Whatever Holiday Shopping Guide 2016, Day One: Traditionally Published Books

Posted on November 28, 2016    Posted by      114 Comments

Welcome to the first day of the Whatever Shopping Guide 2016 — My way of helping you folks learn about cool creative gifts for the holidays, straight from the folks who have created them.

Today’s featured products are traditionally published books (including graphic novels and audiobooks); that is, books put out by publishers who ship books to stores on a returnable basis. In the comment thread below, authors and editors of these books will tell you a little bit about their latest and/or greatest books so that you will be enticed to get that book for yourself or loved ones this holiday season. Because, hey: Books are spectacular gifts, if I do say so myself. Enjoy your browsing, and I hope you find the perfect book!

Please note that the comment thread today is only for authors and editors to post about their books; please do not leave other comments, as they will be snipped out to keep the thread from getting cluttered. Thanks!

Authors/editors: Here’s how to post in this thread. Please follow these directions!

1. Authors and editors only, books only (including audiobooks). There will be other threads for other stuff, later in the week. Any type of book is fine: Fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, etc. If you are not the author/editor of the book you’re posting about, don’t post. This is for authors and editors only.

2. For printed books, they must be currently in print (i.e., published before 12/31/16) and available on a returnable basis at bookstores and at the following three online bookstores: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s. This is so people can find your book when they go looking for it. For audiobooks, they must be professionally published (no self-produced, self-published audiobooks) and at least available through Amazon/Audible. If your book isn’t available as described, or if you’re not sure, wait for the shopping guide for non-traditional books, which will go up tomorrow. 

3. One post per author. In that post, you can list whatever books of yours you like (as long as it meets the criteria in point 2), but allow me to suggest you focus on your most recent book. Note also that the majority of Whatever’s readership is in the US/Canada, so I suggest focusing on books currently available in North America.

4. Keep your description of your book brief (there will be a lot of posts, I’m guessing) and entertaining. Imagine the person is in front of you as you tell them about your book and is interested but easily distracted.

5. You may include a link to a bookseller if you like by using standard HTML link scripting. Be warned that if you include too many links (typically three or more) your post may get sent to the moderating queue. If this happens, don’t panic: I’ll be going in through the day to release moderated posts. Note that posts will occasionally go into the moderation queue semi-randomly; Don’t panic about that either.

6. As noted above, comment posts that are not from authors/editors promoting their books as specified above will be deleted, in order to keep the comment thread useful for people looking to find interesting books.

Got it? Excellent. Then tell the folks about your book! And tell your author friends about this thread so they can come around as well.

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114 Comments on “Whatever Holiday Shopping Guide 2016, Day One: Traditionally Published Books”

  1. I’m Bill Crider, and my latest Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery is SURVIVORS WILL BE SHOT AGAIN. Theft, murder, and even alligators! How can you resist?

  2. When Stories Break Down, You Send the Genrenauts!

    In Genrenauts, a team of story specialists travels to worlds based on Science Fiction, Westerns, Mystery, and other genres. Their mission = find and fix broken stories. Because if they fail, the ripples from the story worlds will cause havoc and devastation on their home world.

    For fans of Westworld, Leverage, and our fine host’s own Redshirts!

    Genrenauts: The Complete Season One Collection

  3. Thank you for this opportunity…

    A Loon Alone: In this realistic picture book, a loon chick encounters other animals on his pond in Maine after becoming separated from his mother. Now, night is coming—and whose red eyes are those, looking right at him?

    Other nature picture books, also set in Maine, are “A Cub Explores”, about a black bear cub, and “A Moose’s Morning”, about a moose calf.

    My historical fiction picture book is “Lighthouse Seeds”, based on the true story of how lighthouse keepers on Mount Desert Rock, off the coast of Maine, made a barren rock bloom.

  5. Hello, and thank you again for doing this, John. May you reap all the good karma.

    MJ-12: INCEPTION is a cross-genre superpowered Cold War spy thriller in which mysteriously empowered individuals are gathered by the U.S. government for use as covert agents against the Soviets. Harry Turtledove blurbed it, which may have resulted in a few tears of joy.

    It’s out in hardcover now, available on Amazon and elsewhere of course, but I would point you to the fine folks at Borderlands Books, who have signed copies in stock. Buy indie and local, y’all!

  6. This is Dr. Jim Kakalios, your Friendly Neighborhood Physics Professor, promoting THE PHYSICS OF SUPERHEROES (SPECTACULAR SECOND EDITION) – who says this isn’t the Marvel Age of shameless plugs? And for those who would like to know why we were promised jet packs and flying cars, but wound up with cell phones and laptop computers instead, see THE AMAZING STORY OF QUANTUM MECHANICS.

  8. CLOUDBOUND (Fran Wilde, Tor 2016) – A new point of view on the city of living bone, new mysteries, new leadership… An iO9.com Fall Must-Read & A B&N September Bookseller Pick – “Action in the skies remains fun, fast, and exactingly rendered, and the ongoing mystery drives a fast and furious plot. Wilde confirms her status as one of the best new writers in SFF with a sequel that delivers on the promise of the original, and then some.” Amazon | Audible

  9. There are two kinds of adventure:

    1) The kind that involves unicorns and lollipops.
    2) The kind that involves escaping from a prison-like orphanage, falling off an exploding mountain, and getting fireballed by a dragon (or possibly eaten by a zombie shark).

    This is a story about the second kind.

    THE ADVENTURER’S GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL ESCAPES by Wade Albert White is the first book in a new middle grade series. Fantasy with a science fiction twist.

    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26848831-the-adventurer-s-guide-to-successful-escapes
    http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316305280
    https://www.amazon.com/Adventurers-Guide-Successful-Escapes/dp/0316305286

  10. If you like YA urban fantasy books, feminism, demons, friendship and severed heads, you might enjoy DEMON HUNTERS: TRINITY by Olivia Chase (who is me, honest, it’s a pen name!). Perfect for Buffy or Supernatural fans or the bloodthirsty teenage girl in your life. Technically published in Britain but available in paperback or ebook from Amazon.com.
    https://www.amazon.com/Demon-Hunters-Trinity-Book-1-ebook/dp/B010PDP0LU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480343333&sr=8-1&keywords=demon+hunters+olivia+chase

  11. I’m Martha Wells, and the next-to-last book in my Books of the Raksura series, The Edge of Worlds, is available now in hardcover, ebook, audiobook, and it’s up for preorder in paperback. It’s about flying shapeshifting matriarchal bisexual lizard-lion-bee people, and you don’t see that everyday, I’m just saying. It’s currently 32% off at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Edge-Worlds-Novel-Raksura/dp/1597808431/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 but is available at all other online retailers. The last book in the series, The Harbors of the Sun, is coming out next summer, and all the first three books in the series plus two novella collections are all still available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

  12. Thanks for this, John! And happy holidays, everyone!

    My newest book, THE QUEEN OF BLOOD, is the first book in a new epic fantasy series from Harper Voyager called THE QUEENS OF RENTHIA. It’s set in a world filled with nature spirits… but these aren’t sweet, frolicking pastoral sprites. These spirits want to kill all humans, and only certain women — queens — have the power to control them.

    If you’re interested, there’s more info, including an excerpt, on my website: http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/QueenofBlood.htm

    And if you’re looking for a book for kids, my latest middle-grade book is THE GIRL WHO COULD NOT DREAM. It’s about a girl whose family owns a secret dream shop where they buy, bottle, and sell dreams, and the adventure she goes on with her best friend — a cupcake-loving monster named Monster — when someone starts kidnapping dreamers.

    More info here: http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/Girl.htm

    Thanks so much!

  13. This is Marshall Ryan Maresca, with four fantasy-action novels, about which Publishers Weekly said, “Maresca offers something beyond the usual high fantasy fare, with a wealth of unique and well-rounded characters, a vivid setting, and complicatedly intertwined social issues that feel especially timely.” They are two series set in the same city, running parallel to each other. The first series consists of The Thorn of Dentonhill and The Alchemy of Chaos, and the second series starts with A Murder of Mages and continues with An Import of Intrigue.

    More information at my website: mrmaresca.com

  14. Thanks for the opportunity, John. I’m M. Fenn. My latest story, “Chlorophyll Is Thicker than Water” appears in To Shape the Dark, a 2016 anthology of stories where the protagonists are women scientists. The scientists in “Chlorophyll” are old women researching plant intelligence. Mayhem ensues. Published by Candlemark & Gleam, this collection is a sequel to the award-winning The Other Half of the Sky. Thanks for checking it out!

  15. WAYWARD is a graphic novel series published by Image Comics (Saga, Walking Dead) all about teenagers battling traditional Japanese spirits and monsters on the streets of modern Tokyo. It’s essentially ‘Buffy in Japan’ with a mix of traditional Japanese mythology slamming into modern society and teen angst. It’s for ‘mature readers’, but that’s for language (the teens talk like teens) and violence (monsters getting pulped) not nudity or sexual content.

    Check out Wayward and my other graphic novels (including Samurai Jack, Dungeons & Dragons, and a whole lot more) at my site: http://www.jimzub.com/buy/

  16. SERENGETI is sci-fi with a twist: one part space opera with all the starship battles that go with it, and one part Robinson Crusoe story–an abandoned AI warship struggling to survive on her own. Her engines dead, her guns long silenced, Serengeti and her last two robots must find a way to fight the scavengers off and save the crew trapped inside her. Available in ebook, print book or audiobook format at:
    https://www.amazon.com/Serengeti-J-B-Rockwell-ebook/dp/B01BG8OHXU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

  17. I’m Virginia Pasley, editor of “Anatomy of a Banking Scandal” – https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Banking-Scandal-Failure-Harbinger-Financial/dp/1412863341 – the true story of a small bank in West Virginia that tried subprime mortgages years before Wall Street did. When it didn’t work out for them, they cooked the books, buried documents, harassed and threatened bank examiners and even fooled experts like Grant Thornton. The book is by my dad – Robert Pasley – a former litigator with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).

  18. My book puts a spotlight on James Dean, the American actor, who grew up in Fairmount, Indiana, and it includes numerous boyhood photos of him. Garfield the cat’s creator, Jim Davis, was also a Fairmount native who is featured. This photo history book, “Images of America: Fairmount” makes a great gift for the coffee table, or for viewing on Kindle or iBooks, etc. It’s a sweeping overview that includes fascinating tidbits about how the Gas Boom influenced the town, about mammoth bones (still displayed at a NYC museum) discovered in a mysterious swamp area where spiritualists stayed, and a little about the underground railroad. It’s perfect for anyone interested in how a Quaker community nurtured so much talent, who also enjoys vintage photos. It’s a fun, informative read that many have found entertaining. Here’s an Amazon link. https://www.amazon.com/Fairmount-Images-America-Duling-Shouse-ebook/dp/B009AJPHPA/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

  19. Looking for something to suit a manga fan or reluctant teen reader? I edit a line of “Manga Classics” which are faithful adaptations of literary classics in a manga format.

    Our releases so far include LES MISERABLES (Victor Hugo), JANE EYRE (Charlotte Bronte), THE SCARLET LETTER (Nathaniel Hawthorne), GREAT EXPECTATION (Charles Dickens) and a trilogy of Jane Austen books. You can find more information and preview pages at our website, https://mangaclassics.com.

    Thanks for the opportunity to share, John!

  20. If your gift recipient enjoys books like Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow or Nate Silver’s The Signal and The Noise, I heartily recommend a book I edited: Algorithms to Live By by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths.

    It’s a fascinating exploration of how computer science can be applied to our everyday lives, helping us grapple with having limited space and time. (After all, computers face the same constraints as we do, just on a different scale: we want to seize the day, they seize the millisecond.) It explains how to have better hunches and when to leave things to chance, how to deal with overwhelming choices and how best to connect with others.

    There’s discussion here on everything from finding a spouse to finding a parking spot, from organizing an inbox to understanding the workings of human memory. And it’s written in a fun and accessible style, too. Amazon just named it one of the Best Science Books of 2016.

  21. Legacy of Luther Strode

    Luther Strode was an average high school geek who sent away for a Charles Atlas style bodybuilding course. He got it, did it, and developed superhuman powers. Of course, this also made him the target of a murder cult as old as mankind.

    Over three volumes, Luther has lost almost everything he ever loved, but now, he’s on the trail of Cain, the ageless monster who started all of this. It’s a fight that’s going to take him across the world and into the dark heart of history.

    That’s the pitch. Legacy is the third and final volume of the Luther Strode story. Luther Strode is the comic I broke in with, and we actually got to tell the full story that we wanted to tell. I hope you guys dig it.

    https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Luther-Strode-3/dp/163215725X

  22. Hi! *waves* I’m K.B. Wagers author of BEHIND THE THRONE and the sequel AFTER THE CROWN (out 12/13/16)

    Hail Bristol has made a name for herself in the galaxy for everything except what she was born to do: rule the Indranan Empire.

    When she is dragged back to her home planet to take her rightful place as the only remaining heir, she finds that trading her ship for a palace is her most dangerous move yet.

    If you’re a fan of political thriller mixed into space opera with a dash of foul-mouthed heroines, you’ll enjoy these!

  24. Hello everybody! I’m assuming that you dig Bill Murray, as all right-thinking people do, and that as much as you love his movies, you secretly enjoy the viral stories of him giving bachelor party toasts and stealing golf carts even more. Happily, I have written a book for you: THE TAO OF BILL MURRAY: REAL-LIFE STORIES OF JOY, ENLIGHTENMENT, AND PARTY-CRASHING. I went across this great land of ours, interviewing people about the time Bill started a snowball fight or bribed a kid to ride his bicycle into a swimming pool. (And as you might have divined from the title, I think Bill’s behavior is not just random wackiness, but an expression of his philosophy of life. Bill Murray is secretly teaching us all how to live.)

    The Washington Post said it “captures Murray’s enigmatic comic genius.” So I’ve got that going for me, which is nice.

    An Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Bill-Murray-Real-Life-Enlightenment/dp/0812998707/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1463404874&sr=1-4

    An animated “trailer” for the book with the awesome story of Bill showing up to sing for hours with a guy playing piano in a hotel bar: https://youtu.be/lOwjcaOEbu0

  26. THE COPPER PROMISE – Available on Amazon

    A rousing sword and sorcery adventure stuffed with snark, danger, wild magic and a fair amount of heavy drinking. Also blood.

    ‘The reverse of Grimdark, this book reminded me that fantasy could be fun. Wydrin, Frith and Sebastian are wonderfully rounded characters, and the world they inhabit is beautifully drawn.’
    – The Big Issue

    ‘The Copper Promise didn’t so much arrive as kick the door in and demand to know why it wasn’t already drunk… the most exuberant, light on its feet, smarter than it wants you to think novel on the shelves this year. Pick it up, before it picks your pocket and sells your stuff back to you.’
    – Alasdair Stuart

    And the second book in the trilogy, THE IRON GHOST, is out in the US and Canada on the 3rd of January. Hooray!

  27. Again, John, thank you for this.

    The first two books in my “Tales of Asgard” trilogy are now available from the fine folks at Joe Books, with the third book available for preorder (as it’s coming out in the spring). They feature the Marvel Comics versions of the Norse pantheon: Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three. If you’re a fan of the comics or a fan of the Marvel movies, you will enjoy these high-adventure books

    They are:

    MARVEL’S THOR: DUELING WITH GIANTS. A disguised Odin makes a wager with Hrungnir, leader of the frost giants. Upon learning that he was fooled by the All-Father, Hrungnir declares war on Asgard — and kidnaps Odin’s wife Frigga. Thor must defend Asgard and retrieve his adoptive mother, but Hrungnir has a secret ally in Loki, and the trickster has provided the giant with some magical armor that may turn the tide against the god of thunder.

    MARVEL’S SIF: EVEN DRAGONS HAVE THEIR ENDINGS. The village of Flodbjerge has been menaced by a dragon. The people send for Sif, the mighty shield maiden and hero of Asgard, to assist them — but the dragon has a secret that will prove to be more deadly to the village than just the creature’s attacks, and Sif must unearth that secret before Flodbjerge is destroyed.

    And coming in the spring, MARVEL’S WARRIORS THREE: GODHOOD’S END. The Golden Apples of Immortality have been stolen, and the gods of Asgard are already feeling the effects. Fandral the brave, Hogun the grim, and Volstagg the voluminous are charged by an ailing Odin to find the apples and return them before the Aesir are laid low by infirmity — but many challenges face the Warriors Three on their journey….

    You can get these books from your local bookstore, and there are also ordering links for them on my blog at http://kradical.livejournal.com/3147091.html

    And happy holidays everyone!

  28. I’d like to plug two series of mine from Tor. The first is The Memoirs of Lady Trent, beginning with A Natural History of Dragons and most recently continuing in In the Labyrinth of Drakes (with the fifth book and final book out next spring). This series is the life story of Scirland’s foremost lady adventurer and dragon naturalist, the inimitable Lady Trent, from her youthful obsession with all things draconic to her worldwide renown as a scientist.

    The second is the Varekai series, which began this September with the novella Cold-Forged Flame. This one is epic fantasy, following a woman who’s been summoned into the world for a particular task. Without her memories, she’s not sure how she’s supposed to complete her mission — but she’s been warned that the more she remembers, the more she might lose . . .

  29. Labor organizer Padma Mehta has to save her city, her planet, and Occupied Space…all before Happy Hour. Read about her two-fisted adventures in the Philip K. Dick Award-nominated WINDSWEPT, now marked down cheap for your eBook readers.

    After her victory in WINDSWEPT (c’mon, like she’s going to lose in her debut novel), Padma’s worst nightmare comes true: she gets yanked out of retirement to stop a planet-wide strike. Does she? Oh, Lord, no. Read how in the improbably titled sequel LIKE A BOSS.

  30. Thanks so much for this opportunity!

    My debut novel, Flying Without A Net, came out on 17 November from Interlude Press. The novel is a contemporary LGBT romance and is the story of Dani, a secular Israeli, and Avi, a Modern Orthodox Jew. The central question of the novel is: Can Dani and Avi navigate their lives together when the tenets of Avi’s Orthodox Jewish faith conflict with their love for each other? It is available at all the standard online bookstores and directly from the press at http://store.interludepress.com/collections/flying-without-a-net-by-e-m-ben-shaul .

  31. Last year I wrote a fictional guidebook, The Isle of Kern, which gives visitors a tour of the remote, fictional island of Kern, located off the southwest coast of England. It offers out-of-the-way places, historical sites, a bit of solitary reverie, and a few mysteries along the way. Also included are excerpts of Cuddle Fish, a reflective, coming-of-age novel written by Kern’s most famous former resident, John Dunn.

    Also still available is our book, GeekMom: Projects, Tips, and Adventures for Moms and Their 21st-Century Families, which is full of advice, projects, essays, and more to help you and your kids make the most of your nerdy interests.

  32. Thanks for doing this again, John!

    Breath of Earth is alt history steampunk set in 1906 San Francisco. Spoiler alert: there’s an earthquake, but it happens for very different reasons. This is a novel about geomancy and fantastical creatures, with a heroine who is a woman of color who defies society’s expectations. You can buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or order signed copies through the wonderful indie store Poisoned Pen.

  34. HISTORICAL GUIDE TO NASA AND THE SPACE PROGRAM. An eminently readable (i.e., not full of technospeak, though it does have a fair number of the acronyms NASA is so fond of) guide to the history of NASA up till 2015. It’s expensive (the publisher set the price, not me!), but it would be a hit with students of NASA, with budding astronauts, as a reference, and so forth. It also includes a never-before-compiled list of the instruments NASA uses on board its spacecraft. You can buy it through any bookstore (ISBN 978-1-4422-6286-7) or online. Will autograph if I’m ever anywhere near you, or by mail. Alternatively, ask your library to have it available! (It also has a list of all those acronyms, which stretches to several pages, a chronology of space-related events, and an analysis of where NASA is now.)

  36. ARABELLA OF MARS by David D. Levine (Tor, July 2016): Arabella Ashby is a Patrick O’Brian girl in a Jane Austen world — born and raised on Mars, she was hauled back home by her mother, where she’s stifled by England’s gravity, climate, and attitudes toward women. When she learns that her evil cousin plans to kill her brother and inherit the family fortune, she joins the crew of an interplanetary clipper ship in order to beat him to Mars. But privateers, mutiny, and insurrection stand in her way. Will she arrive in time?

    Arabella of Mars will appeal to fans of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire books, Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan trilogy, and Mary Robinette Kowal’s Glamourist Histories. It is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio formats from Powell’s, Amazon, and everywhere else books are sold.

  38. Ordination: Book 1 of the Paladin Trilogy is my debut novel. A super-heroic origin story set in a crap-sack fantasy world, it’s got action, sarcasm, found-family, and characters willing to do anything to make the world a better place.

    It also happens to be on sale for $1.99 on Kindle (though I don’t know for how long)

    “Ford’s debut offers compelling characters and sharp dialogue, with just enough wry humor to keep this story of unlikely faith from becoming pompous or overwrought. Allystaire is a believable hero with an interesting past, and a future that promises plenty of action and adventure.” —Publishers Weekly

    https://www.amazon.com/Ordination-Book-One-Paladin-trilogy/dp/1939650348/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480350224&sr=8-1&keywords=paladin+trilogy

    Thank you!

  39. Thanks first to our illustrious host.
    The Returned: An American Faerie Tale

    Almost a year after their wedding, and two since their daughter Fiona was rescued from a kidnapping by dark faeries, life has finally settled down for Caitlin and Edward. They maintain a façade of normalcy, but a family being watched over by the fae’s Rogue Court is far from ordinary. Still, it seems the perfect time to go on their long-awaited honeymoon, so they head to New Orleans.

    Little do they know, New Orleans is at the center of a territory their Rogue Court guardians hold no sway in, so the Court sends in Wraith, a teenage spell slinger, to watch over them. It’s not long before they discover an otherworldly force is overtaking the city, raising the dead, and they’re drawn into a web of dark magic. At the same time, a secret government agency tasked with protecting the mortal world against the supernatural begins their own investigation of the case. But the culprit may not be the villain everyone expects. Can Wraith, Caitlin, and Edward stop whoever is bringing the vengeful dead back to life before another massacre, and before an innocent is punished for crimes beyond her control?

    https://www.amazon.com/Returned-American-Faerie-Tale-ebook/dp/B016UEKRYI

    Other buy links and an excerpt are here:
    https://aquietpint.com/the-returned/

  40. I look forward to the Whatever Gift Guide each year! This year I have a great book for our fellow animal lovers.

    My latest nonfiction book is Farm Dogs, available everywhere. Personalized gift copies available at our farm store – Rustic Roots Farm – https://www.etsy.com/shop/RusticRootsFarm

    Jon Katz, author of The Dogs of Bedlam Farm and many other books, had some nice words for Farm Dogs:

    “This book is a work of art in its own right, lovingly illustrated and detailed and well-written. Anyone who cherishes the loyalty, dedication and value of working dogs will find it readable and invaluable.”
    ​

  41. My elevator pitch for my novel LOVECRAFT COUNTRY is that it’s The X-Files, if Mulder and Scully were black travel writers living in the Jim Crow era. The year is 1954, and my protagonist Atticus Turner is an African-American soldier and pulp-fiction fan whose uncle George publishes a travel guide listing hotels and restaurants across the U.S. that accept black customers. When Atticus’s father goes missing, Atticus, George, and Atticus’s friend Letitia set out to find him, setting off a chain of events that draws their entire extended family into a series of real-life weird tales.

    You can read more about LOVECRAFT COUNTRY and my other novels at my website, http://www.bymattruff.com

  42. THUNDERLORD by Marion Zimmer Bradley and me (Deborah J. Ross) is my take on “Jane Austen on Darkover.” Although a sequel to STORMQUEEN, it can be read as a stand-alone and is a great intro to Darkover. Laran and banshees and lightning, oh my!

  43. Thanks to John Scalzi for hosting this every year!

    My PKD-Award-nominated novel The Mad Scientist’s Daughter has been rereleased by Saga Press with a snazzy new cover!

    The Mad Scientist’s Daughter is a science fiction fairy tale set in a collapsing future America, focusing on a girl and the android she falls in love with.

    When Cat Novak was a young girl, her father brought Finn, an experimental android, to their isolated home. A billion-dollar construct, Finn looks and acts human, but he has no desire to be one. He was programmed to assist his owners, and performs his duties to perfection.

    His primary task now is to tutor Cat. Finn stays with her, becoming her constant companion and friend as she grows into adulthood. But when the government grants rights to the ever-increasing robot population, Finn struggles to find his place in the world. As their relationship goes further than anyone intended, they have to face the threat of being separated forever.

    You can buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your favorite indie shop!

    Thanks for reading!

  44. Thanks Scalzi!
    I write Gothic Victorian Fantasy novels for Tor Books, (I’m delighted I share the same publishing house as The Inimitable Mr. Scalzi here)
    I write in the Victorian era because it’s a fascinatingly complex, contradictory and conflict-rich era, and I write in the Gothic style because it’s fun to be INTENSE. I write inclusive, large-cast, paranormal, sweeping cross-genre historical fantasy narratives that while staying true to the Gothic tradition in careful homage and theme, have enough of a wink and a nod to not take themselves too seriously. If you liked the feel of Penny Dreadful you’ll like my work (and I promise less regressive ending). Come on. You know you want a dark and stormy night to go running around at midnight in your nightgown. Let me help you with that.
    STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL (Think Victorian Ghostbusters, if Jane Eyre and Harry Potter had a love child. 2 books in 1 edition!) http://tinyurl.com/strangely2bn
    THE ETERNA FILES and ETERNA AND OMEGA (Think Victorian X-files, darker/grittier than Strangely Beautiful) http://tinyurl.com/eternabn
    All my work is relatively PG-13 rated. More about me, links to free reads, links to writers resources and also my Etsy where you can get signed books as well as art, Steampunk and Gothic jewelry and accessories and more at leannareneehieber dot com.
    Cheers and Happy Haunting!

  45. So I’m Liz Bonesteel, and I wrote a book called REMNANTS OF TRUST. I’m told it’s military science fiction, but I think it’s maybe also space opera, because there does seem to be a fair amount of melodrama.

    Set about 1,000 years in the future, when humans have colonized the galaxy, it’s a revenge tale of government conspiracies, divided loyalties, and figuring out who your friends are when there’s no real way to know. There are explosions! And battles! Old friendships rekindled, and new friendships torn asunder! Also a pregnant starship captain and a recalcitrant puppy, because you know how puppies are.

    REMNANTS is a sequel to THE COLD BETWEEN, which came out in March; but it’s readable as a stand-alone novel. (Oh, wait: The marketing voices in my head are telling me I should suggest buying both. Sure! Buy both! Both is good! I like them both myself! But my point is you don’t need to have read the first to enjoy the second, so don’t worry you’ll be lost if you start with REMNANTS.)

  46. Hi, y’all! My debut novel Dust Bath Revival (which just came out before Thanksgiving) is, as the Pop Culture Beast review describes, “a Southern Gothic dust bowl tale of both subtle and classic horror that creeps up on you.” Hank Goodness – which is more her true name than Henrietta – is fat and queer but her real problem involves the hungry undead and a government conspiracy.

    She’s got to survive betrayal by her family, the woods at night, and her own initial unwillingness to engage with the mystery of it all.

  47. My most recent book is REVISIONARY, which completes the four-book Magic ex Libris series about a Michigan librarian who can pull things out of books. There’s also a flaming spider, an enchanted convertible, Johannes Gutenberg running around with a magic sword, an ass-kicking dryad, and so much more.

    If anyone in the U.S. plans to pick up one or more of my books as holiday presents, let me know at jchines42 -at- hotmail.com and I’ll mail you a signed bookplate to go with it. (While supplies last.)

    More about the Magic ex Libris series at http://www.jimchines.com/project/magic-ex-libris/ Purchase info on all of my books in various formats is at http://www.jimchines.com/bookstore/

  48. Thanks for doing this, John!

    A half-blood conjuror must outwit vengeful gods and the local legion to save her partner, the (ungrateful!) Republic and (maybe, if there’s luck leftover) herself, from conspiracy and war.

    From my debut series, On the Bones of Gods:
    ENEMY and OUTLAW

  49. Thank you, John Scalzi, for hosting the gift guide.

    My name is Steve Toutonghi, and I wrote JOIN, a novel set in an alternate near future where the human race is confronting the effects of a compelling and bizarre new technology. I love what Katherine Dunn, the author of Geek Love said about it:

    “A searing, ballistic plunge into the mysteries of identity and mortality. Its ingenious core is revealed and amplified by high voltage suspense and murder. Delicious.”

    And, the first bit of descriptive text from the book jacket is:

    “What if you could live multiple lives simultaneously, have constant, perfect companionship, and never die? That’s the promise of Join, a revolutionary technology that allows small groups of minds to unite, forming a single consciousness that experiences the world through multiple bodies. But as two best friends discover, the light of that miracle may be blinding the world to its horrors.”

    Find it at a bookstore in your area
    On Amazon
    On Barnes & Noble

    Happy gift hunting!

  51. The Russians may have messed with the US elections – and the book WHO IS MR. PLUTIN? will tell you exactly how they did it. Well, maybe not in great detail as far as their exact process but definitely in how they think, operate, and act. Set in today’s modern Russia with President Plutin (yes, with an “L”, because do you think I am that crazy?) at the helm, the novel is a satirical take on geo-political rivalries, post-cold war style, and on what it takes to buy a US government official (spoiler alert: not much).

    Not to be taken seriously – but with great insight into serious topics — WHO IS MR. PLUTIN? is “good light reading for dark times” (The Moscow Times). Expect to laugh, commiserate with Vika – the quirky protagonist, and learn a thing or two about what to do (and not to do) if you ever find yourself in Russia.

    Available on Amazon and wherever books are sold in paperback and Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YM36NAW/

  52. THE SEER by Sonia Orin Lyris (Baen Books, 2016): The girl-child Amarta is a near-impossibility: she can accurately predict the future. One night a stranger arrives at her family’s impoverished home, offering money and demanding answers. By morning Amarta’s predictions have led to the death of a powerful man and made irrevocable changes to the empire’s ruling family. Will Amarta’s ability be enough to keep her family safe? In a world of magic and intrigue, Amarta must do more than predict tomorrow. She must create it.

    “The Seer has a remarkable intimacy. Few fantasies go this deep into a magic-user’s mind…” — Locus Magazine

    “…a fully-realized, epic, dark, and ultimately empowering fantasy…this is a tense read!” — Staff Pick, Powell’s Bookstore, Portland, OR

    Available from Amazon, Powell’s, and all the other marvelous places books live.

  53. I’m Miriam Kaufman, author of Easy For You To Say: Q&As for Teens Living with a Chronic Illness or Disability (Firefly), and even I think it is a bit odd to suggest giving this book as a holiday present when there is such great fiction to give.

    However, I think any adolescent or young adult (capable of reading or being read to) whose life is affected by a health condition or disability will be thrilled to read this book, and to know that their parents/aunties etc understand the complex issues they face.

    I am also a coauthor of The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability (Cleis).

    “… this very unusual book, aimed exclusively at teens who are disabled or who have a chronic illness … is filled with very personal, even courageous questions from teens with varied medical conditions–from spina bifida to cystic fibrosis, to kidney disease… the best sections concern medical issues and sexuality. Here, teens ask about drug interactions and side effects (Kaufman has included several useful appendixes) and broach some very specific sex-related concerns…this is loaded with the kind of information disabled teens often need but may be too embarrassed to ask for.” Stephanie Zvirin Booklist

    Order from your local independent bookseller or buy at Amazon, Powell’s or Barnes & Noble

  54. Thanks John!!

    Book 2 in my Uncharted Realms series comes out 12/27. THE EDGE OF THE BLADE is about my pansexual warrior woman working in an oppressive enemy court as a spy, which is a problem as she has no filter and is better at thinking with her knives. http://www.jeffekennedy.com/the-edge-of-the-blade/

    For those wanting a book that’s out *before* Christmas, or who want to start the series at the beginning, Book 1, THE PAGES OF THE MIND is the story just previous about my librarian heroine who is sent as a spy – but gets captured by a barbarian king of a tropical island. (And thus the reason the warrior goes on to fulfill the mission.) http://www.jeffekennedy.com/pages-of-the-mind/

  55. Hello all. My name is Edward Zajac. My debut sci-fi novel, A SWIFT KICK IN THE ASTEROIDS, is now available as a paperback, e-book, and audiobook at Amazon and Audible.

    Neurotic tech Zagarat Cole had no choice but to steal 432,985 credits from the Deus Syndicate. It was the only way to save his mother’s life. So, when a Deus executive called Zag into his office, he knew the jig was up. Or down. Or however it was you danced a jig. But to Zag’s astonishment, the executive didn’t excoriate, eviscerate, or “ate” him at all. He offered him a job.

    The Deus CEO would consider it a personal favor if Zagarat helped privateer, ladies’ man, and all around great guy Fletcher Griffin with an easy outsource assignment. But Zag quickly learns that nothing is easy when Fletcher Griffin is involved. He soon finds himself hacking into the corporation’s database, searching for incriminating evidence linking a Deus executive to Galustay; an insidious drug that can only be derived by harvesting adrenaline from living Weiylans. Now, Fletcher and Zag must find a way to stop the harvesters and free the Weiylans, all the while fighting off a case of intentionally induced food poisoning (which Fletcher could totally explain), avoiding the ire of a powerful executive (which Fletcher could totally explain), and generally running for their lives wherever they go (which Fletcher could totally explain).

    But something strange happens to Zag along the way. His anxieties dwindle away, subsumed by something called courage. And all because of an enigmatic privateer who is more than what he seems. And he seems to be a bumbling idiot.

    Thank you for considering my work and thank you, Mr. Scalzi, for this wonderful opportunity.

    Amazon: http://amzn.to/2gAqoNs
    Audible: http://adbl.co/2gCB9jM

    Happy reading

  56. SWEET by Alysia Constantine (that’s me) is a modern-day magic-realist novel that tells the falling-in-love story of Jules (a baker) and Teddy (an escapee from a gray office prison) in NYC. Wrenches thrown by ‘Trice (the queer, tattooed, mouthy baker’s assistant) and the ghost of Jules’s dead husband, Andy. Also, cupcakes, a codger dauschund, new love and essays about lots of stuff. Available as print or eBook from the publisher, Interlude Press (http://store.interludepress.com/collections/printed-books/products/sweet-by-alysia-constantine-print-edition), or at major online booksellers like Amazon.

  57. Dog people! Check out The Pit Bull Life: A Dog Lover’s Companion, which I co-wrote with Deirdre Franklin, founder of Pinups for Pitbulls. It’s not your usual breed book, because nowadays the pit bull is not your usual dog. With information from history, the law and the science of dog behavior, this book will help you understand and advocate for this unfairly stigmatized dog. With tons of wonderful color photos, it’s also a great gift.

  58. Funeral Games by Colin Heintze:

    Ingerval is the Country of the Dead. Despised by the wider world, blighted by history, since the beginning of time it has honored one law: the Dead rule, and the Living submit. No one remembers why Ingerval nobles return as ghosts after their deaths. To enjoy a brief life of pleasure and plenty, followed by an eternity of reigning from beyond the grave, is the fate of all Ingerval lords. All but one.

    As the youngest son of the King’s third wife, Syphax never thought he would amount to anything. He is content to live out a contemplative life free from the scourges of power and politics until, after receiving a summons to the Palace – a sprawling, ever-expanding repository for Ingerval’s ghosts -, he finds himself at the heart of a dynastic struggle centuries in the making.

    Funerals are happy occasions in Ingerval, and the King is planning for his to be the most decadent in the country’s long memory. But when history itself goes awry, Syphax is thrust into the unlikeliest of roles: spy, detective, traitor, and champion of the light.

    Many thanks for the opportunity.

  59. If you need something for a boy and/or girl between 8 and 15, please let me recommend…

    DELILAH DIRK AND THE TURKISH LIEUTENANT

    … a graphic novel of action, adventure, and good tea. Set in the early 1800s, it follows the adventure of a lieutenant in the Janissary army as he struggles across Turkey trying to repay a life-debt he feels he owes to England’s premier brash adventuress, Delilah Dirk. There is swashbuckling, there are daring feats, and there is a genuine platonic male/female friendship. It’s a NYT Bestseller, Eisner/Shuster/Harvey nominee, with recommendations from Publishers’ Weekly, Boing Boing, Booklist, Kirkus, and others.

    Read the first half of it and its sequel – DELILAH DIRK AND THE KING’S SHILLING – and find all the buying/ordering info at:

    http://www.delilahdirk.com

    I designed them to fill the Indiana Jones-shaped hole in my own heart. They may do the same for you. (Also, SECRETLY: it is an ALL-AGES book, shhhh, don’t tell my publisher.)

    Happy Holidays,
    Tony Cliff

  60. Infomocracy is a fast-paced political thriller taking place about fifty years into the future, when the basic political unit is a centenal of 100,000 people and governments from all over the world compete for each one. Big data, stilettos, election operatives, spies, katanas, fun tech, and global politics – the perfect gift!

    Here’s Amazon
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0151U75ME/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

    And for that really special someone there are signed copies available from Porter Square Books, here: http://www.portersquarebooks.com/signed-infomocracy-hardcover

    Thank you for setting this up! Great idea!

  62. Jews and Jazz: Improvising Ethnicity examines the meaning of Jews’ involvement in the world of American jazz. The book reveals how Jewish musicians and industry figures from Benny Goodman to John Zorn in their engagements with jazz explored their ethnic identities. Jews and Jazz demonstrates how Jews’ involvement in jazz has mirrored ongoing changes in American Jewish identity from the 1920s to the present. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jews-Jazz-Improvising-Ethnicity-Transnational/dp/1138195790/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480361356&sr=8-1&keywords=jews+and+jazz

  63. STEAMPUNK FANS!

    If you’re interested in airships, quadrupedal war machines, conspiracies, and underground mechanical fight rings, check out THE GUILD CONSPIRACY, the second novel in my Chroniker City steampunk series, continuing the story of girl engineer Petra Wade as she tries to stop a fraudulent war between Great Britain and France in technologically advanced Chroniker City, 1882.

    Link for more info: https://brooke-johnson.com/books/the-guild-conspiracy/

    (The first book in the series is THE BRASS GIANT, which you can also find more info about by clicking the above link. WARNING: contains romance.)

  65. First, I have a sci-fi steampunk mash-up novella on sale today for just 99 cents. It’s a fast paced, popcorn movie story with aliens, guns, and an airship set on a scorched world where living things only survive in deep trenches. Schism!

    https://www.amazon.com/Schism-James-Wymore-ebook/dp/B01N3M5ZAE

    Second, and most likely to appeal to Scalzi fans, is the first book in The Actuator series, Fractured Earth. A machine designed to turn the world into a utopia is instead used by a saboteur to break it into patches of every kind of genre fiction. People running from aliens invading on one side of the street cross it to find a dragon eating people on the other. Only a handful of people even know about this machine and they are trying to fix the world before everybody dies.

    https://www.amazon.com/Actuator-Fractured-Earth-LitRPG-Adventure-ebook/dp/B00EI77VS0

    A nice Cyberpunk story for Cyber Monday. :) Thanks, John!

  67. Hi, everyone,

    My first novel, the character-driven epic fantasy LAST SONG BEFORE NIGHT from Tor Books, is about poets and dark enchantments, inspired by Celtic myth and the troubadours. It is standalone, so you won’t have to wait years to see the plot resolved!

    NPR calls LAST SONG “Lyrical, dynamic, and winningly melodic,” while the Guardian has called it “Truly epic.” More info, including a free excerpt, is at my site: https://ilanacmyer.com/books/last-song-before-night/

    As always, John, many thanks for lending us your megaphone!

  68. My first novel is HEART OF BRASS, a steampunk fantasy set mainly in an alternate historical Australia.

    It’s on that blurry line between young adult/new adult and crossover in that it’s fast-paced and fun. It’ll be #1 in a trilogy and it includes a bonus “Choose Your Own Adventure”-style story at the end.

    It’s on Amazon etc or you can buy direct from the publisher at http://odysseybooks.com.au/titles/9781922200587/

    Felicity Banks

  69. Thanks for the opportunity, John.

    We’re S.K. Dunstall. CONFLUENCE is book three in our LINESMAN series. Character-based space opera with sentient spaceships.

    Ean Lambert is once again thrown into the middle of things, but this time he’s without his close friend and bodyguard, Radko, who’s off on her own ‘supposedly safe’ mission.

    It’s brand new. Released 29 November. Available from your usual bookstore.

  70. My latest graphic novel series for kids is MARCH GRAND PRIX, and this was the exact pitch I used to sell this series to my editor:

    It’s Hello Kitty meets Fast and the Furious.

    March the (anthropomorphic) Hare is stubborn and determined to become the world’s greatest race car driver, but he’s going to have to learn that he can’t do it without the help of his friends and family along the way. Loud, fast, and full of dumb jokes, this might be one for any boy or girl that likes cute animals or fast cars!

    Read an excerpt here! http://keaner.net/comics/march/excerpt/

  71. My latest book is BURNING BRIGHT, an alternate history Regency-era fantasy, with magic–and pirates!

    In this world where magic is commonplace, Elinor is the only person in England capable of manipulating fire. When her father tries to force her to marry to suit his desire for power, Elinor chooses a different path: she joins the Royal Navy and travels to the Caribbean to fight the pirates threatening the British Empire.

    Read about this, and my other books, at my website: http://melissamcshanewrites.com/books/burning-bright/

  72. The psychological thriller- WITH MALICE called a creepy satisfying thriller by Entertainment Weekly is about Jill who wakes up following a car accident with a brain injury. She can’t remember the accident, or the six weeks before. The police tell her that her best friend was killed in the accident- and they don’t think it’s an accident. They believe she murdered her BFF and then tried to kill herself. It’s a cyber deal on Amazon today. https://www.amazon.com/Malice-Eileen-Cook-ebook/dp/B01ALOCSFE/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1480355495&sr=8-1

  73. The American Library Association has awarded my middle-grade fantasy novel THE SMOKING MIRROR the Pura Belpré Author Honor. The first volume of the Garza Twins series, the novel introduces readers to Carol and Johnny Garza, Mexican-American twins from South Texas who discover they are shapeshifters able to wield “xoxol” or savage magic to fight against dark forces from pre-Colombian Mesoamerica with dark designs for the world.

    Often called the “Latino Percy Jackson,” THE SMOKING MIRROR sees the twins enter the Aztec Underworld to rescue their mother, who has been kidnapped by the god of chaos. Recommended for ages 10 and up. https://www.amazon.com/Smoking-Mirror-Garza-Twins/dp/1925148645/

  74. I hope you’ll consider my 7th novel in the bestselling and award-winning Mike Bowditch series of Maine game warden mysteries: “When a mysterious woman in distress appears outside his home, Mike Bowditch has no clue she is about to blow his world apart. Amber Langstrom is beautiful, damaged, and hiding a secret with a link to his past. She claims her son Adam is a wrongfully convicted sex offender who has vanished from a brutal work camp in the high timber around the Widowmaker Ski Resort. She also claims that Adam is the illegitimate son of Jack Bowditch, Mike’s dead and diabolical father—and the half-brother Mike never knew he had.

    After trying so hard to put his troubled past behind him, Mike is reluctant to revisit the wild country of his childhood and again confront his father’s history of violence. But Amber’s desperation and his own need to know the truth leads Mike on a desperate search for answers—one that takes him through a mountainous wilderness where the military guards a top-secret interrogation base, sexual predators live together in a backwoods colony, and self-styled vigilantes are willing to murder anyone they consider their enemies. Can Mike finally exorcise the demons of the past—or will the real-life demons of the present kill him first?”

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018291NM4/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

  75. My debut novel DUSKFALL was released in June this year. If you like dark epic fantasy, it’s right up your alley. And if you don’t like dark epic fantasy, it might just be right up your alley anyway (no, seriously, check out the reviews on Amazon–many people who “don’t normally like fantasy” have taken a liking to DUSKFALL!). It’s the first in a five-book series, with book 2 (DARK IMMOLATION) coming in June 2017!

  76. Great thread you’ve got going!

    If you’re in the mood for a little sparkle from the Golden Twenties, SPEAKEASY is set in 1927 Manhattan, in the height of Prohibition. Our protagonist, recent Yale graduate Heath, meets Art, the owner of an unusual speakeasy where men are free to explore their sexuality. When Art’s sanctuary is raided, Heath is forced to choose between love and the structured life his parents planned for him.

    You can get it in the usual places, or direct from the publisher’s bookstore at Interlude Press (still on post-Black Friday, sale, too!) http://store.interludepress.com/collections/printed-books/products/speakeasy-by-suzey-ingold-print-edition

  78. Here to plug my fantasy noir debut that was dropped into bookstores this past summer, DEATH OF AN ASSASSIN:

    Technically, Layla hasn’t killed anyone. Ask the witnesses. It was a misstep here, a trip-and-fall there—accidents happen.

    And Layla is paid very well to ensure that they do.

    Her mother once traced their lineage back to ancient times. Go flip through The Odyssey. Some great-great-great grandmother is in there beckoning sailors to rocky deaths. For eons her kind has made it their business to bring hapless men to quick and messy ends. Layla can’t help it that Saint Roch City has job listings for someone who can cause blameless death. You go where the work is.

    When the most difficult hit of her career goes sideways, Layla finds out that what she’s been told about her own history may not be so accurate. And there is no forgiveness in the business of assassinations. When you’re paid to kill someone, there better be a dead body.

    Either the mark’s—or yours.

  79. John, thank you so much for the opportunity.

    STRANGES AMONG US: TALES OF THE UNDERDOGS AND OUTCASTS
    (Edited by Susan Forest and Lucas K. Law, Laksa Media Groups, August 2016)

    Nineteen science fiction and fantasy authors tackle the division between mental health and mental illness; how the interplay between our minds’ quirks and the diverse societies and cultures we live in can set us apart, or must be concealed, or become unlikely strengths.

    Authors include Kelley Armstrong, Gemma Files, Amanda Sun, and A.C. Wise. Introduction by Julie E. Czerneda.

    Recommended by Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, School Library Journal, Foreword Reviews and Quill & Quire.

    Available in HC, PB and e-book at:
    Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Among-Underdogs-Anthology-Speculative/dp/0993969607/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1460267915&sr=8-3&keywords=strangers+among+us

    More retailers on this list:
    http://laksamedia.com/strangers-among-us-an-anthology-with-a-cause/

    “Strangers Among Us . . . is important, shining a much-needed spotlight on issues that get far too little attention. A wonderful anthology, one of the major SF&F books of the year. Bravo!”
    —Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo award-winning author of Quantum Night

  80. Hi, I’m Mason Cross (not my real name), and I write a series of thrillers about an ex-special ops soldier called Carter Blake (not his real name) who specialises in finding people who don’t want to be found.

    In The Killing Season Blake is contracted to hunt down a rogue sniper who has escaped from death row. Along the way he forms a romantic attachment to his FBI liaison, beats the crap out of three guys with a laptop, and starts to suspect somebody powerful wanted this killer unleashed…

    Lee Child called it “My kind of book” and Lisa Gardner said “Prepare to read all night”, which was incredibly nice of them.

    You can buy The Killing Season from Amazon, B&N and all the usual outlets in paperback, ebook and audio, published by Pegasus in the USA and Orion in the UK. Find out more about me at masoncross.net, tweet me @masoncrossbooks

    Thanks John – lovely idea.

  81. Do you like spaceships and kick-ass ladies? My YA sci-fi novels SALVAGE and SOUND are both out in paperback this year, from Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins). SALVAGE follows the story of Ava, who must flee her family’s deep-space merchant ship after falling in love with the wrong person. SOUND picks up 10 years later, as Ava’s foster sister Miyole embarks on a research mission, only to find her ship beset by pirates.

    If you’d like signed copies, you can get them at my local indie, Malaprops. (Just add a note to the booksellers that you’d like it signed.) They ship!

    SALVAGE – http://www.malaprops.com/book/9780062220158
    SOUND – http://www.malaprops.com/book/9780062220189

  82. Thanks for the opportunity to share.

    The Secrets of Hexbridge Castle is the story of Alfie Bloom – a boy who inherits a castle full of wonders which has been sealed for centuries, only to discover a dangerous secret that lies deep below it. With the help of a flying bearskin rug, a shapeshifting solicitor, and his twin cousins, Alfie must make sure that the secrets of Hexbridge Castle stay secret, forever.

    Published by Scholastic and available in the US through Amazon and your local book stores. Volume 2, The Talisman Thief, now on release in the UK. https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Hexbridge-Castle-Gabrielle-Kent/dp/0545869293

  83. Do YOU appear in the form of water droplets?
    Are YOU found on grass and windows in the morning?
    If so you MAY be dew condensation.

    OK, so it’s not my joke – I saw it on Twitter. And it doesn’t have anything to do with my books, which are about space stations, explosions and parkour. But admit it: it’s a good one. Coincidentally, so are my books.

    TRACER, ZERO-G and IMPACT are a trilogy of epic scifi thrillers set on a decaying space station. They’re available worldwide on Orbit Books (US Amazon link below).

    https://www.amazon.com/Rob-Boffard/e/B01EK9PN3U/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1480380566&sr=8-1

    Did I mention they’re also audiobooks? They’re audiobooks.

    http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_pd_Sci-Fi_c2_1_auth?searchAuthor=Rob+Boffard

  84. Thanks for this, John!

    Alien Nation, Book 14 in my Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series releases Dec. 6th.

    It’s a typical day of bureaucracy and stress for President and First Lady Jeff and Kitty Katt-Martini, made more stressful when alien spacecraft are spotted making a beeline for Earth, none of them from the Alpha Centauri system…or, what Kitty calls Wednesday.

    On sale right now! http://amzn.to/2gBZKnC

    Haven’t started my series yet? Begin at the beginning, with Touched by an Alien!

    Marketing Manager Katherine “Kitty” Katt discovers that the Roswell rumors are true, but with a twist — the aliens are here to help us and, as a side benefit, they’re all gorgeous. Now Kitty’s going to have to save the day using her knowledge of comics and pop culture, her sarcastic wit, hairspray, and rock ‘n’ roll.

    http://amzn.to/2gC0b1o

  85. Cheers matey

    As Francis Knight, I wrote the Pain Mage trilogy, starting with Fade to Black (shortlisted for best fantasy newcomer by the British Fantasy Society 2014, but hey Ann Leckie won everything that year. *shakes fist* lol like it was a surprise –Ann writes great stuff, you should go and read it). As Julia Knight I wrote a series starting with Swords and Scoundrels — just as it sounds — and got great PW reviews. Imagine the three musketeers. In a clockwork city., With magic. Exactly.

    Again, cheers, John. You’re a babe

  86. Right! My second contemporary f/f bakery romance just came out in October and is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and many other places that sell books, including my publisher’s site: http://store.interludepress.com/collections/certainly-possibly-you-by-lissa-reed

    Certainly, Possibly, You is the story of Sarita Sengupta, a lesbian cake decorator and grad student grappling with the existential crisis of What Am I Going To Do With A Philosophy Doctorate? while simultaneously falling for ambitious ballroom dancer Maritza Quiñones. It’s got baked goods, sweet, sexy ladies, snarky siblings, and a classic dash to story climax that involves literal dashing and confessing one’s feelings on national television!

  87. Blush. Jane Fonda wrote, it’s “A riveting story of love and war… A marriage of American Sniper and Heart of Darkness. I read it straight through in one sitting.”

    “The Afghan Vampires Book Club” is by Gary Barker and, me, Michael Kaufman. It is an anti-war fable, a page-turning dystopian adventure, and a story of great love trying to reach across impossible divisions.

    In the 25th year of the US-Afghan War, two hundred US soldiers are massacred. Amongst the growing number of discarded veterans, rumours circulate that one soldier made it out alive….When British journalist John Fox finally tracks down Captain Tanner Jackson, he hears an astonishing tale of violence, cover-ups and revenge–but also of enduring love.

    “The Afghan Vampire Book Club” is about the impact of war on the soldiers who fight them and, perhaps most importantly, on the societies that wage them–that is, on us all.

    Here’s more on the book, with links to the publisher and various bookstores:
    http://www.afghanvampiresbookclub.com

  88. Eighteen-year-old Phoebe Rose spent her childhood in one foster household after another, never having a place she could feel safe or group of friends she belonged to. What kept her going was hockey. The rink was the only place she felt at home.

    Now what she wants more than anything is to play on her college hockey team—to leave her past behind and start building a new life. But she knows things are never that simple.

    Becoming Phoebe is about painful secrets, unexpected friendships, and joining a team so you can become your true self.

    My website: http://www.melancholy-donkey.com/
    Becoming Phoebe on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Phoebe-J-Michael-Neal/dp/0997025808/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480384726&sr=8-1&keywords=becoming+phoebe

  89. Thanks, John!

    When their lead scientist escapes through a portal to an alien world where magic is real, a mysterious corporation finds the right man to bring him back — a Las Vegas magician. The Rogue Retrieval is the first book in a science fiction trilogy with Harper Voyager. The second installment, The Island Deception, will be out in April.

  90. Elektra Hammond here. My anthology Cats in Space has been out a little over a year, but the ebook wasn’t available right away. This is a select collection of science fiction cat stories, by absolutely terrific writers. Two stories in the collection: Headspace by Beth Cato and Leftovers by Leona Wisoker, were finalists for the WSFA Small Press Award.
    Find Cats in Space at all fine purveyors of print and ebooks.

  92. Hello all and thank you Mr. Scalzi!

    My name is Michael Alan Nelson and the books I’d like to bring to your attention belong to my Hexed series. There is the YA novel Hexed: the Sisters of Witchdown

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N6PCQS0/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

    and my graphic novels it is based on, Hexed: The Harlot and the Thief Vols 1-3

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E0IYY8Q/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 and https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E0IZ494/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 the third and final volume is coming soon)

    The series is about a young woman named Lucifer who makes her living as a thief in a magical and mystical underworld, stealing bad things from bad people. If you enjoy urban fantasy and stories with a predominantly female cast, this will be right up your alley.

    I also have dozens of other graphic novels available, including 28 Days Later, Day Men, and Valen the Outcast. I hope you check them out.

    Happy holidays!

  94. Thanks for the opportunity John! Here’s my YA urban fantasy: Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon.

    Allyson fights acne, not trolls.

    When Allyson’s best friend, Beth, is framed for kidnapping a unicorn, Allyson helps to prove Beth’s innocence by finding the other kidnapping victims. Together they find the victims, but they’re guarded by trolls, and Allyson’s long lost father. He’s under a powerful spell to guard the abducted, and only death can break the spell. Allyson must choose, kill her father or let her best friend die for a crime she didn’t commit.

    Acne, Asthma, And Other Signs You Might Be Half Dragon is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Asthma-Other-Signs-Might-Dragon-ebook/dp/B018DFETL4/ref

  96. Serafina Talarico came to Alpennia to study thaumaturgy, not to help compose an opera with the fate of Europe hanging in the balance. Mother of Souls continues the magical fantasy-of-manners series begun with Daughter of Mystery and The Mystic Marriage. For those who like your adventures chock full of mysticism, a touch of swashbuckling, and lots of brainy women.

    (Liz Bourke of tor.com says, “Mother of Souls is an interesting novel, and a compelling one. “)

  98. I’m Cait Gordon, author of Life in the ‘Cosm, a comedy sci-fi with an unusual amount of cake. Thanks for this opportunity to post!

    What happens when boy meets girl but girl doesn’t notice boy because she shares a body with another boy?

    When he’s not gorging on desserts, calming his hypochondriacal mum, or getting bone-crunching hugs from his warrior dads, Virj Ofreesin spends his time writing a fantasy novel about Frayda, the elegant half of the two-headed Dwa. Life is adequately mediocre until he learns the Dwa are gravely ill, and a mystical cure grows on a planet between two infamously warring worlds. Ignoring all warnings of danger, Virj embarks on the journey to be Frayda’s real-life hero, armed only with his stylus, and a boingy-haired nuisance who decides to tag along.

    https://www.amazon.com/Life-Cosm-Cait-Gordon-ebook/dp/B01L8ALCMU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473270143&sr=8-1&keywords=Cait+Gordon

  99. From TS Hottle, author of Broken Skies and Warped. The Children of Amargosa.

    JT Austin and Davra Andraste, two teenagers living separate, quiet lives on remote Amargosa, find themselves fighting for survival when an alien force seizes the agrarian colony. Hunted and cut off from the rest of humanity, they each fight their way across the plains, dodging ground troops, wild animals, and even a nuclear blast to join the resistance. Before they meet, they learn they have another enemy who is all too human.

    http://tshottle.com/coa

  100. Well, as long as there are so many others doing this, I guess I’ll jump in:
    I’m Aimee Hyndman and I’ve got a YA Steampunk Fantasy novel published through Curiosity Quills Press called HOUR OF MISCHIEF. Its about a one armed thief teaming up with a God of Mischief to help save humanity. It has action, sarcasm, just a pinch of romance, and its a very quick read. If you do check it out, drop me a review on amazon or goodreads! Here’s a link to the amazon page- https://www.amazon.com/Hour-Mischief-Aimee-Hyndman/dp/1620079429/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480443431&sr=8-1&keywords=Hour+of+Mischief

  101. Alys: The Terra Mirum Chronicles

    Following her best friend’s suicide, Alyson Carroll descends into the realm of Dreams and Nightmares. In her quest to find home, she discovers that Charlie might not truly be gone after all, but when she meets Oswin, the prince of Terra Mirum, she must face her own fears and raise an army against The Nightmare Queen, or surrender as the world of dreams is consumed by terror and darkness forever.

    (Available in hardcover & paperback through major retailers, also on Publisher’s website: http://www.doceblant.com/sci-fi-fantasy/)

  102. Paranormal Historical Romance series, The Deja vu Chronicles is a historical adventure series based in the 18th-century Caribbean. Filled with witches, voodoo, Celtic folklore, and pirates, this series of four books has proven to be a favorite among YA and adult readers. Available at all retail stores, including B&N, Walmart, and online retailers.
    (Published with Doce Blant Publishing)

    Grandma BallyHuHu is a children’s series (age 9+) that has been selected for many AR reading programs in select elementary schools in Southern California. The first book: Grandma BallyHuHu and the Mystical Coin takes the reader on an adventure at sea with pirates in search of treasure. The Grandma BallyHuHu series has magical stories to help children use their imaginations. Available at all retail stores, including B&N, Walmart, and online retailers.
    (Published with Doce Blant Publishing)

    Doce Blant Publishing (The Deja vu Chronicles): https://squareup.com/market/doce-blant-publishing/the-deja-vu-chronicles-full-set?square_lead=item_embed

    Doce Blant Publishing (Grandma BallyHuHu): https://squareup.com/market/doce-blant-publishing/item/grandma-ballyhuhu-and-the-mystical-coin-hardbound

    Marti Melville website: http://martimelville.com/
    Doce Blant Publishing website: http://www.doceblant.com/

  103. I’m V.E. Schwab, and my Shades of Magic series, about a smuggler-magician and a cross-dressing thief taking on power in multiple versions of London, is out now. The first book, A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC, is in paperback, the second, A GATHERING OF SHADOWS, is in hardcover, and the third, A CONJURING OF LIGHT, comes out in Feb.

  104. Late comment for me—I was fighting a particularly gnarly migraine yesterday which left computer usage at 0%.

    I’m Raven Oak, a science fiction & fantasy author local to the PNW. My most recent works are two stories in two anthologies. “Q-Be” (in Untethered: A Magic iPhone Anthology) deals with a freemium app gone wrong while “Mirror Me” (in Magic Unveiled: An Anthology) is a magical realism story dealing with a homicide detective who sees his face in every perp, victim, and person he encounters.

    I’ve got two novels and a collection of holiday-themed speculative fiction out as well (from 2015) and two more novels upcoming in 2017. You can check out more information about me and my work at http://www.ravenoak.net.

  105. **SWAT SERIES**

    **HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF – is FREE RIGHT NOW!**

    I have a paranormal/romantic-suspense series called SWAT (Special Wolf Alpha Team)! If you haven’t figured it out from the name, it’s about a SWAT team made up of sixteen hunky alpha wolf shifters. Think hot guys in tactical gear with claws and you get the picture!

    HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF (Book 1)

    INTRODUCING SWAT: SPECIAL WOLF ALPHA TEAM
    They’re tight.
    They’re on target.
    They’re as alpha as men can get.

    The Dallas SWAT team is hiding one helluva secret…they’re a pack of wolf shifters.

    The team of elite sharpshooters is ultra-secretive—and also the darlings of Dallas. This doesn’t sit well with investigative journalist Mackenzie Stone. They must be hiding something…and she’s determined to find out what.

    Keeping Mac at a distance proves impossible for SWAT team commander Gage Dixon. She’s smart, sexy, and makes him feel alive for the first time in years. But she’s getting dangerously close to the truth—and perilously close to his heart…

    **GET IT FOR FREE at the LINKS BELOW**

    Amazon
    http://amzn.to/2f30yCj

    B&N
    http://bit.ly/2fn6p5o

    iBooks
    http://apple.co/2gpb1sd

    Kobo
    http://bit.ly/2fn5UYP

  107. Read following report to learn how a single mom was able to make $89,844/year in her spare time on her computer without selling anythingg…

    Visit More Here >>>> WebJOB1.Tk

  108. The Beast on the Broch, is a middle-grade historical fantasy set in Pictish times in ancient Scotland. Featuring Picts, Scots, Vikings, a troublesome 12-year-old girl, and the mythical Pictish Beast…

    12-year-old Talorca is a Pictish girl living in North-east Scotland in 799 AD.

    When Gaelic-speaking Dalriadans arrive in her village, her world is turned upside down. Her only friend is the mythical Pictish Beast, who has been injured by the Dalriadans.

    Talorca decides to take a stand against the intruders and hatches a plan to drive them out. But she can only do that with the help of the wild beast on the broch…

    Available from the usual places in print and ebook, including:

    Amazon US

    Amazon UK

    B&N

    Powell’s

    Waterstones

  109. In The Court Of Love And Loss is an epic sci-fi adventure romance.

    Kyrie is the Mistress of Justice on Sirene, able to judge a person’s guilt or innocence with a mere touch. She is invaluable to the planet’s dictatorial leader, Galen, but Kyrie is dying. Abandoned as a child by her people, the Ouri, when they mysteriously fled Sirene, she’s grown up among the planet’s “other” race. Now, at age twenty-five, she must find an Ourian to mate with or die.

    Proteus is sent back to Sirene to rescue a child accidentally left behind when he and all the Ouri fled the threat of uprising. But through a trick of time, what he finds instead on his return is an Ourian woman he is forbidden by law to mate with, even if it means saving her life. And when Galen forces Proteus to bond with Kyrie, Proteus pretends to do so, all while plotting their escape.

    Galen and Proteus are desperate to save Kyrie for very different reasons–but they both know the fate of the planet depends on her survival.

  110. If you’re looking for some good books and/or anthologies for either yourself or as gifts, check out Zombies Need Brains’ online store. (All books are also available at the usual sites like Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, on Kindle, Nook, at Kobo, etc.)

    We have the two anthologies edited by Patricia Bray & Joshua Palmatier, published by DAW Books:

    THE MODERN FAE’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING HUMANITY
    AFTER HOURS: TALES FROM THE UR-BAR

    Plus all of Joshua Palmatier’s books published by DAW (and a few ebooks by Baen):

    SHATTERING THE LEY
    THREADING THE NEEDLE

    WELL OF SORROWS
    LEAVES OF FLAME
    BREATH OF HEAVEN

    THE SKEWED THRONE
    THE CRACKED THRONE
    THE VACANT THRONE

    So while you’re cybering it up, check out Zombies Need Brains!

    https://squareup.com/market/zombies-need-brains-llc

  111. My all-time favorite Whatever entry is Scalzi’s trip to the Creation Museum, and from that you can probably assume certain things about the sensibility on display in my two nonfiction books, ALONG THOSE LINES and THE VERB ‘TO BIRD’, both published by Paul Dry Books and both available at fine online retailers and better book-and-mortar stores.

    ALONG THOSE LINES: THE BOUNDARIES THAT CREATE OUR WORLD considers the many ways in which human beings use lines to divide things: nations, states, genres, species, comics panels, age groups, and so on. Featuring interviews with experts like Hugo-winning writer/artist Ursula Vernon and sculptor Shawn Smith, ALONG THOSE LINES was described by Slate.com as “a delightful and curious book about borders, boundaries, fences, and lines.”

    THE VERB ‘TO BIRD’: SIGHTINGS OF AN AVID BIRDER is part memoir, part natural history, and part apology, an irreverent meditation on the act of birding and the ways in which my life and the lives of others have been influenced by it. A selection of Barnes & Noble’s Discover Great New Writers program, THE VERB ‘TO BIRD’ was hailed in the Bloomsbury Review as “a delightfully literary and eclectic memoir.” It’s a great gift for the nature lover in your life, too.

  112. Thanks, Scalzi!
    “In a far future, on a faraway planet, humans have become infected by the alien Wan, creatures that communicate by feeding each other poems composed of their own flesh. Obsessed alien and former human biologist Ing infects Frog, a barren slave girl, and Firdaus, deposed ruler of the human settlement, with the alien fungus. When a once-in-a-millennium Wan reproductive event threatens to destroy all human life on the planet, Frog and Firdaus must choose between transforming their loved ones into cadaverous toadstools and surviving – or watching them all die in a planetary holocaust. Unless Frog can come up with a third solution – with the help of her greatest enemy.”

    Available at Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Wan-Bo-Balder/dp/1939056101/

    Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wan-bo-balder/1123236688?ean=9781939056108

    Pink Narcissus Press: http://www.pinknarc.com/store/p2/The_Wan.html

  113. Bird-watching is one of the fastest growing pastimes in the US. My book, BIRDING FOR THE CURIOUS, offers tips for the would-be birder who is interested in getting outside and making your time in the field more productive and interesting.

    http://amzn.to/2fKfWY4

    And if you live in North or South Carolina, I also have the new American Birding Association FIELD GUIDE TO BIRDS OF THE CAROLINAS, with photos by bird photographer Brian Small. It features nearly 300 species of birds found in the Carolinas, with information on where, when, and how to find them.

    http://amzn.to/2fKep44

  114. “Marvin’s World of Deadheads” is a playful ride through the afterlife when Marvin meets an early demise by accidentally stepping in front of a moving bus. Both angry with his fiancee, Jenna, for causing his death, and despondent at leaving her behind on the plane of the living, Marvin enlists the help of two other phantoms to plot her death. It’s a mash-up of “Ghost” and “The Hangover” in a twist on the traditional ghost story.

    Available in both print and e-book through Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/jbux65x
    And, directly through the publisher: http://tinyurl.com/h4yh8h7

WHATEVER


Taunting the tauntable since 1998
John Scalzi, proprietor – JS
Athena Scalzi, contributor – AMS
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