Randomize ME

So, how many of you have bought a Kindle OR if you haven’t bought a Kindle yet, whataya waiting for? Amazon has a WiFi Only Kindle 3 for $139, and a WiFi + Free 3G Kindle 3 for $189! Or you can get the larger sized Graphite Kindle DX.

(If you don’t have a Kindle, don’t worry, you can still read the free books! Just download the Kindle for the PC, Kindle for the iPhone/iPod Touch, Kindle for the iPad, Kindle for BlackBerry or Kindle for Android!)

Well, time to fill your Kindle with FREEBIES! Hmm… the Kindle freebies for today are exclusively just for those in the UK unfortunately, so I’m adding some more freebies from elsewhere. p.s. For the bargain conscious – check out my $0.99 bargain books, $1.99 bargain books and $2.99 bargain books round-up post(s) while you’re here too OR just check on ALL my bargain posts HERE!

*If you want a direct Amazon link where you can see ALL the updated free books right now, be sure to bookmark this link! It will take you to a page that lists them in best-selling order*

‘Graveyard Games‘ by Sheri Leigh is available for FREE download on the Amazon UK Kindle site (The US edition is priced at $0.99). Just click here to download this book.

Book Description

2011 EPIC AWARD FINALIST

Dusty has always been the hothead in the pair — her twin, Nick, he was the calm, cool and collected one. But now Nick is dead, found murdered in their local cemetery, and Dusty, on forced leave from her job as a Chicago police officer, goes back to her childhood home to attend the funeral.

It becomes quickly apparent to Dusty that the local authorities aren’t being straight with her, or anyone else, about what’s been going on in the little Midwestern town she grew up in. The detective in her kicks in and she decides to find out what–or who–has killed her brother, so she moves in temporarily with her father and stepmother, takes a job in a local bar, and starts asking questions.

Her focus soon fixes on Shane, her brother’s best friend–the town bad boy and bad seed. The tension between the two of them has always been palpable, and nothing has changed. Sparks fly as they collide, and while Dusty finds herself sinking in deeper with Shane, the mystery of what happened to her brother–and an ever growing list of victims–grows even stranger.

Dusty finds her past haunting her everywhere she goes as she continues to dig deeper into the circumstances of her brother’s death, and her future looms large as her fate as a police officer is about to be determined back in Chicago. With everything coming to a head, she focuses on one thing: What happened the night her brother was killed in the cemetery? She’s sure Shane knows… something… and she’s determined to find out what it is, one way or another.

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Check out the other freebies after the jump!

Read more…

(Update: Looks like this was a mistake freebie and the listing has been pulled. Sorry for those who missed it!)

Here’s another new game app for the Kindle and it’s FREE (for now)! It’s from Oak Systems Leisure Software who also released these previously: Word Search, Word Search Volume 2 and Chess

‘CodeWord (Codewords and Cryptograms for Kindle)‘ by Oak Systems Leisure Software is available on the Amazon Kindle site for FREE (for now, it’s supposed to be $0.99)! Just click here to download!

Game Description

CodeWord for Kindle combines two, hugely popular, code busting puzzles in one title; codewords and cryptograms. 50 of each are included in volume 1.

Codeword puzzles look similar to crosswords but have a number in each square. Each number represents a letter. A clue word is given to start you off. Use your vocabulary and logic to reveal more letters by forming words and cracking the code.

The cryptogram puzzles are all themed on famous quotations. Use your skill to decipher them.

Letters are entered once in the code grid and are auto completed for you into the puzzle. Hints are available if you need them to help you solve the puzzles. You can reset each puzzle and try it again as many times as you like. If you get stuck on a more challenging puzzle then you can give up and see the correct solution. Play at your own pace or against an optional timer.

CodeWord is where word games meet logic. People of all ages who like puzzles and word games will enjoy playing this fun game on Kindle.

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Be sure to check out Amazon’s Popular Kindle Games & Active Content page for a review of all the games available!

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Book Description:

Argus Ward is a former U.S. Secret Service agent who runs a protection agency catering to the rich and famous. His best-kept secret–which he shares with lawyers, doctors and even psychiatrists–is his status as a high-functioning paranoid schizophrenic. One day, with little warning, he turns psychotic for the first time in twenty years. He lands in a secure psychiatric facility, charged with the murder of his most famous client, high tech industry billionaire John Helms, the wealthiest man in America.

Argus has no memory of the killing. A blood test suggests to him that some unknown enemy had switched his anti-psychotic medication with identical-looking dummy pills to purposely drive him insane. A sign of lingering paranoia? His doctor thinks so. Even his wife.

Yet Argus escapes incarceration to prove his theory. With the law on his trail and a ticking time bomb in his head–due to a lack of medication–he discovers that his disease had been “weaponized” by a powerful group to secretly assassinate John Helms as part of a multiple assassination conspiracy of world-wide significance.

Or has Argus simply lost his mind again? What in the end is “real” and what is only imagination in his story? And what is justice for the criminally insane? Come lose your grip on reality. Read CRACK-UP.

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I think that the next time someone I know says something disparaging about how badly-written self-published books are, I’d tell them to read Crack-Up by Eric Christopherson. It’s a lot to ask from a $0.99 book, but I’ll be holding this up as an example of a self-published book gone right. The author didn’t get it totally right (he needed a good editor, for example, to tighten things up some more), but in terms of techniqual quality (formatting, proof-reading) – it’s right up there with the vetted trade publications, even better at times. Crack-Up is a well-written mystery with a bonus – a very unique central character in the high-functioning paranoid schizophrenic Argus Ward.

I bought this from Amazon since I thought the plot was so unique. I’m a fan of the psychotic Dexter series of books (and the Dexter TV series), so I have no problem with reading about how a paranoid schizophrenic murderer goes about trying to prove that he was but a pawn in a complex assassination conspiracy. Just because you’re crazy doesn’t mean that someone isn’t after you Actually, I had a lot of fun reading and trying to figure out the mystery with the cracked-up Argus Ward.

Argus Ward isn’t the most likeable of characters – he’s very uptight and unemotional (he never quite convinced me of his love for his wife & family, for one), and as mentioned, he’s pretty much crazed out of his mind for majority of the book. I did like how the author Eric Christopherson was consistent with his character – that’s just his personality and it worked with how the plot was set up – but the minus is that I was never particularly emotionally attached to Argus.

Notice that I’m calling this a mystery – since I wouldn’t really call it a ‘thriller’ (even though it’s supposed to be a thriller). The flow of the plot was a little slow (it starts out even a bit boring), and I never really got the heart-pounding ‘danger’ or excited feeling while reading it. Maybe it had to do with not being emotionally attached to the central character, but there was definitely a lack of some X-factor that characterizes a really excellent thriller that can rev up your adrenaline as a reader. It’s strange since the plot is pretty good actually. The reader is pretty much in the dark – like Argus – and we get to ride shotgun on Argus’ crazy rollercoaster experience wondering what is real? what’s hallucination? On the plus side, the narrative voice is very dry and droll, with a dose of the dark comedy. I’m not sure if the author set out with that in mind – but it’s there – like when Argus ends up having testy conversations with Darth Vader or pouring out his heart to a sympathetic Albert Einstein statue. I thought those scenes would be marvellous to see in live action – sort of sad and funny at the same time.

So, in short – it’s not very exciting, but I thought it was a fascinating study of a character I’ve never seen in fiction – a paranoid schizophrenic trying to do the right thing while in the throes of a psychotic break. Basically, plus points for just being unique

Crack-Up by Eric Christopherson is available on Amazon as a Kindle edition ($0.99). It is also available as an eBook at B&N for $0.99. Kobobooks has it for $2.39.

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So, as I’ve posted before, Amazon will be offering a FREE paid app each day from their Amazon’s Appstore for Android. And for today, it’s “Fruit Ninja” by Halfbrick Studios Pty Ltd for FREE today only and save $0.99!

Product Description

Fruit Ninja – the messiest, most satisfying fruit game ever! Carve, Splatter, and Slash

Playing with your food might not seem like a crucial part of ninja training, but as the good folks at Halfbrick Studios will tell you–for ninjas, it’s more than just a game. All ninjas hate fruit! Join the ninja clan as you slash your way through three modes of juicy gameplay. You’ll soon see that Fruit Ninja is the messiest, most satisfying fruit game ever!

Enter the dojo of the wise ninja sensei to hone your deadly fruit-slaying skills. Learning to play is easy: just swipe your finger across the screen to carve gruesome, juice-splattered smears out of hordes of apples, watermelons, coconuts, and other ninja foes. Fruit Ninja is an addictive, fun, casual game that brings a splash of bright color to your Android mobile screen.

So head on to the Amazon Appstore now and start browsing! Here’s a helpful link where you can browse through all the FREE android apps right now (after you’ve downloaded Fruit Ninja of course!)

P.S. Take note of these download restrictions for now:

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For those who like military / techno thrillers, why not check out this massively discounted Dale Brown novel?

Rogue Forces with Bonus Material by Dale Brown is currently available for the Kindle for just $1.99 (Thriller). *This is specially discounted as the original edition available on Amazon (but without any bonus content) is still listed as $8.99!

Product Description:

For a limited time, discover New York Times bestseller author Dale Brown’s Rogue Forces, including a special note from the author and an exclusive excerpt from his new novel, A Time for Patriots, available May 2011.

The clash of civilizations will be won . . . by the highest bidder.

Newly inaugurated president Joseph Gardner has followed through on his pledge to pull American forces out of Iraq. But the region has quickly re-emerged as a hot zone, as Kurdish nationalist attacks have led the Republic of Turkey to invade northern Iraq. Reluctant to recommit U.S. troops, the commander-in-chief turns to former president Kevin Martindale and retired Air Force Lieutenant-General Patrick McLanahan, who have left government behind for the lucrative world of military contracting. Their private firm, Scion Aviation International, is suddenly the only credible armed force in the region capable of blunting the Turks’ advances. America’s most lethal military contractor has become more powerful than anyone anticipated—too powerful for even the President to control.

Now Patrick McLanahan is going rogue, determined to take the fight directly to the Turks, and no one is going to stop him. But where does his loyalty ultimately lie: with his country, his commander-in-chief, his fellow warriors . . . or with his company’s shareholders?

About the Author
Dale Brown is the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, starting with Flight of the Old Dog in 1987. A former U.S. Air Force captain and a current mission pilot in the Civil Air Patrol, he often flies his own plane in the skies over the United States.

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Here’s another new game app for the Kindle! It’s from Mobigloo who also released these previously: Mahjong Solitaire, Easy Calculator and Next Puzzle Game

‘Reversi Deluxe (A Classic Game for Kindle)‘ by Mobigloo is available on the Amazon Kindle site for $1.99! Just click here to download!

Game Description

Reversi Deluxe is a classic strategy board game that’s easy to learn.

The rules of Reversi Deluxe are simple. Your goal is to have more pieces of your color on the board than your opponent does. Players lay pieces on the board so they trap one or more of the opposing player’s pieces. Opponent’s pieces that are trapped turn into your color. Players take turns until the board is full or there are no remaining moves.

Reversi Deluxe provides four different levels of difficulty (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert) which allows players to be challenged regardless of skill. You can challenge your friends with Pass ‘n’ Play support, or play against Kindle. You can also ask Reversi to show all of your valid moves on the board.

Challenge yourself with a game of Reversi Deluxe!

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Be sure to check out Amazon’s Popular Kindle Games & Active Content page for a review of all the games available!

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Thought I’d play along with this weekly meme WWW Wednesdays (via the Should Be Reading blog) where I answer three (3) questions:

• What are you currently reading?

I’m currently reading School for Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer. But I don’t think I can actually finish this book. The writing is not up to par to what I’m used to with YA-geared books.

I bought it since I thought the story sounded interesting – it’s about a messed up teen who is sent by her parents to the Hidden Oak boarding school to get rehabilitated. The twist is that the school may have their own agenda for the girls. I’m about more than halfway through… and I’m about ready to throw in the towel. The author could not have written a more unlikeable main character (Angela Cardenas) and I spend most of the time wishing the book was written from the point of view of another more interesting secondary character (the rebel Juin). Since the book is narrated in the first person by Angela, it’s getting to be a chore for me to read it…

• What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished reading The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney.

I borrowed this one from the NYPL – it’s about 15-year-old Jane Johnson who realizes that the little missing girl’s picture on the milk carton is her when she was three. What a nightmare, right, to discover that the parents you love may have kidnapped you from your real parents? I found it really weird that Jane just doesn’t get all her answers from a google search (which would have reduced the book to one chapter, I guess), until I checked the book’s publication date and turns out this was published way back in 1989 (where you actually do your research in microfilm). I found Jane a fairly irritating character with her passive-aggressiveness and being always in denial, but who am I to judge? I found this one a bit of a chore to finish too, since the writing style (written in Jane’s voice) was so weird, with really short chopped up sentences. I have another book by Caroline B. Cooney (Family Reunion) which is written in a very different, more appealing way – so maybe it’s an isolated character-driven thing.

• What do you think you’ll read next?

I’m planning to read THE LAND OF PAINTED CAVES: A Novel (Earth’s Children) by Jean M. Auel next. It’s the final book in Jean Auel’s bestselling Earth’s Children series, and the fans (like me!) have been waiting forever for the next installment in Ayla’s story to come out. My quandary is that I read the previous books years ago, and they’re all fuzzy in my mind now. I might have to either read all the earlier books first OR find some sort of Cliff notes to help me remember the details I’ve forgotten… Wikipedia here I come, I suppose

(p.s. If it’s your first time to visit my blog, please have a look around especially if you read digital books. I post a lot of (legal) freebies that I find here)

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Okay, here’s the next installment of bargains for our Kindles! Be sure to check out all my posts about Kindle bargains by clicking HERE so you don’t miss out on some savings (but note that the discounts are only temporary, so prices may have gone up since I posted)! (p.s. If you’re looking for Kindle freebies instead, just check out all my freebie posts!)

Elizabeth by J. Randy Taraborrelli for $2.99 (Biography).

Product Description:

For more than six decades Elizabeth Taylor has been a part of our lives. Now acclaimed biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli looks past the tabloid version of Elizabeth’s life and offers the first-ever fully realized portrait of this American icon. You’ll meet her controlling mother who plotted her daughter’s success from birth…see the qualities that catapulted Elizabeth to stardom in 1940s Hollywood…understand the psychological and emotional underpinnings behind the eight marriages…and, finally, rejoice in Elizabeth’s most bravura performance of all: the new success in family, friendships, and philanthropy she achieved despite substance abuse and chronic illness. It’s the story of the woman you thought you knew–and now can finally understand.

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Check out the other bargains after the jump!
Read more…