Daily Deals: Two great kids series, a paranormal, and epic historical saga
The Bad Beginning: Book the First by Lemony Snicket. $ 1.99
From the Jacket Copy:
Dear Reader,
I’m sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.
In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.
It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
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Keeker and the Sneaky Pony by Hadley Higginson. $ .99
From the Jacket Copy:
Meet Catherine Corey Keegan Dana (everyone calls her Keeker). What she wants most of all is a pony.
Meet Plum. Plum is a Shetland pony (who’s known to be a teeny bit sneaky). She rarely, if ever, thinks about little girls. She certainly doesn’t want one.
When Plum moves to Keeker’s farm, Keeker faces the challenge of winning a pony’s trust and friendship. And when Plum and Keeker find themselves lost in the woods, they learn that working together is the best way to get out of a fix. This fast-paced story of adventure and friendship will have new readers galloping back for more.
When eight-year-old Keeker gets a pony, she is faced with the challenge of winning the animal’s trust and friendship, and they both come to understand the phrase “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”
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Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian. $ .99
From the Jacket Copy:
He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle Maxwell’s deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night—or this man—is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed—a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.
Lucan Thorne despises the violence carried out by his lawless brethren. A vampire himself, Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind—and the unwitting humans existing alongside them—from the mounting threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woman, but when Gabrielle is targeted by his enemies, he has no choice but to bring her into the dark underworld he commands.
Here, in the arms of the Breed’s formidable leader, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger, seduction, and the darkest pleasures of all. . . .
The price is set by the publisher so it should be available at this lower price point at various retailers.
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Place Beyond Courage by Elizabeth Chadwick. $ 2.99.
From the Jacket Copy:
Sometimes Keeping Your Honor Means Breaking Your Word
The early twelfth century is a time for ambitious men to prosper. John FitzGilbert is a man of honor and loyalty, sworn to royal service. When the old king dies, his successor rewards the handsome and ambitious John with castles and lands. But King Stephen has a tenuous hold on both his reign and his barons, and when jealous rivals at court seek to destroy John, he backs a woman’s claim to the crown, sacrifices his marriage, and eventually is forced to make a gamble that is perhaps one step too far.
Rich with detail, masterful in its storytelling, A Place Beyond Courage is a tale of impossible gambles and the real meaning of honor.
This doesn’t look like a romance but rather an epic saga.
For anyone who’s been thinking about an 8.9″ Kindle Fire HD you can get $50 off on the WiFi 16GB or WiFi + 4G 32GB models today only using code FIREHD89 making them $249 and $449 respectively.
Also Roselynde by Roberta Gellis is Free right now at Amazon and All Romance (not free at B&N or Kobo, at least not yet).
The Chadwick is discounted today as part of the Sourcebooks Christmas promo. It might not be on sale still tomorrow, just in case anyone is waffling about the decision to purchase. ;)
Tha Chadwick is the prequel to the Greatest Knight and the Scarlet Lion and tells the story of John Marshall, William Marshall’s father. It is a hisotrical novel set in a brutal time, but it does have romantic elements and it does have a positive ending. I love Chadwick’s historicals – they are very well researched and the writing is excellent.
I second the love for Chadwick historicals, especially for those of us who love medieval romances. When I describe them to people, I usually call them epic romances and then explain that it follows the characters through their entire lives, rather than just from the meet to the HEA.
I’m another Chadwick enthusiast. Her books are long, detailed, and solidly written. I’m for sure buying this prequel.
The Chadwick is $1.79 at Kobo when using the Bargainmoose40 code (at least for US customers).
The Rope Dancer by Roberta Gellis is available on Amazon for 99 cents right now. It’s very different as historical romances go, because it’s about traveling performers rather than the upper class. It’s one of my favorites.
Speaking of medievals and deals, I read a freebie from Amazon last night titled The Warrior’s Gameby Denise Domning. (Looks like it is now 99c.) I was thoroughly entertained and impressed by the level of historical detail fused with an interesting character-driven drama. And it was romantic to boot. I stayed up late to finish it. This is a new author to me, so I was happily surprised.
Gellis is a long time favorite of mine and its after midnight and the Chadwick book is still $2.99. I’m going for it. Her historical research is almost always solid combined with a good story.
@Geri: Thanks so much for the tip! I read the Rope Dancer a long, long time ago (think I stole it from a bag of books my Mom had) and it’s always stuck in the back of my mind. Just bought it and am excited for a re-read.