Monday, January 30, 2012

Today's FREE Kindle Books

I apologize for my absence, but I'm back and here's a great list of free Kindle books. As always be sure to double check that the price still says "Kindle Price: $0.00" before you purchase. Prices can change at any time.


Flowers for Her Grave - "Small towns thrive on gossip and Tracy Kendall, Raccoon Grove’s own gossip columnist, is a pro at dishing the dirt. She and Kate Chandler, retired beauty queen and town gardener, ask questions and uncover secrets about a twenty-year-old unsolved murder that someone doesn’t want revealed. Accidents threaten to put a permanent stop to their investigation. Only when the two sexagenarians organize a garden party do they discover what really happened when a young local girl disappeared and her father was found murdered. No one could have guessed the truth. Neither will you in this surprising whodunit. "


Murder in Store (Quint McCauley Mystery) - "The likable protagonist of this creditable first novel is Quint McCauley, a middle-aged ex-cop recently jilted by his 23-year-old lover. McCauley is head of security for Hauser's, a large Chicago department store. Preston Hauser, president of the store, has been receiving threatening letters, and asks McCauley to quietly investigate. At a meeting with McCauley in his office, Preston takes his daily vitamins--and dies: the capsules were laced with cyanide. McCauley tells Preston's wife, Diana, a fetching kleptomaniac, that she is a widow; she finds the news hilarious and tries to seduce him. McCauley resists; he has recently become roommates with Elaine Kluszewski. He and Elaine investigate the various Hauser's executives that Preston had suspected of writing the letters. Brod's settings and dialogue are realistic and believable, more than making up for a repetitive running gag on the difficulty of parking in Chicago. Despite the obvious flag or two pointing the way to the guilty doorstep, this hard-boiled first-in-a-series is solid, satisfying fare. "



Sugarland - "The daughters of a show biz-minded mother, Kit and Kiki Smithers spent their Texas youth entertaining at county fairs and state penitentiaries under the name of the Sugar Babes. Having loved the glamour of glitzy costumes and cheering audiences, Kit and Kiki find adult domesticity in honky-tonk Texas less than satisfying. Pregnant with her third child, Kiki is reluctant to leave her abusive, philandering husband, and all the verbal foreplay Kit's gone-to-fat husband can muster is "Mmm. You smell good. Like pancakes." Kiki's brief return to her performing artist roots is curtailed by the tornado that threatens her children's lives and seals the fate of her troubled marriage. Meanwhile, Kit has two quickie flings, resulting in a pregnancy of questionable paternity. "


Hannah's Blessing - "Following her husband’s scandalous death, a devastated Diana Somerset makes a promise at his funeral to never trust so easily again. However, she was not prepared to meet his enigmatic step-brother, Devlan Doyle. He was a man accustomed to getting whatever he wanted, and he wanted Diana. Not only was Diana's child his heiress, but her stubborn pride and disinterest intrigues him. Following a near-tragic accident that forces them together, Devlan sets out to conquer her distrust. Whisked away on a fairytale of a lifetime, Diana and Hannah discover that they are not immune to his charms. But is his determination alone strong enough to win their trust and love, or will he lose the two people he has grown to care for the most? "


Taken - "Welcome to the fictitious little town of Watery, Pennsylvania where the district attorney’s personal secretary, Mary Murray never planned to become a single mom or a suspect in her infant’s disappearance, but she plans to find Jena before she suffers the same fate Mary’s younger brother had when he was taken twelve years earlier. "







Undercover - "At twenty-nine, police officer Erica Salinas is determined to eliminate as many gangs as she can from the streets of Chicago. When she's offered an opportunity to go undercover as a student at an inner city high school to stop the drugs trafficking its halls, she jumps at the chance. It doesn't take long for her to identify the two gangs ruling the school and get offered drugs, but she isn't satisfied with runners. She wants the dealer and supplier.

She befriends a boy who has connections with one of the gangs, hoping to get closer to her goal. Instead, she finds herself getting attached to the kid and falling in love with his older brother, Derrick.

Erica knows she is putting the case at risk by getting too involved. And when she spots a gang allegiance tattoo on Derrick's wrist, she’ll have to decide if her career and avenging her sisters death is more important than love."




Deep in the Heat of Texas - "Los Angeles Times reporter, Maggie Wright, is assigned to do a story on the dying dude ranch industry in the south. When the newspaper offers to foot the bill for Maggie and her two friends, Payton Evans and Sophia Foster, to stay at the legendary Weston Ranch in Valentine, Texas, they jump at the opportunity. While it’s not the Caribbean cruise they wanted, how bad could it be?

Expecting a tired farm with dusty old cowpokes, the three big city friends are taken by surprise when they’re each assigned to a dashing cowboy or two for some good, old fashioned ranch training and a whole lot of rough riding. Their limits are tested in ways they never imagined, both in the bedroom and out on the range. After two weeks, will the women run back to the bright lights of Los Angeles without so much as a backward glance? Or will these skilled cowboys have them longing to stay for just a little bit more of their Texas-style heat?"



The Way They Were - "He hasn’t spoken her name in fourteen years. She keeps a journal hidden in the back of her closet and permits herself to write about him once a year—on the anniversary of the first and only time they made love. They promised to love one another forever, but tragedy tore them apart. Now, destiny may just bring them back together.

At eighteen, Rourke Flannigan and Kate Redmond thought they’d spend the rest of their lives together—until a family tragedy tore them apart. Fourteen years have passed and they’ve both carved out separate lives hundreds of miles apart—hers as a wife and mother, his as a successful, driven businessman. But once a year, on the anniversary of her daughter’s birth, Kate pulls out a red velvet journal and writes a letter, which she’ll never send, to the man who still owns her heart. Once a year, on the anniversary of the first and only time they made love, Rourke permits himself to read the annual investigative report detailing an ordinary day in Kate’s life.

When a subcontractor at one of Rourke’s holding companies is killed, Rourke decides to pay the widow a visit and offer condolences, never dreaming the widow will be Kate. As they embark on a cautious journey of rediscovery, one far greater than they could have imagined, secrets and lies threaten to destroy their newfound closeness—forever."


Cancelled - ""What the hell did you send me home with last night?"

Robotics engineer Johnathan Michaels knows all about biding his time. For three years he's worked next to his best friend and idea of a perfect woman, Alexis Rodriguez. Their friendship sparks into something more while saving the company's first multi-milion dollar contract and Johnathan's life appears to be on track. A successful company, a budding romance...until a previous one-night stand returns Johnathan's shirt. Pregnant. And it's his.

Now Johnathan's scrambling to keep up at work, strengthen his relationship with his new girlfriend, and deal with his impending fatherhood. How long can he keep it all going before his love life is CANCELLED? "



Windfall (a thriller about economic terrorism) - "In WINDFALL, Zack Walters' dreams are reignited when financially-strapped Americans are turned into terrorists. Zack, a burned-out reporter who is tired of mundane small town assignments, is told to visit a soup-kitchen and make their Thanksgiving preparations sound exciting. While he interviews volunteers, a bomb explodes across the street, and Zack finds himself immersed in a story that might be his stepping stone to fame and fortune.

Zack investigates the explosion, and discovers a woman who received a mysterious package in the mail. The package had a cell phone, a key, one-hundred dollars, and the promise of a windfall. Then he learns about another woman who received an identical package. The women do not know each other. On the surface they have nothing in common. But their packages mean something else."



The Takers: Book One of the Oz Chronicles - "The first volume in The Oz Chronicles recalls both Stephen King’s The Stand and L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz. When 13-year-old Osmond “Oz” Griffith wakes from an illness on the floor of his closet, he discovers the world overrun by man-eating monsters, the Takers, and it’s largely his fault. In an effort to make things right, he gathers a band of survivors (a baby, an aged mechanic and a talking gorilla, among others), and sets off down his version of the yellow brick road, leading to the Atlanta Zoo. Along the way, he learns that his destiny was written by Steve, a boy from his past. Afflicted with Down Syndrome, Steve created new worlds, replete with battles between good and evil, in the comic books that served as his sole refuge from the teasing of Oz and his friends. Steve’s untimely suicide leaves only the comic books as clues to vanquishing the Takers. "



ODD STACKS: Story Collection Box Set (Stacks Series) - "ODD STACKS is the complete text of three story collections covering fantasy, science fiction, zombie, and paranormal tales. A total of 36 stories originally published in professional magazines and anthologies such as Writers of the Future, The Third Alternative, Spacesuits and Sixguns, Black October, and more. The box set of 136,000 words also includes three essays and a comic script."

Friday, January 20, 2012

Today's FREE Kindle Books

Here are some of the FREE e-books available today on Amazon. These are in Kindle format but you don't need an actual Kindle to read them, just one of the many Kindle Apps (which are available for pretty much any device). Note that prices can change at any time, so be sure to double check the price before purchasing. Make sure it says "Kindle Price: $0.00"


Adjourned (The Jury Series) - "After a family tragedy, Brett Macklin has sworn to take the law into his own hands and make the guilty pay. This time, Macklin's target is Wesley Saputo, porn kingpin and murderer, who has slipped through the courts time after time, only to kidnap, rape and kill again...and again. Macklin's mission: locate and destroy Saputo before he finds another innocent life to destroy."


ToxiCity (Georgia Davis Prequel) - "Ten years before EASY INNOCENCE, PI Georgia Davis was a police officer on the force in a Chicago suburb. And while homicides are rare on the North Shore, three bodies turn up in quick succession—all of them dumped in waste disposal dumpsters or landfills. The investigations into the murders test the mettle and professionalism of a combined police task force. Along the way, they also test the strength of Georgia’s relationship with one of the detectives working the case. While Georgia, her detective boyfriend Matt, and his sometime partner John Stone pit their skills against those of an inventive killer, the daughter of a real estate mogul-- who just happens to have her eye on Matt -- complicates matters. A dark police procedural and thriller, TOXICITY is a prequel to the Georgia Davis PI series (EASY INNOCENCE and DOUBLEBACK). "



Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride (Emma Rae Creation) - "As a wedding planner, you'd think she would have the perfect wedding experience...Sherilyn Caine has left Chicago behind to marry Andrew Drummond IV, an Atlanta native with a family name that tops all the social registers."





Delicious and Nutritious Gluten-Free Lunch Recipes: Affordable, Easy and Tasty Meals You Will Love (Bestselling Gluten-Free Recipes) - "WHAT'S INSIDE:
*Reasons why a gluten-free diet might be good for everybody, not only those who are sensitive to it
^Suggestions for tasty gluten-free snacks that are so easy to make it's ridiculous
*Delicious and nutritious salads that will make your mouth water
*Clever takes on your favorite food without the gluten
*Light and crusty bread ideal for snacks, lunches and picnic fare
*Practical and affordable solutions for meals on a budget
*Great desserts that you won't believe is good for you
*Elegant dishes appropriate for all occasions
...plus much more!"


The Delilah Complex (The Butterfield Institute) - "As one of New York's top sex therapists, Dr. Morgan Snow sees everything from the abused to the depraved. The Butterfield Institute is the sanctuary where she tries to heal these battered souls.

The Scarlet Society is a secret club of twelve powerful and sexually adventurous women. But when a photograph of the body of one of the men they're recruited to dominate -- strapped to a gurney, the number 1 inked on the sole of his foot -- is sent to the New York Times, they are shocked and frightened. Unable to cope with the tragedy, the women turn to Dr. Morgan Snow. But what starts out as grief counseling quickly becomes a murder investigation, with any one of the twelve women a potential suspect.

The case leads Detective Noah Jordan -- a man with whom Morgan has shared a brief, intense connection -- to her office. He fears the number on the man's foot hints that the killings have just begun. With her hands tied by her professional duty, Morgan is dangerously close to the demons in her own mind -- and the flesh-and-blood killer. "



Big Easy (Wyatt Thomas French Quarter Mysteries) - "When someone begins killing New Orleans street people, it affects the City's tourist trade just beginning to recover from Hurricane Katrina. More than just simple acts of murder, voodoo is involved, the killer likely an actual Vodoun deity. Homicide detective Tony Nicosia seeks the help of gumshoe, and Big Easy insider Wyatt Thomas. Wyatt enlists Mama Mulate, Tulane English professor, and actual voodoo mambo. Together, they try to unravel the strangest mystery to hit the venerable City since the era of Marie Laveau. "



SOS - "Those who grew up along the Carolina coast appreciate its beauty for more than just the scenery. Long before ballroom dancing became a household word, Carolinians “shagged on the strand,” and the dance craze reached its peak in the 1960s. The Society of Stranders (SOS) keeps the tradition alive by sponsoring a bi-annual gathering in North Myrtle Beach.

Fair-haired Peri Mason was not one of those sweet Southern girls who took part in the smooth, sensual dance, but she is ready to rectify that shortcoming. She and two of her friends travel together to North Myrtle Beach for an SOS reunion. Widowed and determined to leave her investigative reporter hat behind, Peri wants a little R&R – and R- rest, relaxation and romance.

The three women begin their weekend adventure at Fat Harold’s, a popular dancing club. But Peri, with her penchant for attracting trouble, has an encounter with a renegade cat, a rude redheaded woman – and two half-naked men in a nearby alley – one dead, one very sick. Another body is discovered later that night, yet another redhead. Who is responsible and what does the cat have to do with the bodies that keep piling up?

Peri’s plans for learning to shag will change to proving her innocence, figuring out whodunit, and avoiding becoming a victim herself. "



Children of the Plantation - "After discovering the truth surrounding the bloody murders in, “The Assassins' Village
”, our sexy, feisty sleuth and heroine, Diana Rivers and her partner Steve, decide they deserve a holiday. When trying to relax at their luxurious palm fringed plantation hotel in lush, tropical Malaysia; things don’t quite work out as they imagined.

Diana is approached by the hotel owner, the enigmatic Miss Chalcot, well-bred, imperious and secretive, to take a look through some old family documents. Miss Chalcot possesses a burning ambition to put right a dreadful wrong that occurred over forty years ago – and Diana is given free rein to pursue the mysterious past of the family and discover what lies behind the dark stories.

Diana enters into a world of the 1950’s and 1960’s, where lies, deceit, illicit love, jealousies and perhaps murder all feature.

What really happened all those years ago? Who were Paul, Hermione and the beautiful but selfish Eleanor? Who was responsible for events that shocked the whole family and plunged it into despair? And what is the real story behind the façade? Will Diana triumph against all odds yet again? Faith challenges you to guess before the final curtain."


CLOCKWISE (book one in the Clockwise series) - "Boy watching with her best friend would be enough excitement for fifteen year old Casey Donovan. She doesn't even mind life at the bottom of the Cambridge High social ladder, if only she didn't have this other much bigger problem. Unscheduled trips to the nineteenth century!

When Casey gets talked into going to the Fall Dance, the unthinkable happens--she accidentally takes Nate Mackenzie, the cutest boy in the school, back in time.

Protocol pressures her to tell their 1860 hosts that he is her brother and when Casey finds she has a handsome, wealthy (and unwanted) suitor, something changes in Nate. Are those romantic sparks or is it just 'brotherly' protectiveness?"