Great Kindle Deals Newsletter - 6 November 2011

Hi everyone, a lot has happened since the new Kindle was released last month, there's lots of free and cheap books out at the moment and I have a few clarifications to make in this issue about what we reported last time. The focus this week for the cheap books section is Halloween.

Clarification:
Last issue I wrongly stated that the UK was getting an unfair deal when I compared the price of the Kindles - it actually turns out that these are two slightly different models, the UK version comes without adverts (or special offers as Amazon calls them) and the US version comes with them.

News:
1. Amazon Prime subscribers in US get free books - Subscribers to Amazon Prime in the US are getting  another free service, as well as getting 2-day shipping for $79 a week they are also getting 1 free book rental from a limited Kindle library - this rental can last for an indefinite period. They also get unlimited movie streaming of selected movies for subscribing to the service.

2. New Kindle Personal features:
Your documents are now automatically archived in your Kindle library (you can control this from the Manage Your Kindle page at www.amazon.co.uk/manageyourkindle.

•       Archived documents can be re-downloaded from your archive to the all-new Kindle, as well as Kindle Keyboard (Kindle 3rd Generation--requires the latest software update v3.3 from www.amazon.co.uk/kindlesoftwareupdates) – you will be able to find and download your documents from any of these devices that are registered to your account.

•       Now (just as with Kindle books) Whispersync automatically synchronises your last page read, bookmarks and annotations for your documents (with the exception of PDFs) across devices.

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Cheap books:

1. Speed dating with the dead by Scott Nicholson - £2.14
Rated 3.5 stars average from 3 customer reviews
Synopsis: "When Digger Wilson brings his paranormal team Spirit Seekers International to the White Horse Inn, he is skeptical that his dead wife will keep her half of the bargain. He doesn’t believe in ghosts, and just before she died, she promised to meet him there.

But when one of the conference guests channels a mysterious presence and an Ouija board spells out a pet phrase known only to Digger and his wife, his convictions are challenged.

And when guests start to disappear, Digger and his daughter Kendra must face the circle of demons that view the hotel as their personal playground. Because soon the inn will be closing for good, angels can’t be trusted, and demons don’t like to play alone . . ."

2. Zombie Bits - £1.55
Rated 4 stars average from 2 customer reviews
Synopsis: "A collection of eight zombie short stories from best-selling author Scott Nicholson. Includes two stories from "The Best of All Flesh" series, as well as the original post-apocalyptic story "A Farewell to Arms" written especially for this volume. Also includes a short story from Jack Kilborn (ENDURANCE) and a "Zombie Apocalypse Survival Scorecard" from Jonathan Maberry (PATIENT ZERO, ROT AND RUIN), as well as a post-apocalyptic survival tale from Joe McKinney (DEAD WORLD series). From bone-chilling terror to horror humor, this collection is for zombie fans with good taste. Or who taste good."

3. Locked In (Jessica Daniel Book 1) - £0.98
Rated 4 stars average from 47 reviews
Synopsis: "Most people who get promoted at work are pleased but for Detective Sergeant Jessica Daniel it comes with the knowledge she is replacing her mentor who was stabbed in a bar fight.

She barely has time to start doubting her abilities before a body is found in a locked house with seemingly no way in or out.DS Daniel not only has to prepare for a court date against the scourge of the force, barrister Peter Hunt, she also has to hold off a journalist who seems to know more than she does about her case.

With a car that even junior officers joke about, an investigation with no leads and a best mate whose love life is finally settling down, the detective thinks she has enough on her plate and that's before a second body turns up in identical circumstances to the first. How can a murderer get to victims in seemingly impossible situations and what, if anything, links the bodies?"

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Free books:

1. Throwaway
Rated 3 stars average from 31 customer reviews
Synopsis: "Jessie Jones is living the life--except for the fact that she earns it by working the streets. She's been under pimp Spence's thumb for fourteen years, and she isn't looking to change it. That is, until undercover cop Gabe walks into her life and offers her something she's never had before: a love, a future, a home. But even if Jessie could walk away from Spence, there are darker forces of evil who want her to stay put, or worse, dead. In this romantic suspense, author Heather Huffman delivers an adventure from the vibrant streets of St. Louis to the caves of the Ozarks as Jessie discovers whether she can love another, whether she can love herself, and whether any of it is enough."

2. I'll be there
Rated 5 stars from 1 review
Synopsis: "In Angel Ridge, Tennessee, not much goes on around town in the winter. After Christmas, folks usually hunker down and wait for spring to come to the Smokey Mountains. But given recent events, which included a bombing and newspaper publisher Jenny Thompson’s disappearance, people in town are understandably on edge. Now Jenny’s in hiding on a nearby mountain, waiting for trouble to catch up with her and none too sure it hasn’t, when reclusive mountain man Cord Goins comes to her rescue. Stuck between a beginning and an ending, both she and Cord feel powerless to control the dangerous situation they’ve found themselves in, along with the unexpected consequences of falling in love."

3. Freaks 
Rated 3.5 stars average from 32 reviews
Synopsis:"Homicide cop Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles have seen their fair share of mortal crimes, but the death of Kimberly Rayner may qualify as inhuman in more ways than one. When the corpse of the emaciated seventeen-year-old girl is discovered next to an empty coffin in an abandoned church, mysterious bruises around the throat suggest foul play. Caught fleeing the scene is the victim's closest friend, Lucas Henry, an equally skeletal, pale teenager who claims he's guilty only of having a taste for blood-a craving he shared with Kimberly. But the victim's distraught father doesn't believe in vampires, only vengeance. And now, another life may be at risk unless Rizzoli and Isles can uncover the astonishing truth."


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I also have to announce that this will be the last edition of Great Kindle Deals. It has been a pleasure serving you but the posts have become less frequent as time has gone on and as I feel I am no longer able to give you, the readers, the regular updates you deserve, the blog will cease to function as of this week. This is due to other commitments now taking place in "real life."All the past issues will be on greatkindledeals.blogspot.com for you to take a look at. Your subscriptions will be automatically cancelled but please do go into the Amazon blog options to confirm this. I hope you have enjoyed the blog and hope to meet you one day in another venture. For now, adios amigos!

If you want to read more from me, check out my blog which covers travel, food, tech and more.

Great Kindle Deals - Wednesday, 28 September 2011

Hi everyone,
Sorry for the lack of posts over the last few weeks but the news we were all waiting for is finally here - Amazon has announced the new Kindle and the Amazon Tablet too.

News:
1. The current Kindles stay - The current Kindle Wifi is priced at £109 and the Kindle 3G is £149. Both the price they were when they were originally released - these have been renamed the the "Kindle Keyboard" and the "Kindle Keyboard 3G."

2. A new, slimmer Kindle - A new Kindle has been introduced in the UK - simply called "Kindle." It does not play audiobooks but still does books, magazines, newspapers, docs and games. It has 2GB of storage, 1 month of battery life, weighs only 170grams, is even smaller, and is Wifi only. It therefore has half of the storage of the current Kindle, is 18% smaller, 30% lighter and has 10% faster page-turns, it loses its keyboard and costs £89 - £20 cheaper than the current Kindle. Unfairly, the same new Kindle is $79 in the US and £89 in the UK - after tax that is equivalent to £60.57 vs £89, meaning the UK market pays at least 40% extra for the same product!

3. A touchscreen Kindle for the US - The US also gets a new touchscreen Kindle - one with 3G and another with Wifi, both without a keyboard and has a form-factor resembling the new slimmer Kindle. They are priced at $99 for the Touch Wifi version and $149 for Touch 3G version.

4. The Kindle Fire Tablet - Amazon's new tablet is called the Kindle Fire. It is priced at $199, about £153 after tax. It has a 7 inch screen and is seen as a big competitor to the iPad being less than half of its price. It is currently a US only product as it would be effectively useless in the UK at the moment due to Amazon UK not having licensing deals in place for apps and movies at the moment. The tablet's features, as posted on the website are:


*18 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, and books
*Amazon Appstore - thousands of popular apps and games
*Ultra-fast web browsing - Amazon Silk
*Free cloud storage for all your Amazon content
*Vibrant color touchscreen with extra-wide viewing angle
*Fast, powerful dual-core processor
*Amazon Prime members enjoy unlimited, instant streaming of over 10,000 popular movies and TV shows

It is unclear whether the UK market will be getting this tablet in the near future or even at all - as said above first a streaming service of TV shows and movies needs to be established, as well as the App Store.

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Cheap books:

1. The Alchemist's Secret (Ben Hope 1) by Scott Mariana - £0.49
Rated 4 stars average from 82 reviews
Synopsis: "PRAISE FOR The Alchemist's Secret: 'Fans of Dan Brown will love this thrilling adventure'. Closer Magazine 'The [Alchemist's Secret] establishes Scott Mariani as an author to watch.' M.J. Rose, international bestselling author of The Reincarnationist 'Mariani does a great job of balancing the historical stuff with the basic plot to keep the pages turning.' Oxford Mail 'Scott Mariani brings it all to the table in this fast-paced thriller that rockets off the first page and never slows down. The Alchemist's Secret is packed with dark intrigue, danger around every corner, bullets flying, sexual tension, and an endless assault of nasty villains bent on stopping ex-SAS Ben Hope from finding the secret to an ancient manuscript. It's everything a thriller should be and more.' Joe Moore, international bestselling co-author of THE GRAIL CONSPIRACY"

2. White Lies and Custard Creams - A Romantic Comedy by Susan Alison - £0.97
Rated 4 stars average from 33 reviews
Synopsis: "All Liz Houston wants is to keep her head above the financial white waters of her life. Somehow, though, other people, including ex-husband Hugh, repeatedly get in the way.
Hugh just wants a quiet life and to be there for the people he cares about. Caring for Liz does not lead to a quiet life.
Moocher, Liz's Border Collie, wants to be where all the crumbs are, he wants to keep all his paws, but most of all he wants to keep Liz company as she rides the rapids of her life.
Add in odd-shoe-wearing lodger Simon, Git-next-door, a lost brother, an illicit fortune stashed away decades ago, a trio of part-time thugs, kidnappings, a tree-climbing tortoise and a dog-flap with a story of its own, and it becomes apparent that a few white lies (and custard creams) between friends are the least of Liz's problems."

3. Snow White: Rose Red crime thriller series (Book One) by Saffina Desforges - £0.86
Rated 5 stars average from 18 reviews
Synopsis: "A priceless artefact is stolen en route from the Louvre to the Victoria & Albert Museum and now the mysterious Queenie wants The Hunstman to get it back. For Red the case is a distraction from the more pressing matters of hoodies terrorising the elderly on London estates.
But when Red's boss and mentor is targeted by The Hunstman things get personal. Very personal.
Set in modern-day London, Snow White is a fast-paced, gritty urban thriller that will leave you wondering whether fairy tales really do have happy endings."
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Free books:

1. The Penal Colony by Richard Herley
Rated 4.5 stars average from 7 reviews
Synopsis: "The British government now runs island prison colonies to take dangerous offenders from its overcrowded mainland jails.
Among all these colonies, Sert, 25 miles off the north Cornish coast, has the worst reputation. There are no warders. Satellite technology is used to keep the convicts under watch. New arrivals are dumped by helicopter and must learn to survive as best they can. To Sert, one afternoon in July, is brought Anthony John Routledge, sentenced for a sex-murder he did not commit. Routledge knows he is here for ever. And he knows he must quickly forget the rules of civilized life. But not all the islanders are savages. Under the charismatic leadership of one man a community has evolved. A community with harsh and unyielding rules, peopled by resourceful men for whom the hopeless dream of escape may not be so hopeless after all ..."

2. Throwaway

Rated 3.5 stars average from 16 customer reviews

Synopsis: "Jessie Jones is living the life--except for the fact that she earns it by working the streets. She's been under pimp Spence's thumb for fourteen years, and she isn't looking to change it. That is, until undercover cop Gabe walks into her life and offers her something she's never had before: a love, a future, a home. But even if Jessie could walk away from Spence, there are darker forces of evil who want her to stay put, or worse, dead. In this romantic suspense, author Heather Huffman delivers an adventure from the vibrant streets of St. Louis to the caves of the Ozarks as Jessie discovers whether she can love another, whether she can love herself, and whether any of it is enough."

3. Touched by Angels

Rated 4 stars average from 6 reviews

Synopsis: "Single mom Sarah Love is determined to make a fresh start in Alabama for herself and Jenny. Born special, Jenny struggles to do the things other four-year-olds take for granted. Sarah hadn't counted on Jenny escaping her vigilance and racing in front of Jake Townsend's motorcycle. And she certainly hadn't counted on falling for the sexy, complex daredevil who nearly wrecked his bike to save her child. Nor had Jake, who had lost his own child, expected to find himself drawn into the lives of a courageous mother and her stubborn, endearing daughter.  Could Sarah and Jenny be his second chance? Could he be the hero Sarah and Jenny believe him to be? The sequel to this book is A Prince for Jenny."

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I hope you enjoyed this week's newsletter, there's more news and reviews about the tablet and the new kindle next time as well as some great free and cheap books!

Great Kindle Deals Newsletter - Sunday, 11 September 2011

Hi everyone! Sorry for the hiatus between posts but it has just been a nightmare getting everything lined up for the rest of the year and real life took over for a couple of weeks. To make up for it, there's lots of news, a feature, some great free books and lots of cheap books too.

News:
1. Christmas Amazon Tablet - CNET UK is reporting that a 7-inch Amazon Tablet will be released before Christmas, by the end of November, and will be retailing at around £149. The tablet will run android and will incorporate perfectly with Amazon's MP3 store, their Android app store and in the US with their video store too.

2. Techcrunch has touched the Amazon tablet - High-profile blog techcrunch claims to have touched the tablet so it is very much real, also reporting the same specs that many others had spoken of, see those above.

3. Waterstones to launch its own e-reader -  The BBC reports:"Waterstone's is to launch a digital e-reader to rival Amazon's Kindle next year.

The company's managing director, James Daunt, told Radio 4's You and Yours that he had been inspired by Barnes & Noble's successful Nook device.

The US bookseller is one of the few high street retailers to have challenged Amazon's growing dominance in both physical and electronic sales."

Feature - New kindle on the way:
It is clear that a new kindle will be coming very very soon. There's been rumours for a few months but these now seem to be coming closer and closer to fruition. Lately, Amazon has offered refurbished kindles at almost half price meaning that all the refurbished stock have been sold and they are most likely just depleting their existing stock before releasing a new version

For a logical point of view, Amazon will want to keep a black and white e-reader as well as introducing a new one (As the rumour goes). This may mean that Amazon will have to make a loss on both - maybe selling the B+W 3G version (With ads) at around £69 and the new colour tablet/kindle at around £149-£199 to be competitive against the iPad.

We're now going into back to school season and I imagine this is the perfect opportunity to deplete the remaining stock and we'll be seeing a new round of Kindles and that Amazon tablet soon, definitely in time for Christmas.

Free books:

1. Mama Does Time: A Mace Bauer Mystery 
Rated 4 stars average from 4 reviews
Synopsis: "Meet Mama: a true Southern woman with impeccable manners, sherbet-colored pantsuits, and four prior husbands, able to serve sweet tea and sidestep alligator attacks with equal aplomb. Mama's antics — especially her penchant for finding trouble — drive her daughters Mace, Maddie, and Marty to distraction.

One night, while settling in to look for ex-beaus on COPS, Mace gets a frantic call from her mother. This time, the trouble is real: Mama found a body in the trunk of her turquoise convertible and the police think she's the killer. It doesn't help that the handsome detective assigned to the case seems determined to prove Mama's guilt or that the cowboy who broke Mace's heart shows up at the local Booze ‘n' Breeze in the midst of the investigation. Before their mama lands in prison — just like an embarrassing lyric from a country-western song — Mace and her sisters must find the real culprit."

2. The Facebook Killer

Rated 4 stars average from 10 reviews

Synopsis: "Dermott Madison has lost everything. His wife, his daughter, his cherished home and most of his face. One man is responsible; Abdul Hamid. When his Old Bailey trial collapses, due to a technicality, Madison takes matters into his own hands.

His manner of revenge comes to him in a dream; but how can you track down someone's nearest and dearest? You log in, look closely and let the devastation begin.
Madison takes you on his journey from being a middle-class banker to a serial killer, through his own eyes. You will feel his emotions, the hatred and rage, pain and guilt, culminating in his descent into madness itself."

Cheap books:

1. White Lies and Custard Creams - A Romantic Comedy - 97p
Rated 4.5 stars average from 19 reviews
Synopsis: "All Liz Houston wants is to keep her head above the financial white waters of her life. Somehow, though, other people, including ex-husband Hugh, repeatedly get in the way. Hugh just wants a quiet life and to be there for the people he cares about. Caring for Liz does not lead to a quiet life.Moocher, Liz's Border Collie, wants to be where all the crumbs are, he wants to keep all his paws, but most of all he wants to keep Liz company as she rides the rapids of her life.

Add in odd-shoe-wearing lodger Simon, Git-next-door, a lost brother, an illicit fortune stashed away decades ago, a trio of part-time thugs, kidnappings, a tree-climbing tortoise and a dog-flap with a story of its own, and it becomes apparent that a few white lies (and custard creams) between friends are the least of Liz's problems."

2. Pets in a Pickle - 99p
Rated 4.5 stars average from 25 reviews
Synopsis: "Drawing on his own experiences of working as a vet, Malcolm Welshman brings to life a wealth of colourful characters - including the formidable practice receptionist, Beryl, with her one steely eye - and an ark's worth of marvellous animals. As enchanting as it is funny, this wonderful story will delight any animal fan. When Paul Mitchell arrives for his first day's work at Prospect House Veterinary Hospital, he never expects this...Oh his very first day, he is bitten by a feisty hamster...but this is a mere prelude to a cavalcade of hilarious - and often painful - encounters with fish, flesh and fowl. From stalking a feral cat to rescuing a cow stuck in a gravel pit, life is never short of animal adventures for the newly qualified vet. On top of treating all manner of creatures at the practice, Paul and his girlfriend Lucy, also nurse a host of waifs and strays back to health at their home. Besides six budgerigars, two love birds, a hoard of guinea pigs and three tabby cats, their menagerie includes Gertie the Goose, whose talent for house security saves her from the Christmas Day table, and Nelson, their lovable - and stone deaf - Jack Russell."

3. A Game of Thrones: Book One of Songs of Ice and Fire

Rated 4.5 stars average from 610 reviews

Synopsis: "The first volume in the hugely popular and highly acclaimed epic fantasy. There is passion here, and misery and charm, grandeur and squalor, tragedy, nobility and courage.Soon to be a major HBO series starring Sean Bean and a stellar cast.The first volume of George R R Martin’s glorious high fantasy tells the tragic story of treachery, greed and war that threatens the unity of the Seven Kingdoms south of the Wall. Martin unfolds with astonishing skill a tale of truly epic dimensions, thronged with memorable characters, a story of treachery and ambition, love and magic. Set in a fabulous world scarred by battle and catastrophe over 8000 years of recorded history, it tells of the deeds of men and women locked in the deadliest of conflicts and the terrible legacy they will leave their children. In the game of thrones, you win or you die.And in the bitter-cold, unliving lands beyond the Wall, a terrible winter gathers and the others — the undead, the neverborn, wildlings to whom the threat of the sword is nothing — make ready to descend on the realms of men."

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That's it for this week, I'll see you next week for some more great kindle deals and hopefully more news about the tablet/new kindle. See you then!

Great Kindle Deals Newsletter - Thursday, 18th August 2011

Hi everyone, welcome to this week's edition of Great Kindle Deals. This week there's some news, an interview and some great books too.

News:

1. Amazon clamping down -  "Amazon has announced that it will begin cracking down on authors who upload so-called "private label rights" e-books via the Kindle Direct Publishing service. According to an email sent to the authors of titles that were removed, Amazon is now filtering and deleting "undifferentiated or barely differentiated" e-books submitted for publishing on the Kindle store because they "diminish the experience for customers."

2. Kindle Cloud Reader - Amazon "now have an alternative Kindle option for iOS users interested in stepping away from the whole “downloaded app” situation. Readers can now load up the Kindle Cloud Reader in their internet browser and get on with their reading. No fuss or input from the device manufacturer required.

To get any use out of the new service as it stands right this minute, you’ll need to have either Google Chrome or Apple Safari installed on your system.

Read more: http://technorati.com/technology/gadgets/article/kindle-cloud-reader-is-here/#ixzz1VQ6o1wpM"

Interview:

This week we're speaking to another indie author - Darcie Chan. The full interview follows:

0. Introduce yourself to us please, and tell us one fun fact about yourself. I was born in Wisconsin, and I lived there until I was about six.  After that, my family moved around quite a bit – we lived in Indiana for a year, then Colorado for five years, and then back to Indiana.  In most of these places, I lived in small towns…in fact, the town where I attended middle school – Cheraw, Colorado – is so small that that the kids there attend public school only four days per week.  (It’s cheaper for the school district to have a longer school day for four days than it is to operate buses, pay staff, etc. for a five-day week!)  The fun fact:  I actually met my future husband at a national science competition right after my senior year in high school.  We each won our respective divisions at the national level and got to know each other during a two-week trip to the London International Youth Science Forum during July and August, 1991. (Tim was representing California and I was representing Indiana.) We went off to different colleges after that, but we kept in touch and eventually became good friends, got engaged, and then married during graduate school. I haven’t been back to England since that time, but London will always be a very special place to me.  Moral of the story -- you never know how your life will change in the future because of someone you meet today! 1. How did you get into writing?  Had you always wanted to be a writer? I remember writing letters and poems when I was very young.  In middle school, when I was either 11 or 12 years old, I entered a one-day writing contest and ended up winning the short story category and placing third in the poetry category.  I came home and announced that I wanted to be a writer, and I think that that was the first time that it really occurred to me that writing was something I wanted to do -- if not as a career, then at least as a serious hobby. Writing fiction for my own personal enjoyment went on the back burner for several years, through college and law school and for the first several years I worked after finishing my education, but I have been able to get back to it during the past few years.  2. And is writing your full-time job? In my “day job,” I draft environmental and natural resource legislation for the U.S. Senate (which is one of the two houses in the American Congress, the other being the House of Representatives), so I am literally writing or editing almost all day, every day. BUT – writing legislation is very different than writing fiction.  Legislative drafting is formulaic and technically demanding and requires adherence to certain conventions.  After working on bills and amendments all day, it is refreshing to be able to write fiction, where the only limitations on what and how I can write are imposed by my own imagination. 3. What advice do you have for aspiring writers? First, I think I would ask someone to understand that learning to write is a lifelong process.  My advice would be to read widely, including in areas or genres that you might not normally read.  Write for yourself first, and gracefully accept as much constructive criticism as you are able to get.  Read your writing aloud to yourself to hear how it flows, how realistic the dialogue sounds, etc. Research your subjects carefully, because there will almost always be readers out there who know more (much more!) than you do about them.   Above all, believe in yourself and never give up! I really enjoyed the book On Writing by Stephen King.  It’s part humor, part autobiography, and part writing tutorial.  I think it would be a very helpful and entertaining read for anyone who writes. 4. How have you found the kindle has worked out as a business model for you? I originally made my novel available for the kindle because I wanted to see how it would fare in the marketplace.  I am a completely new, unknown writer, and the The Mill River Recluse is the first novel I’ve written and the first fiction that I have made public.  I wanted to know whether people would actually buy and enjoy something that I had written.  It is an amazing thing that one can just put a book out there now and have that book be immediately available to millions of readers.  I never dreamed that my novel would become an Amazon bestseller, and I have been thrilled and humbled by readers’ responses to The Mill River Recluse.My primary interest in having my novel “out there” is still to build a readership and get feedback, and not to make money (hence the low price for my novel)…but I suppose as a business model it is fair to say that the kindle has been an enormous help in achieving those goals. 5. What projects are you working on now? Currently, I am working on my second novel…I hope to have a draft of it complete in about a year.  With my (demanding) day job and an (equally demanding but adorable) 18-month-old son, the novel-in-progress takes up almost all of the little free time that I have. 6. Is there anything else you'd like to add? I would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has read or who plans to read The Mill River Recluse.  As a new writer, it means the world to me that people are giving my first novel a chance and that so many have responded so positively to it.  I greatly appreciate all constructive comments on my novel – feel free to visit me in cyberspace at www.darciechan.com to let me know what you think of it! I would also like to extend my appreciation to Great Kindle Deals for this interview. Your giving new writers exposure in the marketplace is an amazing service and crucial to helping writers and readers connect!

Cheap books:

1. The Mill River Recluse - £0.86

Rated 4.5 stars average from 59 reviews (in the US)

Synopsis: "Disfigured by the blow of an abusive husband, and suffering her entire life with severe social anxiety disorder, the widow Mary McAllister spends almost sixty years secluded in a white marble mansion overlooking the town of Mill River, Vermont. Her links to the outside world are few: the mail, the media, an elderly priest with a guilty habit of pilfering spoons, and a bedroom window with a view of the town below.

Most longtime residents of Mill River consider the marble house and its occupant peculiar, though insignificant, fixtures. An arsonist, a covetous nurse, and the endearing village idiot are among the few who have ever seen Mary. Newcomers to Mill River--a police officer and his daughter and a new fourth grade teacher--are also curious about the reclusive old woman. But only Father Michael O'Brien knows Mary and the secret she keeps--one that, once revealed, will change all of their lives forever.

The Mill River Recluse is a story of triumph over tragedy, one that reminds us of the value of friendship and the ability of love to come from the most unexpected of places.

2. Solom by Scott Nicholson - £1.71
No ratings
Synopsis: "Katy Logan wasn’t quite sure why she left her finance career in the big city to marry religion professor Gordon Smith and move to the tiny Appalachian Mountain community of Solom.

Maybe she just wanted to get her 13-year-old daughter Jett away from the drugs and bad influences. Maybe she wanted to escape from the memories of her first husband. Or perhaps she was enchanted by the promise of an idyllic life on the farm that has been in Gordon’s family for 150 years.

But the move has been anything but stress-free, because the man she married seems more interested in the region’s rural Baptist sects than in his new wife. The Smith family secrets run deep: Gordon teases Katy and Jett with a story about a wicked scarecrow that comes in from the fields at night to slake an unnatural thirst. Gordon’s great-grandfather was a horseback preacher who mysteriously disappeared while on a mission one wintry night, and some say a rival preacher did him in."

Free books:

1. Guns by Phil Bowie
Rated 4.5 stars average from 2 reviews
Synopsis: "Sam Bass is tall and lanky, loves old western movies, wears cowboy boots and drives a beat-up Jeep Wrangler. He has a gorgeous girlfriend, Valerie, a Cherokee widow with a young son, and he’s a hot shot pilot. A hot shot pilot with a past. And when Sam makes a daring and dangerous rescue of a couple lost at sea in a storm, he gets publicity he definitely doesn’t need. The Cowboy, as he’s known in certain circles, has finally been located and a hit team is dispatched to take care of unfinished business. A bomb is planted in the beat-up Jeep. But it isn’t Sam who drives it that day. Grief stricken, Sam visits Valerie’s grandfather in the North Carolina mountains to tell him he plans to avenge Valerie in the ancient Native American way of members of a wronged family seeking justice – with no help from the law. With only the old man’s help, Sam trains his mind and body for the task ahead. And then the bloody hunt is on."

2. Grammatically Correct by Annie Stilman
Rated 4.5 stars average from 3 reviews
Synopsis: "How does good writing stand out?

If its purpose is to convey facts, findings, or instructions, it need be read only once for its content to be clear. If its purpose is to entertain or to provoke thought, it makes readers want to come back for more. Readers of this book will never break the rules of language again—unintentionally."

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That's it for this week. See you next week for more great kindle deals.

Great Kindle Deals Newsletter - Wednesday, 3rd August 2011

Hi everyone, and welcome to the latest edition of Great Kindle Deals. If you noticed a lack of a post last week, I'd like to apologise but I was outside the country with little/no access to the internet. Nevertheless, we're back to our regular weekly emails as of now.

News:
1. Amazon.com - rent textbooks
Amazon has come up with an ingenius solution for US ollege students who usually have to buy textbooks for hundreds of dollars - to allow people to rent them on their Kindle and get up to 80% off. This is an interesting idea and I'm sure university students in the UK would appreciate something similar. Since textbooks are mainly colour this really does lead credence to the idea that a colour Amazon tablet will be arriving in the coming months. This could also mean that we'll be able to rent regular books at some point in the future.

2. Is Kindle saving newspapers?
The Kindle could be the newspaper industry's saviour, new figures have revealed. Boston Globe" being the owner of the New York Times, reported that "Digital advertising revenues rose 2.6 percent." In the UK, "The Times says paid digital subscribers totaled about 224,000. Meanwhile, ... it has 57,000 paid digital subscribers to e-readers like Amazon’s Kindle. Overall, ... 281,000 paid digital subscribers."

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Free books:

1. Maddy's Oasis
Rated 4 stars average from 3 reviews

Synopsis: " With an ill mother in need of expensive surgery, Madeleine flies from NYC to the west Texas desert to take on the doomed Desert Oasis resort project in hopes of earning the bonus attached to finishing it on schedule. She soon finds there's only one thing hotter than the desert sun: Jake, the infuriating Texan whose dislike of the fast-paced city puts them at odds at everything from her high-heels to her to-do lists. When the Oasis reveals its dark secret, Maddy finds she must choose between money and those she cares about."

2. Stress Proof your Life!
Rated 5 stars average from 5 reviews
Synopsis: " Elisabeth Wilson looks at the sources of stress – occupational, genetic and environmental – and reveals 52 brilliant techniques for creating a stress-free zone. When your batteries are blown and burnout is imminent these top tips can help you regain control."

Cheap books:

1.Cold Kill by Neil White -99p
Rated 4.5 stars average from 31 reviews
Synopsis: " Every breath you take, he’ll be watching you…Every breath you take, he’ll be watching you…When Jane Roberts is found dead in a woodland area Detective Sergeant Laura McGanity is first on the scene. The body bears a chilling similarity to a woman –Deborah Corley –murdered three weeks earlier. Both have been stripped,strangled and defiled.When reporter Jack Garrett starts digging for dirt on the notorious Whitcroft estate, he finds himself face-to-face with Jane’s father and gangland boss Don who will stop at nothing until justice is done. It seems that the two murdered women were linked in more ways than one and a dirty secret is about to surface that some would prefer stay buried.As the killer circles once more, Jack and Laura must get to him before he strikes again. But his sights are set on his next victim and he’s watching Laura’s every move… "

2. That summer in Ischia by Peeny Feeny - 99p
Rated 3.5 stars average from 31 reviews
Synopsis: " In the long hot summer of 1979, best friends Helena and Liddy travel to the beautiful island of Ischia to be au pairs to the children of two wealthy Italian families: the Verduccis and the Baldinis. From the opulent hillside villas and sun-drenched beaches the girls plan their great adventure to find romance and excitement, whatever the cost, on the sleepy island. But when a little boy in their care goes missing, the spell is broken and the girls find themselves under suspicion from police. Under pressure, the cracks in their relationship begin to show and one will betray each other, changing the course of both of their lives forever. Twenty-five years later, Liddy, walking her dog on an English beach, spies a figure oddly reminiscent of her estranged friend. And so begins a startling quest to the villa where it all went so wrong for Helena and to the heart of the mystery of what really happened that summer in Ischia."

3. Witness by Cath Staincliffe
Rated 5 stars average from 11 customer reviews
Synopsis: "

Four bystanders in the wrong place at the wrong time. Witnesses to the shocking shooting of a teenage boy. A moment that changes their lives forever. Fiona, a midwife, is plagued by panic attacks and unable to work. Has she the strength to testify?

Mike, a delivery driver and family man, faces an impossible decision when his frightened wife forces him to choose – us or the court case.
Cheryl, a single-mother, doesn’t want her child to grow up in the same climate of fear. Dare she speak out and risk her own life?
Zak, a homeless man, offers to talk in exchange for witness protection and the chance of a new start.

Ordinary people in an extraordinary situation. Will the witnesses stand firm or be prevented from giving evidence? How will they cope with the emotional trauma of reliving the murder under pitiless cross-examination? A compassionate, suspenseful and illuminating story exploring the real human cost of bearing witness."

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I hope you enjoyed that, we'll be back next time with more great kindle deals, including very soon with a special interview we've got lined up.

Great Kindle Deals Newsletter - Friday, 14th July 2011

Hi everyone, I hope you're having a great day, it's almost time for the weekend again when you can sit back and relax for a bit. There's a lot of Kindle news this week, as well as a deal on the Kindle itself and of course cheap and free books.

News:
1. Ad-supported Kindle 3G drops by $50 in US - We reported a while back that Amazon in the US has an ad supported Kindle which has ads when on the  lock screen and book listings, but not during books. The price meant that the Kindle has dropped from $189 to $164 if you bought the ad-supported kindle. Now another $25 has been shaved off due to sponsorship by US telecoms company AT&T, it now costs $139. In pounds that's a saving of £31 meaning if the deal does eventually come over across the pond, the Kindle could be available from as little as £80.


2. The Amazon Tablet - More and more rumors surrounding the Amazon Tablet have surfaced this week, including, crucially, a report from the Wall Street Journal which claims that Amazon will release a tablet before October competing with the iPad and offering a book reading ability, as the iPad does. This may mean a price drop for the Kindle (depending on the price of the tablet).  The tablet is said to have a 9-inch screen, significantly bigger than the current Kindle.

3. Guardian and The Observer - The Guardian and The Observer have made it to the Kindle store this week. You can subscribe to the newspaper directly from the Kindle store for £9.99 a month for a full 7-day a week subscription. A paper subscription for 7 days a week costs £27.60, making the Kindle version very good value for money. "The Guardian and Observer Kindle edition is available in the UK, US and more than 100 other countries, and carries the content from that day's newspaper, including all the editorial sections and supplements." The Kindle newspaper does indeed have images. You can get a 14-day free trial on the Amazon website here and it's an affordable £9.99 a month after that, about 34p a day.

An iPad and an Android app will be available "soon."

Feature - Discounted Kindle:
The Kindle is currently being offered at a discounted price of £79.99 at the moment right here on Amazon. If you cant click the link, type this into your web browser - http://goo.gl/zAht6 (it is case sensitive). There is a small catch though, the Kindle you are buying are refurbished. However at £31 off in my opinion this is worth it. There are never any discounts on the Kindle so this is a cracking deal if you want to get a Kindle for your parents, or partner, or even another for yourself to keep somewhere else. Amazon describes the item as "Factory refurbished. Package factory sealed. Ships with USB cable only.. All purchases eligible for Amazon customer service and a 30-day return policy"

Cheap books:

1. That Summer in Ischia - by Penny Feeny - 99p
Rated 5 stars average from 15 reviews
Synopsis: "In the long hot summer of 1979, best friends Helena and Liddy travel to the beautiful island of Ischia to be au pairs to the children of two wealthy Italian families: the Verduccis and the Baldinis. From the opulent hillside villas and sun-drenched beaches the girls plan their great adventure to find romance and excitement, whatever the cost, on the sleepy island. But when a little boy in their care goes missing, the spell is broken and the girls find themselves under suspicion from police. Under pressure, the cracks in their relationship begin to show and one will betray each other, changing the course of both of their lives forever. Twenty-five years later, Liddy, walking her dog on an English beach, spies a figure oddly reminiscent of her estranged friend. And so begins a startling quest to the villa where it all went so wrong for Helena and to the heart of the mystery of what really happened that summer in Ischia."

 2. Confessions of a GP by Benjamin Daniels - 99p
 Rated 3.5 stars average from 70 reviews
Synopsis: " Benjamin Daniels is angry. He is frustrated, confused, baffled and, quite frequently, very funny. He is also a GP. These are his confessions.Benjamin Daniels is angry. He is frustrated, confused, baffled and, quite frequently, very funny. He is also a GP. These are his confessions.A woman troubled by pornographic dreams about Tom Jones. An 80-year-old man who can't remember why he's come to see the doctor. A woman with a common cold demanding (but not receiving) antibiotics. A man with a sore knee. A young woman who has been trying to conceive for a while but now finds herself pregnant and isn't sure she wants to go through with it. A 7-year-old boy with 'tummy aches' that don't really exist.These are his patients.Confessions of a GP is a witty insight into the life of a family doctor. Funny and moving in equal measure it will change the way you look at your GP next time you pop in with the sniffles."

3. Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes - 99p
Rated 5 stars average from 137 reviews
Synopsis: "Catherine has been enjoying the single life for long enough to know a good catch when she sees one. Gorgeous, charismatic, spontaneous - Lee seems almost too perfect to be true. And her friends clearly agree, as each in turn falls under his spell. But there is a darker side to Lee. His erratic, controlling and sometimes frightening behaviour means that Catherine is increasingly isolated. Driven into the darkest corner of her world, and trusting no one, she plans a meticulous escape. Four years later, struggling to overcome her demons, Catherine dares to believe she might be safe from harm. Until one phone call changes everything. This is an edgy and powerful first novel, utterly convincing in its portrayal of obsession, and a tour de force of suspense."

Free books:

1. "The Big 5-OH!" by Sandra D. Bricker
No Reviews
Synopsis: "Olivia Wallace has a birthday curse . . . or so she thinks. It was a broken heart on her 16th, a car accident on her 21st, pneumonia on her 30th, and a fall down a flight of stairs on her 35th. There were Ohio blizzards on her 38th, 39th, and 40th; and six days before her 45th, she lost the love of her life to a heart attack. Numbing grief stole that birthday and a couple more to follow and, on the morning of her 48th birthday, she received the call she’d dreaded ever since losing her mom so many years ago…she was diagnosed with stage-3 ovarian cancer. The doctors didn’t hold out a lot of hope, but Liv survived and maintained her faith. Months of surgeries and chemotherapy and radiation treatments followed. But now, as her 50th birthday creeps up the icy Ohio path toward her, her hair has grown back, her energy level is up, and she is officially cancer free. It makes her nervous. After everything she’s gone through, Liv hates the idea of driving on icy roads and returning to work as an O.R. nurse in a local Cincinnati hospital.Her best friend Hallie knows just the thing to break Liv out of the winter doldrums, while providing a safe haven of warmth, sunshine, and a time to regroup: a holiday in the Florida sunshine!"

2. Harry Potter Collector's Handbook by William Silverton
No Reviews
Synopsis: "Harry Potter Casts His Spell On Collectors!
Welcome, Muggles, to the magic, mystery, and merchandise of the wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter!
Harry Potter Collector's Handbook will bewitch you with colorful images and current values of licensed products based on the famous boy wizard and his charming chums and nefarious foes. Just for you, we've conjured:

1,000+ spellbinding listings, pictures, and secondary market values.

Information arranged-magically!-in alphabetical order to make it easy to find what you're looking for.

A diverse array of collectibles from rare first editions of books worth thousands of dollars to items worth slightly fewer galleons.

If you're mesmerized by "Pottermania," you'll never want to depart the enchanting world of witchcraft and wizardry presented in Harry Potter Collector's Handbook."

3. Syndrome by Thomas Hoover
4.5 stars average from 4 review
Synopsis: "Alexa Hampton runs her own interior design firm in New York’s Soho but now a heart mishap threatens her life. Her black-sheep younger brother insists she go to a New Jersey clinic owned by his eccentric boss for stem cell experiments. There she and her long-ago lover, a medical reporter, uncover a bizarre experiment to reverse the aging process.

Idea points: Medical Thriller, Heart disease, Stem Cells, Aortic Stenosis, Aging, Fountain of Youth,"


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With Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows: Part 2 out today, I think the collectors handbook in the free books section should be enjoyed by some of you. See you next week.

Great Kindle Deals Newsletter - Saturday, 9th July 2011

Hello everyone, welcome to this week's edition of Great Kindle Deals. I know some of you subscribe to the New York Times so there's some exciting news in this week's newsletter, this week I've substituted the "Cheap books" section for a "Highest rated books" section as a one-off, however looking at the prices these books are still all very cheap and mostly under £5. Let's get straight into the content:

News:
1. NYT on Kindle - Businessweek reports "People who subscribe to The New York Times on the Kindle and Nook electronic readers are now getting unlimited access to the newspaper's website at no extra cost. The additional option became available Thursday, slightly more than three months after The New York Times began charging $15 every four weeks, or nearly $200 per year, to read more than 20 articles a month on its website." The New York Times costs £17.98 per month.

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Bestselling books:

1. Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Be a Happy Non-smokerfor the Rest of Your Life (Allen Carrs Easy Way) - £4.49
Rated 5 stars average from 779 reviews
Synopsis: "The revolutionary international bestseller that will stop you smoking - for good. 'If you follow my instructions you will be a happy non-smoker for the rest of your life.' That's a strong claim from Allen Carr, but as the world's leading and most successful quit smoking expert, Allen was right to boast! Reading this book is all you need to give up smoking. You can even smoke while you read. There are no scare tactics, you will not gain weight and stopping will not feel like deprivation. If you want to kick the habit then go for it. Allen Carr has helped millions of people become happy non-smokers. His unique method removes your psychological dependence on cigarettes and literally sets you free. Accept no substitute. Five million people can't be wrong. " 

2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - £3.99
Rated 5 stars average from 621 reviews
Synopsis: "Jackson, Mississippi, 1962. Black maids raise white children, but aren't trusted not to steal the silver. Some lines will never be crossed.

The Help is a deeply moving, timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we won't. Itis about how women, whether mothers or daughters, the help or the boss, relate to each other - and that terrible feeling that those who look after your children may understand them, even love them, better than you . . ."

3. Holes by Louis Sachar - £0.99 
Rated 4.5 stars average from 517 reviews
Synopsis: "A complex story, riddled with the harsh imagery and barren despair, Holes is a perceptive and intricate homage to family and friendship which never shies away from the harshest of realities yet injects the story of a seemingly hopeless boy with a sly, sideways humour that crackles against the backdrop of the arid wastelands of the desert. An absolute must for anyone, young or old, who relishes an intelligent, courageous and dynamic read. (Age 11 and over)"

4. Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman - £3.59
Rated 4.5 stars average from 332 reviews
Synopsis: "Sephy and Callum have been best friends since childhood, and now they are older and they realise they want more from each other. But the harsh realities of lives lived in a segregated society are beginning to take their toll: Callum is a nought--a second-class citizen in a world dominated by the Crosses--and Sephy is a Cross, and the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the country. The barriers they would have to cross to be together at first seem little more than minor obstacles to the two idealistic teenagers, but soon those barriers threaten not only their friendship but their lives."

Cheap books: 

1. Fire Lord's Lover by Kathryne Kennedy
Rated 4.5 stars average from 5 reviews
Synopsis: "If his powers are discovered, his father will destroy him...
In a magical land ruled by ruthless Elven lords, the Fire Lord's son Dominic Raikes plays a deadly game to conceal his growing might from his malevolent father-until his arranged bride awakens in him passions he thought he had buried forever...
Unless his fiancée kills him first..."

2. Back on Murder by J. Mark Bertrand
Rated 5 stars average from 3 reviews
Synopsis: "Det. Roland March is a homicide cop on his way out. But when he's the only one at a crime scene to find evidence of a missing female victim, he's given one last chance to prove himself. Before he can crack the case, he's transferred to a new one that has grabbed the spotlight--the disappearance of a famous Houston evangelist's teen daughter.

With the help of a youth pastor with a guilty conscience who navigates the world of church and faith, March is determined to find the missing girls while proving he's still one of Houston's best detectives."

3.  Concrete Underground  by Moxie Mezcal
Rated 5 stars average from 1 review
Synopsis: "An idealistic journalist sets out to expose corruption among the city's elite and soon finds himself immersed in a conspiracy of murder, blackmail, espionage, and human trafficking. Pitted against the enigmatic CEO of one of the world's largest tech companies, he must play a deadly game that threatens to unearth its players' darkest secrets.

CONCRETE UNDERGROUND is postmodern pulp fiction - a gritty, labyrinthine murder mystery about identity and alienation in the digital age."

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See you next week with more great kindle deals.