeman, the first in the Casting Trilogy, was the one dollar book from Orbit back in November.

Book Description
A thousand years ago, the Eleven Domains were invaded and the original inhabitants forced on the road as Travelers, belonging nowhere, welcomed by no-one.

Now the Domains are governed with an iron fist by the Warlords, but there are wilder elements to the landscape which cannot be controlled and which may prove their undoing. Some are spirits of place, of water and air and fire and earth. Some are greater than these. And some are human.

Bramble: a village girl, whom no-one living can tame ... forced to flee from her home for a crime she did not commit.

Ash: apprentice to a safeguarder, forced to kill for an employer he cannot escape.

Saker: an enchanter, who will not rest until the land is returned to his people.

As their three stories unfold, along with the stories of those whose lives they touch, it becomes clear that they are bound together in ways that not even a stonecaster could foresee - bound by their past, their future, and their blood.

Full Circle ($9.35 Kindle), by Pamela Freeman, is the third in the Casting Trilogy, leaving only the middle book at full price (at least, for now).

Book Description
Saker's ghost army is slaughtering those of the new blood, fueled by an ancient wrong. But while he'd thought revenge would be simple, he's now plagued by voices foreshadowing a calamity beyond his comprehension.

Ash and Bramble raise the warrior spirit of Acton, mighty in life and powerful in death. Only he can stop Saker's rampage. But is Acton, Lord of War, murderer or savior?

And why would he help strangers protect a world he's never known?

Bramble has been marked as Saker's nemesis, but will be challenged by deeper powers than Saker can command - as well as by her own feelings for Acton. As the living fight the dead, strange forces will shape an uncertain future from pain and suffering.

Here are the links at Fictionwise; don't forget to use coupon code JK25 for the extra 25% off (which is still working, as of 2:32 AM EDT).

The Eternal Prison
Blood Ties
Full Circle

Free Book (ADE/PDF) - Tim and Tom

Tim and Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White ($9.99 Kindle), by Tim Reid, Tom Dreesen & Ron Rapoport, is can be downloaded for free this month, direct from the University of Chicago Press, although only in PDF format (DRM'd, not Kindle compatible; requires Adobe Digital Editions).

Book Description
As the heady promise of the 1960s sagged under the weight of widespread violence, rioting, and racial unrest, two young men--one black and one white--took to stages across the nation to help Americans confront their racial divide: by laughing at it.

Tim and Tom tells the story of that pioneering duo, the first interracial comedy team in the history of show business--and the last. Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen polished their act in the nightclubs of Chicago, then took it on the road, not only in the North, but in the still-simmering South as well, developing routines that even today remain surprisingly frank--and remarkably funny--about race. Most nights, the shock of seeing an integrated comedy team quickly dissipated in uproarious laughter, but on some occasions the audience’s confusion and discomfort led to racist heckling, threats, and even violence. Though Tim and Tom perpetually seemed on the verge of making it big throughout their five years together, they grudgingly came to realize that they were ahead of their time: America was not yet ready to laugh at its own failed promise.

Eventually, the grind of the road took its toll, as bitter arguments led to an acrimonious breakup. But the underlying bond of friendship Reid and Dreesen had forged with each groundbreaking joke has endured for decades, while their solo careers delivered the success that had eluded them as a team. By turns revealing, shocking, and riotously funny, Tim and Tom unearths a largely forgotten chapter in the history of comedy.

Click HERE to sign up for the free download.

Game Download - Port Royale 2

Looks like the discounts on the less expensive game downloads may not be as high this year as they were last year. This one has been $4.99 and is only discounted to $2.99 as the Game Download of the Day. Also, this is the first game download I've seen that doesn't offer a free trial, only a buy and download button. I looked at the Game Downloads main page and they no longer claim you get a free trial on all games, but only on "over 1,000 games". There are no comments on the game download, but I did find quite a few on the boxed version HERE and HERE.

Port Royale 2 ($2.99)

Game Description

• Huge Game World With 4 Nations And 60 Towns.
• 8 Special Scenarios For A Quick And Easy Start.
• 16 Different Ship-Types.
• Open Ended Game With Endless Detail And Game Depth.

The Caribbean in the 17th Century - You will trade with over 60 towns and create your own production facilities. Escort ships for your convoys are needed, or you can turn the tides and hunt for pirates or capture the military ships. You can also take on missions for merchants, diplomats and other characters.

Free Audiobook - Jesus Calling

ChristianAudio's free download this month is Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, narrated by Grover Gardner ($9.99 Kindle). After adding the audiobook to your cart, enter the coupon code JAN2010 during checkout.

Jesus Calling is a devotional filled with uniquely inspired treasures from heaven for every day of the year. After many years of writing in her prayer journal, missionary Sarah Young decided to listen to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever she believed He was saying to her. It was awkward at first, but gradually her journaling changed from monologue to dialogue. She knew her writings were not inspired as Scripture is, but journaling helped her grow closer to God. Others were blessed as she shared her writings, until people all over the world were using her messages. They are written from Jesus' point of view, thus the title Jesus Calling. It is Sarah's fervent prayer that our Savior may bless readers with His presence and His peace in ever deeper measure.

Get your free audio download HERE (be sure to use the coupon code shown, so you won't get charged). After you finishing checking out, you will be asked which format you prefer - select MP3 if you want to be able to play the book on your Kindle.

Winners - The Cowboy's Christmas Miracle

Thanks to all who entered the contest for a paperback copy of The Cowboy's Christmas Miracle and to those who have left comments over the last few days. I've consulted random.org and these are the winners of the four copies of the book that I have.

#5 Linda
#13 susan
#3 Arlene
#16 Deedles

However, I could not find an email address for all four of you. So would Linda the Librarian and Susan, please leave a comment here with an email address. I'll then send you a private message and get your mailing address.

Congratulations, again!

Video Game Deal at Amazon

I know several people picked up new video game controllers over the holidays (my brother finally got a PS3, for example), so I wanted to let you know about this deal at Amazon, as well as an updated version of one of my favorite WII games, Rabbids Go Home ($27.99), which is today's game of the day (so the price is only good thru midnight PDT).

Game Description

• In true Raving Rabbids fashion, soup up your shopping cart with a Jet Ski, an airplane reactor, or a hospital Bubble Bed to wreak endless havoc everywhere.
• In the Rabbid's first comedy adventure control two Raving Rabbids and their shopping cart as you collect everything is sight to build a junk pile high enough to reach the moon.
• Make a huge mess and provoke hilarious situations in over 15 striking game environments. The greater the mess the more in-game opportunities you will have.
• Race, chase, boost through 40+ missions while scaring the Humans right down to their undies, literally! Ridicule reams of relentless enemies and their nasty pooches in an increasingly paranoid world of Rabbid-haters.
• Encounter a cast of colorful, oddball characters and explore a remarkable parody of the modern world as if you were living inside an interactive cartoon.

The rest of the Video Games they are running isn't one that runs out today (but soon - tomorrow) and can be combined with today's Game of the Day if you want. If you spend $80 or more on video games, in a single purchase, you'll get a $20 promotional credit to use for a later purchase. There is a link for qualifying games, but there seem to be hundreds and choices for every gaming console out there. There are a few restrictions, the biggest of which is that only purchases from Amazon.com as the seller and made between 3:30pm Pacific time December 28, 2009 and 11:59pm Pacific time January 2, 2010 will qualify for this promotion. Accessories don't qualify, but it seems you can mix and match games for different consoles, so long as you get to the magical $80 total and once you get the credit, you can use it on any video game, not just a restricted list.

Looking through the lists, it seems that most games have at least a small discount, some more than others. I saw a great deal on Your Shape at $49.99 ($20 off) and The Biggest Loser is $34.99. I've played both recently and you can get a good workout with either one (the former is a bit more intense, but also seems to require more room, as your entire body must be seen by the camera for it to register movements. I actually have EA Sports Active: More Workouts $35.99 on order right now, or I'd add that to my order so that I can get the credit. I am considering Active Life: Extreme Challenge at $46.98, but that still leaves me about $10 short ... excuse me while I go shopping for a while....

Free Book (PDF) - Loving Eliza

Ruth Ann Nordin has added another free novel to her website, Loving Eliza. Like the rest of the free books there, only a PDF version is available.

Book Description
All Eliza wanted was a new beginning...

Eliza leaves Omaha for a new life. A chance to be something she never had the opportunity to be before: a lady--a woman with a good reputation.

John Evans has never belonged in his small town. So when Eliza shows up and treats him better than anyone ever has, he's ready to marry her before she finds someone she'd rather be with.

But she harbors a secret that makes someone like her unsuitable for marriage, and she is determined that no one will ever find out. Ever.

Until someone from her past shows up...

Then who is going to dare love a woman like her?

Happy New Year!

We will open the book. Its pages are blank.
We are going to put words on them ourselves.
The book is called Opportunity
and its first chapter is New Year's Day.

Edith Lovejoy Pierce