Amazon.com Launches ''Amazon Connect'' Enabling Customers to Receive Messages Directly from Authors

Many authors operate their own Web sites, but their readers maynot frequently visit those sites. With Amazon Connect, a customer isautomatically presented with author posts directly on that customer'sAmazon.com home page. To ensure that author posts are relevant, theposts are shown only to customers who have purchased that author'swork in the past, or to those who explicitly sign up to receive thatauthor's posts. The posts are prominently displayed in standard blogformat (reverse chronological order).

"We invite authors to communicate with their readers in a way thathasn't before been possible," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com's founderand CEO. "Amazon Connect brings the author's message to the readerinstead of waiting for the reader to find the message."

"Amazon Connect creates a relationship with my readers that didn'texist before," said author James Patterson. "Communicating directlywith my readers about anything I want, whenever I want, is extremelypowerful."

More than 1,000 authors are enrolled in the program to date,including Marcus Buckingham, Michael Covel, Robert Crais, NelsonDeMille, Anita Diamant, Frank Gallinelli, Caroline Myss, Karen Katz,Elizabeth Kostova, John Lithgow, Elizabeth Pantley, James Patterson,Jodi Picoult, Ann Rule, Karma Wilson and Meg Wolitzer. Authors canpost as often as they like, and their posts will appear to Amazon.comcustomers immediately.

Author posts can be anything from current musings or informationabout upcoming projects to reading recommendations. Promotional postsare not allowed. Recent posts include insights into the frustrationsand joys of the writing process, tips for aspiring writers, opinionson popular culture, and even favorite travel destinations and recipes.In addition to the Amazon.com home page, posts will appear on bookdetail pages, a blog page and on a special author profile page thatfeatures the author's three most recent posts and entire bibliography.In addition, customers can sign up to receive posts from authors whosebooks they have not previously purchased on Amazon.

A few recent posts:

From: Brad Thor (Author of popular thrillers including "Blowback"and "State of the Union")

The New Scot Harvath Thriller

3:00:49 PM PST, January 12, 2006

My family knows me as the king of mixed metaphors and in thatcontext I wanted to report that I have been busier than a one leggedman in a paper hanging contest. In addition to collecting militaryt-shirts banned on bases for being inappropriate, i.e. Guns don't killpeople. I kill people... The Road to Paradise begins with me... and mycurrent favorite - It's God's job to forgive Bin Laden, we're justhere to arrange the meeting... I have been hard at work finishing mylatest Scot Harvath adventure, Takedown.

This novel has been a lot of fun to write and part of that fun hascome from the many generous people I have been able to work with. Thepartial list includes members of the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit,several United States Marines, a couple of particularly talented ArmySpecial Forces pals, some new friends at the U.S. Secret Service, andquite a few folks in the intelligence community who have loved thepremise of this new book since day one.

Writing Takedown has not only been a lot of fun, it has also beenvery challenging. I wanted to do a thriller set primarily in theUnited States, but as an "international" thriller writer a few exoticforeign locations still managed to find their way into the plot. Ialso am a big fan of the film, The Dirty Dozen, and wanted to create anovel with an ensemble cast of characters. With that cast, I wanted toexplore what it means to be a patriot and how people with completelydiffering opinions can still be considered as such. Examining the ideaof loyalty and how people view their country and the war on terror hasprovided a lot of grist for the mill.

So, that's a quick update from my desk here as I roll toward theediting process. I should have more for you soon. In the meantime, Ihope you are finding lots of good books to keep you company untilTakedown arrives. If you are looking for suggestions, please visit myAmazon author page for a list of several of my favorites reads.

Best regards,

Brad Thor

From: Caroline Myss (Author of more than 50 books on health,healing and spirituality, including "The Creation of Health" and"Advanced Energy Anatomy: The Science of Co-Creation and Your Power ofChoice")

OPENING NIGHT

4:24 PM PST, January 16, 2006

Hello Everyone -

I am just delighted to be able to have a direct line ofcommunication with all of you. It's my pleasure to respond to yourletters and your questions and to open lines of discussion on mattersappropriate to my work. I also want to thank Amazon.com for thisopportunity.

As I sit here in my office at home, I am reminded at howextraordinary technology has become. I admit to a personal agenda,which is to be a source of encouragement and support to any and all ofmy readers in this world that grows ever more intense. If I couldplace one jewel of inspiration in your soul this evening as I writethis to you from my office, it is to tell you that every thing you do,say, think, feel, and all of your actions - are channels for grace inthis world. You are a channel for and of grace. I wish people couldexperience the truth of that statement for just one second. Treasureyour life and the gift of life on this planet. We are all we have...

I look forward to hearing from you and it is my absolutelypleasure to be in touch with you via Amazon.com.

Blessings -

Caroline Myss

From: Robert Crais (Author of action, adventure and suspensenovels including "The Two Minute Rule" and "The Forgotten Man")

Hello!

1:41:33 PM PST, January 26, 2006

This is seriously cool, gang -- a place on Amazon where you and Ican get to know each other. I have a new book coming soon, and awebsite, and all manner of neat stuff to share, so let's get thisdance started. ..

Most of you probably know me from the Elvis Cole novels. My newbook, THE TWO MINUTE RULE, is not part of the series, but it began asan Elvis Cole novel. I was thinking about the nature of Elvis'sclients -- the people who come to him for help. When you are thevictim of a crime, you go to the police, right? But what if youcouldn't go to the police? I realized only one type of person could beso totally alienated from society; completely outside the system andfriendless -- a criminal. That's when I met Max Holman, the maincharacter in my new book, and realized this wasn't an Elvis Colenovel. The real power of the story is Holman's isolation. He's acriminal, he's broke, and he is the ultimate outsider. So how does aman like Holman catch his son's killer when he believes the killer isa cop?

You can find out more about THE TWO MINUTE RULE here on Amazon,and you can also visit my website, www.robertcrais.com, where you'llfind my tour schedule. Maybe I'll be coming to a city near you.

By the way, are there any other VERONICA MARS fans in the house? ILOVE that show.

RC

From: Michael Bar-Zohar (Author of historical, non-fiction worksincluding "Massacre in Munich: The Manhunt for the Killers Behind the1972 Olympics Massacre" and "Lionhearts: Heroes of Israel")

The tragedy of Ariel Sharon

10:58:47 AM PST, January 16, 2006

Israel's Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, is lying unconscious in hishospital room, immersed in a deep coma. I know Sharon well for manyyears, since he was introduced to me by David Ben-Gurion, the foundingfather of Israel. I spent about fifteen years of my life working withBen-Gurion and writing his biography.

In 1973 Ben-Gurion suffered a massive stroke. I hurried to thehospital where he was lying and was let into a quiet, white room.Ben-Gurion was lying quietly in his bed. He couldn't speak, he justlooked at me with his deep, wise eyes. He communicated with me bytightening his grip on my hand. I was looking at the quiet, calm faceof the father of my nation, the man who made me and so many homelessJews a people again; and I thought of his moral testament to all ofus. "The existence of Israel," he told me over and over again,"depends on her force - and on her righteousness. We must be a lightinto the nations." I had never met another statesman or politicalleader for whom moral values were so important, who believed that hisnation will have the right to exist only if it sticks to those moralpercepts, given to us all, Jews and Christians and Muslims, in theBible. I don't know if we have succeeded to accomplish this moralcommandment of Israel's Old Man. But I see it as a call to mygeneration and those who will come after me - to try to build acountry worthy of the teachings of Israel's ancient prophets.

Amazon Connect posts will appear in Amazon customers' personal logor "Plog" in the center column of the Amazon.com home page. Eachcustomer's Plog is different (hence the name), and just like a blog,Plog posts are sorted in reverse chronological order. Each post alsogives customers the opportunity to provide feedback to the sender orto respond with their own comments. This feedback loop means that eachcustomer's Plog becomes even more relevant and interesting over time.A Plog will appear only if the customer is logged on to Amazon.com,and if posts relevant to that customer's purchase history have beensubmitted. In the future, Plogs will also help customers discoverproducts that have just been released, track changes to orders andmuch more.

Amazon Connect and Plog are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or itsaffiliates.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc., (Nasdaq: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based inSeattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offersEarth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's mostcustomer-centric company, where customers can find and discoveranything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer itscustomers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellersoffer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categoriessuch as health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food,sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs,electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, includingwww.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp,www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.

As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar termsinclude Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the contextindicates otherwise.

Forward Looking Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within themeaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21Eof the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differsignificantly from management's expectations. These forward-lookingstatements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others,risks related to potential future losses, significant amount ofindebtedness, competition, management of growth, potentialfluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomesof legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization,seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions, and strategictransactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, consumertrends, inventory, limited operating history, government regulationand taxation, fraud, and new business areas. More information aboutfactors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial resultsis included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and ExchangeCommission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the yearended December 31, 2004, and all subsequent filings.