Some thoughts and reminders for those new to the ebook world (and this blog).
Prices on eBooks are quite volatile and can change with no notice, at any moment. The price changes are not on any regular schedule, such as a specific time of day (although around midnight to 1AM in Seattle does see more changes from Amazon), so a free book may be free for only a few hours (or only one) or it may remain free for weeks or months (or even years, in some cases). When the price does change, it may go back to the price it was before, to a new discounted price or to a new all-time high.
Those who live outside the US will often find that the price they pay is different from what might be seen by others. Canada, Australia, the UK and often EU may see the same books as free or they may not -- the book may be full price in all non-US regions or it may have a slight surcharge added (by Amazon or the publisher, depending on who is offering the promotion). The book may not be available at all outside the US (true for almost everything at B&N and some other stores without international publisher contracts). Many books that are free on Kindle end up being $2.00, plus applicable VAT, in a large part of the world. No doubt this represents the higher cost of doing business in those countries, for Amazon, but it is not a "Whispernet delivery fee" -- it's the price of the book if you live in those regions; delivery is still free, whether via WiFi, 3G or USB cable. Keep in mind that in some countries, the contracts for 3G no doubt end up costing Amazon more, plus there are currency conversion issues (which they pay when forwarding money to publishers and taxing authorities there, as well as paying those 3G fees), added administrative and accounting overhead, etc. Considering that most of the other bookstores simply don't allow sales to those regions at all (and how high paper books are in some of the areas), it's still means Kindle books are often quite a bargain, even if you do have to think a bit more before picking up all the "free" books that those in the US can accumulate without thought as to whether they will read them or not.
Always be sure to double check the price and verify that it is still free before clicking, whether at Amazon or another store. The price you see is the price you will pay, regardless of whether it was free earlier or to those in other geographic territories. This is especially necessary if ordering from your Kindle (use "Book Description" from the Menu, not "Buy Now", to see the price before ordering). If you are purchasing on your PC, you'll either see a receipt with the final price (Kobo, B&N, Sony, etc.) or have a link you can click to check the price (Amazon). Be sure to do so. If you buy from your reader, you should get an email with the price you paid that you can check.
If you pre-order, you won't get a receipt right away with some stores (you do with B&N), but you can usually check the status and price you'll pay; with Amazon, you do that on the Manage My Kindle page, which is linked at the top of any Kindle book page. A lot of people get confused on how pre-orders work. First, there is not a lowest-price guarantee on Kindle eBooks, like there is on paper books. This is, no doubt, partly due to Agency Pricing, since Amazon has no control over pricing on those books. If you check Amazon's help on their lowest price guarantee, there are only a few specific categories to which it applies, the items have to be sold by Amazon (no third-party items) and it also requires that you see the Lowest Price Guarantee wording on the product page. So, if the price of a Kindle book goes down during the pre-order period, there is no guarantee that you will pay the lower price. It's true that with some books, Amazon has lowered the price of the pre-order as the book price fell, but with others they do not. It's hit or miss, as to whether any particular non-Agency book will be lowered, which is why I recommend checking the price now and then and if the price on the Manage My Kindle page hasn't come down to match, cancel the pre-order and re-order it.
What Amazon and other stores do guarantee, though, is that you won't be charged more than the price shown when you clicked (free or otherwise). They do require you to have a credit card on file at the time of the pre-order, even on free books, but that is because their program that sets up pre-orders does a check for a valid CC, regardless of price. If the book says $0.00 when you click and that is what is shown on your receipt (and on the Manage My Kindle page), then you will not be charged when the book is delivered. With Amazon, the credit card must be valid at the time of the order, but not necessarily after that. If it is a free pre-order, you can even remove the credit card from the account and the book will be delivered. This won't work at B&N, since your credit card number is used in the DRM scheme; it must be valid when you attempt to download the book, free or not. If you pre-order a non-free book at Amazon, then your current gift card balance will be used at the time of delivery and the credit card charged only if there is an insufficient amount on hand.
The only thing I dislike about gift cards at Amazon, is that you can't set them up to be used only for Kindle books; any Subscribe and Save item will use your gift card balance, as will anything you buy that uses a coupon code, is a lightning deal or personal GoldBox item or is part of a promotional deal. If you try to change your payment on any order with a promotional discount, you'll lose the discount. Other stores don't have that issue, but only because there isn't that much else you can buy from them. That said, using Amazon Gift Certificates or B&N Online Gift Certificates on your account can make it much easier to balance your credit card bill and avoid having your bank freeze the card due to a large number of small amount purchases. Note that with B&N, using gift certificates will not eliminate the need to keep a valid credit or debit card on file pretty much all the time and that every purchase (and download) will see a pre-authorization of a dollar; with credit cards, you never see these pending charges and they expire after a few days, but with debit cards, that amount is frozen in your bank account until the expiration passes.
DRM is an issue that you will run into at every store. Amazon uses a special version of Mobi DRM and the Kindle is not compatible with DRM'd mobi books (it can read DRM-free mobi books and any other non-DRM'd format can be converted using Calibre). Mobipocket and a few others do sell DRM'd mobi books and these can be used on your desktop and with some phone apps, as well as a few older readers. Most other readers now use Adobe's DRM'd EPUB, rather than DRM'd Mobi; it's just as proprietary, but due to being more popular now is considered by some to be "a standard". If you buy books from B&N, they also use a special version of DRM, making their books incompatible with other EPUB readers out there. So, the nook can read B&N and Adobe EPUBs, Sony and Kobo (and others) can read Adobe EPUB and all of them can read non-DRM EPUB and non-DRM'd books in other formats can be converted via Calibre for these readers, as well. Most of the readers support some type of PDF, but the handling and resolution is often poor, if only because PDF is a print format and the readers out today are all smaller than a standard sheet of paper.
Some stores require you to jump thru hoops to get books. Sony requires you to use their desktop software, so you are out of luck if you have a linux box and can't get it to run. Kobo sometimes has books that are only readable on the web and cannot be downloaded. Always check that you see "Adobe DRM EPUB" on the Download options line before purchasing. I've sometimes found the same issue with Borders (which makes sense, since Kobo is providing their ebookstore), but not always on the same books. Getting free books at Borders can always be tricky. I've found that maybe half cannot be added to your library using the Add to Library button on the page - you just get a message that there are Technical Difficulties. For these, open the Borders Desktop software (or find the book on your Border's WiFi Kobo reader, although this is a LOT slower and iffier in whether it will work). Go to the Store, then search on the book title. The free book will almost always be the first one listed in the search results and will say Download underneath, rather than showing a price. Click on Download, let the desktop sync the book to your library. After that, you can transfer it to the Kobo via USB, sync your WiFi Kobo or download the epub from your library via the web.
Book Reviews and Bargain reads for the Amazon Kindle, nook, Kobo, Sony and other ereaders, Kindle Fire, nookColor, Kobo Vox, and other tablets, along with some games, music, technology and computers tossed in now and then.
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Friday, February 25, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Free Book - The Sevenfold Spell
The novella The Sevenfold Spell ($2.39), by Tia Nevitt, is free direct from Carina Press, today only, using coupon code SEVENFOLDFREE. Book Description
Have you ever wondered what happens to the other people in the fairy tale?
Things look grim for Talia and her mother. By royal proclamation, the constables and those annoying "good" fairies have taken away their livelihood by confiscating their spinning wheel. Something to do with a curse on the princess, they said.
Not every young lady has a fairy godmother rushing to her rescue.
Without the promise of an income from spinning, Talia's prospects for marriage disappear, and she and her mother face destitution. Past caring about breaking an arbitrary and cruel law, rebellious Talia determines to build a new spinning wheel, the only one in the nation--which plays right into the evil fairy's diabolical plan. Talia discovers that finding a happy ending requires sacrifice. But is it a sacrifice she's willing to make?
Click HERE to add the free book to your cart, then enter the coupon code on the Checkout page; double check your total for $0.00 before clicking on Place Your Order. The download is DRM-free, so get the EPUB format for easy conversion via Calibre or the PDF to have Amazon do the conversion. You'll generally get better results from the EPUB, but the PDF should convert OK.
Bargain Pre-Orders and New Releases
Just in case you missed it yesterday, Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #6: Sentinel, by John Jackson Miller, is now free on Kindle (as are the first five, all by the same author).
The books in this post are mostly pre-orders, with a few that are new releases this week, all at bargain prices. A few of these have had drastic price drops, so be if you already had them on order, make sure you go your your manage My Kindle page and cancel the old order and re-order at these prices. There is no pre-order price guarantee on ebooks, perhaps due to Agency Pricing; although Amazon does sometimes lower prices on pre-order books, it's hit or miss, while re-doing the order while the price is low is guaranteed to lock you into the lower price.
To Defy a King ($2.39 March 1), is the latest from Elizabeth Chadwick, who's Greatest Knight was recently available for free..
Book Description
Privileged daughter of William Marshal, Mahelt marries Hugh Bigod, heir to the earldom of Norfolk. But when King John sets out to subdue the Bigods, Mahelt faces the worst alone, knowing neither she, nor her marriage, are likely to survive. A story of emotional power set against the road to Magna Carta and the fight to bring a tyrant king to heel, "To Defy a King" is Elizabeth Chadwick at her best.
Sins of the House of Borgia ($2.39 March 1), by Sarah Bower
Book Description
Violante isn’t supposed to be here, in one of the grandest courts of Renaissance Italy. She isn’t supposed to be a lady-in-waiting to the beautiful Lucrezia Borgia. But the same secretive politics that pushed Lucrezia’s father to the Vatican have landed Violante deep in a lavish landscape of passion and ambition.
Violante discovers a Lucrezia unknown to those who see only a scheming harlot, and all the whispers about her brother, Cesare Borgia, never revealed the soul of the man who dances close with Violante.
But those who enter the House of Borgia are never quite the same when they leave—if they leave at all. Violante’s place in history will test her heart and leave her the guardian of dangerous secrets she must carry to the grave.
Regarding Ducks and Universes ($0.99), by Neve Maslakovic, is a new release from AmazonEncore.
Book Description
On a foggy Monday in 1986, the universe suddenly, without warning, bifurcated. Fast-forward to 35 years later: Felix Sayers is a culinary writer living in San Francisco of Universe A who spends his days lunching at Coconut Café and dreaming of penning an Agatha Christie-style mystery. But everything changes when his Aunt Henrietta dies, leaving Felix a photograph of his father and himself--dated ten days before Felix was born. It can only mean one thing: Felix has an 'alter' in Universe B. Panicked that his mystery novel may exist already, Felix crosses to San Francisco B and proceeds to flagrantly violate the rules of both worlds by snooping around his alter's life. But when he narrowly escapes a hit-and-run, it becomes clear that someone knows he's crossed over... and whoever it is isn't happy about it. Now Felix must uncover the truth about his alter, the events of one Monday, and a wayward rubber duck before his time in both worlds runs out.
Poke the Box ($1.00 March 1), by Seth Godin, was lowered due to fan request, after staging a sign-up campaign for his newsletter, even though he didn't hit the (self-set) required number of people to drop the price that low. What he did achieve was a lot of free publicity and buzz about the book, which is what it is about, after all. The price goes up at the end of the week, so don't dally if you want this one.
Book Description
We send our kids to school and obsess about their test scores, their behavior and their ability to fit in. We post a help wanted ad and look for experience, famous colleges and a history of avoiding failure. We invest in companies based on how they did last quarter, not on what they’re going to do tomorrow. So why are we surprised when it all falls apart? Our economy is not static, but we act as if it is. Your position in the world is defined by what you instigate, how you provoke, and what you learn from the events you cause. In a world filled with change, that’s what matters — your ability to create and learn from change. Poke the Box is a manifesto about producing something that’s scarce, and thus valuable. It demands that you stop waiting for a road map and start drawing one instead. You know how to do this, you’ve done it before, but along the way, someone talked you out of it. We need your insight and your dreams and your contributions. Hurry.
Royal Weddings: Three Royally Romantic Stories ($2.99 April 5), by Gaelen Foley, Stephanie Laurens, and Loretta Chase, is so new to the listings that there isn't a book description or a cover image yet. It's safe to say that it will end up being three short stories or novellas, all about romantic Royal weddings, though! If you follow any of the three authors involved, it is no doubt worth adding to your pre-order queue. I see over at Harper-Collins that they are planning to list this at $11.99.
The Righteous ($0.99), by Michael Wallace, is a new release from an indie author who has recently managed to get a number of good reviews for his books at Amazon, partially by giving away a number of copies and hoping the recipients would leave a review. This one is a completely different type of story line compared to the others he's already managed to get a number of positive reviews. There's no content warning, as with Samhain titles, but those of you that buy based on the more humorous of those may want to grab this one just based on the author bio he's written. I expect this one to up to $3 or so at the end of the month.
Book Description
Medical student Jacob Christianson is sent by church elders to investigate a murder within the polygamist enclave of Blister Creek, Utah. He brings his young sister Eliza, who must choose a husband from three old men jostling for power within the church hierarchy.
Jacob discovers that the murdered woman has been killed in accordance with secret blood oaths taken within the polygamist temple. Together with his sister, he uncovers a plot to overthrow the church leadership, with murders that reach beyond the community and into the “gentile” world. The Righteous is a heart-pounding suspense-thriller with a depth that will haunt the reader long after the last page is turned.
About the Author
Michael Wallace has trekked across the Sahara on a camel, ridden an elephant through a tiger preserve in Southeast Asia, eaten fried guinea pig, and been licked on the head by a skunk. In a previous stage of life he programmed nuclear war simulations, smuggled refugees out of a war zone, and milked cobras for their venom. He speaks Spanish and French and grew up in a religious community in the desert.
Damian's Assassin, by Lizzy Ford, is the sequel to Damian's Oracle. Both are free on Smashwords (and not in the Kindle store).
Damian's Oracle
Inspired by Slavic mythology, Damian’s Oracle is the entree into the ongoing battle between good and evil over the fate of humanity. The White God, Damian, and his Guardians protect the world from the Black God and his monsters while rescuing Naturals – humans with extraordinary paranormal gifts – from the Black God, who would kill or convert them.
Caught in the middle is cool-headed Sofia, a Natural whose gift will tip the scales in the war. Sofia begins her transformation from human into oracle, the first in thousands of years. Damian rescues her from the Black God in time to complete a ceremony that will bind her to him for eternity. Sofia struggles with her new world and her role as an oracle and Damian’s mate while haunted by a mysterious man from Damian’s past who’s supposed to be dead. Unbeknownst to her, her link to the dead man may be all that saves Damian, his Guardians, and the fate of humanity.
While he wants nothing more than for the petite beauty to take her place at his side like the oracles of legend did his White God forefathers, Damian can’t quite rationalize having to win her over instead of command her. Further complicating his life is the sobering realization that there are spies in his organization who are helping the Black God take out his Guardians. Damian must help Sofia reach her potential fast, especially when a threat from his past returns.
Damian's Assassin
With the White God in Europe, Dustin is left alone in Miami to protect the Grey God, a man-god struggling with his identity, and the White God’s mate. One of the Black God’s vamps in Miami suddenly goes rogue and starts killing humans by the dozen. Dustin initially doesn’t think much of the ruthless, human-hating thug, Talon, until it becomes clear that the vamp is receiving help from otherworldly beings whose intentions are nothing short of destroying humanity. To make matters even worse, Dustin’s begun to dream of his dead sister, who tells him he’ll be seeing her soon.
Dustin rescues Bianca and her troubled brother, a Natural whose mysterious talent makes him vital to Talon’s plans. Bianca, a woman as sunny and sweet as Dustin is hard and cold, has the rare Natural gift of healing. She can bring the recent dead back to life or turn a vamp back into a human. She can even reach Dustin’s heart, which he locked away long again after his sister’s death. Convinced he’ll be killed soon, Dustin won’t risk his heart or Bianca’s, despite their mutual attraction, and Bianca discovers even her incredible talent can’t save both the men she loves.
Paranormal Romance. Non-Erotica. Adult content warning is for language.
The books in this post are mostly pre-orders, with a few that are new releases this week, all at bargain prices. A few of these have had drastic price drops, so be if you already had them on order, make sure you go your your manage My Kindle page and cancel the old order and re-order at these prices. There is no pre-order price guarantee on ebooks, perhaps due to Agency Pricing; although Amazon does sometimes lower prices on pre-order books, it's hit or miss, while re-doing the order while the price is low is guaranteed to lock you into the lower price.
To Defy a King ($2.39 March 1), is the latest from Elizabeth Chadwick, who's Greatest Knight was recently available for free..Book Description
Privileged daughter of William Marshal, Mahelt marries Hugh Bigod, heir to the earldom of Norfolk. But when King John sets out to subdue the Bigods, Mahelt faces the worst alone, knowing neither she, nor her marriage, are likely to survive. A story of emotional power set against the road to Magna Carta and the fight to bring a tyrant king to heel, "To Defy a King" is Elizabeth Chadwick at her best.
Sins of the House of Borgia ($2.39 March 1), by Sarah BowerBook Description
Violante isn’t supposed to be here, in one of the grandest courts of Renaissance Italy. She isn’t supposed to be a lady-in-waiting to the beautiful Lucrezia Borgia. But the same secretive politics that pushed Lucrezia’s father to the Vatican have landed Violante deep in a lavish landscape of passion and ambition.
Violante discovers a Lucrezia unknown to those who see only a scheming harlot, and all the whispers about her brother, Cesare Borgia, never revealed the soul of the man who dances close with Violante.
But those who enter the House of Borgia are never quite the same when they leave—if they leave at all. Violante’s place in history will test her heart and leave her the guardian of dangerous secrets she must carry to the grave.
Regarding Ducks and Universes ($0.99), by Neve Maslakovic, is a new release from AmazonEncore.Book Description
On a foggy Monday in 1986, the universe suddenly, without warning, bifurcated. Fast-forward to 35 years later: Felix Sayers is a culinary writer living in San Francisco of Universe A who spends his days lunching at Coconut Café and dreaming of penning an Agatha Christie-style mystery. But everything changes when his Aunt Henrietta dies, leaving Felix a photograph of his father and himself--dated ten days before Felix was born. It can only mean one thing: Felix has an 'alter' in Universe B. Panicked that his mystery novel may exist already, Felix crosses to San Francisco B and proceeds to flagrantly violate the rules of both worlds by snooping around his alter's life. But when he narrowly escapes a hit-and-run, it becomes clear that someone knows he's crossed over... and whoever it is isn't happy about it. Now Felix must uncover the truth about his alter, the events of one Monday, and a wayward rubber duck before his time in both worlds runs out.
Poke the Box ($1.00 March 1), by Seth Godin, was lowered due to fan request, after staging a sign-up campaign for his newsletter, even though he didn't hit the (self-set) required number of people to drop the price that low. What he did achieve was a lot of free publicity and buzz about the book, which is what it is about, after all. The price goes up at the end of the week, so don't dally if you want this one.Book Description
We send our kids to school and obsess about their test scores, their behavior and their ability to fit in. We post a help wanted ad and look for experience, famous colleges and a history of avoiding failure. We invest in companies based on how they did last quarter, not on what they’re going to do tomorrow. So why are we surprised when it all falls apart? Our economy is not static, but we act as if it is. Your position in the world is defined by what you instigate, how you provoke, and what you learn from the events you cause. In a world filled with change, that’s what matters — your ability to create and learn from change. Poke the Box is a manifesto about producing something that’s scarce, and thus valuable. It demands that you stop waiting for a road map and start drawing one instead. You know how to do this, you’ve done it before, but along the way, someone talked you out of it. We need your insight and your dreams and your contributions. Hurry.
Royal Weddings: Three Royally Romantic Stories ($2.99 April 5), by Gaelen Foley, Stephanie Laurens, and Loretta Chase, is so new to the listings that there isn't a book description or a cover image yet. It's safe to say that it will end up being three short stories or novellas, all about romantic Royal weddings, though! If you follow any of the three authors involved, it is no doubt worth adding to your pre-order queue. I see over at Harper-Collins that they are planning to list this at $11.99.The Righteous ($0.99), by Michael Wallace, is a new release from an indie author who has recently managed to get a number of good reviews for his books at Amazon, partially by giving away a number of copies and hoping the recipients would leave a review. This one is a completely different type of story line compared to the others he's already managed to get a number of positive reviews. There's no content warning, as with Samhain titles, but those of you that buy based on the more humorous of those may want to grab this one just based on the author bio he's written. I expect this one to up to $3 or so at the end of the month.Book Description
Medical student Jacob Christianson is sent by church elders to investigate a murder within the polygamist enclave of Blister Creek, Utah. He brings his young sister Eliza, who must choose a husband from three old men jostling for power within the church hierarchy.
Jacob discovers that the murdered woman has been killed in accordance with secret blood oaths taken within the polygamist temple. Together with his sister, he uncovers a plot to overthrow the church leadership, with murders that reach beyond the community and into the “gentile” world. The Righteous is a heart-pounding suspense-thriller with a depth that will haunt the reader long after the last page is turned.
About the Author
Michael Wallace has trekked across the Sahara on a camel, ridden an elephant through a tiger preserve in Southeast Asia, eaten fried guinea pig, and been licked on the head by a skunk. In a previous stage of life he programmed nuclear war simulations, smuggled refugees out of a war zone, and milked cobras for their venom. He speaks Spanish and French and grew up in a religious community in the desert.
Damian's Oracle
Inspired by Slavic mythology, Damian’s Oracle is the entree into the ongoing battle between good and evil over the fate of humanity. The White God, Damian, and his Guardians protect the world from the Black God and his monsters while rescuing Naturals – humans with extraordinary paranormal gifts – from the Black God, who would kill or convert them.
Caught in the middle is cool-headed Sofia, a Natural whose gift will tip the scales in the war. Sofia begins her transformation from human into oracle, the first in thousands of years. Damian rescues her from the Black God in time to complete a ceremony that will bind her to him for eternity. Sofia struggles with her new world and her role as an oracle and Damian’s mate while haunted by a mysterious man from Damian’s past who’s supposed to be dead. Unbeknownst to her, her link to the dead man may be all that saves Damian, his Guardians, and the fate of humanity.
While he wants nothing more than for the petite beauty to take her place at his side like the oracles of legend did his White God forefathers, Damian can’t quite rationalize having to win her over instead of command her. Further complicating his life is the sobering realization that there are spies in his organization who are helping the Black God take out his Guardians. Damian must help Sofia reach her potential fast, especially when a threat from his past returns.
Damian's Assassin
With the White God in Europe, Dustin is left alone in Miami to protect the Grey God, a man-god struggling with his identity, and the White God’s mate. One of the Black God’s vamps in Miami suddenly goes rogue and starts killing humans by the dozen. Dustin initially doesn’t think much of the ruthless, human-hating thug, Talon, until it becomes clear that the vamp is receiving help from otherworldly beings whose intentions are nothing short of destroying humanity. To make matters even worse, Dustin’s begun to dream of his dead sister, who tells him he’ll be seeing her soon.
Dustin rescues Bianca and her troubled brother, a Natural whose mysterious talent makes him vital to Talon’s plans. Bianca, a woman as sunny and sweet as Dustin is hard and cold, has the rare Natural gift of healing. She can bring the recent dead back to life or turn a vamp back into a human. She can even reach Dustin’s heart, which he locked away long again after his sister’s death. Convinced he’ll be killed soon, Dustin won’t risk his heart or Bianca’s, despite their mutual attraction, and Bianca discovers even her incredible talent can’t save both the men she loves.
Paranormal Romance. Non-Erotica. Adult content warning is for language.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Book Review: Gideon's Sword
I stayed up late last night, to finish reading Gideon's Sword ($12.99), by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The intro starts out with Gideon's childhood, followed by what could have been a novella in it's own right, completing the backstory for Gideon Crew, a chameleon who blends in anywhere (with a bit of help from some stage props) and can lie his way thru nearly any situation, much like Frank W. Abagnale, in Catch Me If You Can. Add in a dash of James Bond, for this is an international thriller, and you start to get the flavor of the novel, which was released today.It's one thrill after another, with twist and turns along the way and you never know when an ally might turn out to be your enemy. It all starts with a routine job (or, as routine as you might get, as independent contractor with DHS, offered $100K for a one week project) to retrieve the plans for a weapon that are being smuggled into the US by an agent who is to arrive within a couple of hours of Gideon's being hired for the job.
I thought the earliest chapters were the weakest of the book, especially when he is supposed to be a brilliant physicist, yet the math in a paper written by his father years earlier is described as "way over his head". Not to mention the likelihood of a master art thief who turned over a new leaf to become a government employed physicist, who fly-fishes in his spare time. But, once past the setup chapters (and after his father has been avenged) and the true story commences. From there on, the action is non-stop and each chapter ended with me wanting to read just one more, until I arrived at the "end", which was, of course, anything but. There are obviously going to be more books in this series and I'll have them on my wishlist for the future. I do see, though, that they'll all have to cover very short periods of time or the leverage that DHS used to get Gideon to agree to work with them will have to be proven false (or a cure found).
You can sign up for a newsletter from Child and Preston, which looks to be published monthly, more or less, to get samples of their works-in-progress or tidbits about the characters that might not make it into the books themselves.
Book Description
Introducing Gideon Crew: trickster, prodigy, master thief
At twelve, Gideon Crew witnessed his father, a world-class mathematician, accused of treason and gunned down.
At twenty-four, summoned to his dying mother's bedside, Gideon learned the truth: His father was framed and deliberately slaughtered. With her last breath, she begged her son to avenge him.
Now, with a new purpose in his life, Gideon crafts a one-time mission of vengeance, aimed at the perpetrator of his father's destruction. His plan is meticulous, spectacular, and successful.
But from the shadows, someone is watching. A very powerful someone, who is impressed by Gideon's special skills. Someone who has need of just such a renegade.
For Gideon, this operation may be only the beginning . . .
If you order the current Kindle edition of Gideon's Sword, you'll also get a bonus download of The Zero Game ($7.99), by Brad Meltzer. I picked this one up when it was under $2 last year. You don't order it separately (and the book page won't show that you own it, which is something I wish Amazon would fix), but a copy of the book just shows up in your library and on the same Kindle where you sent Gideon's Sword.Book Description
The New York Times bestselling author of The Millionaires and The First Counsel returns to Wash-ington, D.C., with the story of an insider's game that turns deadly. Matthew Mercer and Harris Sandler are best friends who have plum jobs as senior staffers to well-respected congressmen. But after a decade in Washington, idealism has faded to disillusionment, and they're bored. Then one of them finds out about the clandestine Zero Game. It starts out as good fun-a simple wager between friends. But when someone close to them ends up dead, Harris and Matthew realize the game is far more sinister than they ever imagined-and that they're about to be the game's next victims. On the run, they turn to the only person they can trust: a 16-year-old Senate page who can move around the Capitol undetected. As a ruthless killer creeps closer, this idealistic page not only holds the key to saving their lives, but is also determined to redeem them in the process. Come play The Zero Game-you can bet your life on it.
A pre-publication, print copy of this book was provided by the publisher/publicist for this review.
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- Unlimited FREE Two-Day Shipping
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After your free trial, Amazon Prime is just $79/year
Update: As noted by several readers, only the primary person on the Prime account gets access to free streaming videos. You would need to log in as that person to get access to the free videos (so, not something you would share lightly, as that person could order on your Amazon account). Still, it's a better deal than the same service from Netflix, but the two are different in selection and hardware supported. For example, no Wii or Playstation for Amazon, at least so far, and no Ipad support, which are the three I've used with Netflix.
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