I spent most of yesterday playing catch-up with writing reviews for books I’ve read or audiobooks I’ve listened to this year, and will continue to do even more today before I’m caught up. I like working ahead, and have self-imposed deadlines that I give myself for getting my work done. After years working in broadcast TV, newspaper and on websites, I need a deadline to shoot for. But since this website is also a hobby, I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. And part of the reason I was so far behind was that I just didn’t feel like writing the past few weeks. Luckily I was able to get over that feeling once I saw I only had 1 scheduled post for the upcoming week!
As for Kindle Deals, I’ve found quite a few. As always, nothing over $1.99 and some are FREE! Without further ado, here’s today’s list:
Bookmarked for Murder (Mystery Bookshop Book 5) Cozy Mystery $1.99 After some post-Christmas retail therapy in the Windy City, mystery bookshop owner and historical whodunit novelist Sam Washington is returning home to North Harbor, Michigan, on a chartered bus. With Nana Jo and her gal pals Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Mae from Shady Acres Retirement Village along for the ride, it’s a lively trip. But one passenger is not so lively—a gentleman Irma befriended is found dead in his seat after an unscheduled stop. The ladies immediately shift gears to find out who punched his ticket, while Sam slips into the driver’s seat to make sure Nana Jo and her crew steer clear of fatal conclusions . . .
The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton: A Heartwarming Family Saga Chick Lit $1.99
Evie Hamilton’s biggest worry is when to book her next manicure. Happily married with an accomplished teenage daughter, she loves her privileged English country lifestyle. But when a mysterious letter exposes a crushing family secret, her Oxfordshire life falls to pieces.
Forced to confront the truth, a wave of gossip slams right into her picture-perfect household. To keep her close-knit family together, she’ll have to find something completely unfamiliar: limitless inner strength.
Can Evie lean into the scandal or will her refusal to change rip her family apart?
Sabriel (Old Kingdom Book 1) YA $1.99
Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him. She soon finds companions in Mogget, a cat whose aloof manner barely conceals its malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage long imprisoned by magic, now free in body but still trapped by painful memories.
As the three travel deep into the Old Kingdom, threats mount on all sides. And every step brings them closer to a battle that will pit them against the true forces of life and death—and bring Sabriel face-to-face with her own destiny.
Operation Valuable Fiend: The CIA’s First Paramilitary Strike Against the Iron Curtain True Crime $1.99
In 1949, a newly minted branch of the CIA (the precursor of today’s National Clandestine Service), flush with money and burning with determination to roll back the Iron Curtain, embarked on the first paramilitary operation in the history of the agency. They hatched an elaborate plan, coordinated with the British Secret Intelligence Service, to foment popular rebellion and detach Albania, the weakest of the Soviet satellites in Europe, from Moscow’s orbit. The operation resulted in dismal failure and was shut down by 1954.
In Operation Valuable Fiend, Albert Lulushi gives the first full accounting of this CIA action, based on hundreds of declassified documents, memoirs, and recollections of key participants, including Albanian exiles recruited for missions and their Communist opponents. Up till now, the story of the operation has been obfuscated and even distorted. Some blamed the Soviet mole Kim Philby for sabotaging it; the communists credited the prowess of their secret police; and CIA memoirs were heavily sanitized. Lulushi documents a range of factors that led to the failure, from inexperienced CIA case officers outsmarted in spy-vs-spy games by their ruthless Stalinist opponents; to rivalries between branches of the CIA and between the agency and friendly intelligence services; and conflicts among anti-Communist factions that included Albania’s colorful exiled leader, King Zog.
Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast Fantasy $1.99 The sisters’ wealthy father loses all his money when his merchant fleet is drowned in a storm, and the family moves to a village far away. Then the old merchant hears what proves to be a false report that one of his ships had made it safe to harbor at last, and on his sad, disappointed way home again he becomes lost deep in the forest and has a terrifying encounter with a fierce Beast, who walks like a man and lives in a castle. The merchant’s life is forfeit, says the Beast, for trespass and the theft of a rose—but he will spare the old man’s life if he sends one of his daughters: “Your daughter would take no harm from me, nor from anything that lives in my lands.” When Beauty hears this story—for her father had picked the rose to bring to her—her sense of honor demands that she take up the Beast’s offer, for “cannot a Beast be tamed?”
The Life She Was Given: A Moving and Emotional Saga of Family and Resilient Women $1.99
On a summer evening in 1931, Lilly Blackwood glimpses circus lights from the grimy window of her attic bedroom. Lilly isn’t allowed to explore the meadows around Blackwood Manor. She’s never even ventured beyond her narrow room. Momma insists it’s for Lilly’s own protection, that people would be afraid if they saw her. But on this unforgettable night, Lilly is taken outside for the first time—and sold to the circus sideshow.
More than two decades later, nineteen-year-old Julia Blackwood has inherited her parents’ estate and horse farm. For Julia, home was an unhappy place full of strict rules and forbidden rooms, and she hopes that returning might erase those painful memories. Instead, she becomes immersed in a mystery involving a hidden attic room and photos of circus scenes featuring a striking young girl.
At first, The Barlow Brothers’ Circus is just another prison for Lilly. But in this rag-tag, sometimes brutal world, Lilly discovers strength, friendship, and a rare affinity for animals. Soon, thanks to elephants Pepper and JoJo and their handler, Cole, Lilly is no longer a sideshow spectacle but the circus’s biggest attraction…until tragedy and cruelty collide. It will fall to Julia to learn the truth about Lilly’s fate and her family’s shocking betrayal, and find a way to make Blackwood Manor into a place of healing at last.
Moving between Julia and Lilly’s stories, Ellen Marie Wiseman portrays two extraordinary, very different women in a novel that, while tender and heartbreaking, offers moments of joy and indomitable hope.
Dawn (The Xenogenesis Trilogy Book 1) Science Fiction $1.99 Lilith Iyapo has just lost her husband and son when atomic fire consumes Earth—the last stage of the planet’s final war. Hundreds of years later Lilith awakes, deep in the hold of a massive alien spacecraft piloted by the Oankali—who arrived just in time to save humanity from extinction. They have kept Lilith and other survivors asleep for centuries, as they learned whatever they could about Earth. Now it is time for Lilith to lead them back to her home world, but life among the Oankali on the newly resettled planet will be nothing like it was before. The Oankali survive by genetically merging with primitive civilizations—whether their new hosts like it or not. For the first time since the nuclear holocaust, Earth will be inhabited. Grass will grow, animals will run, and people will learn to survive the planet’s untamed wilderness. But their children will not be human. Not exactly.
City of Women: A Novel Literary Fiction $1.99
It is 1943—the height of the Second World War. With the men away at the front, Berlin has become a city of women.
On the surface, Sigrid Schröder is the model German soldier’s wife: She goes to work every day, does as much with her rations as she can, and dutifully cares for her meddling mother-in-law, all the while ignoring the horrific immoralities of the regime.
But behind this façade is an entirely different Sigrid, a woman of passion who dreams of her former Jewish lover, now lost in the chaos of the war. But Sigrid is not the only one with secrets—she soon finds herself caught between what is right and what is wrong, and what falls somewhere in the shadows between the two . . .
The Gold Coast (John Sutter Book 1) $1.99
Welcome to the fabled Gold Coast, that stretch on the North Shore of Long Island that once held the greatest concentration of wealth and power in America. Here two men are destined for an explosive collision: John Sutter, Wall Street lawyer, holding fast to a fading aristocratic legacy; and Frank Bellarosa, the Mafia don who seizes his piece of the staid and unprepared Gold Coast like a latter-day barbarian chief and draws Sutter and his regally beautiful wife, Susan, into his violent world. Told from Sutter’s sardonic and often hilarious point of view, The Gold Coast is Nelson DeMille’s captivating story laced with sexual passion and suspense.
How to Stop Time: A Novel Literary Science Fiction $1.99
Tom Hazard has just moved back to London, his old home, to settle down and become a high school history teacher. And on his first day at school, he meets a captivating French teacher at his school who seems fascinated by him. But Tom has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41-year-old, but owing to a rare condition, he’s been alive for centuries. Tom has lived history–performing with Shakespeare, exploring the high seas with Captain Cook, and sharing cocktails with Fitzgerald. Now, he just wants an ordinary life.
Unfortunately for Tom, the Albatross Society, the secretive group which protects people like Tom, has one rule: Never fall in love. As painful memories of his past and the erratic behavior of the Society’s watchful leader threaten to derail his new life and romance, the one thing he can’t have just happens to be the one thing that might save him. Tom will have to decide once and for all whether to remain stuck in the past, or finally begin living in the present.
Before I Let You Go: A Novel Women’s Fiction $1.99
The 2:00 a.m. call is the first time Lexie Vidler has heard her sister’s voice in years. Annie is a drug addict, a thief, a liar—and in trouble, again. Lexie has always bailed Annie out, given her money, a place to sleep, sent her to every kind of rehab. But this time, she’s not just strung out—she’s pregnant and in premature labor. If she goes to the hospital, she’ll lose custody of her baby—maybe even go to prison. But the alternative is unthinkable.
As the weeks unfold, Lexie finds herself caring for her fragile newborn niece while her carefully ordered life is collapsing around her. She’s in danger of losing her job, and her fiancé only has so much patience for Annie’s drama. In court-ordered rehab, Annie attempts to halt her downward spiral by confronting long-buried secrets from the sisters’ childhoods, ghosts that Lexie doesn’t want to face. But will the journey heal Annie, or lead her down a darker path?
California Gold: A Novel Western $1.99 At the height of California’s Gold Rush, men left everything behind for the chance at striking it rich. Now, some thirty years after its peak, gold fever still entices adventurous Easterners like James Macklin Chance, a poor Pennsylvanian who is drawn to California by the dream of lasting wealth—a dream so powerful he’ll stop at nothing to see it through. Along the way he’ll encounter grand passion, ruthless enemies, and larger-than-life titans like Leland Stanford, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Randolph Hearst, who helped shape a country’s destiny.
“The best historical novelist of our time” (Patricia Cornwell) once again spins a sweeping tale of power and passion, as he did so masterfully in the Crown Family Saga, the Kent Family Chronicles, and the North and South trilogy.
Light from Heaven (Mitford Book 9) Christian Fiction $1.99 Father Tim Kavanagh has been asked to “come up higher” more than once. But he’s never been asked to do the impossible—until now. The retired Episcopal priest takes on the revival of a mountain church that’s been closed for forty years. Meanwhile, in Mitford, he’s sent on a hunt for hidden treasure, and two beloved friends are called to come up higher as well. As Father Tim finds, there are still plenty of heartfelt surprises, dear friends old and new, and the most important lesson of all: It’s never too late.
One Little Lie (The Pelican Harbor Series Book 1) Christian Suspense $1.99
Jane Hardy is appointed interim sheriff in Pelican Harbor, Alabama, after her father retires, but there’s no time for an adjustment period. When her father is arrested for theft and then implicated in a recent murder, Jane quickly realizes she’s facing someone out to destroy the only family she has.
After escaping with her father from a cult fifteen years ago, Jane has searched relentlessly for her mother—who refused to leave—ever since. Could someone from that horrible past have found them?
Reid Bechtol is well-known for his documentaries, and his latest project involves covering Jane’s career. Jane has little interest in the attention, but the committee who appointed her loves the idea of the publicity.
Jane finds herself depending on Reid’s calm manner as he follows her around filming, and they begin working together to clear her father. But Reid has his own secrets from the past, and the gulf between them may be impossible to cross—especially once her father’s lie catches up with him.
Where the Forest Meets the Stars $1.99
After the loss of her mother and her own battle with breast cancer, Joanna Teale returns to her graduate research on nesting birds in rural Illinois, determined to prove that her recent hardships have not broken her. She throws herself into her work from dusk to dawn, until her solitary routine is disrupted by the appearance of a mysterious child who shows up at her cabin barefoot and covered in bruises.
The girl calls herself Ursa, and she claims to have been sent from the stars to witness five miracles. With concerns about the child’s home situation, Jo reluctantly agrees to let her stay—just until she learns more about Ursa’s past.
Jo enlists the help of her reclusive neighbor, Gabriel Nash, to solve the mystery of the charming child. But the more time they spend together, the more questions they have. How does a young girl not only read but understand Shakespeare? Why do good things keep happening in her presence? And why aren’t Jo and Gabe checking the missing children’s website anymore?
Though the three have formed an incredible bond, they know difficult choices must be made. As the summer nears an end and Ursa gets closer to her fifth miracle, her dangerous past closes in. When it finally catches up to them, all of their painful secrets will be forced into the open, and their fates will be left to the stars.
Try to imagine the following workplace scenarios: two employees having hot and heavy sex in an open cubicle in full view of their coworkers. A boss conducting a business meeting while wearing nothing but a strategically-placed towel. Employees using Craigslist to arrange sexual trysts with hookers on company time. Breast-flashing. Oral sex solicitation via office e-mail.
Impossible? Unbelievable?
Richard Burton has tales you won’t believe actually happened over his decades spent as the attorney hired by companies to protect them when their employees act out. Employees Gone Wild collects some of the most outrageous and absolutely-true stories (names changed to protect the guilty of course) from Burton’s years on the job, along with his indispensable practical advice on how companies and the people that work for them can avoid the same pitfalls.
Surrender To The Cyborgs (Interstellar Brides® Program: The Colony Book 1) Paranormal Romance FREE! Wrongly imprisoned whistle-blower Rachel Pierce would rather take her chances with her court appeal than accept her place as the first Interstellar Bride destined for the Colony. She’s stubborn and determined to seek justice—and her freedom—on Earth…but her mates are not willing to risk her life or her future on a system they believe to be both primitive and corrupt.
Weston’s Treasure (Gemini Group Book 3) Romantic Suspense FREE!
Silver Coyle thought she was doing the right thing—see something, say something. Now she finds herself kidnapped, chained to a pipe in the hull of a ship, and on a collision course with death. Her only chance of rescue is from the one man she never wants to see again—Weston Beil—the know-it-all former SEAL. He’s bossy, arrogant, and sexy all wrapped up in a tough-guy package. Untouchable. But that doesn’t stop the man from sending shivers of excitement racing down her spine.
Weston Beil didn’t want to be right, he didn’t want to say I told you so, but there it was—the beautiful Silver was caught in the middle of a drug war just like he’d warned. The woman was headstrong and stubborn. She tested his limits, pushed his buttons, and set his body on fire. Weston had a plan, he was prepared to use everything in his arsenal to prove to Silver she was his. Only there’s a glitch in Weston’s plan—Silver might not stay alive long enough for him to claim his treasure and convince her he’s fallen in love.
The Duke Who Knew Too Much (Heart of Enquiry Book 1) Historical Romance FREE!
A Stranger to Love
Alaric McLeod, Duke of Strathaven, is known as the Devil Duke for his wicked ways. Tormented by his past, Alaric knows better than to trust a woman yet finds himself ensnared by a spirited, virtuous virgin who accuses him of a crime he didn’t commit. Is she his foe…or his salvation?
A Novice to Desire
Emma Kent is an independent country miss cast adrift in the ton. When a depraved encounter with an arrogant rake lands her in intrigue, Emma’s honor compels her to do the right thing. But desire challenges her quest for justice, and she must decide: can she trust her heart to discover the truth?
Bound by Passion and Peril
Alaric and Emma engage in a battle of wits and will. As their attraction flares, the true enemy stalks their every move. With danger looming, will they solve the mystery and find true love…before it’s too late?
A Brush with Shadows (A Lady Darby Mystery Book 6) Historical Mystery $1.99
July 1831. It’s been fifteen years since Sebastian Gage has set foot in Langstone Manor. Though he has shared little with his wife, Lady Kiera Darby, about his past, she knows that he planned never to return to the place of so many unhappy childhood memories. But when an urgent letter from his grandfather reaches them in Dublin, Ireland, and begs Gage to visit, Kiera convinces him to go.
All is not well at Langstone Manor. Gage’s grandfather, the Viscount Tavistock, is gravely ill, and Gage’s cousin Alfred has suddenly vanished. He wandered out into the moors and never returned. The Viscount is convinced someone or something other than the natural hazards of the moors is to blame for Alfred’s disappearance. And when Alfred’s brother Rory goes missing, Kiera and Gage must concede he may be right. Now, they must face the ghosts of Gage’s past, discover the truth behind the local superstitions, and see beyond the tricks being played by their very own eyes to expose what has happened to Gage’s family before the moors claim yet another victim…
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