Whatever Holiday Gift Guide 2019, Day Two: Non-Traditionally Published Books

Posted on December 3, 2019    Posted by      140 Comments

Today is Day Two of the Whatever Holiday Gift Guide 2019, and today the focus is on Non-Traditionally Published Books: Self-published works, electronically-exclusive books, books from micro presses, books released outside the usual environs of the publishing world, and so on. Hey, I put my first novel up on this very Web site years ago and told people to send me a dollar if they liked it. Look where it got me. I hope you find some good stuff today.

Please note that the comment thread today is only for non-traditional 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 of non-traditionally published books only. This includes comics and graphic novels, as well as non-fiction books and audiobooks. If your book has been traditionally published — available in bookstores on a returnable basis — post about your book in the thread that went up yesterday (if you are in doubt, assume you are non-traditionally published and post here). If you are a creator in another form or medium, your thread is coming tomorrow. Don’t post if you are not the author or editor, please.

2. Completed works only. Do not post about works in progress, even if you’re posting them publicly. Remember that this is supposed to be a gift guide, and that these are things meant to be given to other people. Likewise, don’t just promote yourself unless you have something to sell or provide, that others may give as a gift.

3. One post per author. In that post, you can list whatever books of yours you like, 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 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.

Now: Tell us about your book!

Category: Uncategorized    

140 Comments on “Whatever Holiday Gift Guide 2019, Day Two: Non-Traditionally Published Books”

  1. Clean Romantic Suspense with nearly 400 Amazon reviews and a 4.7-star rating. Free to download and available in paperback.

    When Rae learns she married her enemy, she flees to protect her infant and lands in the arms of her first love. When Rae’s husband starts killing people to smoke her out, Rae has to make a choice. What, and who, will she have to sacrifice to save her son?

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M29PM3Y/

  3. Thank you, John, and happy holidays to all!

    For gothic science fiction with epic worldbuilding and a twist of Nordic noir, check out IRON TRUTH. When junior botanist Joy Somerset is shipwrecked on a desolate world, she soon learns that she is much better at talking herself out of trouble than shooting. Unfortunately, she’s also pretty good at talking herself into trouble.

    The sequel, LONELY CASTLES, is out now and a third book will be out in early 2020, so it’s a great time to immerse yourself in the dark intrigue of the Primaterre universe!

    https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B07BJNM59W&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_4GL5Db7PWTKDQ

  4. Hello! If you’re looking for a superhero series with a strong secondary romance, then why not check out the Red and Black series? There are two books out so far, and the ebooks are currently on sale for 99 cents each (paperbacks just $9.99)- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T76FVT7

    Basic premise: Dawn Takahashi’s been a fan of superheroes for years. So when she’s granted an impressive powerset of her own, she dives right in. Her first challenge is Faultline. He’s powerful, smart and, as a henchman for Bailey City’s first supervillain, standing right in her way. But Faultline has a secret. Underneath the mask, Faultline is Alex Gage, a working-class guy trying to scrounge together enough money to help support his sisters. And Dawn and Alex just happen to have a date next week.

    What’s a fangirl to do when she unknowingly falls for her nemesis?

  5. The first book in the Wakanreo trilogy– ALIEN BONDS. It’s a story of two very different people from two very different cultures who have t learn to live together a sort of AVATAR combined with PRIDE & PREJUDICE. In ALIEN BONDS, two lives are changed in an instant. Industrial chemist Dina Bellaire travels all the way to the planet Wakanreo to advance her career. Her carefully planned life goes up in flames the second she meets Kuaron Du, a Wakanrean who makes his living singing ancient songs in a dead language. Both of them know they can’t go back to the way they were before they met. They just have to convince the rest of the universe that what happened to them is real
    Available as a paperback and as a Kindle book.
    4.3 rating from 21 reviews.
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07959BHM4

  6. Moscow, 2138. With the world only beginning to recover from the complete societal collapse of the late 21st Century, Zoya scrapes by prepping corpses for funerals and dreams of saving enough money to have a child. When her brother forces her to bring him a mysterious package, she witnesses his murder and finds herself on the run from ruthless mobsters. Frantically trying to stay alive and save her loved ones, Zoya opens the package and discovers two unusual data cards, one that allows her to fight back against the mafia and another which may hold the key to everlasting life.

    https://www.amazon.com/Immortality-Game-Ted-Cross-ebook/dp/B00PGW5YZ8/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=immortality+game&qid=1575379444&sr=8-1

  7. Thanks John!

    I’m the editor and publisher of the anthology SKIES OF WONDER, SKIES OF DANGER, a collection of 13 stories about airships, pirates, and wizards – and most of our stories contain all three! The stories range from straight-up fantasy to post-apocalyptic SF to diesel-punk alt-history. We’ve got everything from dragons to tea witches to Nazi jetpack zombies. Yes, you read that right.

    The authors are all friends and we decided this project would be a ton of fun, and we’re quite pleased with how it turned out. Among the authors are Jennifer Mace (Macey) of the Hugo finalist podcast Be The Serpent; Amanda Hackwith, author of THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN; and Tyler Hayes, author of THE IMAGINARY CORPSE.

    It’s available in both electronic and trade paperback. You can find links to your favorite retailer here: https://books2read.com/u/b5rQOA

  10. “like postmodern Douglas Adams”
    – PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

    “equal parts goofiness and grandeur”
    – KIRKUS MEDIA

    SOMETHING ANCIENT IS WAKING.
    An accountant misses his train.
    A magician steals his hat.
    A three-armed frog accelerates towards light speed.
    A nun questions everything.
    A rat makes a delicious sandwich.

    A conspiracy ends.
    Evil wins.
    Hope remains.

    This is

    https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B07D94XGSX&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_tkM5DbXYN0HM5

  11. A Pinch of Salt is a Contemporary Romance with a Romantic Comedy feel and Swoon-Worthy moments. Follow Millie, a Chef who has recently opened a business with her sisters, and whose world is tilted when Jackson, a single dad with a love of classic literature, walks through her door.
    You can find it on Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071LSC1LQ/
    Apple Books – https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-pinch-of-salt/id1241843752
    or your preferred retailer.

  12. I write two crime & mystery series for independent publisher Fahrenheit Press.

    One is the Kirby Baxter series, about a comic book artist who is also the world’s greatest amateur detective. I’m currently working on the third Baxter novel. They’ve been described as classical Agatha Christie whodunnits, if she was a pop culture geek with a taste for satire.

    A MINT CONDITION CORPSE: https://fahrenheit-press.myshopify.com/products/a-mint-condition-corpse-duncan-macmaster

    VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR: https://fahrenheit-press.myshopify.com/products/video-killed-the-radio-star-duncan-macmaster

    My second series stars Jake Mooney, a hard luck hack writer whose pursuit of fame & fortune puts him in the middle of murder and mayhem. HACK is about how a gig ghostwriting a TV legend’s “autobiography” puts a target on Jake’s back. The second HACKED follows Jake’s attempts to sell his story to Hollywood, only to get wrapped up in a massive studio hacking scandal involving international espionage and old fashioned revenge.

    HACK: https://fahrenheit-press.myshopify.com/products/hack-duncan-macmaster

    HACKED: https://fahrenheit-press.myshopify.com/products/hacked-duncan-macmaster

    All are available on Amazon, but if you buy the paperback direct from the publisher at the provided links, you can get the ebook free. The store also has other great authors you might enjoy, as well as crazy merchandise that helps keep the publishing ship stay afloat.

    Thanks.

  13. Anne Renwick writes steampunk romance, placing a new kind of biotech in the hands of mad scientists, proper young ladies and determined villains.

    A REFLECTION OF SHADOWS: A thief with golden eyes. The spy who loves her. A mad scientist who will break hearts to expose her secrets.
    Available on all major retailers as an ebook, paperback and audiobook.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PGHNY55/

  15. Hello everyone and happy holidays!
    My latest book is a modern fantasy choose your own adventure style novel. It’s the first book in the series with the second set to come out late next year. If you like surreal comedy with a fantastic twist I’m sure you will enjoy Escaping Fiction. With hundreds of different choices and multiple endings it’s a book you can get stuck into again and again!
    It’s available across all the Amazon domains, but here is a link for the US

    https://www.amazon.com/Escaping-Fiction-World-Within-Worlds/dp/1697315283/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=escaping+fiction+by+david+hayman&qid=1575379705&sr=8-1-fkmr0

    It retails in paperback for $9.50.

    You can find a complete list of all my books on my publishing imprint’s (run by me) facebook page https://www.facebook.com/syntheticmindspress

    Thank you John for the opportunity to post this here!

  16. Stonehenge is falling.

    Meet Jacob Williams. A survivor of the First World War, forever changed by his experience. Now he’s facing down the terrors that conflict unleashed upon an unsuspecting world.

    Weak spots have always existed between our world and that of the Fae; stone circles help to keep the most dangerous sealed shut. But now Stonehenge is failing…

    It falls to the members of the Fae Defence Society to repair the ancient monument, protect humanity from the terrors it holds back and prevent another disastrous war.

    Jacob and his wartime comrade Harry are on the front lines in a supernatural battle which threatens everything.

    ‘Jacob’s War’ is available as an eBook or Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZL24L6Q

    Thanks John for the opportunity to promote this. I just published last month and it’s very exciting!

  17. Thanks for the opportunity John!

    This year I co-authored a book with my 97-year old great uncle Mike Carestio who was a bombardier aboard a B-24 Liberator in World War II. During that time, he kept a journal of every mission over France, Belgium, and Germany, so we sat down over the course of a year and talked about his experience before, during and after the war.

    35 DAYS IN THE AIR is a reproduction of his handwritten journal, along with added personal recollections of his upbringing in Buffalo, New York, his unusual journey into military service, and his life upon returning to the states. It includes pictures from his personal collection, as well as information about his squad and crew.

    It’s a short book, and from now until Dec. 8th the Kindle version is free: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X4KGJ2M

    It’s also available in Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/172289931X

  18. Love romance, or know someone who does? Have yourself two FREE ebooks for the holidays!

    FREE: ONCE UPON A DUKE

    From a New York Times bestselling author: A fun regency romp featuring a spinster in a counting house, a grumpy duke, goats, true love, and a partridge in a pear tree. What could go wrong? Absolutely everything!

    Some content was stripped by our security filters, but it should be possible for one of your Editors to embed the content for you.

    FREE: THE VISCOUNT’S TEMPTING MINX

    Certain individuals might consider Lady Amelia Pembroke a managing sort of female, but truly, most people would be lost without her help. Why, the latest on-dit is that rakish Viscount Sheffield is canceling the fête of the Season because he hasn’t time for silly soirees. He doesn’t need time—he needs her!

    Some content was stripped by our security filters, but it should be possible for one of your Editors to embed the content for you.

    Thank you!! :-)

  19. If you grew up on Rankin-Bass Christmas specials and still enjoy watching them (with or without kids beside you), you might enjoy Wishing Season, my holiday-themed collection of fantasy stories. Talking reindeer, klutzy elves, a hint of fable, a dash of starlight.

    Available as an ebook from all the usual retailers and in paperback from Amazon.

    https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B00QPIPKBK&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_HsM5Db4JQ8N96

  20. Mary Jensen, a trained medic, needs a new start and she’s getting one at Research Station Tau, in remote Antarctica. Called in as an emergency replacement, Mary soon finds out Tau’s mission: to find a lost elementary particle, deep down in the ice.

    Dr. Ian Schuller, the station lead, thinks the particle is the key to humanity’s evolution. As they drill into the ice, complications arise and Mary starts to worry about his sanity. As he pushes harder and harder for results, the group begins to fracture.

    And then the hallucinations start.

    Something is in the ice, and it is changing them.

    Now Mary must survive, and face what’s underneath.

  22. Hello! Thanks so much for this opportunity! I’d like to offer my new epic fantasy series, Married to the Wind! Book one is out soon from Faerietreehouse Press, but you can get the ebook now!

    “When the boy fell from the sky, everything changed.
    Annissa of Yorra knew she was the Wisewoman’s daughter. She knew she was to be married in just a few short months. She knew her tiny village near the Wall was unimportant. She knew her country was safe, the sacred homeland of the First Lady’s Chosen People. And she knew her life would be unremarkable, though such quiet left her restless. She didn’t know destiny had much more in store for her. Soon, she must make a choice.
    Safety, or the Truth?”

    http://www.lulu.com/shop/samantha-holloway/married-to-the-wind-wisewomans-daughter/ebook/product-24204834.html

  23. Thanks for the opportunity, John! It was reading your novels that finally made me move ahead with publishing my own, even though I worried that humerous fantasy/sci-fi didn’t have enough of an audience.

    This is the first novel in my Grug Smash Novel Series, entitled Dicing with the Gods:
    https://read.amazon.ca/kp/embed?asin=B01FB8O37Q&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_RlM5Db0MKPNGB

    Meet Grug Smash. Grug not so smart. Then Grug find magic amulet. 

    Grug Smash is a barbarian adventurer, and he’s happy that way. He’s lived his life one mission and one tankard of ale at a time, doing his best to live up to his name and smash as much as one barbarian can. When Grug stumbles upon a magical amulet that boosts intelligence, his simple world begins to fall apart. He realizes that his life, his identity, is little more than a poorly-written backstory, and the gods themselves may be playing games with actions and existence. As Grug’s world crashes down around him, he must battle a sorcerer intent on ruling the world, wrestle with an inability to understand his past, and contend with the gods, who seem to have taken a direct interest in his life. What’s Grug to do when there’s nothing to smash?

  24. Sorcerers, superheroes, and zombies.
    Out of work, out of luck, out of practice.
    Gods, clods, or four simple lads.

    Here are the Beatles as you’ve never known them before: singing for their supper, singing for their souls, and singing to save the world.

    Join 25 remarkable authors as they take you “Across the Universe.”

    Featuring the stories of: Spider Robinson, Gregory Benford, David Gerrold, Allen M. Steele, Pat Cadigan, Lawrence Watt-Evans, Jody Lynn Nye, Gregory Frost, Cat Rambo, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Gail Z. Martin, Bev Vincent, Brenda W. Clough, Alan Goldsher, Gordon Linzner, Beth W. Patterson, Christian H. Smith, Sally Wiener Grotta, Kenneth Schneyer, Charles Barouch, Carol Gyzander, Patrick Barb, R. Jean Mathieu, Eric Avedissian, and Matthew F. Amati.

    “This collection is a Magical Mystery Tour through alternate universes where the familiar narrative of the Beatles is turned on its head. Or ear. Or ass. It’s fun, irreverent, sexy, and twisted–just like the Fab Four themselves.” –Vicki Peterson, The Bangles

    “Across the Universe is way too much fun! It’s the Beatles in the Twilight Zone of infinite possibilities! Highly recommended!” –Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of V-Wars and Rage

    Co-edited by myself and Michael Ventrella, “Across the Universe” is now available (like, as of TODAY) at Amazon and B&N in paperback, hardback! E-books coming very shortly!

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/1515423964
    https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/across-the-universe-michael-a-ventrella/1135002636?ean=9781515423966

    Plus, if you’re in the NYC/Brooklyn area, we’re having a special book launch/reading TONIGHT as part of the New York Review of Science Fiction Readings. More info here:
    https://www.facebook.com/events/423811534965104/

    There will be books for sale, a raffle and CAKE. All is good in the “Universe”!

  25. Two books that might be of interest to technical readers:

    “Writing for Science Journals: Tips, Tricks, and a Learning Plan”
    http://www.geoff-hart.com/books/journals/journal-book.htm
    Everything they should teach you in grad school, but don’t.

    “Effective Onscreen Editing, 4th edition”
    http://www.geoff-hart.com/books/eoe/onscreen-book.htm
    How to edit using a word processor without letting it drive you crazy. Now in its 4th edition, being used as a textbook at several universities, and still selling well.

  26. Former police detective John Lazarus thinks that he’s finally done with his old life. All three of the men who murdered his wife have been executed, and he has a new job, a new girlfriend, and a new life.

    But when a series of unexplainable grisly murders start, and when John is visited by one of his wife’s murderers–a man he personally watched die on the executioner’s gurney–John realizes that his old life isn’t done with him.

    It’s The Chilling Killing Wind, a supernatural thriller that will appeal to fans of The X-Files and Millennium. Ordering info, with sample chapter, HERE. (Content-wise, this book is probably PG-13, maybe a light R. And my PG-rated space opera series, The Song of Forgotten Stars, is still available!)

    Thanks to Mr. Scalzi for this annually fantastic service. Happiest of Holidays to our host and his family!

  28. Memoir: In 2017 Mary sold her house and moved into a 16-foot-long travel trailer. The purpose of this move was to find a better life with debilitating fatigue and seasonal affective disorder. In her first year she would learn about the unique network of people who live in RV’s full time and come to see America, and her place in it, in a totally new light. The book covers a winter in Florida followed by driving through the southwest to California and then returned east via America’s Loneliest Highway and through Colorado and Kansas. Available in Kindle and paperback, Amazon category release best seller and five star rated book.
    https://www.amazon.com/Airstream-that-Ran-Away-Spoon-ebook/dp/B07PWJ4N6H

  31. Thanks for the opportunity!

    One review called THE INDESTRUCTIBLES “the Breakfast Club meets the JLA.” The last man standing from a disillusioned superhero team pulls together a new generation of young adventurers to take up the mantle: a solar-powered girl, a ballerina vigilante, a werewolf with confidence issues, a boy with an alien sharing his brain, and a Whovian with a gravitational anomaly where her heart should be. The series follows these newly minted superheroes as they bumble their way towards learning how to leave the world better than they found it.

    Book 5 in the YA series, THE CRIMSON CHILD, just launched in July 2019, but the first can be found here:
    https://www.amazon.com/Indestructibles-Matthew-Phillion/dp/0997916559/

    Each book is self-contained as the Indestructibles learn and grow as they face a unique threat, from alien invasions to time travel to evil wizards. Book 2 in the spinoff series, Echo and the Sea (New Adult) launched in earlier this year as well.

  32. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KJT67WS/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Former army researcher, Dr. Doug Shepherd, has been out of the military for nine years when the U.S. Army re-activates his status. Within 48 hours Shep finds himself at a secret scientific military installation in Antarctica, tasked with finishing the work of a scientist who committed suicide—or was murdered.But something is dangerously wrong at Camp Crystal. Deep within the bowels of the experimental facility Shep will discover the horrifying truth. But the clock is ticking. Because the Army’s research is spreading out of control, a saboteur is attacking from within, and winter is about to descend on the continent, locking everyone in for months.In darkest Antarctica, a storm is coming…

    “Terry writes like Lee Child on steroids.”–Lansing State Journal

  33. The Steel Discord is a magitech train heist, an Industrial-Revolution-era fantasy. Zarachius Skie must break onto a train to rescue his mentor, the occultist Mordekai Gethsemane, wrongfully accused of conspiracy to commit regicide. And once he’s on, he discovers a far more terrifying conspiracy. This book is a semifinalist in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off.

    https://www.amazon.com/Steel-Discord-Concerto-Days-Book-ebook/dp/B07KXK887B/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1575381967&refinements=p_27%3ARyan+Howse&s=digital-text&sr=1-1&text=Ryan+Howse

    The Alchemy Dirge is fantasy noir in the same setting with different characters.

    Salai wants to invent a printing press. Desperate for funds, he pushes the boundaries of alchemy and sells it to a black market arcana merchant. Now anarchists want the formula, the Ministry wants them imprisoned, and assassins want them dead. Salai’s alchemy has become the most dangerous weapon of all.

    https://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Dirge-Concerto-Days-Book-ebook/dp/B07R1QRJBB/ref=sr_1_4?qid=1575381575&refinements=p_27%3ARyan+Howse&s=digital-text&sr=1-4&text=Ryan+Howse

  34. Here’s Publishers Weekly on Rick Ferguson’s “The Screaming Skull:”

    “Ferguson’s wildly original debut… plays fast and loose with literary convention in a self-aware whirlwind of epic fantasy tropes and absurdist humor… will have readers laughing and groaning in equal measure.”

    Elberon, a foulmouthed 64-year-old former adventurer, is now King of the Tradewind Isles and finds himself caught between two prophecies of the future: one in which he lives another 65 years in deteriorating health and another in which the world ends at the hands of one of his former compatriots on the day of his 65th birthday. Both strike him as horrific!

    Join Elberon as he recounts his checkered past, rise to power, and loopy adventures through the Multiverse, armed with a screaming skull that may be one of the magical Phylaxes of Koschei the Deathless, a figure compared to “Sauron, Voldemort, Lord Foul, Thulsa Doom, or Vladimir Putin.”

    Mainline it today!

  35. Thank you, John!

    Boldly Writing: A Trek Fan and Fanfiction History, 1967-1987 by Joan Marie Ve… https://www.amazon.com/dp/1502817411/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_V1M5DbRE79DSV via @amazon

    Before the Internet, before PCs and MACs became common household items, at the dawn of the era of VCRs, Star Trek fans were making history. In Boldly Writing, Joan Marie Verba chronicles the development of Star Trek fanfiction, Star Trek conventions (the first Star Trek convention may not be the one you’re thinking of), Star Trek clubs, and Star Trek revival efforts. Boldly Writing tells how the term “Mary Sue” came into being, and follows the fan and fanfiction discussions and controversies of the era. At a time when fan communication was conducted largely through the mails, and fanfiction circulated through fanzines printed on spirit duplicators and mimeographs and offset printers, Star Trek fans created a lively and active fandom that continues today.

    https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B002E9IQY2&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_y2M5DbCRP5K62

  36. The Hedgewitches’ Tales
    Historical fantasy retellings of fairy tales set during World War I and the Roaring Twenties. I like to describe them as Downton Abbey with a secret magic element. The first two books are available in ebook and paperback from Amazon, and the third book is up for preorder. It will be released December 23.
    Start with Poppies & Roses, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast (though each book is technically standalone so you could start with book two or three if you want!):
    https://www.amazon.com/Poppies-Roses-Retelling-Beauty-Beast-ebook/dp/B07DD7JM1S/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1575381078&sr=8-1

  37. Re-posting, since embed text didn’t work!

    Here’s Publishers Weekly on Rick Ferguson’s “The Screaming Skull:”

    “Ferguson’s wildly original debut… plays fast and loose with literary convention in a self-aware whirlwind of epic fantasy tropes and absurdist humor… will have readers laughing and groaning in equal measure.”

    Elberon, a foulmouthed 64-year-old former adventurer, is now King of the Tradewind Isles and finds himself caught between two prophecies of the future: one in which he lives another 65 years in deteriorating health and another in which the world ends at the hands of one of his former compatriots on the day of his 65th birthday. Both strike him as horrific!

    Join Elberon as he recounts his checkered past, rise to power, and loopy adventures through the Multiverse, armed with a screaming skull that may be one of the magical Phylaxes of Koschei the Deathless, a figure compared to “Sauron, Voldemort, Lord Foul, Thulsa Doom, or Vladimir Putin.”

    Mainline it today!

    https://www.amazon.com/Screaming-Skull-Chronicles-Elberon-Book-ebook/dp/B07K2G4HSB/

  38. Hello humans
    I am Huck. I am a bookstore cat. I am the cat at From My Shelf Books. My brother Finn also is a bookstore cat, but he mostly sleeps. You might have seen us in “Bookstore Cats” by Brandon Schultz. I’m the handsome one.

    We now have our own book called “Huck & Finn, Bookstore Cats”( ISBN: 9781646339952) Notice how I come first? Anyway, it’s a great book.

    Our story was recently featured on Cole & Marmalade. Just Google Huck & Finn Bookstore Cats and it should come up. You might get some results of that Mark Twain guy–good guy, liked cats.

    The book retails for 8.99 and it’s available wherever books are sold, but as we are bookstore cats. We are going to ask you to buy it from a bookstore. We work at From My Shelf Books & Gifts. They have a website and everything. It’s http://www.wellsborobookstore.com. It’s a children’s picture book, but it’s sure to be a hit with lovers of cats and books and bookstores.
    OK, I have to shelve these books and take my cat nap.
    Thanks
    Huck, the Cat at From My Shelf Books & Gifts

  39. Psychedelic moonshine, blood feuds, wayward sons and daughters returned home, and graveyard tales, in Garfield’s Crossing, there is always a story to be told.

    My name is Clayton Romero and I’m one of the principal writers for Garfield’s Crossing.

    Garfield’s Crossing is a collaborative storytelling experience that takes place in a tiny town in the Northwest Georgia mountains. There are currently six authors writing short stories that you can read for free on https://garfieldscrossing.com. You can purchase our first year of stories below.

    Garfield’s Crossing Volume One can be purchased on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1796591092/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_s6M5Db9442Q8Z

    We also have a Podcast of all the stories available through the usual suspects. In 2020 we are reproducing the podcast with a full voice cast, so that’s exciting.

    If you want to support the ongoing project and get behind the scenes access (plus some cools stuff) consider supporting us on Patreon (which you can find through our site above).

  40. And for all you mystery lovers, check out the Sanibel Island Mystery series. Think “Murder, She Wrote,” except set on Sanibel Island, Florida, with a younger J.B. Fletcher. Totally fun reads, perfect for a wintry day, evening, or weekend.

  42. A gift for a Latter-day Saint couple is a sex manual for Mormons (really). And It Was Very Good is a medically accurate, detailed sex manual without the kind of explicit illustrations that would tend to offend members of the faith. Trust me, the information is needed. “Beyond the birds and bees.” – Salt Lake Tribune.

    PDF is FREE from the authors at earthlyparents@gmail.com.

    Audible, print, e-reader http://www.amazon.com/Was-Very-Good-Latter-day-Lovemaking-ebook/dp/B07NBSM2YY

  43. Bound To The Night, by Piper Dean, is the perfect stocking stuffer, or would be if it weren’t only available on Kindle. But it’s only $0.99, 19 pages, and it has vampires! (Sort of) So you know it will get you in that holiday spirit. Warning: It’s kinda “adultish.” Check out the blurb here:

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ASPY1BG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_F8M5DbA9DPF97

    Or, you can dig a little further and get the full-length novel Flash Drive, but be aware that there are no vampires. Unfortunately. Still “adultish,” though, and you actually can get this one in a paperback format. Truly something for everyone!

  44. One reviewer claimed this book is “So good it should be a movie!”

    One year after going into witness protection Melissa is discovered by the Russian Mafia.And they’re not the only ones who want her.Now she has a choice to make: renew the mission she abandoned when she went into hiding, or head to Russia for a final confrontation with her greatest enemy?Either way, her past is catching up with her and she’s tired of running.The question is, who will win this time?

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KX6CN5N

  45. A timid robot. A human scavenger. To survive the war-ravaged landscape, two enemies must work together.

    Household robot Silas is in serious need of a safe haven. After the brutal war that pitted man against machine ended with no clear winner, he’s left scavenging the ruined streets and avoiding deadly marauders. To secure supplies and reunite with the rest of his kind, Silas better find a partner…

    Deacon trusts no one in a devastated world. After the death of his family left him hollow, he never expected a hapless robot to stir his sympathy. Against his better judgment, he guides the mechanoid on its journey home despite the distinct possibility of a deadly betrayal…

    As they navigate a post-apocalyptic wasteland, will Silas and Deacon’s truce hold or will their team-up end in oil and blood?

    Metal Chest is a standalone post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel. If you like gritty tension, futuristic wastelands, and snappy dialogue, then you’ll love this thought-provoking tale.

    Buy Metal Chest today to see if man and machine can survive.
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DNLBZWB

  46. Thanks for the opportunity, John!

    Space opera with music-based magic. It’s like “Bards in Space!”

    -“Simply Put, This is a Brilliant Book. Read it Now.” -Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Blog
    -“Science fantasy with fantastic queer rep” -J.S. Fields, Author of the Ardulum Series
    -“A magic system that is different from so many others and has a unique and realistic way of working.” -Mrs. Y Reviews Books

    Escaping certain death on Earth, Sam is accidentally transported to the Nether, a semi-sentient crystal as big as a planet. He needs to find a way home, but none of the ten alien species who live there have heard of Earth. Even worse, the longer Sam searches, the more his panic attacks keep him from finding answers. Sam must avoid attacks by an ancient genocidal race while he uncovers the reason behind destructive voids assaulting the homeworlds.

    https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B077V2YHKR&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_UtN5Db5CYHC4K&tag=williamctracy-20

  47. Thanks, John,

    LIFE ON VICTORIA SQUARE Volume I (print & ebook formats)
    A companion series to the Victoria Square (cozy) Mysteries. Artisans Alley takes center stage in those books, but the Square’s merchants–and their businesses–are just as intriguing. They all have stories to tell … and that’s what the Life on Victoria Square series is all about.
    So settle back and really get to know the merchants. Learn about their lives, and how life on Victoria Square affects them.

    Amazon: https://is.gd/Mjf5eX
    Barnes & Noble: https://is.gd/kYTcTl
    Books A Million: https://is.gd/uiMjqe
    Book Despository: https://is.gd/VGVOHc
    IndieBound: https://is.gd/xdXwrH
    Kindle US: https://is.gd/n5IVRB
    Kindle Worldwide: http://authl.it/B0813RYJYW
    Apple Books: https://is.gd/8pxnDG
    Kobo: https://is.gd/8nnfka
    Nook: https://is.gd/FCCWBK
    Google Play: https://is.gd/Sz4Tjp

  48. #MeBeingMe by Challa Fletcher
    Jonathan hates everything about the 6th grade: new school, his best friend being at a different school, and now all the labels and bullies his brother warned him about!
    A class assignment gives Jonathan an idea to change everything, but he may have made it worst. Jonathan has to fix everything before the civil war he caused destroys Stone Middle School.

    Get your favorite kid a copy from Amazon:
    https://www.amazon.com/MeBeingMe-Challa-Fletcher/dp/1072803232/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=%23MeBeingMe&qid=1575383841&sr=8-2

    Suitable for elementary, middle and Jr. High school aged students
    Theme: Bullies, Labels, Dealing with Change, Self-Acceptance
    Self-published

    Read the full first chapter at http://www.challafletcher.com/mebeingme

  49. Canadians or friends/family of Canadians — investing for the future is important! You probably knew that part already, and the big question is “how do I invest?” The Value of Simple is a guide to investing that makes it easy for anyone to get started, with specific step-by-step instructions for example Canadian banks and brokerages.

    Amazon link: https://www.amazon.ca/Value-Simple-Practical-Complexity-Investing/dp/0987818937/

    [Americans: unfortunately it’s not as handy for you because the taxes and tax shelters discussed and the step-by-step instructions are specific to Canada.]

  51. The Mysterious Charm series explores people rebuilding their lives and making the world around them just a bit better in the aftermath of the Great War.

    Focusing on the magical community of Great Britain, this romance series can be read in any order. The books tell the stories of those associated with Lord Geoffrey Carillon, who inherited his title in the early 1920s. Readers love the worldbuilding, and describe the books as charming and delightful.

    Learn more about the series at my website. Titles are available on all major ebook platforms.

    Outcrossing: Ponies and smugglers in the New Forest.
    Goblin Fruit: A mysterious and dangerous magical drink.
    Magician’s Hoard: The search for a lost Roman hoard uncovers other mysteries.
    Wards of the Roses: A manor house reappears after several hundred years.

    Just released:
    In The Cards: After a murder at a house party, Galen, Laura, and Galen’s best friend must work together to solve the mystery and protect those they care about.

    Preview In The Cards

  52. “Gritty, fast-paced and compelling!”

    Dark fantasy for fans of mages, monsters, and battles. A broken nation in need of a savior – ravaged by plague, decimated by dark magic, infiltrated by a foreign evil seeking to dominate from within. Three will rise to save the beleaguered land. But will they be enough?

    “An epic tale…”—Library Journal

    Grab book 1 FREE https://books2read.com/fire-and-sword/

  53. Going North to the Pole by Michael Cotton with illustrations by Dakota Cotton.

    I wrote a version of this story in 2010 to read to my two boys on Christmas Eve every year. It is a story about two boys going to the North Pole to ask Santa what he would like for Christmas. What they find out is that they are Santa Claus too.It is a nice little rhyming story and has great pictures done by my niece. It is written for young children and they really seem to like it. I really hope you check it out and enjoy it.

    You can click on the link below or just go to Amazon and search for Going North to the Pole, by Michael Cotton with Illustrations by Dakota Cotton.

    https://www.amazon.com/Going-North-Pole-Michael-Cotton/dp/1503167496/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ROLX5H948BCM&keywords=going+north+to+the+pole&qid=1575384170&sprefix=going+north+to+the%2Caps%2C195&sr=8-1

  54. Thank you for inviting us to share our books, John.

    If you enjoy festive stories full of hope and heart, you’ll love the latest release in this popular holiday series. You’ll find small-town traditions, festive holiday happenings, plenty of friendship, family, and furry friends, mixed with a touch of romance.

    The best-selling author of A Season for Hope, the tale readers describe as the perfect Christmas story, delivers a touching sequel with the second in her Christmas in Silver Falls series in this new festive novella that pairs perfectly with a cup of cocoa in front of a blazing fire.

    Both books are available at Amazon and other book retailers.

  55. What if privacy were outlawed?

    In London in 2025, the Panopticon was turned on. Nearly 30 years later, someone is trying to turn it off again. Are they right? Has the world turned into a dystopia or a utopia?

    A fast-paced action thriller. Funny and thought-provoking. It’s a page-turner – most people read it in one sitting ;-)

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QSW8W9J (US)

    This is my area. I work in the tech industry in London and write and speak on the pace of change and ethical responsibilities of tech. This is a speculative thriller that is not at all speculative: this could happen! I’d love to have you as a reader or just chat to me on Twitter @anne_e_currie

    It’s the first of a series of 3, the third comes out this week. There are reviews on Amazon UK.

    5*: “I loved this book – the world of the Panopticon is a vivid and coherent dystopia that’s so thought-provoking in itself that even without the central story of Lee’s adventure this book would have been utterly engaging.”

  56. #MeBeingMe by Challa Fletcher
    Jonathan hates everything about the 6th grade: new school, no best friend, and now bullies and labels; just like his big brother warned him.
    A class assignment gives Jonathan an idea that could change everything, but he may have made it worst. Jonathan has to fix it all before the civil was he started destroys Stone Middle School.

    Get your favorite kid a copy:
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1072803232/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

    Read the first full chapter at:
    https://www.challafletcher.com/mebeingme

    Suitable for elementary, middle, and Jr. High school aged students.
    Themes: Bully(ing), Labels, Dealing with Change, Self-Acceptance

    Self-published

  57. Thank you, John, for giving us this oppprtunity!

    Two’s Company:
    Medusa “Deuce” Grainger is smart, confident, and as good a pilot as she is a poker player. A freelance shuttle jockey working for an independent terraforming company, she’s left her former life, and her father, behind. Mostly.

    Now, her AI has downloaded another Personality off a wrecked ship, and he’s acting oddly ever since. Someone wants to sabotage her friend’s company out of business, evidence of tampering is being corrupted, and people have died. With an investigation looming that could shut down the company and cut off her main source of income, Deuce needs to figure out what’s going on. And she needs to do it fast, because there’s more at stake than anyone realizes.

    Two’s Company is an action-adventure space opera and is available In paperback or e-book at Amazon, and as an e-book at most online book sellers.

    https://www.amazon.com/Twos-Company-M-Kropp-ebook/dp/B07JCKVQFM/

    Visit my website at; http://www.makropp.com

  58. THE GUINEVERE’S TALE TRILOGY
    USA Today bestselling box set containing Daughter of Destiny, Camelot’s Queen, and Mistress of Legend.

    Game of Thrones meets The Mists of Avalon. Perfect for fans of Marion Zimmer Bradley, Philippa Gregory, George R. R. Martin and Signe Pike.

    Guinevere is remembered for her role as King Arthur’s wife and for her adulterous affair with Lancelot. But there is so much more to her story…

    Priestess. Queen. Warrior. Experience the world of King Arthur through Guinevere’s eyes as she matures from a young priestess who never dreamed of becoming queen to the stalwart defender of a nation and a mistress whose sin would go down in history. Throughout it all, Guinevere faces threats from both foreign powers and within her own court that lead her to place her very life on the line to protect the dream of Camelot and save her people.

    This compendium of Nicole Evelina’s two-time Book of the Year award-winning trilogy – Daughter of Destiny, Camelot’s Queen, and Mistress of Legend – gives fresh life to an age-old tale by adding historical context and emotional depth. Spanning more than three decades, it presents Guinevere as an equal to the famous men she is remembered for loving, while providing context for her controversial decisions and visiting little-known aspects of her life before and after her marriage to King Arthur.

    More info can be found on my website. Titles are available on all major retailers.

  59. For your consideration: two very silly self-published comic books, both available on Amazon.

    MULTIVERSE COMICS AND STORIES is a 106-page, full-color comic. It’s an homage to the best in kids’ comics of the 40’s and 50’s with a vocabulary and sense of humor that’s perhaps a little more sophisticated. The 3 main stories are: “The Case of the Renegade Refrigerator,” featuring Virtual Man and Zeldoid the Cyberdog; “Invasion of the Bozobots,” describing a parallel-earth overrun with bizarre humanoid robots; and “Conversation with a Chimera,” from the case files of Asteroid Stu, the Asteroid Zone’s stellar (and probably only) private eye. This is a zany science-fiction fantasy romp which eschews the usual superhero power plays and violence even as our heroes thwart 2 alien invasions.
    https://www.amazon.com/Multiverse-Comics-Stories-Scott-Spencer-ebook/dp/B07BRCDVM5/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Multiverse+Comics+and+Stories%2C+by+Scott+H+Spencer&qid=1575385641&sr=8-1

    ASTEROID STU AND THE MIND-DUEL is a 54-page, black and white comic.Join ASTEROID STU, the Asteroid Zone’s premier private eye as he matches wits with the sinister CAPTAIN KROOL. Aided by his trusty sidekick, the cybernetically enhanced mutant dachsund, NORBERT the WIENER, and accompanied by EDZL the Nebboid, and QUAKOR, the space-duck and agent of the Galactic Bureau of Investigation, Stu uncovers a dark secret that threatens to destroy the entire solar system! This is a sort-of “prequel” to MULTIVERSE COMICS AND STORIES.
    https://www.amazon.com/Asteroid-Stu-Mind-Duel-Scott-Spencer-ebook/dp/B07HGLKVBF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Asteroid+Stu+and+the+Mind-Duel%2C+by+Scott+H+Spencer&qid=1575387015&sr=8-1

    Both comics have been serialized on my WP website, CHIMERA SPOOR [www.chimeraspoor.online], which has links to the pubs, but no other ads. This will also be the site of a new webcomic, PAUSE & REFLECT COMICS, which will be debuting soon.

  61. As one of the only remaining autistics in the universe, Xandri Corelel has faced a lot of hardship, and she’s earned her place as the head of Xeno-Liaisons aboard the first contact ship Carpathia. But her skill at negotiating with alien species is about to be put to the ultimate test.The Anmerilli, a notoriously reticent and xenophobic people, have invented a powerful weapon that will irrevocably change the face of space combat. Now the Starsystems Alliance has called in Xandri and the crew of the Carpathia to mediate. The Alliance won’t risk the weapon falling into enemy hands, and if Xandri can’t bring the Anmerilli into the fold, the consequences will be dire.Amidst sabotage, assassination attempts, and rampant cronyism, Xandri struggles to convince the doubtful and ornery Anmerilli. Worse, she’s beginning to suspect that not everyone on her side is really working to make the alliance a success. As tensions rise and tempers threaten to boil over, Xandri must focus all her energy into understanding the one species that has always been beyond her: her own.

    High flying Star Trek inspired space opera with an autistic, bisexual heroine and a broad supporting cast, this book is available as e-book or paperback from Amazon, and as e-book from Gumroad. The paperback is also available from Book Depository and other book sellers.

    https://www.amazon.com/Failure-Communicate-Xandri-Corelel-S%C3%B8nderby/dp/9198529706/

  62. Thank you John for letting us post here!

    My book is a Twilight Zone-style buffet of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and steampunk stories that have appeared in venues such as Leading Edge, Kaleidotrope, and the Dreams of Steam anthologies, among others. What are they about?

    In the ruins of a destroyed city, a scientist must solve the riddle of a house that moves backwards in time. During the last days of a dying planet, a celebrity daredevil races up a shimmering river. On a plantation run by clockwork automata, a lowly technician must pit his wits against an insane computer. Decades after the destruction of Earth, the crew of a lonely spacecraft fights to see that one beloved species does not become extinct. In a small town buffeted by storms, a young woman uncovers dark family secrets in a battle between the living and the dead.

    Try it out on Kindle Unlimited for free!

    Some content was stripped by our security filters, but it should be possible for one of your Editors to embed the content for you.

  63. Life in the space lanes isn’t the easiest, but for Trigg Donner, commander of the space freighter Rosebud, it’s more than a steady paycheck–it’s home. But when a routine landing on San Pedro unearths a mystery simmering on his own ship, Trigg comes face to face with his own fears and distrust.

    After spending several years stranded on a distant mining colony, former graduate student Cassandra “Lucky” Luckenbach finally has enough money saved up to catch a spaceship back home to Earth. She boards the Rosebud unaware that she is walking into the middle of a life-altering interstellar conspiracy. Mystery, adventure, and romance await her on the flight home. Before she arrives on Earth, she will be forced to ask herself what it is that she really wants, and who she wants to be.
    ***
    Lucky is a sci-fi space western. Think about all the fun a traditional western story is, and move that to the distant future and in outer space! It has something for everyone: some mystery, some action, a high-speed chase, and even a little romance. It’s my first published novel, but the good news is that the sequel is coming out in January! So you won’t have to wait long to find out what happens.

    Here’s a link to find the book on Amazon, but it’s available to be ordered from your favorite local retailer as well: http://bit.ly/LuckyTheBook

  64. My Steampunk series The Conn-Mann Chronicles (https://theconnmannchronicles.com/about/) is set in 1870s New York for the first four and Ireland for the fifth. Suitable for all ages, it follows a female protagonist who is far too modern for her times and the found family she builds up around her. Light on the Punk, heavy on the fun. Available on Amazon exclusively…for now. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078YG7VTW/?ie=UTF8&keywords=The%20Conn-Mann%20Chronicles&qid=1575388282&ref_=sr_1_4&sr=8-4 (Sorry for the horrid links…I forgot how to post one in a comment…)

    Thank you for the great opportunity to share, John. :)

  65. Thanks, John! Happy Holidays to all!

    My book is a post-apocalyptic adventure in the tradition of Mad Max. You know… mutants, monsters, muscle cars. What else do you need? ;)

    THE WELLER
    Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine it could happen to us…

    In the years since the Twelve-Minute War, the planet has fallen into darkness and chaos. The combined impact of nuclear, biological, and chemical agents has rendered the majority of the world’s fresh water unfit for human consumption. Only the bravest men and women dare to venture out into the desolate wasteland to collect this precious commodity. Matt Freeborn is one such man… a weller.

    The weller’s precious cargo makes him a prime target for attack from savage road pirates, grotesque mutants, and ravenous cannibals. Armed with his grandfather’s trusty sidearm, The Well Digger, Freeborn is fully prepared to handle any of these terrors, but there are still things even the weller fears: the bogeymen of the wastes… distillers.

    A high-octane post-apocalyptic thriller from the author of “Vengeance For My Valentine” and “War of the Worlds: Goliath.”

    A sequel, “The Weller: Fear of the Dark” is coming spring 2020!

    https://www.amazon.com/Weller-Adam-J-Whitlatch-ebook/dp/B016EFQ4KY/

  66. A BAD HAIR DAY COOKBOOK by Nancy J. Cohen
    Enjoy 160+ tasty recipes from Nancy J. Cohen’s popular Bad Hair Day cozy mystery series. Included in this cookbook are excerpts, cooking tips, and anecdotes written by hairstylist and savvy sleuth Marla Vail. From appetizers to desserts, Marla offers cooking tips and tricks along with commentary about the dishes she prepares for her family. Whether you’re a skilled cook or an eager novice, this cookbook will unravel the mystery of cooking. Put on your apron and plan to make some killer recipes. Great addition to your holiday gift bag! https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Hair-Day-Cookbook-Recipes/dp/099979325X/

  67. So. The third book in the Goddess’s Honor Series, Choices of Honor, a non-European high fantasy with strong female characters, came out in August. Book Four will be out in January.

    SOMETIMES VENGEANCE BECOMES MORE COMPLICATED THAN EXPECTED.

    Avenging the death of co-Leader Inharise of the Two Nations appears straightforward at first for Katerin Leader and Rekaré Kinslayer. The curse that killed her points directly to the Witches Council of Waykemin. Therefore, they’re responsible. But as Katerin and Rekaré lead a small avenging force to Waykemin’s capital city of Formis, they discover that things are not quite as they seem.

    At the same time, Waykemin’s overseas ally, Chatain, Emperor of Daran, sends an invading force that Katerin’s daughter Witmara must counter. But is Chatain’s sortie a distraction from the attack on Waykemin, or does it serve a deeper purpose? Katerin must choose between her daughter and the challenge that Waykemin presents—and hope she made the right choice.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WXKLXHW

  69. If you’re looking for a gift for someone that digs Adult Romantic Fantasy, then I’m your author! I’ve currently got two books under that genre (part of a planned trilogy!), Lana’s Awakening, and The Plains of Temstua. The books follow a woman trying to come to grips with the reality of her self and what she was raised to think, and the people she loves. There’s action, kissing stuff, drama, and more! Give me a look, and if you do buy please remember to review (good or bad, I love critique!). Happy Holidays!

  70. I write humorous, often snarky, honest and charmingly romantic novels and have published so many (35+!) that I’m posting my link so you can find them all! The best thing is I offer several free ones (the first in each series) to try them out. And my novel Slim to None is actually free till Thursday because it was a BookBub deal last week. Hugely popular, it was the #1 Kindle bestseller for a week several years ago). https://www.amazon.com/Slim-None-Jenny-Gardiner-ebook/dp/B016OZFUL8/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=slim+to+none&qid=1575389609&s=digital-text&sr=1-3 My novel Sleeping with Ward Cleaver won the American Title III contest (kind of American Idol for books) (thanks for allowing us to share our books!). https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41DwDOPdPFL.jpg

  71. Thanks for the thread!

    If you’re shopping for someone who would like a tense, thoughtful story about true friendship in a time of war, check out Ryswyck:

    TL;DR version of the blurb: In a world scarred by nuclear holocaust, a military academy has been turning out brilliant officers whose fighting skill is exceeded only by devotion to the law of courtesy. Then two of its students uncover a secret that has haunted its founder for twenty years. As scandal threatens Ryswyck Academy, their friendship becomes the linchpin of a perilous solution to their country’s desperate struggle.

    Check out my sticky post introducing the main cast. Sequels are currently in production!

  72. Misery Banana: Very Short Stories Inspired by Old Games and Odd Thoughts is a collection of stories in many genres from sci fi and fantasy to family drama to humor and lame poetry. Each one is loosely (sometimes very loosely) inspired by old Atari video games.

    In the St. Nick of Time is a Santa Claus novel for adults because I thought we needed one. Santa quits and winds up in Santa Claus, Indiana where he meets alien-abductee Dogwater Hunt who is positive there will be an alien invasion on Christmas Eve and Cameron Jones who is a successful writer having a rough time, and the foul-mouthed goldfish hallucination is no help at all. Will these three guys save Christmas? Probably. That’s how these books work. But *how*? You’ll have to read to find out!

    Find out more (about my podcasts too!) and get links to just some of the places to order at: http://www.carnivalofgleecreations.com

  73. My heavily Christmas focused romance novella stories would make the perfect gift for someone looking for ownvoices f/f asexual relationships and ownvoices ADHD women at the forefront of a romance

    Learning Curves, the first book, will be on sale on Kindle for $0.99 from 12/5 to 12/12 – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FDFMGKP
    The sequel, Wrapped Up in You, takes place entirely on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and is also available on Kindle or paperback! – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KPJMD4

  74. Happy Holidays, everyone! And thanks for this opportunity, John.

    THE SKYLARK’S SAGA

    A Saskwyan flight mechanic with uncanny luck, seventeen-year-old Robin Arianhod grew up in the shadow of a decade-long war. But the skies are stalked by the Coyote—a ruthless Klonn pilot who picks off crippled airships and retreating soldiers. And as the only person to have survived an aerial dance with Saskwya’s greatest scourge, Robin has earned his attention.

    As a Pilot, Robin is good. But the Coyote is better. When he shoots her down and takes her prisoner, Robin finds herself locked into a new kind of dance. The possibility of genuine affection from a man who should be her enemy has left her with a choice: accept the Coyote’s offer of freedom and romance in exchange for repairing a strange rocket pack that could spell Saskwya’s defeat, but become a traitor to her country. Or betray her own heart and escape. If she takes the rocket pack and flees, she could end the war from the inside.

    Filled with intrigue, forbidden romance, and a touch of steampunk, The Skylark’s Song and The Skylark’s Sacrifice soar in this new duology from the award-winning author of The Accidental Turn Series.

  75. Looking for an urban fantasy series to sink your teeth into? Enter the world of powerful mage Dr. Alastair Stone as he deals with increasingly horrific magical threats while maintaining his “secret identity as a mundane Occult Studies professor. If you like charming Brits, snarky humor, and strong character development, you’ll love the Amazon-bestselling Alastair Stone Chronicles series. Similar to the Dresden Files, each book is a self-contained story but there’s a long, series-spanning story arc to dig into as well.

    Here’s a link to the first novel. STONE AND A HARD PLACE. Check it out!

  76. Hello! I’m a new self-published author. My first novel, BOOKS & BONE, funded on Kickstarter this March, and I’ve since added 1 novelette and 1 short story to the same world.

    I write what some kindly described as brightdark — my stories revolve around ‘monsters’ or ‘villains’, and have dark fantasy aesthetics, but are hopeful, humourous, and ultimately are light fantasy romps.

    A quick pitch for BOOKS & BONE:

    The family business is raising the dead; Ree has other ambitions. She’s going to resurrect the ancient magic of shapeshifting, but might doom her necromantic hometown in the process. A librarians-and-necromancy fantasy with small town charm in a city of the dead.

    They’re available at most online retailers in either paperback, EPUB or Kindle. General buy links here: https://victoriacorva.xyz/books/

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  77. 2019 was an incredibly productive year for me with four books and four issues of a magazine released. I will try and be brief, but I am, as you might imagine, I am very excited by my accomplishments.

    Three of the books were in my self-published Alternate Reality News Service (ARNS) series. ARNS sends reporters into other dimensions and has them write about what they find there. These books contain news from a universe where the United States of Vesampucceri is the world’s leading idiotocracy, which, as you might guess, is rule by the stupidest people. So, heavily satirical science fiction. Two of the books, E Deplorables Unum and Angels of Our Bitter Nature, contain all new material. The third book, Idiotocracy for Dummies collects those two books and ARNS and the Man, which was published last year, into a single volume.

    In addition to this, the sixth novel in my Multiverse series, Good Intentions: The Multiverse Refugees Trilogy: First Pie in the Face was published by Elsewhen Press, a small British speculative fiction publisher. A universe is collapsing; the Transdimensional Authority decides to relocate as many of the billions of sentient beings who live there to other, stable universes as it can. This is the first book of a trilogy that will deal with the good, the bad and the ugly of the immigrant experience.

    And, as the editor of Amazing Stories magazine, I shepherded four issues of this historical publication into the world.

    All in all, quite the year.

  79. “Holding Onto Day” by E.H. Timms is a cozy winter fantasy tale.

    In a world where everyone is human by day and a fantastical/supernatural creature by night, a queer vampire finds himself snowed in with a disabled genderqueer werewolf, and a friendship begins to blossom over a boardgame.

    One review called it “A very sweet, warm story”.

    iBooks: bit.ly/2QBe2In
    Kobo: bit.ly/2WwVdeM
    B&N: bit.ly/2YVWyta
    Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/940812

  80. Cul-De-Sac: An American Dream, Full Of Nightmares

    Max and Amy Jones wanted a fresh start following the loss their child and an injury ending Max’s football career in the UK so they set off to experience the American Dream. As they settled into the Cul-de-sac they now called home, a weekend of pampering was approaching for the ladies of Vernon’s Place when they headed off to the Belle Vue Spa & Hotel leaving the men with a brand new barbecue and plenty of beers. The fun soon turns into a nightmare as the mysterious man in black begins killing the men off in a gore driven game of who’s next – as their numbers dwindle and suspicion begins to eat away at them, the men prepare to try and take down the man in black and discover why he has chosen them.

    Cul-De-Sac: An American Dream, Full Of Nightmares https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZZB316B/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CXP5DbD58PERR

  81. Small Town Contemporary Christmas Romance!
    Wanted: Women and babies. Where: Shotgun Ridge, Montana. When: As soon as possible!

    A wounded woman and the cowboy determined to save her are about to make the perfect targets for the matchmakers of Shotgun Ridge, Montana.

    https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Shotgun-Ridge-Holiday-Bachelors-ebook/dp/B081DDTFQ3/ref=sr_1_1?crid=19HZW08O8WUHQ&keywords=christmas+in+shotgun+ridge&qid=1575349613&s=digital-text&sprefix=Christmas+in%2Cstripbooks%2C197&sr=1-1

  82. Thanks so much for this opportunity, John!
    —

    Love historical romance? Here are two FREE books for you to enjoy while you’re busy spending your money on everyone else this holiday season!

    (I mean, also feel free to gift them, of course—but don’t you deserve a break?)

    LOST IN TEMPTATION – England, 1815 – Lady Alexandra Chase has always done what was expected of her. But when the man she’s loved since her girlhood returns from a long spell abroad, she quite suddenly finds herself hoping the fine lord her brother has picked for her won’t propose…

    Download free from all major bookstores at http://royall.ink/LostInTemptation/Info

    AMETHYST – London, 1666 – Amethyst makes dazzling jewelry, but her future isn’t as bright as the pieces she creates. In mere days Amy will be condemned to a stifling, loveless marriage, and she sees no way out—until the devastating Great Fire of London lands her in the arms of dashing nobleman Colin Chase.

    Download free from all major bookstores at http://royall.ink/Amethyst/Info

    [Disclosure: Both of these books were originally published traditionally (by Penguin Putnam) before I took them indie. I hope I’m posting them on the right day here.]

  83. The gods are rightfully imprisoned, and Ses intends to keep them that way. But her terrorist father has other plans.

    Unwilling Souls is a pulse-pounding chase through an epic fantasy world full of skull cities, demonic conspiracy, and a necromantic industrial revolution fueled by harvested human souls.

    Ses is the daughter of powerful parents who would very much like to kill one another and who therefore pretend she doesn’t exist. An apprentice jailer of the gods, Ses spends her days learning to forge the tools needed to maintain the gods’ prison.

    When her terrorist father attacks the prison on her sixteenth birthday, Ses is forced to flee after the secret of her parentage is revealed. Suddenly on the wrong side of the law, Ses realizes the very father who abandoned her may be the only one who can protect her.

    But some secrets are darker than parentage. On her way to find her father, Ses will uncover truths about her family and herself that will shatter her understanding of the world and risk the return of the gods themselves.

  84. An award-winning YA SF romance series from a New York Times bestselling author.

    The middle of nowhere gets a lot more interesting for an orphaned astronomy geek when the hot new quarterback inexplicably befriends her and strange things start to happen: her acne clears up, her eyesight improves, and when they touch, sparks fly—literally. The incredible truth will change her mundane life forever—if she survives.

    Available in print and ebook at all vendors. Check out book #1 for free!
    https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B00FDKBXLM&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_0zQ5DbG3A1JWT&tag=brenhiat-20

  85. Scientist Zeke Travers and his team escape a hostile alien attack in an experimental inter-dimensional spacecraft, embarking on a wild and perilous journey through the multiverse. Fans of Firefly and Guardians of the Galaxy will love this snarky, interdimensional page-turner.

    One reviewer proclaimed: “Outstanding debut! Reminiscent of John Scalzi’s glib prose in “The Collapsing Empire” or “Redshirts”, a thoroughly enjoyable space adventure that kept me up late reading “just one more chapter!”

    The Heisenberg Corollary is available at Amazon:
    https://www.amazon.com/Heisenberg-Corollary-Book-Slagmaster-Cycles-ebook/dp/B07S91MYPW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

    .99 this week only! Or get it FREE in KU!

  86. Thank you, Mr. Scalzi, for this opportunity. I’m not so great with self-promotion, but this is my first self-published book, a cyberpunk adventure with probably too much kissing for some folk, which came out in July:

    MORE THAN STARDUST

    Chloe, a self-aware, highly illegal nanorobotic artificial intelligence knows a thing or two about wanting. The growing machine rebellion wants her to become its god. The technocratic global consortium wants to cage her, take her apart, and reverse-engineer her. Her family wants to keep her a secret. Her best friend Garrett just wants her safe.

    Chloe is a thing made of wants. And it’s time the world knew hers.

    https://books2read.com/u/mg0qGv

  87. First, many thanks to John Scalzi for giving of his space for this.

    I write mysteries/capers (think Mission Impossible the 60s series, or Leverage but less zany).

    I have three books out currently:
    Into the Fire (https://www.amazon.com/Into-Fire-Jobs-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B01M5DLYR5/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=pl+hayes+into+the+fire&qid=1575399406&sr=8-1),
    A Dollar Short (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073PZQLLT?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_pwh_calw_1&storeType=ebooks), and
    In For A Pound (https://www.amazon.com/Pound-Odd-Jobs-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B07YR5C8L5/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=pl+hayes+In+for+a+pound&qid=1575399539&s=digital-text&sr=1-1)

    They feature the same (mostly) cast of main characters, and are set in the modern era (the first is set in 2008).

  89. Love SF/F, but tired of the same old tropes? Me too.

    When I started writing my own epic series, I decided that I’d take every single fantasy trope I could find and flip it, reverse it, or somehow turn it inside out — while having it still work in the story.

    For example: You know how in fantasy novels there always seems to be a mysterious, secretive order? An ancient organization with a deep store of knowledge, arcane wisdom forbidden to any but their own members? And never (well, almost never) revealed to the simple, unworthy common folk?

    Now, what’s the opposite of that? The exact opposite?

    Meet the Steerswomen.

    The Steerswoman Series has four volumes so far, and more on the way: The Steerswoman, The Outskirter’s Secret, The Lost Steersman, and The Language of Power.

    Here’s what some very smart people say about the books:

    Hugo and Nebula winner Jo Walton (Among Others, My Real Children, Lent): “If you haven’t read Kirstein’s Steerswoman books I envy you the chance to read them now for the first time… I think they have a very good claim to be my favorite thing still being written… These books really are terrific fun to read.”

    Science writer and actual physicist Chad Orzel (How to Teach Physics to Your Dog, Breakfast with Einstein): “Maybe the best depiction of the process of science I’ve encountered in fiction is the Steerswoman series… It’s a joy to watch the scientific reasoning process Rowan follows, and the plots have plenty of excitement as well.”

    Damien Broderick & Paul Di Filippo, in Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010: “[Kirstein] walks the tightrope between fantasy and science fiction with precision and grace… [her] compassion for even minor characters is evident on every page, and her prose is measured and alluring without being overworked.”

    When the trad-pub versions of these went out of print, I got the rights back and re-released the series myself, in both paperback and ebook formats.

    They can be bought from any reputable seller, but to make things easy, here’s the link to Amazon.com:

    https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Rosemary+kirstein+steerswoman&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

  90. Aww! Thank you so much for this!
    I have two books out on the same universe. They are also on sale until December 5th!

    First a cyberpunk thriller featuring a nonbinary protagonist:
    Nara just wants to live a nice quiet retirement after a career as a mercenary in the Underworld. Her plans are thwarted when the unconscious body of the heir of the Galavantier Biotech Corp lands at her feet. The same corporation that has the largest price on her head. Whatever will she do?
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B4R1XRJ

    The sequel is also out now!

  93. Atoms for Peace collects 12 stories (all previously published) set in a world where 1950s SF movies are everyday reality. Atlas Shagged collects some unrelated, mostly humorous stories, all but the title Ayn Rand parody previously published. Both available in ebook and paperback from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other vendors.

  95. TATTOO – Foreword Indie’s Finalist for Fantasy – is novella told backwards. The beginning of the book is the end of the story, but don’t skip to the end… just yet.

    Judgment Day was not as advertised. Instead of fire and wrath, our histories suddenly began to appear as tattoos on our skin. An unmarked young woman appears in this cynical age. Why is she here … and will she survive long enough to achieve her purpose?

    https://www.amazon.com/Tattoo-Michelle-Rene-ebook/dp/B07967F9V9/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1575402670&sr=8-1

  96. Falstaff Books published my debut novella ALUMINUM LEAVES, this summer. In this portal fantasy, Erin, fleeing deadly fire elementals, crashes into the world of Trevian Langtree. Together, they must vanquish the elementals, decipher the cryptic book that Erin carries and stop an invasion of all the elemental worlds. Along the way, they struggle with culture clashes and unquestioned assumptions. The story’s filled with charmed metals, elemental creatures and some nasty parasitic monsters. Enjoy!

    https://falstaffbooks.com/catalog/shattered-queen/aluminum-leaves-a-broken-cities-novella/

  97. Here’s a book with English professor and his grad student, taking a motorcycle road trip across Nevada against the injustices of Financial aid! A book full of adventure and mayhem, book burning cult, and the Burning Man arts festival. Guaranteed to make you laugh!*

    Available in paperback and digital on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Throttling-Bard-Jay-Barry-ebook/dp/B00642W1VE/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1575331765&sr=1-1

    *This is not a guarantee, checks will not be honored, chances of winning are astronomical. I’ve got my eye on you!

  98. “Peavley Manor (Or, Introducing Macalley)”! Alice Peavley, a young heiress, must learn to cope with everyday life in small town Darbyfield. A disastrous concert, a chaotic baking competition, and a plot to steal her riches all await. Fortunately, she has help from new friends and her brainy gnome valet Macalley. With a bit of luck and a good pot of tea, Alice just might muddle through! Fantasy, steampunk, and humor blend in this entertaining novel! https://amzn.to/3825FOm

  99. Going to Heaven was the worst thing that ever happened to Jake Altford. Escaping Heaven is a darkly comedic novel about a nobody working a dead-end job, living a dead-end life, who learns that death is just the kick start he needed to get a new beginning. After the kind of day that would break anyone’s spirits, Jake dies and is taken up to Heaven by a Cherub named Bob. Once there, however, Jake discovers that Heaven is nothing like the brochure (which Bob gives him when he arrives). Long lines, endless paperwork, interviews … all before he even gets into Heaven itself. Once inside, things only keep going downhill. He finds himself looking at an eternity of torture – nothing but macaroni paintings and arts & crafts therapy. So he does what any sane person in his place would do – he decides to break out. Pursued by a multitude of angels, including one with “Born to Kill” etched into his halo, Jake cons, bluffs and just generally out-thinks everyone he meets, freed from his old life by a new-found defiance. As he goes, he finds himself making new allies inspired by his radical ideas, as he tries to make his way back to Earth. Busting out of Heaven, it seems, may turn into the best thing that ever happened to him.

    I’d love for my first self-published book to find more of an audience and hope you’ll consider picking up a copy. https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B00B2H80BG&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_FwS5DbE00TSGC

  102. Historic Nonfiction: Stories in the End recounts the stories told to me around my grandfather’s kitchen table: stories of growing up in the 1920s, of joining the Navy to “See the World” only to have his ship attacked at Pearl Harbor, of trying to build a family after the war was over, of growing old and seemingly apart from society and finding friendship nonetheless. Also features a photo gallery!

    https://amzn.to/2K9sAxs

    I’ve sold 80 books, done 2 interviews, and landed a speaking engagement by shouting “I wrote this, please buy it” into the void.

  103. Is someone on your list looking for a short fiction collection filled with ghosts, monsters, revenge, new spins on old tales, wronged women and really bad jobs? Perhaps my collection UNFINISHED BUSINESS: TALES OF THE DARK FANTASTIC (Queen of Swords Press 2019) might fit the bill! Available on all major platforms and at your local indie bookstore – https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781732583368

    How about a novel about menopausal werewolves and coming out at midlife? SILVER MOON (Queen of Swords Press 2017) is also available on all platforms and at your local indie – https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781732583368

    Finally, how about 11 tales of the queer fantastic? OUT OF THIS WORLD: QUEER SPECULATIVE FICTION STORIES (Queen of Swords Press 2017) might be what you’re looking for! Journey to distant planets, encounter angry ghosts, go on a quest for the Norns and meet Shakespeare’s sister, Judith on your way to finding joy. Vampires, swordswomen, witches, the Queen of the Fay and even the occasional gentleman of the evening populate these stories rich and strange.
    Available on all platforms and at your local indie – https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780998108230

  104. Nazis versus Shoggoths! Jack the Ripper and ritual magic! Immortal wizards, seductive vampires, and Operation Valkyrie. It’s all here in Asamatsu Ken’s collection Kthulhu Reich, translated from the Japanese by Jim Rion. The nine stores in this anthology offer a unique, weird, and thrilling experience at the intersection of H. P. Lovecraft, Dennis Wheatley, and Indiana Jones, with a dash of Edogawa Rampo for good measure.
    Read more from the publisher, Kurodahan Press: https://www.kurodahan.com/wp/e/catalog/9784909473035.html

    Print on Demand paperbacks and e-books available worldwide!
    Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Lgi9YG
    Book Depository: https://bit.ly/2DGTtoh
    B&N: https://bit.ly/2P5I1YG

  105. For the hard SF fan who’d like to pilot a rocketship, Torchship tells of a freighter crew dealing with poachers, bounty hunters, and killer robots to get the job done.

    For the historical reenactor who’d like an excuse to use those weapons for real, The Lost War flings a camp of reenactors into a world with orcs, dragons, and other nasties.

  106. Radiant Souls is a poetry collection with themes of healing, identity, relationships and self love! It’s full of sapphic pieces and is all around queer as hell. Great for your gay cousin. Unless you are the gay cousin. Then treat yourself.

  107. Two soul-eating demons, two magicians in peril, two old women on the warpath… for demonologists from the Royal Academy at Osyth, this is what you expect during summer vacation. For Detective Ric Massey, it’s far more than he ever expected. And for Lilian Oldham and Mama Simone, it’s magic, heartbreak, and adventure… this is the third Royal Academy novel and my ‘old ladies rock’ book.

    Available from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Swept-Garnished-Patricia-S-Bowne-ebook/dp/B00NI0NZMY/ and in paperback from Lulu at http://www.lulu.com/shop/patricia-s-bowne/swept-and-garnished-a-royal-academy-at-osyth-novel-book-3/paperback/product-21842456.html

    Find out all about the Royal Academy books and stories, plus an assortment of useful physiology tutorials, at http://www.raosyth.com

  108. EMRYS by James Yeager is available in paperback and eBook on Kindle.

    Kevin would find love at the end of the world.

    When the handsomely enigmatic and quirky Emrys appears in the small mountain community of Cooper Glen, Montana, Kevin’s quiet life as manager of the last movie rental store on Earth turns upside down once he discovers all it will take to save the world and get the guy is face down secrets and grudges from his own past…

    …And survive the malevolent supernatural forces pouring in from an interdimensional portal, a marauding dragon, an apocalypse, and—the most dangerous challenge yet—his best friend, Aidan.

    Oh yeah, and unravel the mystery behind it all.

    Natch.

    https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B07N53WWC9&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_x.U5DbEY78E6Z

  111. Thanks so much for the platform, John.

    If you dig John’s work, I think you’ll like mine. The Solitary Apocalypse is Book 1 in my first series, looking at a small North Georgia town that is, as far as they know, the last organized colony left on Earth following a worldwide plague. The story goes into some dark places, dealing in themes of isolation, oppression, and the intoxication of power. Here’s the URL:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075627CJ9/

  112. IN MY BLUE WORLD
    by Jon Chaisson

    Zuzannah is not your typical magical girl.

    Diana Meeks had planned to spend a few relaxing weeks camping in the hills above town with her sisters Katie and Allie, and Katie’s boyfriend Greg. But this will be no ordinary vacation. On the trail to their cabin, the air is suddenly split in two by a blinding light and the blade of a katana, and a young woman spills through the tear, fainting from exhaustion.

    Zuzannah is a girl from a future world where the powers of magic are an everyday occurrence…and where her pursuer has amassed most of it for his own nefarious ends. Zuze is committed to stopping him at any cost, and has crossed the weave of time in a desperate bid to regain her own strength and search for help…and she’s found it in Diana and her sisters. But are they up to the task?

  113. Some content was stripped by our security filters, but it should be possible for one of your Editors to embed the content for you.

    If you’re a fan of Star Wars, Firefly, Babylon 5 & Farscape you’ll love my sci-fi book Where Weavers Daire (WWD). WWD is full of magic, mortals&machines 🌌☄️🧟‍♀️⚔️🚀🔫👨‍🚀🛸

    It’s book 1 in a new series. Book 2 will be available next year.

    Where Weavers Daire is available everywhere.

    Check out http://www.books2read.com/weaversdaire for all the listings.

  114. I’m a queer indie self pub author of urban fantasy (villain/heroes), and other fantasy books! My series Masks is a grump/sunshine villain/hero romance, and my newest book is a gay pirate/merman romance fantasy treasure hunt adventure with lots of slapstick!

    Links to all my books at amarajlynn.wordpress.com

  115. Book I of The Age of Invention:
    FIRE ALOFT – Revenge of the Aero-Pyrates

    Steampunk adventure in he old west! Tired of losing money and goods to the famous air pirate Captain Gallagher, shipping Baron Thom Maguire has hired a former Confederate air admiral to hunt them down. Now Gallagher finds himself pursued by an overwhelming force led by the infamous Garrett “Butcher” Prescott, the man he blames for his brother’s death, and the beautiful and accomplished Justine Arthurs, an airship pilot, former Pinkerton agent and Union spy. Gallagher thinks he’s got a plan that will bring down the Valkyrie, Prescott’s massive dreadnaught. What he doesn’t know is that the chief engineer on the Valkyrie is his long lost brother.

    https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Aloft-Aero-Pyrates-Rev-DiCerto/dp/1948929228/

    Sign up on our mailing list for additional Age of Invention novellas, short stories, and related material: https://theageofinvention.com/

  116. I published a chapbook of short stories this year! From the blurb:

    A spy searches for meaning and survival. A gay couple and their community confront an external threat. Two men wait for the shuttle off-planet. A young boy loses a friend in a small town whose residents are slowly being replaced by robots. These are four stories on the edge between the present and the future.

    https://www.amazon.com/Fieldcraft-Stories-Between-Present-Future/dp/1070735418/

    Also non-Amazon buying options: https://kellansparver.com/books/fieldcraft/

  117. Many thanks for this opportunity, John. I’ve called this story contemporary fantasy but it could equally be magical realism. It’s a bit of a mixture. Hope someone enjoys it.

    Johan Lutz is visiting a family friend in London when he gets a call from the British Organized Crime Directorate. They’ve captured a courier for the Twelve, a shadowy organization in the Balkans which Lutz, an Interpol magistrate, has on a watch list. The head of the OCD, Charles Braithwaite, quickly becomes a confidante and the two men start hunting the organization.
    Unfortunately, the Twelve start hunting back. But Lutz has resources outside Interpol which can do things modern law enforcement cannot; would not.
    Dr Neil Carlisle has spent most of his adult life attempting to explain Druidic lore in scientific terms; something religious organizations frown upon severely. When his funding is pulled suddenly, his life’s work looks ruined. Until Hilde Nordstrom offers him and his team a life line; with conditions, of course.
    Science and mythology form a curious blend which frightens Carlisle perhaps even more than a failed academic career. And the very intimidating Miss Nordstrom is a friend of Johan Lutz’s mother, one of those unusual resources which can work wonders.
    The interlocking stories weave a tapestry of conspiracies, greed and concealed violence leading to a climactic battle in the back streets of New York.

    https://www.amazon.com/SHEHKRii-Flame-I-D-Martin-ebook/dp/B07WVRYMPT/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Shehkrii&qid=1575432473&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

  118. Tis the season for Christmas Romance!

    Enjoy 2 stories in 1 volume.

    CHRISTMAS MAGIC: Magically sweet romance.

    https://books2read.com/christmasmagicbarany

    BOOK #1:  A CHRISTMAS FLING
    Sent to finish her education among the humans, she was a Christmas elf determined to make the best toy. Looking for a date for the Christmas party, he was a financial analyst striving to advance his career. Could they find love in A Christmas Fling?

    BOOK #2: A CUPCAKE CHRISTMAS
    He was a Christmas elf determined to learn wonderful baking recipes among the humans; she was a cupcake entrepreneur struggling to handle her growing business. Would they cook up something special before he had to return home to the North Pole in A Cupcake Christmas? 

  119. Many thanks for this opportunity, Mr. Scalzi.

    This year I published three new original romance novels (they are about other things too, but love stories above all) and expanded two novellas into full-length novels, all in my The L.A. Stories series. The hardest of these to write was THE GHOST OF CARLOS GARDEL. It’s not a ghost story. :-)

    It’s about a group of my characters making a low-budget indie film that happens to be about Carlos Gardel (an early and eternal star of Argentine tango), so it’s also about music and dancing and acting. Above all, it’s a love story.

    https://smile.amazon.com/Ghost-Carlos-Gardel-Alexandra-Caluen/dp/1733721134/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+ghost+of+carlos+gardel&qid=1575434665&sr=8-1

  121. One moment he was in the fields of France in 1916, the next he was 800,000 years in the future, lost on an Earth filled with strange creatures from the prehistoric past and the unimaginable future, controlled by the children of Men, returned from the stars. There was only one similarity: War. Now he must decide: Return to the past where he belongs to fight for his country, or remain in the future to fight for his planet? Whatever his choice, he will lose. https://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Future-Trilogy-Box-Set-ebook/dp/B07LB4BL4J/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+invisible+city+lowe&qid=1575445500&s=books&sr=1-1

  122. The starstream is beautiful. But beauty turns deadly when an ancient AI bent on destruction uses it to travel uptime, to humanity’s future. The Reefs of Time is Part 1 of a long-awaited new chapter in my hard-SF series, The Chaos Chronicles. The sequence concludes with Part 2, Crucible of Time, by Jeffrey A. Carver.

    The first four volumes of the series were originally published by Tor. The new books, and new editions of the first four, are out this year under my own imprint in association with Book View Cafe–and are available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook. Audiobooks are coming along, narrated by the award-winning Stefan Rudnicki; books 1-3 are available now.

    https://www.starrigger.net/books/chaos/the-reefs-of-time/
    https://www.starrigger.net/books/chaos/crucible-of-time/
    https://www.starrigger.net/audiobooks/

    Thanks, John! I’m not sure how to add the cover images here. Do you handle that?

  123. The Heavenfield series

    Hailed as a “modern-day classic of science fiction”, The Heavenfield is a dark science-fiction thriller set within a British experimental research facility, involving clandestine government agencies, supernatural forces, and alternate realities.

    Part spy novel, part sci-fi thriller with ominous and mysterious undercurrents, The Heavenfield has been described as “thought-provoking, a compelling story with strong elements of allegory, beautiful, and mesmerizing”.

    “Some of the finest audio-fiction I’ve ever listened to.” (Evo Terra, Founder of Podiobooks)

    Some content was stripped by our security filters, but it should be possible for one of your Editors to embed the content for you.

    https://www.audible.com/author/I-G-Hulme/B005KQTIBQ

  125. AN HONEST BUCK is book 7 of the SEALed With A Kiss military romantic suspense series.

    Dr. Melinda Emerson has had her fill of international intrigue. She’s eager to get back to work on a cure for Alzheimer’s, and a normal life with her boyfriend, Buck. But when her flight home from a conference in Houston is delayed, she rents a car and offers a ride to another stranded traveler, landing herself right back into the thick of danger.

    Grady “Buck” McCormick is ready to propose to his girlfriend Mindy. He’s been carrying a velvet ring box in his pocket for weeks waiting for the perfect moment to do it. When his teammates give him crap for waiting, he decides he’ll pop the question as soon as she’s back from Houston. When she disappears on the way home, he’ll risk anything—even his SEAL career—to go after her.

    Melinda is dragged to middle-of-nowhere Mexico by yet another Russian mobster where she tries to escape, but when he discovers his boss wants to get his hands on her for killing his brother, he’s more than happy to sell her for a profit. Meanwhile, Buck and his friends scour the Mexican desert in a frantic search to find her. They catch up in a public plaza in Mazatlán where Buck has to choose: Risk his honor and everything he’s worked for to save the woman he loves, or protect American interests and allow Mindy to be sold off to Russia where he can never follow.

    https://amzn.to/2xo4O9m

  127. Thanks for the opportunity, and all the best for the festive season!

    What if paranormal powers were transmissible, but their recipients deemed cursed and imprisoned as a threat to society?

    In A Quiet Rebellion: Guilt, a man’s conscience leads him into trouble when he opposes a corrupt official.

    Complete mannerpunk trilogy now available as well as a freebie short story sampler. See https://mhthaung.com/books/ for more details.

  128. I’m late to the list this year, due to a nasty weekend of flu! My apologies!

    In any case, my new book THIEVES’ CASTLE is out and available for the holidays!

    Described in reviews as “As rich and as vibrant in detail as any of Shakespeare’s plays, Thieves’ Castle has it all — warring houses, intrigues, violence, love, death, a spymaster, & a plot that will keep you up until late into the night”

    If you love historical fiction that likes to hang about in ale-soaked taverns, muddy streets and fetid back-alleys where cold-steel by lantern light offers redemption or grim death by turns… then you’ll want to read THIEVES’ CASTLE (and the first book THE JESUIT LETTER).

    Here’s the book info (below) and a link to Amazon: amzn.to/2m6u6GX

    Kit Tyburn, ex-soldier turned play-actor and part-time intelligencer for the Queen’s spymaster Francis Walsingham, is back in London and adrift. Penniless, cut loose from both his playing troupe and his mercurial employer, Tyburn is hired to track down a missing gold-seller who has vanished, along with the monies needed for the completion of London’s first permanent theatre.

    But London’s dark and fetid back-alleys hide deadly secrets, as Tyburn uncovers a more treacherous game – a war between two noble houses that pulls him into a murderous conflict on the streets, a deadly Spanish conspiracy and a twisted thief-lord chasing her vengeance.

    Thanks and enjoy the holidays!

  129. Thanks for letting me talk about TOOTH FAIRIES AND JETPACKS. It’s a children’s book aimed at ages 5-8 and encourages a love of science. This is the story of two sisters who learn about the world of tooth fairies, and how they’re really all scientists and engineers. When one of the fairies disappears, the girls will have to think quickly to solve the mystery. “…A charming tale perfect for young children filled with questions. Its storyline encourages inquiry and builds enthusiasm for science.”

    https://amzn.to/2rVrA9g

  131. Happy holidays, book readers! Allow me to introduce THE SANTA PROJECT, a queer holiday romance available from Dreamspinner Press.

    Working at the Craft Emporium keeps Adam Martinez busy during the holiday season he absolutely hates. Enter elementary schoolteacher David Okoye, who can’t get enough of Christmas or craft supplies. David is cute, wholesome, and Adam can’t deny a little bit of a crush.

    Making the holidays special for his students is only part of the reason David makes excuses to go to the Craft Emporium. He also holds a torch for Adam. He takes it as a personal challenge to show Adam how to enjoy the holidays when he asks Adam to teach him to knit. David promises the holidays can be wonderful when shared with the right people, but how can they share them when David is going home to his family and Adam will be left all alone?

    https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/the-santa-project-by-elinor-gray-11534-b

  132. Available for Kindle, in paperback, and now as an audiobook: Force Majeure

    Magic…and murder?

    Reclusive witch Hulda van Dusen has spent the last five years hiding at home with her beloved grandpapa, but suddenly, he’s gone, and the circumstances don’t add up. A series of monstrous, magical attacks makes it clear: Someone wants her dead, too.

    But Hulda’s a fighter and has magic of her own, as do her genius brother and pyromaniac sister. And putting the puzzle together with the help of some new friends might just teach her how to live again…if it doesn’t kill her first.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QQVLZPF

  133. Thanks, John! Here’s my queer, interracial holiday romance novella, A NEW YEAR ON VEGA III.

    On the colony planet Vega III, everyone knows Beck—outgoing, fabulous, and genderqueer—and nobody notices Anil, the quiet plant biologist. But when Anil finds Beck hiding in his greenhouse, lonely and missing Earth, it’s Anil who is able to comfort Beck by letting them talk about what they miss most—the feeling that comes with celebrating the holidays with loved ones, especially New Year’s Eve.

    ​The two of them are drawn to one another, but both of them are hiding secrets about their sexuality. With trust between them already on shaky ground, Anil’s elaborate plans to cheer Beck may well backfire.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077RZ6YZQ

  134. Bob was a sausage, a tube stuffed with meat.
    He didn’t have hands and he didn’t have feet.
    He did have a tongue and he did have some skin,
    But the tongue wasn’t his and his skin was stretched thin.

    Join Bob in his adventure across the hazardous wilds of the kitchen. GASP as he skirts disaster at the hands of a reformed fork. THRILL as he achieves powered flight – the first sausage to do so (not counting the Great Chipolata Catapult Hoax of 1902 at Kitty Hawk) – and STAND BACK IN GOBSMACKED INCREDULITY as he…has a bath. In eggs.

    Fun for all ages. Though I’d say once you hit 40 or so, the shine goes off it.

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bob-Sausage-Alan-Heal-ebook/dp/B07NXV9YGR/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=bob+the+sausage&qid=1575537998&sr=8-1

  135. Improbable Press tells stories by and about women, people of colour, LGBTQIA+, and more.

    Whether the protagonists are two robots and a differently-abled human, a black ace person and a pansexual ghost, a trans white woman and a neurodivergent Asian man, Improbable Press is about banishing stereotypes, one book at a time.

    Sure, our characters deal with darkness and maybe their happily ever after is as simple as moving hand-in-hand through a post-apocalyptic world—the key is that every book Improbable Press publishes gives its characters adventure, romance, and ends with hope!

  136. BLOOD by John Bruni
    Mickey Scarlet is a man who, as a child, had a beast beaten into him by his father. As an adult he uses this beast to help him survive as a cop and later as an ex-convict, but that’s not easy when Lucifer Robinson offers to keep him on retainer for any number of illegal acts he needs performed. Mickey has no idea who is really in charge of this enterprise, but he finds himself lost in a phantasmagorical world filled with monsters and lowlifes while all he wants to do is find his estranged wife so he can finally meet his child.
    Available now on Amazon.

  137. FIENDS OF THE HUB by JS Carter Gilson
    Detective Brooke Scanlon may be one of the best detectives in the Boston Police Major Crimes division, but nothing prepared her for the horror in East Boston. Dozens of mutilated bodies and just a single, dead suspect, facts which don’t jibe with nearly identical attacks happening across the country. Vampires are the farthest thing from Scott Reid’s mind. He just wants to marry his fiancée Margie and settle down for a nice, normal, quiet life. Life has other plans in mind. As more bodies pile up, circumstance draws them into a dangerous web where the supernatural is suddenly all too real. Vampires are attacking, hungry, vicious, and wild. Soon, Scott and Brooke are fighting to save Boston from its greatest threat ever.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0794CXQDC

  138. Kismet

    The River: a hodgepodge of arcologies and platforms in a band around Ceres full of dreamers, utopians, corporatists and transformed humans, from those with simple biomods to the exotic alien xenos and the totemics, remade with animal aspects. Gail Simmons, an itinerant salvor living aboard her ship Kismet, has docked everywhere totemics like her are welcome…and a few places they’re not.

    But when she’s accused of stealing a databox from a mysterious wreck, Gail lands in the crosshairs of corporations, governments and anti-totemic terrorists. Finding the real thieves is the easy part. To get her life back, Gail will have to face her past—and what’s at stake may be more than just her future.

    “It’s a fun, action-filled story set against a fascinating and well-realized background, and Gail is as smart and feisty as a C. J. Cherryh heroine. Below the surface, there’s enough social commentary to make for a fairly complex morality tale, with plenty of echoes of today’s world.” — Don Sakers, Analog Science Fiction

    “A solid space thriller set in an intriguing environment.” — Cat Rambo, The Green Man Review

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MY02OXB/

  139. Visions of doom. A growing evil. A new hero emerges as old alliances unravel.

    Plucked from space and raised in a star-city of androids, impetuous Galla-Deia looks human but is not. Chosen to stop the dual threats of a galactic natural disaster and a malevolent alien entity, she must grow as a commander and gain the trust of both humans and non-humans alike. Unknown to her, the entity draws zealots to its cause, destabilizing interstellar order, and threatening all life in the galaxy.

    Welcome to Ephemeris: The Questrison Saga: Book Two, sequel to Heliopause, in this planned four-book space opera series! Book Three arrives in 2020.

    “Ephemeris is a great follow-up to Helliopause. Again there is a fast-pace and interesting twists. And the world-building was first rate. Looking forward to following where this goes.” — Jonathan Maberry, New York Times Bestselling Author of V-WARS and RAGE

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999408240

  140. I do want to read the Light at the Bottom of the World- that one looks so good! And good luck to Bentley and Callie! Hope everything goes well for both of them!! Poor things!

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Whatever Holiday Gift Guide 2023!

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