#USA kindle sale

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Kickstarting the "Chokepoint Capitalism" audiobook

My next book is Chokepoint Capitalism, co-written with the brilliant copyright expert Rebecca Giblin: it’s an action-oriented investigation into how tech and entertainment monopolies have destroyed creators’ livelihoods, with detailed, shovel-ready plans to unrig creative labor markets and get artists paid.

http://www.beacon.org/Chokepoint-Capitalism-P1856.aspx

Ironically, the very phenomenon this book describes — “chokepoint capitalism” — is endemic to book publishing, and in audiobook publishing, it’s in its terminal phase. There’s no way to market an audiobook to a mass audience without getting trapped in a chokepoint, which is why we’re kickstarting a direct-to-listener edition:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/chokepoint-capitalism-an-audiobook-amazon-wont-sell

What is “chokepoint capitalism?” It’s when a multinational monopolist (or cartel) locks up audiences inside a system that they control, and uses that control to gouge artists, creating toll booths between creators and their audiences.

For example, take Audible: the Amazon division controls the vast majority of audiobook sales in the world — in some genres, they have a 90%+ market-share. Audible requires every seller — big publishers and self-publishers alike — to use their proprietary DRM as a condition of selling on the platform.

That’s a huge deal. DRM is useless at preventing copyright infringement (all of Audible’s titles can be downloaded for free from various shady corners of the internet), but it is wildly effective at locking in audiences and seizing power over creators. Under laws like the USA’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act, giving someone a tool to remove DRM is a felony, punishable by 5 years in prison and a $500k fine.

This means that when you sell your audiobooks on Audible, you lock them to Audible’s platform…forever. If another company offers you a better deal for your creative work and you switch, your audience can’t follow you to the new company without giving up all the audiobooks they’ve bought to date. That’s a lot to ask of listeners!

Amazon knows this: as their power over creators and publishers has grown, the company has turned the screw on them, starting with the most powerless group, the independent creators who rely on Amazon’s self-serve ACX system to publish their work.

In late 2020, a group of ACX authors discovered that Amazon had been systematically stealing their wages, to the tune of an estimated $100,000,000. The resulting Audiblegate scandal has only gotten worse since, and while the affected authors are fighting back, they’re hamstrung by Amazon’s other unfair practices, like forcing creators to accept binding arbitration waivers on their way through the chokepoint:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/11/03/somebody-will/#acx

I have always had a no-DRM policy for my ebooks and audiobooks. Amazon’s Kindle store — another wildly dominant part of the books ecosystem — has always allowed authors to choose whether or not to apply DRM, but in Audible — where Amazon had a commanding lead from the start, thanks to their anti-competitive acquisition of the formerly independent Audible company — it is mandatory.

Because Audible won’t carry my DRM-free audiobooks, audiobook publishers won’t pay for them. I don’t blame them — being locked out of the market where 90%+ of audiobooks are sold is a pretty severe limitation. For a decade now, I’ve produced my own audiobooks, using amazing narrators like @wilwheaton​, Amber Benson and @neil-gaiman​.

These had sold modestly-but-well, recouping my cash outlays to fairly compensate the readers, directors and engineers involved, but they were still niche products, sold at independent outlets like Libro.fm, Downpour, and my own online storefront:

https://craphound.com/shop

But that all changed in 2020, with the publication of Attack Surface, an adult standalone novel set in the world of my bestselling YA series Little Brother. That time, I decided to use Kickstarter to pre-sell the audio- and ebooks and see if my readers would help me show other creators that we could stand up to Audible’s bullying.

Holy shit, did it ever work. The Kickstarter for the Attack Surface audiobook turned into the most successful audiobook crowdfunding campaign in world history, grossing over $267,000:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/attack-surface-audiobook-for-the-third-little-brother-book

Which brings me to today, and our new Kickstarter for Chokepoint Capitalism. We produced an independent audiobook, tapping the incomparable Stefan Rudnicki (winner of uncountable awards, narrator of 1000+ books, including Ender’s Game) to read it.

We’re preselling the audiobook ($20), ebook ($15), hardcover ($27), and bundles mixing and matching all three (there’s also bulk discounts). There’s also the option to buy copies that we’ll donate to libraries on your behalf. We’ve got pins and stickers — and, for five lucky high-rollers, we’ve got a very special artwork called: “The Annotated Robert Bork.”

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/chokepoint-capitalism-an-audiobook-amazon-wont-sell

Robert Bork was the far-right extremist who convinced Ronald Reagan to dismantle antitrust protection in America, and then exported the idea to the rest of the world (Reagan tried to reward him with a Supreme Court seat, but Bork’s had been Nixon’s Solicitor General and his complicity in Nixon’s crimes cost him the confirmation).

Bork’s dangerous antitrust nonsense destroyed the world as we knew it, giving us the monopolies that have wrecked the climate, labor protections and political integrity. These monopolies have captured every sector of the economy — from beer and pro-wrestling to health insurance and finance:

https://www.openmarketsinstitute.org/learn/monopoly-by-the-numbers

“The Annotated Robert Bork” is a series of five shadow-boxes containing two-page spreads excised from Bork’s 1978 pro-monopoly manifesto

The Antitrust Paradox

, which we have mounted on stiff card and hand-annotated with our red pens. The resulting package is a marvel of museum glass and snark.

[Image ID: A prototype of ‘The Annotated Robert Bork]

Bork’s legacy is monopolistic markets in every sector of the world’s economy, including the creative industries. Chokepoint Capitalism systematically explores how tech and entertainment giants have rigged music streaming, newspapers, book publishing, the film industry, TV, video streaming, and others, steadily eroding creators’ wages even as their work generated more money for the monopolists’ shareholders.

But just as importantly, our book proposes things we can do right now to unrig creative labor markets. Drawing on both existing, successful projects and promising new experiments, we set out shovel-ready ideas for creators, artists’ groups, fans, technologists, startups, and local, regional and national governments.

Artists aren’t in this struggle alone. As we write in the book, chokepoint capitalism is the final stage of high-tech capitalism, which atomizes workers and locks in customers and then fleeces workers as a condition of reaching their audiences. It’s a form of exploitation that is practiced wherever industries concentrate, which is why creators can’t succeed by rooting for Big Tech against Big Content or vice-versa.

It’s also why creative workers should be in solidarity with all workers — squint a little at Audible’s chokepoint shakedown and you’ll recognize the silhouette of the gig economy, from Uber to Doordash to the poultry and meat-packing industries.

40 years of official pro-monopoly policy has brought the world to the brink of collapse, as monopoly profits and concentrated power allowed an ever-decreasing minority of the ultra-rich to extract ever-increasing fortunes from ever-more-precarious workers. It’s a flywheel: more monopoly creates more profits creates more power creates more monopoly.

The solutions we propose in Chokepoint Capitalism are specific to creative labor, but they’re also examples of the kinds of tactics that we can use in every industry, to brake the monopolists’ flywheel and start a new world.

I hope you’ll consider backing the Kickstarter if you can afford to — and if you can’t, I hope you’ll check out one of the copies our backers have donated to libraries around the world:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/chokepoint-capitalism-an-audiobook-amazon-wont-sell

[Image ID: An image of a mobile phone playing the Chokepoint Capitalism audiobook, along with the title and subtitle of the book: 'Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back.']

[Image ID: Are you a writer, a musician, an artist? Is Big Tech eating your brain and sucking your financial blood? Cory Doctorow and Rebecca Giblin’s new book, Chokepoint Capitalism’, tells us how the vampires crashed the party and provides protective garlic. Your brain must remain your own concern, however.’ — Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid’s Tale]

[Image ID: I loved this book. It brings a clear and rigorous vision of the chokepoint controls that are breaking our spirit and an equally clear path forward. It speaks directly to creators, would-be artists, writers, and musicians, and all who want a free society alive with culture, dissent, creativity. It helps us all see the locks and chains, and the ways to chisel through them.’ — Zephyr Teachout, law professor and author of Corruption in America and Break ’Em Up]

[Image ID: Creators are being ground up by the modern culture industries, with little choice but to participate in markets that weaken their power and economic return. In this brilliant and wide-ranging work, Giblin and Doctorow show why, and offer a range of powerful strategies for fighting back.’ — Lawrence Lessig, Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership, Harvard Law School]

[Image ID: This compellingly readable indictment shows how ‘consumer welfare’ regulatory theory has allowed Big Tech to choke creators and diminish choice. Giblin and Doctorow demonstrate that the goal to lower consumer costs means ‘you get what you pay for’: paying less for cultural goods leads to getting fewer creative outputs and enterprises. Chokepoint Capitalism couples its legal-economic critique with provocative, sometimes utopian, prescriptions for fairly remunerating authors and performers.’ — Jane C. Ginsburg, Morton L. Janklow Professor of Literary and Artistic Property Law, Columbia University School of Law]

[Image ID: The great myth of the American economy is that it rewards creators and producers. But Chokepoint Capitalism dares to tell the real story of how it actually rewards the all-powerful middlemen fleecing both workers and consumers. This book is an absolute must-read for anyone who senses that the predominant economic mythology is a lie, who wants to know what’s really happening in this economy — and who is ready to finally start fixing the problem.’ — David Sirota, writer of Don’t Look Up and founder of The Lever]

[Image ID: We all know something is wrong about every click, stream, and purchase we make — unfairly depriving value creators of their worth, while enriching the wealthiest and most extractive entities in human history. Instead of just complaining about the corporate stranglehold over production and exchange, Giblin and Doctorow show us why this happened, how it works, and what we can do about it. An infuriating yet inspiring call to collective action.’  — Douglas Rushkoff, author of Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus and Survival of the Richest]

[Image ID: Twenty years of internet copyright wars got us nowhere — creators are still getting the shaft. Giblin and Doctorow persuasively argue that copyright can’t unrig a rigged market — for that you need worker power, antitrust, and solidarity.’ — Jimmy Wales, cofounder of Wikipedia]

[Image ID: Capitalism doesn’t work without competition. Giblin and Doctorow impressively show the extent to which that’s been lost throughout the creative industries, and how this pattern threatens every other worker. There’s still time to do something about it, but the time to act is now.’ — Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist]

[Image ID: Chokepoint Capitalism really is a tome for the times. It’s comforting to feel validated and terrifying to realize I was right all along! And now, to action! The revolution will not be spotified!’ — Christopher Coe, artist and cofounder of Awesome Soundwave]

[Image ID: If you have ever wondered why the web feels increasingly stale, Chokepoint Capitalism outlines in great detail how it is being denied fresh air. Over the past two decades, we have seen an immense consolidation of power, depriving us of fresh visions for what the web could be and contorting art and culture to flatter the objectives of a few platforms. This book does a remarkable job of identifying the blockages and surfacing ideas on the margins that could reroute us. I’m grateful it exists!’ — Mat Dryhurst, artist and researcher, NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music]

[Image ID: Chokepoint Capitalism is more than a clarion call for a new, necessary form of trustbusting. It’s a grand unified theory of a decades-long, corporate-led hollowing out of creative culture. It will make you angry, and it should.’ — Andy Greenberg, writer for WIRED and author of Sandworm and Tracers in the Dark]

[Image ID: If you’re halfway through this book and aren’t boiling mad over the way contemporary capitalism has deformed and crippled culture, get your head checked. Chokepoint Capitalism is a Why We Fight for a long-overdue uprising. Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow lay out their case in plain and powerful prose, offering a grand tour of the blighted cultural landscape and how our arts and artists have been chickenized, choked, and cheated. But it’s more than just a call to arms; it also provides a plan of battle with inspired strategy and actual tactics — ways that we can all channel that anger and make real change.’ — Kaiser Kuo, host and cofounder of The Sinica Podcast]

[Image ID: The story of how a few giant corporations are strangling the life out of our media ecosystem is one of the most important of the decade, and Giblin and Doctorow tell it better than anyone. Searing, essential, and incredibly readable.’ — Adam Conover, comedian and host of The G-Word]

[Image ID: Chokepoint Capitalism is not just a fascinating tour of the hidden mechanics of the platform era, from Spotify playlists to Prince’s name change, but a compelling agenda to break Big Tech’s hold. It presents a clear new way to think about corporate power — and a path to taking that power back for cultural creators and all of us.’ — Eli Pariser, author of The Filter Bubble and cofounder of Avaaz]

[Image ID: Chokepoint Capitalism is a masterwork. Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow lay out in chilling detail how the deck is stacked against artists, the relentless corporate drives to control production and distribution through technology and deregulation, and how oligopolies deprive gifted artists of fair compensation by eliminating true competition. But they don’t stop there: this is also a useful handbook to take on that power structure. Giblin and Doctorow remind us that when individuals understand the value of their work, they can create the necessary leverage to challenge the status quo and retake what is rightfully theirs. Both frightening and uplifting, it’s a necessary read for any artist in the entertainment industry.’ — David A. Goodman, writer, executive producer of The Orville, and former president of the WGA Wes]

[Image ID: Anyone who cares about culture can see that something is deeply amiss in the ‘creator economy’ that today’s artists are obligated to participate in. Rather than simply lamenting the problem or falling back on clichés about starving artists, what Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow do in Chokepoint Capitalism is to make clear the overall pattern that drives the exploitation of artists, from music to gaming to film to books. And they lay out a credible, actionable vision for a better, more collaborative future where artists get their fair due. Every creator will find inspiration here.’ — Anil Dash, CEO of Glitch]

#pluralistic #labor #creative labor markets #chokepoint capitalism #audible #monopolies #audiobooks #amazon #monopsonies #solidarity #crowdfunding #kickstarter #drm

[anonymoushouseplantfan]

I am reading Traitor King (highly recommended btw), and the parallels between David and Harry are eerie–the books, the interviews, the post-royal struggles.

I bought this book the other year and loved it. And yes, the parallels are eerie. I couldn't help but think of this passage when I heard Charles's "overseas" comment in his address after the Queen died:

Finally in a [1944] telegram to Churchill, marked 'Strictly Private and Personal', the King made the family views clear. 'In any discussion as to his future perhaps you would put forward my conviction, which you already know, namely that his happiness will be best promoted by making his home in the USA. Repeat USA.'

I just checked and by the way the Kindle version is on sale today at Amazon in both the US and Canada for $1.99 (I bought the softcover from Book Depository in the UK before it was released in Canada -- I couldn't wait!). 

______________________________________________________________

Great! It's also available on Hoopla for anyone with a US library card. That's where I got my copy.

[zombeesknees]

~*~I'M HAVING A BOOK SALE!~*~

Looking for some fun reads to pass the long hours of the chilly season? Do you enjoy any of the following -- Our Flag Means Death, Supernatural, The X-Files, Constantine, Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe noir, Westerns, Greek mythology, soap operas -- and wish there were more POC, queer characters, and ladies with agency?

I GOTCHU, BABES. And by ordering direct from me, I'll sign/personalize your copy!

The Hazeldines (normally $13 + S&H), are $10 + S&H ($3 in the US). Sink or Swim and Weird, USA (normally $17), are $13 + S&H. Sorry, We're Dead and The Lito (normally $20), are $15 + S&H.

I accept PayPal or mailed check/cash. Order in the comments/send me a DM, and I'll follow up for shipping info!

(And if you already have the full Angie Bee backlog, TELL YOUR FRIENDS! And for those who prefer ebooks: All 5 volumes of Hazeldine are currently available on both Kindle and the Nook, with the rest of my books to follow!)

Full list of books + descriptions can be found here.

#authors on tumblr #SIGNAL BOOST #things wot i wrote #state of the angie b.

[allthingsdarkanddirty]

99c SALE! Fury: Motorcycle Club Romance by Cat Porter is only 99c for a limited time! (reg. $5.99)   "The BEST book I've read this year...if you are ready for a beautiful, emotional journey, buckle up." - Autumn Jones Lake, USA Today Bestselling Author    "FURY was an epic ride! Raw, real, poignant, and powerful." - Leylah Attar, New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author   US: https://amzn.to/3EsYdNy UK: https://amzn.to/44FO8r9 *This is a US/UK only Kindle Deal + FREE to read in Kindle Unlimited   A defiant young biker who thrives in the freedom of the open road, Finger’s world shatters when an enemy motorcycle club takes him prisoner, altering his destiny and darkening his soul forever.   Amidst the brutal chaos, Finger crosses paths with Serena, a kidnapped girl whose fierce spirit matches his own. As danger swirls around them, he risks everything, including the safety of his club, to break Serena free. Scarred inside and out, they are desperate to forge a new life together, safe from the violent hell they've known.   Yet every shadow holds a threat. Stealing precious time together, their love deepens, but a rage of murder and mayhem cruelly tears them apart.    Years roll by, and relentless enemies from the past rise again. In the crossfire, Finger and Serena’s paths collide, igniting an inferno of longing and desire. Their untamed hearts may be scarred with their sacrifices, the blood spilled, the empty years apart, but they still only beat for each other.    Now the infamous president of a ruthless motorcycle club, Finger hungers to reclaim what he was once forced to lose and crush his vile enemies forever. Determined to win back Serena, this time he won’t let anyone get in his way. Not even the fiery and independent Serena.   "Soul dark, Heart dense, Bood fierce, Purpose raw. Flame burning. Unrelenting. Brewed on vengeance, laced with tenderness, my fury for you.” - Finger

[cocktailsfairytales]

If you'd like to know more, please sign up for Chasity's newsletter at the link below:

https://www.subscribepage.com/a6k1e7

About Laramie:

Laramie Briscoe is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of over 30 books, with sales of over half a million copies.

Since self-publishing her first book in May of 2013, Laramie has appeared on the Top 100 Bestselling E-books Lists on Apple Books, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. Her books have been known to make readers laugh and cry. They are guaranteed to be emotional, steamy reads.

When she's not writing alpha males who seriously love their women, she loves spending time with friends, reading, and marathoning shows on Netflix. Married to her high school sweetheart, Laramie lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband.

Website: https://laramiebriscoe.net/

Store: https://www.laramiebriscoe.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLaramieBriscoe

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laramie_briscoe/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaramieBriscoe

Bookbub:https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laramie-briscoe

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7058694.Laramie_Briscoe

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3iZ73Lx

Patreon: https://bit.ly/3iZ6RvN

Spotify: https://bit.ly/3BCeQFx

#BAPpr #LaramieBriscoe #commissionedearned

[worldsworstcoder]

Writer saying hello and an idea......

Hi just introducing myself.... I'm an ex-software developer.

I recently wrote a memoir mashed with a novel. Its not easy to say what is memoir and what is novel, at least that is what people tell me..

I get comments like "Presumably you made up a lot of those incidents like being kidnapped in Edinburgh?" - this comment was from a very close friend and even they are never quite sure... 😀

I'm thinking as I'm an Indy writer (KDP) with a tiny audience, living in the UK/EU, I wouldn't mind, for my second venture, doing a collaboration with someone from the USA. If you think about it, a collaboration might be HALF the work for DOUBLE the sales..... I'm interested in Murder, Dystopia, a book or a film script, Sci-Fi, Crime, Thriller etc.... If you're interested let me know.

USA+UKEU might be double compared to just USA alone.

#authors #writing #writers on tumblr #reading #coding #writerscommunity #creative writing #business ideas #writer stuff #books #scriptwriting

[kellysbookblog]

BOSSY BILLIONAIRE

M. Robinson

Release Date: April 1

My Amazon Review: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3BA2DG0RZMZJK?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp

My GR Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5936237915?book_show_action=false

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

A workplace, billionaire, second chance standalone romance from Wall Street Journal & USA Bestselling Author M. Robinson

“I need you to let me go…”

What was supposed to be only a three-year career choice in London turned into me losing the love of my life. For the past seven years, I became the successful multibillionaire I sacrificed her for.

Now after all this time, I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse to have her back in my life. She’s the woman who's haunted my dreams. I can’t wait to show her just how much I’ve changed, starting with how good I am at using my power to get what I want.

And what I want is her…

From friends to lovers.

To enemies.

To now I was her boss, and she was my publicist.

I did what I needed to do to ensure her future with me.

I lied to the world and said we were engaged.

She should have known better then to sign her life over to me…

The Devil in a Suit.

Grab your copy!

Meet M. Robinson:

M. Robinson is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of more than thirty novels in Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense. Crowned the “Queen of Angst” by her loyal readers, you’ll feel the cut of her pen slicing through your heart as your soul bleeds upon the words of her stories with each turn of the page.

Most notably known for the Good Ol’ Boys, M’s newest venture has graced her with the #1 Bestseller on Apple Books with Second Chance Contract. The Second Chance Men are powerful, intelligent and will sweep you off your feet and leave you weak in the knees–every woman’s wildest dreams.

M. lives the boat life along the Gulf Coast of Florida with her two puppies and real life book boyfriend, the inspiration for all her filthy talking alphas, Bossman. 

When she isn’t in the cave writing her next epic love story, you can usually spot her mad-dashing through Target or in the drive-thru of Starbucks, refueling. Yes, she’s a self-proclaimed shopaholic, but only if she’s spending Bossman’s money.

You can follow M, Ted, Marley, and Bossman on Facebook, Instagram, and her absolute favorite social platform-TikTok.

Subscribe to her newsletter now to receive exclusive access to upcoming releases, sales, and freebies.

Keep up with M. Robinson and subscribe to her newsletter.

To learn more about M. Robinson & her books, visit here!

Connect with M. Robinson:

[dollycas]

Dollycas's Best Reads of 2023

Dollycas's Best Reads of 2023

2023 was a fabulous year for us readers. I read over 200 books and only a few earned 3 stars or less. The books on my list today are the cream of the crop for me. They were books that I couldn't put down and books that stayed with me after I turned the final page. They earned my Paradise Rating because I thought they deserved more than 5 stars.

Wined and Died in New Orleans (A Vintage Cookbook) Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Setting - Louisiana Berkley (February 7, 2023) Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593437632 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593437636 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09TZPW81C

The second in a fantastic new cozy mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author Ellen Byron. It’s hurricane season in New Orleans and vintage cookbook fan Ricki James-Diaz is trying to shelve her weather-related fears and focus on her business, Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop, housed in the magnificent Bon Vee Culinary House Museum. Repairs on the property unearth crates of very old, very valuable French wine, buried by the home’s builder, Jean-Louis Charbonnet. Ricki, who’s been struggling to attract more customers to Miss Vee’s, is thrilled when her post about the discovery of this long-buried treasure goes viral. She’s less thrilled when the post brings distant Charbonnet family members out of the woodwork, all clamoring for a cut of the wine’s sale. When a dead body turns up in Bon Vee’s cheery fall decorations, the NOPD zeroes in on Eugenia Charbonnet Felice as the prime suspect, figuring that as head of the Charbonnet family, she has the most to gain. Ricki is determined to uncover the real culprit, but she can’t help noticing that Eugenia is acting strangely. Ricki wonders what kind of secret her mentor has bottled up, and fears what might happen if she uncorks it. In the second Vintage Cookbook Mystery, Ricki has to help solve a murder, untangle family secrets, and grow her business, all while living under the threat of a hurricane that could wipe out everything from her home to Bon Vee. You can read my review here. 

The Miner's Canary Cozy Mystery/Suspense Setting - South Dakota Touchpoint Press (October 25, 2022) Paperback ‏ : ‎ 326 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1956851410 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1956851410 Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BBS7M1MD

"A smart heroine with a haunted past . . . a who-done-it full of twists and turns." Haunted by a death she might have prevented, single mom Julie Goldman returns to the brooding Black Hills of South Dakota to turn the old Victorian she inherits from her aunt into a bed-and-breakfast inn. But mysterious deaths are piling up, and a series of vaguely escalating threats convince her that someone wants her gone. When daughter Lu is run off the road while riding her bike, Julie knows she must find and stop whoever has them squarely in their sights. You can read my review here. 

I Will Find You Suspense / Thriller Setting - Maine - New York Grand Central Publishing (March 14, 2023) Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1538748363 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1538748367 Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B5SD5SCL

Five years ago, an innocent man began a life sentence for murdering his own son. Today he found out his son is still alive. David Burroughs was once a devoted father to his three-year-old son Matthew, living a dream life just a short drive away from the working-class suburb where he and his wife, Cheryl, first fell in love--until one fateful night when David woke suddenly to discover Matthew had been murdered while David was asleep just down the hall. Half a decade later, David’s been wrongly accused and convicted of the murder, left to serve out his time in a maximum-security prison—a fate which, grieving and wracked with guilt, David didn’t have the will to fight. The world has moved on without him. Then Cheryl’s younger sister, Rachel, makes a surprise appearance during visiting hours bearing a strange photograph. It’s a vacation shot of a bustling amusement park a friend shared with her, and in the background, just barely in the frame, is a boy bearing an eerie resemblance to David’s son. Even though it can’t be, David just knows: Matthew is still alive. David plans a harrowing escape, determined to achieve the impossible – save his son, clear his own name, and discover the real story of what happened. But with his life on the line and the FBI following his every move, can David evade capture long enough to reveal the shocking truth? You can read my review here. 

Fateful Words: A Scottish Bookshop Mystery Cozy Mystery 8th in Series Setting - Scotland Minotaur Books (April 4, 2023) Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250789532 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250789532 Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09Y45JKX5

In Fateful Words, the eighth Scottish Bookshop Mystery from beloved author Paige Shelton, bookseller Delaney Nichols stakes her reputation—and her life—when a literary tour turns deadly... When Edwin, Delaney’s boss at the Cracked Spine bookstore, leaves town on secret business, Delaney is called upon to guide his yearly literary tour around Edinburgh. But on the first night of the tour, at the inn where the tour group is staying, the inn manager falls—or is pushed—off the roof of the inn, and killed. Then, one of the tour members disappears, leaving a trail of puzzles in her wake. In a race against the clock, Delaney sets out on the expedition of her life, following clues around Edinburgh to get to the bottom of this mystery. Exploring sights from Greyfriars Bobby to the Royal Mile to the Sir Walter Scott Monument, she'll have to put the pieces together quickly, or the bookstore's survival could be on the line...as well as her own. You can read my review here. 

The Ghost Goes to the Dogs (Haunted Bookshop Mystery) Paranormal Cozy Mystery 9th in Series Setting -‎ Rhode Island Berkley (May 2, 2023) Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0425255492 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0425255490 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B8GC8YHT

A stray dog leads bookseller Penelope McClure and her gumshoe ghost on a chase for a cunning criminal in this brand-new entry in the "UTTERLY CHARMING" (Mystery Scene) Haunted Bookshop Mysteries from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle. Pet Mystery Week brings brisk business to Penelope's Rhode Island bookshop, but a real mystery comes barking at her door when a lost dog turns up in a panic. Pen and her son Spencer follow the furry fugitive to a wooded area where the dog's owner lies unconscious. Mrs. Cunningham is a warm-hearted widow who volunteers at the animal shelter and runs Buy the Book's pet lovers book club. Why would anyone shoot such a sweet soul? The police believe it's an accident, a shot by a careless deer hunter, but Pen remains skeptical. To straighten out this doggone mess, she whistles for the ghost of PI Jack Shepard, an expert in hounding as well as haunting. Jack has a dog story of his own, a case from the 1940s that may help Pen sniff out clues to her present predicament. Yet even with Jack's hard-boiled help, Pen may not be able to stop the killer from striking again or letting this whole case go to the dogs... You can read my review here. 

Muddled Matrimonial Murder (Cupcake Catering Mystery Series) Cozy Mystery 6th in Series Setting - California Cinnamon & Sugar Press (June 13, 2023) Paperback ‏ : ‎ 310 pages ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8223497615 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C1THMWZJ

With only two weeks left to finalize the nuptial ceremony and reception for her best friend, Brad, and a Thanksgiving feast to plan, Emory Martinez has enough to keep her busy. But when Emory and Brad stumble across the body of his former stalker, with a wedding gift marble muddler lying next to the body, it soon becomes apparent someone is intent on framing the groom before vows can be exchanged. How did the victim locate Brad and how did she end up murdered at the scene of the impending nuptials? Was someone so desperate to stop the wedding that they’d resort to murder? Or was she killed for revenge? As the countdown to the wedding speeds by, it’ll take Emory and her family and friends to pull together to pick through the muddled clues to clear the groom’s name. Includes recipes. You can read my review here. 

Death Knells and Wedding Bells (A Lighthouse Library Mystery) Read the full article

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[joyffree]

🏒 KINDLE DAILY DEAL 🏒

𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲: A Fake Dating Hockey Romance (Bexley U) by USA Today bestselling author S.J. Sylvis is on sale TODAY ONLY for just $.99 (US & CA only)!

One-click today!

➜ https://books2read.com/weakside

BLURB

He’s the hottest hockey player in the nation, and I just agreed to be his fake girlfriend.

Theo Brooks is hard not to notice. With his coy smirk, rock-hard abs, and skilled agility on the ice, he’s the cockiest of all the jocks and, unfortunately for me, my new roommate.

When Admissions mixes up my first and last name and I end up living in the male dorms, I feel my perfectly tied schedule loosening with every string Theo pulls. And he likes to pull every single one.

It isn’t until I find out that my long-time boyfriend is sampling other girls that things get interesting. Theo proposes a solution to my problem—he helps me make my ex jealous, and I help him fend off the relentless puck bunnies that are doing nothing but distracting him from sealing his future with the best NHL team there is.

So, we fake date. We kill two birds with one stone.

The puck bunnies think he’s taken.

My ex is regretting his poor choices.

But the more Theo Brooks shows up by my side and places his hand around my waist, the more I realize that the lines we drew are blurring.

This may have started out as a fake-dating scheme, but with each misleading kiss, we may both get more than we bargained for.

Read more books by S.J. Sylvis: http://sjsylvis.com

[makeyourfirstmoneyonline]

Unconventional Ways to Make Money Online in USA

In the dynamic landscape of the digital age, opportunities to harness the power of the internet for financial gain abound. Whether you're seeking to diversify your income streams or embark on a full-fledged online entrepreneurial journey, there are numerous avenues to explore. From the flexibility of freelancing to the potential of affiliate marketing, each method comes with its unique set of advantages. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into ten distinct ways to make money online, offering insights and strategies to help you navigate this thriving digital frontier. Let's embark on this journey of financial empowerment through the virtual realm.

Freelancing: Leverage your skills in areas like writing, graphic design, web development, or marketing. Platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr connect freelancers with clients seeking specific services.

Affiliate Marketing: Promote products or services for other companies and earn a commission for each sale made through your referral links. Popular affiliate programs include Amazon Associates, ShareASale, and ClickBank.

Blogging: Create a blog around a niche you're passionate about. Provide valuable content, and monetize through methods like affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and advertising.

E-commerce: Start an online store selling products. Platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and Amazon make it easy to set up an e-commerce business.

Online Courses and Ebooks: Share your expertise by creating and selling online courses or ebooks. Platforms like Udemy, Teachable, and Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) can help you get started.

Content Creation: If you have a knack for creating engaging content, consider platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram. Monetize through ad revenue, brand partnerships, and sponsorships.

You know what you can make more money online with the article written here:

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[mostlysignssomeportents]

The DRM-free ebooks for my pre-apocalyptic, hopeful climate emergency novel The Lost Cause is on sale in the USA!

Today, you can get the Kobo edition for $2.99, and all month, the Kindle edition is also $2.99.

#books #ebooks

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Limited Sale‼️‼️

https://a.co/d/i8ABPk9 https://a.co/d/i8ABPk9Enjoy your favorite delicious tea or coffee with (Limited-time deal): Portable Electric Hot Water Kettle . As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #ad #CommissionsEarned #Labordaysale #Laborday #sale amazonprime #amazondeals #kindle #amazonfinds #love #usa #onlineshopping #instagram #ebay #bookstagram #fashion #youtube #flipkart…

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[the-wig-and-jewelry-channel]

Limited Sale‼️‼️

https://a.co/d/i8ABPk9 https://a.co/d/i8ABPk9Enjoy your favorite delicious tea or coffee with (Limited-time deal): Portable Electric Hot Water Kettle . As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #ad #CommissionsEarned #Labordaysale #Laborday #sale amazonprime #amazondeals #kindle #amazonfinds #love #usa #onlineshopping #instagram #ebay #bookstagram #fashion #youtube #flipkart…

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[innerdreamercollective]

☆☆ 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲 ☆☆ Looking for a great kindle deal, we have not one but TWO for you today! Both The Kiss Thief and Thorne Princess by USA Today best-selling and Amazon #1 best-selling author LJ Shen are on sale now for only $.99. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳, a decadent enemies to lovers romance with a twist can be found here: https://amzn.to/3CXaBVg 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 is an addictive standalone romance that features a Hollywood princess who is desperate to self-destruct…and the grumpy bodyguard who saves her. You can grab the deal it here: https://amzn.to/3PyQpkc Sale valid TODAY ONLY, so hurry! #thorneprincess #thekissthief #ljshen #booksale #kindledeal #kindlebooks #enemiestolovers #romancebooks #romancereader #ireadromance @authorljshen

bookaddictash Love both of these books! So good!

[cocktailsfairytales]

Welcome to the desert town of Cambio Springs where the water is cool, the summers sizzle, and all the residents wear fur, feathers, or snakeskin on full moon nights.

Shifting Dreams by Elizabeth Hunter is on sale today only for just $2.99!

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Shifting Dreams is a small-town shifter romance by ten-time USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Hunter. It's the first stand-alone paranormal romance in the Cambio Springs series.

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[tfblovesfood]

The Rise (and Crumbcoating) of DIY Cake Decorating

Disclaimer: this post contains some Amazon links (especially for those cake decorating books). I may earn commissions through purchases as an affiliate, which may pay for my bills - LOL.

Decorating a DIY birthday or other occasion cake is a choice, AND AN OFTEN GREAT ONE!

Many families opt to be their own cake designers for their kids, either because they want to save money or cater for their special diets (GFCF, vegan, diabetic, etc.).

So, how did the practice of making your own edible red-letter-day centerpiece start?

Before about the ‘50s, almost all low-to-middle class families often ate simple cakes with simple icings. The cake decorating tips and piping bags were mostly left to the pros. Believe it or not, pastry chef Dewey McKinnley Wilton was teaching bakers THAT ART in nationwide hotels, starting in 1929, on the head end of the Great Depression.

A year later, John D. Duff applied for a patent for an “invention that relates to a dehydrated flour for use in making pastry products and to a process of making the same.” He dehydrated flour, molasses, sugar, shortening, salt, baking soda, powdered whole egg, ginger, and cinnamon. All the home baker - burdened by the Depression - had to do was just add water, bake it into a pan, and call it a cake.

And that disappointed home bakers in the ‘50s. Though the addition of two eggs in most brands’ mix instructions - and later, oil - improved cake texture, they were yearning for more than just a plain cake, especially at birthdays.

Enter Ernest Dichter, an Austrian psychologist. He discovered that housewives who made cakes from mixes often were disappointed by the results, even if they followed the instructions to the letter.

He wrote, “This is typical of what the average housewife said: 'Yes, I'm using a cake mix; it saves me a lot of trouble but I really shouldn't.’”

He persuaded cake mix companies to present suggestions for finishing the baked cakes in creative ways with frosting as well as include recipes for frosting flavors.

Magazines followed suit in piquing suggestions to decorate mix-made cakes. One McCall’s article offered instructions for one shaped like Humpty Dumpty.

And books on cake decorating followed into the ‘60s, with Wilton Enterprises soon expanding and reaping the increases of sales of their pastry bags, piping tips, and special food colorings as a result of Dr. Dicther’s persuasion. Specially shaped cake pans - and the first ones shaped like licensed characters, starting with Disney’s - also appeared.

Here’s me at 7, with a Disney-themed cake (decorated by DM, a Wilton School student) at an in-school birthday party. (Such moments are rare in recent years, especially in the USA, given the strict nutritional guidelines and the overemphasis on standardized testing.) Photo taken by my DF, 6/1996.

In 1974, Norman Wilton, son of Dewey, published The Wilton Way of Cake Decorating. 25 years later, Southerner Anne Bryn took cake mixes even further by penning the cookbook, The Cake Mix Doctor. (The 2009 sequel is available on Kindle.)

Fast forward to 2020, the nadir of the coronavirus pandemic. It seemingly was a real-life recreation of the Madeline episode “Madeline and the Tea Party” on a much larger scale.

Like Lord Cucuface’s allergic reaction that wrecked Sugar Dimples’s Hollywood-sized tea party blowout, social distancing guidelines all but shelved party plans for parents used to hosting kids’ birthdays at their local Chuck E Cheese’s locations, roller rinks, and even Walt Disney World, in which its four theme parks closed for about 4 months, to name but three places outside their homes.

For some parents, they shifted from ordering those fondant-cloaked centerpieces from specialty bakeries (or even those grocery store sheet cakes); grabbed their cake mixes or used recipes; and made their own creations. They turned to videoconferenced classes or subscription video courses to hone their piping skills.

Even some celebrities got into the homemade celebration cake act. Actress Stassi Schroeder made a birthday cake for casting director Beau Clark with Duncan Hines yellow cake mix and decorated it by marbling Duncan Hines chocolate and Pillsbury Funfetti frostings. After ringing it with the sprinkles, she dubbed it a “freaking homemade masterpiece.”

Mariah Carey also went the homemade route, baking her boyfriend Bryan Tanaka a Tiger King cake.

Stories like those proved that whichever their financial statuses, self-decorated-and-baked cakes always have their appeal.

Not skilled with a pastry bag and piping tips? That’s OK. Rick and Sasha Reichhart’s Extreme Cakeovers will transform your cake mix-made cakes into something that appears to cost some ten dollars a slice at your local bakery.