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Like a little romance? Or a lot? Then we think you’ll love today’s free excerpt from our Kindle Nation Daily Romance of the Week, Shadonna Richards’ AN UNEXPECTED BRIDE, a top 20 bestseller in contemporary romance on Kindle!

Over the weekend we announced that Shadonna Richards’ wildly popular novel AN UNEXPECTED BRIDE was our new Romance of the Week and the sponsor of thousands of great bargains in the Romance category: over 200 free titles, over 600 quality 99-centers, and thousands more that you can read for free through the Kindle Lending Library if you have Amazon Prime!

Now we’re back to offer our weekly free Romance excerpt, and if you aren’t among the tens of thousands of Kindle owners who have downloaded this one, you’re in for a treat!

by Shadonna Richards
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:

Emma Wiggins is about to marry her heart-stopping, gorgeous boss, CEO Evan Fletcher, in seven days—too bad he doesn’t know it yet!

Desperate to fulfill her ailing grandfather’s last wish to see her settle down and get married, Emma Wiggins, a 30-year-old, career-focused executive tells him a little white lie on his deathbed that she is in fact engaged–to her boss, deliciously handsome and emotionally unavailable, Evan Fletcher.

The situation takes an unexpected turn when her grandfather’s condition improves slightly and to her shock, he goes ahead and arranges a wedding ceremony at his hospital bedside before he passes on. Now, all Emma has to do is convince unsuspecting, commitment-phobic Evan to tie the knot with her in seven days. Can love blossom in the most unlikely situation?

And here, for your reading pleasure, is our free excerpt:

1

“You mean to tell me, you can’t find a decent man? Not one?”

    “Grampa!” Emma Wiggins felt the blood siphon from her face. She could not believe she was having this conversation.

She shifted her hips uncomfortably on the hospital bedside of her ailing grandfather, trying to find the right words to say. She knew quite well where he was going with his comment. He was desperate to see her settle down, get married and have kids one day. But after her previously tainted relationships left her with emotional burns to 70 percent of her heart, no way was she going down that yellow brick road to happiness again. There’s no place like home…alone.

    “Oh, Gramps!” she whispered, tilting her head to the side, gently stroking his wrinkled forehead with her free hand as if comforting a fragile kitten.

“Look, I promise you, I won’t end up…dying alone and penniless. You have my word on it—okay?”

Her whispered reassurance was virtually inaudible as she ingested what seemed like a handful of sand in her throat. Was that a promise she could even keep? She wanted to give him hope, something to cheer about. Especially now as he neared the end of his long time battle with what he called “a dreadful opponent that had a habit of sneaking up at the wrong time—prostate cancer.”

The long-term care unit at Mercy Springs Memorial Hospital was unusually quiet during the busy lunch hour. The place was tranquil except for the sound of the air conditioner gently humming in the background and the odd clanking of knives scraping plates as some patients ate their meals. The aroma of hospital food filled the air. The scent of fresh cut flowers she’d bought and placed at the bedside table wafted to her nostrils. She eyed his untouched lunch tray. The smell of mashed potato with gravy and sliced beef reminded her she hadn’t eaten.

Laced with guilt, Emma glanced down at her watch. She didn’t want to leave him. Not ever. Not after what the doctor told her about his prognosis. But she didn’t want to push her luck at work either. Her boss, Evan Fletcher, president of Fletcher Advertising where she worked as an account executive had been more than kind already to extend her lunch hour to visit her ailing Gramps. They had the pivotal conference call meeting in half an hour with one of their biggest potential clients. She didn’t want to blow this. Not now.

This was a career clincher for her. But speaking of careers…. Her grandfather, whom she’d always referred to as Gramps when she was a little girl and had trouble pronouncing Grandpa, just finished a fresh round of chastising his only granddaughter for putting career ahead of love and family. If only he knew. She would love to have a family and a husband. But…

Her grandfather, Mr. Wiggins, reclined weakly and peered at her with droopy eyelids. His favorite pair of thick brown spectacles propped on the tip of his nose. He felt comfortable with them on, even when resting. The head of his bed elevated to a ninety degree angle.  The green and white hospital bed sheets covered him up to his chest. He hadn’t eaten much during the past few days. He appeared older than his eighty years. Emma knew her grandfather loved her and wanted the best for her. She was also painfully aware that he regretted only having one child, a son, Emma’s father. Oh, she looked like her dad. Deep, almond shaped brown eyes that sparkled, dark, curly long ebony hair that shined. And a dimpled smile to melt even the coldest of hearts. Always willing, always helpful.

“I know that silly guy hurt you when he left you but—”

“Oh, Gramps. Why are you talking about that now? I’m so over him.” She emphasized the “so” and bit down on her lower lip. She wished she could simply delete the bitter memory of her ex-fiancé’s betrayal from her mind. She longed to erase the baggage of emotional scars he packed her off with. Yes, her hope was singed during that nasty breakup period, but she couldn’t dwell on relationships now. Her work was her love. And so was Gramps.

“Sometimes you need to take your messed up relationships with a grain of grace so you can appreciate when the right one comes along. I just don’t want to see you let him ruin your chances of happiness with someone else. In hindsight, I can say that other guy was a goof, not worthy of you!” He struggled to lean forward and touched her cascading mane of dark, spiralling curls.

Emma was amazed at his strength. She didn’t realise that many palliative patients had energy before their inevitable demise. In fact, she was always in amazement when she visited the quiet unit. Patients were up and about, walking, conversing, and partaking of typical activities. Of course, not all patients were responsive and ambulatory. It was a mixture of diagnosis, prognosis, and illness processes. The ages of the patients ranged from eighteen-years-old to those who reached their ninety-ninth year.

“You realise you’re my only grandchild.” A muffled cough emitted from his throat. He grabbed a tissue from the side table and covered his mouth with it, coughed up, and wiped his mouth clean before tossing the Kleenex in the black garbage bin by his bedside.  “The Wiggins line will be finished if you don’t marry and have kids, pumpkin,” he emphasised tearfully, water filling his eyes. Emma could barely watch him cry.

Just then, one of the nurses, a perky redhead sporting bright pink scrubs, bought in a plate with a slice of cake on it. Her cheeks glowing red.

“Oh, what’s the occasion?” Emma was glad to change the subject as she peered at the icing on the cake.

“Oh, this is from Mr. Harry next door. His granddaughter just got married in the room.”

“Married? Here?”

“Yes.” The nurse placed the cake on the table before the untouched tray of food. “We sometimes get requests for wedding ceremonies to take place at the bedside for palliative patients who are too ill to otherwise attend. He wanted to give his daughter away. We arranged for the chaplain to do the honors, but sometimes patient’s family members bring in their own minister.” The nurse smiled and fixed Emma’s grandfather’s pillow and repositioned him before darting out of the room.

Emma couldn’t help but notice her grandfather’s fresh round of tears.

“What’s wrong, Gramps?” Surprise caught her voice.

“I just wished it were you, pumpkin. It’s my only wish before I go to be with your dear old grandma to see you get married, settle down, have a family. You’re hiding yourself in your work. There’s so much more to life than work, you know. We all need love, pumpkin. It won’t be nice to be alone when I’m gone—” His voice cracked and broke off. “I just hate to think you’ll be alone with no one. Just don’t give up too easy on finding true love.”

Emma’s heart took a serious plunge into the deep end of despair. She could bear no more. If only he knew it was just as unsettling to her as it was to him to see her in this state.

Lord knows she tried hard to make things work with her ex-fiancé, of whom she could barely bring herself to recite his name. But, oh, nothing escaped the careful observation of her grandfather. He knew her all too well.

Truth was, she really did hide behind her work, bury herself in its corporate arms, lose herself to the company’s aims and objectives.

But it was the perfect cover. And why not? She’d at least be doing some good service while keeping her mind busy at the same time.

Why not pour her heart into working to change images through advertising? Fulfill a need. Utilize her communications skills to write and design advertisements for special clients to inform the public about products and services that could help them to make their lives better. Contribute to economic growth. Yes, there were some things much more critical than love, Emma tried to convince herself.

Still, she really couldn’t live with herself knowing the doctor told her in the family meeting earlier that Gramps only had days to live. Days! How could she not want to see him happy?

Her large, tearful brown eyes surveyed his aging, graceful face as if each blessed, earned wrinkle had a story of its own to tell. Her eyes penetrated his dark, kind, tired eyes glazed over with cataracts. At one time, this same pair of eyes was so filled with life. Love. Hope.

He was all she had now.

She was all he had.

Those time-honoured crow’s-feet  in the corners of his eyes ever so present. Each representing wisdom and sacrifice made to his country. His family.

“Gramps, don’t worry. I’m…I’m okay. I-”

His tears fell hard like the Texas rain. Her grandfather bellowed out in pain. Her grandfather, the stronghold of the family, loving, determined, but wore his heart on his shirt sleeves, was never afraid to weep. That took a powerful man to do that. This same man took her in when everyone else—meaning her parents—could not care for her.

Soon, the nurse would come back in and wonder what Emma did to upset this poor, dying man.

“Gramps, I didn’t want to tell you before but…I’m seeing someone. I am getting married.” Liar.

Emma bit down on her full, defined lips. Anything to make him happy—a dying man’s last wish. But before Emma could stop herself, she swallowed another hard lump of reality. What did she just do? Did she just tell a lie to spare his feelings? She could shoot herself. But she hoped he didn’t hear amongst his own wailing.

As if someone turned off a faucet, his flow of tears almost dried up immediately.

“What did you just say, darlin’?” He sniffled and grabbed a tissue at the bedside to dab at his tears, his shaky hand removed his spectacles while the other free one wiped his eyes.

“I’m…you know…” Hesitation. Crackles shadowed her vocal chords.

“Getting married? Sweetheart, that’s wonderful news. Why didn’t you tell your dear old Gramps before? Getting me all worried. Who’s the lucky guy? What’s his name?” He peered over his spectacles. A light seemed to beam from his face.

Okay, now what do I say?

“Um…”

Think, Emma. Think.

“Evan.” She could kick herself. By the time she was through she would be beaten and worn.

“Evan who?”

Okaaay.

“Fletcher.” Good Lord. Okay, now I’ve done it. What’s wrong with me?

She tried to convince herself she wasn’t entirely dishonest. She was seeing her sexy, heart-stopping, gorgeous boss Evan for the sole purpose of work—every day. They worked closely at the agency for the past three years—sometimes late nights to meet tight deadlines, travelling together. He’d promoted her from new grad receptionist to office manager to account coordinator and possibly more. He’d always believed in her. She admired him from afar. Though Evan was as distant as a star in the galaxy from Earth. Okay, so he was a self-professed bachelor who had made it known to staff he despises the institution called marriage. He’d never know about this little secret lie she just spilled out to her grandfather.

Emma’s BlackBerry vibrated with a gentle hum.  It was the office. Evan probably wanted to know where she was—since they had that important conference call shortly.

“I’d love to see him,” her grandfather blurted out. “When are you going to bring him by so that we can meet?”

Emma’s entire body stiffened.

2

Emma drove back to the office in a daze.  What did I just do? I told my grandfather I was getting married to the president of my company. Have I taken leave of my senses?

She didn’t know how she arrived at the reserved parking lot at the Hope Plaza in Mercy Springs, Texas where the Fletcher Advertising Corporation, or FAC, building situated itself. The warm April sun glazed her skin as the gentle spring breeze whisked her curls in her face and flapped her opened satin trench coat. Her hands were in the pockets while her bag swung over her shoulder. She flipped her hair back as she walked away from her car and whisked up the stairs to the fourth floor. She bypassed taking the elevators to the top floor of the four-story plush building. Ordinarily, she was cheery and cracked a joke with the doormen. Not now. Her mind was bursting at the seams with too much in her head.

Her grandfather.

Her client meeting.

Evan.

“Evan’s in the conference room waiting for you,” Lucinda, one of the two receptionists at the front desk informed her as she walked in through the double glass door.

“Right. Thanks, Lucinda.” Emma regretted she didn’t have time to use the ladies room to make sure her face was relaxed and her makeup still intact. She also hoped Lucinda, the wonderful office career receptionist, administrator and full-time office gossip didn’t notice her dazed expression. She tried to keep a distance of a thousand words from the woman who staff members often referred to as “loose-lips-Lucinda.”

Got a secret? Lucinda would discover it like oil in a well and was sure to turn the story loose. Coworkers put a new twist on the old joke about the three most effective ways of mass communication: Telegraph, telephone, tell a woman. Now it was simply, Tell Lucinda. Emma had been forewarned of Lucinda’s reputation when she started working at FAC three years ago.

Emma used to work at reception with Lucinda but was promoted after studying business and advertising part-time at Mercy Springs Community College.  She finally graduated with her associate’s degree and was promoted. Hard work and sassy ideas on client projects helped.

She always tried to keep on everyone’s good side. As much as possible.

“Please, have a seat.” Evan leaned back in the executive leather chair in the boardroom as he gestured to the chair nearest him. His voice was deep, low. Sexy.

God, he was stunning.

His arresting good looks sure cranked up Emma’s heart rate. She’d worked with him for three years, and he never ceased to have that effect on her. His dark, sensual brown eyes, chiselled cheekbones and dimpled smile were a definite turn-on for her. Dark, healthy, wavy hair that made you wish you could run your fingers through it.

And his body? Though he sported a business suit, Emma could not ignore his tall, muscular physique. He worked out hard at the gym as much as he worked diligently at the office. A sure catch. Unattached by sheer choice. Not that all the women in the office didn’t throw themselves at him. He’d been known to have affluent dates, from society elites, to actresses, models, and heiresses, but commitment just was not his thing and he made that known. Emma didn’t even try to compete. She wouldn’t know where to begin. She kept her mad crush on him a private and confidential secret.

“Sorry I’m late.”  She flushed.

The graphic designer, art director, and two account coordinators sat around the oak boardroom table waiting for the conference call from Weddings R Us. It was new corporation that will open a record twenty stores across the U.S. in the next year. They were already a huge success in Canada. A one-stop shopping for all your bridal needs for all budgets. Kind of like having your own wedding planner for a fraction of the cost. They also handled bookings for receptions, pre-marriage counselling, attire, decorations, cakes, the whole works. The seven-figure deal would be the largest for Fletcher Advertising and Emma knew Evan had her in mind to head the account with him.

During the conference meeting, thirty-three-year-old Evan stole discreet glances at his beautiful employee, Emma. She looked much younger than her thirty years.  He loved her simple, yet chic, dress style. She rarely followed fads, knew what colors complemented her sweet, honey complexion and what styles accentuated her natural curves. He loved her silhouette. He didn’t think there was anything not to like about her. He tried to divert his eyes from her gorgeous toned legs as she crossed them to the side.

If Emma Wiggins were any hotter she’d be a fire hazard, he mused.

He could also sense she was preoccupied. Maybe he should have given her leave knowing that her grandfather was ill. Evan truly didn’t know how ill he was.

But this was a huge deal and Fletcher Advertising couldn’t afford to blow it. Evan admired Emma. She was the best. He knew this would be ideal for her career, too.

Still, he admired more than just her brains. He often imagined her and him together in… It was just a fantasy, he dismissed the thought as quickly as it entered his mind. Men were allowed to fantasize once in a while. But he wouldn’t dare let on to his employee he had those thoughts about her. She was young, but at the age where she deserved a man who believed in commitment. Evan could never, even if he wanted to, commit to any woman.

He’d learned his lesson the hard way.  It almost destroyed him on many levels. His career. His business. His health.

Fletcher men and marriage didn’t mix.

Or else, the consequences could be…

Evan didn’t want to entertain that thought now. He had to keep his reserve of positive energy flowing. He didn’t know why he was drawn to Emma, but he was more drawn to keeping his sanity in tact and his business away from another potential scandal.

She was an employee.

Nothing more.

An hour later after the conference call ended, Evan pressed the release button on the phone.

“Nice work, team.” He was buoyed and cheered his group on. The initial pitch went well. They would present to Weddings R Us in person tomorrow when the execs from New York reached town.

Evan drove his team hard but commended them for their efforts. He was a fair boss and a team player, but everyone knew how to hold their own. He wasn’t someone who tolerated poor excuses or failure. But he was there if you were willing to put out the effort.

As everyone left the meeting, Evan, who had been eyeing, Emma told her to stay back.

“Is everything okay, Emma? How’s your grandfather doing?” Evan admired how Emma worked conscientiously at the firm and gave it her all. He also loved her tenacity and commitment to taking care of her grandfather. He knew she spent a great deal of time at the hospital visiting him. In fact, when her car conked out he’d given her a ride to the long-term care facility a few times.

“Oh, he—”

“Sorry, Emma, you have an urgent call from the hospital.” Lucinda bolted through the door of the boardroom and told her the call was on line one.

Emma looked as if her heart stopped.

“Emma, do you need me to stay?” Evan offered, a look of concern befalling his face.

Relief swept over her tensed shoulders. “Actually, sure…if you don’t mind.” She seemed breathless.

Oh, no. Is he dead? And I wasn’t even there by his side. Emma had planned to leave work earlier today—which meant on time-to go back to the hospital to visit her grandfather.

“Hi, Emma. This is Petra, your grandfather’s nurse.”

“Yes?” She sounded too sharp, anxious at first. She must have come across way too strong.  She could picture the look on the face of the redhead nurse with the bright pink uniform.

“Nothing to worry about. It’s just that your grandfather’s condition has…well, changed slightly.”

“What do you mean? Is he okay?” Panic rose in Emma’s chest. She was conscious of Evan’s concern and his warm energy flowing her direction. She was thankful for his support.

“Well, yes. You see, when you left, he perked up. He started eating again. He had more energy. The doctor was saying that he probably had more than days. More like weeks. It’s not unusual for some patients to get a sudden burst of energy. We call it the Hope Factor. Sometimes a wave of hope keeps their spirit going a little longer. A lost relative on their way to see them after all these years. Things like that. Sometimes they hold on until whatever they’re waiting for comes to pass.”

“Oh, thank God.” Emma sighed a deep sigh of relief as she expelled a whiff of suppressed air. She didn’t realize she had held her breath.

“Oh, and congratulations!”

“For?”

“On your engagement.”

Uh-oh!

“My what?” Emma’s brain activity fired up all kinds of thoughts. She wondered if the news of her fake impending marriage had anything to do with her grandfather’s topped up spirit—his second wind of hope. Just then, a sick feeling sank inside her stomach. She could not bring herself to peer into Evan’s concerned, unsuspecting face. He had no idea what was going on.

“Right. Of course.” Emma swallowed, ever aware of Evan’s soft, sexy brown eyes on her.

“By the way, the reason why I’m calling now is because your grandfather is so excited about you getting married that he’s spoken with the chaplain at the hospital. The end of next week would be fine to have the ceremony here. We can have the wedding take place in your grandfather’s room. We just need to get the groom’s name. Is that Evan Fletcher spelled E-V-A-N F-L-E-T-C-H-E-R.?”

What?

Emma froze.

The phone pressed firmly to her ear, she could not move or blink or breathe.

Oh, God, help me! Now, what have I done?

“Not to pry, but is everything okay, Emma? You don’t look too well.” Evan leaned in closer to her as if he were ready to catch her fall as she stood looking as if she would pass out any minute by the side table.

She was clearly in a daze.

The look of shock—or was that horror–glazed over her face. Evan looked aghast as if she was having a cardiac arrest and he needed to do something—quick!

“Um…” She could barely speak. But she had to say something.

Oh, Lord. Now what have I gotten myself—and my boss— into?

Continued….

Click on the title below to purchase and download the complete novel and keep reading!

An Unexpected Bride

by Shadonna Richards

Kindle Price: $2.99

Publetariat Dispatch: 6 Tips and Tricks to Use Kindle for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch

Publetariat: For People Who Publish!

In today’s Publetariat Dispatch, author and digital media watcher Piotr Kowalczyk offers tips and tricks for using the Kindle Reader app on mobile devices.

Kindle for iOS has just been updated to version 2.8 (iTunes link), which complies with Apple’s new in-app purchase rules.

Kindle Store button was removed from the home page – it was obvious. I’ve  also checked endings of free samples to see what Amazon did with their Buy Now link, which in older versions was switching to book’s Kindle Store page in Safari. Buy Now button is still there (as well as See details for this book in the Kindle Store). However, both links show an alert: “We’re sorry. This operation is not currently supported.”

Apple and Amazon are playing games, which are more and more annoying.  Status for today: Apple won’t earn money, Amazon won’t lose money. The  only losing part is the reader.

Below you’ll find tips on how to make the most of Kindle on your  device – especially after making our lives harder by removing any option  to buy a book from within the app. A good thing to do is to change  attitude: Kindle on iPad or iPhone is not only about using a Kindle application.

 

1. Browse Kindle Store in Safari

After 2.8 update it will be reasonable more than ever to browse and  buy books right away from Safari browser (without bothering to open  Kindle app). Never tried it? Don’t worry. Amazon mobile site looks  really well on iPhone/iPod Touch. On the iPad a regular site is  displayed, works well, I haven’t noticed any flaws.

2. Add Kindle Store to your Home Screen

Add Kindle Store to your Home Screen

It’s good to add Kindle Store either to a list of bookmarks in Safari  or to a Home Screen. On the iPad just go to Amazon site and select  Kindle Store from a drop list.

If you’re on the iPhone/iPod Touch, go in Safari directly to this address http://amzn.to/fW2ffk.  It’s Kindle Store’s site optimized for small screens – not the same as  regular one. You can add it as a bookmark to Home Screen (see picture on  the right) and a nice icon will show up.

Find more information about it here.

3. Browse free Kindle books in Safari

In fact, you can use the browser to add books from other sources than Kindle Store. What’s very important, you can add them directly to Kindle for iOS. This is possible since 2.5 update.

What you have to look for is books in mobi format, without DRM. To  add a book to Kindle app, tap on a link to a book file, ending with  .mobi.

Best sites with free Kindle books, optimized for mobile reading, are: Feedbooks, Project Gutenberg, Smashwords and ManyBooks.

Read more about this topic here.

4. Add books to your Kindle for iOS – not only via iTunes

iTunes is a default way to add content to applications, but happily  it’s not the only one. As I’ve written above, you can add books from  Safari.

There are two more options available: via e-mail (just send a file to  yourself and open it with a native Mail app) and via cloud storage apps  like Dropbox.

Find out more about the topic here.

5. Discover books on Twitter and add them instantly to Kindle app

It’s my favorite topic. If you spend a lot of time on Twitter, using  Twitter iOS applications, why don’t you try to find Kindle books there?  It’s actually pretty easy. Just look for a keyword Kindle or a tag #kindle and you’ll find out a lot of tweets with amzn.to links.

Or if one of Twitter friends is recommending a Kindle book, just tap  on a link and you’ll be redirected to mobile Safari (either within  Twitter app or outside it) and you’ll decide whether to download a free  sample or buy a book.

For more information read this post.

6. Use Kindle application as a free dictionary

Finally, Kindle for iOS can also work as a great dictionary  application, so there is no need to buy another one. This is possible  thanks to the The New Oxford American Dictionary installed.

You’ll find more information about it here.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed the tips. Please share in the comments what’s  missing. If you want to keep up with what’s going on with Kindle on iOS  devices, get free updates of Ebook Friendly Tips (via RSS or e-mail) where I focus on sharing simple Kindle tips.

If you liked this article, please share it with your friends. Get free updates by e-mail or RSS, powered by FeedBurner. Let’s meet on Twitter and Facebook. Check also my geek fiction stories: Password Incorrect and Failure Confirmed.


This is a reprint from Piotr Kowalczyk‘s Password Incorrect.

Heads Up! Don’t Forget to Enter This Week’s Brand New KINDLE FIRE Giveaway Sweepstakes, Sponsored by Barbara Frank, author of Anna of Corotoman

Feeling lucky?

Did you win a Kindle Fire tablet this week?

If you are Melissa Bleier of East Haven, Connecticut, you did. Melissa won hers on Monday in last week’s Kindle Nation Daily KINDLE FIRE Giveaway Sweepstakes, and when it arrives at his home today he will become the 17th citizen of Kindle Nation to win a Kindle Fire from us in the past few months.

But we’d like for you to be one of about 50 people who will win one of these Kindle Fire tablets from us during the remainder of 2012, and all you have to do is follow the extremely easy steps at the end of this post to have a great chance to win.

But first, a word from … Today’s Sponsor

Barbara Frank, this week's sponsor and the author of ANNA OF COROTOMAN

Like each one of our weekly sweepstakes, this week’s giveaway is sponsored by a talented author who has proven to be a favorite with our readers. Anna of Corotoman author Barbara Frank is springing for the Kindle Fire that could very well end up with your name on it, so it only makes sense to pay it forward and stimulate both your karma and your imagination at the same time by chancing $4.99 to grace your Kindle with a novel that is averaging 4.9 stars on 10 out of 10 rave reviews from discriminating readers like us.

Here’s the scoop on Anna of Corotoman:

Anna of Corotoman (Princess Book I)

by Barbara Frank

4.9 stars – 10 Reviews

Kindle Price: $4.99

Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled

 

Here’s the set-up:

 

A young girl is kidnapped in a remote region of Africa and transported to the new world on a slave ship, bringing along with her an ancient religion and a matrilineal legacy she manages not only to preserve, but to send forward into the future.

 

From the Reviews:

 

Anna of Corotoman is a beautifully written, meticulously researched and wonderfully imagined work of historical fiction that traces the life of a remarkable African woman taken in slavery in her youth to the New World. Barbara Frank is a gifted storyteller who has drawn from her own life experiences and her life-long immersion in history, particularly the history of the south and of Virginia. Anna’s story begins long before she’s born as we learn of her goddess-queen tribal ancestry. That ancestry and the mark of the goddess on her body mold her life as a house slave in colonial Virginia. Anna herself and the other beautifully-wrought characters we meet are memorable and moving. This is the first in Ms. Frank’s Princess trilogy, and I’m eager to read more.
Amazon Reviewer Diana

About the Author

Barbara Frank grew up in rural Arkansas and now lives on a farm in Virginia. During her years in academia, she wrote literary criticism and poetry, and held teaching positions at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Boston University, Howard University and the Federal City College, now the University of the District of Columbia. She later worked in the Africa Bureau and in the Sudano-Sahelian Office of the United Nations Development Programme, leaving UNDP for an assignment with the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. In the private sector she has held positions with two major international financial institutions. The discovery of bills of sale for slaves in the attic of an eighteenth century farm house provided the impetus for her books of historical fiction about an African girl and her descendants. See http://www.Marshbooks.com and http://facebook.com/pages/Marsh-Books/122257661183061 for backstory.

And here, just in case you forgot are the details on how to

Enter Our KINDLE FIRE Giveaway Sweepstakes:

  • There’s no purchase required, but we do need you to go to our Kindle Nation Facebook page and “Like” us if you have not done so already.
  • You’ll need to do this on a computer rather than a smartphone, and you should give the page a few seconds to load, because for some reason it takes a little longer.
  • Then just follow the prompts to enter the sweepstakes, and you’re done!
  • Limit of one entry per weekly sweepstakes, but feel free to enter every single week!

Good luck! And happy reading!

Kindle Nation Daily Suspense Readers Book Alert! For Sport Fans Who Can’t Wait For Super Bowl Sunday, Pick up Scott Rempfer’s Seasons of Change, Book 1, to Hold You Over – $3.99 on Kindle!

5.0 stars – 2 Reviews
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:

Coach Stephen Razor heads into the 2007 season with an ultimatum- lead his Germantown Black Knights to a state championship or leave town. The mercurial master of the gridiron, wrought with serious chemical dependency issues, doesn’t realize that his biggest challenge might be staying alive.

Bruno Benvara, younger brother of former Black Knight star player, Jose Benvara, has been planning revenge on Coach Razor for years. Blaming Jose’s controversial death, just one summer after Germantown won their first state title, on Coach Razor. Bruno sets off a thrilling set of events both on and off the field.

Now, ten years later, will Germantown collect the coveted trophy? Will Coach Razor survive Bruno and his own demons ? Or will this scenic small Wisconin town be plagued by its second murder in a decade?

(This is a sponsored post.)

Four Brand New Kindle Freebies From a Few of Kindle Nation Daily’s Favorite Authors! – Donna Marie Lanheady’s WHERE SECRETS LIE … Plus 3 More!

With hundreds of new books turning up free each day now in the Kindle Store, it can be tough to hone in on books that you will actually want to read. And most of the new free books will be free for just a day or two at a time, so we are working hard to make sure that you do not miss the ones you want!

Here are a few books that have just gone free by authors who have already proven to be favorites with Kindle Nation readers. Please grab them now if  they look interesting to you, because they probably won’t stay free for long!

Important Note: This post is dated Tuesday, January 31, 2012, and the titles mentioned here may remain free only until midnight PST tonight.

Please note: References to prices on this website refer to prices on the main Amazon.com website for US customers. Prices will vary for readers located outside the US, and even for US customers, prices may change at any time. Always check the price on Amazon before making a purchase.

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Where Secrets Lie

by Donna Marie Lanheady

3.9 stars – 9 Reviews
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:

Where Secrets Lie is an exploration of one family’s reliance on secrets, how those secrets affect their relationships and alter the directions their lives take, and where those secrets all began.

Sara is the older of two sisters. Her marriage is in trouble, and she only has herself to blame. Everyday Sara takes a birth control pill even though she and her husband, David, are trying to have a baby. When David finds the pills and confronts her with them, Sara must face her own unresolved guilt about a pregnancy David knows nothing about.

Katie is Sara’s younger sister. Her girlfriend, Emily, is tired of pretending they are just roommates whenever they are around Katie’s parents. After all, they are candid about living together as a couple with everyone else. Enough is enough. Problem is, Katie cannot muster up enough courage to defy her mother’s behavioral boundaries. That is, at least, not openly.

Sara and Katie’s mother, Lee, spends her life deploying secrets in order to protect her loved ones not only from difficult truths, but also from the prejudices they elicit. In spite of the torment her own secret laden past causes her, Lee raises her daughters to repress inconvenient truths.

Set in Colorado, Where Secrets Lie shifts between the unique foothills community of Boulder, the mile high city of Denver, and the majestic Rocky Mountains as it moves from the sisters’ stories to their mother’s story weaving them all together and merging each woman’s past with her present circumstances.

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Here’s the set-up:
Finally, one user-friendly guide that covers every Kindle now on the market for 2012, including the Kindle Fire, in a single comprehensive volume chock full of tips, tricks, and links to unlock cool features, save you hundreds on Kindle content, and help you get the most out of your Kindle. Stephen Windwalker founded the popular Kindle Nation Daily community and has been helping Kindle owners get up to speed ever since his first Kindle guide was the #1 bestselling book in the entire Kindle store for 2008. Now he has teamed up with popular outdoors and travel author Bruce Grubbs to provide the most complete and up-to-date resource ever for Kindle owners.

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3.7 stars – 3 Reviews
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:
Mild-mannered newspaperman Stanley T. Branford plays by the rules. He worries about his children, about global warming, about being a good husband and father.
Then Stanley comes home to find his daughter sitting at the computer in tears, stunned by a relentless slideshow of internet pornography. “What is all this, Daddy?” she cries as she runs from the house.
By the time Stanley’s wife gets home an hour later, his marriage is all but over. His bank accounts and credit cards have been hijacked by a faceless criminal who seems determined to destroy Stanley’s life, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. By the next afternoon he is in state prison, framed in the theft of millions of dollars and unable to make bail. In less than 24 hours he has been abandoned by friends, family, and everyone he knows. Everyone but Amy Tuckerman, a young protege of his who has her own reasons for believing in his integrity.

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3.8 stars – 132 Reviews
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Here’s the set-up:

Windwalker’s guide was the first full-length book about the Kindle for Kindle users, and it remains the gold standard with all the tips included in the other, shorter, more expensive books that have followed it. If you are trying to make a decision about which Kindle guide is right for you, be sure to try a free sample of this book on your Kindle by clicking on the yellow button above. Once you’ve checked the table of contents and seen the extensive reach of the information provided by Windwalker as well as its ease of navigation and clear writing style, your decision will be a snap.

(This is a sponsored post.)

Kindle Nation Daily Bargain Book Alert: Patricia Rockwell’s BINGOED is Our eBook of the Day at just $2.99, With 4.8 Stars on 4 Reviews, and Here’s a Free Sample!

Here’s the set-up for Patricia Rockwell’s Bingoed, just $2.99 on Kindle:

Why would spry senior Bob Weiderley suddenly fall into a coma after winning a game of Bingo? After all, he was the most physically fit of all the men at the Happy Haven Assisted Living Facility—able to bend over to tie his own shoes and use the stairs rather than the elevator. It was just very suspicious. That’s why Essie Cobb and her friends and fellow residents–Opal, Marjorie, and Fay–decided to investigate.

Was it possible that someone was out to get the friendly old gentleman? Maybe it was Violet, Happy Haven’s manager, trying to cover up her shady past. Or Sue, the activities director, whose behavior was strange to say the least. Maybe it was one of the three women who sat at Bob’s regular table in the dining room. Or the mysterious man who had recently sent Bob a startling letter. Essie Cobb is determined to find out—and she’s not going to let her age (90), her weak bladder, or her various infirmities hold her back.

Welcome to Happy Haven. If you thought most elderly residents of assisted living facilities spent their days sitting in the sun watching television, you haven’t met senior sleuth Essie Cobb and her three detecting buddies. These four elderly ladies have curiosity and drive unusual for women in their 80’s and 90’s. They may not be able to get around as fast as youngsters in their 60s, or navigate the Interstate or Interweb (or whatever that computer thing is called), but they can solve a mystery. And they’re starting with this one.

From the reviewers:

Bingoed is a humorous book filled with both mystery and laughter – not to mention a number of endearing characters that will warm your heart. It’s a fast-paced, quick read that will surely lighten your mood. This is the first, and hopefully not the last, in the Essie Cobb Senior Sleuth Mystery series.  –  Yvonne Reviews “Mystery Lover”  –  Kaelebs Momma

Jessica fletcher and Miss Marple watch out for Essie Cobb.  The story is full of twists and turns and hilarity to find out what is going on. Essie is mentally spry and will stop at nothing to solve the case with out getting caught. The author Ms. Rockwell certainly catches the atmosphere of life in a retirement residence with sensitivity and and humor and paints great characters in Essie and her friends as well as the staff.  –  Karen H. Vaughan

I wasnt sure how I would like a book centered on a cast of older characters, however, this novel was splendid! The twist and turns, and all the possible endings made this novel hard to stop reading. I would definitely recommend others to read if they enjoy witty, thrill-thicked artistry.  –  “12playmia”

Patricia Rockwell is the author of the Pamela Barnes acoustic mystery series. This amateur sleuth solves crimes using her knowledge of sound. The series includes SOUNDS OF MURDERFM FOR MURDER, andVOICE MAIL MURDER. Her new series, Essie Cobb senior sleuth, features a 90-year-old assisted living facility resident who solves mysteries. The books in this series include BINGOED and PAPOOSED.

Dr. Rockwell has spent most of her life teaching. From small liberal arts colleges to large regional research universities–and even a brief stint in a high school, her background in education is extensive. She has taught virtually everything related to Communication–from a fine arts speech-theatre orientation to more recently a social science research approach. Her Bachelors’ and Masters’ degrees are from the University of Nebraska in Speech and her Ph.D. is from the University of Arizona in Communication. She was on the faculty at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for thirteen years, retiring in 2007.

Her publications are extensive, with over 20 peer-reviewed articles in scholarly journals, several textbooks, and a research book on her major interest area of sarcasm, published by Edwin Mellen Press. In addition to publications, she has presented numerous papers at academic conferences and served for eight years as Editor of the Louisiana Communication Journal. Her research focuses primarily on several areas of communication: deception, sarcasm, and vocal cues.

She is presently living in Aurora, Illinois, with her husband Milt, also a retired educator. The couple has two adult children.

And here, in the comfort of your own browser, is your free sample of BINGOED by Patricia Rockwell:



KND Kindle Free Book Alert for Tuesday, January 31: 177 BRAND NEW FREEBIES in the last 24 hours added to Our 2,100+ FREE TITLES Sorted by Category, Date Added, Bestselling or Review Rating! plus … Steve Williams’ GRASS (Today’s Sponsor – $3.99)

PLEASE NOTE: Powered by our magical Kindle free book tool, here are this morning’s latest additions to our 2,100+ Kindle Free Book listings. Occasionally a title will continue to appear on this list for a short time after it is no longer free on Kindle. ALWAYS check the price on Amazon before making a purchase, please! If a book is free, you should see the following: Kindle Price: $0.00
But first, a word from ... Today's Sponsor
I had a hard time putting this book down. Bullets go pew! pew! and the characters are well fleshed-out and believable. I loved the anti-hero military squad - gritty and realistic.
Grass
by Steve Williams
5.0 stars - 3 reviews
Supports Us with Commissions Earned
Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled
Here's the set-up:
“Grass” is a novel about grow ops, advertising, and two detectives who love golf.

Pot is America’s largest cash crop – worth more than wheat and corn combined. Otis M. Gaverill has taken marijuana cultivation to the next level. Otis owns Verdant Greenhouses and Florists. He also owns 318 grow houses. Verdant does over $700 million in business annually. The grow ops are even more profitable. The company provides his grow houses with soil, hydroponics, fertilizers, chemicals, hybrid and cloning expertise, and a front to launder the dope money.

There’s just one problem. A mysterious seven-man crew is knocking off his houses with military precision. Outlaws in their own country, the men have come to the US to get cash to finance a coup against the corrupt regime that chased them from their homeland.

The two cops leading the investigation into the grow-op rip-offs are Sal Mitchell and Eddie Sandovan. Mitchell and Sandovan have their own affinity with grass – they are golfers. They petitioned the city to provide their 8th Precinct with a green roof as an “environmental pilot project”. As a result Mitchell and Sandovan have a rooftop driving range, allowing them to hit golf balls into a park across the street.

Mitchell’s girlfriend, Mya Laing, is an advertising executive. As Mitchell tries to coordinate his investigation, Mya’s team is orchestrating an alternate reality game (ARG) for a client. Pioneered by the band Nine Inch Nails, the video game HALO, and the film The Dark Knight, ARGs are at the bleeding edge of the ad business, incorporating online clues, real life scavenger hunts, and creative improvisation from the players.

“Grass” brings together the game, the guerrilla force, the police and the dope dealers in dramatic fashion.
One Reviewer Notes:
Thanks to the author for the fast paced golf/advertising/drug romp. Very interesting to see the three separate plot lines come together. Coming from the ad agency biz, I can tell you it is spot on for realism. coming from the angle of a golfer, I can only wish my accuracy was THAT good.
KENadians
About the Author
Steve Williams is a 25-year veteran of the advertising industry. He created campaigns for a client list that included everything from cars, fast food, beer, lingerie and tourism. His work received national and international accolades from the best advertising awards competitions in the world. He is currently a marketing columnist and freelance writer. He is also an avid golfer.
UK CUSTOMERS: Click on the title below to download
Grass
Each day’s list is sponsored by one paid title. We encourage you to support our sponsors and thank you for considering them.
Free Contemporary Titles in the Kindle Store
Welcome to Kindle Nation’s magical and revolutionary Free Book Search Tool — automatically updated and refreshed in real time, now with Category Search! Use the drop-down menu (in red caps next to the menu bar near the top of the page) to search for free Kindle books by genre or category, then sort the list just the way you want it — by date added, bestselling, or review rating! But there’s no need to sort by price — because they’re all free!

 

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Sam Walsh, a former real estate agent, now works for a mysterious (and sinister?) clandestine organization. Instead of selling houses, he now investigates hauntings. Researching and cataloging each property known to the organization. Each entry is its own story, its own history, its own ghost. Yet...
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Fast-paced and exciting, this gripping page-turner will have readers on the edge of their seats, itching to know what comes next. --The Book Review DirectorySonia James has been having nightmares. Some nights, the blade slides neatly between her vertebrae, paralyzing her. Others, it pierces her...
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Dreams of Justice: A Paranormal Mystery
By: Allison Maruska
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A Different Type of Salad with Latin Style. Try some Ceviche.Get your copy of the best and most unique Ceviche recipes from BookSumo Press!Come take a journey with us into the delights of easy cooking. The point of this cookbook and all our cookbooks is to exemplify the effortless nature of cooking...
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50 Quick and Easy Applique Patterns to SewApplique Patterns contains over 50 Christmas, birdhouse, butterfly, hearts, stars, kids and lots more fun applique projects. Applique is a great way to add color and pizzazz to clothing, accessories and home decor items. It's easy to do, and with today's...
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Applique Patterns
By: Donna Koepp
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Zoe Carter was a girl with trust issues, and rightfully so, since her mother, Cynthia, had abandoned her at the tender young age of five. Her father, Bryan, and grandparents – Pappy Joe and Nana Ruth – were there to pick up the pieces as best they could, wanting only to cushion her from any...
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Zoe On The C&O
By: Roberta L. Greenwald
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Rowan Gray is a former photojournalist starting a new life on The Bounding Storm, one of the Atlantic Ocean’s most decadent cruise ships. She’s friendly and excited for her new career … but she’s also hiding a secret. Quinn Davenport left a career in the military to become head of security...
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Welcoming Seas (A Rowan Gray Mystery Book 1)
By: Lily Harper Hart
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All 3 Silverlake Shifters books in 1 hot box set! Over 650 pages of smokin’ hot shifter wolves, strong passionate women, secrets, lies, and danger—and breathtaking romance you can sink your fangs into! Fugitive Mate Jace, Alpha of Silverlake, is on the hunt for the True Mate who will save his...
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Silverlake Shifters Boxed Set
By: Anastasia Wilde
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As featured in USA Today, The Irish Cowboy is the story everyone is talking about:"Had this given to me by my sister who said I MUST READ IT. She was right. I bawled my eyes out, laughed, cheered, and in the end, I was so grateful for the journey the story took me on. Then my husband read it and he...
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Two Broadway actresses, one starring role, and a kiss that might turn rivals…into lovers.Sophie Rindell has dreamed of performing on Broadway since she was a little girl. But after more than ten years of auditioning, she’s still waiting tables and sleeping on a friend’s couch while she waits...
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Mary Frances Fitzpatrick was perfectly content to keep things the way they’d always been. She’d grabbed onto the tiniest shred of the American Dream, and wasn’t about to let go. The crumbs the establishment threw her way seemed like they might, one day, be able to sustain her. All she had to...
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Summer of Love
By: Susan X Meagher
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KND Kindle Free Book Alert for Tuesday, January 31: 177 BRAND NEW FREEBIES in the last 24 hours added to Our 2,100+ FREE TITLES Sorted by Category, Date Added, Bestselling or Review Rating! plus … Steve Williams’ GRASS (Today’s Sponsor – $3.99)