PDA Fiction

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Mobipocket Sale on Jonathan Kellerman Books

If you're a Jonathan Kellerman fan, and you use the MobiPocket Reader, take a look at the MobiPocket sale on Kellerman. Through May 20, Therapy (the latest Alex Delaware book) is on sale for $9.95.

All other books by Kellerman are on sale, through May 20, for $3.99

Monday, April 26, 2004

Fictionwise eBooks: Plan of Attack eBook by Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward's book, Plan of Attack, is now available at Fictionwise with a 20% rebate. That's $11.99 or $10.19 for BuyWise Club members, after rebate.

Oddly, though, it is offered only in MobiPocket format. What the heck is that about?

Sunday, April 25, 2004

pro Choice Rally

Two things stolen from Atrios today.

First this picture of the Pro Choice Rally in Washington DC today .... looks successful



Second, this sig line, which made me laugh out loud:

"Voting is just like driving. If you want to go forward, put it in D. If you want to go back, put it in R"

Prices Recently Reduced at Fictionwise

I browse the Recently Reduced pages at Fictionwise and PDM -- though I find the one at Fictionwise easier to read -- and vow never to pay full price.

Several good reads at Fictionwise are now down to an acceptable cost:

For Animal Rights activists, Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy is now $8.76 after rebate
Laurell Hamilton fans can get Seduced by Moonlight for $7.96 after rebate
Disarming Iraq by Hans Blix is $7.96 after rebate
The Game, Laurie King's newest Mary Russell novel, is $7.96 after rebate
Justice Hall, an earlier Mary Russell novel by Laurie L King, is $3.79 after rebate
If you can't stand to be relentlessly anti-Bush, take a break and be Pro-Hillary Clinton. Living History is on sale for $13.60 after rebate (Still too much! Come on! These are ebooks!)
American Nightmare: The History of Jim Crow is now $8.76 after rebate, and well worth it.
The History of the Conquest of Mexico, a fascinating book, is available for $4.70 after rebate.
Plus dozens and dozens of of Star Trek noevels for $2.54
All of these books are even cheaper for BuyWise Club members.

At Palm Digital Media, you can find:

Lost Light by Michael Connelly for $5.09 with the Newsletter discount
Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs for $4.49 after the Newsletter Discount
Laurie King's Justice Hall for $3.59 after Newsletter discount
Hillary Clinton's Living History for $12.96 with Newsletter Discount
The Newsletter Discount Promo Code is ORSON through April 27, 2004

If you're a Jonathan Kellerman fan, a whole slew of his Alex Delaware books are listed on the Special Offers page for $4.99
The Newsletter Discount can't be used with these books

Friday, April 23, 2004

Plan of Attack from Simon & Schuster

Woodward's Plan of Attack is $14.99 directly from Simon & Schuster.
Subscriber's Price is $10.70

Various other S&S Promotions:

Buy $15 or more and get an extra 20% OFF! Just enter BONUS1520 into the promotional code field at checkout

Save An Additional 10% - Use coupon code MaryHigginsClark10. Good through 4/26/04. Cannot be combined with other coupon codes

Palm Digital Media: Utopia

Lincoln Child's Utopia is on sale at PDM for $3.99

Palm Digital Media: Plan of Attack

If you've been waiting for it, Bob Woodward's Plan of Attack is now available through Palm Digital Media

Regular Price is $14.99
Newletter Price is $13.49

This week's Promo Code ORSON. Offer good through April 27, 2004 on all books priced more than $3.00. Cannot be used in conjunction with other special offers

Palm Digital Media: Palm Markup Language

Palm Digital Media guru Lee Fyock is leaving PDM, which - following its buy-out by PalmGear - has now merged with PinPoint. All operations are being moved to North Carolina, so the Maynard, MA office, where peanutpress.com/Palm Digital Media has been for the past five-and-a-half years, is being closed around the end of June.

It's unlikely that Lee Fryock will relocate.

As a parting gift, he's "documented some features of PML that were previously undocumented, at http://www.palmdigitalmedia.com/dropbook/pml. This includes the small-caps tag, a tag for a large set of non-standard
characters (developed mostly for use with our dictionaries), specs for cover art, etc."

If you use PML to make PalmReader books - bookmark this page.

Wednesday, April 21, 2004

Fictionwise : Therapy by Jonathan Kellerman

The Fictionwise copy of Therapy comes with a 30% Micropay rebate. That brings the final price down to $5.92 for BuyWise Club members -- which is even less than the average Kellerman paperback. Regular price after ebate is $8.46 (about $1.50 less than PDM's price)

Finally - ebook prices begin to reflect real word buying habits!

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

Palm Digital Media: Therapy

The latest Jonathan Kellerman, Therapy, is available at PDM for $9.95

The hard cover is selling for $26.95 -- so this isn't too bad a price. It'll probably be at least a year before the paperback edition is available, and who knows what that will cost.

No newsletter discount on this book.

Monday, April 19, 2004

Overstock.com: Sony Clie SJ-22

The Clie SJ-22 doesn't have a built in camera (which is fine with me) - but it does have a very nice screen. If you want to use your PDA as an ebook reader, this is a great deal:

Features include:
Microsoft Word and Excel compatible
Memory Stick media expansion slot
Jog Dial navigator
A/C power adapter
USB HotSync cable
Specifications:
Operating system: Palm OS
Memory: 16MB
Interface: USB
Display: color backlit 320 x 320 LCD
Battery: Lithium-ion
PC connection requirements:
Operating system: Windows 98SE/ME/2000
CPU: Pentium II-class, 233MHz or higher
Memory: 64MB RAM
Hard disk space: 150MB available
Optical drive: CD-ROM

Factory Reconditioned: $119.00 and free shipping

Overstock.com Zire 71

Looking to upgrade to an OS 5 Palm with a High Resolution screen? You could do a lot worse than a Zire 71. Features include:

Integrated digital camera
Five-way joystick-style navigator
Full organizer functions--address book, to-do lists, notes
MP3 playback (requires additional expansion card)
Video clip, audiobook and gaming functions
320 x 320 transflective TFT color display
16MB internal memory
Texas Instruments OMAP310 Processor (ARM) 144MHz
USB HotSync cable
Palm OS v5.2.1
Rechargeable lithium polymer 900mAh battery

Overstock has them at 2 prices:

Open box: $179.99
Blemished: $149.99

Palm is set to introduce two new Zire models by the end of April -- but if you can't wait and don't want to pay top dollar, this looks like a very good deal.

Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror Direct from Simon & Schuster

If you buy Richard Clarke's Against All Enemies directly from S&S, it only costs $11.99
If you subscribe to their newsletter, the price is even less -- $10.79

Simon & Schuster are also the publishers of Bob Woodward's new book, Plan of Attack (to be released on Wednesday). If you're planning on buying it - keep in mind that Simon & Schuster offers an additional 20% off when you spend more than $15.00:

"Buy $15 or more and get an extra 20% OFF! Just enter BONUS1520 into the promotional code field at checkout."

Perhaps Against All Enemies and Plan of Attack will both be on sale after the 21st

Handmark Software: The Oxford American Desk Dictionary and Thesaurus for Palm OS

Looking for a good dictionary for your Palm? Handmark normally sells the Oxford American Dictionary for $29.99. In april, they are selling it for $19.99 if you use the code april04specials when you check out.

If you want to grab a copy of Trivial Pursuit while you're there, it is also on sale for $20 with the code april04specials

Everything else is $5.00 off with the code save5inapril

Friday, April 16, 2004

Palm Digital Media: Coming Soon...

This is cool -- Palm Digital Media has a "Coming Soon" page that lists books scheduled for release in the near future. It's a good way to fill up your Wish List!

Just to whet your curiosity:

Week of 19 April 2004...
Walker, Alice - Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart

What are you waiting for?

Wednesday, April 14, 2004

More 9-11 Commission Hearing Transcripts

If you are interested in the 9-11 Hearings, the complete - though unofficial - transcript of yesterday's hearing with Janet Reno, Louis freeh, John Ashcroft, etc has been posted.

Download it here
Find all the available transcripts - both official and unofficial - here

It's not like I think John Ashcroft would recognize the truth if it came up and smacked him in the face, but isn't it supposed to be illegal to lie under oath?

Tuesday, April 13, 2004

9-11 Documents

I've begun converting the documents publicly released by the 9-11 Commission into generic Palm Doc format, readable on any PDA.

You can find the official transcripts of the first seven hearings, plus unofficial transcripts of the testimony of Richard Clarke, Condoleeze Rice, and Janet Reno here

I plan to update this page as more documents are released. Thos documents that are available only as PDFs will be translated into Repligo PDA docs.

I also plan to include other relevant information, such as the Hart-Rudman Report on Terrorism the Aug 6 PDB, etc.

Quick Reference for those who want to directly download small doses:

Richard Clarke's Testimony
Condoleezza Rice's Testimony
Janet Reno's Testimony

Saturday, April 10, 2004

Five Short Stories by Dashiell Hammett

As promised, the 5 Hammett stories that appeared on Black Mask yesterday are now available in Palm Reader format at PDAFiction

Olympia Ebooks: SCUM Manifesto $1

Olympia ebooks published the SCUM Manifesto. Despite vigorous protests by Solanas, they are apparently still the publisher.

Anyway, if you want to read a legit ebook version, download it here for $1.00

Friday, April 09, 2004

Lesbian E-Pulp : Buy Direct and Save!

I've just discovered that you can buy the Ann Bannon and Vin Packer books directly from Olympia Press online for $1.00 each. And they are available in any of the following formats: MS Reader, MobiPocket, Adobe Acrobat, RocketBook and iSilo. AND you get an extra HTML copy as a back-up.

All for $1.00

About Ann Bannon, Olympia Press says:

"To our knowledge M. Girodias never met author Bannon, and perhaps he would not have published her, given that sex in this tome leaves much to the imagination. However, the Beebo Brinker series stands with the best of alternative writing from that era, and therefore we include this book here."

I Am A Woman
Odd Girl Out
Women In The Shadows

Vin Packer's Spring Fire is also praised:

"One of the best-selling works of the 1950s, Spring Fire is author Packer's groundbreaking work of forbidden love between two sorority sisters at a college campus. One girl, Mitch, innocent and naive, with a wealthy father and mother long-dead, is adopted by the Tri Eps, and roomed with Leda, a far more experienced girl, at times manic.

"Their relationship proceeds fairly normally, but Leda moves fast, and somewhere along the way, Mitch ends in the sights of one Bud Roberts, powerful fraternity president, who date-rapes the girl after previous failed efforts, sending Mitch into the arms of Leda, who is experienced with both sides of her sexuality.

"Stunning at the time for its graphic, yet sympathetic depictions, the book cannot end happily for both women, but is worth reading even as a sociological study for a world of fraternities, catillions, house-mothers, male power, and class soon to decline.

"Long out of print, Olympiapress.com is glad to reintroduce this ground-breaking work. Maurice, we're sure, would have. The title sold over 1.5 million copies back in the '50s. The author was later the lover of Patricia Highsmith."

Get all 4 books for the price of any one at MobiPocket or Fictionwise. How can you lose?

Blackmask Online : Pulp Fiction/Dashiell Hammett

Black Mask has added 4 new and 1 updated Dashiell Hammett stories to it's collection. If, like me, you're a Hammett fan - don't miss these:

Night Shots, The Second Story Angel, Who Killed Bob Teal?, Zigzags of Treachery and The Road Home.

I'll be adding a Palm Reader version to PDAFiction Classics soon.

Thursday, April 08, 2004

Richard Clarke's Prepared Statement and Testimony Before The 9-11 Commission

As a companion to the Condoleezza Rice testimony, I've also made generic e-docs for both Richard Clarke's Prepared Statement and his testimony before the 9-11 Commission.

As with Rice's testimony, the unedited transcript is a generic, plain doc PDB file, which should be readable in any PDA ebook reader

Clarke's Prepared Statement
Clarke's Testimony

Condoleezza Rice's Testimony Before The 9-11 Commission

If you missed Condi Rice's testimony this morning - or if you want to be able to read and refer back to it - I've converted the unedited transcript into a generic, plain doc PDB file, which should be readable in any PDA ebook reader.

Download it here

Spring Fire by Vin Packer

More Lesbian E Pulp from MobiPocket!

MobiPocket is carrying the Olympia Press series, which is "...republishing all the wild, wonderful books that made the Paris Olympia Press on the most unusual and important ventures in literary history."

Among these are the Ann Bannon books and Vin Packer's Spring Fire.

From the publisher's blurb:

"One of the best-selling works of the 1950s, Spring Fire is author Packer's groundbreaking work of forbidden love between two sorority sisters at a college campus. One girl, Mitch, innocent and naive, with a wealthy father and mother long-dead, is adopted by the Tri Eps, and roomed with Leda, a far more experienced girl, at times manic.

"Their relationship proceeds fairly normally, but Leda moves fast, and somewhere along the way, Mitch ends in the sights of one Bud Roberts, powerful fraternity president, who date-rapes the girl after previous failed efforts, sending Mitch into the arms of Leda, who is experienced with both sides of her sexuality.

"Stunning at the time for its graphic, yet sympathetic depictions, the book cannot end happily for both women, but is worth reading even as a sociological study for a world of fraternities, catillions, house-mothers, male power, and class soon to decline."

Also $3.95





More Ann Bannon

MobiPocket's Ebookstore has an additional Ann Bannon title for sale. You can find Women In The Shadows there for $3.95

I have no idea if Fictionwise will add it to their titles on Monday -- but it's worth a look. I'll certainly be checking for the 15% discount and the additional Rapid Rebate on Monday.

Wednesday, April 07, 2004

HP Trade-In

You can trade in your old PDA for a $50.00 or more refund from HP when you buy a new Ipaq, depending on the model, make, condition, and age of the PDA you trade in. Not a bad deal.

I got a $50.00 quote on an old Palm III in excellent condition. If you are considering an Ipaq, take a look.

There are specific rules for getting this refund, so read the FAQ carefully.

Tuesday, April 06, 2004

Salon.com News | Candidate to stay in race despite photos

This little tidbit, from Salon, this afternoon :

April 6, 2004 | FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A candidate for the Texas House rejected calls to withdraw from the race after photos of him in women's clothing began circulating.

Sam Walls, 64, said he will not give in to "blackmail" from opponents who are trying to use "very old, personal information" to force him out of the race.

"Now my opponent is using the private information in an attempt to intimate that I am a homosexual, which I am not," Walls said in a statement. Walls, a Republican, ...



Why are these guys always Republicans? And why are they never - oh no, never - gay?

Fictionwise eBooks: Ann Bannon

Two of Ann Bannon's lesbian pulp classics are available from Fictionwise in MobiReader format:

I Am A Woman:

"The second in Ann Bannon's legendary series, by date of publication, introduces us to the legendary Beebo Brinker. Laura, who'd left college never to return in Odd Girl Out, finds herself fleeing the home she'd shared with an overbearing (and abusive) father. Settling in the big city, Laura moves in with Marcia, a married divorcee and the object of Laura's affections. Along comes Jack, a girl man who guides Laura through the difficult early period, and finally Beebo herself, a woman known in all the bars of the Village, and an agressive pursuer of Laura."

Odd Girl Out: "The first, by date of publication, in what's come to be known as the Beebo Brinker series. This is classic '50s lesbian pulp, missing only the preface by some academic to shelter the populace from decadence and turpitude. Considering the times, it's no surprise that one of the girls in our sorority pair turns aside from the gentler love and chooses instead to marry a man. The erotic journey of Laura and Beth serves as a guide for many a young woman walking a different path."

The price for either is $3.95 or $3.36 for BuyWise Club members.

There are no discounts or rebate ::sigh:: How did I miss these when they were released in March? Keep an eye out for more!


Palm Digital Media: Worse Than Watergate

John Dean's book, Worse Than Watergate,is available from Palm Digital Media for $13.73 with the newsletter discount (PEABODY through 4/6/04)

Monday, April 05, 2004

Achieve-IT for PocketPC

From the developer's blurb: "Achieve-IT! is a new goal-setting program for Pocket PC that takes you step by step through goal setting right in the palm of your hand! It explains the ins and outs of brainstorming, goal refinement and planning that put you on the fast track to achieving your BIGGEST desires in the SHORTEST period of time."

To celebrate its first year anniversary - Achieve-It is on sale for $1.00 (yes - One Dollar) for a limited time at Handango.

If you're a PocketPC user, it is certainly worth a look!

Check it out here

The Other War by Seymour Hersh

Sy Hersh has an important, and depressing, update on the war in Afghanistan in the latest issue of The New Yorker.

Among his findings: "Even one of the most publicized achievements of the post-Taliban government, the improvements in the lives of women, has been called into question. Judy Benjamin, who served as the gender adviser to the U.S. Agency for International Development mission in Kabul in 2002 and 2003, told me, “The legal opportunities have improved, but the day-to-day life for women, even in Kabul, isn’t any better. Girls are now legally permitted to go to school and work, but when it comes to the actual family practice, people are afraid to let them go out without burkas.” Conditions outside Kabul are far worse, she said. “Families do not allow females to travel—to go to jobs or to school. You cannot go on many roads without being held up by bandits. People are saying they were safer under the Taliban system, which is why the Taliban are getting more support—the lack of safety.”

"Nancy Lindborg, the executive vice-president of Mercy Corps, one of the major N.G.O.s at work in Afghanistan, had a similar view. Outside of Kabul, she said, “everywhere I go, from Kunduz to Kandahar, I see no change for most women, and security for everybody has fallen apart since November of 2002.” The Pentagon’s announcements of increased commitments to security and reconstruction were increasingly seen “as a big charade,” Lindborg said. “The United States has left Afghanistan to fester for two years.”

Read the entire article here

Saturday, April 03, 2004

Let Us Rise Up and Flood the Zone

Hey - it's the weekend -- you've got the time ... do it

Friday, April 02, 2004

Fictionwise eBooks Series

Fictionwise has a very useful page called Series List. If you enjoy a good series in published, as well as fan fiction, novels -- take a look.

And as long as we're discussing Pacific Northwest writers this week (well, I mentioned Mary Daheim...), take a look at some of the series by Pac NW authors, including KK Beck (Seattle, WA) and Kate Wilhelm's Barbara Holloway novels (Eugene, OR): No Defense, Defense for the Devil, Desperate Measures, and several others not available as ebooks, unfortunately.

Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch Novels

Most of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch novels are now selling for around $5.00. If you're a Bosch fan, especially consider these two:

The Harry Bosch Novels collects the first three Harry Bosch novels, The Black Echo, The Black Ice, The Concrete Blonde, in one edition for $9.95 ($8.95 after Fictionwise's 10% Micropay rebate) or at PDM for $8.51 with the newsletter discount

And The Harry Bosch Novels 2, which carries on with the next three, The Last Coyote, Trunk Music, and Angel's Flight. This one is newer and still expensive at $16.95 ($15.25 after Fictionwise Micropay rebate or $13.73 at PDM after the Newsletter discount) In fact, buying the three novels individually is probably a better deal today. But wait a bit and the price should drop into the below $10.00 range.

Thursday, April 01, 2004

Handango People's Choice Awards

Handango has announced the winners of their People's Choice Awards. And while I think they are wrong in every instance, none the less it is a good place to begin looking for PDA software.

Palm Digital Media: The Alpine Pursuit

I have a soft spot for Mary Daheim's Alpine mystery series, probably because I'm one of those happy souls who live near the foothills of the Cascades. Or maybe it's just because I fell down Mt Baker in the Cascades and hit my head on a rock, and the soft spot is just a generalized brain injury resulting in impaired judgment...

In any case, PDM is offering the latest Alpine mystery, Alpine Pursuit, for $9.95.

Wait -- $9.95 is a sale price??? Don't these paperbacks usually turn up in the supermarket for $4.95? What's with these prices? Eh - go on and buy it - the Northwest's economy can use a shot in the arm.

Palm Digital Media: Whisker of Evil

I'm not a Rita Mae Brown fan... but if you must read her books, despite my earnest warnings, the new cat mystery, Whisker of Evil, is on sale at Palm Digital Media for $9.95