Content FREE (and bargain) books for the Kindle - October 2010

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Beyond Eden by Catherine Coulter (Suspense/Romance)

Product Description:

A successful model is hiding behind a false name to protect herself from a past of betrayal and treachery-and a present filled with sinister shadows. When she meets an ex-cop turned private investigator, she is forced to face her own secrets and to answer the disturbing question:

Who is trying to kill her...and why?

[koland]

The Anvil of the World , by Kage Baker

Book Description
Kage Baker's stories and novels of the mysterious organization that controls time travel, The Company, have made her famous in SF. So has her talent for clever dialogue and pointed social commentary with a light touch. “Ms. Baker is the best thing to happen to modern science fiction since Connie Willis or Dan Simmons. She mixes adventure, history and societal concerns in just the right amount, creating an action-packed but thoughtful read,” says The Dallas Morning News.

The Anvil of the World is her first fantasy novel, a journey across a landscape filled with bizarre creatures, human and otherwise. It is the tale of Smith, of the large extended family of Smiths, of the Children of the Sun. They are a race given to blood feuds, and Smith was formerly an extremely successful assassin. Now he has wearied of his work and is trying to retire in another country, to live an honest life in obscurity in spite of all those who have sworn to kill him.

His problems begin when he agrees to be the master of a caravan from the inland city of Troon to the seaside city of Salesh. The caravan is dogged by murder, magic, and the brooding image of the Master of the Mountain, a powerful demon, looking down from his mountain kingdom upon the greenlands and the travelers passing below. In Salesh, Smith becomes an innkeeper, but on the journey he befriended the young Lord Ermenwyr, a decadent demonic half-breed. Each time Ermenwyr turns up, he brings new trouble with him.

The outgrowth of stories Baker has been writing since childhood, as engaging as Tolkien and yet nothing like him, Smith's adventure is certainly the only fantasy on record with a white-uniformed nurse, gourmet cuisine, one hundred and forty-four glass butterflies, and a steamboat. This is a book filled with intrigue, romance, sudden violence, and moments of emotional impact, a cast of charming characters, and echoes of the fantasy tradition that runs from Lord Dunsany and Fritz Leiber to Jack Vance and Roger Zelazny.


The Promise: Make Your Life Rich by Discovering Your Best Self , by Victor Davich

Book Description
Imagine what it would feel like to be effortlessly confident, powerful, and happy – to reap the riches you’re entitled to, just by being born?

From the creator of the program Time magazine calls “the most American form of meditation yet” comes an exciting new 8-minute action plan that will empower you to reclaim the true joy and fulfillment that is all your own. The Promise is a revolutionary new program that will allow you to embrace an extraordinary gift: Your Best Self. This treasure already lies within you – no matter what you may think, or have been told. And you can seize it with Victor Davich’s unique toolkit for transformation: STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN, a program comprised of more than a dozen powerful techniques. Here you’ll learn how to:

STOP runaway thinking, relax, “decelerate,” and de-stress your mind.
LOOK beyond self-limiting, negative beliefs, or judgments and opinions that hold you back.
LISTEN and become attuned to Your Best Self – the treasure within which true riches await you…

These and other exercises central to The Promise are easy-to-follow and done in just 8 minutes. And with names like “Buoyant Breathing,” “You’re Soaking in It,” and “French Press,” you know they’ll also be fun.

The promise of a rich, fulfilled, and joyful life awaits you.

Start living your dreams – as Your Best Self – today!

[badgoodDeb]

Quiet As They Come Angie Chau. short story

Description
Download the title story FREE for a limited time. Quiet As They Come is a beautiful and at times brutal portrait of a people caught between two cultures. Set in San Francisco from the 1980s to the present day, this debut collection explores the lives of several families of Vietnamese immigrants as they struggle to adjust to life in their new country, often haunted by the memories and customs of their old lives in Vietnam. While some are able to survive and assimilate, others are crushed by the promise of the "American Dream." No matter their fate, you will never be able to forget the people you meet in this remarkable collection.

(or was this already mentioned, and I just didn't purchase it?)

[DiapDealer]

Sandman Slim, Richard Kadrey (Free for a limited time)

Description
Kadrey (Butcher Bird) provides biting humor, an over-the-top antihero and a rich stew of metaphoric language in this testosterone- and adrenaline-charged noir thriller. James Stark spent 11 years killing monsters in Lucifer's arena for the entertainment of fallen angels, but now he's back in seedy, magic-riddled L.A., trying to avenge his girlfriend's murder and hunt down Mason Faim, the black magician responsible for getting him sent downtown. He meets with some initial success, beheading second-rate magician Kasabian (whose head becomes Stark's smart-mouthed sidekick), but he can't find Faim. Instead he encounters Homeland Security agents, a near-psychotic angel and some odd nonhuman, nonangelic beings called the kissi. Darkly atmospheric settings, such as a posh gentlemen's club where angels are tortured in an attempt to bring about Armageddon, bring this violent fantasy into sharp, compelling focus.

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Gone, Baby, Gone with Bonus Content by Dennis Lehane is just $1.99 at the US Kindle store.

Product Description:

The tough neighborhood of Dorchester is no place for the innocent or the weak. A territory defined by hard heads and even harder luck, its streets are littered with the detritus of broken families, hearts, dreams. Now, one of its youngest is missing. Private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro don't want the case. But after pleas from the child's aunt, they open an investigation that will ultimately risk everything—their relationship, their sanity, and even their lives—to find a little girl-lost.

[koland]

The Holy Bible English Standard Version (ESV), from Good News Publishers/Crossway Books, is a repeat freebie from early last year.

Book Description
The English Standard Version (ESV) Bible is an essentially literal Bible translation that combines word-for-word precision and accuracy with literary excellence, beauty, and depth of meaning.

[koland]

Many of the Smashwords freebies are back to free in the Kindle store, but only for those in Australia:
Ransom X (Legacy Series) by I. B. Holder
DEAD(ish) by Naomi Kramer
A Man of Few Words by Katherine Woodbury
Journey to Lhasa in Tibet (Silk Road Travel Series) by Brian Lawrenson
Fire Dance by Delle Jacobs
The Mudlark by Delle Jacobs
First Light Chronicles Omnibus (Spinward Fringe) by Randolph Lalonde
The Unsuspecting Mage (The Morcyth Saga Book One) by Brian S. Pratt
Sleeping Giant by Matt Kuntz
The Blood That Bonds by Christopher Buecheler
Shatter (The Children of Man) by Elizabeth C. Mock
Rogue Hunter: Gaia #1: Into the Abyss by Kevis Hendrickson (I have this one; also recommended)
Journey in the Great Depression by John Lifflander
Arousing Love by M. H. Strom
Haven by Justin Kemppainen
Mauled by Darren G. Burton
Syria and Jordan Adventures (Silk Road Travel Series) by Brian Lawrenson
Union of Renegades: The Rys Chronicles Book I by Tracy Falbe
The Demon Queen and The Locksmith by Spencer Baum
Call of the Herald (The Dawning of Power) by Brian Rathbone
Monster in the Mirror - With Bonus Short Story by MJA Ware
When Do I See God? by Jeff Inlo
Lord of the Trash by Sarah MacManus (cute cover!)
Anti-requiem: New Orleans Stories by Louis Maistros
Surviving the Fog by Stan Morris
DEAR JOAN (Optimized For Wireless Readers) by Francine Saint Marie
Out From Edom: Book I of the Irredente Chronicles by J. Patrick Sutton
The Death Trip by Marion Stein (great cover)
The Path of Dreams by Eugene Woodbury
For Sale in Palm Springs (Henry Wright Mystery #1) by Albert Simon
Letters To My Mother by Rebecca Heath
Boob Tube by Mark Coker & Lesleyann Coker (written by soap opera insiders)
Woman of Sin by Debra Diaz
A Very Hairy Adventure - A Kaynos History Tale (Kaynos History Tales) by Tracey Alley (short)

This one is new, was not in the previous list:
The I Love Lukla Club (Silk Road Travel Series) by Brian Lawrenson

[baccilus]

Hi, I just got my Kindle yesterday. Unfortunately free eBooks are unavailable for my country, India. I think the $2 books cost $2.99 here.

[koland]

Yes, some countries are charged more for books than others. If Amazon sets the price, then it's generally $2 or $2.99 (plus any VAT that is applicable), for those countries. No doubt it covers the higher cost of business there (wireless charges, publisher payments, currency conversions, bookkeeping, tax payments and documentation, etc). If the publisher sets the price, there is generally no rhyme or reason why some countries pay more.

Keep checking, though - some countries that started out with the higher prices have seen them disappear and now get the same pricing as in the US.

[mldavis2]

Stupid question from a newbie Kindle 3 owner, but is there an RSS or other feed to alert us to these fleeting windows of opportunity?

[Rinzwind]

Europe
2 free Fantasy books:

Chosen Ones (The Aedyn Chronicles - book 1) - Alister E. McGrath

World building and character development take a back seat to religious themes in British theologian McGrath's opener to The Aedyn Chronicles. Teenagers Peter and Julia fall into a glowing pond in their grandparents' garden and find themselves in Aedyn—a small, former paradise ruled for the past few centuries by a trio of masked tyrants. Hailed by the enslaved populace as chosen ones sent by the Lord of Hosts to throw off the oppressors, Peter and Julia participate in a secret communion ceremony (“Why do we eat salted fish on this night of the year and on no other night?”) then lead a successful rebellion. Along the way they learn to reject ritualistic temptations to choose personal safety or power over the greater good, and by the time they return to their own world they've also learned something about having faith—both in a higher power and in each other. Periodic black-and-white illustrations add a dramatic touch to the story. The perfunctory story line may not linger long with readers, but the clear, simply presented messages of its religious core will. Grades 4-6. --John Peters
Review
Engaging fantasy -- Kirkus (Kirkus )

'Period black and white illustrations add a dramatic touch to the story.' -- Booklist (Booklist )

'It feels like reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe...' -- Amazon customer review (Amazon customer review )

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chosen-Ones-...7777638&sr=1-1

The Unsuspecting Mage (the Morsyth Saga - book 1) - Brian S. Pratt

'Magic! Real Magic! Ever wanted to learn? We require someone with intelligence and a disciplined mind. Those well versed in fantasy novels and role playing games a plus. May need to travel.'

Little did James realize when he answered the ad in the paper that he would find himself in the middle of an adventure destined to test the limits of his intelligence and courage. Not given any explanation as to why he had been brought there, James, a high school senior, must learn to survive quickly or die as others before him.

He quickly realizes that knowledge gained from hundreds of books, as well as time spent role playing, will prove invaluable in his new circumstances.

This new world is one on the edge of war and only by learning to control the magic within himself will he be able to survive the trials ahead. With the help of a boy named Miko, the wits he was born with, and no small amount of luck, he sets out to discover what he must do and perhaps the architect of his being there.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unsuspecting...7777591&sr=8-2

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by Rinzwind

Europe
2 free Fantasy books:

Chosen Ones (The Aedyn Chronicles - book 1) - Alister E. McGrath


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chosen-Ones-...7777638&sr=1-1

The Unsuspecting Mage (the Morsyth Saga - book 1) - Brian S. Pratt


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unsuspecting...7777591&sr=8-2

the first one is free in the US also. didn't check the second

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Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N' Roses by Stephen Davis -> (Edit: No longer free)

Product Description:

The New York Times bestselling epic tale of the last great rock band
From the bestselling author of Hammer of the Gods comes the complete story of Guns N' Roses - from their drug-fueled blastoff in the 80s to the turbulent life of legendary singer Axl Rose, and his fifteen-year, multimillion dollar quest to make the perfect hard rock album.
Riotous world tours. Drug-induced rampages. One hundred millions albums sold. In his sixth major rock biography, Stephen Davis details the riveting story of the last great rock band. Watch You Bleed documents the life of every band member, including the improbable story of W. Axl Rose. Davis brilliantly captures the Guns' raw power - from the gutters of Sunset Strip to the biggest stadiums on the planet. Based on exclusive interviews, private archives, and packed with stunning revelations, Watch You Bleed is the savage, definitive, and highly unauthorized story of Guns N' Roses. For the first time, millions of fans will learn the whole truth about this legendary band.

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Homeland: The Legend of Drizzt, Book I (Bk. 1) by R.A. Salvatore

Product Description:

Drow ranger Drizzt Do’Urden, first introduced in The Icewind Dale Trilogy, quickly became one of the fantasy genre’s standout characters. But Homeland first reveals the startling tale of how this one lone drow walked out of the shadowy depths of the Underdark, leaving behind a society of evil and a family who want him dead. It is here that the story of this amazing dark elf truly began.

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The Secret Warriors: A Men at War Novel, Book 2 by W.E.B. Griffin -> (Edit: No longer free)

Product Description:

Washington D.C., 1942. With the help of Charles A. Lindbergh, ace OSS pilot Richard Canidy sets up an air maneuver that will drop agents into the Belgian Congo to smuggle out uranium ore essential to the arms race. But this time, Canidy is not in the saddle; he's the backup pilot. And though he's not used to waiting for something to go wrong, he knows that it will...