Free Amazon Ebook Roundup

What do I love more than a good read? A good FREE read! That's why I love reading and following blogs.

When I purchased my Android phone a few months back I noticed that I have an application on it called Amazon Kindle reader...wow, you don't even have to buy a Kindle anymore. I also have the Android tablet and have the Kindle reader on that as well. I know what you're thinking but...well, I'm a writer so I need these things.

Amazon also has a free Kindle cloud reader. It's all right there and easy to set up so that you can use the one click button to have these books sent straight to your reader.

It took me a few months to stumble across the free eBooks that Amazon.com has to offer. I'm always looking for a good deal and this one is "the real" good deal. So I thought I would share some of my recent eBook findings.

Some of these books are of no interest to me but may be of interest to someone else so I will list a few here that I've found today.

This post will age like all the others so keep in mind that if you find this post 2 months from now the eBooks may not be free any longer.

Live Organic (52 Brilliant ideas), by Lynn Huggins-Cooper
save $7.95/FREE

Book Description:
Going organic is the latest trend when it comes to food, and plenty of us have jumped at the chance to have more healthy eating options. Clothing has jumped on the organic bandwagon in recent months too, but aside from these two areas it's hard to see where else you can go from chemical to natural without having to spend hours researching organic products and then a fortune buying them. But it is possible to make your whole life organic without breaking the bank or giving up the little luxuries you love, and with the help of Live organic it's easier then ever to go natural. From organic cleaning solutions to chemical-free clothing, and from natural foods to fantastic organic flowers, Live organic has every aspect of organic living covered. Whether you're searching for the perfect organic food supplier, or looking to swap your chemical-packed cleanser with something all-natural, expert author Lynn Huggins Cooper can help you turn your lifestyle from chemical nightmare to organic dream. Simply brilliant.



The Everything Grow Your Own Vegetables Book: Your Complete Guide to planting, tending, and harvesting vegetables, by Catherine Abbott
save $15.95/FREE

Book Description:
Vine-ripened tomatoes. Succulent squash. Plump cucumbers.

Growing vegetables is a rewarding—and cost-effective—way to eat better for less. Yet many don’t know where to start.

Author and farmer Catherine Abbott answers questions like:

• What is the best way to maximize my garden space?
• How do I get started growing food to sustain my family?
• Can I grow vegetables inside my house?
• How can I tell if my vegetables are primed for eating?
• Will I really save money by growing my own?

You will find affordable tips on how to plant and harvest more than thirty common vegetables, from spinach and eggplant to corn and beans. Abbott’s expertise shines on planting, fertilizing, watering, weeding, and troubleshooting. This book has everything you need to grow fresh, delicious veggies in any climate, any time of year!



Practically Green: Your Guide to Ecofriendly Decision-Making, by Micaela Preston
save $18.99/FREE

Book Description:
Simple steps for sustainable living
Creating a green and healthy home might seem like an overwhelming task at times. Practically Green takes the practical approach to mindful living: Start small and go from there. Author Micaela Preston takes the guesswork out of green living by helping you make smart, healthy choices for your family without spending tedious hours researching the pros and cons of all the products available on the market today.

In Practically Green you'll find:

• Simple copy-and-clip guides that make it easy to buy smart
• At-a-glance charts and lists that break down complicated information in an easy-to-understand manner
• 30+ DIY projects and ideas for making-it-green yourself, including instructions for making all-natural body care products, simple sewing projects and much more
• Healthy, tasty recipes to please kids and adults alike, ideas for packing greener lunches plus tips and tricks for replacing packaged convenience snacks with home-made versions

Let Practically Green guide you to a greener life!



The Fitting Room: Putting on the Character of Christ, by Kelly MinterThe Price went back up to $14.99

Book Description:
Kelly Minter explores what it means—in real life—to “clothe” ourselves (Col. 3:12) in Christian virtues like forgiveness, joy, patience, compassion, and more.
Colossians 3:12 tells us to “clothe” ourselves in Christian virtues like forgiveness, joy, patience, compassion. But how does that work in real life? Can we really “dress up” in the character of Christ? Kelly Minter says the answer is yes—if we let the Master Designer do the fitting. This relatable book offers insightful Scripture study with real-life stories and simple, down-to-earth explanations of tricky concepts as justification and sanctification—stitching it all together with dry humor and down-to-earth honesty. There are no gimmicks, no guilt trips, just an irresistible invitation for women to enjoy a spiritual makeover—to put on a life that’s personally tailored by the One who knows and loves them best.

The Ugly Duckling (Illustrated), by Hans Christian Anderson
save $16.99/FREE

Book Description:
A classic story by Hans Christian Andersen presented with modern illustrations. The story of how a little bird endures the abuses and miseries as he was growing up not realizing he would mature into a beautiful swan. It’s a great tale about personal transformation for the better.

"It is only with the heart that one can see clearly, for the most essential things are invisible to the eye."
– Antonie De Sainte Exupery



Main Attraction (Perfectly Wicked, Book One), by Anna J. EvansThe price went back up to $1.49

Book Description:
Book One in the Perfectly Wicked series.Edna Emily Argent Rella runs the Wicked Stepmother and her Stepsisters S&M parlor in Kingdom City, but she has a secret… She's not so terribly wicked. A dominatrix by necessity, rather than calling, she does her best to capitalize on her naughty reputation. After the smear campaign waged by her stepdaughter Cynthia, there aren't many other employment options.Frank, the Captain of the Queen's Guard, has been sent to protect Edna from the stalker threatening her life. Posing as a client, this dominant male soon realizes he's in for more trouble than he bargained for.Because Edna is a born submissive. And Frank can't resist the urge to show her what she's been missing while on the Mistress side of the fence.



Intentions of the Earl (Scandalous Sisters, Book 1), by Rose Gordon
save $3.99/FREE

Book Description:
Will he secure his future by ruining hers, or will she ruin his plans by securing him? A new twist on the old fortune hunter plot puts an impoverished earl in a position to gain his fortune only by ruining an innocent's reputation without offering marriage. The innocent he's selected, however, has no plans to settle for anything less than marriage and will go to almost any length to secure him.

With no other means for an income, the impoverished Andrew Black, Earl of Townson, makes an agreement that will put a definite end to his eight year poverty streak. But, in order to gain his fortune he must do only one simple thing: ruin an innocent young lady’s reputation enough to make her flee to America.

Brooke Banks isn’t interested in marriage, or so she thinks. She came to London to have a good time, and that’s exactly what she’s doing. Widely known for her tendency to flout the rules, she suspects nothing when a handsome stranger appears on her doorstep.

Thirteen days, a handful of kisses and one scandalous situation later, Andrew and Brooke will have to choose to stick to their original plans, or decide if a life together is worth the risk.

***This is a full-length novel, approx. 100,000 words.



Bloody Little Secrets (a YA vampire novel), by Karly Kirkpatrick
save $11.00/FREE

Book Description:
Fans of Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, and Buffy, The Vampire Slayer will appreciate this fresh and funny take on YA vampire fiction.

Some secrets don't stay buried. Neither did Vicky.

17-year-old Vicky Hernandez has a big problem. She's dead. Or not quite. After discovering she's been turned into a vampire, she tries to settle into a quiet suburb of Chicago and return to a normal life. If only she could stop wanting to bite her boyfriend. Not to mention she is dying to find out who turned her, and why. She doesn't have to wait long before they come to her.

Bloody Little Secrets is a full novel at 55,000 words.

Author Info:
Karly Kirkpatrick loves to read and write YA. She published her first YA novel, Into the Shadows in 2010 and lives in Elgin, Illinois. For more information about Karly, visit www.karlykirkpatrick.com.



Branded (Fall of Angels), by Keary Taylor
save $13.99/FREE

Book Description:

Jessica’s had the nightmares for as long as she can remember. Nightmares of being judged for people who have died, of being branded by the angels. Her friends and family think she’s a crazy because of it all. Yet she carries the mark of the condemned, seared into the back of her neck, and hides it and herself away from the world.

But when two men she can’t ignore enter her life everything changes, including the nightmares. The two of them couldn’t be more different. She will do anything to be with one of them. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. But one of the two has set events into motion what will pull her toward her own judgment and turn her into the object of her greatest fear.

Featured in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL as a "Self-Published Big Seller."



Beautiful Demons (Peachville High Demons #1), Sarra Cannon
save $.99/FREE

Book Description:
Harper Madison isn't like other girls. She has extraordinary powers, but her inability to control them has gotten her kicked from so many foster homes she's lost count. Shadowford Home for Girls is her last chance, and she hopes Peachville High will be the fresh start she needs.

But when evidence ties her to the gruesome murder of a Demons cheerleader, Harper discovers this small town has a big secret.

Beautiful Demons is a fast-paced YA novel with magic, mystery, and a touch of romance. This series will appeal to fans of Pretty Little Liars, Hex Hall, and The Vampire Diaries.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sarra Cannon grew up in a small town in Georgia where she learned that being popular always comes at a price. Now, she lives in North Carolina with her amazing husband and her teeny tiny Pomeranian, Snickerdoodle. Books and music are her greatest passions. She has never been a cheerleader, but it's possible she knows a few things about casting spells.



Indie Chicks: 25 Women 25 Personal Stories, by Lizzy Ford, Donna Fasano, Mel Comley, Suzanne Tyrpak, Linda Welch, Sarah Woodbury, Melissa Foster, Sibel Hodge, Carol Davis Luce, Cheryl, Shireman
save $5.22/FREE

Book Description:

This exciting anthology contains stories from twenty-five women from different parts of the world. Their ages differ, as do their backgrounds and locations, but one thing they all have in common is a spirit of independence and a determination to not only succeed, but prevail. Whether their struggles are to maintain balance between motherhood and career, escape from an abusive relationship, or to step out in faith and pursue a dream, all of these women have forged their own path.

As women, one of our most powerful "gifts" is the ability to encourage one another. This book is an effort to encourage women across the world. These twenty-five women share stories that will make you laugh, inspire you, and maybe even make you cry. Their hope is that these stories will inspire YOUR independent spirit and allow you to live the life you were meant to live.

In addition, each woman has included a “sneak peek” into one of her own novels.

All proceeds from this book will go a charitable organization that fights breast cancer - a disease all too close to home for many of us. Our prayers and best wishes are with those who are struggling with this terrible and devastating disease. Buy a book for yourself and “gift” one to the important women in your life. Together, we can make a difference. Thank you for your support.

All book cover pictures and descriptions courtesy of Amazon.com

Expenses (Photo credit: Phillie Casablanca)

I can guarantee you that you will find at least a few of these techniques useful in your life to save some of that precious money you work so hard for. I suggest you choose a few of them that seem most do-able for you and put them into action for at least 2 months.

You should notice some pretty significant change, then come back and try a few more. Or...jump right in and try 'em all.

Ready?

If you're serious about saving money you have to become organized...organized...organized. I've had problems most of my life trying to get my money right. I always failed miserably in the end. Sometimes I ended up worse than before I started. I have issues keeping things organized but once I realized that organization was my anchor I learned what I needed to do to cut that anchors' rope and accomplish my goal at hand.

Some of you are already there but some of you suffer from organization disorder, I made that up. It's true enough though. I freeze up when things are unorganized and I don't do anything. That doesn't get me anywhere.

Organization, It's much easier than you think. Just do small amounts at a time. There are places all over the Internet that you can get tips and help for free. I've been a FlyBaby for years and jumped on and off the bandwagon but I'm back on again and I can tell you that The FlyLady has changed my life. I couldn't get anything accomplished because my mind was too scattered because my stuff was too scattered. If you're interested, stop by and read the getting started page. Here is the link. By the way, none of the links on this site are affiliate, they are all offered out of genuine help.

The wonderful thing is you don't necessarily have to be organized in every area of your life to get your Attitude Money. Just start with getting your finances in order. The basics are all that are needed at this point. Write down every single expense that you pay monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and annually then write down your monthly income. Most of us will see the same thing...a surplus but "for the life of us we don't know where this surplus is?" This is where we're ultimately going to find your Attitude Money. If you don't have a surplus there are ideas near the bottom of this article that may help you change that.

Be diligent-you only have to do this once then tweak accordingly. Create accounts for each expense and each income. Give yourself a wiggle account. Every household needs some wiggle room. You never know when that electric bill is going to shoot up ten bucks or baby needs some new shoes. Over estimate your expenses or at least round them up and under-estimate your income if it's not the same every week. Its real important to make your budget work for you or despite your best efforts you won't be able to stick with it. Consider allowances for each member of the family.

Some accounts to remember are:

• Attitude Money account
• short-term savings,
• Christmas/Holiday/Birthday account
• taxes
• house/rent
• utilities
• food
• school/educational expenses
• childcare
• allowances
• clothing
• donations/tithe
• household (cleaning supplies, plant food, mops and brooms...)
• transportation (gas, bus, taxi...)
• recreation
• toiletries (shampoo, make-up, tooth paste)
• insurance
• auto expenses (oil changes, tires, batteries...)
• car payments
• health/medicines
• wiggle room account
• credit card payments
• and don't forget the pets

Keep in mind that the idea is for these accounts to build up month after month so that you have the money to pull from the correct account when you need to get Tigers claws trimmed or that birthday present for your friend that you forgot about. If you have an expense come up suddenly and don't have all the money in that particular account for it, take it from the wiggle account. That's what this account is for.

Use your gross pay and show anything that is automatically deducted from your check like insurance, child care, union does, taxes, 401k's, childcare/flexible spending accounts etc. on your budget.

Figure what you're paying for everything annually. You're going to have some extreme estimating to do but it will work out. Finally divide each expense by 12 and this is what you want to set aside for each account each month. Remember to round-up on your expenses and don't forget that wiggle account, it's very important especially in the beginning.

Anything that's left over is for your Attitude Money account.

You can find many free budget sheets to download from the Internet. Find one that works for you. Print it out and take a copy of it. Use pencil to fill it in with all the information you've gathered and you're off.

Set?

Once you're organized give yourself a reason. People need a reason to do things. You have to make sense of why you want to save, what you want to save for...or who you want to save for. Start simple especially if you're going to do a 2 month trial or something short-term. You want to see results as fast as possible because this is Attitude money we're talking about and we all need a little attitude, right?

Make a plan. Draft it out and bring the entire household in on it. Make it fun and challenging, we don't do boring and tedious here. If the kids know that the family is on a mission to save a few bucks and they know why, they will be some of your greatest supporters and you will have an understandable reason to give them for not buying that toy they were asking for at the store. Kids take things literally so be prepared to do some explaining if you want to wander from the budget.

If you were to ask me what short-term goal to start with, I would say to save enough to pay your entire monthly expenses. Have this money sitting in your account at the beginning of the month. This way you will have this amount in the bank and can pay all of your bills at the beginning of the month or as they come in without living paycheck to paycheck. Just keep putting your paycheck in the bank every payday and you will be ready to go next month too. This is freeing in itself but this is still not your Attitude Money, so onward we go.

Attitude Money

Start a new account at a different institution and have money automatically transferred to it. Don't get a debit card or a checkbook with it. You want to make it a drag and a very conscious decision to remove money from this account. So, also don't hook it up to PayPal or sign up for online access. Use good old paper statements and watch your money grow every month.

Remember this new account is your attitude account where you will be keeping your Attitude Money. This account will take a weight off your shoulders, help to keep your relationships in peak condition and provide comfort and security for you and your family. Does that sound too extreme? Give it a try for a few months and see for yourself, I think you will be very happy with the outcome. This is why I call it Attitude Money and not long-term savings. Go ahead and say the two. I like the sound and the feeling that comes with saying Attitude Money.

This is money that you're not gonna touch unless you're getting ready to sleep in a cardboard box in your alley. Keep your short-term savings that you've set up goals for in your regular bank.

Are you in the negative before you even began you budget? Try a few of these out.

Plan your meals out for the week. You don't have to be an extreme couponer but if you're not using them you are literally throwing money away. Get the flyers of your local stores delivered to your email or go to their websites. Make your menu according to what's on sale that week if possible and match up coupons to use with those sale items. You may have heard of her, but Couponmom is an awesome tool if you're thinking about using coupons. She should definitely be your first stop. She has videos showing you step by step what to do, an e-book (she has one for free and sells one now too. I read the free one and that was really helpful). She also keeps an up to date database of coupons per store, states and date. She includes drugstores where every week you can get free stuff by matching up coupons with sale items. I do this even if I don't want or need something and donate it to charity. It's fun too! If you have kids they will love being a part of this.

OK, I'm not gonna tell you to carpool because I think it's a drag having to rely on other people for some of the most important trips you make. But do try to designate certain days to get things done in one or two trips per week. The only way you can accomplish this is by following the first advice...getting organized.

Drink milk, water and coffee or tea if you're a coffee or tea person. Skip pops and juices. They're unnecessary and expensive plus you inevitably run out and have to run to the store to get more. If you or your kids just can't do that pick up some lemonade or cool-aid and make your own drinks and popsicle's.

If you're a smoker invest in a cigarette machine roller and save tons of money by buying tubes and tobacco and roll your own or try an electronic cigarette.

Invest in a Wii or some other type of gaming unit that you can watch Netflix on and subscribe to Netflix for that first month free then see how much you're watching cable or satellite and get rid of that dreadful never-ending bill. With the switch over to digital TV you get lots of extra channels in HD and never-ending cartoons on Netflix plus movies and TV shows that are updated regularly. If you just can't separate yourself from that DVR, and I can feel that, buy one and use it all you want but I think you will find that between Netflix, Hulu and the local TV stations' websites that you already have built-in DVR's.

Try and hold off on that DVR purchase, or make it one of your savings goals and decide when you have the money saved up if you still really want it. Another reason I suggested the Wii is for family entertainment. I got my Wii on eBay because I try not to pay in full for anything...really. I didn't know a whole lot about them. I knew I wanted to watch Netflix through it but was thrilled when I got it that there are seemingly endless games and applications that are both entertaining and physically interactive that can be added through the years.

There are so many other ways to save an extra dime and with the Internet a simple search will lead you in the right direction. You can always check back here where I will be "SharingItForward" with many helpful tips.

I'm not a "trained" financial expert and that means take this article for what it's worth. Some experts may disagree with some of my ideas and they may even be right. But this works for me and I own my own house and cars and have no credit card debt and love my Attitude money and the freedom from money woes. I'm not bragging...just saying-sometimes those of us that have been there have better do-able advice than the experts (That goes for everything), and I have been there....several times.

Please post you're accomplishments and share any tips you have.

Here is a basic budget worksheet that you can fill out online for free and tweak to meet your needs.

Cheryl Rogers

Related articles

• Five Reasons You Should Budget (turbotax.intuit.com)
• Budget Yourself Some Attitude Money (sharingitforward.wordpress.com)