It’s a new year and time for a new issue of Perceptive Travel, with offbeat stories from book authors moving through the Azores Islands of Portugal, the Sahara Desert of Algeria, and rural China.

If you’re just joining us, I launched Perceptive Travel webzine in 2006 and the blog soon after. It’s won a slew of “best travel writing” awards and gotten stories into travel writing anthologies. Each month the webzine publishes interesting narratives from wandering authors as well as reviews of new travel books and world music albums.

This month Judith Fein returns with a story about Public Art in the Azores—the islands way off the coast of Portugal. Guidebook author Jessica Lee goes exploring the desert of Southern Algeria with the Tuareg people and discovers why a simple piece of cloth is ideal Desert Wear in the Sahara. James Dorsey and his companion deliver some medical supplies in rural China and during the thank-you banquet he finds the rumors are true: they’ll eat just about any Creepy Crawlies in China.

Also, William Caverlee checks out some interesting new travel books and Graham Reid runs down some world music from four continents.

Last month one reader got a Christmas surprise when he won a Magellan GPS unit. This month we’re giving away a Granite Creek travel pants and shirt combo from Mountain Khakis. You can only win if you enter and you can only enter if you’re on the e-mail newsletter list or you follow Perceptive Travel on Facebook. Do it now!

I’ve spent this past week at the PhoCusWright conference, where travel technology companies talk about innovation and how you all want to book your trips. The rock star of the event yesterday was the president of Groupon, which it turns out is the fastest-growing company ever. In nine months they went from 100 to 3,000 employees and launched in 30 countries. Was there any doubt that people love to get a big discount?

Now it’s that time of year: the weeks that make or break a retailer’s year, online or off. And since we’re still not out of this nagging recession, no company is kicking back just hoping you may think about spending money there. Here are a few select deals rolling out now in case you’re looking to buy gifts or gear.

If you want to do some good and get a deal, buy from Novica. They contract with local craftspeople in places like Peru and Indonesia so you can get quality goods without them going through five middlemen. Take $15 off any purchase of $50 or more! Use Coupon Code:NOVICA9438

Or set up your traveler friend or relative with a discounted deal from here: Sale! Save as much as 75% in the National Geographic Online Store

The travel gear retailers are getting ready for the holidays by offering free shipping on top of their sales. Go get what you need for your next trip now at Magellan’s, eBags, or Backcountry. And this one’s hard to beat: 20% off your order at Sierra Trading Post Valid 11.4 to 12.1.2010 Use Code: ALVNOV2KX

$1 Shipping on your entire order at Overstock.com!

BeltOutlet.com is a good place to find travel accessories for a good price. Here’s the deal page: Incredible Values on SALE

Or is all this materialism and Christmas music driving you crazy already? Want to get away? Save up to 25% on Last Minute Adventure Travel Packages at GAP Adventures.

With that kind of subject line, you know it must be the beginning of the month and time for a new issue of Perceptive Travel, home to the best travel stories from wandering book authors.

Our usual oddball lineup is even more unusual this month. Let’s start with a New Year’s Eve vacation in Karachi that also includes a gay party with show tunes, an assassination, and gunshots taking the place of fireworks. Read Tim Brookes’ story, One Assassination can Ruin Your Whole Vacation.

Regular readers know I’ve been living in central Mexico the past few months and I found a great story to kick off my tales from there: Sidesaddle Girls at a Mexican Rodeo.

Another temporary Mexican resident, Molly Beer, makes her debut talking about an earlier expatriate experience when she was a teacher in El Salvador: A Bridge on the Border in Central America.

Pam Mandel of the Nerd’s Eye View blog has an essay On Music, Memory, and Travel and William Caverlee steps up for the first time to add some reviews of worthwhile travel books.

Want to read more about these stories with just one click? Visit the new issue page of Perceptive Travel. Then see the home page about how to win a cool Flip & Tumble bag if you’re not already on the newsletter list or following us on Facebook.