Archives for October 2010

Dracula Free Today

October 31, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

Seeing as today is Halloween, here’s one to fit the spirit of the day: Dracula by Bram Stoker. You can pick up your free copy from the Project Gutenberg site if you click here or type in http://tinyurl.com/26fd3xu into your computer which will start the download of the Kindle version.

Once you have downloaded it to your computer, you will need to transfer it over to your Kindle. It’s pretty easy, and you can click here for my instructions on how to do it – this is the same guide I charge 99 cents for in the Amazon Kindle store, but you can read it for free by clicking the link.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Want to have this blog sent wirelessly to your Kindle vs. reading it on your computer? Try out the free two-week subscription! Click here for the Amazon page for Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips.

Looking for more or a reliable source of free books for your Kindle? Click here for my “Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them” book (in the Kindle format, of course)

Free Again from Amazon

October 31, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

Here’s one that was free earlier this month for a few hours, then $9.99, and is now free again: Tahn: A Novel by Robin Parrish. It’s interesting to note when it was free, it had an average user rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars based on 17 customer reviews. With the temporary free, then charging real quick, it made some people angry and that user rating has now dropped to 3.5 out of 5 stars based on 24 customer reviews. You can pick up your free copy by clicking here and decide for yourself.

Here is the book’s description from the Amazon website:

Kelly pens a novel with a medieval setting, writing under her initials to distinguish it from her historical Depression-era inspirational fiction under the name Leisha Kelly (Julia’s Hope; Katie’s Dream; Emma’s Gift). The lovely Lady Netta Trilett is kidnapped by a cold-blooded killer, Tahn Dorn, who slew her husband several years before. This time, however, Dorn is acting out of a somewhat unexplained newfound desire to turn over a new leaf. After Dorn stashes Netta in a cave for her safety, the evil Samis, Dorn’s former leader, burns her family’s home. Dorn rounds up eight children Samis had tutored in villainy and spirits them away to the cave, where he and Netta care for them and Netta wrestles with forgiving Dorn—and understanding her newfound feelings for him. Kelly develops her story well in the first half, and her characters, especially the children, are sweet and vulnerable. Some light sexual tension and violence mark Kelly’s change of genre. The pace slows in the second half, and readers may struggle with the idea of a woman romantically interested in her husband’s killer, no matter how much Christians believe in forgiveness. Yet Kelly’s tender touch will endear her to those CBA market readers who like their historicals heavily salted with salvation themes.

Looking for more or a reliable source of free books for your Kindle? Click here for my “Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them” book (in the Kindle format, of course)

Sometimes It Is The Formatting

October 30, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

As I’ve mentioned before, I spend some time – maybe too much time, at times (pun intended), trolling through the Amazon Kindle discussion boards. I can’t think of all of the tips I send out to you on my own! The Kindle discussion boards are a good tool, and I encourage you to check it out some time (there is that “time” word again) whenever you can spare some time.

Okay, I’ll stop playing around…

While I believe one of the advantages of the Kindle platform is the ability of independent and self-published authors to level the playing field against the big publishing houses – become published in the first place, gain new audiences, adapt quickly to change among others – it can also have some disadvantages. I certainly have found lots of independent, self-published authors I have enjoyed; there are some things that really shouldn’t be published at all.

While I have that opinion with some of the things from offerings of the “name brand” authors and publishers, most of that opinion of mine is because the the topic is just not for me. That’s true with everyone, and not what I’m talking about in this post.

I’m talking about what should be the simple things: proper formatting, correct spelling, the right context of the word (there vs. their, its vs. it’s). A little proofing should be expected! I don’t know about you, but when I am reading something, I usually get very absorbed in it and can lose all track of time. If there are misspelled words – whether it is in a book I’m reading for pleasure or a document I am reviewing at work – I immediately lose my concentration. Completely. It’s even worse if there are syntax or word context errors.

Why does that happen – doesn’t Amazon proof material before it is published in the Kindle format? The short answer is no.

A couple of errors can be forgiven. A lot of errors drive me up the wall, and I want my money back. While Amazon has a very generous Kindle return policy, I am typically unable to take advantage of it as I usually buy several books at once and they gather electronic dust in my eBook to be read list – in most cases, the return policy has expired by the time I start reading.

By the way, bloggers like me should be exempt from everything I am picking on in this post!

It’s not that I am against the independent author – I’m not – I would like to think they would like to know of the errors, too. After all, if you get upset and hate something you probably won’t buy follow-on offerings from them or write bad reviews and others won’t buy their offerings. I also like to think if they knew there was an issue (and they should check the formatting on a Kindle prior to publishing), they will immediately correct it; Amazon’s self-publishing platform allows on-the-fly changes, with revised editions being able to literally replicate through the Kindle storefront in less than 12 hours (try that with paper copies).

Let me give you an example: I read an independent book not too long ago and really enjoyed the plot, characters, etc. but the author started distracting me with all of the spelling and errors in the formatting. I reflected that in my online review of the book (you can check out my Amazon reviews by clicking here, I’m way behind and trying to catch up). I’ve also purchased eBooks from Amazon that were so bad I just stopped and deleted the book – in that case, I wish I had a way to report the bad formatting to Amazon so the book could be taken down from the marketplace and others wouldn’t be burned, too.

I couldn’t do that before, but I can now, courtesy of a post from Kindle discussion board user “PF” who reported there is a way to report it. I never saw this feature before because it was buried so far down into the Amazon book page, folks like you and me more likely than not never see it. How did PF see it? He didn’t, because he is visually impaired; his speech software read the eBook page to him and he heard the option at the bottom of the page.

By now, many of you are hoping I will have this post reach its dramatic conclusion – I will – and tell you how to report bad formatting of a Kindle edition. Here is how you do it.

Go to the book’s Kindle page. Let’s pick on The Roots of Obama’s Rage – click here to go to that page if you are using a web browser to read this post.
Scroll down about 90% of the way down, right near the bottom of the page. You will see a boxed-in area called “Feedback” with five options. With these options, you can click to:
- Contact customer service
- Report poor quality or formatting in the book
- Report the content as inappropriate
- Report the book if you believe it violates a copyright
- Click on the last option if there is any “other” feedback you would like to provide.

Hope that helps, and thanks to PF!

Looking for more or a reliable source of free books for your Kindle? Click here for my “Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them” book (in the Kindle format, of course)

Spinning Forward Free Today from Amazon

October 29, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

Spinning Forward by Terri DuLong is free today from the Amazon Kindle store, and has received an average user rating of 4 out of 5 stars based on 33 customer reviews. You can pick up your free copy by clicking here.

Here is the book’s description from the Amazon website:

In a debut novel brimming with warmth and wit, Terri DuLong spins a tale of new beginnings, old friends, and lives forever bound. . .

A New Englander born and bred, the last place Sydney Webster expects to find herself starting over is on an island off the coast of Florida. Yet here she is in Cedar Key, trying to pull herself together after her husband’s untimely death–and the even more untimely revelation of his gambling addiction. Bereft of her comfortable suburban life, Syd takes shelter at a college pal’s bed and breakfast, where amidst the bougainvillea blossoms and the island’s gentle rhythms, a plan begins to form. . .

Syd never considered the possibility of turning her passion for spinning and knitting into something more than a hobby, but when the unique composition of her wool draws attention, a door is opened–the first among many. Yet even as she ventures out of her comfort zone, Syd finds herself stepping into the embrace of a community rich with love, laughter, friendship…and secrets. And as long-hidden truths are revealed, Syd faces a choice: spin a safety net–or spin decidedly forward and never look back…

Looking for more or a reliable source of free books for your Kindle? Click here for my “Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them” book (in the Kindle format, of course)

Cool Beans Free Today from Amazon

October 29, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

Cool Beans: A Maya Davis Novel by Erynn Mangum is free today from the Amazon Kindle store, and has received an average user rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars based on 10 customer reviews. You can pick up your free copy by clicking here.

Here is the book’s description from the Amazon website:

Everything seems to be going perfectly for Maya Davis: She has a great job at a coffee shop, gets along with her parents, and is happily single. That is until her best friend unknowingly starts dating Maya’s high school sweetheart, her annoyingly perfect brother moves back to town, and her co-worker starts showing interest in her. What is God trying to teach her about life, love, and commiserating over coffee?

Looking for more or a reliable source of free books for your Kindle? Click here for my “Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them” book (in the Kindle format, of course)

Dancing in the Lowcountry Free Today from Amazon

October 29, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

Dancing in the Lowcountry by James Villas is free today from the Amazon Kindle store, and has received an average user rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars based on 5 customer reviews. You can pick up your free copy by clicking here.

Here is the book’s description from the Amazon website:

From award-winning author James Villas comes a warm, witty, and poignant story of passion, friendship, and family set against the lush, mellow backdrop of the South Carolina Lowcountry.

Ella Dubose is a Southern lady of a certain age–an age at which memories of youth can rush in at every turn and overwhelm the present. But while Ella’s two younger children are concerned for her health and want to limit her independence, Ella–elegant, unconventional, and unrepentantly willful–has very different ideas. And she’s not about to be controlled by anyone, not when there are tasks she needs to complete and loose ends that must be tied.

The first step is to leave her family and take a road trip back to the places where key chapters of her life unfolded. Myrtle Beach has been overrun by theme restaurants and ocean-front condos, but the Priscilla is still the charming, shingled inn Ella remembers from visits long ago. At the Priscilla, Ella and her companion, Goldie, sip cocktails on the porch and dine on she-crab soup and fried oysters while awaiting the arrival of Ella’s oldest son, Tyler, now a successful writer in New York. And there, too, Ella meets a dashing, attentive gentleman who will help her finally face her ghosts and determine which of the secrets she has carried for so long must be shared, and which are better left untold.

With its unforgettable and instantly loveable heroine and evocative portrayal of Southern life–past and present–Dancing in the Lowcountry is a beguiling, beautifully rendered novel about the places and people that stay with us, the courage it takes to live in the present, and the endless ways life can surprise us, over and over again.

James Villas was the food and wine editor of Town & Country magazine for twenty-seven years. His work has also appeared in Esquire, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Saveur, The New York Times, and the Atlantic Monthly, among other publications. Two of his cookbooks have been nominated for a James Beard Award. He has also won a James Beard Award twice for journalism and received Bon Appetit’s Food Writer of the Year Award in 2003. James Villas is the author of more than a dozen cookbooks and books on food, including My Mother’s Southern Kitchen and The Glory of Southern Cooking. He’s currently working on his next novel. He lives in East Hampton, New York.

Looking for more or a reliable source of free books for your Kindle? Click here for my “Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them” book (in the Kindle format, of course)

Half Past Dead Free Today from Amazon

October 29, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

Half Past Dead by Zoe Archer and Bianca D’Arc is free today from the Amazon Kindle store, and has received an average user rating of 4 out of 5 stars based on 4 customer reviews. You can pick up your free copy by clicking here.

Here is the book’s description from the Amazon website:

There are good guys, there are bad boys, and then there are men with a danger all their own–these are the ones who take you places you never imagined. . .and will never forget.

The Undying Heart by Zoe Archer

Samuel Reed had no idea magic existed, until it almost destroyed him. Thirsting for vengeance against the enemy who made him something less than human, Sam returns to England and crosses paths with Cassandra Fielding. His best friend’s little sister has become a fearless woman on a dangerous mission of her own. And against all odds, she sees past what he’s become, and stirs a desire he thought he’d lost forever. . .

Simon Says by Bianca D’Arc

Special Forces soldier Simon Blackwell ended his affair with Mariana Daniels three years ago, but he hasn’t stopped protecting her. Mariana has no knowledge of the dark, deadly creatures that lurk in the forest surrounding her clinic, or of the mysterious powers that make Simon the only one who can defeat them. But soon he’ll have no choice but to reveal the truth, and urge her to trust in an explosive passion that never faded. . .

Looking for more or a reliable source of free books for your Kindle? Click here for my “Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them” book (in the Kindle format, of course)

Shatter Free Today from Amazon

October 29, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

Shatter (The Children of Man) by Elizabeth C. Mock is free today from the Amazon Kindle store, and has received an average user rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars based on 17 customer reviews. You can pick up your free copy by clicking here.

Here is the book’s description from the Amazon website:

Growing up during the chaos of the Nabosian War, Faela Durante and her entire generation never knew what it meant to live in a time of peace. Though the war ended years ago, the devastation has not. Every decision, no matter how seemingly insignificant, has a consequence and some consequences can never be predicted. But some are foretold.

Less than a year ago, Faela, the first Tereskan mind healer in generations, disappeared from her family home in Finalaran scared and pregnant. Hunted and living as an outcast, Faela searches for a legend that might be her only hope of gaining atonement and returning to her son. When her journey collides with two strangers and a prophecy, she must choose between trusting those around her or endangering her mission. With her past refusing to stay behind her, the consequences of Faela’s choices will risk more than her own fate.

Looking for more or a reliable source of free books for your Kindle? Click here for my “Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them” book (in the Kindle format, of course)

Kaplan GRE Introduction Free from Amazon

October 28, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

Kaplan New GRE: An Introduction to the GRE Revised General Test is free today from Amazon, and judging from the file size it is pretty short. You can pick up your free copy by clicking here.

Looking for more or a reliable source of free books for your Kindle? Click here for my “Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them” book (in the Kindle format, of course)

Baseball Seems On The Brain Today?

October 28, 2010 by Michael Gallagher

OK, to continue my baseball theme from this morning….I realized baseball is really a kid’s game, yet I sent out a book written by (and for) adults. What about the children, you may ask? Even if you didn’t, well…work with me here!

Here’s a free one for kids, complete with pictures that display great on your Kindle, called Baseball ABC by McLoughlin Brothers. It was originally published in 1885 (that’s not a typo), and the illustrations in this Kindle version are really sharp; it is also available from the folks at Project Gutenberg. To get your free copy, you can click here or type in http://tinyurl.com/2dzotc3 into your web browser and save it to your computer.

If you have downloaded this to your computer, you will need to transfer it over to your Kindle. In a post yesterday (click here to see it in case you missed it), I told you how to do it – it’s pretty easy.

As for tonight, I’m planning on having the Kindle still next to me as I watch the game, but playing the Kindle version of Scrabble between innings!

See you tomorrow-

Michael

Want to have this blog sent wirelessly to your Kindle vs. reading it on your computer? Try out the free two-week subscription! Click here for the Amazon page for Free Kindle Books Plus a Few Other Tips.

Looking for more or a reliable source of free books for your Kindle? Click here for my “Free Kindle Books and How to Find Them” book (in the Kindle format, of course)

Dracula Free Today

Free Again from Amazon

Sometimes It Is The Formatting

Spinning Forward Free Today from Amazon

Cool Beans Free Today from Amazon

Dancing in the Lowcountry Free Today from Amazon

Half Past Dead Free Today from Amazon

Shatter Free Today from Amazon

Kaplan GRE Introduction Free from Amazon

Baseball Seems On The Brain Today?

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