Free and Bargain Romances August 2012

[Sydney's Mom]

Whahhhhhh!!!! I will not wait until all the free books go up in price before I check this wonderful site (anymore).

[pisceschick]

Originally Posted by pisceschick

I am just past 50% in and comparing the people I've met thus far to the people in the descriptions for the rest of the series, you can read them out of order. I think they are just connected by theme.

I just thought I'd update since I mentioned it before that indeed the Texas Lily book is unrelated to the other three books in the series, except by the "Texas" theme. I just finished the Rose book, and characters from it appear in the description for one of the later two books and the hero for the other book is a sibling not yet introduced.

Lily is set during the Texas Revolution (in fact, the Alamo battle is a plot point and several historical figures appear) in the mid-1830s, and the other three books take place a few years after the Civil War (1860s).

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by pisceschick

I just thought I'd update since I mentioned it before that indeed the Texas Lily book is unrelated to the other three books in the series, except by the "Texas" theme. I just finished the Rose book, and characters from it appear in the description for one of the later two books and the hero for the other book is a sibling not yet introduced.

Lily is set during the Texas Revolution (in fact, the Alamo battle is a plot point and several historical figures appear) in the mid-1830s, and the other three books take place a few years after the Civil War (1860s).

Thanks for the heads up! So Lily is a stand alone. This ePublishing Works! seems to thrive on sneaky tactics like adding a series together that really isn't. It's my understanding that many authors are going with them because they handle pretty much everything even price sets. To me they do good formatting and a nice pretty cover then rechange the title or add it to a series and sell the book for a higher price. I saw some old Harlequins being sold for $3.99 from them today. The other Lily books are over $4. They were $4.99

Sharon Ihle who I complained about in last month's thread about retitling her books and then selling them again after deleting the old versions forcing customers to rebuy to get fixed copies is with them now. I then found Patricia Rice doing the same thing and went and did some investigating. I found out it isn't so much the authors who are to blame for this but this particular publishing company they are going with. So be careful when buying from them. It's possibly you may have the book already or it's a small book for a high price like a Harlequin for near $4.

I suppose you could look at it like the books should contain no errors and be near professional quality for the price paid for a backlist title. Still it irks me that they are not using the same AISNs So I guess the only one who loses money here is us.

[koland]

To be fair, when a new company is publishing the book, they can't stay on the same ASIN - the payouts go to different places and taxpayer ID's (individual vs. company).

[mikaelalind]

Originally Posted by mikaelalind

Thank you! I have this as pdf, and I have wanted to replace it with an epub copy. I got it from Ellora's Cave, so I would have been forced to rebuy it. Now I wont have too.

PS. I think the title is Marly's choice, not Marly's men. DS.

Just a heads up: The tools didn't work for me on this one. Nothing to do except wait until the next version is released.

Also, I suspect that this was a pricing glitch, since neither Ellora's Cave or Allromance has dropped the price.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by mikaelalind

Just a heads up: The tools didn't work for me on this one. Nothing to do except wait until the next version is released.

Also, I suspect that this was a pricing glitch, since neither Ellora's Cave or Allromance has dropped the price.

It's works fine on mine. I notice a bug in Calibre since last release. If you drop a batch of books in, the tools can't keep up with it. I had to import by 8s last time or Mobi files messed up. Delete the book and reimport and see if that fixes it. Oh I also reinstall the tool first then imported books in 8s.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by koland

To be fair, when a new company is publishing the book, they can't stay on the same ASIN - the payouts go to different places and taxpayer ID's (individual vs. company).

The ASIN does change, but that has nothing to do with pricing or taxpayer IDs. Those two things aren't tied together. The publishing company wants to own the ASIN and they also collect the monies and distribute the author her pay. ISBNs are assigned by bowker and those can stay with the book or not, but generally speaking the publishing company wants to own those.

Even smashwords makes a big thing about preferring that authors use the "free" ISBN rather than us paying for one. But there are advantages to owning your own--you can take it with you and use it elsewhere for each type (ePUB has one, then there is one for print, and one for .mobi.)

Any time an author involves another party, prices are going to go up. And *some* of the time the quality improves.

[booklover6]

Yes the tools worked for Marly's Choice, for me, also.

[apesmom]

Free Par-Tay has another batch of Kindle freebies for 8/8 & 8/9. Some repeats, some new ones.

[Blossom]

FREE: My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade (Inspirational Romance)
Published by Bethany House in May 2012.

From the Back Cover
Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When her grandmother asks her to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance.

Upon her arrival in Redbud, Kate meets Matt Jarreau, the man hired to renovate the house. Kate can't help being attracted to him, drawn by both his good looks and something else she can't quite put her finger on. He's clearly wounded--hiding from people, from God, and from his past. Yet Kate sets her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back into the light...whether he likes it or not.

When the stilted, uncomfortable interactions between Kate and Matt slowly shift into something more, is God finally answering the longing of her heart? Or will Kate be required to give up more than she ever dreamed?

"A beautiful story that proves sometimes falling in love is a matter of faith. Becky Wade creates characters readers will love."
--Lisa Wingate, national bestselling author of Blue Moon Bay and Dandelion Summer

"I love finding new authors, and Becky Wade is definitely one to watch. Her debut novel offers romance, laughter, and poignancy. The perfect combination for a night out with you and your book."
--Deeanne Gist, bestselling author of A Bride Most Begrudging and Love on the Line

[kg3]

-FREE at Amazon:

--In the Marshal's Arms (an Erotic Western Novella) - Emma Jay

-Emma Jay has published with Samhain and Wild Rose Press, etc.

Book Description:

Marshal Rhys Burgess always gets his man. To catch a notorious bank robber, he seeks out the man's sometimes-mistress Maddy Colby. She lives on her own on a farm that needs a lot of work. He presents himself to her as a handyman...and waits.

As he waits, he gets to know Maddy, who is nothing like he expected. Isolated on the farm, shunned by the townspeople because of the choices she's made, Maddy is smart, generous and hard-working--and lonely. Every day he finds her harder and harder to resist...until a snowstorm strands them alone together in the tiny cabin.

Then Rhys needs to discover...is getting his man worth losing his woman?

[koland]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

The ASIN does change, but that has nothing to do with pricing or taxpayer IDs. Those two things aren't tied together. The publishing company wants to own the ASIN and they also collect the monies and distribute the author her pay. ISBNs are assigned by bowker and those can stay with the book or not, but generally speaking the publishing company wants to own those.

Even smashwords makes a big thing about preferring that authors use the "free" ISBN rather than us paying for one. But there are advantages to owning your own--you can take it with you and use it elsewhere for each type (ePUB has one, then there is one for print, and one for .mobi.)

Any time an author involves another party, prices are going to go up. And *some* of the time the quality improves.

Of course, there is nothing to stop the author or publisher from adding multiple editions (as many do).

But if the payee changes, there must be an ASIN change or Amazon (or whichever company it is) can't keep track of (a) where to send the money and (b) what to report to the IRS.

In this particular case - a self-published author let a publisher (even if it is a "self-publishing house") add the book to the store - which means a new ASIN is required (they could all use the same ISBN and I don't think Amazon would care - they only care about the ASIN and that is what controls seeing if you bought it before and getting any updates that are released).

Since the ASIN is unique to Amazon (it just means "amazon inventory number", more or less), owning it isn't an issue (unlike the ISBN, which has to be paid for from a third party that issues them). Amazon gives them out like Candy (anyone can get one - just offer something unique for sale at Amazon).

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by koland

Of course, there is nothing to stop the author or publisher from adding multiple editions (as many do).

But if the payee changes, there must be an ASIN change or Amazon (or whichever company it is) can't keep track of (a) where to send the money and (b) what to report to the IRS.

In this particular case - a self-published author let a publisher (even if it is a "self-publishing house") add the book to the store - which means a new ASIN is required (they could all use the same ISBN and I don't think Amazon would care - they only care about the ASIN and that is what controls seeing if you bought it before and getting any updates that are released).

Since the ASIN is unique to Amazon (it just means "amazon inventory number", more or less), owning it isn't an issue (unlike the ISBN, which has to be paid for from a third party that issues them). Amazon gives them out like Candy (anyone can get one - just offer something unique for sale at Amazon).

Yes, but my point is that publishers or authors could CHOSE to tie it to the ISBN which could move. The ASIN is just a number. Sure they have to track this stuff, but they don't have to change the title and other info that makes it confusing to the end reader. I don't follow that publisher, but it seems like they are deliberately repackaging the book in such a way that it makes it harder to track it's print history (you may have read it way back when and still own it) and any e-book history it had. I know publishers like to redo covers as they often have a certain look they are going for, but title? Unless it's a horrid title, that just makes things confusing.

[Britomart]

It's quite a day at Amazon! Here are today's interesting freebies:

Renegade Passion US DE, a novella by Lisa Renee Jones tied in with her Sourcebooks series about super-soldiers.

Sonia' a gifted psychic who finds herself seeing visions of the many women who have started disappearing around Vegas. Visions that have now put her on the radar of Adam Rain, a soldier who was part of an experiment that made him a super solider, powerful and dangerous. Adam wants to control the city. He wants to control her.

Kel is also one of those super soldiers, a part of the unit called Renegades who fight to protect humanity. A soldier who once planned to call Sonia his wife until an Area 51 experiment changed his life, his future, Sonia's future. But now she is in danger, and nothing, and no one, is going to hurt her. She is his passion, his desire, his heart.

The man she believes is dead.

A Knight's Reward US DE by Catherine Kean, first published by Medallion in 2008. This is second in a series of medieval romances; other volumes were freebies earlier this year.

When Gisela Anne Balewyne comes face to face with handsome knight Dominic de Terre, she fears her dangerous secrets have caught up with her. The small town of Clovebury seemed the perfect place to hide from her abusive husband, raise her young son, and earn a living as a tailor while she saved to move north and start a new life. Seeing Dominic--the lord she loved and then lost when he went on crusade--renews her desire for him, but she can never be with him again, and not just because she's a commoner and he's a nobleman. Loving him would mean risking too much, including his life.

Dominic is on a crucial mission for Lord Geoffrey de Lanceau: to find out who stole de Lanceau's cloth shipment, worth a fortune. Dominic is stunned to see Gisela, the only woman he's ever loved. She's changed, though, from the passionate, sensual woman he knew. He vows not only to succeed in his mission, but to win her heart forever--goals that endanger them all, especially when Dominic learns she's being paid to sew clothes from some of the stolen silks. As he unravels her shocking secrets and learns the truth about her little boy, he could lose all that's dear to him--or win a knight's greatest reward.

Royal Renegade US DE, a regency romance by Alicia Rasley (repeat freebie).

It is 1811, and the Prince has just become Regent, and Napoleon has just started his secret plans to invade Russia. And Tatiana, the long-forgotten princess in the Winter Palace, becomes the unwilling pawn to further all their aims.What she doesn't expect is to find love on the way to her royal marriage, with Devlyn, the handsome soldier sent to protect her on her voyage.

On the war-torn Mediterranean, behind enemy lines, and in glittering London ballrooms, these young lovers battle duty, royalty, and their own passion to find their way to freedom.

Fallen US DE by Christina Skye (HQN author), a paranormal story that appears to be tied in with her Draycott Abbey Series.

In a night of dreams and danger, a Crusader knight is torn from the past on a mission of honor--and deadly revenge. Only through magic can he protect the innocence of a stubborn woman who has learned to trust no one.

While the deadly fog of a London graveyard closes around them, they will fight an eternal desire and test the strength of their trust -- even as their oldest enemies wait.

Out in the Country US DE by Kate Hewitt (Harlequin author).

Widowed a year ago, Lynne Marshall believes she's ready to start a new chapter in life. She plans to exchange the bright lights of Manhattan for her home country of Scotland and open a country hotel with her childhood friend Jess and her fiancé Rob. Her daughter Molly will manage the home front as she starts her first year of teaching in one of the city's toughest schools. When those plans are suddenly and tragically ruined, both Lynne and Jess are left shaken--and unsure what the future holds for either of them.

A weekend trip to Lynne's husband's home town in rural Vermont brings new opportunities, decisions, and a second chance at love for both Lynne and Jess... if they dare to risk their hearts again. Meanwhile Molly faces difficult choices of her own, and must decide where her heart truly lies.

Previously published as a magazine serial, Out in the Country is a heartwarming novel celebrating the strength of family, friends, and second chances of all kinds. Written by USAToday bestselling author Kate Hewitt.

Spanish Serenade US DE by Jennifer Blake, an American historical first published by Ivy in 1994.

"Oh, yes," Refugio Carranza y Leon said softly as he watched her there in the moonlit stillness. "I'll take you."

Pilar will pay any price to be abducted on the journey that is to deliver her to a convent. She is determined to defy Don Esteban, her vicious stepfather who murdered her mother and expects to shut Pilar away while he takes up an office in the Spanish Louisiana. The man she chooses for this desperate rescue is El Leon, the lion, a former nobleman turned brigand in the hills of Spain.

Refugio needs the nun's dowry of gold Pilar promises, but more tempting is the chance for vengeance against Don Esteban who destroyed his family honor. He agrees to her plan--but nothing goes as it should. The gold disappears and Pilar is left to his uncertain mercy.

As Pilar and Refugio embark for the New World on the trail of Don Esteban, passion flares between them. But will the fire of revenge bind them together or destroy them?

Straight on till morning US DE by Lynne Barrett-Lee, which was first published by Accent Press in 2007 and has a chick lit look, but from the description appears to be women's fiction. Perhaps a mixture of both?

‘It was then that it struck me, with terrifying clarity. I was going to die. I was going to die at any moment. I was going to die, moreover, in a pair of tartan pyjamas and a grubby black cardigan. For whatever was attached to the headlights in front of me was actually driving on my side of the road…’

So begins Sally Matthews’ date with destiny. She doesn’t actually believe in destiny, of course – she’s way too busy looking after her husband, arranging her step-daughter’s wedding, and humouring her mum-on-a-mission (which currently involves Tony Blair). No surprise, then, that she’s out late at night, with nothing but a dog and a cricket bat for company. In short, Sally hasn’t time for a near-death experience. However handsome the man who’s about to run her off the road…

[Blossom]

Diesel eBooks Deal of the Day is Short-Straw Bride By Karen Witemeyer for $1.90. ($8.54 Kindle) This is a Historical Inspirational Western Romance published by Bethany House. It's in Adobe Epub format. If you read Inspirational this is a great deal.