Saturday 27 November 2010

News, deals, free books and more!

Hi, welcome to the Great Kindle Deals - the blog that will keep you up to date with the latest Kindle Deals and more. This week we are the number 3 blog on the Kindle Store so thank you ever so much for subscribing. Let's get straight into the news:

News:
1. Amazon's Black Friday Deals - As predicted Amazon did not offer any discounts on the Wifi or 3G Kindle in the UK; in the US, they sold off "thousands" of old stock Kindle 2s. Amazon clearly does not need to lower the price of the Kindle although a £99 price point in the UK might make the Kindle seem that bit more appealing. Amazon sold thousands of other items at discounted prices, this could really be the beginning of the American tradition moving to the UK. Meanwhile until Monday you can get £20 off £60 at Javari.co.uk - the Amazon owned footwear retailer, with free 24-hour shipping, if you click here and use coupon code "JAVMODEL." You can also get £2 free to spend on MP3s when you spend £10 in the Amazon music store located here.

2. Amazon Italy opens - Amazon has launched amazon.it and the lucky folk over in italy are now able to get products from Amazon without having to pay import duties or excessive shipping. In facet Amazon.it is offering 1 year of Amazon Prime membership for under ten euros which guarantees delivery within two to three days.

Book deals:
1. Wish List (£0.71)
Rated 4 stars average from 1 review
Synopsis: "Be careful what you wish for!
When Buddy Pancake and his drinking buddies stumble across the Wish List website, they jokingly post their "impossible" wishes. Imagine their surprise when, one by one, the wishes start coming true! But Buddy and his pals neglected to read the fine print explaining the price they must pay for the wishes they've been granted.
Wish list is a compelling, nail-biting, laugh-out-loud thriller in the tradition of Saving Rachel."

2. Moab Is My Washpot (£2.69) by Stephen Fry
Rated 4.5 stars average from 101 reviews
Synopsis: "A humorous autobiography that covers the author's time at public school, acting and writing career and the ups and downs of his personal life."

3. The Abigail Affair (£0.69) by Timothy Frost
Rated 4 stars average from 6 reviews
Synopsis: "Toby Robinson is 22 and broke. He lands a job as junior steward on a Russian billionaire's yacht in the Caribbean, and feels his luck is about to change.
It is, but not in the way Toby hoped. On his first night aboard he is framed for a brutal murder.
His attractive crewmate Julia seems to be the only one on his side. But can he trust her?
With his mobile phone confiscated, armed only with a winning smile and a flair for mixing cocktails, can Toby clear his name, stay alive - and foil the sinister international conspiracy that threatens to entangle him? It's New Year's Eve and something terrible will take place at midnight. Time is running out, and so are Toby's options ..."


Freebies:

  • Three free books by Amazon bestselling author Stephen Leather: (send these to your @free.kindle.com email address and then download via the kindle's wifi)
    • "The Basement" Synopsis: "A serial killer is torturing and killing women in New York. And two detectives are sure that a writer is behind the murders. But as they close in on their suspect, a woman is being held captive in a basement somewhere in the city. Can they find the killer before the latest victim is killed?"
    • "Dreamer's Cat" Synopsis: "The hero is a Dreamer, a one-in-a-million talent who lays down psi-discs for the Cerebral Broadcasting Corporation. Dreamers are employed on billion-dollar contracts to produce psi-discs, the entertainment of the future. But when Dreamers start to die, our hero has to go into their alternative realities on the track of the killer."
    • "Once Bitten" Synopsis: "Jamie Beaverbrook is an English psychologist working for the Los Angeles Police Department. His job - to sort out the insane from the sane, the crazies from the ones who are pretending to be crazy. But Beaverbrook's life is turned upside down one night when the police find a girl crouched over a man with his throat torn out. The girl has blood on her lips but claims she only found the body. Beaverbrook doesn't take long to establish that she's totally sane - but he is forced to face a bigger question. Is she a vampire? And what does she want from him?"

Thursday 18 November 2010

Kindle news and some great value books

Hi everyone it's almost the weekend, and welcome to the latest edition of Great Kindle Deals. This time we have lots of Kindle news and some cheap books. I'd like to send out a great big thank you to you all as we are now number 14 in all blogs on the Kindle - thank you for subscribing!

Kindle News:
1. The Kindle is sold out internationally - Only Amazon US and Amazon UK currently have stock of the kindle meaning that customers not from these countries, who were previously able to buy Kindles on Amazon.com, are unable to purchase a Kindle. This seems to be due to unprecedented demand for the device due to its gift-ability factor and Amazon's recent campaigns in both print media and in video form portraying the Kindle as the ideal Christmas gift. If you missed these new Kindle adverts, take a look at last week's blogpost here

2. A colour Kindle is now possible - E ink, the makers of the current e-ink displays used by reading devices such as the Kindle, Sony Reader and the Nook, have announced a new technology which allows colour e-ink to be displayed just as black-and-white is now. Although, it does have to be said, this is not an LCD making it unsuitable for video or moving graphics - it is meant to be used as a book-reader with page turns. Would you buy a colour Kindle? What would you use it for? and How much would you potentially pay? Write in to greatkindledeals@gmail.com and we'll select the best for the next newsletter.

3. Consumer reports - US analysts consumer reports, widely respected by many Americans, have just updated their reports on e-readers. The Kindle 3 3G + Wifi claims the top spot for best to sue everywhere with a score of 72/100 with the main problem being that it doesn't currently support rentals (although Amazon has said that they are now coming) and the top spot for best value goes to the Kindle 3 Wifi with 68/100 with the same problem being the lack of a rental feature.

4. Kindle for PC updated - if you sue the Kindle desktop client there is a new update with three new features: you now get the dictionary, you can choose to read in multiple columns and titles can be seen in list rather than thumbnail form.

5. Amazon brings black friday to the UK - Black Friday is a fantastic celebration of deals in the US when retailers slash costs by up to 70% off big name brands. Now Amazon is starting the tradition in the UK too promising millions of pounds of saving starting Monday, 22nd November 2010. If you do grab or bargain or are doing some Christmas shopping, I'd really appreciate it if you use my link on http://greatkindledeals.blogspot.com and click on any of the Amazon products along the side and then search Amazon as normal as we'll get a small referral credit which helps to keep us up and running.

Good cheap reads:
Rated 5/5 stars average from 6 reviews
Synopsis: "Jamie Beaverbrook is an English psychologist working for the Los Angeles Police Department. His job - to sort out the insane from the sane, the crazies from the ones who are pretending to be crazy. But Beaverbrook's life is turned upside down one night when the police find a girl crouched over a man with his throat torn out. The girl has blood on her lips but claims she only found the body. Beaverbrook doesn't take long to establish that she's totally sane - but he is forced to face a bigger question. Is she a vampire? And what does she want from him?

Once Bitten is a fast-paced 73,000 words, about 250 pages."

Rated 4/5 stars average from 9 reviews
Synopsis: "A serial killer is torturing and killing women in New York. And two detectives are sure that a writer is behind the murders. But as they close in on their suspect, a woman is being held captive in a basement somewhere in the city. Can they find the killer before the latest victim is killed?

The basement is a fast-paced novella of 40,000 words, about 120 pages, with a shocking twist in the tail"



Rated 5/5 stars average from 20 reviews
Synopsis: "Caz Tallis restores rocking horses in her London workshop. When shabby but charismatic Joe and his dog turn up on her roof terrace, she is reluctantly drawn into investigating a rock star's murder from three years before - an unsolved case the police have closed. Somebody is prepared to kill to prevent it being reopened - and is Caz's judgment clouding as she falls in love?

REMIX is a feel-good page turner, that you won't want to put down until you reach the satisfying ending."


Rated 4/5 stars average from 4 reviews
Synopsis: "Toby Robinson is 22 and broke. He lands a job as junior steward on a Russian billionaire's yacht in the Caribbean, and feels his luck is about to change.
It is, but not in the way Toby hoped. On his first night aboard he is framed for a brutal murder.
His attractive crewmate Julia seems to be the only one on his side. But can he trust her?
With his mobile phone confiscated, armed only with a winning smile and a flair for mixing cocktails, can Toby clear his name, stay alive - and foil the sinister international conspiracy that threatens to entangle him?
It's New Year's Eve and something terrible will take place at midnight. Time is running out, and so are Toby's options ...

'The Abigail Affair' is a fast-paced suspense thriller with a touch of British humour. 
Length: 105,000 words or about 420 pages. Suggested rating: 15+."


Mailbag:
Have you read any books that you'd like to recommend this year? We're compiling a list of the best of 2010. Nominate a book by email us at greatkindledeals@gmail.com

Thursday 11 November 2010

Lots Kindle news and free books

Hi everyone, and welcome to another issue of Great Kindle Deals.

First of all I'd like to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone that has subscribed, particularly on Amazon.co.uk for 99p a month - we are number at number 9 in the "Internet & Technology" blogs and in the top 50 for all blogs. Thank you very much in particular to "Carrie" for their 5 star review of the blog on Amazon. So, without further a do, let's get straight in to the news:

1. Amazon releases new Kindle Ads
It's always exciting to see the Kindle being advertised on the TV and Amazon has released two more Kindle ads themed for the Christmas and holiday season. The is first is about a grandmother giving her grandson a Kindle when he asks for books for Christmas, take a look here. The other is a more general ad, although it does feature one scene in which a woman unwraps a Kindle, it is known as the Zest and has some pretty catchy music. Watch it here.

2. Kindle store coming to Germany - rumour
Although 95% of our readers are from the UK, anyone moving to Germany or just generally interested may want to know this - there are whispers around that the Kindle store may be coming to Germany. TheBookSeller.co.uk reports that "Buchmarkt reports that publishers at the recent Homer 3.0 conference in Berlin said they were in discussions with Amazon representatives about a 2011 launch of a Kindle store."

3. Amazon gives publishers 70% revenue split - magazines and newspapers
Amazon was previously offering 30-35% of the price of a magazine issue or newspaper to the publisher, with Amazon keeping up to 70%. The tables have now turned with Amazon offering publishers of periodicals 70% of the revenue they make - let's hope this encourages more big publishers to get on board and offer their content digitally on the Kindle.

Free books:


1. Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2011
I'll be the first to admit that this is a bit of a niche "book" but if you want it, it's free!

2. The Demon Girl
Rated: 3.5/5 stars average from 3 reviews
Synopsis: "Rae Wilder has problems. Plunged into a world of dark magic, fierce creatures and ritual sacrifice, she is charged with a guarding a magical amulet. Rae finds herself beaten up, repeatedly, and forced to make a choice: to live and die human, or embrace her birth-right and wield magics that could turn her into something wicked, a force of nature nothing can control."




3. Shatter (The Children of Man) 
Not rated.
Description: "Growing up during the chaos of the Nabosian War, Faela Durante and her entire generation never knew what it meant to live in a time of peace. Though the war ended years ago, the devastation has not. Every decision, no matter how seemingly insignificant, has a consequence and some consequences can never be predicted. But some are foretold."

Monday 1 November 2010

Kindle news, blog news and some free books

Hi, I hope you had a great, productive weekend. This week a lot has happened in the world of the Kindle including an update to the agency pricing for UK books; we also have some Great Kindle Deals blog news and finally a couple of free quick ebooks.

Agency pricing on Amazon UK:
Amazon.co.uk has lost its fight with three major publishers, which are now setting ebook prices for themselves. Publishers Hachette, HarperCollins and Penguin now setting their own e-book prices and if you are about to buy an ebook which has been priced according to the agency model Amazon displays on their page the message: "This price was set by the publisher."

This has caused outcry on the Amazon UK forums, as certain books have sky-rocked by more than 3 times in price such as "Just After Sunset" which now costs £17.99 as opposed to a £5 price tag just a few days ago. Almost all books by these publishers have risen in price.
What do you think? Comment on the blog or send us your comments by replying to this email.

So, let's support independent publishers - I'd like to get recommendations from readers who have read books written by independents and they compile a list of the best to put in the newsletter in the near future. If you have a book to suggest, please reply back to this email with the suggestion or email us at greatkindledeals@gmail.com.

Great Kindle Deals:
1. Great news - Amazon has decreased the price of a blog subscription to "Great Kindle Deals" on the Kindle from £1.99 to 99p a month.  Sign up for the free 14-day trial here to help support us, and help us reach the Top 10 most subscribed blogs on Kindle.
2. GKD Mailbag - We would love to hear your opinions on stories, on books, on accessories or any comments or questions you have about the Kindle or the blog, including what you'd like to see more or less of. Please write in to us at greatkindledeals@gmail.com and I'd like to share some of the emails I receive with you, the subscribers, and share the knowledge!

A couple more free books:
1. Blood lines
Rated 3/5 stars average from 5 reviews.


Synopsis: "Blood is thicker than water -- and far more deadly ! A woman is lured to a remote spot in the Scottish Highlands and strangled almost to the point of death. As she begs for mercy, her tormentor begins to carve her face, before burying her alive. In Edinburgh, unorthodox young lawyer Brodie McLennan becomes tangled up in the case. When it emerges that Brodie was the last person to see the victim and crucial evidence is found at her flat, she must fight to clear her name - and save her own skin. Meanwhile in an asylum in Inverness, a deranged patient writes the name Brodie over and over in her own blood! As another mutilated body is discovered bearing the same ritualistic markings, Brodie is running scared from unknown forces, eager to see blood on her hands! Prepared to be shocked in this dark and gripping thriller, for fans of Ian Rankin and Mo Hayder!"

2. In praise of savagery


Synopsis: "One man’s journey in the footsteps of a great explorer into the heart of Africa. As a young man, Warwick Cairns met the then elderly explorer Wilfred Thesiger and the two men struck up an unlikely friendship. Invited to visit him at his African home, Cairns decides to make a bit of an adventure of it and do some of the journey on foot. When he himself was a young man, Thesiger led an expedition to explore the course of the Awash river in Ethiopia. Every westerner that had gone before him had been killed by local tribesmen. Needless to say, he survived. Alternating chapters chart Warwick’s journey with that of Thesiger creating a captivating dual narrative that is part travel book, part biography, part autobiography, part history with fair doses of philosophy and humour thrown in for good measure.In Praise of Savagery is a highly original book that defies classification but is always effortlessly readable."