Kindle Nation Daily Digest
Brief Tips, Freebies and Bargain Updates
February 29, 2012
Please note that this is the daily digest for Wednesday, February 29, and many of the free and bargain ebook offers noted here are on offer only until midnight PST tonight.
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In the fall of 1999, psychologist Sophia Beckman is compelled by the court to give testimony on behalf of a death row inmate that results in his sentence being overturned. Haunted by secrets from her past, she avoids the media spotlight as much as possible, but soon, other prisoners’ families come seeking her assistance. One family in particular, the wife, children, and brother of Jarrett Capshaw, is especially insistent. Forty-one days ago Jarrett’s request to die was granted by the State of Texas, and he became a dead man walking, a man they call a volunteer.
Jarrett’s crimes were unusual, involving the theft of precious Mayan antiquities. Murder was never part of the plan, but murder is what happened. He pulled the trigger, and as little as he feels prepared for it, as much as he struggles with matters of the soul, he’s ready to die. It is the only way his family and the families of his victims will be free to move on. While Jarrett labors to find the words to say good-bye to those he has loved, Sophia finds herself drawn into a relationship with his wife and oldest son. It is Jarrett’s family she can’t resist and there will be a price to pay. But not even Sophia could have foreseen the outcome when the brutal truth is exposed, the unalloyed facts that, incredibly, will deliver Jarrett’s fate straight into her hands.
The Volunteer is a story about families, how they are made, and how in one single, horrifying instant, they can be broken. It is a story about mothers and the lies they tell to protect their children, to keep them from being hurt. But what happens when the truth comes out anyway and nothing and no one is spared? Sometimes the truth has the power to break your heart, and in Sophia’s case it will also endanger her freedom and threaten everything she has ever believed about her life
Reviews
“THE VOLUNTEER is a satisfying read, and that’s enough in itself, but I think book clubs will find a whole additional dimension for discussion. Beyond the big questions that gray the core topic of capital punishment, there’s the complicated realm of family relationships, the definition of “the honorable thing” and whether or not it’s even possible to redeem oneself by living or dying for a private cause. ~ Joni Rodgers, NYT bestselling author of Crazy for Trying, Sugarland and memoir, Bald in the Land of Big Hair
“THE VOLUNTEER is a story of so many things that are not talked about — you can only learn about them by noticing the empty shape that people talk around. It’s exactly like negative space in art, when you depict the object by drawing the space around it.” ~ Darla Tagrin, Artist
Sissel writes “… a plot worthy of Daphne du Maurier …” ~ The Houston Chronicle
About The Author
Barbara Taylor Sissel is a freelance writer, book reviewer, and editor, and the author of two other novels, The Ninth Step and The Last Innocent Hour. A one-time editor for a small regional press, Barbara has written extensively for the public relations field. Her short stories and articles have appeared in a number of venues.
An avid gardener, Barbara is currently working with numerous clients on a variety of projects and writing a new novel. She has two sons and lives in The Woodlands, Texas. For more information on past and forthcoming books, you can visit her website at www.barbarataylorsissel.com
(This is a sponsored post.)
by Johnny Sharp
(A 117-page True Crime Short with photographs) Between 1968 and 1985, a monstrous serial killer stalked the picturesque Italian countryside around Florence, shooting and mutilating eight couples on moonless nights in dark lovers’ lanes. The desecration of the women’s bodies was a scene beyond the wildest imaginations of movie scriptwriters.
Murder on the New Moon tells the exceptionally bizarre and twisted tale about a city gripped by fear, dozens of suspects arrested, a string of charges and convictions followed by embarrassing acquittals and pardons, and an ever-raging whirlpool of theories, rumors and conspiracy that still divides Italians to this day. The anonymous assailant, called The Monster of Florence or Il Mostro di Firenze, has since become infamous, and the enduring mystery he has created has all the hallmarks and enduring intrigue of a modern-day European Jack the Ripper.
Most disturbing of all, it’s just possible that he may still be at large…
The problem is that after a quarter of a century of failure, it would be a brave detective indeed who took the plunge back into the impossibly murky waters of this uniquely baffling case. The politics, egos, rivalries, conspiracy theories and other agendas that have hampered the various investigations would still overshadow any new search for the killer.
The investigation also has intriguing links to the 2008 murder of British student Meredith Kercher, for which American student Amanda Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted and then freed. The same Perugian judge who propagated outlandish theories of Satanic sex rituals in that case also used such ultimately baseless hypotheses to falsely accuse many prominent Italians of these serial killings, and even threatened to arrest an American writer who was planning a book on the case.
The story once more proves the old adage that truth is stranger than fiction. Indeed, the story is currently being made into a major Hollywood movie, The Monster of Florence, starring George Clooney, scheduled for a 2013 release.
ABOUT THE SERIES
From the best true crime authors in the business, many of whom have seen their books made into major motion pictures, comes Crimescape™ — a new collection of compelling short nonfiction crime eBooks from leading independent eBook publisher RosettaBooks. Taking readers into the dark minds of criminals and the tense hunt to bring perpetrators to justice, Crimescape authors stand apart from other true crime writers because they have personal experience in crime investigations, whether as police detectives, investigative reporters, forensics professionals or criminal psychologists. As riveting storytellers, Crimescape’s writers give readers all the information they need to understand relevant clues and the interwoven influences in each criminal case.
“What makes for a good true-crime story? Interesting characters, an engrossing plot, situations that often teeter between life and death. But here’s the MacGuffin about true crime: What you’re reading actually happened. Sometimes truth really is more compelling than fiction. And that’s why you will enjoy reading Crimescape’s true crime series.”
—Paul Alexander, #1 bestselling author of the Kindle Singles Accused and Murdered
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Johnny Sharp is a British investigative journalist who covers music and sports. He is a regular contributor to The Guardian and The Independent newspapers and to BBC Online. He first became interested in the Italian serial killer case while traveling in Italy in the late 1980s, and has since followed the seemingly never-ending investigation for more than 20 years.
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!
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.
by Donna Marie Lanheady
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.
(This is a sponsored post.)
Here’s the set-up for R.S. Guthrie’s Black Beast: A Clan of MacAulay Novel (Volume One), just 99 Cents on Kindle or Currently FREE for Amazon Prime Members Via the Kindle Lending Library:Author’s Special Note: 50% of net proceeds go to Ben, a profound young man with Down Syndrome and autism, to pay for his tuition at The Joshua School in Denver—a wonderful school that has given him the education and attention he deserves!
About the book: Decorated Denver Detective Bobby Macaulay has faced down a truckload of tragedy over recent years. The death of his partner; the loss of his own leg in the line of duty; the companionship of his beloved wife to cancer; his faith in God to his inner demons.
After the man who ruined his leg and killed his first partner is executed, Macaulay becomes the lead detective investigating the Sloan’s Lake murders. The method of killing in this double-homicide is so heinous it leads Macaulay and his partner down an ever-darkening path–one that must be traversed if they are to discover the evil forces behind the slaughter.
Just when Bobby Macaulay is questioning the very career that has been his salvation, he will discover a heroic history buried within his own family roots: The Clan MacAulay–a deep family lineage of protectors at the very core of a millenniums-long war against unimaginable evil.
Black Beast is the first in a series of “Clan of MacAulay” novels–a stellar first outing for new author R.S. Guthrie. The book is a page-turner that avoids meandering, written with tight prose that keeps the action flowing. The reader is taken inside the heart and mind of a common hero who will make you believe in good again–Macaulay is a believable, flawed character with whom each of us can relate and for whom each of us will cheer.
From the reviewers:
Black Beast (A Clan of MacAulay Novel) is a fun, fast-paced read. It reminds me of a roller coaster ride I rode many years ago called The Screamin’ Eagle (Six Flags). Get in, sit down, shut up and hang on!! Wow, what a ride it is! A book that starts out mysteriously but ties together nicely later on. – “Unique1”
This is a book that you don’t want to put down. The plot is very well developed and is not at all predictable; Guthrie keeps you guessing until the end. I stayed up late and woke up early just to read this book, so I could find out what was going to happen next. I also liked the fact that even though this is the first book in a series, it does not “leave you hanging.” – Imorgan
I’ve never written a review before, so here it goes. I absolutely loved this book. It was an easy and fast paced read that I had never expected. The character descriptions were fantastic and I found myself slipping away as if I was one of them at times. There were twists, turns, and surprises that I never expected which kept me on the edge of my seat. – “doglovingmom”
R. S. Guthrie has been writing fiction for several years. Black Beast is the first in a series of Clan of MacAulay books featuring Denver Detective Bobby Macaulay.
Guthrie is also working on a Western Crime Novel entitled Dark Prairies, set in his home state of Wyoming. An excerpt was featured in the June 2011 issue of New West.
The author currently lives in Colorado.
And here, in the comfort of your own browser, is your free sample of BLACK BEAST: A CLAN OF MACAULAY NOVEL by R.S. Guthrie:
I'm E. Van Lowe, an author, television writer, screen-writer, playwright and producer who has worked on such shows as "The Cosby Show," "Even Stevens," and "Homeboys In Outer Space." I have been nominated for an Emmy and an Academy Award. My first YA novel, "Never Slow Dance With A Zombie," is a zombie horror novel with a comedic twist. It was a selection of The Scholastic Book Club, and a nominee for an ALA Award.
I write just about every day. I write all over the house, but my favorite spot is the dining room. It puts me closer to the food. In fact, I'm in the dining room right now (*munch, munch*). Please visit me at my blog, E's blog, where I hold contests and giveaways, and share tid-bits about my life as a writer. www.vanlowe.blogspot.com
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KND Kindle Free Book Alert for Wednesday, February 29: 162 BRAND NEW FREEBIES in the last 24 hours added to Our 2,900+ FREE TITLES Sorted by Category, Date Added, Bestselling or Review Rating! plus … E. Van Lowe’s EARTH ANGEL (Today’s Sponsor – $2.99)
But first, a word from … Today’s Sponsor
Each day’s Kindle Daily Deal is sponsored by one paid title on Kindle Nation. We encourage you to support our sponsors and thank you for considering them.
 Kindle Daily Deal: I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can
With a successful career as a documentary filmmaker, Barbara Gordon had it all, but anxiety drew her into a dangerous Valium dependency. Beautifully written, Gordon’s gripping account of her addiction and recovery is a must-read classic.
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