Monday 30 June 2014

The Digital Reader

The Digital Reader


OverDrive Shows Off Embedded eBooks, Bing Integration at ALA 2014

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 02:46 PM PDT

66470758-jpg[1]The American Library Association held one of their two annual conferences this past weekend, and OverDrive was there to show off their latest projects. There are many projects which OverDrive has been working on, including a new partnership with Microsoft’s Bing and new fruits from OverDrive’s 2012 acquisition of Booki.sh.

If you’re looking for a book, chances are you will be using a search engine. Thanks to a new deal between OverDrive and Microsoft Bing will now be more useful for finding library ebooks and reading samples online. Search for an author or book title on Bing and in addition to the usual search results you will find a sidebar with information provided by OverDrive.

This is similar to the deal Inkling had at one time with Google, only instead of being limited to one publisher the Bing sidebar will show any titles distributed to libraries by OverDrive.  For example, this search will bring up details on a Stieg Larssen title.

After you click the link, scroll down the search results page a bit and click the link which says “read excerpt”. This will take you to OverDrive’s next new trick. OverDrive is now serving up excerpts of ebooks and encouraging interested buyers to find the ebook at an OverDrive library, or in a retail store.

What’s more, OD is also enabling websites to embed the ebook much like what Amazon has offered since 2012. In the case of OverDrive, the ebook will look like this:

I’m told that this feature sometimes doesn’t work (and even when it does it isn’t terribly functional) but that is less important than the opportunities OverDrive just opened up. Now authors and publishers will be able to embed a sample on their website and improve their chances of making a sale.

And best of all, you don’t have to depend on people using Bing in order to make use of the embed feature. The latest statistics show that Bing was only used for 18% of searches in the US in 2013, far behind Google’s 67% share, but since the OverDrive-Bing integration is all handled behind the scenes authors won’t be affected.

Go to Hellman

The post OverDrive Shows Off Embedded eBooks, Bing Integration at ALA 2014 appeared first on The Digital Reader.

SFWA Asks for Comments on Admitting self-Published Authors as Members

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 12:47 PM PDT

sfwa_logo_box_outline_small[1]It’s 2014, and even though the self-pub revolution is 6 years old writers and authors groups are still struggling to come to terms with the idea of admitting self-published authors to their ranks. It was only in March 2014 that the Writer’s Union of Canada voted to allow self-pub authors to join at a later date, and the SFWA is only now asking its members for feedback  on the question of self-published authors.

This was posted to the SFWA blog on Thursday of last week:

The SFWA Board of Directors is asking members to share their opinions of self-publishing over the summer. The Board has asked the members to consider not just whether or not to make it possible for writers to join on the basis of self-published works but also the issues that would have to be addressed, such as confirming income, sales, and other publishing information from self-published writers. The issue should be submitted to the full membership prior to November's business meeting at the 2014 World Fantasy Convention.

My initial response to that post was to add that the feedback could be submitted by fax, telegram, Pony Express, and steamship, but then I got my snark under control.

The fact of the matter is, the SFWA set what looks to be a low bar for membership. Self-published works aren’t accepted, no, but to join the SFWA an author only needs to sell 3 stories to a qualified market. That is within the abilities of any of the better self-published authors.

On the other hand, the bar for membership may be low but it is still outdated and archaic. The list of valid markets hasn’t been updated nearly as fast as the publishing industry has changed. For example, Kindle Singles isn’t on the list, and in fact none of Amazon’s publishing imprints are on the list. (I’m sure that’s not the only omission, but it stuck out.)

Say what you will about Amazon, their publishing division meets all the definition of being a publisher. They should be listed, and I bet they would be if not for the 2012 contract dispute between IPG and Amazon. The retailer was pressuring the distributor to change the terms of the contract, which is really neither here nor there, but the SFWA decided to weigh in on the topic and start directing book buyers everywhere but Amazon. Tell me Amazon’s publishing division hasn’t been banned for the same reason, I dare you.

According to some, the SFWA is itself an outdated and redundant organization which exists for no other purpose than to validate existing members and provide a platform for petty politics. I can’t speak from personal experience, but when I see that any number of authors I respect have either let their memberships lapse or declined to join the SFWA I wonder if perhaps the detractors are right.

I don’t bring up the negative opinions to slam the SFWA but to point out that this group has considered updating their membership rules in the past (including one attempt last fall)  and, if the several blogs I found were correct, most of the efforts fizzled.

I think that raises the point whether the latest effort will meet with a similar lack of success. If it falters it will confirm much of what the SFWA’s detractors have been saying will have been proven true.

So what do you think of their plans?

The post SFWA Asks for Comments on Admitting self-Published Authors as Members appeared first on The Digital Reader.

New List Reveals the World’s Largest Publishers in 2013

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 11:35 AM PDT

There’s a common misconception that the group which everyone calls the Big 6/5 US publishers are the largest publishers in the world. That’s simply not true, and as you can see in the list which PW released last week there are many publishers larger than the US publishers which get the most press.

25236-v1-197x[1]On Friday Publishers Weekly released their annual list of the world’s largest publishers. The list varies only slightly from last year, and it reminds us that trade publishers like Macmillan, PRH, S&S, HarperCollins, and Hachette aren’t nearly as big as we might think.

According to PW, the world’s 5 largest publishers consist of 4 technical and academic publishers and Random House (aka PRH here in the US). Hachette and Macmillan come in at 6 and 7, but only because they are counted as part of multinational conglomerates (Hachette Livre and Holtzbrink).

Coming in at #16, the next major US trade publisher is HarperCollins. They were beat out by a number of other publishers in the US, including Wiley, Scholastic, HMH, and McGraw-Hill.

And then there is Simon & Schuster, which ranked as the 28th largest publisher in the world in 2013. With $809 million in revenue, S&S is a fairly large publisher in the US market but they don’t have much in the way of operations outside the US. In absolute terms they are small fry, which is why I am expecting one of their larger competitors to gobble them up in the next couple years.

You can find the complete list over at PW. I would suggest bookmarking it so you can come back later (I plan to do so).

Publishers Weekly

The post New List Reveals the World’s Largest Publishers in 2013 appeared first on The Digital Reader.

Txtr to Launch a Million Title eBook Subscription Service This Summer

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 09:25 AM PDT

Bildschirmfoto-2014-06-30-um-14.56.50-220x125[1]It looks like the hype surrounding Scribd and Oyster has inspired another ebook company to get into the ebook subscription market.

Late last week txtr, the Berlin-based ebook subsidiary of 3M, pulled the covers off of Blloon, their newest service. When it launches into beta this summer, Blloon will offer readers in the US and UK a completely free reading option.

Users will be able to read up to 3 ebooks each month for free, and paying subscribers who commit to 10 euros per month can read as many titles as they like. Unlike Readfy and 24Symbols, the free reading will not be subsidized by ads. According to Buch Report, the reading will be truly free.

And since txtr is expected to launch Blloon with a catalog of a million titles, readers will have many reasons to sign up and read.. That is far larger than the catalogs of Scribd and Oyster, which at last count had around 500,000 titles each, but it doesn’t surprise me. Txtr has long offered a whitelabel ebookstore platform that other companies could build on top of (Sony was one of their clients). That platform gave txtr an advantage when it decided to move into the new market; in addition to already having reading apps for Android, iOS, and Windows 8, txtr also has existing deals with many publishers around the world.

Blloon is expected to start a subscriber-limited beta test in the UK this summer, followed shortly afterwards by the US. The service is scheduled to launch in Germany in the first quarter of 2015, and other countries will be added at some time in the future.

In Germany Blloon will be competing against Skoobe and Readfy. The latter is still in beta itself, so in all honesty it might not be around in 2015, but Skoobe is a couple years old and is owned by a couple publishing conglomerates, so I would expect that it will still be here. Outside of Germany, Blloon will have to compete with Scribd, Oyster, and (eventually) Bookmate.

Out of all the current competitors, txtr is the only one who offers or intends to offer this kind of freemium service. Some of the services offer a free trial (Scribd, for example) but none have taken the gamble to offer an unending freemium plan which would let users read for free.

That is a bold risk on the part of txtr, and it could well give them an advantage over their competitors. But if I had to guess I would say that the 3 free ebooks per month offer will not last. The constant drain on the bottom line will be the first thing to go when txtr decided to cut costs.

lesen.net

The post Txtr to Launch a Million Title eBook Subscription Service This Summer appeared first on The Digital Reader.

The Morning Coffee – 30 June 2014

Posted: 29 Jun 2014 08:02 PM PDT

Must read stories this morning include ancient ebook history, more problems with library ebooks, why indies shouldn’t take sides in the Amazon-Hachette dispute, a critique of Facebook’s manipulation of its users, and more.

  • Are you optimistic about the future of books? (Nathan Bransford, Author)
  • Facebook's indefensible, unscholarly research [Updated] (VacuousMinx)
  • Has Patreon brought writer patronage into the Kickstarter era? (TeleRead)
  • Media Bias and Amazon (David Gaughran)
  • Opera Mini for iOS Gets Revamped With Data-Savings Options (TNW)
  • There are no good guys in the Amazon/Big Publisher battle (TeleRead)
  • Who wrote the first e-book? (Valley Book Blog)
  • Why E-Readers Are the Next iPods (Mashable)
  • Why It's Difficult For Your (Massachusetts ) Library to Stock Ebooks (Boston.com)

The post The Morning Coffee – 30 June 2014 appeared first on The Digital Reader.

Is it Too Early to Plan a Wake for the eReader?

Posted: 29 Jun 2014 06:02 PM PDT

7042234055_608e71f484_h[1]Counting the Sony Data Discman, ereaders have been around for over two decades but the market only really exploded in late 2007 with the launch of the Kindle.

And now, 7 short years later, some are already predicting its death. And while it might shock you to hear an ebook fan say this, they’re not entirely wrong.

From what I have seen and been told by contacts at device companies, the ereader market is in a decline.

And that’s why when I read this week that Mashable is ready to hold a wake for the ebook reader, I was not surprised. They’re noting that the major US companies are trying to get out of the market as analysts project that it is going to decline:

The outlook for e-readers, however, is more dire. Forrester forecasts that e-reader sales will fall to as low as 7 million in the U.S. by the end of 2017, compared to a high of 25 million units in 2012.

“Those 7 million will be the people who read more than two books a week,” says James McQuivey, principal analyst at Forrester. “Tablets and phones have already begun the process of making e-readers a ‘nice to have.’”

McQuivey thinks Amazon will eventually give Kindles away as a thank you gift to consumers who renew their Prime memberships. (An Amazon rep did not respond for a request to comment on this, and the company hasn’t made any such claim publicly.)

I don’t know how accurate that analyst’s predictions are, but I would bet they are not too far off. As you might recall, E-ink makes most of the ereader screens in the world and they have been reporting steadily declining revenues over the past several years. In the two most recent quarters, for example, they lost money in one quarter due to a seasonal drop in screen productions and only turned a profit in the other quarter because of royalties.

E-ink is simply not making as many ereader screens as they used to.

Nevertheless, when I read pieces like the one in NY Magazine the other day I might agree with the trend but still can’t help but roll my eyes at the people who want us to put in pre-orders for sack cloth and ashes. In a post which starts off by misunderstanding the publishing industry and recent statistics, Kevin Roose argues that:

The death of the standalone e-reader might be good news for consumers, who will have one fewer gadget to buy and lug around. But it’s bad news for the book industry. If you’ve ever tried to read a book on your phone, you’ll know why. Reading on an original Kindle or a Nook is an immersive experience. There are no push notifications from other apps to distract you from your novel, no calendar reminders or texts popping up to demand your immediate attention. And this immersion is partly why people who use dedicated e-readers tend to buy a lot of books. (One survey indicated that e-book readers read about 24 books a year, compared to 15 books a year for paper-and-ink readers.)

E-book sales aren’t necessarily correlated with the popularity of standalone e-book readers, and the publishing industry could still have a successful digital transition if it convinces iPhone and Android users to buy e-books in the same quantities as Kindle and Nook users. But there’s no getting around the fact that smartphones aren’t designed for focused, sustained reading. They have small screens, for starters, which make long reading sessions tough on the eyes. But the bigger problem is that smartphones breed short attention spans. On a phone or a multi-function tablet, e-books have to compete for attention with Facebook, Instagram, Pandora, Angry Birds, and everything else you do. It’s the difference between watching TV intently, and watching TV while folding laundry, talking on the phone, and doing the crossword puzzle.

Mr Roose got his causality all turned around. He seems to think that having an ereader turns readers into heavy book buyers, when in reality it’s the big spenders who got into ereaders because the portability justified the cost. (Also, heavy reader =\= heavy book buyer.) Mr Roose would be just as wrong if he assumed that buying a gaming console would turn someone into a heavy gamer.

Most heavy ebook buyers were already heavily invested in paper books; we simply shifted our buying habits. Many other readers wanted to be into books but lacked the time or space for paper books.

Really, what Mr Roose seems to have missed is that the people who are into ereaders now saw the technology when it first appeared, and made a conscious choice to adopt it and use it to read. Give those people a tablet and I would bet that many will choose to use it to read.

In short, gadgets come and go but book buyers tend to stick around for a lot longer than whatever device is the latest fad. Or am I wrong?

image by nickbrett

 

The post Is it Too Early to Plan a Wake for the eReader? appeared first on The Digital Reader.

Today's Kindle Books

Today's Kindle Books


More Bargain and Free Books for 6-30-14

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 07:05 AM PDT

Relax this evening with your Kindle and download another set of 3 bargain books and 2 free books. Please "LIKE" and share with fellow book lovers.

Book Of The Day: Resurrected by Amazon bestselling author Steve Trotter has a 4.6 star rating and is on sale for only 99 cents – save $3!

BARGAIN BOOKS



Indiscreet
by Carolyn Jewel
Rating: 4.2 Stars
Genre: Historical Romance
Price: $0.99 Save $4.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

Indiscreet – Nook
Indiscreet – Apple iBooks
Indiscreet – Kobo

“Carolyn Jewel is one author of the historical romance genre that you can always count on to deliver a book with an amazing story and a romance that will blow you away. Indiscreet is such a book.” -Babbling About Books

Award-Winning Author

After a lie destroys the reputation of Sabine Godard, a young woman raised by her Oxford Don uncle, she and her elderly uncle travel to Turkey to escape the gossip. In Constantinople, she meets Edward, Marquess of Foye, an outsized man who refers to himself as a beast. He fascinates her and then earns her admiration. He doesn't care that she's better educated than many men, and he, too, was hurt by the lie that forced her to leave London.

Foye knows Sabine is innocent of the disgrace that forced her to leave England and quickly finds himself captivated by her. It doesn't matter that she's beautiful and he's far from handsome. Sabine is the woman who restores his heart. He can scarcely believe she returns his feelings. If he must wait for her, he will. When Sabine and her uncle fall into the hands of Turkish Pasha, Foye will do anything to make sure Sabine and her uncle are safe.

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What Hides Within
by Jason Parent
Rating: 4.6 Stars
Genre: Horror
Price: $0.99 Save $2.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

“There is nothing better than a horror story that has you twitching long after you’ve finished. Definitely Recommended.” -A Thousand Lives

Inside all of us, there is darkness. Inside Clive, it’s tangible, and it’s aching to get out. What Hides Within tells the story of a man held captive by an unknown evil. Clive Menard is a spineless slacker leading an ordinary existence. But when Chester enters his life, it becomes far from ordinary.

A disheveled Clive stands alone in a hospital waiting room. A series of incidences have led him to undergo unnecessary neurosurgery. A voice inside Clive’s head nags him to kill the doctor. Weeks prior, a murder investigation and an unrelated kayaking excursion set the story’s interlocking events in motion.

When a remorseful killer, a bomb-happy psychopath and a mysterious widow spider converge upon Clive, they bring with them destruction and death. Clive must discover who or what is steering his very existence before he, too, is consumed by the carnage around him.

With a driven detective following his every step and a vicious killer hiding within his circle of friends, Clive must walk a narrow and dangerous path, teetering between salvation and damnation. He must confront Chester and his own demons. But is he powerless to overcome them?

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Mindfulness Made Simple
by Calistoga Press
Rating: 4.3 Stars
Genre: Non-Fiction
Price: $0.99 Save $6.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

“I would highly recommend anyone beginning their journey or even years into their journey to read this book.” -Nicole P.

Ease Your Anxiety and Find Calm with the Ancient and Popular Practice of Mindfulness – A modern practice with ancient roots, mindfulness is widely recognized for its calming, healing, and restorative effects.

Mindfulness and meditation can help you relieve stress, regulate your emotions, achieve focus and clarity, strengthen your communication skills, and cultivate an appreciation for what is most important to you. Based on centuries of experience and new techniques in the field of psychology, Mindfulness Made Simple shows how to bring mindfulness and meditation into your daily life.

Mindfulness Made Simple offers inspiring and practical guidance, with:

• Foreword by noted psychologist Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D.
• Brief history of mindfulness and its growing impact in the present day
• Step-by-step introduction to your first meditation…and so much more!!!

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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.



Waking Broken
by Huw Thomas
Rating: 4.0 Stars
Genre: Thriller and Suspense
Price: $0.00 Save $2.99
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

Women are dying… and Danny Harper's life is in pieces. Everything is going perfectly for young journalist Danny Harper: a new flat, a career on the up and the girl he loves about to marry him. Then he wakes in hospital to find none of it's true.

Refusing to admit he's imagined it all, Harper tries to regain his lost life. But, while his claims are initially dismissed as delusion, he knows secrets that can't be easily explained – including why women are going missing off his city's streets.

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Concealed Power
by K.J. Colt
Rating: 4.3 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Price: $0.00 Save $11.50
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

Concealed Power – Nook
Concealed Power – Kobo

Adenine is blind and isolated in her small attic bedroom. The last carrier of the Death Plague — that wiped out thousands of her country’s people twenty-five years ago — she must avoid contact with the outside world.

When her mother fails to bring her food Adenine begins to starve. Driven by her hunger, Adenine ventures into the house discovering her mother bedridden and sick. Despite her terror of infecting others, Adenine fumbles her way onto the streets of Borrelia in search of the town’s doctor.

Soon, she is surrounded by new friends… and enemies she never knew existed. Adenine’s mother is keeping dark secrets, her friends are lying to her and when threats arise she must decide who to trust.

 

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More ENT Deals for 6-30-14

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 06:54 AM PDT

Take a break and download these 3 bargain books and 2 free books. Remember to "LIKE" and let friends and family in on your favorite source for Kindle deals.

Book Of The Day: Resurrected by Amazon bestselling author Steve Trotter has a 4.6 star rating and is on sale for only 99 cents – save $3!

BARGAIN BOOKS



Easy Like Sunday Mourning
by Jennie Marts
Rating: 5.0 Stars
Genre: Womens Fiction
Price: $0.99 Save $3.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

“Marts’ witty, and face-paced novel, truly is a page turner! Humorous and engaging….” -Eileen S.

Amazon Bestselling Author

Single mom Maggie Hayes puts up a tough front to hide her loneliness, spending her days in the courtroom as a lawyer and her evenings as a closet video gamer. Another heartache isn't worth the risk, not after her husband left her last year for a Hooters waitress. When she decides to try dating again, a cute video game-designing nerd seems like a safe bet….Until he becomes the prime suspect in a murder.

Jeremy Rogers makes a good living designing video games, but nothing prepares him for the real world adventure of being accused of poisoning his own employee. Add in falling for a sassy attorney with a competitive ex-husband, a clingy blonde coworker, and a mammoth-size dog that eats his furniture. Suddenly fighting off a screen full of zombies or preventing an alien invasion seems like child's play.

Maggie and Jeremy find themselves embroiled in a game of death threats, lies, and betrayal. Maggie must learn to trust again while playing the most dangerous game of all. Because defeat could mean not only losing her heart, but also her life…

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V-Card
by Alicia Michaels
Rating: 4.4 Stars
Genre: Young Adult
Price: $0.99 Save $3.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

V-Card – Nook
V-Card – Apple iBooks

“…it’s a must read for anyone looking for an entertaining, light read.” -Carly

Jennifer Nolan has been unlucky when it comes to love; even more unfortunate when it comes to sex. In fact, the twenty year-old college junior is about to enter her senior year still carrying her v-card.

All she wants is to be with that special someone without it resulting in a trip to the emergency room, runaway office supplies, or being scarred for life by someone's weird fetishes. With several botched attempts under her belt, she begins to fear she'll end up a lonely spinster or a crazy cat lady.

With only 60 days until her 21st birthday, Jennifer is determined to lose her virginity once and for all. Little does she know that her mission will lead her down a path toward love. She never expects that her mission will lead her to a discovery of what true womanhood is, and where true and lasting love begins.

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Bargaining With a Rake
by Julie Johnstone
Rating: 4.0 Stars
Genre: Historical Romance
Price: $0.99 Save $2.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

Bargaining With a Rake – Nook
Bargaining With a Rake – Apple iBooks

“This book held my attention from page one right through to the end.” -Ria W.

For eleven years, Gillian Rutherford has dreamed of escaping her family's dark secret and living a normal life. Now, faced with an unwelcome marriage that will chain her to London and the secret slowly killing her, she's desperate to save herself and the sister she adores.

Salvation comes in the form of an American shipping tycoon, and all she must do is seduce him into marrying her. But Gillian's scheme hits a snag when she makes a bargain with a notorious rake Alexander Trevelle, Lord Lionhurst.

He'll help her win the hand of his American friend, if she'll assist him with exacting revenge against her unwanted fiancé. But the price of the pact may just be their hearts.

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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.



A Life Less Broken
by Margaret McHeyzer
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Price: $0.00 Save $2.99
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

On a day like any other, Allyn Sommers went off to work, not knowing that her life was about to be irrevocably and horrifically altered. Three years later, Allyn is still a prisoner in her own home held captive by harrowing fear. Broken and damaged, Allyn seeks help from someone that fate brought her.

Dr. Dominic Shriver is a psychiatrist who's drawn to difficult cases. He must push past his own personal battles to help Allyn fight her monsters and nightmares. Is Dr. Shriver the answer to her healing? Can Allyn overcome the broken?

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Blue Hole
by Rolland Love
Rating: 4.0 Stars
Genre: Thriller and Suspense
Price: $0.00 Save $4.99
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

The story is based on a tale my Grandfather told about a body found floating in a swimming hole in a remote area of the Ozark Mountains. The name Blue Hole comes from the sky blue color of a deep pool of water where a spring runs into the Jacks Fork river from the mouth of a cave.

 

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Check out the lineup of Kindles here!

More Kindle Deals for 6-30-14

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 06:45 AM PDT

Check out another selection of 4 bargain books and 2 free books for your reading enjoyment. Make sure to "LIKE" and share your literary finds with a friend or two.

Book Of The Day: Resurrected by Amazon bestselling author Steve Trotter has a 4.6 star rating and is on sale for only 99 cents – save $3!

BARGAIN BOOKS



Once Written, Twice Shy
by Carey Decevito
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Price: $0.99 Save $3.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

Once Written, Twice Shy – Nook
Once Written, Twice Shy – Apple iBooks
Once Written, Twice Shy – Kobo

“Carey Decevito gives her readers a nice balance of real life mixed with the fantasy of a whirlwind romance.” -Cindy Meyer, The Book Enthusiasts

After a bitter marriage, Paxton seeks respite from his loss. Rediscovering his writing, he never expected creating a piece worthy of reading nor for two unsuspecting paths to cross in the most unconventional of ways.

Thousands of miles separated them, yet he'd never felt closer to anyone. Finding out that happiness and love was attainable again, was one thing. Having Alissa, was another. When the two meet, sparks fly, chemistry is beyond explosive, and emotions reach a boiling point.

Their brief love affair ignited the fuse but what Paxton neglected to anticipate was that his son would fall for the sweet, meek demurred woman in Alissa or the fact the woman would be their salvation; in more ways than one.

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The Hunt
by C.J. Ellisson
Rating: 4.7 Stars
Genre: Paranormal
Price: $0.99 Save $3.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

The Hunt – Nook
The Hunt – Kobo

“I loved this book from the first page! …The Hunt grabbed me and I couldn’t put it down!” -Julie R.

New York Times, USA Today and Amazon Bestselling Author

Vivian thinks she can control every aspect of a deadly game with her usual manipulations… but what if she can't? Seven vampires and seven werewolves pay to hunt a supernatural criminal across the cold, vast grounds of an Alaskan resort. The one to catch her, and live through the encounter, will increase their power by feasting on hers.

The tiny vampire they track is more than she appears, however. To escape a fate of twelve years in silver chains, she’ll do anything to survive the weeklong excursion. This time, the darkness holds more than just the stinging bite of the Arctic—it holds death.

Journey along, in this next installment of The V V Inn series, for a wild ride as the tale is told through the eyes of all the new seethe members.

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A Life of Death
by Weston Kincade
Rating: 4.9 Stars
Genre: Horror
Price: $0.99 Save $3.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

"A well written story that flows off the page." -Coral Russell, author of Amador Lockdown

Homicide detective Alex Drummond is confronted with the past through his son's innocent question. Alex's tale of his troubled senior year unfolds revealing loss, drunken abuse, and mysterious visions of murder and demonic children. Is he going insane? With the help of his close friend Paige Kurtley, Alex must find the source of his misfortune and ensure his sanity.

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Severance Kill
by Tim Stevens
Rating: 4.2 Stars
Genre: Thriller and Suspense
Price: $0.99 Save $4.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

Severance Kill – Apple iBooks
Severance Kill – Google Play
Severance Kill – Kobo

“Masterful nonstop actioner… superb, intelligent and filled with energy.” -O. Barnack

Martin Calvary is going to Prague to kill a man. First he has to rescue him. Calvary works for The Chapel, a branch of British Intelligence that identifies enemies of the state who are beyond the reach of the law, and eliminates them. Permanently.

But Calvary has had enough of the killing and wants out. His employers make him an offer: if he carries out one more assassination, he's free to leave. If he refuses, evidence of his involvement in all the previous killings will be passed on to the police and he'll become a wanted criminal facing life in prison.

Trapped, Calvary travels to Prague to carry out the hit. The target is Sir Ivor Gaines, a retired senior British diplomat and Cold War traitor who escaped justice more than twenty years ago. But Calvary discovers he's not the only one with an interest in Gaines. Also hunting him are the city's gangland boss, and the local branch of the successor organisation to the Soviet KGB…

Calvary's hit on Gaines fails, and he's plunged into a race against time to locate and terminate the man before either Prague's premier organised crime family or the Russians discover just why Gaines is so important, and what the explosive repercussions would be were he to be taken to Moscow.

Haunted by the memory of a terrible error he made five years ago, Calvary must track down Gaines to achieve severance not only from his job, but from his past itself.

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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.



Deep Fried and Pickled
by Paisley Ray
Rating: 4.0 Stars
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Price: $0.00 Save $4.99
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

It's '86, the era of Pop Rocks, Jelly shoes, and big hair bands. Rachael O’Brien’s freshman plan seems simple: Attend a southern college away from her hometown of Canton, Ohio, earn a degree, party, and meet cute guys—hopefully acing the latter two.

But being threatened by a jealous She-Devil, avoiding the advances of a thirty-something redneck, and discovering an art fraud scheme mess with her "to do" list. On top of her troubles at school, Rachael finds herself forging a new relationship with her emotionally shaken father after Mom abandons the family to pursue a psychic calling.

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Beneath a Buried House
by Bob Avey
Rating: 4.0 Stars
Genre: Mystery
Price: $0.00 Save $3.99
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

Things aren't always what they seem. Tulsa Police Detective, Kenny Elliot's quest to uncover the truth behind the death of a transient makes him a target – from whom or what he isn't sure. When he brushes the dirt from the surface of an apparent John Doe overdose case, he finds a labyrinth of misdirection and deception beneath, and a trail, which leads him to an encounter with an aberration in human nature, the likes of which he's not prepared to deal with. Drawing on his strength of character, and sense of right and wrong, he wrestles with deep personal feelings to solve the case.

 

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Book Of The Day – RESURRECTED: An Adam Wolf Thriller

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 05:57 AM PDT

Today's Book of the Day is a Thriller by bestselling author Steve Trotter and it's 75% off for a limited time. RESURRECTED: An Adam Wolf Thriller has a 4.6 star rating and is on sale for only 99 cents – save $3!

“Resurrected is one of those straight-through, fast paced reads that compels you to stay up way, way past your bedtime.” Jim – Amazon Reviewer



RESURRECTED: An Adam Wolf Thriller
by Steve Trotter
Rating: 4.6 Stars
Genre: Thriller and Suspense
Price: $0.99 save $3

 

Amazon Bestselling Author

When Adam Wolf retires from a killer career (one that Uncle Sam would deny existed) and resurrects himself as an author of young adult books, he soon discovers that no way in hell is the pen mightier than the sword; not when the mob slaps a verbal contract on your head.

Moments after reluctantly snuffing his 60th birthday candle, Wolf witnesses the snuffing of an ace crime reporter. Wolf’s decision to testify against the shooter puts him, and the only woman he’s ever let close enough to imperil, in the crosshairs of a ruthless crime family and their outlaw biker hit men. The one problem his hunters didn’t count on is that their target is no ordinary senior citizen. Wolf is a black ops vet with a bloody backstory he can never tell. A shadow man who knows that at the end of the day, covert actions speak louder than words.

Here’s what the reviewers have to say:

The formatting, editing and layout are perfect and the author has obviously left nothing to chance. The story unfurls slowly, pulls you in and as I don’t do spoiler reviews, I leave you to read…and then salivate for book 2. My order is already in…

*******

Steve Trotter’s debut thriller–Resurrected, featuring hard-case Adam Wolf–is a must read for anyone who wants to escape into the world of bad ass but likable heroes. Even better, he’s a boomer…a little older, a little wiser, and a whole lot tougher than most writers feel comfortable with these days.

*******

All I can say is OMG! Let’s hear it for the fly senior citizen that can still whip up on a body! I found myself laughing out loud a number of times. I love the character Adam Wolf and some of the other interesting characters in this book. It Is definitely a thrill ride and action pack from beginning up to the ending.

*******

Wonderfully written book full of surprises, twists and turns, interesting characters and one bad a** protagonist. The author has penned a winner with Adam Wolf. Don’t let his age discourage you because he still has what it takes to do the right thing with all the right moves and is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in even if it lands him in hot water.

*******

The book’s preview intrigued me enough to make this my first [ever] online purchase, and I was extremely satisfied. Beyond satisfied, even. It was everything I was hoping/expecting it to be and more. I thought the story was well thought out, action packed and realistic. I loved the characters, the story and the pacing of the book.

Get RESURRECTED: An Adam Wolf Thriller here: RESURRECTED: An Adam Wolf Thriller

About The Author

Steve Trotter is the author of RESURRECTED (#1 Kindle Bestseller in “Vigilante Justice” & “Men’s Adventure”; Top 10 Kindle Bestseller in “Crime Fiction”) and HEAVEN’S ON HOLD (Top 10 Kindle Bestseller in “Vigilante Justice”), books #1 & 2 in the action-packed Adam Wolf Thriller series. His latest release is the standalone crime thriller KILLER DEADLINE. Trotter has freelanced features for The Miami Herald, The Globe and Mail, and The Toronto Star, and was a staff writer at the sensational supermarket tabloid Midnight Globe. He hangs his hat in Montreal. For more info, drop by www.stevetrotter.com

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

 

Bargain and Free Books for 6-30-14

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 05:38 AM PDT

Start your day with these 4 bargain books and 2 free books. Please "LIKE" and share with colleagues and friends.

Book Of The Day: Resurrected by Amazon bestselling author Steve Trotter has a 4.6 star rating and is on sale for only 99 cents – save $3!

BARGAIN BOOKS



A Work in Progress
by Staci Stallings
Rating: 4.8 Stars
Genre: Christian Fiction
Price: $0.99 Save $6.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

A Work in Progress – Nook

“A great lesson in what it means to be truly beautiful, and how God values us and wants us to treat others.” -dingo4mum

Rebecca Avery has never been one of "them"—the popular kids, the beautiful people. With less than fashion-plate looks and an off-beat, quirky style to living life, she has been relegated to finding "alone" activities to fill her time throughout high school.

Unfortunately, college hasn't changed that. Then she meets Eric Barnett, a nice guy who seems a little quirky himself. The only problem is, he's in love with her roommate—one of the truly beautiful people.

When Rebecca finds herself falling for him, she must find a way to break out of her shell or risk losing him forever. Who will win out in this mixed up jumble of feelings and loyalties?

Eric Barnett is drifting through college. Unlike his friends, he doesn't have a path to relentlessly pursue. In fact, he often feels like the tag-along in a life that's unfolding without him.

Then he meets Rebecca Avery's roommate who seems like she will finally give him what he most wants—credibility with his friends. However, when the roommate proves to be less-than-into-him, can Eric see past the outward appearance to find love with Rebecca?

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The Reluctant Hero
by Jackie Weger
Rating: 4.6 Stars
Genre: Romance
Price: $0.99 Save $2.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

“….this gem of a book is adventurous, humorous, tug-on-your-heartstrings romance at its finest. 5 stars aren’t nearly enough to rate this finely crafted novel or the skill of its author.” -S. Pennington

Parnell Stillman, ace pilot, is man to the bone in a lackadaisical kind of way. He has the ability to fly through anything except solid mountain. He lives alone because people are not to be trusted—especially women.

Flying is his high road until one sleet-filled morning–it isn't. Mischance forces his plane down in a frozen wilderness.

He can survive, but his live cargo is another matter–an annoying social worker and five orphans–the most irksome freight he' has ever hauled in his life.

Rebecca Hollis is determined to force the obnoxious, disagreeable, self-centered pilot to do whatever is necessary to insure the survival and rescue of the orphans…Even if it means making the noble gesture of keeping her mouth shut—or other womanly things.

But the pilot isn't having it. No way. No how. No time. He'd rather dance with a grizzly or wrestle a puma than give his heart over to a conniving, wily do-gooder. Heroics is not his thing.

Rebecca Hollis has other ideas—lots of them! All artful and disingenuous—one of which is bound to work… She hopes.

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Overdose
by Glen Apseloff
Rating: 4.8 Stars
Genre: Thriller and Suspense
Price: $0.99 Save $3.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

Overdose – Nook

“An intriguing thriller set against a backdrop of clinical drug tests and medical research.” —Kirkus Reviews

Dr. Emily Morrison undertakes a controversial drug study over protests from fringe groups and even some colleagues. Soon she's facing death threats and a letter bomb that maims her secretary.

Then a young coed suddenly dies after taking the experimental medication. Emily figures out what killed the girl—not the study drug but DIFP, a toxic chemical from her lab.

A diabetic, Emily discovers the same toxin in her insulin. But when the police find a bottle of DIFP in Emily's office, she suddenly changes from victim to suspect.

Then a professional killer comes after her, and he eliminates anyone who gets in the way. Emily knows she must confront this stalker on her terms, but she'll have to do it without help, using only the element of surprise.

And that's just her first step in uncovering the truth – she needs to find out who hired the killer before someone else tries to finish what he started.

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All My Restless Life To Live
by Dee DeTarsio
Rating: 4.2 Stars
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Price: $0.99 Save $2.00
Make sure price is still $0.99 before clicking "Buy".

“DeTarsio’s writing is engaging…..” -Literary, etc.

Award Winning Author

Life is a soap opera, especially for Elle Miller, who writes for one. (Ellen dropped the "n" in her name in hopes of finding a better ending for herself.)

When her laptop crashes, she borrows her recently deceased dad's computer and gets way more than she bargained for.

Elle unravels mysterious communications from his computer, while her mom decides to give Internet dating a try.

As Elle tries to save her career at I'd Rather Be Loved with a storyline featuring a trip through Atlantis, she takes a trip to the Emmys, and finds herself in the middle of a romance between a real doctor and a hunk who just plays one on TV.

Friends, family, and clues from "the other side" all help Elle figure out the difference between living the good life and living a good life.

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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.



Spin Off
by Sarka-Jonae Miller
Rating: 5.0 Stars
Genre: Womens Fiction
Price: $0.00 Save $3.99
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

Jan Weston-Montri has had a rough few years. Just as things are feeling settled, she receives the biggest surprise of her life. Her spa business is succeeding, her marriage is solid, but this new shock could threaten the life she’s given everything to build.

Dr. Lisa Ellis is wondering at what point her life began to spin off course. Her relationship was going great until she took a job at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Now, she feels like her boyfriend is stringing her along and wonders if she’d be better off without him. Everything little thing drives her crazy, and she misses who she once was.

Lisa must figure out how to manage her feelings while planning her best friend’s wedding. For the girl who thought she’d marry first, watching everyone else say “I do” is about as painless as a bikini wax.

Becki Ford is getting married! The perky brunette couldn’t be happier about tying the knot with the love of her life.

Her job as a social worker is rewarding and her newly straightened hair is amazing, but a certain something’s missing. It’s been three years since she got engaged, and she doesn’t think she can wait one day longer to start a family.

Alex Tanner is doing the last thing she expected: living in Los Angeles and studying to take the California bar exam. When she left Houston to play lacrosse at San Diego State University, she assumed she’d return home for law school.

Relocating permanently to the left coast was never the plan.

But love will do crazy things to a lady, and Alex is deeply in love. Yet as the pressure builds to pass the bar and her nuptials rapidly approach, she begins to question whether this is the life she’s meant to lead.

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Through Time-Whiplash
by Claudy Conn
Rating: 4.6 Stars
Genre: Paranormal
Price: $0.00 Save $10.99
Subject to change back to full price at any time.

Through Time-Whiplash – Nook
Through Time-Whiplash – Apple iBooks

Why do second chances have to come with complications?

Trevor, Prince of Lugh, had been thwarted from putting Pestale, the eldest Dark Prince, to death, but now he's been asked to investigate whether the Dark Prince has evaded punishment. This time, Trevor plans to make sure Pestale is taken care of permanently.

But a simple assignment turns complicated when Trevor finds himself thrown two hundred years into the past, along with Jazmine Decker, a Fios (Fae seer). There they encounter Pestale's younger brother Hordly, who has evil schemes of his own.

Add the Orb of Time, an eleven-year-old orphan with unusual powers, and an encounter with an evil wizard, and Trevor realizes his mission will be anything but simple.

Seelie Queen Aaibhe is at long last enjoying a second chance at happiness. But her love for Morgan LeBlanc, a Milesian, is the ammunition her political rivals have been looking for.

Claiming her association with the leader of the Fae's former enemies makes her unfit to govern, factions within the Council plot to remove her from the throne. Will it lead to civil war?

Can Trevor and Jazmine find the Orb of Time, get back to the present, and stop Hordly and his brothers from unleashing an army of nightmarish monsters on humans and Fae alike?

Can Aaibhe and her loyal supporters hold the Council together and keep the Fae united against the Unseelie threat?

 

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