Monday, May 31, 2010

Kindle Skills

May 31, 2010 Cindy O'Neal

Keyboard command:

Alt+Home = Kindle Store
Instant trip to the Kindle store, where you can browse to your heart's content.

Alt+G = Refresh your Kindle screen (helps prevent ghosting - remnants of previous pages - on the screen)

Shift+Sym = Starts or stops Text to Speech (if it is available on the book you are reading)

Note: How to do keyboard commands... When you see two keys listed with the + sign between them, it means press the first one, then (while still holding the first key down) press the second one. Remember the old three finger salute we used to have to use all the time with older versions of Windows? CTRL+Alt+Delete

While holding down the CTRL and Alt keys, press the Delete key. This combination used to be able to bring up the Task manager in Windows so we could force an errant program to shut down and (hopefully) get back to the business at hand. Pressing the combination again would force the computer into a soft restart.

Free on Amazon Today


Product Details
Home To Italy by Peter Pezzelli (Kindle Edition - Sept. 1, 2004) - Kindle Book
Buy: $0.00
 Auto-delivered wirelessly
3.8 out of 5 stars   
The reviews are wonderful, for the most part. Don't know how long this book will be free. It is a great way to get to know an unfamiliar author, and if you like it, explore some of his other offerings.
Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type the title with your Kindle, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until the word store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Free on Amazon Today

May 30, 2010 Cindy O'Neal

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type the title with your Kindle, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until the word store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!

I don't know how long this will be free, but it sounds like a great potential summer read, certainly should be an addition to your Kindle library.


Product Details
Treason by Don Brown (Kindle Edition - May 8, 2009) - Kindle Book
Buy$0.00
Auto-delivered wirelessly

Product Description (from Amazon)
When Muslim terrorists infiltrate the Navy Chaplain Corps, Lieutenant Zack Brewer, just three years out of law school, is pitted against the world’s greatest defense attorney in the court-martial of the century. Book One in a series.
From the Back Cover
The stakes are high . . . and the entire world is waiting for the verdict.
The Navy has uncovered a group of radical Islamic clerics who have infiltrated the Navy Chaplain Corps, inciting sailors and marines to acts of terrorism. And Lieutenant Zack Brewer has been chosen to prosecute them for treason and murder.

Only three years out of law school, Zack has already made a name for himself, winning the coveted Navy Commendation medal. Just coming off a high-profile win, this case will challenge the very core of Zack’s skills and his Christian beliefs—beliefs that could cost him the case and his career.

With Diane Colcernian, his staunchest rival, as assistant prosecutor, Zack takes on internationally acclaimed criminal defense lawyer Wells Levinson. And when Zack and Diane finally agree to put aside their animosity, it causes more problems than they realize.

Manybooks.net additions for your Kindle library

May 30, 2010, Cindy O'Neal
More great summer reading...
Gladiator
author: Philip Wylie
published: 1930
language: English
wordcount: 63,281 / 180 pg
mnybks.net#: 19030
more info: en.wikipedia.org
genres: Science Fiction, Pulp, Post-1930
The product of an amazing biological experiment, Hugo Danner was born and grew up free from the fears that inhibit other men... with an infinitely superior mind and a sex-drive that put insatiable women at his feet and turned men green with envy. Considered by many to be the inspiration for the character Superman.

Doctor Syn
A Smuggler Tale of the Romney Marsh

author: Russell Thorndyke
published: 1915
language: English
wordcount: 68,241 / 189 pg
downloads: 68
added to site: 2010.05.20
mnybks.net#: 27828
origin: www.archive.org
more info: en.wikipedia.org
genres: Pirate Tales, Fiction & Literature, Audiobook

When this story opens there were two things of paramount interest in Dymchurch. One was Romney Marsh - visited, so the villagers whispered, by flaming Demon Riders and Jack O'Lanterns. The other was Doctor Syn, their genial, kindly, well-loved vicar. To be sure it was a little incongruous at times to hear this godly man break out into the most ungodly refrain from the favourite song of the redoubtable Clegg. But Clegg had been hanged as a pirate - so it was said - full ten years before. How Syn's real identity was finally revealed when the King's men came to Dymchurch, and the strange part he played in the mystery of Romney Marsh, make this a decidedly unusual and thrilling story.

Ask Mrs. Wizard:
Please send me a personal email (mrswizard@mrswizard.com) if you have any questions. I answer all my emails and am more than happy to help any time I can. Your questions mean a lot to me, and may even inspire an article that will help others and make this a more valuable resource to anyone who reads it.

Instant refresher:
How to download a book file from manybooks.net and how to get it to your Kindle.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Kindle Skills - Update coming

May 29, 2010 Cindy O'Neal

What version do you have now?
There is a new updated (v 2.5) coming to a Kindle near you any time now.  To see what the current version is on your Kindle (just in case the update sneaks up on you), press the Menu button while you have the Home screen showing. Toggle the 5-way down until the word Settings is underlined. Press in on the 5-way. Look at the bottom of the Settings screen. Your current version will show at the bottom right.

I'm not sure what happend to my Kindle 2 yesterday, but it sure gave me a scare. I was reading Kindle Nation Daily blog and noticed my screen froze. I tried resetting it by sliding the top switch to the right and holding it for 15 seconds. The screen went blank the way it should when you reset, but when it came back, only the top of the blog I was viewing appeared, not the Home screen I was expecting after a reset.

I jumped on Google and did a search for resetting a Kindle 2 and found different instructions for resetting the darn thing... something about since the last update, the reset instructions had changed to prevent accidental resets.

Here's what I read:

Reset procedure for DX is now different -- requires two steps

I just encountered this problem on my DX and there is a new reset procedure, according to Kindle tech support. A software upgrade apparently added a step, probably to prevent accidental resets. The new procedure is to slide the power button to its on position and hod it there for thirty full seconds, then release it and press and hold the HOME button until the screen flashes.

I had tried the old 15-second power switch procedure to no avail, then called Amazon via their web CallBack link. They called back immediately and then walked me through this process. I asked about the 15-seond method still published on the Amazon site, and they said "that's out of date since the most recent software update." I didn't even know there had been an update! Apparently Amazon can install these unilaterally and silently when it wants to.
================

I was too desperate to "fix" my Kindle 2 to notice the post was written In January this year. Also the thing was referring to someone's DX, and I was having the issue with my Kindle 2. Needless to say, I gave it a whirl and by God it worked! The screen flashed after a few seconds holding down the Home button and when I let it go, all seemed back to normal.

I hope this was just a Twilight Zone moment. I'm not sure what to look for with the new update, but hope it happens soon. I am really looking forward to it.

Moral(s) of the story:
  • Don't be afraid to try something new.
  • You can fix anything with a Google search!

Friday, May 28, 2010

Free on Amazon Today

May 28, 2010 Cindy O'Neal

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type the title with your Kindle, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until the word store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!



by Chris Walley
New: $0.00 
Auto-delivered wirelessly to Kindle.
Average Customer Review:

Review (from Amazon)
I have travelled far in the realms of fantasy and sci-fi… to Narnia, Empyrion, Middle Earth, Byntar and Albion, but never have I journeyed so far away as this book has taken me. Nor does anything even come close to the distance we encounter in 'The Shadow and Night'. As I opened the book and read the first pages, the thought came to me: perhaps this is the story I have been waiting all my life to read – or the tale I have always wanted to write. Well, not quite. But darned close to it. (Grace Bridges )
Product Description
In the first book in the epic Lamb among the Stars series, author Chris Walley weaves the worlds of science and the spirit, technology and supernatural into something unique in science fiction. Twelve thousand years into the future, the human race has spread across the galaxy to hundreds of terraformed worlds. The effects of the Fall have been diminished by the Great Intervention, and peace and contentment reign under the gentle rule of the Assembly. But suddenly, almost imperceptibly, things begin to change. On the remotest planet of Farholme, Forester Merral D’Avanos hears one simple . . . lie. Slowly a handful of men and women begin to realize that evil has returned and must be fought. What will this mean for a people to whom war and evil are ancient history? Thus begins the epic that has been described as “If C. S. Lewis and Tolkien had written Star Wars.”
The Shadow and Night was previously published in two volumes: The Shadow at Evening and The Power of the Night.

Summer Murders

May 28, 2010 Cindy O'Neal

What is it about Summer and murder mysteries? Personally I love a great historical romance romp, but lately, many of the free offerings from Amazon have been hard to pass by. Hope you enjoy too!

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type the title with your Kindle, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until the word store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can! Actually I noticed this book available for free for a couple of hours on Wednesday (the 26th)... by the time I got it ready to post on the blog, it was no longer free... who knows what somebody was thinking! Maybe it will be free again soon! Don't count on it though.

Product Details
Vicious by Kevin O'Brien (Kindle Edition - June 1, 2010) - Kindle Book
Buy$5.11

Available for Pre-order. This item will be released on June 1, 2010.
5.0 out of 5 stars   (1)

From Publishers Weekly
Deftly woven plot twists save bestseller O'Brien's latest serial killer novel from predictability. The Mama's Boy killer spent two years kidnapping Seattle mothers and murdering them in front of their young sons; then he dropped off the radar for a decade. Widowed Susan Blanchette is on her way to Cullen, Wash., for an idyllic weekend with her toddler, Matthew, and her fiancé, Allen; high school students Jordan (whose mother was a Mama's Boy victim), Leo, and Moira are headed there as well, to celebrate Leo's birthday. When Jordan meets Allen, he thinks he recognizes his mother's killer, but if Allen is Mama's Boy, who just kidnapped Moira? While the pace of the novel is strong and the story intriguing, O'Brien (Final Breath) tries too hard to manipulate readers with implausible character actions, over-the-top emotions, and unnecessary obfuscations. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Product Description (from Amazon)
No Motive
For more than two years, he held Seattle in a terror grip. A cold-blooded killer who abducted young mothers right in front of their sons and murdered them execution style. Then, as suddenly as the killings began, they seemed to stop.

No Mercy
Susan Blanchette is looking forward to a relaxing weekend getaway with her fiancé, Allen, and young son, Matthew. But something about the remote lake house doesn't feel right. A woman vanished from the area a year ago, and now Susan thinks she's spotted someone lurking around the property. And when Allen disappears, her fear grows. . .

No Escape
A psychopath has returned, ready to strike again. Someone who can't resist the urge to kill, who derives pleasure from others' pain, and who is drawing nearer to Susan as each minute of the weekend ticks by. But she's just one pawn at the heart of a killer's deadly game. A killer who is unrelenting, unstoppable, and absolutely vicious. . .

Praise for the Novels of Kevin O'Brien
"Scary! Read this page turner with the lights on!" --Lisa Jackson on Watch Them Die

"White knuckle action!" --Tess Gerritsen on One Last Scream

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Kindle Skills - pdf files

May 27, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

PDF files
The Kindle 2 and DX and have been able to "read" pdf files natively for some time now. This means you can, without converting, put a pdf file right into the Documents folder on your Kindle. When you disconnect from the USB connection to your computer and view the Home screen, your pdf file will appear with a small pdf annotation to the left of the file name.

PDF files on the Kindle DX are really quite good, mainly because the screen is considerably larger than the Kindle 2. Reading a pdf file on a  Kindle 2, while better than nothing, can still be a pretty rough experience. I am hoping with the new update (soon?) the Kindle experience with pdf files should be even better than now. I think I remember reading we are going to be able to zoom in on pages in a pdf document so we can see them better. We shall see.

Right now it helps to think of a pdf file as more of an image, or set of images. This is why you have fewer options for viewing it. When you have a pdf file open in your Kindle, press the Menu button. Depending on how the pdf was created, you may see different menu options, more or less. You may or may not be able to search the text of a pdf file. Bookmarks are pretty straightforward, and of course when you close anything you are reading on your Kindle, then open it later, you are always brought to the last page you viewed.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Amazon Best Seller

published May 26, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

And it's Darn Near FREE
Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type the title with your Kindle, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until the word store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is an acceptable price before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to purchase it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.
You don't need to spend a fortune for great books for your Kindle.


The Surgeon
2. Ranking has gone down in the past 24 hours 42 days in the top 100
Auto-delivered wirelessly
$1.99

Amazon.com Review
Penzler Pick, August 2001: Tess Gerritsen left a very successful career as an internist to raise her children and devote more time to writing. After several books that have had moderate success, Gerritsen has now written a gruesome and frightening story that should put her among the top women thriller writers working today.

A serial killer is on the loose in Boston. The victims are killed in a particularly nasty way: cut with a scalpel on the stomach, the intestines and uterus removed, and then the throat slashed. The killer obviously has medical knowledge and has been dubbed "the Surgeon" by the media. Detective Thomas Moore and his partner Rizzoli of the Boston Homicide Unit have discovered something that makes this case even more chilling. Years ago in Savannah a serial killer murdered in exactly the same way. He was finally stopped by his last victim, who shot him as he tried to cut her. That last victim is Dr. Catherine Cordell, who now works as a cardiac surgeon at one of Boston's prestigious hospitals. As the murders continue, it becomes obvious that the killer is drawing closer and closer to Dr. Cordell, who is becoming so frightened that she is virtually unable to function. But she is the only person who can help the police catch this copycat killer. Or is it a copycat? To complicate matters even further, Detective Moore, often referred to as Saint Thomas as he continues to mourn the loss of his wife, is getting emotionally involved with the doctor.

The suspense in The Surgeon is almost unbearable. The writing is superb and the stunning twists and turns make it almost impossible to put down. -- Otto Penzler

From Publishers Weekly
A creepy cerebral serial killer vaguely reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter pursues a charismatic female doctor in this thoroughly satisfying if somewhat derivative thriller. Skillfully drawn surgical backdrops sizzling with ER intensity balance out the obligatory romantic intrigue and familiar plucky police professionals, attesting to Gerritsen's authentic medical expertise as a former physician. Dr. Catherine Cordell, the main character in this chilling tale, thought she had shot and killed her rapist and would-be murderer two years earlier in steamy Savannah, where he was a surgery intern at her hospital. Now, in Boston, as another hot summer begins, he appears to have miraculously returned and embarked once again on his grisly mission: he rapes women, then surgically removes their wombs. As two intrepid detectives Thomas Moore and Jane Rizzoli investigate, Cordell begins to doubt her own memories (or lack of) and discovers that not even her OR is safe. Gliding as smoothly as a scalpel in a confident surgeon's hand, this tale proves that Gerritsen (Harvest; Life Support; Bloodstream; Gravity), originally a romance writer, has morphed into a dependable suspense novelist whose growing popularity is keeping pace with her ever-finer writing skills. (Sept.)Forecast: National print advertising in People, the New York Times and USA Today, plus a major promotion campaign, will ratchet Gerritsen's sales up yet another notch.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Free on Amazon Today

Originally posted May 25, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type the title with your Kindle, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until the word store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!


Auto-delivered wirelessly
Free
This book is actually in the top 10 on the Amazon list of free books. Amazing huh?

From Library Journal
In this spectacular new series, Morgan, an acclaimed writer of historical and futuristic romances, turns her deft pen to the Christian market to reflect a personal change. Abigail Stanton, who recently lost her husband and child, moves to Culdee Creek to become a housekeeper for Conor MacKay, a man whose previous housekeepers warmed more than dinner. Abby makes it clear that she won't tolerate any disreputable advances on his part, but she feels God led her to this ranch and this family for a purpose. As she grows to love Conor and his daughter, her faith inspires Conor to believe that there might just be something to this idea of religion. This wonderful start is for all collections.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
Daughter of Joy is a beautiful story of redemptive love. Abby's walk of faith, sometimes followed by sheer force of will alone, resonated in my heart. And Conor's painful journey back to the safe harbor of a loving and forgiving God brought me to tears. Thank you, Ms. Morgan, for such a memorable read. -- Robin Lee Hatcher, author of The Forgiving Hour

A marvelous storyteller -- Romantic Times

A very talented, innovative author -- Affaire de Coeur

A wonderfully gifted author -- Anastasia Gazette

Kathleen Morgan brings history to life, peopling it with vivid characters and weaving it through with classic romance -- Linda Lang Bartell, author

Kathleen Morgan is a phenomenal writer! -- The Talisman

Kathleen Morgans introduction in Christian romance is awesome. Daughter of Joy is a beautifully written, poignant love story that will remain with the reader long after the book is closed. Bravo, Kathleen! -- Lori Copeland, author of Faith and June

Manybooks.net additions for your Kindle library

Originally posted May 25, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Ask Mrs. Wizard:
Please send me a personal email (mrswizard@mrswizard.com) if you have any questions. I answer all my emails and am more than happy to help any time I can. Your questions mean a lot to me, and may even inspire an article that will help others and make this a more valuable resource to anyone who reads it.

Instant refresher:
How to download a book file from manybooks.net and how to get it to your Kindle.
Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management

Rewards and Fairies
author: Rudyard Kipling
published: 1910
language: English
mnybks.net#: 4149
origin: gutenberg.org
genres: Young Readers, Short Story Collection
A sequel to Puck of Pook's Hill.

Reader Review (from manybooks.net): a timeless classic, really a "must read" for readers fo all ages. This short book is often mistaken as the work of Shakespeare. If you enjoy this you will also enjoy Rudyard Kipling's classic poem 'If'

From me: I saw this on Amazon for 80 cents, if you would rather do a search in the Amazon Kindle store (from your Kindle) and purchase it. I can't vouch for the format, but the one from manybooks.net is just fine. AND... if you can believe it, read on for a new book on Manybooks.net - and I do mean NEW.


This Unhappy Planet
author: Marc Horne
published: 2010
language: English
wordcount: 43,954 / 123 pg
added to site: 2010.05.21
mnybks.net#: 27842
origin: marchorne.wordpress.com
license: by-nc-sa
genres: Creative Commons, Post-1930, Fiction & Literature
A twisted comedy of manners set in Southern California during the end of the George W. Bush years, where two friends create a business to exploit those around them who hunger to become masters of their own reality. As their "Spiritual Fitness Club" takes off, hardworking but naïve Jack is forced to deal with the dark, amoral tendencies of his wife and the mysterious past of their top guru.

Review: 2010.05.23
Moxie Mezcal

This Unhappy Planet is a satirical dramedy about two guys who hatch a scheme to open a chain of spiritual fitness clubs, hoping to get rich quick off of bored yoga moms and affluent New Age seekers. Its brilliance is in Marc's ability to lampoon both the main characters' cynicism as well as the distinctly SoCal brand of pseudo-spiritualism without veering into the realm of mean-spirited caricatures. The characters are imbued with such depth and shading, they are rendered so completely believable, that you can't help but empathize with them even while laughing at their foibles.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Amazon Skills

Originally posted May 23, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

I like the way the Kindle Store is organized lately. When you get to the main Amazon page, click where it says Shop All Departments on the left, then move your mouse pointer down to the word Kindle, then over to the right a little, and click the word Books. It is much easier to see what is new, free, or low priced, in order of popularity.

Look in the right hand column for the Top 100 paid books (not free), and the Top 100 FREE books in a tab right next to that tab. All the good stuff is in one spot. What is really interesting is when you click the tab for the Top 100 paid books and see the corresponding list of Top 100 free books right next to it. What a wonderful idea!

In the left column of the main Kindle Books page on Amazon (below the Buy a Kindle and Special Features areas), you will see the Kindle Books area with lists to browse by genre. If you use this as a browsing tool, each page of available books can also be further sorted by price (low to high) in the sort by area toward the top right of a page of books listed.

The Special Features area is a great way to browse all by itself. It even has a special link to a pages dedicated to Free Book Collections. You certainly need to spend a little time checking that area out. You can find many great books to add to your Kindle library.

All in all, it is a great way to browse what is probably the best selection of books on the planet. Now all we need is a really long vacation!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Manybooks.net additions for your Kindle library

Originally posted May 23, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Who said you have to spend a lot of money for good books for your Kindle? Hmmmmm? Not me!

Ancestors
A Novel
Gertrude Atherton
A young, rich American girl, after traveling all over the world with a father addicted to periodical dipsomania, loses this father, and before returning to her California chicken ranch goes to visit her English relatives. Her cousin is in the House of Commons, but suddenly becoming a peer is forced into the House of Lords. He decides to go to America. The story deals with American politics and especially with the conditions in San Francisco. The great earthquake and fire of 1906 bring about changes in the lives of the chief actors.

author: Gertrude Atherton
published: 1907
language: English
wordcount: 200,173 / 562 pg
added to site: 2010.04.02
mnybks.net#: 27212
origin: gutenberg.org
genre: Romance

Six Feet Four
Jackson Gregory
Beatrice Waverly is robbed of $5,000 and suspicion fastens upon Buck Thornton, but she soon realizes he is not guilty. Intensely exciting, here is a real story of the Great Far West.

author: Jackson Gregory
published: 1917
language: English
wordcount: 72,986 / 205 pg
added to site: 2005.02.23
mnybks.net#: 9707
origin: gutenberg.org
genres: Adventure, Western

Ask Mrs. Wizard:
Please send me a personal email (mrswizard@mrswizard.com) with any questions you may have. I answer all my emails and am more than happy to help any time I can. Your questions mean a lot to me, and may even inspire an article that will help others and make this a more valuable resource to anyone who reads it.

Instant refresher:
How to download a book file from manybooks.net and how to get it to your Kindle.
Downloading 101 - Firefox
Downloading 101 - Internet Explorer
Kindle File Management

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Kindle Skills

Originally posted May 21, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Get A Sample
Amazon makes it very easy for you to check out newspapers, magazines, blogs, all periodical subscriptions with absolutely no risk to your pocketbook. Everything starts with a free trial. If you cancel before the trial is over, you will not be charged at all. It gives you a chance to see if you are going to like it or if it will be useful to you in one way or another. Who could ask for more?

Books have a similar risk free offer. If you are browsing the Amazon Store on your Kindle and find a book you may be interested in, move your 5-way switch down until the words Try a Sample is underlined (highlighted). Press in on the 5-way and a sample (usually the first several pages, or even the first chapter) selection of the book will be as good as on your Kindle in your hands. Getting a sample of a book is a great way to jog your memory if you don't have time to read the book right away but want to save it and purchase it later. A book sample won't go anywhere until you delete it.

If you are shopping the Kindle Book Store from your web browser and happen upon a book you want to check out a little more thoroughly, look for an area just below the purchase buttons. You will see a Send Sample Now button, and below that a place where you can choose which Kindle you want to send it to. Remember, if you have the Kindle software for a PC or Mac (or both), and/or the Kindle software for your iPod/iTouch or Blackberry, you actually have "multiple Kindles" and will have a choice to send the book sample to any one of them.

There are times I feel a little like the heroine Shaharazad in the old set of fairy tales, A Thousand and One Arabian Nights, trying to gain your loyalty with something new and exciting every day. It is a daunting task, but the Kindle is such an amazing instrument, and every day has an opportunity to see it a little differently, and learn something new. I like the concept of little bits of information at a time. It is certainly less overwhelming and I am more likely to remember and enjoy the information. I hope you will too.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Kindle Skills - Archived Items

Originally posted May 21, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Every book you purchase on Amazon is automatically backed up on the Amazon.com servers. When you purchase a book from Amazon, it is sent to your Kindle. When you finish reading it, you can underline the book title from your Home screen, toggle your 5-way switch to the left and choose remove from device by pressing in on the 5-way switch. If the item is a personal file, you will see the option to Delete, rather than just remove the item. When you remove a book you purchased from Amazon from your Kindle, it is only a View Archived Items click with the Menu button and your 5-way switch.

More with your 5-way...
When you have a book underlined (selected) from the Home screen, toggle the 5-way to the right to see the cover image and additional options:

  • Go to Last Page Read
  • Go to Beginning
  • Go to Location
  • Book Description
  • Search This Book
  • My Notes & Marks
  • Remove from Device

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Free on Amazon Today

Originally posted May 20, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type the title with your Kindle, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until the word store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!

Soul Catcher (Kindle Edition)
by Leigh Bridger (Author)
Digital List Price: $12.95
Print List Price: $16.95
Kindle Price: $0.00 includes wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
You Save: $16.95 (100%)

Review
An exciting and unique urban fantasy. --Harriet Klausner Four stars --Romantic Times BookClub --Romantic Times BookClub

Four stars --Romantic Times BookClub
Product Description
From the gothic eccentricity of Asheville, North Carolina, to the terrifying recesses of the Appalachian wilderness, from modern demonology to ancient Cherokee mythology, Soul Catcher follows the tormented journey of folk artist Livia Belane, who has been stalked through many lives by a sadistic and vengeful demon.- Livia and her loved ones, including her frontier-era soulmate and husband, Ian, a Soul Hunter, have never beaten the demon before.- Now, in this life, it's found them again.

and..... It is so good to see this one available as a free offering! What a great library addition!

Rage of Angels (Kindle Edition)
by Sidney Sheldon (Author)
Print List Price: $7.99
Kindle Price: $0.00 includes wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
You Save: $7.99 (100%)
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
This price was set by the publisher

Product Description
A worldwide bestseller first published in 1980, this novel tells the story of Jennifer Parker, a successful lawyer who is loved by two men, one a politician, the other, a mafia don.

About the Author
Best known today for his exciting blockbuster novels, Sidney Sheldon is the author of The Best Laid Plans, Nothing Lasts Forever, The Stars Shine Down, The Doomsday Conspiracy, Memories of Midnight, The Sands of Time, Windmills of the Gods, If Tomorrow Comes, Master of the Game, Rage of Angels, Bloodline, A Stranger in the Mirror, and The Other Side of Midnight. Almost all have been number-one international bestsellers. His first book, The Naked Face, was acclaimed by the New York Times as "the best first mystery of the year" and received an Edgar Award. Most of his novels have become major feature films or TV miniseries, and there are more than 275 million copies of his books in print throughout the world. Before he became a novelist, Sidney Sheldon had already won a Tony Award for Broadway's Redhead and an Academy Award for The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer. He has written the screenplays for twenty-three motion pictures, including Easter Parade (with Judy Garland) and Annie Get Your Gun. In addition, he penned six other Broadway hits and created three long-running television series, including Hart to Hart and I Dream of Jeannie, which he also produced. A writer who has delighted millions with his award-winning plays, movies, novels, and television shows, Sidney Sheldon reigns as one of the most popular storytellers of all time.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Kindle Skills - Personal Document With Table of Contents

Originally posted May 19, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Ask Mrs. Wizard:
If you have a question, please send me a personal email (mrswizard@mrswizard.com) with your question. I answer all my emails and am more than happy to help any time I can. Your questions mean a lot to me, and may even inspire an article that will help others and make this a more valuable resource to anyone who reads it.

Build a Table of Contents
Prepare your document with a table of contents in mind. It is all done by using the Heading 1 style . For example, say you are creating a Recipe book. Give the title of each recipe a Heading 1 style. This is what Mobipocket Creator will use to create your Table of Contents and make it clickable in your finished ebook.

Highlight the title or heading for each recipe. Look at the top of your word processing program for the word Default or Normal. If there is an arrow to the right of that, click it and look for Heading 1. Click Heading 1 to set the formatting style for that title. You will notice it will be bold and larger than your normal text. This is fine. Do this for every title or item you want displayed on your Table of Contents. When it is all done, your table of contents will be listed in the order each item appears in your document.

I used OpenOffice to create my rtf file, mainly because it is so easy to select and use Heading Styles, but if you have MS Word, that will work too. You need to find how to use Heading Styles (it is different in the newest version) and choose Heading 1 style for your selected text. If you are using Office 2007, use the keyboard command CTRL+Shift+S to easily bring up the styles box. Highlight the text you want in your table of contents, then use the style box to select Heading 1 for it. Do this for each item you want tracked as a Table of Contents item.

Click the word File at the top of the document window. Save the file as an .rtf file or export it as an html file.  Either file format will work. This way the H1 (heading 1) style will be embedded in the file and you will be able to refer to it later when you go to create your final ebook in Mobipocket Creator.

Mobipocket Creator
This is a wonderfully easy to use application. Download it for FREE at http://mobipocket.com and install it. If you have been reading my tips you already have the Mobipocket Reader (free) software. The reader is good, and can do a lot of easy converting, but the Creator will go a few steps further. As you work with it and spend some quality time getting to know it, you may end up publishing something to sell on Amazon.

I plan to (soon) begin a new project and gather and organize all the interesting tips I have shared so far in this blog so interested Kindlers will have access to it on Amazon as a new (inexpensive) ebook with a nice clickable table of contents.

Use Mobipocket Creator to compile the .rtf or .html document for the kindle.
It will create a Table of Contents out of the Heading 1 elements of your document, with links to each item in your document.

  • Open Mobipocket Creator
  • Move your mouse pointer to the Import From Existing File area and click MS Word document (if it is an rtf file)
  • Drag your rtf or html file to the little white box to the right of the words Choose a file (or click the browse button to the right of that and find your file and click on it)
  • Click the Import button
  • Mobipocket Creator will convert the file to an html (web) file and preserve your H1 headings. When finished, you will see your file listed in the Publication Files area
  • In the View area, click Table of Contents to go to the Table of Contents section
  • Click the Add a Table of Contents button
  • In the first box to the right of the words First Level, type h1
  • Click the Update button (you may need to scroll down a bit to find it)
  • You should have two files listed in your Publication Files area
  • Back to the View area, click the word Metadata and add any extra information you want. You can even add a cover image here if you have one.
  • Click the Build button at the top of the main window when you are ready, take all the defaults selected, then click the Build button in this lower area.
  • When it is finished you will have an ok button. Click this to see what your book will look like in the Mobipocket Reader. The file is finished and in your ebooks folder, ready for you to put on your Kindle.

.....with a nice new clickable table of contents!

Caveat: Mobipocket Reader and Creator is only for PCs. I am keeping an eye out for a nice freeware program that will help you build your ebook with table of contents for Macs. When I find it , I will shake it down good and share!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Free on Amazon Today

Originally posted May 18, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type the title with your Kindle, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!

A Vote of Confidence
by Robin Lee Hatcher (Author)
(Sisters of Bethlehem Springs #1) (Kindle Edition)
Digital List Price:$11.99
Print List Price:$14.99
Kindle Price: $0.00  includes wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
You Save:$14.99 (100%)

Product Description (from Amazon)
In A Vote of Confidence, the stage is set for some intriguing insight into what it was like during 1915 to be a woman in a "man's world."Guinevere Arlington is a beautiful young woman determined to remain in charge of her own life. For seven years, Gwen has carved out a full life in the bustling town of Bethlehem Springs, Idaho, where she teaches piano and writes for the local newspaper. Her passion for the town, its people, and the surrounding land prompt Gwen to run for mayor. After all, who says a woman can't do a man's job? But stepping outside the boundaries of convention can get messy. A shady lawyer backs Gwen, believing he can control her once she's in office. A wealthy newcomer throws his hat into the ring in an effort to overcome opposition to the health resort he's building north of town. When the opponents fall in love, everything changes, forcing Gwen to face what she may have to lose in order to win.
From the Back Cover
In A Vote of Confidence, the stage is set for some intriguing insight into what it was like during 1915 to be a woman in a 'man's world.' Guinevere Arlington is a beautiful young woman determined to remain in charge of her own life. For seven years, Gwen has carved out a full life in the bustling town of Bethlehem Springs, Idaho, where she teaches piano and writes for the local newspaper. Her passion for the town, its people, and the surrounding land prompt Gwen to run for mayor. After all, who says a woman can't do a man's job? But stepping outside the boundaries of convention can get messy. A shady lawyer backs Gwen, believing he can control her once she's in office. A wealthy newcomer throws his hat into the ring in an effort to overcome opposition to the health resort he's building north of town. When the opponents fall in love, everything changes, forcing Gwen to face what she may have to lose in order to win.


Private Justice (Newpointe 911 Series #1) (Kindle Edition)
by Terri Blackstock (Author)
Digital List Price: $10.99 What's this?
Print List Price: $12.99
Kindle Price: $0.00 & includes wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
You Save: $12.99 (100%)

From Library Journal
Another winner from Blackstock. It is the week of Mardi Gras in the Louisiana town of Newpointe, and the whole town is celebrating. Then horrible news arrives: Martha Dwyer, the wife of a firefighter, has been found murdered, shot through the head, her body set on fire. The townspeople's shock soon turns to horror when yet another firefighter's wife is found murdered in a similar fashion. By the time a third wife is attacked, it has become clear that a serial killer is at work. Firefighter Mark Branning is terrified, especially since he and his wife are estranged. Realizing that Allie may be the next victim, Mark convinces his reluctant wife to leave town with him. Unfortunately, this action does not stop the killer. This tense and exciting thriller is more than a fabulous read; it has an underlying message about the place of religion within a marriage. Highly recommended.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Description
Book one in bestselling author Terri Blackstock's brand-new series Newpointe 911, in which the firemen of Newpointe, LA, face personal and terrifying trial: Someone is murdering their wives, one by one.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Kindle Skills

Originally posted May 17, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

OpenOffice.org for PCs and Macs
What does this have to do with Kindle? A lot, if you like saving money and having a nice office suite of programs that includes a word processor that will export files to a PDF file. A pdf file, I might add, that can be used on your Kindle.

Most everyone has received a pdf file for one reason or another. Most computers are even shipping with the latest version of the free Acrobat Reader software already installed and ready to use. A pdf file is a great way to share a file created with say, the latest version of Microsoft Word with someone who maybe has an older version. I create quite a few files with Adobe InDesign (a great layout/desktop publishing application) and save copies of my files as pdf files so anyone can see them the way they were originally created without having to spend a lot of money on the actual software used to create them.

Adobe Acrobat can be quite pricey, and is what is needed if you want to convert various office files to pdf for sharing and other things. Once purchased and installed on your computer, you can make a pdf copy of pretty much anything you create on your computer. There are other, less expensive applications, you can purchase that will do a similar job, but not quite as well as the folks who invented pdf files (Adobe). They aren't too shabby, but free is always nice, and when you can get free and great quality, it is even nicer. If you can open it with OpenOffice.org, you can export it as a pdf file.

OpenOffice.org will open any Microsoft file, including the newest versions. Once opened, you can convert the document to a pdf file by clicking the word File at the top of the main window, then the words Export as PDF. It really is that easy. Take that pdf file and put it into the Documents folder of your Kindle and you have a new "book/document" you can read on your little machine.

OpenOffice.org is a great replacement for any office suite. It is absolutely free, along with any newer versions and updates. I use it myself, and have and will continue to recommend it to everyone I help with their computers highly. It is a rather large download (about 150 Mb), but with today's fast Internet connections, doesn't seem to be an issue for more and more people. If you are one of the lucky ones with high speed Internet, go for it! It will become your new best friend.

Ask Mrs. Wizard:
If you have a question, please send me a personal email (mrswizard@mrswizard.com) with your question. I answer all my emails and am more than happy to help any time I can. Your questions mean a lot to me, and may even inspire an article that will help others and make this a more valuable resource to anyone who reads it.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Free on Amazon Today

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can!
There have been quite a few free offerings for your Kindle lately, certainly something for everyone. Enjoy! And stay tuned... I'm poking around frequently so I can share them with you as soon as possible.

by Phillip Margolin 
(Kindle Edition - May 3, 2010) - Kindle Book
Buy: $0.00
Auto-delivered wirelessly
Product Description
When private detective Dana Cutler is hired to follow college student Charlotte Walsh, she never imagines the trail will lead to the White House. But the morning after Walsh's clandestine meeting with Christopher Farrington, President of the United States, the pretty young coed is dead-the latest victim, apparently, of a fiend dubbed "the D.C. Ripper."

A junior associate in an Oregon law firm, Brad Miller is stunned by the death row revelations of convicted serial killer Clarence Little. Though Little accepts responsibility for a string of gruesome murders, he swears he was framed for one of them: the death of a teenaged babysitter who worked for then-governor Farrington.

Suddenly nowhere in America is safe for a small-time private eye and a fledgling lawyer who possess terrifying evidence that suggests the unthinkable: that someone at the very highest level of government, perhaps the president himself, is a cold and brutal killer.

Free on Amazon Today

Originally posted May 16, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Light of Eidon (Legends of the Guardian-King, Book 1) (Kindle Edition)


Product Detailsby Karen Hancock (Author)
Digital List Price: $13.99
Print List Price: $13.99
Kindle Price: $0.00 & includes wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
You Save: $13.99 (100%)

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Hancock's intriguing Arena [BKL Ap 15 02] drew a great deal of praise for the originality and starkness of its alternative universe. In The Light of Eidon, she begins a fantasy series called Legends of the Guardian King that is more clearly a Christian allegory but is so crisscrossed with subplots and deceit that exactly where the light of Eidon shines may baffle the reader. It certainly baffles young Abramm Kalladorne, Hancock's hero. He is the little-valued fifth son of the king of Kiriath, a vivid kingdom that seems a bit like medieval England, with a bit of ancient Rome. Abramm is drawn to the religious life, but after eight years as a novitiate, he discovers that his spiritual leader is a fraud and that the true path to Eidon's light lies elsewhere. But upon leaving the monastery, he finds himself in the middle of court intrigues, and his brothers sell him into slavery in a faraway, barbarous land. For a while, Hancock's novel seems like a gladitorial epic, but then Eidon, or Jesus, makes his truths known. A great battle ensues, but victory is not complete and many questions remain. Readers will certainly return for the second installment. John Mort
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"...an exciting allegorical fantasy ...Hancock's writing, often eerie and suspenseful, is rich in sights, smells and sounds." -- Christian Retailing

"...the future should be bright for this promising novelist." -- Publisher's Weekly

"TOP PICK-Four and a half stars." -- Romantic Times

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Free on Amazon Today

Posted May 15, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can! 



Product Description

On the road to forever, anything goes-
An Out of Uniform story.
Carson Scott is the king of one-night stands, so a naughty encounter with a sexy brunette in a nightclub supply closet is right up his alley. When his mysterious seductress disappears, he-s blindsided by an unfamiliar emotion-disappointment. One thing-s for sure-if he ever encounters his lady of the evening again, he won-t let her slip away so easily.

Between her catering business, family issues, and her broken heart, Holly Lawson has too much on her plate to think about committing to a serious relationship. Hot, sweaty, anonymous sex with a Navy SEAL-now that sounds like the perfect appetizer to take the edge off. With no plans to ever see him again, she indulges in a fling. Only to come face to face with him weeks later while working a wedding.

Worse, Carson is hell-bent on the one thing she doesn-t want. The R word. She has no intention of falling for him, but in the face of his seductive, mind-changing methods, her resistance is crumbling-

Warning: This title contains a ridiculously hot Navy SEAL, a sassy heroine, and sex in a supply closet. Read only if you have time to take a cold shower afterwards. Graphic sex, explicit language.

Kindle Skills

Originally Posted May 15, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal
A very special Thank YOU to all of you who have been reading From The Desk Of Mrs. Wizard since I began sharing my thoughts, tips and free ebooks in February. My goal is to keep my posts short so you can learn little bits each day without being overwhelmed. Free books are always welcomed, and I share the ones that appeal to me. I hope you will like them too. Since that with my first Kindle inside arrived, it has been wonderful knowing I would always have a great read at my fingertips. I sincerely hope you are looking forward to more in the future as much as I am.

Kindle Web Bookmarks
Your Kindle has a very nice connection to the Internet, any time you need one. It can get on the Internet when no one else can (it seems sometimes). If you are in a car, or doctor's office, you may have special web sites you want to keep up with. Instead of typing in the URL (web address), bookmark your favorite pages for viewing any time you want.

Go to the web site
  • With your Kindle on the Home page, type the web address you want to go to (mobile.allrecipes.com - no need to type the http:// stuff). 
  • Toggle your 5-way switch to the right until the words go to are highlighted. 
  • Press in on the 5-way switch to make it happen.
  • When you arrive at the web site, press the Menu button on your Kindle.
  • Toggle down until the words Bookmark This Page is underlined.
  • Press in on the 5-way switch to make it happen.
Using your bookmarks
  • When on any web page, press the Menu button.
  • Toggle the 5 way switch until the word Bookmarks is underlined.
  • Press in on the 5-way to view your bookmarks list.
  • Your bookmarks list could be several pages (like your Home screen). Toggle the 5-way until the bookmark you want to go to is underlined.
  • Press in on the 5-way switch to go there.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Free on Amazon Today

Originally posted May 14, 2010 by Cindy O'Neal

Note: If you are reading this on your Kindle and want to get a book from the Kindle store now, type in the title, then toggle your 5-way switch to the right until store is highlighted. Press in on it to search. When the title comes up, make sure it is still free (or an acceptable price) before finally pressing in on the 5-way switch to "buy" it. You can always press the back button (before you press buy) if you change your mind.

And remember... what is FREE today may not be FREE tomorrow, so get it while you can! 

Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help by Douglas Anthony Cooper
Kindle Edition - Apr. 23, 2010) - Kindle Book
Digital List Price: $0.99
Print List Price: $14.50
Kindle Price: $0.00 & includes wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
You Save: $14.50 (100%)
Auto-delivered wirelessly

Review
-Funny in a twisted way. . . . Engaging.- -The Magazine
-Magnificent. . . . Rapid-fire repartee, puns, and wordplay grace almost every page. . . . Anyone who reads [Milrose Munce] is guaranteed to laugh out loud.- - Books in Canada
-Absolutely flawless. A cunningly subversive young-adult novel from one of the only living writers of English who knows how to craft a sentence.- - Joseph Suglia, author of Watch Out
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Product Description (from Amazon)
No one except Milrose Munce knows that ghosts of former students live in his school. Not only is Milrose aware of these ghouls - he-s on a first-name basis with all of them. Of course, some are more likeable than others: the third floor is the home to nearly all of his good friends. Most of them - like Imploded Ig, Deeply Damaged Dave, and Toasted Theresa - were the victims of science experiments gone wrong though they do manage to maintain a sense of humour about their demise. Then there are the ghost athletes who lurk in the basement - a pretty disagreeable group, the majority of them having died after a particularly clumsy manoeuvre on the school-s sports field.

After Milrose is given yet another detention for offering his teacher an answer that was just a bit too clever, his life takes an unexpected turn. He is sent to a hidden den in the school-s basement to receive Professional Help. Here, he and the quick-witted Arabella, a fellow captive, are put under round-the-clock supervision of the maniacal Massimo Natica. Fortunately for Milrose and Arabella, once they join forces with their ghostly friends, Massimo Natica doesn-t stand a chance.

In the tradition of Edward Gorey and Roald Dahl, the dark comedy and imaginative brilliance of Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help will appeal to adults as much as it will to younger readers.

Gods and Fighting Men by Lady Augusta Gregory and W.B. Yeats
(Kindle Edition - Apr. 25, 2008) - Kindle Book
Kindle Price: $0.00
Auto-delivered wirelessly
Product Description (from Amazon)
The exciting tales of the fighting men and gods of ancient Ireland. This is a collection of mythical tales of the Celtic people translated from the original Gaelic by Lady Augusta Gregory.


About the Author Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory (15 March 1852¿22 May 1932), née Isabella Augusta Persse, was an Irish dramatist and folklorist. With William Butler Yeats and others, she co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre and the Abbey Theatre, and wrote numerous short works for both companies. Lady Gregory produced a number of books of retellings of stories taken from Irish mythology. Born into a class that identified closely with British rule, her conversion to cultural nationalism, as evidenced by her writings, was emblematic of many of the changes to occur in Ireland during her lifetime. Lady Gregory is mainly remembered for her work behind Irish Literary Revival. Her home at Coole Park, County Galway served as an important meeting place for leading Revival figures, and her early work as a member of the board of the Abbey was at least as important for the theatre's development as her creative writings. Her motto was taken from Aristotle: "To think like a wise man, but to express oneself like the common people." 



Product DetailsShadow of Power Free with Bonus Material by Steve Martini (Kindle Edition - May 25, 2010) - Kindle Book
Buy: $0.00
Available for Pre-order. This item will be released on May 25, 2010.