Free eBooks: 02/15/2012

At the start of every month, you can usually snag some pretty good books as free e-books from Amazon.com (for Kindle) and Barnes & Noble (for nook). The University of Chicago offers a free e-book each month as well. Read on to see the 55 freebies I've snagged so far this month, with book descriptions from the sites and links to purchase them.

Please Note: While all of these books were free at the time of my purchase, that does not guarantee that they are still free or that they will remain free. Make sure you check the price listed before purchasing any books.

Barnes & Noble / Amazon.com (nook & Kindle)

Ghost à la Mode
(#1 in the Ghost of Granny Apples mystery series)
by Sue Ann Jaffarian
BN.com | Amazon.com

Granny was famous for her award-winning apple pies... and notorious for murdering her husband Jacob. The only trouble is, Granny was framed, then murdered. For more than one hundred years, Granny's spirit has been searching for someone to help her see that justice is served—and she hits pay dirt when she pops in to a séance attended by her great-great-great-granddaughter, modern-day divorced mom Emma Whitecastle. Together, Emma and Granny Apples solve mysteries of the past—starting with Granny's own unjust murder rap in the final days of the California Gold Rush.

Getting Sassy
by DC Brod
BN.com | Amazon.com

Illinois freelance writer Robyn Guthrie can no longer afford to keep her elderly mother, Lizzie, in an assisted living facility. Desperate to come up with the cash somehow, Robyn considers a variety of illegal acts. In the end, she seeks to kill two birds with one stone by trying to retrieve a large amount of Lizzie's savings that were lost in a real estate scam from the con man responsible, Bull Severn. Fortunately, Robyn's shady accountant, ex-jockey Mick Hughes, has access to Bull and, more importantly, to Bull's prize possession, a racehorse called Bull's Blood. Mick, who has financial troubles of his own, takes seriously Robyn's half-baked notion of holding Sassy, a goat to whom Bull's Blood is emotionally attached, for ransom.

Stein, Stoned
(#1 in the Harry Stein mystery series)
by Hal Ackerman
BN.com | Amazon.com

In the sixties, Harry Stein was the foremost authority on cannabis. Flash-forward to the 20th anniversary of John Lennon’s death and Stein is now employed by a “product liability re-insurance firm” and spending his 50th birthday counting a warehouse full of shampoo bottles. Although not the revolutionary of the future he once imagined himself to be, staying on the path of the straight and narrow allows Stein to keep that which he holds most precious in his life: joint custody of his teenage daughter, Angie. When Stein comes up 1,000 shampoo bottles short in his count and his investigations lead him to stumble upon the body of a brutally murdered supermodel, he is forced down a trail littered with old friends, new enemies, and one final journey into the world he long since left behind

Project Daddy
by Kate Perry
BN.com | Amazon.com

How do you find the perfect match for the boss from hell? Katherine Murphy needs to know. Her obsessive, demanding supervisor has given her an assignment that goes way beyond the call of duty: find her a man. But not just any man--he must have the perfect combination of good looks, job security, and solid genes to make him daddy-worthy. So, with a lofty promotion being dangled in front of her, Katherine dives back into the dating pool to find another woman's Mr. Right...


What's a Girl Gotta Do?
(a Robin Hudson mystery)
by Sparkle Hayter
BN.com | Amazon.com

Who is investigating the investigative reporters of the All News Network, and why? When a private investigator turns up dead, Robin Hudson and most her colleagues become suspects. Which of this mad crew is the killer, and how will Robin find out before she too ends up on a slab?


Exit Stage Left
(#1 in the Kempston Hardwick mystery series)
by Adam Croft
BN.com | Amazon.com

Charlie Sparks had it all. A former primetime television personality, his outdated style has seen him relegated to the scrapheap. When he collapses and dies during a stand-up routine at a local pub, mysterious bystander Kempston Hardwick is compelled to investigate his suspicious death. As Hardwick begins to unravel the mystery, he quickly comes to realise that Charlie Sparks's death throws up more peculiar questions than answers.

A Valentine from Harlequin: Six Degrees of Romance
from Harlequin
BN.com | Amazon.com

What if you gave six authors the same opening paragraph and let their imagination fly? That’s what we’ve done in A Valentine from Harlequin: Six Degrees of Romance!

Experience the variety Harlequin romance has to offer with this collection of novellas from six Harlequin series, including the passionate drama of Harlequin Presents, steamy encounters of Harlequin Blaze, spooky and sensual tales of Harlequin Nocturne, and more.

Girl Soldier
by Faith J.H. McDonnell & Grace Akallo
BN.com | Amazon.com

For several decades a brutal army of rebels has been raiding villages in northern Uganda, kidnapping children and turning them into soldiers or wives of commanders. More than 30,000 children have been abducted over the last twenty years and forced to commit unspeakable crimes.
Grace Akallo was one of these. Her story, which is the story of many Ugandan children, recounts her terrifying experience. This unforgettable book--with historical background and insights from Faith McDonnell, one of the clearest voices in the church today calling for freedom and justice--will inspire readers around the world to take notice, pray, and work to end this tragedy.

Extreme Money
by Styajit Das
BN.com | Amazon.com

The human race created money and finance. But our inventions re-create us. Mankind mistook money—a lubricant of society and human well-being—for an end in itself. Finance, the monetary shadow of real things, came to dominate human reality. Extreme Money tells the story of how this happened—and, in so doing, it tells the story of the modern world. Das reveals the spectacular, dangerous money games that have generated increasingly massive bubbles of fake growth, Ponzi prosperity, sophistication, and wealth—while endangering the jobs and futures of virtually everyone outside the financial industry.

40 Unforgettable Dates with Your Mate
by Gary & Barbara Rosberg
BN.com | Amazon.com

In The 5 Love Needs of Men and Women, the Rosbergs taught us how to recognize our spouse's most important love needs. Now it's time to put those ideas into action! In 40 Unforgettable Dates with Your Mate, America's favorite family counselors offer forty ideas for dates that are not only fun and romantic but also help readers meet their spouse's love needs. From picnics to day trips to snuggling at home, these ideas are guaranteed to put your marriage into high gear.

Personalities in Love
by Donna Partow
BN.com | Amazon.com

Romantic relationships are always an experiment in chemistry. Just like elements in the periodic table, personalities combine and react in predictable ways. In her candid and breezy style, bestselling author Donna Partow helps you identify your own personality type and that of your man in order to bring harmony to your relationship. You'll learn how to make the most of your personality, complement your significant other, avoid potential sources of conflict.

Manwords: Real Words for Real Men
by Jeremy Greenberg
BN.com | Amazon.com

So your bros are hanging around the grill, shooting the shit while putting back brews from a pony keg. The air's heavy with barbecue sauce, stale belches, and testosterone. And you want to sound manly, like you read Maxim, not GQ. Like you watch football, not gymnastics. You want to use words like "crack-back," "low rider," and "mojo." You need ManWords. If you want to be a high roller, a mac daddy, or a player, you also need this book. And if "taupe," "ruching," and "brow gel" are words you actually know, get this book now. You can probably still be saved.

2012
by Joshua Berman
BN.com | Amazon.com

Travelers to Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras in 2012 can expect a yearlong celebration of Maya culture, past and present—and Moon Maya 2012 is the guide to the best of these celebrations. From Palenque and Tulum to Tikal and Uaxactún, from Caracol to Copán, Central America expert Joshua Berman details the top offerings of each destination: Maya-themed sporting events and reenactments, ceremonies, dances, festivals, important archaeological sites, and more. Packed with strategies for planning a 2012 trip, lists of the organizations and tourism boards offering the best packages and tours, and easy-to-read maps to help you navigate your way through them all, Moon Maya 2012 gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience.

(This one was also free in the first half of October 2011.)

Hawaii or the Caribbean?
from Lonely Planet
BN.com | Amazon.com

This engaging and useful eBook gives you the information you need to choose the perfect warm-weather getaway. It starts with an incisive introduction that helps you narrow your focus to one of the regions. This is followed by features that rate the islands by interests, top activities and key attributes. From here, you can link to profiles of 29 Caribbean destinations and the 6 major Hawaiian Islands, with information on why and when to go, weather patterns and picks for the best accommodations, beaches or dining options. This island chooser was created from Lonely Planet’s latest Caribbean Islands and Hawaii travel guides.

Candy Cookbook
(Gooseberry Patch cookbooklet #13)
by Gooseberry Patch
BN.com | Amazon.com

Get a taste of Gooseberry Patch in this collection of over 20 favorite candy recipes! In Gooseberry Patch Candy we've gathered some of our best-loved candy recipes like Chocolate Fantasy fudge, Nutty Maple Candy, Hard Tack and Grandma Weiser's English Toffee. We've even included Lollipops and Popcorn Balls so you can treat the kids. Quick & easy temperature chart for delicious results every time! Also, ideas for sweetly wrapping up candy gifts, too!

Breathless Reads Sampler
from Penguin Publishing
BN.com | Amazon.com

Five tales of love and adventure that will leave you breathless. Discover the exhilerating stories and incredible worlds of these five breathtaking novels: Across the Universe by Beth Revis, Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood, Legend by Marie Lu, Matched by Ally Condie, and Nightshade by Andrea Cremer.

Amazon.com: Kindle

Absolute Liability
(#1 in the Southern Fraud mystery series)
by J.W. Becton

A woman is taken at gunpoint from the downtown office of Southeastern Insurance, and the police believe the victim is Special Agent Julia Jackson. Only it isn't true. Now, with the help of her new partner Mark Vincent, state fraud investigator Julia Jackson must find justice for the woman who was taken in her place. As Vincent and Julia begin to unravel the multimillion-dollar frauds that led to the abduction, they encounter a cast of quirky characters, one of whom will go to desperate lengths to hide a deadly secret. Things only become more dangerous as bodies begin accumulating around town, and Julia must discover the truth before the abductor comes to rectify his mistake.

A Real Piece of Work
(#1 in the Dakota Stevens mystery series)
by Chris Orcutt

At the close of a case in Key West, PI Dakota Stevens and his associate Svetlana Krüsh return to New York, where the city is in the grips of its worst blizzard since 1888. When an art dealer stumbles in from the storm and hires them to find a stolen painting, they think it's just another case, but in no time they're neck-deep in a world of unstable artists, seductive gallery owners, mysterious collectors, deadly henchmen and a stunning femme fatale. In a thrill-ride of a mystery that leads from Manhattan to the Catskills to Washington, D.C., what begins as the simple recovery of a painting soon reveals an international art scam and a chilling secret hidden for decades.

Honk Honk, My Darling
(#1 in the Rex Koko, Private Clown mystery series)
by James Finn Garner

In Top Town, a ghetto full of washed-up circus lifers in the shadow of a big city, audiences come every night for cheap thrills, both wholesome and not. Witness to it all is one of the most loved and notorious figures in Top Town, a tough joey with a deadly past and a nose for picking all the wrong fights: Rex Koko, private clown.

In Honk Honk, My Darling, Rex Koko is hired by an aging, arrogant trapeze star to bring back his wayward wife. Every time he comes close to finding her, however, other aerialists come to gruesome and spectacular ends. To keep from taking the rap himself, Rex needs to find the killer while keeping his own inner demons in check.

Bone Dry
(#2 in the Blanco County mystery series)
by Ben Rehder

Life can get a little wild from time to time for John Marlin, the game warden in Blanco County, Texas—but few incidents compare to the stories flying around town at the start of this new deer season. Hunters are reporting an incredible sight: a six-foot-tall, drop-dead gorgeous blonde is roaming the woods, searching out camouflage-clad men with guns and disarming them with powers of seduction the likes of which none of them have ever come across before. Everyone has a hearty laugh at the expense of a few embarrassed hunters, until one of their own turns up dead in the woods. Now Marlin has a real mystery to deal with. Meanwhile, rumors are spreading about a new Blanco resident, an ex-New Yorker named Sal Mameli who's ruffling feathers with his loud mouth and his penchant for getting his own way, no matter what the cost. Before long, John Marlin realizes he may be the only sane man in town, and he's starting to wonder if he can last much longer himself.

Nearly Departed in Deadwood
(#1 in the Deadwood mystery series)
by Ann Charles

Little girls are vanishing from Deadwood, South Dakota, and Violet Parker's daughter could be next. She's desperate to find the monster behind the abductions. But if she's not careful, Violet just might end up as one of Deadwood's dearly departed.


Painted Truth
(#2 in the Alix Thorssen mystery series)
by Lise McClendon

This second mystery featuring Alix Thorssen finds the art dealer on her home-ground but without the comforts of home. Her partnership and gallery with sexy Paolo Segundo are at a crossroads. When another gallery on the town square burns, revealing the body of a famous artist, Alix is drawn into the investigation as an appraiser of the lost paintings. Ray Tantro was a has-been at 30 but was on the verge of a comeback. The death is ruled a suicide but Alix has her doubts. Why are the police so quick to dismiss foul play? The investigation makes her confront her own contradictions as an art lover, turning everything she knows upside down. A second murder rocks the resort town.

Stump Speech Murder
(# in the Pamela Barnes Acoustic mystery series)
by Patricia Rockwell

James Grant, a young politician with everything going for him, including the most recent polls, gives a rousing stump speech in a local park. His campaign for mayor against the entrenched incumbent looks unstoppable. That is, until the police discover him standing over his wife’s dead body with the murder weapon in his hands. It certainly looks as if James is guilty. But psychologist and acoustics expert Pamela Barnes has other ideas–and they include helping this young man prove his innocence and succeed in his bid for mayor.

The Cart Before the Corpse
(#1 in the Merry Abbott Carriage-Driving mystery series)
by Carolyn McSparren

Famous southern carriage-horse trainer Hiram Lackland, a handsome widower, dies mysteriously after retiring to a farm outside Mossy Creek. His estranged daughter, Merry Abbot, also a horse trainer, arrives to settle his estate. But Merry quickly plunges into bit-chomping dilemmas when her father's friend and landlord, mystery-novel maven Peggy Caldwell, insists he was murdered. Before Merry can so much as snap a buggy rein, a handsome and annoying GBI investigator, Geoff Madison, is on her case. Then there's the troublesome donkey: Don Qui. Short for Don Quixote. And the fact that Hiram was teaching all of Mossy Creek's lonely women how to--ahem--drive his carriage.

Honeymoons Can Be Murder
(#6 in the Charlie Parker mystery series)
by Connie Shelton

Charlie and Drake begin the winter with hopes for a Christmas honeymoon in a secluded mountain cabin. They will stay all winter and operate a helicopter skiing service at the famed Taos Ski Valley, while Charlie works long-distance with her brother's RJP Investigations for the duration of the ski season. No sooner have they settled into their cozy cabin than the mysteries begin to pile up. Drake's assistant, Eloy Romero, is accused of a murder and the evidence looks damning. Charlie agrees to look into the case and finds herself drawn into the world of the Taos art community, with ties to the Catholic church and stolen religious artifacts.

Reunions Can Be Murder
(#7 in the Charlie Parker mystery series)
by Connie Shelton

Charlie gets her newest case when an ill-tempered female attorney hires her to find the family's missing patriarch in time for an upcoming family reunion. The elderly man took off two months earlier to do some gold prospecting in the hills of southern New Mexico. Charlie agrees to ask around but privately she thinks the old man probably just left town to avoid his irritating daughter. However, when she visits the almost-ghost town of White Oaks, Charlie comes upon a body that could be the missing Willie McBride. The mystery deepens and Charlie finds herself hiking Arizona's Superstition Mountains in search of the truth.

Stardom Can Be Murder
(#12 in the Charlie Parker mystery series)
by Connie Shelton

It’s a terrible case of mistaken identity when a gang of bank robbers think that Charlie is a famous movie star. Disappointed with their take from the bank, they decide that a hefty ransom will be their ticket to riches. But what will happen when the real star steps forward? Charlie knows that only her wits will save her from this band of desperate men. Meanwhile, in a race against the clock, Charlie's husband Drake is working with the FBI and local authorities to get Charlie back before her captors realize their mistake.

Death by Gumbo
(#2 in the Jake Russo mystery series)
by Phil Edwards

Things aren't going well for Jake Russo. He's been transferred from Sarasota to New Orleans, and he's had to leave his reporting beat and girlfriend behind. Now he's a lonely food critic--not the best job for a man who's on a diet. But things get worse when a mysterious death occurs at the trendiest new restaurant in the city. Jake has to explore the world of traditional New Orleans cuisine, brave the new frontier of "molecular gastronomy," and handle the police in order to solve the case. His octogenerian cameraman tags along for the ride and discovers his own new talents.

Hurt Machine
(#7 in the Moe Prager mystery series)
by Reed Farrel Coleman

At a pre-wedding party for his daughter Sarah, Moe Prager is approached by his ex-wife and former PI partner Carmella Melendez. It seems Carmella's estranged sister Alta has been murdered, but no one in New York City seems to care. Why? Alta, a FDNY EMT, and her partner had months earlier refused to give assistance to a dying man at a fancy downtown eatery. Moe decides to help Carmella as a means to distract himself from his own life-and-death struggle. Making headway on the case is no mean feat as no one, including Alta's partner Maya Watson, wants to cooperate. Moe chips away until he discovers a cancer roiling just below the surface, a cancer whose symptoms include bureaucratic greed, sexual harassment, and blackmail. But is any of it connected to Alta's brutal murder?

Edited for Death
by Michele Drier

Amy Hobbes never expected to solve anything tougher than a crossword puzzle. When she left her job as a journalist in Southern California, she planned to give the adrenaline a rest, but her next job, managing editor of a local newspaper, delivers some surprises. After a respected Senator and World War II hero dies and two more people turn up dead, the news heats up. Both victims had ties to a hotel owned by the Senator's family. With the help of reporter pal Clarice and the new man in her life, Phil, Amy uncovers a number of shadowy figures, including a Holocaust survivor who's spent sixty years tracking down Nazi loot. It's a complex and dangerous puzzle, but Amy can't walk away until she solves it.

The 19th Element
(#1 in the James Becker series)
by John L. Betcher

Terrorists plan to attack Minnesota's Prairie River Nuclear Power Plant, but they’re not your typical band of Islamic extremists -- the heart of the ‘terror cell’ is homegrown, right here in the United States.

James "Beck" Becker is a former elite U.S. government intelligence operative who has retired to his childhood hometown of Red Wing, Minnesota – just six miles down the Mississippi from the Prairie River Power Station. He recognizes connections between seemingly unrelated incidents – a murdered agronomy professor, a missing lab assistant, an international cell call, a stolen fertilizer truck, an explosion in the street in front of City Hall – but can't piece it together in enough detail to convince government authorities that a larger threat exists. Only his American Indian friend, "Bull," will help Beck defuse the threat. So it's Beck and Bull versus the best terror cell west of the Mississippi. May the better men win.

Double Header
(books #1 and #2 in the Charlie Willis mystery series)
by Lee Goldberg

Now, for the first time anywhere, both of Lee Goldberg's widely acclaimed "Charlie Willis" crime novels -- My Gun Has Bullets and Dead Space -- are combined together, complete and uncut, in one incredibly low-priced ebook. In My Gun Has Bullets, when Beverly Hills Police Officer Charlie Willis pulls over a speeding Rolls Royce hell-bent for Neiman Marcus, he's surprised to see Esther Radcliffe, the geriatric star of the TV series "Miss Agatha," behind the wheel. He's even more surprised when she guns him down and keeps on driving. In Dead Space, ex-cop Charlie Willis' job at Pinnacle Pictures is to protect the studio and its stars, to stop scandals before they explode, to keep the peace in the land of make-believe. When Pinnacle revives the cult, 1960s TV series "Beyond the Beyond" as the cornerstone of a fourth network, two powerful forces fight for control of the show--a talent agency that uses blackmail, torture, and murder to keep its clients on the A-list, and a homicidal legion of rabid fans led by an insane actor who thinks he's in outer space.

Crime Beat
by Scott Nicholson

When John Moretz takes a job as a reporter in the Appalachian town of Sycamore Shade, a crime wave erupts that boosts circulation and leaves people uneasy. Then a murder victim is discovered, and Moretz is first on the scene. As more bodies turn up, Moretz comes under police suspicion, but the newspaper's sales are booming due to his coverage of sensational crime. His editor is torn between calling off his newshound and cashing in on the attention, plus the editor is romancing the big-city reporter assigned to cover the suspected serial killer. And Moretz seems to be one step ahead of the other reporters, the police, and even the killer himself.

Sleeping with Paris
by Juliette Sobanet

Charlotte Summers is a sassy, young French teacher who is two days away from moving to Paris with the love of her life and from fulfilling her dream of studying at the prestigious Sorbonne University in France. But when she discovers her fiancé’s online dating profile and has a little chat with the busty red-head he’s been sleeping with on the side, she gives up on committed relationships altogether and decides to navigate Paris on her own. Determined to stop other women from finding themselves in her shoes, Charlotte creates an anonymous blog on how to date like a man in the City of Love—that is, how to jump from bed to bed without ever falling in love. But, with a slew of Parisian men beating down her door, a hot new neighbor who feeds her chocolate in bed, and an appearance by her sleazy ex-fiancé, she isn’t so sure she can keep her promise to remain commitment-free. And, when Charlotte agrees to write an article for a popular women’s magazine about her Parisian dating adventures—or disasters, rather—will she risk losing the one man who’s swept her off her feet and her dream job in one fell swoop?

Miracle at the Museum of Broken Hearts
by Talli Roland

When chief romantic Rose Delaney scores her dream job at London's quirkiest new attraction, The Museum of Broken Hearts, she thinks she's got it made. Sure, it's a little depressing dealing with relics of failed relationships each day, but Rose is determined not to let it break her 'love conquers all' spirit. After discovering the museum's handsome curator is nursing a broken heart of his own, Rose steps in to fix it. Can Rose heal the rift, or will this happy ending go awry?


Flying Camels and Tiger Mothers
by Andy Schell

Told through the eyes of one teenager and one adult, the drama of the white ice and its sparkling sequins is contrasted with its darkly comedic shadows. Flying Camels and Tiger Mothers is the story of two mothers at war with each other's principles, culture, and ambitions—and the affect this war has on their daughters. And when these mothers' actions ratchet up to felonious levels, like figure skaters jumping outside the circle, it is ultimately up to their daughters to straighten things up and bring everything down to a perfect landing.

Five Star Detour
by Sherban Young

Freelance courier John Hathaway just wanted a weekend away: two days of wine, women and high stakes poker. Instead, he finds himself diverted to an English-style mansion in the backwoods of Maine, compelled to transport a mysterious trinket at the bidding of his overbearing congressman uncle. Once arrived, he quickly finds that half the residents are not who they say they are, and all of them want his package. It's up to Hathaway to sort through the confusion--dodging cops, jewel thieves and the people who seem to want him dead. In the process, he'll meet the woman of his dreams and manage to deliver just the right amount of chaos into his host's otherwise humdrum life.

G-Sale
(#1 in the Bogwood Chronicles series)
by Randy Nargi

Bogwood, Washington, is a pleasant suburban community with a special distinction--it has more garages per capita than any other town in America. Not surprisingly, Bogwood is also the "Garage Sale Capital of the U.S.A."

When retirees Doris & Clayton Fenwick decide to empty their nest of retro-modern antiques, they set the wheels in motion for a frantically funny "g-sale" involving Bogwood's most avid garage sale junkies. (Based on the award-winning indie comedy film G-SALE.)

Babe on Board
(a Harry McGlade / Jack Daniels thriller)
by J.A. Konrath & Ann Voss Peterson

Private detective Harry McGlade is on the prowl, looking for a one-night stand. Or, in McGlade's case, a five-minute stand. When he finds a sexy lady at his local bar, he thinks he has a chance with her. But she isn't alone. There's a guy with her. A guy with a gun whom she's desperately trying to get away from. When the local mafia becomes involved with McGlade's tryst, things start going bad. Then they go really bad when a baby comes into the picture. And the only one McGlade can turn to for help is his old partner, Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels. (This was previously released under the title Jailbait.)

65 Proof
(an omnibus of 65 short stories, including some in the Jack Daniels thriller series)
by J.A. Konrath

J.A. Konrath, author of the Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thrilller series offers a gigantic collection of 65 previously published short stories from the thriller, horror, and comedy genres, including many from his award-winning series. Contents include 15 Jack Daniels and friends stories, 12 crime stories, 21 horror stories, and 16 funny stories and essays, plus an introduction by the author.


The Druid
(#1 in the Storytellers short stories series)
by Frank Delaney

Long long ago, when the pigs ate the apples off the trees and the birds flew upside down - so begins a tale by an Irish fireside. And thereby Frank Delaney, the New York Times bestselling author of Ireland, launches STORYTELLERS, a new series of short stories in the oral tradition, created specially for e-readers. In his first story, this master of the legendary form creates THE DRUID, a fascinating character full of cunning and false magic, who tries to win the hand of a beautiful girl. This short story also includes the first chapter from Delaney's latest novel The Last Storyteller.

The Girl Who Lived on the Moon
(#2 in the Storytellers short stories series)
by Frank Delaney

"Once upon a time there was a girl who lived on the moon." And when she comes to earth on a moonbeam, and grants the human race insights that would delight a Jungian and calm a six-year-old to sleep, we must wonder if times were different then, when "fish danced the polka on the surface of the sea and the birds said their prayers out loud."

Bestselling author Frank Delaney's second installment of Storytellers continues the tradition of the great traveling storytellers, who practiced their skills across so many lands since before the invention of time. The Storytellers series of short stories heralds the launch of Frank Delaney's The Last Storyteller (February 2012), the third in the trilogy of the Novels of Ireland.

The Littlest Detective in London
(#1 in the Littlest Detective children's series)
by Suzy Brownlee

This first in a series of eight books follows Clementine Cordelia Bird's mission to locate her missing mother. At the same time, a wealthy crime princess - the evil, designer-clad teenager Natasha Commonov - from fictitious Slakistan attempts to free her father from prison. Somehow, the two become inextricably linked - Natasha knows something about Clemmy's mother but refuses to say. And Clemmy manages, often accidentally, to thwart Natasha's nasty plans. Other characters include the food-loving retired spy, Mrs Mackleberry, a paper-folding Japanese policeman, Origami Pete, and a rather unfortunate creature called Ratcat.

Hana Rescues Misty
by Azra Z. Mehdi

Hana Rescues Misty is a simple story of a child’s instinctive response to a kitten stuck in a tree. Hana demonstrates a child’s capacity for bravery by volunteering to help rescue the kitten. Hana’s empathy and response to the situation is evident and her display of courage captures the spirit of a child’s innocence and natural desires that we sadly tend to lose as we grow older.

Parma: Ham, Cheese, and the Taste of Time
by Rowan Jacobsen

Here, James Beard award-winning author Rowan Jacobsen plumbs the secrets of Parma, Italy’s ham and cheese heaven.


Heart of Dark Chocolate
by Rowan Jacobsen

When an award-winning food writer discovered the best chocolate he'd ever eaten - a long-lost strain of wild cacao from the Bolivian rainforest - he vowed to track down the stuff to its source. In the company of an eccentric German entrepreneur, who is hoping to buy the cacao from the natives, he journeys into the heart of Amazonia, enduring monstrous ticks, warlike ants, floods, drug runners, fickle outboards, piranha for breakfast, a coca-addled helmsman, and a tribal chief more interested in beer than commerce.

The Perfect Chef
by Todd Kliman

Restaurant critics are supposed to maintain their distance about chefs and restaurateurs. Or so Todd Kliman had always maintained. But when Peter Chang, an emigre genius capable of turning ordinary food into small miracles, crossed his radar, he couldn’t help himself. He becomes obsessed with Chang's cooking. When it turns out that the chef possesses both a checkered past and an increasingly enigmatic present, jumping from restaurant to restaurant across the country, fleeing towns and expectations and jilting both diners and restaurateurs, Kliman realizes he has gotten himself in deep - perhaps too deep. His obsession with the chef's brilliant food becomes entwined with his obsession with finding out the truth about his identity. A fascinating, funny, page-turning tale of food and memory, of lust and betrayal.

Murder in Yosemite
by Joshua Hammer

Amidst Yosemite’s grandeur, a murderer is on the loose. Before he is apprehended, four people lay dead - one decapitated. Here award-winning journalist Joshua Hammer digs into Yosemite’s past to uncover the almost forgotten story of the killer’s cruel rampage, exploring the stark contrast between nature’s beauty and man’s brutality.


What the Ivy League Won't Teach You
by William Deresiewicz

Never before has admission to elite colleges been so sought after. Parents spend a fortune trying to get their kids in; kids spend their high school years preparing to fill in every blank on their applications. But what, in the end, does it get them? asks William Deresiewicz, a former Yale University professor and author of A Jane Austen Education. The elite college system, he writes, produces highly skilled and specialized young people, who are poorly equipped for life. And these are the people who will one day run the country. Here, in this eye-opening eBook, is what every parent, student, and citizen needs to know.

From Here to Freshman Year

The essential pocket guide to making the most of high school, updated for today’s ninth through 12th-graders. This easy-to-use guide provides up-to-date information for ninth, 10th-, 11th-, and 12th-graders to prepare them for college. Filled with tons of tips and time lines for all four years of high school, it also provides information for parents and students on time management, stress reduction, and problem solving. From Here to Freshman Year takes parents and students through high school with the ease of knowing that they took the right steps to prepare for college each year. Must-know topics include: the application process; campus visits; working with your guidance counselor; taking important tests like the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP exams; letters of recommendation; purchasing the right computer, and more.

First Year Teacher
edited by Randy Howe

First Year Teacher is an invaluable resource for newbie teachers. It offers hundreds of tips, warnings, and anecdotes from experienced educators--all in one warm and charming package. Benefit from their wisdom, learn from their mistakes, and remember that humor conquers all.


The Resume Is Dead
by Nelson Wang

The resume is dead. Your job opportunities, however, are alive and well. If you learn the secrets on how to be an artist and to create with emotion. This book will teach you how. This step by step guide includes 500 of the top interview questions and answers, how to create your own website and blog from scratch in under 10 minutes, the top 5 secrets on how to build a standout LinkedIn brand, additional tips on how to leverage new media tools, how to garner recommendations, and how to impress a CEO in less than 30 seconds. You don't need another paper resume. You need the secrets to standing out. That's exactly what "The Resume is Dead" delivers.
(Author's Note: 10% of all proceeds will be given to Kiva for charity. Learn more at www.kiva.org.)

Barnes & Noble: nook

Dead Reckoning
by Ronie Kendig

Underwater archeologist Shiloh Blake is consumed with passion for the water and inflamed at the injustices of life, blaming her secret agent father for her mother's death. When her first large-scale dig traps her in the middle of an international nuclear arms clash, she flees for her life and is followed by an unknown man. Who is he? How is he always one step ahead?

Reece Jaxon is a former Navy SEAL, who now serves his country as a spy. His mission is threatened by the beguiling Shiloh Blake as he hunts down the sources to a nuclear dead drop in the Arabian Sea. The only way to end this nightmare and prevent a nuclear meltdown is for Shiloh to join forces with Reece. Will Shiloh violate her vow to never become a spy like her father? Will she reconcile with her father? Will her trust issues destroy her chance for love? And will she allow God to help her through this ordeal?

(I got this one free from Amazon at the beginning of last month.)

Digger the Dinosaur
(an I Can Read! book)
by Rebecca Kai Dotlich & Gynux

Welcome to the world of beginning readers starring Digger the Dinosaur!

Digger wants to go out and play, but he still hasn't cleaned his room. The race is on to tidy up-and with Digger in a rush, things might get a little topsy-turvy!


Blood, Sweat, and Tea
by Tom Reynolds

Is there anyone who hasn't wondered about the state of the occupant of an ambulance, screaming along with its sirens on and blue lights flashing? And have you wondered about the other people inside the ambulance, maybe fighting to save the patient's life? Meet Tom Reynolds. Tom is an Emergency Medical Technician who works for the London Ambulance Service in East London. He has kept a blog of his daily working life since 2003 and his award-winning writing is, by turn, moving, cynical, funny, heart-rending and compassionate. It is never less than compelling.