USA Today bestselling author Lisa Mondello tops today’s Buffet with her debut novel, All I Want for Christmas is You.
When the book was first published 15 years ago it won the “Best First Book” award in the Golden Quill, and now it’s been re-released for Kindle. As one reviewer put it, “it’s an easy read that warms the heart and makes you believe in happily every after.”
A prolific writer, Lisa also has a western romance series, “Texas Hearts,” and writing as LA Mondello has begun a romantic-suspense series called “Material Witness.” She also has several bargain-priced boxed sets newly available for Kindle.
As usual, each book listed here has gone FREE within the past 24 hours, except for the Bargain books in the yellow section below. Warning: Kindle book promotions can end without notice, so before downloading click the link “See Kindle price at Amazon” to verify that the book is still free. (Prices and availability may differ outside USA.)
All I Want for Christmas is You
Romance > Contemporary
Author: Lisa Mondello
Sometimes fate needs a little hand…
Santa Claus is going to have a rough season… Lauren Alexander is raising her daughter alone. Abandoned by her family for her decision to keep her daughter Kristen, she has done a pretty good job for the last six years. Or she thought she had. That’s why she is crushed when little Kristen gives up her wish for a toy or goodie and instead asks Santa for a present for her mother. She wants Santa to bring a Daddy. Delivering Daddies isn’t Santa’s bag.
But this Santa has a plan…
Kyle Preston knows what it is like to be abandoned too. Luckily he found the support of loving adoptive parents and has turned himself into one of the most successful Real Estate developers in town.
Building a house is easy. Building someone’s trust is a whole other story. But with a little helping hand, a little Christmas magic can make all the difference in the world.
Star Kissed
Romance > Science Fiction > Coming of Age
Author: Lizzy Ford
When Mandy loses her job, she thinks she’s hit rock bottom – until her plane is swallowed by a strange storm that sends her and everyone else on board 10,000 years into the future. At first, she thinks the scary world is nothing more than a bad dream. The war-torn Earth is unrecognizable. Black fog blocks the sun, and the oceans are dry. Even worse: the planet is inhabited by half-human, half-alien creatures dying from a mysterious disease. Horrified at the thought of spending her life here, she clings to the knowledge that there’s one man who can open the star gate to send her home.
As the Naki prince who controls the star gate, Akkadi gets first choice of any human female that makes her way through the star gate. Only by breeding with purebred humans from the past can his race hope to remain immune to the disease and hopefully, develop an eventual cure. With shrinking resources and a raging battle for the human planet, dutiful, commanding Akkadi is less than thrilled at the idea of trying to figure out Mandy, a woman he views as wild with neither discipline nor respect for someone in his position.
He’s ready to write her off, when she offers him something too tempting to resist: her body for the chance to convince him by any means possible to send her home. Neither intends for the arrangement to be permanent or to fall for the other. Only when Mandy learns Akkadi’s secret and walks away does he realize he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her – even if it means losing his war.
Aphrodite’s Kiss
Romantic Comedy > Paranormal
Author: Julie Kenner
Zoe Smith might look like your average, ordinary elementary school librarian, but she’s about as far from normal as a girl can get. Because Zoe is descended from a line of superheroes … and as her twenty-fifth birthday approaches, she has to decide if she’s going to embrace her heritage (including all the wackiness that comes with X-ray vision and her extraordinary senses) or submit herself for mortalization and be that average, ordinary girl. Considering how lousy she’s done so far on all the Council-imposed tests, chucking the whole superhero thing might be very best thing … especially when she realizes that sexy, private investigator George Bailey Taylor is more than a little interested in her—and he’s more than a little convinced that Zoe is one-hundred percent “the girl next-door”.
An ex-cop turned PI, George Bailey Taylor’s had one hell of a life being bounced around from foster home to foster home. All he wants now is a normal life with a normal wife in a normal neighborhood. The typical American dream—and when he meets Zoe Smith, he’s certain she’s the typical American girl. Except she does have an overprotective brother who seems able to appear and disappear at will. And a creepy cousin who’s always lurking about. And why does everyone in her family pretend to actually talk to the pet ferret?
With her super powers, Zoe can do just about anything … except make Taylor fall in love with her.
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Ignite
Romance > Paranormal & Fantasy
Author: Kaitlyn Davis
- $0.99 List Price
- See Kindle Price at Amazon.com
When Kira Dawson moves to South Carolina, she meets Luke, a blond goofball who quickly becomes her best friend, and Tristan, a mysterious bad boy who sends shivers down her spine. Kira knows they’re keeping secrets, but when she discovers Tristan’s lust for blood and her own dormant mystical powers, Kira is forced to fight for her life and make the heartbreaking decision between the familiar comfort of friendship and the fiery passion of love.
Frozen Past
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Crime
Author: Richard C Hale
Luke is only fourteen. Eliana is his whole world and for a fourteen year old, the burden is immense. You see, Eliana is being stalked. Stalked by a madman who wants nothing more than to see her dead. The madman knows things that no one should know and sees things that no one should see. He tells them if they say a word to anyone, they will both die. And Luke can’t let that happen.
Eliana’s past is catching up with her and Luke must do anything to save her. Anything.
Vampire Shift
Children’s eBooks > Science Fiction, Fantasy & Scary Stories
Author: Tim O’Rourke
- $0.99 List Price
- See Kindle Price at Amazon.com
When 20-year-old police recruit Kiera Hudson is posted to the remote town of The Ragged Cove, her life is changed forever. Investigating a series of horrific murders, grave desecrations, and missing persons, Kiera uses her unique ability of seeing, and soon realizes her own life is in danger. When Kiera falls for police officer Luke Bishop, not only are her mind and heart opened to a terrifyingly new world, she comes to suspect that Luke might be involved in the killings.
In a race against time to unearth the truth, Kiera must discover the identity of who – or what – is behind the gruesome deaths on her Vampire Shift.
The Coyote Kings, Book One: Space-Age Bachelor Pad
Science Fiction & Fantasy > Adventure
Author: Minister Faust
- $2.99 List Price
- See Kindle Price at Amazon.com
Sherem is brilliant. She’s travelled the world. She speaks a dozen ancient and modern languages, including Fan-Girl. And she can use—or improvise—a hundred weapons from around the globe or of her own design. Quite the list of accomplishments for a 25 year old.
Or is that 2500?
When best friend/roomies Hamza and Yehat, two Gen-X brainiacs too smart for their own good, meet Sherem during the heat of summer, they take one look at her and expect sparks to fly.
They just don’t expect them to come from the edges of blades.
A Death Displaced
Romance > Paranormal > Ghosts
Author: Andrew Butcher
After Nick has a disturbing daydream of a woman’s death, he tries to forget it, returning to his life of broken relationships and a traumatic past that hangs over him. But when events mimic the daydream, he realises it was a vision of the future. To save a life, he must act fast.
Escaping death and defying fate leaves Juliet displaced in this world. All she wants is to return to her day-to-day routine, successfully running her own business, but it seems that her ‘displacement’ comes with an unexpected ability.
Set on an island with a dark past of its own, Nick and Juliet must use their newfound abilities and work together to unravel a mystery more connected to Nick than he could ever have imagined.
LinkedIn Secrets Revealed: Unlocking Your Complete Profile
Careers > Job Hunting > Resumes
Author: Patrick Gallagher
No need to wait for months to be recognized on LinkedIn. Get your profile viewed every hour by companies in search for the next rock star professional! Patrick Gallagher professionally designed and put together this eBook entitled “LinkedIn Secrets Revealed” for Sales and Marketing to give you all the necessary tools and knowledge in getting LinkedIn.com for business, undeniably the most effective social marketing network for professionals, to work for you.
Unlocking the secrets of LinkedIn for marketing through this e-book will let you dominate LinkedIn. Get linked in no time at all and make yourself in demand in just a few days after getting familiar with these techniques. Once you get your new profile up and running, you will:
-Receive that call you’ve been waiting for from your dream employer,
-Be invited for an interview with a top company, or;
-Simply be acknowledged for your ultimately professional LinkedIn profile!
The Small Army Strategy: Turning Fans and Followers into Fanatics and Friends
Business & Investing > Marketing & Sales
Author: Srinivas Rao
You won’t be the next Tim Ferriss, Seth Godin or Chris Brogan. The world doesn’t need more copycats. It needs you to be you. The only way you’ve got a shot at winning this war for attention is to give all yours to the few that matter. The most important people in the world are the ones who show up for you. Take such good care of them that they have no choice, but to recruit a small army.
This book isn’t about how to get more traffic or increase the number of subscribers to your blog. Those things are potential byproducts , but not the goal. The goal is to treasure and nurture the attention you already have.
Basic Candle Making
Crafts & Hobbies > Candlemaking
Author: Eric Ebeling
Step-by-step color photographs and descriptive detail make this book indispensable for beginners looking to create beautiful and functional scented candles on their very first try, and for experienced crafters who want to sharpen their skills. Precise instructions eliminate the guesswork that too often creeps into how-to books. Gleaned from the expertise of master candle makers, this guide presents everything a novice needs to know to get started crafting traditional tapers and molded candles, container and rolled beeswax candles, and interesting variations on each. Includes guidelines for buying tools and materials, preparing the work space, and working safely and effectively, as well as suggested shopping lists.
Each step illustrated with color photos. How to avoid common mistakes. Information on scents and dyes.
The 13 Nights of Halloween
Children’s Books > Halloween
Author: Guy Vasilovich, Guy Vasilovich
Regular Price $9.99, Today $2.99
On the first night of Halloween, what does your mummy give you?A bright, shiny Skeleton Key, of course!
In fact, for each of the thirteen nights leading up to the big night, your mummy is ready with gifts that include everything from singing skulls to demons dancing to icky eyeballs. The spookier and slimier, the better!
From debut author-illustrator Guy Vasilovich comes a picture book that is sure to inspire even the youngest readers to start the creepy countdown to Halloween. Sing along to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” as you get ready for the scariest—and silliest—night of the year.
Confessions of a Prairie Bitch
Memoirs > Humor & Entertainment > Television
Author: Alison Arngrim
Regular Price $9.99, Today $1.99
How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated.
Alison Arngrim’s comic memoir of growing up as one of television’s most memorable characters—the devious Nellie Oleson on the hit television show Little House on the Prairie. With behind-the-scenes stories from the set, as well as tales from her bohemian upbringing in West Hollywood and her headline-making advocacy work on behalf of HIV awareness and abused children, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch is a must for fans of everything Little House: the classic television series and its many stars like Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert; Gilbert’s bestselling memoir Prairie Tale… and, of course, the beloved series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder that started it all.
Three Parts Dead
Fantasy > Sword & Sorcery
Author: Max Gladstone
Regular Price $9.99, Today $2.99
A god has died, and it’s up to Tara, first-year associate in the international necromantic firm of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao, to bring Him back to life before His city falls apart. Her client is Kos, recently deceased fire god of the city of Alt Coulumb. Without Him, the metropolis’s steam generators will shut down, its trains will cease running, and its four million citizens will riot.
Tara’s job: resurrect Kos before chaos sets in. Her only help: Abelard, a chain-smoking priest of the dead god, who’s having an understandable crisis of faith.
When Tara and Abelard discover that Kos was murdered, they have to make a case in Alt Coulumb’s courts—and their quest for the truth endangers their partnership, their lives, and Alt Coulumb’s slim hope of survival.
Death of Kings: A Novel (Saxon Tales)
Action & Adventure > War & Military
Author: Bernard Cornwell
Regular Price $9.99, Today $1.99
The fate of a young nation rests in the hands of a reluctant warrior in the thrilling sixth volume of theNew York Times bestselling Saxon Tales series. Following the intrigue and action of The Burning Land and Sword Song, this latest chapter in Bernard Cornwell’s epic saga of England is a gripping tale of divided loyalties and mounting chaos. At a crucial moment in time, as Alfred the Great lays dying, the fate of all—Angles, Saxons, and Vikings alike—hangs desperately in the balance.
For all fans of classic Cornwell adventures, such as Agincourt and Stonehenge, and for readers of William Dietrich’sHadrian’s Wall or Robert E. Howard’s Bran Mak Morn, the stunning Death of Kings will prove once again why the Wall Street Journal calls Bernard Cornwell “the most prolific and successful historical novelist in the world today.”
Visit Sunny Chernobyl: And Other Adventures in the World’s Most Polluted Places
Nature & Ecology > Conservation
Author: Andrew Blackwell
Regular Price $15.99, Today $1.99
For most of us, traveling means visiting the most beautiful places on Earth—Paris, the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon. It’s rare to book a plane ticket to visit the lifeless moonscape of Canada’s oil sand strip mines, or to seek out the Chinese city of Linfen, legendary as the most polluted in the world. But inVisit Sunny Chernobyl, Andrew Blackwell embraces a different kind of travel, taking a jaunt through the most gruesomely polluted places on Earth.
From the hidden bars and convenience stores of a radioactive wilderness to the sacred but reeking waters of India, Visit Sunny Chernobyl fuses immersive first-person reporting with satire and analysis, making the case that it’s time to start appreciating our planet as it is—not as we wish it would be. Irreverent and reflective, the book is a love letter to our biosphere’s most tainted, most degraded ecosystems, and a measured consideration of what they mean for us.
Equal parts travelogue, expose, environmental memoir, and faux guidebook, Blackwell careens through a rogue’s gallery of environmental disaster areas in search of the worst the world has to offer—and approaches a deeper understanding of what’s really happening to our planet in the process.
… See the rest of today’s Editor’s Picks here on page 2