SHAKEN
A Jack Daniels Thriller: Teaser #4
This installment picks up immediately following Teasers, #1, #2, and #3, available here.
J.A. Konrath
By Stephen Windwalker
Editor of Kindle Nation Daily ©Kindle Nation Daily 2010
Editor of Kindle Nation Daily ©Kindle Nation Daily 2010
We’re counting down toward one of the very cool, and very important, publishing events of the year, and it is great to have so many citizens of Kindle Nation along for the ride.
Sometime in the wee hours of tomorrow morning, Amazon will deliver Joe Konrath’s new novel Shaken to tens of thousands of Kindles, and it will mark the first direct-to-Kindle publication in Joe’s Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels series of detective novels.
For many readers, the automatic download will give us a chance to finish reading the book after we’ve read most of it free here at Kindle Nation. Here, for your entertainment, are the final chapters of the free installment.
And thank you, Amazon, and thank you, Mr. Konrath.
A Brand New Free Kindle Nation Short:
SHAKEN
A Jack Daniels Thriller: Teaser #4
This installment picks up immediately following Teasers, #1, #2, and #3, available here.
J.A. Konrath
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similar ity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Text copyright ©2010 J. A. Konrath and published here with permission of the publisher.
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo copying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by AmazonEncore
P.O. Box 400818
Las Vegas, NV 89140
Present day
2010, August 10
I was having a horrible nightmare where I was tied up and someone was going to torture me to death. So there was no feeling of relief when I woke up and realized I was tied up and someone was going to torture me to death.
The Catherine Wheel, with its horrible Guinea Worm attachment, whirred in my vision, and next to it the digital clock continued its countdown.
1:40:26…1:40:25…1:40:24…
It reminded me of a case I had a few years ago. Another countdown, on a digital watch.
I hoped this one would end better than that one had.
My brain was still fuzzy, and I couldn’t remember what had led up to this point. I also had no idea how I’d get out of this. If I didn’t know where I was, how could anyone else?
I scooted backward, peering behind me, eyeing the concrete block I was tethered to. Then I looked at my burning wrists. There was blood, but not as much as I’d expected, and the pain was far out of proportion with the actual damage. The wounds were no more than bad scrapes, but the glistening salt crystals made every millimeter of exposed flesh scream.
Unfortunately, the damage I’d done to the rope was even less impressive than the damage I’d done to myself. For all of my hard work, the nylon cord was barely frayed.
But seeing the Catherine Wheel had steeled my resolve. If I had to saw off both of my hands to get free, I would.
I closed my eyes and began to rub the rope against the corner of the block, whimpering in my throat, biting the ball gag so hard my jaw trembled.
Three years ago
2007, August 8
I hung up my cell phone and watched the cab pull up. Dalton and his associates climbed in. Good old Herb had slashed the tires of Dalton’s Caddy and the Benz, based on my not-so-subtle suggestion, in an effort to keep them on the scene and buy some time while I called Libby Hellmann, the state’s attorney.
Our efforts had bought us five minutes, and they were for naught. Hellmann had agreed with my original assessment; we had absolutely no evidence, and no probable cause, which meant we couldn’t get paper on Dalton. No search warrant. No arrest.
Deep down, I knew Dalton had a child in a storage locker somewhere. A child who was running out of time. And there wasn’t anything I could do. Even if I’d tried the loose-wire/vigilante-cop route and attempted to beat a confession out of Dalton, his lawyers showing up had squelched that plan. Not that it was ever a plan to begin with. I was pragmatic about following rules when confronted by a greater good, but unlike Mr. K I had no stomach for hurting people.
The only minor victory we scored was the look on the lawyer’s face when he saw the flat tires. When he went up to Herb, spouting off about suing and calling superiors, my partner told them a story about a roving band of tire-slashing thugs who had a vendetta against luxury cars, which was why my Nova was spared. When asked why he didn’t do anything to stop it, Herb replied, “I asked my lawyer, and he advised me not to.”
I truly did love the man, in that brotherly/sisterly way.
“Follow the cab?” he asked. “Or break into his car?”
I considered it. On one hand, if we chased Dalton, he surely wouldn’t lead us anywhere helpful. On the other, he wouldn’t leave his car with us if there was anything important or incriminating in it. But we couldn’t afford to miss that chance.
“Both,” I decided. “Hurry up. There’s a lock pick in my trunk.”
I hit the button and Herb gracelessly extracted himself from my vehicle, pulling out my lock pick-a one gallon plastic milk jug filled with concrete-just as the cab was pulling away. I took off after Dalton, then pressed the button on my earpiece to keep in touch with Herb. After two rings, he picked up.
“Ms. Daniels, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think this milk has gone bad.”
“It’s gone very bad,” I said, smirking. “You may have to arrest it for B&E.; Call me back if you find anything. I can have a car pick you up.”
I heard the CRUNCH of breaking safety glass, and the whine of the car alarm. I killed the phone, then used the radio mic to call Tom Mankowski, the detective on my team.
“Car five-five-niner, this is Lewis.”
Roy Lewis was Tom’s partner. “Hey, Roy, it’s Jack Daniels. Tom keeping you in the loop?”
“He don’t tell me shit. Plus the dude’s drunk all the time, on the take, and dealing crack to underprivileged schoolchildren. Plus he has erectile dysfunction.”
I heard Tom say “asshole” in the background, then, “What’s up, Lieut? I haven’t confirmed Dalton’s property in Cape Verde, but I did find his flight. He’s taking United out of O’Hare on August ninth, two fifteen p.m.”
I checked the current time, and the digital watch countdown. That coincided exactly with the time running out.
“I need you to arrange for a round-the-clock on John Dalton, sixty-one years of age, residing at 1300 North Lake Shore Drive. Three teams, eight-hour shifts.”
“Roger that. Where is the suspect now?”
“In a yellow cab, just turned off of Clybourn, heading west on Diversey. I also need you to assemble a team and start calling every self-storage facility in Chicago, checking to see who’s renting unit 515. If it’s John Dalton, John Smith, John Doe, or anything cute, get me immediately. I’ll be in touch. Out.”
I cut off, then called home base. “Dispatch, this is Lieutenant Daniels out of the two-six. I need a car to rendezvous with me en route.” I gave them my make, model, and plate number, as well as the upcoming intersection. Less than a minute later, a black-and-white pulled up alongside me. I read their car number off their front fender and got them on the mic.
“Car seven-six-three-seven, I need a photo taken to Scott Hajek at the crime lab. Complete workup, plus run the pic through missing persons. Grab it at the next stop.”
We all came to a red light at Western, Dalton’s cab right ahead of me, the patrol car on my side. A uniform-a young black woman who couldn’t have been older than twenty-one-hopped out of the passenger seat and hurried to my window as I lowered it.
“It’s really an honor to meet you, Lieutenant.”
I checked her nametag. Graves. “Thanks for the assist, Officer Graves. I need this at the lab ASAP. Hit the lights.”
“Roger that, Lieutenant.” Graves held out an evidence bag, and I dropped the envelope inside. Before she ran off, Graves hesitated.
“Did you need something, Officer?”
“I just wanted to say I’ve been following your career since I was a little girl. You’re the reason I became a cop, Lieutenant.”
I was flattered, of course, but I played the hard-ass like I was supposed to. “Don’t blame me for your unhappiness, Officer. Now move it or I’ll have you busted down to traffic duty.”
Her smile was sudden and dazzling. “Yes, ma’am,” she said, then nodded and ran back to her patrol car. I wondered if I was ever that young and eager, anxious to make my mark, and decided I couldn’t have been. The light turned green, and I followed the cab up to a club called Spill, which I knew from a case I had a long time ago. It was a known Outfit property, and it reminded me of a man I remembered from my early days in Homicide, a former mob enforcer.
I double-parked and watch the trio exit the cab. Dalton waved at me before going inside. My earpiece rang, and I picked up.
“Daniels.”
“Car was clean, Jack. Not even an owner’s manual in the glove compartment.”
“I’m at Spill, Herb. Up for a shot of tequila?”
“I don’t think I’m ready for tequila yet. But a beer would work.”
“Need a ride?”
“I’ll cab it.”
“See you in a bit.”
I hung up, parked in front of a hydrant, and headed into Chicago’s biggest mob bar to see what trouble I could cause.
Present day
2010, August 10
Phin’s nerves hummed throughout his body, making his extremities tingle and twitch. He was anxious to act, to do something, anything, to find Jack. But he had no idea what to do. Herb had taken the Lemonheads boxes, and the single yellow piece of candy stuck in the bough of the tree, and was trying to find latent prints on them. Harry was on his laptop, using Identi-Kit facial composite software to put together a picture of the creepy looking guy with the black hair who’d been hanging around his office.
Phin had nothing to do other than pace. He kept clenching and unclenching his fists, wanting to hit somebody. He checked on McGlade, half-expecting the uncouth private eye to be surfing porno, but found him working diligently on creating the composite. Then Phin checked on Herb in the kitchen, who was using a ninhydrin spray to stain the prints on the box and candy. It smelled like acetone, and Herb was working on the stove with the vent on.
Harry had checked the two unknown numbers on Jack’s cell phone. Both were billing follow-ups for cases they’d recently had.
Phin considered calling Mary, Jack’s mother, who was on yet another cruise-she took several a year. But Phin couldn’t see any reason to ruin the old woman’s trip, when there was nothing she’d be able to do to help.
“Got a bunch,” Herb said, stepping away from the stove and fanning the air with his palm. “Some good ones. But they’ll need to dry before I can lift them.”
“Can you search the CPD database by arresting officer?” Phin asked.
“Sure. But Jack was on the force for more than twenty years. There are going to be over a thousand perps she arrested during that time.”
Phin stared at Herb, hard. “Then we’d better get started.”
Twenty-one years ago
1989, August 16
I looked at Alan, on one knee. Looked at the ring, a nice-size, round diamond. Looked back at Alan. Then at the ring. Then Alan. Then the ring.
“You’re supposed to answer yes or no,” Alan said. His eyes were bright, his face earnest and hopeful.
“Alan…I…well, I’m kind of blown away right now.”
Alan waited.
“I mean, we’ve only been dating for a few months,” I went on. “We haven’t even lived together.”
“I’m an old-fashioned guy. The time to live together is when we’re engaged.”
“Shouldn’t living together come first? What if we can’t stand being around each other all the time?”
Alan lost a bit of his sparkle. He closed the ring box and stood up. “You’re going to be thirty next year. If we want to start a family, it has to be soon.”
“I don’t think I’m ready to have kids, Alan. That can happen later. My career-“
“Your career? A guy was just in your living room, taking pictures of you with your shirt off. That’s the career you want?”
“It’s not like that,” I said. “This is what I’ve been working for, Alan. You know it’s my goal to be a lieutenant-“
“-before you’re forty. I know that, Jacqueline. But whenever you talk about your job, all I hear is how little respect you get, how they’re holding you back, how no men want to work with you except that shithead Henry-“
“Harry.”
“-because it’s all a big, sexist old boys’ network.”
I put my hands on my hips. “This is my dream, Alan.”
“And what about kids? Let’s say you do get your dream job. Are you going to quit, at the height of your career, and drop everything to have babies?”
“I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’m not saying I don’t want to have a family. I’m saying I don’t think I’m ready for one right now.”
Alan shook his head, giving me one of his patented looks of disapproval. “You want to be forty-five and pregnant? By the time the kid is in college, you’ll be in a nursing home.”
“Of course not. I don’t want children when I’m that old.”
“Yesterday was your birthday. In three hundred and sixty-four days you’ll have another one. You can be married and maybe pregnant by then, or working some other hooker sting for a bunch of chauvinists who don’t respect you.”
Alan stuck the ring in his pocket and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“I’m not going to start an argument trying to convince you to marry me. Either you want to, or you don’t. I love you, and I respect that you need some time to think. You’re a fantastic, wonderful woman, and I know you’ll make a terrific wife, and mother. But only if you’re ready.”
I didn’t know if I was ready.
“Stay,” I said. What I left unsaid was, convince me this is the right thing to do.
“I can’t make this decision for you, Jacqueline. I know I’m ready. Most people our age are ready. Every single one of my friends is married.”
“So you want to get married because all of your friends are?”
“I want to get married because I love you. But the clock is ticking. For both of us.”
Alan reached the door, paused for a moment, then left. I considered going after him, but he was right. I did need to think about this.
I always assumed I’d get married and have children someday, but never really stopped to think how that would fit with my career. How could I rise up in the ranks if I needed to take a year off for maternity leave? How seriously would I be taken by the brass if I had to interrupt a high-profile murder investigation so I could stay home with my kid who had the chicken pox?
But, by the same token, I was almost thirty. I needed to make this decision, and soon. The fact was, if I didn’t take this chance with Alan, I might never have another one.
Alan was right. The clock was ticking.
And boy, did I hate ticking clocks.
Three years ago
2007, August 8
With the clock ticking down on the unknown boy’s life, I walked into Spill, wondering what more I could do to find him. My mind was filled with awful scenarios of what would happen when the timer reached zero. Was the boy in a storage locker in some sort of sealed container, with his air running out? Or maybe some terrible machine would turn on automatically, bringing death? Or did he have a rope around his neck, standing on a slowly melting block of ice?
I shook my head, forcing away the images, and stepped into the club. It used to be the nightspot in the city, trendy and hip and A-list. A lot had changed since the last time I’d been in here. Gone were the smoke and the thumping house music and the line around the block. Spill had gone from popular to passé, the dance floor covered with a few lonely pool tables, the once-mighty bar reduced to serving fried pub grub and boilermakers to aging wiseguys. That’s where I found Dalton and his lawyer cronies, sitting on stools at the bar. I parked myself at the other end, watching them glance at me and then huddle in private conversation.
Okay, Jack. You’re here. Now what?
I ordered an orange juice, playing out various possibilities. As long as Dalton was kept under surveillance, we could arrest him once we had enough evidence to satisfy probable cause.
The term probable cause was misused a lot on TV shows and in books. In U.S. law, it meant a cop could only arrest a suspect if there was information sufficient to convince the cop that a perp had committed a crime, or that evidence of a crime or contraband would be found if a search was conducted. This would justify a search warrant or an arrest warrant, and it had to be able to stand up in court, at a probable cause hearing.
I had a reasonable suspicion that Dalton had abducted a child, and was possibly the enigmatic Mr. K. As a law enforcement officer, that allowed me to detain Dalton for brief periods to question him, and search him if I suspected he had a weapon on him. But it didn’t allow me to bring him in. All he’d given me was double-talk and innuendo, and the case would get kicked before even making it to the arraignment. Even if I perjured myself, lying to the judge and testifying that Dalton had said or done things he really hadn’t, I’d still be required to prove those things at the hearing. The fact that Dalton had survived this long without a single blemish on his record showed he was unlikely to make mistakes, and having his lawyers meet him at the storage area was smart. I couldn’t get to him, either legally or illegally.
Herb walked in, pulling up a stool next to me.
“I left the key under your car,” he said, referring to the concrete milk jug. “Anything happening?”
“Nothing so far. The guy is leaving the country tomorrow, and is possibly about to murder a child, and he’s sitting there without a care in the world.”
Herb picked up the plastic table tent that served as a menu. “Hmm. They have batter-fried bacon.”
I frowned at him. “Wouldn’t it be faster just to inject the cholesterol directly into your arteries?”
“Probably not. Doesn’t matter, though. As of right now, I’m officially on a diet. It was pretty embarrassing not being able to sit up in your car.”
“Good for you,” I said.
The bartender came back, and Herb ordered some fried zucchini sticks. When I gave him the stink eye, Herb said, “What? They’re vegetables.”
I turned my attention back to Dalton. If one of the leads panned out, we could grab him. But I couldn’t count on that. If he really was Mr. K, I couldn’t let him leave the country. It violated everything I stood for.
So how could I make him stay?
“If we saw him committing a crime, we could arrest him,” Herb said. My partner often seemed able to read my mind.
“What are you thinking?” I asked.
“We could plant drugs on him.”
“Drugs?”
MILLIONS OF KINDLES: Another Tantalizing Dispatch from the Kindle Revolution, and This Time It’s From Amazon
By Stephen Windwalker
Just four days after its most recent earnings report, and one day before Barnes and Noble is rumored to be announcing a retooled Nook ereader, Amazon issued another one of its tantalizing Kindle press-releases today.
Amazon brought us past the ebook reader tipping point during the fourth quarter of 2009 when it sold over a million Kindles, and this morning the company announced that, in just 60 days of what is normally a much slower period than the holiday season, it has already sold more units of the latest generation Kindles than it sold of all Kindles combined during last year’s fourth quarter. The new Kindle 3 models — both the $189 3G+Wi-Fi Kindle
and the $139 Wi-Fi Only Kindle
— were released 60 days ago on August 26.
and the $139 Wi-Fi Only Kindle — were released 60 days ago on August 26.We’ve been on target in our projections about Kindle sales consistently since early in 2008, and it is our educated estimate that Amazon has now sold significantly over 5 million Kindles and is on track to sell its 7 millionth Kindle by the end of 2010.
“In addition, Kindle book unit sales continue to overtake print on Amazon.com, even while print book sales continue to grow,” the company said. “During the past 30 days, Amazon.com customers purchased more Kindle books than print books—hardcover and paperback combined—for the top 10, 25, 100, and 1,000 bestselling books on Amazon.com.”
Here’s the guts of Amazon’s press release today:
New Generation Kindle Device Sales Already Surpass Fourth Quarter 2009 – The Peak Holiday Shopping Season and Busiest Time of Year on AmazonAmazon.com Customers Now Buying More Bestsellers on Kindle Than Paperbacks and Hardcovers Combined—At a Rate of 2 to 1SEATTLE—October 25, 2010—(NASDAQ: AMZN)—The new generation Kindle devices are the fastest-selling Kindles of all time and the bestselling products on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Today, Amazon.com announced that sales of the new generation Kindle devices since their introduction have already surpassed total Kindle device sales from October through December 2009.
“It’s still October and we’ve already sold more Kindle devices since launch than we did during the entire fourth quarter of last year—astonishing because the fourth quarter is the busiest time of year on Amazon,” said Steve Kessel, Senior Vice President, Amazon Kindle. “Readers continue to choose Kindle for its all-new electronic ink screen with 50 percent higher contrast, readability in bright sunlight, long battery life of up to one month, light 8.5 ounce form, flexibility to read their books across all major LCD devices and platforms, and low $139 price. It’s clear that this is going to be the biggest holiday for Kindle yet—by far.”
In addition, Kindle book unit sales continue to overtake print on Amazon.com, even while print book sales continue to grow. During the past 30 days, Amazon.com customers purchased more Kindle books than print books—hardcover and paperback combined—for the top 10, 25, 100, and 1,000 bestselling books on Amazon.com.
“For the top 10 bestselling books on Amazon.com, customers are choosing Kindle books over hardcover and paperback books combined at a rate of greater than 2 to 1. Kindle books are also outselling print books for the top 25, 100, and 1,000 bestsellers—it’s across the board,” said Kessel. “This is remarkable when you consider that we’ve been selling hardcover and paperback books for 15 years, and Kindle books for just 36 months.”
Other recent milestones for Kindle include:
- In the 12 weeks following the introduction of the new generation Kindles, Kindle devices or Kindle-related items such as Kindle books and covers represented 15 of the top 15 bestselling items on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk combined.
- Amazon sold more than 3 times as many Kindle books in the first nine months of 2010 as in the first nine months of 2009.
- The Association of American Publishers’ latest data reports that e-book sales grew 193 percent between January and August 2010. Kindle book sales growth during the same period exceeded this rate.
Lightning Update to Today’s Kindle Nation Daily Free Book Alert, Monday, October 25: Six Brand New Free Nonfiction Titles Just Released! plus an undiscovered gem: John Pearson’s Learn Me Good (Today’s Sponsor), and over 100 other fully updated free Kindle ebook listings
Just moments after we posted Monday morning’s Kindle Nation Free Book Alert listings, Amazon and publishers added six brand new nonfiction titles, so we present them here without delay….
But first, a word from … Today’s Sponsor
(Ed. Note: Judging from the many emails I receive from the citizens of Kindle Nation, it’s clear to me that teachers and former teachers make up a large portion of our readers. And no matter how committed you may be as a teacher, and no matter how noble, honorable, and essential to our society your profession is, one thing that every master teacher knows, and every rookie teacher soon learns, is that you’ll need to be laugh unless you want to end up committed in unintended ways. Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or a corporate employee hanging on to your private-sector position with white knuckles, John Pearson’s wise and witty first-person take on the daily adventures of a highly educated design engineer who gets laid off and becomes a third-grade math teacher will help you laugh and make you think. It may just become the Up the Down Staircase
for the current generation of teachers. –S.W.)
for the current generation of teachers. –S.W.)
by John Pearson
4.7 out of 5 stars – 81 Reviews
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:
Jack Woodson was a thermal design engineer for four years until he was laid off from his job. Now, as a teacher, he faces new challenges. Conference calls have been replaced with parent conferences. Product testing has given way to standardized testing. Instead of business cards, Jack now passes out report cards. The only thing that hasn’t changed noticeably is the maturity level of the people surrounding him all day.
Learn Me Good
is a hilarious first-person account, inspired by real life experiences. Through a series of emails to Fred Bommerson, his buddy who still works at Heat Pumps Unlimited, Jack chronicles a year-in-the-life of a brand new teacher. With subject lines such as “Irritable Vowel Syndrome,” “In math class, no one can hear you scream,” and “I love the smell of Lysol in the morning,” Jack writes each email with a dash of sarcasm and plenty of irreverent wit.
is a hilarious first-person account, inspired by real life experiences. Through a series of emails to Fred Bommerson, his buddy who still works at Heat Pumps Unlimited, Jack chronicles a year-in-the-life of a brand new teacher. With subject lines such as “Irritable Vowel Syndrome,” “In math class, no one can hear you scream,” and “I love the smell of Lysol in the morning,” Jack writes each email with a dash of sarcasm and plenty of irreverent wit. About the Author
John Pearson has engineering degrees from Duke University and Texas A&M; University. He worked as a project engineer in Dallas for four years before being laid off. He then joined the ranks of public school educators, teaching third-grade math and science.
Click here
to download Learn Me Good (or a free sample) to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, Android-compatible, PC or Mac and start reading within 60 seconds!
to download Learn Me Good (or a free sample) to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, Android-compatible, PC or Mac and start reading within 60 seconds!
*
Each day’s list is sponsored by one paid title. We encourage you to support our sponsors and thank you for considering them.
Authors, Publishers, Kindle Accessory Manufacturers:
October’s Free Contemporary Titles in the Kindle Store
By: Various Contributors
Added: 10/25/2010 4:01:09am
By: Sherry Seethaler
Added: 10/25/2010 4:01:09am
By: John Authers
Added: 10/25/2010 4:01:09am
By: Paula Caligiuri
Added: 10/25/2010 4:01:09am
By: James O’Rourke
Added: 10/25/2010 4:01:09am
Kindle Nation Daily Free Book Alert, Monday, October 25: Four Free “Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith” Books to Get You Ready for Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #5: Purgatory, plus an undiscovered gem: John Pearson’s Learn Me Good (Today’s Sponsor), and over 100 other fully updated free Kindle ebook listings
We’re looking forward to seeing a new free Kindle Store listing this week for John Jackson Miller’s Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #5: Purgatory, but it hasn’t arrived yet, so for now we’ll help fans prepare by shining the spotlight on Books 1 through 4 — still free, every one of them! — at the head of Monday morning’s Kindle Nation Free Book Alert listings….
But first, a word from … Today’s Sponsor
(Ed. Note: Judging from the many emails I receive from the citizens of Kindle Nation, it’s clear to me that teachers and former teachers make up a large portion of our readers. And no matter how committed you may be as a teacher, and no matter how noble, honorable, and essential to our society your profession is, one thing that every master teacher knows, and every rookie teacher soon learns, is that you’ll need to be laugh unless you want to end up committed in unintended ways. Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or a corporate employee hanging on to your private-sector position with white knuckles, John Pearson’s wise and witty first-person take on the daily adventures of a highly educated design engineer who gets laid off and becomes a third-grade math teacher will help you laugh and make you think. It may just become the Up the Down Staircase for the current generation of teachers. –S.W.)
for the current generation of teachers. –S.W.)by John Pearson
4.7 out of 5 stars – 81 Reviews
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:
Jack Woodson was a thermal design engineer for four years until he was laid off from his job. Now, as a teacher, he faces new challenges. Conference calls have been replaced with parent conferences. Product testing has given way to standardized testing. Instead of business cards, Jack now passes out report cards. The only thing that hasn’t changed noticeably is the maturity level of the people surrounding him all day.
Learn Me Good is a hilarious first-person account, inspired by real life experiences. Through a series of emails to Fred Bommerson, his buddy who still works at Heat Pumps Unlimited, Jack chronicles a year-in-the-life of a brand new teacher. With subject lines such as “Irritable Vowel Syndrome,” “In math class, no one can hear you scream,” and “I love the smell of Lysol in the morning,” Jack writes each email with a dash of sarcasm and plenty of irreverent wit.
is a hilarious first-person account, inspired by real life experiences. Through a series of emails to Fred Bommerson, his buddy who still works at Heat Pumps Unlimited, Jack chronicles a year-in-the-life of a brand new teacher. With subject lines such as “Irritable Vowel Syndrome,” “In math class, no one can hear you scream,” and “I love the smell of Lysol in the morning,” Jack writes each email with a dash of sarcasm and plenty of irreverent wit.
About the Author
John Pearson has engineering degrees from Duke University and Texas A&M; University. He worked as a project engineer in Dallas for four years before being laid off. He then joined the ranks of public school educators, teaching third-grade math and science.
Click here to download Learn Me Good (or a free sample) to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, Android-compatible, PC or Mac and start reading within 60 seconds!
to download Learn Me Good (or a free sample) to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, Android-compatible, PC or Mac and start reading within 60 seconds!
*
Each day’s list is sponsored by one paid title. We encourage you to support our sponsors and thank you for considering them.
Authors, Publishers, Kindle Accessory Manufacturers:
October’s Free Contemporary Titles in the Kindle Store
Click here for a separate listing of free and bargain erotica titles for your Kindle.
By: JOHN JACKSON MILLER
Added: 04/06/2010 3:43:30pm
![[close]](https://www.jungle-search.com/swindwalker/close.gif)
By: Geri Scazzero
Added: 10/18/2010 2:01:05pm
By: Vivi Andrews
Added: 10/15/2010 4:01:12am
By: Bruce Springsteen
Added: 10/03/2010 2:01:31pm
From the Kindle Nation Mailbag: Page Numbers
Thanks to Kindle Nation citizen Nicole B. for sharing her experiences with the challenge of leaving page numbers behind with the Kindle.
Hi Steve!
I just upgraded my kindle to the latest, I have been a follower since my first kindle.
I have a question, you might be able to help me with.
Is there anyway to know page numbers on a kindle. For example I have some reference books on my kindle that like to refer to “See page #” I find it frustrating not to be able to skip to that “page”. Also, in my book club, I am the only kindle user and everyone refers to page numbers that I can not refer to.
Thank you for your input.Sincerely,
Nicole
Thanks, Nicole, and you’re not the only one who has been annoyed at this.
There is a reason behind the lack of page numbers on the Kindle: the Kindle team decided in favor of providing multiple font sizes, which means that, for any book, depending on which of the Kindle’s font sizes one chooses, you could arguably come up with six or so different “lengths,” when measured simply the number of screens it takes to get through the book.
As you’ve suggested, this presents problems for anyone trying to refer to such and such a page on the Kindle, whether it’s for a book group or for a citation in an academic research paper. Amazon hasn’t provided any real help on the issue, but I do think it is likely, when the Kindle Apps Store finally opens, that it will include an App that translates Kindle book locations, with possibly varying degrees of precision, into page numbers in the books’ print-formatted iterations.
Meanwhile, for book groups, here’s a work-around — involving the powerful “search” functionality of the Kindle — that only takes a few seconds and should work in some situations.
Let’s say your book group is discussing Rena Walmsley’s steamy but unforgettable novel Girl on Fire
If someone calls out “Miss Sharp, I’m so sorry,” and you just type in “sharp so sorry” and use the 5-way controller to select “find,” you’ll be delivered almost immediately to the passage under discussion, as seen in the screen shot below.
I hope that helps at least a little.
From the Kindle Nation Mailbag: Missing Out on Freebies
Thanks to long time Kindle Nation reader Tami for her email:
Long time reader, first time emailer…Free book alert for The Anvil of the World – Amazon shows it as 9.99 – bummerOh well, my life will go on…I’m really digging the kindle nation daily – it’s like a little daily lottery – and I do buy many of the sponsor’s books as well.And of course I enjoy the nicely written not-too-long articles as well.Thanks!
Tami
Thanks, Tami! I’m glad you’re enjoying the lottery!
And sorry you missed out on our The Anvil of the World
Steve
Free Kindle Nation Shorts – October 24, 2010 – A Letter and Excerpt from Portal: Book 1 of the Portal Chronicles, by Imogen Rose
By Stephen Windwalker
Editor of Kindle Nation Daily ©Kindle Nation Daily 2010
Imogen Rose, author of the magical and wildly popular Portal Chronicles series of romantic time travel novels that have earned nearly 100 5-star reviews from Kindle readers, has a triple treat for us today. First, she has carefully chosen a generous 6,000-word free excerpt from Portal as today’s Free Kindle Nation Shorts excerpt. Second, she introduces it with a fascinating letter written by the series’ youthful and very appealing protagonist, Arizona. And last but not least, her low promotional price of just 99 cents for Portal means that readers can purchase and download both of the first two novels in the series — Portal and Equilibrium — for a grand total of less than $5!
or
Click on the titles below to download the complete novels, Portal and Equilibrium, to your Kindle or Kindle app for just 99 cents!
PORTAL (Book 1 of the Portal Chronicles)
by Imogen Rose
4.5 out of 5 stars – 109 Reviews
Kindle Price: $0.99
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
Come Find Me Two Years Ago…
Six words that propelled ice hockey playing tomboy, Arizona, into an alternate dimension.
She suddenly found herself in the past. In one moment she went from being an ice hockey playing teenager in New Jersey to a glamorous cheerleader in California. She found herself transported from a happy life with her dad, Dillard, to a new, strange one living with her mother whom she hates. Apparently it’s a life she’s always lived in.
Everyone knows her as Arizona Darley, but she isn’t. She is Arizona Stevens.
As she struggles to find answers she is certain of one thing- that her mother Olivia, a brilliant physicist, is somehow responsible. .
PORTAL is the story of the repercussions of Olivia Darley’s attempt at creating a perfect world for herself and her children. Arizona’s quest for answers threatens to undermine the seemingly perfect world that her mother has so carefully constructed.
PORTAL is the first book of the Portal Chronicles. Fans of time travel, romance, and the supernatural will enjoy Arizona’s quest for answers.
(Book 2 of the Portal Chronicles)
by Imogen Rose
5 out of 5 stars – 25 Reviews
Kindle Price: $3.99
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
by Imogen Rose
5 out of 5 stars – 25 Reviews
Kindle Price: $3.99
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
It’s not every day you see a naked body slumped by the side of the road…
This ominous sight is just the beginning of a mystery that will span two dimensions.
When California teen Arizona Darley and her siblings go missing, their mother, Dr. Olivia Darley, discovers that the time-travel portal she invented has been hijacked.
Is the hijacker responsible for the disappearance of her children? Have the children been transported to another dimension? If so, the police and FBI will never be able to find them, and Olivia Darley must find a way to rescue her children on her own.
How will she do this without access to the portal?
EQUILIBRIUM is book two of the Portal Chronicles.
A Brand New Free Kindle Nation Short: A Letter and Excerpt from
Portal
Book 1 of the Portal Chronicles
By Imogen Rose
Portal
Book 1 of the Portal Chronicles
By Imogen Rose
Copyright 2010 by Imogen Rose and reprinted here with her permission.
Once upon a time… around two weeks ago, my life changed completely. Two weeks ago I would have said, I’m Arizona Stevens from Princeton, New Jersey. I go to Princeton High where I am the only girl who plays ice hockey for the varsity team. I have straight brown hair and I smell most of the time-from hockey.
Two weeks later, well, everything has changed. I’m still hazel-eyed, five-foot-two Arizona. However, I’m now Arizona Darley. I suddenly live in Mountain View, California. There has been a significant change in my general appearance. In addition to now being blond and resembling an awful Barbie doll, I do smell a lot better. I also seem to have turned into a cheerleader somehow. Well, I did have change that bit, super quick, I can’t cheer.
The reason for this change? Well, that’s not totally clear yet. I woke up in this new life two weeks ago, totally unprepared! After having taken my SAT’s for the upteenth time in Princeton, I got into my dad’s car and by the time I woke up I was in my mom’s Hummer in Mountain View. I somehow had woken up in a completely different life. Sheesh! Now, I have a new dad-Rupert. And a new older bother-Harry. Mom is still the same, as is my little sister, Ella and my dog Gertrude. The weirdest thing is that everyone around me know me as Arizona Darley. I have also somehow woken up In the past… not very far into the past, just eight months, but still….
It didn’t take me long to figure out that my mom was responsible for this sudden change in my life. Mom, apart from being really annoying, is also a quantum physicist. It turns out that she constructed a portal, yes some kind of time travel contraption and transported me to her new life in Mountain view! I still haven’t gotten to the bottom of all the whys and hows, but I will! For now, I am stuck here, in my alternative life, until I can find a way back to my real life. It’s not all bad, though. My alternative life came with one big advantage-Kellan. For someone who’s never been into dating before, I can’t really explain my deep attachment to Kellan….
Read the whole story in PORTAL, Portal Chronicles Book One … including this excerpt
Chapter Three
I woke to the sound of my iPhone alarm, it was already five. I was apparently still in Barbie Arizona land. I had decided to wake early, as I’d no idea what was expected of me. Or how long it would take to get to school. I got up and printed off a map of Mountain View High so that I wouldn’t be totally lost once I got there, if I got there.
What to wear? I thought jeans and a t-shirt would be the safest way to go. I threw on a worn out hoodie to disguise myself as much as possible. I wanted to keep a low profile, which was not going to be easy with this Barbie hair. I tied it in a ponytail and stuffed it down my back. Much better. I decided that I couldn’t really head to school in flip flops, especially with pink-tipped toe nails. After rummaging around in the closet, I found a pair of muddy, black sneakers and put those on. Perfect. I grabbed my backpack and shut the door, after throwing a backward glance at my once tidy room. Well, it was back to being a mess, nothing a shut door couldn’t deal with.
I put my ear to Ella’s door and listened for morning sounds. I could hear music, so I knocked and opened the door. She was sitting on her vanity chair, drowning herself in lip-gloss. She turned around and stared at me with a bemused grin.
“What’s with the new look, Arizona? You look ridiculous.”
“What’s so ridiculous about it, Ella?” I demanded angrily.
She shrugged. “What did you do with your hair? You always wear it down!”
“Well, I feel like a change,” I said defiantly.
“Are you ready for breakfast, Ella? What time do you want to leave the house and head to school?” I asked changing the subject.
“Dad said that he would drive me on his bike this morning so I’m going with him. But I’m ready for breakfast now, let’s go.”
I was slightly concerned at Ella’s obvious distaste in my attire. What if the school kids here dressed a certain way and I’d got it totally wrong. I would stand out and that’s the last thing I wanted-attention. I looked over to see what Ella was wearing. She was wearing a pair of blue skinny jeans with a Juicy t-shirt and Uggs, so I couldn’t be that far off the mark. She was just being a pain, as usual. I was not about to start worrying about the way I dressed!
Mom and Rupert were already sitting at the table sipping coffee and pouring over newspapers as we got to the kitchen. I spied an Ames Research canvas carrier by the door, stuffed full of papers.
“Good morning, girls,” they both said in unison and looked at me with puzzled expressions. They thankfully managed to keep their thoughts to themselves. I had obviously dressed unlike Barbie Arizona normally did. Well they’d just have to deal with it for now.
“I have an early meeting, so I’ve got to rush off. Dad’s taking you to school, Ella. So, Arizona, you’re off the hook. You can head right to school this morning. Give Simla a call though, she may want you to pick her up. She got her car taken away from her last night by her mom. I don’t know the details. Rup, meet me for lunch?”
He nodded, stood up, gave her a hug and kiss. She was dressed in a pair of black slacks, a cream Chanel jacket and carried her cream Kelly bag (or old lady bag, as I like to call it) – her usual uniform. She grabbed her keys and the Ames canvas bag from the floor, blew us kisses and left.
“Arizona, can you walk Gertrude before you head off? I filled your Jeep with gas last night, so you are ready to go. Drive carefully, and I’ll see you back at the house at five. I’ll pick Ella up from school and she can hang out at the studio for a while.”
I nodded at Rupert as I went to get Gertrude’s leash, and headed off for a walk with her. A Jeep – I just couldn’t wait. I went back to the house to gather my stuff once I spied Ella and Rupert leave on his bike. I put some more food and water down for Gertrude and then went over to the garage. To the Jeep! I was beyond thrilled. I had been driving with my learners permit in Princeton for a while, but I’d never driven on my own.
The Jeep was parked in the garage, a bright yellow Wrangler. So much for keeping a low profile! There was a huge Spartans sticker on the back window. Well, at least it was clear that I was heading off to Mountain View High school this morning.
I programmed the directions into the GPS system, drive time 35 minutes. School started at 7:30 AM, I had plenty of time, but it would be good to be early. This was a first, driving by myself with no one in the passenger seat constantly nagging at me. It felt wonderfully freeing. Just me in this awesome Jeep! I could drive anywhere I wanted to, no one could stop me.
I turned the knob to the radio, but couldn’t get it to work. I decided to figure it out later. Perhaps I should head to New Jersey instead of this school. It was very tempting; I even had my own credit cards. I guessed it was about three thousand miles away? It would take me three or four days….
I drove on, without noticing my surroundings, concentrating on the GPS directions. I arrived at Mountain View High in no time, found the parking lot, parked and sat in my car watching the other students arrive. It dawned on me that I had completely forgotten to call Simla. What would she be doing here anyway? She should be back in Princeton wondering what happened to me. I’d try calling her later.
The kids arriving at school looked normal, no odd-looking vampires or werewolves. A bit disappointing really, a lone hockey playing Edward Cullen would’ve been nice. I was in the twilight zone after all. I wondered if I could take a vampire out on the ice. Of course I could!
The buses arrived, standard issue yellow school buses. As I watched the kids leave and head into the building, I decided to follow the crowds in. After quickly locking the car door, I hid under my hoodie and ran to mingle with the crowd. Keeping my head low, I stumbled my way through the throng wondering how I was ever going to find my locker, that’s if I even had one. My hood was suddenly yanked back by someone behind me, exposing me to the world! I turned around in fury, ready to floor who ever it was- Simla.
“Hey, why didn’t you call me? I was forced to take the bus this morning!” Then she looked at me curiously, “Are you hiding from someone?”
I shrugged off her question. ” What’s up with your car, Simla?”
“Did your mom not give you my message?” she asked irritated.
I shook my head, “I guess she forgot.”
Simla proceeded to bring me up to date with her car woes. Something about a bad grade on the trig test (didn’t we do trig last year?) and then telling her mom that she was going to drop out. I stopped listening, she sounded so different, so whiney. It seemed like her car had been confiscated for a week and by the sound of things she expected me to drive her around. Well, she was going to have to re-think that. I had other things to do, I think….
I noticed a lot of “Hi, Arizona” coming from all directions. I guess everyone knew me. I put on my best sunshine smile and waved a hello in all directions, trying not to offend anyone. I had no idea who these people were.
“Arizona, could you do my trig homework tonight? I want to sneak out and hook up with J?” Simla asked as we walked along the corridor.
“I guess,” I said hesitantly wondering who J was. I had no idea what I had to do myself this evening.
“Simla, come walk with me to my locker, I want to show you something.”
She looked excited. I let Simla get in front of me and I followed her to my locker. I quickly took some books out of my backpack so both my hands were occupied.
“Can you open it? My hands are full.”
I watched her turn the combination lock, same numbers I always used, great!
“So, what do you have for me?” she asked as two girls I had never seen in my life before came over, hugged me and grabbed my arms.
“Come on, we’re late!” the taller one said as she pulled at me.
“Later, Simla,” I shouted as I was dragged along the corridor. Hopefully she’d lock up for me. I turned around and did a “lock my locker” impression with my hands at her. She looked annoyed.
“Are you ready for the game tonight, Arizona? It’s so exciting!”
Game, what game? Was I due to play in an ice hockey game? I had no idea where my kit was. Possibly at the back of Mom’s Hummer, there was a lot of hockey stuff there.
I nodded at the two girls wondering who they were. I tried to get a closer look at them as we hurried along the corridor. Platinum blondes, very pretty, designer jeans and tank tops. Lip gloss that put Ella’s to shame. Fabulous heels. I guessed that these were my two BFFs and guessed that I normally dressed like them. No wonder Ella had been horrified.
“Yes, very exciting. Remind me, where we’re meeting?” I asked.
“Oh, the usual place,” said the taller of the two.
I instinctively knew their names, Maria and Ali and I felt comfortable with them. There was no awkwardness when Ali, the taller blonde, pulled lip gloss out from her bag and dabbed it onto my lips. It was mango, very pleasant.
She kissed my forehead and said, “See you at lunch!”
I smiled and waved at her. I noticed heads turning as she walked up the corridor toward her classroom. Not surprising really, she was amazingly beautiful.
Maria looked at me and said, “You look a bit different. Is everything ok? Did you hurt your feet?” She pointed at my dirty black sneakers perplexed.
“I think I may be coming down with something so ignore me today.” I offered as a sad excuse for my obviously shabby look.
“I hope you’re going to be ok for the game?”
“Don’t count on me, I’m feeling a bit nauseous.”
“Oh, you poor thing, I’ll keep an eye on you during our classes, nudge me if you need to go to the nurse,” she said kindly as she took me by the elbow and led me toward another corridor.
“Thanks, Maria,” I said gratefully. I followed her along the corridor, acutely aware that we had the same effect as Ali when we walked along. Lots of head turning, staring and a lot of “hellos.”
“How’s the new dog?” Maria asked as we walked along.
New dog? Did she mean Gertrude? Gertrude wasn’t new.
“Gertrude?”
“You named her Gertrude? That’s so cute!”
“Gertrude’s fine,” I said as we passed a group of girls who all turned around to me.
“There you are, Arizona!”
Yes, indeed, I thought to myself, here I am apparently, though I should be in Princeton….
It was the debate team by the looks of their t-shirts. One grabbed my arm and murmured, “Meeting at 1 PM, Dinner Hall, don’t forget to wear your t-shirt.”
I smiled and whispered, “Ok” as I hurried to follow Maria around a sign that read Science Quad. I followed her into a classroom, careful to not look at anyone and sat down on the seat next to hers. I watched her get her books out of her backpack, physics, great! I had never been in a physics class. I looked at the calendar, October 6th 2008. The last time I had been at school it had been June 5th, 2009. I guess the calendar was wrong. I quickly checked the date on my iPhone. It was October 2008. I felt a chill. How had I not noticed that before?
“Put that away, Arizona. You don’t want it taken away!” Maria hissed.
I quickly threw the phone back into my backpack, setting it on vibrate first. Not sure why, as it had been spookily quiet in the last few days.
“When did your mom give you the cell phone back? It’s great, we can text again,” she said.
The class went silent as a stubby, middle-aged woman entered the room.
“Dr. Lee is away at a conference today, so I will be substituting. My name is Mrs. Shire. Take your books out and read Chapter Three.”
I turned the pages until I got to Chapter Three and stared incomprehensively at the words. I had no idea what it all meant, it might as well have been in Spanish, which I totally suck at. I would read this later at home. I spent the time studying my fellow students instead. I looked around as much as I could.
There were fourteen students in this class. On the other side of Maria, was a girl with a Debate Team t-shirt. She winked at me as she caught me glancing over at her. She was Asian, very pretty with striking blue eyes. I instinctively knew that her name was Lily. She was sitting next to another Asian girl, also pretty; she smiled at me too… Amanda. There was one more girl in class, way at the back so it was difficult to turn around and get a good look at her. She was bent forward peering over her book, ear buds on. Her hoodie was so far down her face that I couldn’t make out her features. I had no idea who she was.
Maria nudged me. “She’s new,” she whispered. “Her name is Ariele and she is apparently from New Jersey.”
Ariele? From New Jersey? Could it be my BFF from Princeton? She was moving to California. How awesome! I felt both excited and scared, a shiver ran down my spine and I trembled. Maria looked at me with concern. I shook my head to indicate I was ok, and made sure not to look at Ariele again. I wasn’t sure how to handle this yet. I wondered if Ariele had seen me? She probably wouldn’t recognize me anyway with this ridiculous hair.
Of the nine boys in the class, four were Asian and three from India. None of them looked up from their books once, totally entranced by Chapter Three, whatever that was about. The other two boys were sitting right behind me. One yanked at my hair. I turned around – Justin!
“Can you drop Simla off at my house later?” he asked in a hushed voice.
“Simla? Why?” I asked bemused. They had never given each other the time of day before.
I couldn’t help but notice the boy sitting next to Justin. He was staring at me with a smirk that really riled me.
“What’s your problem?” I demanded challengingly as I scowled at him.
I could hear a sharp intake of breath from him as he shrugged his shoulders and whispered, “What’s up, Shrimp?”
Shrimp? I stared at him in disbelief and then turned back to Justin.
“Talk about it later, Justin,” I whispered.
I turned around again and pretended to read, but I could feel the boy next to Justin glowering at my back. I couldn’t help looking back again and caught his stare. He was breathtakingly attractive and so familiar, although I couldn’t place him.
“What’s up with you and Kellan?” Maria asked in a whisper.
I shrugged. In all honesty, I hadn’t a clue. At least I knew his name now. I’d have to figure out the history later.
The bell sounded and it was time to move classrooms. I quickly checked my schedule hoping it was something easy: computer lab, perfect.
“Come on,” said Maria.
Good, I thought to myself. She is in my next class as well; I’d just follow her. We walked past the swimming pool and gym, around the library to the computer labs. Someone shoved passed me roughly and I dropped my bag. I saw Ariele hurry along ahead, without looking back. Maria helped me retrieve my bag and then we rushed along to class.
Computer lab was a breeze. It was fun and passed quickly. Then it was time for lunch. The cafeteria was just across from the computer lab. Maria and I crossed the hallway, but I stayed half a step behind her so I could follow her lead. Justin got to the door first and held it open for us.
“Ladies,” he smiled.
We walked toward Ali, who was already sitting at a table with a bunch of girls. There were two empty chairs for us. I threw my bag on one of them and made my way to the fruit counter. I picked up a banana, an apple and a drink of water. I was more nervous than hungry, having to deal with the girls at lunch.
And, of course, there was the upcoming “game” to fret about. I glanced quickly around the cafeteria trying to get some bearing. This place was definitely cliquey. I could easily make out the different groups. I looked over at mine. Now, I was worried. The softball team maybe… a very glamorous softball team?
The girls were deep in conversation about the game when I sat down. I listened trying to understand what they were talking about. Why didn’t I have any instinct about this?
“Well, I guess at the end of the day it’s really up to Arizona, she’s the vice captain and Julia is off sick, so I guess Arizona is in charge,” Ali said looking at me expectantly.
I nearly choked! I had no idea how to respond. “Ali, to tell you the truth, I’m not feeling that good today, slightly nauseous. Could you take over?” I suggested hoping for the best.
“Sure thing, will you at least come and watch?” she asked obviously delighted at being put in charge.
Categories Books