Amazon is looking for a bigger slice of the pie and is ready to bust a cap in the ass of anyone who gets in their way. Big publisher vs. big retailer. It’s like watching two people you dislike have a fist fight. But despite that, excuse me while I go cancel my pending Amazon orders.

A price war is raging between a powerful online bookseller and a leading publisher, with authors caught in the crossfire and losing vital royalties.

Amazon is in conflict with the Hachette Group, Britain’s largest publisher, over terms and discounts and is refusing to sell its titles.

The online bookseller has imposed extraordinary sanctions against the publisher, whose authors include the bestselling writers Stephen King and James Patterson. It is listing Hachette books but preventing the public from purchasing them by removing the “buy new” button from its websites. Titles such as the hardback of King’s Duma Key and Patterson’s The 6th Target have been affected with only “used” copies being offered for sale.

Amazon already buys its books from publishers at half the cover price and is seeking even larger discounts.