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Our increasingly weekly email

Free Shipping: read all about it. And see our special note for holiday shipping.

Dear %%First Name%%,

Still stuck for a gift -- how about a Gift Certificate?

Not sure of which book someone might like? They're sure to enjoy a Gift Certificate from MLB. Available in any denomination, we'll be happy to send these to you or to the recipient as you wish.

You can pay for your Gift Certificate with MasterCard or Visa and we can easily do this over the phone. Sorry to say, Gift Certificates are not available on the website.

Give us a call today, we're open 'til 8 pm on weekdays, and we'll take care of your gift-giving needs. Toll free number, 888-800-6078.

Is it too late?

You may be wondering if it's too late to have your order shipped to you for arrival by Christmas. Orders recieved today for items which are in stock can still be shipped Priority Mail for arrival by Christmas. If you require this sevice (versus Media Mail) there is an $8 charge for shipping.

Items which are out of stock will be received by us on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week and cannot reliably be received before Christmas using Priority Mail. Express Mail is an option for these but costs are quite high. We'll be happy to quote you a price on Express Mail shipment for your order.

Holiday Shipping - special note

As you probably know, we offer free shipping on orders of $10 or more but the holidays make our shipping policy a little more complicated. Since our normal (free) method of shipping is Media Mail via the post office, we cannot offer free shipping on orders that include puzzles, games or other non-book merchandise. If your order includes any of these we must ship your order Priority Mail and we'll have to charge you $4.50 for shipping regardless of the size of your order.

Please note that our website is unaware of this distinction and will still show Free Shipping for orders that include non-book items. Despite this, we will have to charge your the $4.50 shipping.

We apologize for any confusion this may cause but our hands are tied by the Post Office rules covering Media Mail shipments.

Popular holiday items: where are they now?

Status of a couple of popular items from the holiday catalog:

The Girl Who Kicked a Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson--out of stock, more on the way

Jane Austen puzzle--sold out, unlikely before Christmas

Portable Trader Joe's Cookbook--back in stock.

Robox, build your own robot--we have a couple left

Lady with a Fan jigsaw puzzle--a lovely image from a Gustav Klimt painting, back in stock

Double Shutter dice game--gone until late January

Sherlock Holmes in Russia--postponed, possibly cancelled

Charlie Brown Christmas Carol puzzle--gone for this year

Puzzle Ball Ornaments--gone for this year

Andy Warhol finger puppet--back in stock

Mary Alice blogs at mysteryloverskitchen.com

Mystery Lovers Kitchen is a blog run by a collection of writers with interest in food including mystery writers Julie Hyzy and Cleo Coyle. On Sunday Mary Alice will be blogging about holiday ideas for cookbooks. We invite you to check it out.

MLB wins Raven Award from Mystery Writers of America

We are pleased as punch to announce that Mystery Lovers Bookshop will receive the 2010 Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America in recognition of our contribution to the world of mystery writing. The award is a tribute to our extensive program of author events and most especially The Festival of Mystery, entering its 15th year in 2010.

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our staff and our customers for making it possible for us to win this award. And, of course, a special tip of the hat to the hundreds of authors who have visited us and helped to promote our store to the mystery-writing community. You know who you are.

New Arrivals

We're into a slow period for New Arrivals with virtually all December titles already here. We did receive new Thomas Perry and Michael Jecks titles in paperback and a few others. Look for significant new arrivals next week and the week after as January titles begin to arrive.

Check our New Arrivals for page for everything new at MLB.

Signed books update

We've got some signed books that are coming (or are here) in the next few months. Quantities are limited so please place your order now to avoid disappointment.

As alway, signed books are available in limited quantities so please order now to avoid disappointment.

Coffee & Crime series starts up in January

We're in the midst of the holiday season but we've already set up an exciting program of Coffee & Crime author breakfasts starting in January. Here's what's coming up:

Each of these events begins at 10 am and includes a contintental breakfast and author talk and signing. Cost is $5 and reservations are essential.

What's on the website now

Here's what you can find at www.mysterylovers.com:

Upcoming Events

Jan 16 - Sandra Ruttan
Jan. 23 - Alan Gordon
Jan. 30 - Sarah Graves
Feb. 20 - Joanne Dobson

More events...

Thanksgiving is gone, Christmas is coming--time for a good book
Richard, Mary Alice and the MLB Staff

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