Monday 31 March 2014

The Digital Reader

The Digital Reader


Digital-First Publisher Momentum Books to Drop Digital, Switches POD

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 06:25 PM PDT

If the latest Momentum-Avatar-e1328049705378[1]news from Momentum Books is any indication then April is going to be a month for surprised.

This Pan Macmillan Australia imprint has just announced, in a blog post dated 1 April, that they are giving up on ebooks.  Momentum Books has accepted the fact that the majority of the book market is still paper, and it’s going to stay that way for the foreseeable future.

In a shock announcement sure to make waves in the Australian publishing industry, Momentum, the digital-first imprint of Pan Macmillan Australia, has announced that they will no longer be publishing books digitally. Their entire back catalogue will be converted to print, as will all upcoming books.

Momentum's publisher Joel Naoum said, "While we've had an extremely valuable experience working in digital, we've had to make the decision to go to a print-based model. We'll still be publishing the same kinds of projects, but we'll be delivering them via an exciting new system."

Momentum Books is still going to be an experimental imprint for Macmillan, only they’re now going to focus on a delivery method other than ebooks. Momentum Books is going to be the first publisher to combine POD and delivery by drone.

The second part of the announcement was that instead of sending print books to bookstores, the books will be delivered to individuals via drone. This follows the death of an extremely wealthy relative of Naoum's, who bequeathed the publisher an undisclosed sum.

This pivot was inspired in part by Amazon Prime Air, the drone delivery system Amazon debuted late last year, as well as other early drone delivery projects, including one created by an Australian startup.

Momentum sees drones as the future, though of course the  tech still needs to be debugged. For those who want the books without drone delivery, Naoum said "get with the 21st century, man."

P.S. You might want to check the date on Momentum’s blog post.

The post Digital-First Publisher Momentum Books to Drop Digital, Switches POD appeared first on The Digital Reader.

Amazon Student Launches in the UK

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 04:31 PM PDT

Amazon Amazon_Student_Logo[1]expanded their student discount program into the UK today.

British university students can now take advantage of 6 months of free and discounted shipping, followed by up to 4 years of half-priced Amazon Prime membership.

The students will first have to provide a school email address, and in addition to the discounts Amazon is also offering an extra 20% on books sold to the Amazon Trade-In program. Once the 6 months are up, the students then get access to the full Prime service, including both the free streaming video and the free Kindle ebook loans – all for £39 per year.

Amazon has long focused on recruiting college students as customers. They’ve been offering Amazon Student here in the US for at least 6 or seven years. That program is quite effective, and it even worked on a cheapskate like me.

Amazon has also lately been actively recruiting students by setting up booths on college campuses, including one at the University of Washington.  And the retailer has also been running a pilot test where the UC Davis bookstore acts as an Amazon affiliate. That pilot launched in September 2013, and is expected to run for the rest of the school year.

Amazon.co.uk

TNW

The post Amazon Student Launches in the UK appeared first on The Digital Reader.

Barnes & Noble Rolls Out New Update for the Nook Glowlight

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 01:40 PM PDT

Pokingbarnes-noble-nook-glowlight-hand holes in the rumor that they fired their entire hardware staff, Barnes & Noble released a new update today for the Nook Glowlight, their latest ereader.

Readers can now enjoy a better shopping experience, improved search capabilities,, and the ability to redeem access codes on the device (this previously required the B&N website).

This update also includes the usual bug fixed and performance improvements. It’s going to be pushed out to Nook Glowlights over the next few weeks, but if you don’t want to wait you can download it manually.  You can find the update and instructions on how to install it on the B&N website.

Here is the changelog:

- Improved Shop browsing
- Easier search capabilities
- Ability to redeem access codes on device
- Newsstand list view now displays issue count
- Whole page viewing now the default setting for side-loaded PDFs
- Bug fixes for stability and performance

With the retirement of the Nook Touch, the Nook Glowlight is currently Barnes & Noble’s only ebook reader. It is complimented in B&N’s gadget stable by a couple rather old Android tablets, the Nook HD and Nook HD+.

B&N has said that they plan to launch a new tablet this year, possibly in partnership with a hardware maker. They are also making moves into the academic market.

B&N

The post Barnes & Noble Rolls Out New Update for the Nook Glowlight appeared first on The Digital Reader.

New York Times Reports 17-Year-Old “News”

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 12:37 PM PDT

"Rising rents in Manhattan have forced out many retailers, from pizza joints to flower shops. But the rapidly escalating cost of doing business there is also driving out bookstores, threatening the city's sense of self as the center of the literary universe, the home of the publishing industry and a place that lures and nurtures authors and avid readers."
- Literary City, Bookstore Desert: Surging Rents Force Booksellers From Manhattan : Julie Bosman, 25 March 2014, New York Times

…this sounded really familiar to me for some reason. Oh, right:

"The B. Dalton on Fifth stayed open for close to two decades, until 1997. At that point the chain was owned by Barnes & Noble — and the hubbub wasn't about new big boxes forcing out bookstores, but about rising rents in New York forcing some of the big boxes to close."
- Rocket Bomber, 24 February 2009

…and the B. Dalton on fifth, that Rocket Bomber made note of five years ago?

"After 36 years of business, the Doubleday Book Shop on Fifth Avenue, a cerebral antidote to Tiffany's glitter and Bergdorf's finery, is shutting its doors at the end of the month. It will be the seventh bookstore to close on the avenue since the early 1980's, signaling the end of midtown Manhattan's strolling boulevard for book lovers."
- Another Fifth Ave. Bookshop Is Felled by High Rents : Lisa W. Foederaro, 17 June 1997 …that was seventeen years ago, as reported in some local rag, which one was it again? oh, yeah: the New York Times.

"'You just have to walk down Fifth Avenue to see what New York has become — it's become an outlet mall for rich people,' said Esther Newberg, a literary agent, adding that she had just received an email from a Random House editor noting that the company was able to print books quickly because it owns its own printing plant. 'Why don't they own their own bookstore?'"
Bosman, op. cit.

Barnes & Noble could stand to own a little real estate, too: I mean, why negotiate rents, why not own the building? Of course, they did own a building, but they closed that bookstore in January.

I find it hard to cry for Manhattan. I feel sorry for some New Yorkers but it seems like the Powers That Be are rebuilding that borough into exactly what they want, a gated community and theme park for the rich …and apparently, also a collection of neighborhoods without bookstores.

Perhaps this should instead be a wake-up call for every publisher who still maintains an office in Manhattan: is it really worth the rent? I mean, when you can't walk down the street to see your product for sale in a store window, is New York really the "book capital" of the US anymore?

"What I say is, a town isn't a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it's got a bookstore it knows it's not fooling a soul."
? Neil Gaiman, American Gods

reposted under a CC license from Rocket Bomber

The post New York Times Reports 17-Year-Old “News” appeared first on The Digital Reader.

Google Teases Dual-Screen Nexus Smartphone in Google Maps April Fool’s Day Joke (video)

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 12:02 PM PDT

Google google nexus 5 smartphone dual screenhas made a name for itself in crafting elaborate April Fool’s Day Jokes, and they have outdone themselves this time. The Google maps team has already posted a joke video, and buried in the video is either Google’s next smartphone or a second meta-joke.

The video, which is ostensibly a job ad for the new Google Maps position of Pokemon Master shows what looks like a dual-screen smartphone that resembles the Nexus 5 (but is more likely a prop made up of two nexus 5 smartphones.).  You can see the front and the back of the device at about the 1:28 mark:

So is this a prop or a planned device?

Common sense tells me it is probably a prop which was used just to mess with us, but the gadget geek in me (an 8-year-old who jumps up and down and goes “Oh! Oh! Oh! Want! Want! Want!”) is hoping that this smartphone is real.

This type of dual-screen smartphone isn’t a new idea. In addition to the much larger and quite different Entourage Edge tablets, several dual-screen Android devices like the Nexus prop shown in the video have been released over the past few years. Sony released the dual screen tablet P, and there have been a couple smartphones including like the Kyocera Echo, which was released in 2011, and the Medias W N-05E from NTT DoCoMo. So it is entirely that Google could make a dual-screen nexus smartphone.

But that doesn’t mean that this prop is real, just that Google added an extra dimension to the joke.

SlashGear

The post Google Teases Dual-Screen Nexus Smartphone in Google Maps April Fool’s Day Joke (video) appeared first on The Digital Reader.

New Details Revealed for Harry Potter Spin-Off Movie(s) – Plural

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 10:30 AM PDT

When J-K-Rowling-s-Fantastic-Beasts-and-Where-to-Find-Them-Will-Get-a-Video-Game-Version[1]Warner Brothers announced last September that JK Rowling would write the script for a new movie set in the Harry Potter universe, few details were known other than that the movie would be based on the 42 page magical zoology book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Thanks to a new article in the NY Times, we now know that there will be not one but 3 movies. Details are still thin but we do know that the author is enthusiastic:

The main character will be a "magizoologist" named Newt Scamander. The stories, neither prequels or sequels, will start in New York about seven decades before the arrival of Mr. Potter and his pals.

Convincing the famously independent Ms. Rowling to dive back into film was a coup. "When I say he made 'Fantastic Beasts' happen, it isn't P.R.-speak but the literal truth," Ms. Rowling said in response to emailed questions. "We had one dinner, a follow-up telephone call, and then I got out the rough draft that I'd thought was going to be an interesting bit of memorabilia for my kids and started rewriting!"

51xzrfq0UPL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_[1]The character of Newt Scamander was mentioned in the first Harry Potter novel as the author of Fantastic Beasts. That book generated such interest that it was later published in 2001 as a faux zoology book.

There are still no firm details on production or when the movies will debut, but Rowling has said elsewhere that she wrote the initial script in 12 days. She had always had a back story in mind for the character:

Warner Bros. came to me ages ago and said they wanted to do something with Fantastic Beasts. I could see the potential in it. I knew something about Newt [Scamander, the fictional author of Fantastic Beasts] having written a little something for Comic Relief. I had imagined a little bit of back story for him…

The post New Details Revealed for Harry Potter Spin-Off Movie(s) – Plural appeared first on The Digital Reader.

Amazon Faces New Strike in Germany

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 09:15 AM PDT

Amazon’samazon-logo3 ongoing low-level conflict with German unions flared up again on Monday.

Reuters is reporting that some of the workers at one of Amazon’s distribution centers have gone on strike.

Hundreds of workers at online retailer Amazon in Germany went on strike on Monday, the first stoppage this year in a pay dispute that has been dragging on for months.

A spokesman for the Verdi labor union said about 500 of the around 1,200 workers at Amazon’s distribution center in Leipzig were expected to strike.

Given that Amazon employs a total of 9,000 people at nine different distribution centers in Germany (as well as up to 14,000 seasonal workers), this is a relatively minor issue for the retailer.

Amazon has been in conflict with a certain German union for some months now, and this isn’t the first time that there have been strikes. Three of Amazon’s German warehouses were hit by  stoppages in the 2013 holiday season; Amazon said that deliveries were not affected.

Verdi has been agitating for Amazon to increase what it pays workers at the warehouses to match the collective bargaining agreements for the mail order and retail industry, but
Amazon has countered with the point that they regard the warehouse staff as logistics workers who  receive above-average pay by the standards of that industry.

Given that Verdi has been unable to muster a widespread strike against Amazon, it’s not clear that the workers feel they are underpaid. On the other hand, Amazon does employ contract workers from other parts of the EU, and those workers might feel pressured to keep their heads down.

The post Amazon Faces New Strike in Germany appeared first on The Digital Reader.

My Buying Community Want to Help Authors Beat the Kindle Store Best Seller List

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 07:55 AM PDT

It’s long unnamed been known that publishers (and even some authors) have bought their way onto prestigious best seller lists, but until now it hasn’t been very easy to pull off the same trick in digital best seller lists.

My Buying Community wants to change that. This site launched some time back with the simply goal of helping authors game the Kindle Store best seller list, and it just crossed my desk this week.

Like the MyKindex site which operated for a period of time last year, MBC connects authors with a willing pool of book buyers. The site looks to be entirely author funded, and from what I can tell as a reader it works along the same lines as the services that sold reviews to authors like John Locke.

A user signs up, request to purchase a book, and after the purchase is verified the user is credited the price of the ebook plus an additional 30%. After a user buys enough books to pass the minimum payment threshold, they can request a Paypal funds transfer.

Or at least that is how the site is supposed to work; I just signed up today and I am still waiting for the credit for the ebook I bought. It’s a $.99 title in the Kindle Store with 4  five star reviews.

It’s not clear yet whether this site will have any effect on the Kindle Store best seller list, nor does the site claim it can do that. Instead it merely says that it connects readers to new authors.

But the site operates in a shady manner, and I learned of it via the developer of My Kindex,  which did boast of manipulating the French Kindle Store’s best seller list, so I am more than comfortable with attributing nefarious goals to this otherwise nondescript site.

My Buying Community claims to have 10,000 members, and if that is true and the site marshals all of its members to buy a single title then they well could affect that ebook’s rank in the Kindle Store.

Hopefully Amazon is already aware of this site, and is taking steps to thwart it.

The post My Buying Community Want to Help Authors Beat the Kindle Store Best Seller List appeared first on The Digital Reader.

Tim Waterstone Predicts eBooks Will Decline. Also, Horseless Carriages are just a Fad

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 06:31 AM PDT

Tim 5374610955_19f68c73f0[1]Watersone, founder of the UK bookstore chain, had an old geezer moment at the Oxford Literary Festival last week.

The Telegraph is reporting that Waterstone has predicted that ebooks would decline:

The so-called e-book "revolution" will soon go into decline, the founder of Waterstones has said, insisting that the traditional physical book is here to stay.

Tim Waterstone, who founded the bookshop chain in 1982, argued that the printed word was far from dead and Britain's innate love of literature had made books one of the most successful consumer products ever.

He added that he had heard and read "more garbage about the strength of the e-book revolution than anything else I've known".

"I think you read and hear more garbage about the strength of the e-book revolution than anything else I've known," Mr Waterstone told the audience in Oxford.

"The e-books have developed a share of the market, of course they have, but every indication – certainly from America – shows the share is already in decline. The indications are that it will do exactly the same in the UK."

I don’t know what’s the worst about this, Waterstone for making a questionable claim or the Telegraph for backing it up by selectively reporting market stats.

If you go read the original article you’ll see that the Telegraph mentions that the UK ebook market was worth £300 million in 2013. That detail comes from stats recently release by Nielsen Bookscan. That detail is completely accurate, but what the Telegraph left out was that Nielsen also reported that the UK ebook market increased by 20% in 2013.

That’s an interesting omission, isn’t it? I could understand if the Telegraph had simply left out the Nielsen data, but selectively reporting the data raises interesting questions about the Telegraph writer, Hannah Furness.

But that is the lesser story; the big story today is Waterstone pontificating about the future of ebooks. Based on no evidence other than the fact that the ebook markets aren’t growing as fast in past years, he argues that ebooks are going to decline.

I don’t see how he reaches that conclusion; growth is still growth. It would be different if Waterstone had argued a principle along the lines of ebooks no longer meeting the needs of readers or authors, but even that would be a stretch.

Authors and publishers like ebooks because they are a least effort way to get novels and other works of fiction to market, and readers like ebooks because with some types of works (fiction, mostly) they’re more convenient than paper books.

In short there is a segment of the publishing industry that likes ebooks, and there is a segment of the book-buying public that likes ebooks. Until one or both of those go away, ebooks are not going to decline.

Until someone can pull out data which shows a real decline and not just a market fluctuation (like what is shown by the 2012, 2013 AAP data), it is safe to assume that reports of the decline of ebooks are greatly exaggerated.

The post Tim Waterstone Predicts eBooks Will Decline. Also, Horseless Carriages are just a Fad appeared first on The Digital Reader.

Today's Kindle Books

Today's Kindle Books


More Bargain and Free Books for 3-31-14

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 06:20 AM PDT

Here's another collection of 3 bargain books and 2 free books. Please "LIKE" this and share.

Book Of The Day: Only Human by Chris Reher has a 4.3 star rating and is on sale for only 99 cents – save $3!

BARGAIN BOOKS



Good-Bye, Pittsburgh
by Mary Lou Reed
Rating: 5.0 Stars
Genre: Womens Fiction
Price: $0.99 Save $3.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

“It is very well written and an enjoyable read.” -margiebeatty1

In the years following America's victory over Germany and Japan, the heady exhilaration of winning the war begins to fade in post-war Pittsburgh. The spewing filth of the steel mills and the stinging aftermath of the war take their toll on the Donatti family. Better jobs await them in California, and the family plans to head west.

Ten-year-old Marianne isn't happy about leaving her home, and she likes it even less when she and her family move into her grandmother's house for six months before heading to California. From the start, Marianne dislikes the new street and the mean kids on it. But at her new school, she finds a kindred spirit with the neighborhood whipping boy, Hurkey Polowski, and the two develop a deep friendship.

Even so, Marianne feels torn between acceptance by the other kids and loyalty to Hurkey. She finds solace with Hurkey's mother, Sophie, who is struggling with her husband's change of character since his return from the war. When tragedy strikes, however, Marianne and Sophie will need each other more than ever before.

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Isabeau
by N. Gemini Sasson
Rating: 4.4 Stars
Genre: Historical Fiction
Price: $0.99 Save $2.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

“This riveting story sweeps the reader into the turbulence of 14th century England, Scotland, and France with passion and detailed historical fact.” -Great Historicals

The story of Queen Isabella, who sought revenge on her husband Edward II, and her lover Sir Roger Mortimer, who masterminded the invasion that accomplished it. The marriage of Isabella of France and Edward II of England in 1308 is a union meant to secure lasting peace. For years, Isabella is a loyal wife, who repeatedly salvages her husband’s kingship, even as she endures his neglect.

When she finally speaks out against Edward’s favorite, Lord Hugh Despenser, her income, lands and children are taken from her. In an age when women are not supposed to openly defy their husbands, Isabella vows to get her children back and have her revenge on Despenser — no matter what the cost.

Imprisoned in the Tower of London for leading a rebellion against King Edward, Mortimer escapes with Isabella’s help and finds refuge in the French court. But when Isabella arrives in Paris to negotiate a peace treaty, it is a temptation the ambitious Mortimer cannot resist.

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Cool Creatures, Hot Planet
by Marty Essen
Rating: 4.6 Stars
Genre: Non-Fiction
Price: $0.99 Save $4.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

“He has a style of writing that is very descriptive and really brings you the reader into the scene.” -Stephanie M.

Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents follows Marty and Deb Essen on a three-and-a-half-year-long adventure to some of the wildest places on all seven continents. The American couple began crisscrossing the globe with the simple intention of searching for rare and interesting wildlife.

When their travels coincided with the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the added element made them unwitting ambassadors for peace. Their experiences–from amusing to life threatening–changed their lives forever. This is not your average travelogue. Marty Essen has written a book that entertains, informs, and poignantly reminds us that we all share a small planet.

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FREE BOOKS

Please make sure the price says "Kindle Price $0.00″ before clicking “Buy”. If it says "Prime Members $0.00″ “read for free”, it is NO LONGER FREE. All books are free at the time they are posted but are subject to change back to full price at any time. If you are outside of the United States, these books may not be free.



Ghost in the Machine
by Ed James
Rating: 4.0 Stars
Genre: Thriller and Suspense
Price: $0.00 Save $14.99
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

Detective Constable Scott Cullen of Lothian & Borders CID has only been a full detective for three months. Struggling with his burning ambition, Cullen is assigned a Missing Persons case. Caroline Adamson, a young, recently-divorced Edinburgh mother, has disappeared while on a date.

But when Caroline’s body turns up, Cullen digs into her past and her private life starts to unravel. Who was she on a date with? What happened during her divorce? What was she doing on Schoolbook?
Now, as Cullen investigates, his own private life gets messier and the relationship with his DI deteriorates. As other bodies turn up, Cullen soon finds himself hunting for a ghost in the machine.

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Artificial Evil
by Colin F. Barnes
Rating: 4.4 Stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Price: $0.00 Save $14.99
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

Artificial Evil – Apple iBooks
Artificial Evil – Kobo

In a post-apocalyptic future, humanity survives within a single domed city ruled by a shadowy organization known as The Family. Gerry Cardle reluctantly runs the Death Lottery. It’s a job he despises, yet one which keeps his name off the list. Until one day, despite his agreement with The Family, his name is inexplicably drawn next.

With his world crashing down around him and with just seven days left to live, Gerry realizes that the system has been breached by a malicious artificial intelligence. In order to save his life and preserve the safety of those within the city, he must do the unthinkable: flee to the abandoned wastelands outside the dome.

Bitter, resolute, and with nothing left to lose, Gerry will have to do whatever it takes to survive–even if it means sacrificing his freedom, and possibly worse–his life.

 

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More ENT Deals for 3-31-14

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 06:13 AM PDT

Here’s another highly rated set of 3 bargain books and 2 free books for your reading enjoyment. Please remember to "LIKE" and share these deals with other book lovers.

Book Of The Day: Only Human by Chris Reher has a 4.3 star rating and is on sale for only 99 cents – save $3!

BARGAIN BOOKS



Ghost No More: a memoir
by CeeCee James
Rating: 4.9 Stars
Genre: Memoirs and Biographies
Price: $1.99 Save $1.00
Make sure price is still $1.99 before clicking "Buy".

“Hauntingly beautiful. Honestly and unflinchingly written…It is more than the story of an abused child; it’s a story about the capacity of the human spirit to survive and thrive.” -Leslie N.

All CeeCee wanted was just a touch of approval and love from her mother. That’s all. What she got was neglect, homelessness, dirty secrets, and abuse. Yet, there must be a way out of the mind-numbing self-condemnation that would surely lead to her ultimate destruction – there had to be. All she had to do was find the key that would open the door to feeling loved for the first time, learning to trust, and healing the broken places.

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Tin God
by Stacy Green
Rating: 4.6 Stars
Genre: Mystery
Price: $0.99 Save $3.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

Tin God – Nook
Tin God – Kobo

“Stacy Green has written an emotionally charged, thought-provoking and stunning mystery/suspense that will capture and hold you hostage until the last page is read.” -The Kindle Book Review

Amazon Bestseller

The truth can be as deadly as any weapon. Jaymee Ballard trusted only one person in Roselea, Mississippi with the secret of her lost daughter. When that person is brutally murdered, it leaves her with heartbreak and a slew of unanswered questions. The eerie similarity to a murder of one of Jaymee's close friends years ago causes her to realize her past has come back to haunt her and may cost her own life. Years of deception and abuse leave Jaymee with few options and fewer allies. She turns to the widower of her friend—a man struggling with his own demons—to help her find her daughter and identify the killer before he strikes again. Before all evidence, the truth—and Jaymee's daughter—are lost.

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Balance
by M.R. Forbes
Rating: 4.3 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Price: $0.99 Save $4.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

“Classic good vs evil but the stories have a lot of plot twits and action – really kept my attention.” -Jon W.

My name is Landon Hamilton. Once upon a time I was a twenty-three year old security guard, trying to regain my life after spending a year in prison for stealing people’s credit card numbers. Now, I’m dead. Okay, I was supposed to be dead. I got killed after all; but a funny thing happened after I had turned the mortal coil…I met Dante Alighieri – yeah, that Dante. He told me I was special, a diuscrucis. That’s what they call a perfect balance of human, demon, and angel.

Apparently, I’m the only one of my kind. I also learned that there was a war raging on Earth between Heaven and Hell, and that I was the only one who could save the human race from annihilation. He asked me to help, and I was naive enough to agree. Sounds crazy, I know, but he wished me luck and sent me back to the mortal world. Oh yeah, he also gave me instructions on how to use my Divine ‘magic’ to bend the universe to my will.

The problem is, a sexy vampire crushed them while I was crushing on her. Now I have to somehow find my own way to stay alive in a world of angels, vampires, werewolves, and an assortment of other enemies that all want to kill me before I can mess up their plans for humanity’s future. If that isn’t enough, I also have to find the queen of all demons and recover the Holy Grail. It’s not like it’s the end of the world if I fail. Wait. It is.

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FREE BOOKS

Please make sure the price says "Kindle Price $0.00″ before clicking “Buy”. If it says "Prime Members $0.00″ “read for free”, it is NO LONGER FREE. All books are free at the time they are posted but are subject to change back to full price at any time. If you are outside of the United States, these books may not be free.



Pick Me
by Kristine Mason
Rating: 4.4 Stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Price: $0.00 Save $8.99
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

Pick Me – Apple iBooks
Pick Me – Kobo

To help save the TV reality show, Pick Me, from cancellation, Valentina Bonasera swaps her position as the show's Production Assistant, to play the role of Bachelorette, only to discover Bachelor Number One, rancher and sports agent, Colt Walker, happens to be her one and only one-night-stand she'd snuck away from six months ago.

Colt had never forgotten the hot, sensual night he'd shared with Valentina, or how she'd left him without so much as a note or her contact information. He'd spent months searching for the woman who'd given him a night he couldn't forget and thought he'd never see again. Now that she's in Dallas, he's determined to make her his…

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Prophecy Of The Female Warrior
by K.A. Young
Rating: 4.2 Stars
Genre: Paranormal
Price: $0.00 Save $10.00
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

Anna Wilkins is a prototypical housewife. She buys groceries, picks up the dry cleaning and hosts dinner parties. Everything was picture perfect from the outside looking in until the life she was born to live collided with the life she was living.

Her husband is murdered by a creature from another realm, a creature that is only visible to her. Through her pain, his death awakens a part of her she didn’t know existed. She is then thrust into a life of Vampires, Werewolves and Sexy Nephilim Warriors.

Drawn to her by a bond as old as their race, a Nephilim Warrior finds Anna at her darkest hour and seeks to arouse what lies dormant within her. The scorching sexual attraction she and the Warrior feel for one another may be beyond anything either of them can control…

 

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More Kindle Deals for 3-31-14

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 05:58 AM PDT

Here's another set of 2 bargain books and 2 free books for your reading enjoyment. Make sure to "LIKE" and let friends and friends of friends in on your source for Kindle deals.

Book Of The Day: Only Human by Chris Reher has a 4.3 star rating and is on sale for only 99 cents – save $3!

BARGAIN BOOKS



The Good Soldier: Jack Noble Early Years Bundle
by L.T. Ryan
Rating: 4.3 Stars
Genre: Thriller and Suspense
Price: $0.99 Save $7.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

NOBLE BEGINNINGS (JACK NOBLE #1) – In March of 2002, while the eyes of the world focused on Afghanistan, Jack Noble finds himself on the outskirts of Baghdad, Iraq. A Marine in name only, Jack is on-loan to the CIA. Normally an integral part of the team, he finds that he is nothing more than a security detail in Iraq.

Jack and his partner Bear have a run-in with four CIA special agents over the treatment of an Iraqi family. Within hours Jack and Bear are detained. All Jack wanted was to finish his enlistment and move on with his life. All he did was intervene and save a family from unwarranted violence at the hands of four CIA agents.

But he soon discovers that he did far more than intervene. He has placed himself dead square in the middle of a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of the U.S. government. This Jack Noble political thriller is not for the faint of heart!

A DEADLY DISTANCE (JACK NOBLE #2) – Washington, D.C. Midday. A man waits at a bus stop, his intentions unknown. Two government operatives have been stalking him for days, waiting for him to make his move. Unexpectedly, the man takes off running and heads for a deserted warehouse. Jack Noble and his partner, Frank Skinner, believe the man to be part of a terrorist organization that is involved in smuggling drugs and guns and men into the country.

But it turns out their plan involves far more export than import, and hits a lot closer to home. As the case in this explosive action thriller unfolds, the man behind it all reaches out to Jack with a simple message… 37 hours.

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Embattled
by Darlene Jones
Rating: 4.1 Stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Price: $0.99 Save $3.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

“I was engaged from the beginning, and then intrigued with the unfolding story.” -Susan K.

Em’s life is hijacked by alien gods. Armed with the superpowers they give her, she’s supposed to fix the world’s problems. Trouble is, Yves, the alien controlling her, is a newbie and lousy at communication. He can’t figure out how to let her know she won’t be hurt as she barges into jungle battles and courtrooms filled with armed soldiers, and faces Taliban-like zealots, defeating them all.

Yves manipulates the media to maintain constant attention on Em and her exploits. The world falls in love with this “madam of miracles.” Em doesn’t quite see it that way. She agonizes over the impact of her actions and whether or not what she is doing is right.Em is not the only one confused and in agony.

Coming from the sterile world of the gods, Yves succumbs to human emotions. Jealousy takes over as he watches Em and her lover. How will Em decide whether or not she wants this sci-fi life that’s been thrust on her? Can she ever really go back to a normal life? And Yves? Will he risk everything for his love of Em?

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FREE BOOKS

Please make sure the price says "Kindle Price $0.00″ before clicking “Buy”. If it says "Prime Members $0.00″ “read for free”, it is NO LONGER FREE. All books are free at the time they are posted but are subject to change back to full price at any time. If you are outside of the United States, these books may not be free.



Tethered Twins
by Mike Essex
Rating: 4.1 Stars
Genre: Young Adult
Price: $0.00 Save $0.99
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

Tethered Twins – Apple iBooks
Tethered Twins – Kobo

When Emmie Keyes lives through every agonizing moment of her brother’s death she knows with certainty that her life is over. In her broken world everyone is born with a twin, that they share a psychic link with from birth, and when their twin dies their life ends too. Yet despite knowing that her death is imminent she mysteriously cheats fate and survives.

Devastated by the loss of her brother and unsure why she was spared, Emmie sets out to discover the truth. She enlists the help of her best friend to help her track down the most powerful man in the world with one goal in mind; finding the truth.

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Unlikely
by Frances Pauli
Rating: 4.4 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Price: $0.00 Save $10.95
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

Unlikely – Nook
Unlikely – Apple iBooks
Unlikely- Kobo

Satina is a goodmother who uses her magic to grant wishes. Marten is a Skinner, a magical trickster who challenges everything she thinks she knows about their kind. When a magic-hungry gang moves into town, Satina and Marten must become unlikely allies. It will take all the power they can summon to keep Westwood’s secrets from falling into the wrong hands, to keep one wide-eyed girl from following the wrong man, and to keep Satina herself from falling in love with the only person in the world who knows how much of a fraud she really is.

 

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Book Of The Day – Only Human

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 05:57 AM PDT

Today's Book of the Day is a Science Fiction novel by Chris Reher and it's 75% off for a limited time. Only Human has a 4.3 star rating and is on sale for only 99 cents – save $3!

“Only Human has a great plot, is a well paced and an outstanding science fiction tale that will keep you glued to the book until you reach the end.” Lana – Amazon Reviewer



Only Human
by Chris Reher
Rating: 4.3 Stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Price: $0.99 save $3

 

By the author of The Catalyst and Rebel Alliances

Captain Nova Whiteside is assigned to the elite Vanguard task force assembled to combat an increasingly dangerous rebel force. Her no-nonsense new commander is of an enigmatic and reclusive species that soon figures most decisively in the balance of power.

Their pursuit of a ruthless rebel leader takes them through the worlds and dangers of the Commonwealth-dominated Targon sector where the line between their personal lives and their mission quickly begins to blur.

On their quest to recover a dangerous, living weapon in rebel hands it seems that the greatest opposition comes from among their own people and Nova must choose between duty to her command and loyalty to her friends.

Although the Targon Tales are numbered chronologically, each book is a complete adventure. The volumes describe common themes, settings and characters but can be read in any order.

“More adventures with the fiery redhead as she dazzles the universe. Chris You are headed to the top of my author list with this series. I know who I want as my co-pilot when I go to space.”

Here’s what the reviewers have to say:

I loved this book! I read it ravenously! Thank you, Chris Reher, for an awesome book that I couldn’t put down.

*******

Full of great science-fiction goodness, space travel, new worlds, great characters, romance, comedy and really well written fight scenes. Many times, I have trouble with following action scenes in books, but the way Chris writes them, I found them exciting, thrilling and easy to keep tabs on what is going on.

*******

Enjoyed reading this story immensely. The plot was sound all the way through, and Chris’s world comes alive. Her characters have you invested in them. She provides depth and complexity, and humanity in each.

*******

What makes a good sci fi romance is what makes any book a good read — a good author. I hope to see more of Chris Reher’s work.

*******

This is just one of those books that sucks you in without you ever realizing it happened. I was reading this until 4:30am when I had to wake up at 8…what does that tell you?

Get Only Human here: Only Human

About The Author

Living in Canada, it is inevitable that those who lack enthusiasm for snow-related activities tend to stay indoors for a good portion of the year.
Thank goodness for computers. And sci-fi. And eBooks!

I’ve always loved fantasy worlds and writing about what might be possible, given a certain suspension of disbelief and a rude assault upon the laws of physics.
Since I’ve always suspected that there is far too much gravity on this planet, I tend to take my people to other worlds.

Please visit my web site at www.chrisreher.com for info about my books and some of the (non-fiction) science behind some of the concepts used in the stories.

Thank you for considering today’s Book Of The Day – Chris Reher and ENT appreciate it.

 

Bargain and Free Books for 3-31-14

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 05:44 AM PDT

Here are 3 bargain books and 2 free books for you to download and enjoy. Make sure to "LIKE" and tell book loving friends and family about your source for Kindle deals.

Book Of The Day: Only Human by Chris Reher has a 4.3 star rating and is on sale for only 99 cents – save $3!

BARGAIN BOOKS



The Deadline
by Lorhainne Eckhart
Rating: 4.9 Stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Price: $0.99 Save $2.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

“This author has mastered the art of developing and telling a complex, realistic story…” -Lee Ashford, Readers Favorite

Amazon Bestselling Author

Andy Friessen has packed up everything and moved his family two states away, to Montana, to protect his wife, Laura, his newborn babies, and his stepson, Gabriel, from the threats of his mother. What Andy doesn’t know is that they’ll soon face a new threat, one he never saw coming.

Gabriel is sick, and a trip to the doctor confirms Laura and Andy’s worst nightmare: Without a lifesaving transplant, their son won’t survive. What Andy doesn’t count on, as he tracks down the young man who fathered Gabriel, as well as Laura’s estranged parents, is that a whole host of problems are about to be unleashed.

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Rebekah Redeemed
by Dianne G. Sagan
Rating: 4.6 Stars
Genre: Christian Fiction
Price: $0.99 Save $2.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

Rebekah Redeemed – Nook

“Sagan has painted a beautiful picture for her readers with historical details that draw you into Biblical times.” -Cheryl M.

The daughter of a shepherd who saw the Christ child that first night, Rebekah is thrown into a life of servitude. Traded from relative to relative, she suffers through hard labor, neglect, and abuse. What will become of her? No one cares until a kinsman redeemer reveals himself. Can Rebekah forgive the past?

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A Shade Of Vampire Boxed Set: Books 1 and 2
by Bella Forrest
Rating: 5.0 Stars
Genre: Paranormal
Price: $0.99 Save $3.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

“…an utterly enthralling, highly exciting and beautifully sensitive story … Five stars and a standing ovation for A Shade of Vampire and its wonderful author, Bella Forrest.” -Books4Tomorrow

Amazon Bestseller

On the evening of Sofia Claremont’s 17th birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake. A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood. She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine. An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.

Sofia’s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince. Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night. Will she succeed? …or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

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FREE BOOKS

Please make sure the price says "Kindle Price $0.00″ before clicking “Buy”. If it says "Prime Members $0.00″ “read for free”, it is NO LONGER FREE. All books are free at the time they are posted but are subject to change back to full price at any time. If you are outside of the United States, these books may not be free.



Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes
by Denise Grover Swank
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Genre: Mystery
Price: $0.00 Save $12.99
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes – Apple iBooks
Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes – Kobo

For Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn’t enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect.

Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen– do more with a man.

Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own. Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.

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KILL DIET Part 1: How to Eat More, Lose Fat, Save Time, and Enjoy Your Food
by Scott Hogan
Rating: 4.6 Stars
Genre: Non-Fiction
Price: $0.00 Save $5.99
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

What is KILL DIET? It's the end of "dieting" as you know it, and a way to simplify your life. You don't have to starve yourself or spend 10+ hours a week at the gym to get the body you want. You also don't have to give up your social life and good food. "Work harder" is replaced with "work smarter" as KILL DIET shows you how to build a simplified, automated template for losing fat, improving energy, and maintaining your ideal body. Your time is precious, as is your energy. KILL DIET shows you how to preserve both of them while getting the best weight loss results of your life. If one of these descriptions fits you, it's time to zoom out and take a new approach to nutrition and exercise.

 

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