Free (Smashwords) Seer's Blood by Doranna Durgin [Appalachian Adventure Fantasy]

[ATDrake]

So it looks like the immediate effects of Paypal's ultimatum to Smashwords can be seen in the KDP Select exclusive-or-else slushpile, which has had an... interesting influx of stuff this morning.

But I don't know who'd bother with paying for fictional pseudo-incest when you can get fictional "real" incest for free just by hitting up the Supernatural tv show fandom, which tangentially has provided me with surprisingly quality entertainment over the years for a show I'll never ever watch, even though it's filmed in Vancouver, via the antics which make it to Fandom W*nk, which are best described in paraphrase as being about as sane as guano and probably more fun to watch than the actual series.

Anyway, we have a nice sf/fantasy backlist treat this morning, not from the slushpile, which is full of "everyone's got a porno", but instead via Smashwords itself.

Seer's Blood by Doranna Durgin was originally published sometime in the early 2000s by Baen Books, for whom it used to be part of one of their monthly Webscription bundles.

When Durgin decided to go the self-pub route and pull her books for an exclusive (rather than still distributing through Baen but handling the other venues herself, which is what some of the other Baen-available authors/imprints have done), it did leave a nasty gap in those monthly bundles (some of which I had slated for eventual purchase), which mostly haven't had their prices adjusted to compensate for the missing book.

However, she does sell her books DRM-free, and seems to have stopped yanking them from Smashwords to KDP Select exclusivise, and she does hold sales for her novels at 99 cents occasionally and also occasionally offer them for free, as she does right now, so it could be worse and I personally think she's not doing too badly and if there's a decent sale on the Smashwords stuff during Read an E-Book Week, I might pick something up.

Anyway, this looks like an Appalachian-set coming-of-age mysterious-stranger-comes-to-aid-besieged-village kind of fantasy, and it's generously offered free to all worldwide and in whatever format they need for a limited time @ Smashwords, courtesy of the author herself. May be price-matched at SW-distributed outlets (Sony has it, last I checked).

Durgin's short story which ties into her previously-offered Baen-published Celtic fantasy temp-SW-freebie is also still free to all via Smashwords: Hair of the Dog

Description
When Blaine Kendricks discovers strangers in Shadow Hollers, she thinks they've come to trade. She couldn't be more wrong.

When Dacey Childers comes to Shadow Hollers, Blaine's family thinks he's there to hunt game. They couldn't be more wrong.

When the Annekteh come to Shadow Hollers, they think the isolated community living there has no way to resist their invasion.

They're pretty much right on target.

But the last man of the lost seer's blood has returned, and is about to draw Blaine into his magic, his adventure...and the most dangerous hunt she could ever imagine.

The more interesting-looking/recognizably-credentialed-authored mostly non-porno parts of the slushpile below. Not sorted, though I did move some of the personally more interesting stuff to the top.

Lots of repeats. I think the novelty value of KDP Select exclusive-or-else one-vendor-lock-in is starting to wear off for some of the initial participants, but as P.T. Barnum put it, there's a new sucker born every minute.

Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris offer a short tie-in story to their HarperCollins-published Ministry of Peculiar Occurences steampunk adventure series, the 1st volume of which I bought during HC's introductory 99 cent holiday sale but still have not read: Aladdin and His Wonderfully Infernal Device Their host imprint, ImagineThat! studios, offers at least 4 assorted sf/fantasy/horror/speculative short stories including another Ministry story by another author, free to all via Smashwords (may or may not be pricematched elsewhere).

In 1985, something called Popular Library mass market paperbacked Kathryn Lance's "post-holocaust romantic adventure novel set in the late 21st century" which the blurb claims has nods from the Locus Recommended List and those Romantic Times Awards: Pandora's Children Disturbingly, this looks to have been originally picked up for re-publication by e-Reads, a rather nice backlist republishing company run by a former literary agent with a generally quite good vetted selection, especially of reasonable quality sf/fantasy/crime backlist, offered DRM-free across every store which used to list the DRM status and couponable via Fictionwise if you want to get anything using the 55% off coupon this weekend (they've some brand-new vintage Robert Silverberg with intros by the author himself). Now it seems it's been yanked for KDP Select exclusive-or-else, with-or-without-DRM.

Thanks for making me even more paranoid about my FW wishlist which I think this may have actually been on at some point, given that I somehow recognized the author's name. Anyway, linkage to e-Reads' remaining FW catalogue if you're interested in buying their stuff (though frankly, you're better off looking up the authors/genres you want directly at the e-Reads website and then adding to cart).

It turns out that I.J. Parker, whose historical Japan warring-states-period drama I'd previously included as an interesting looking self-pub that's rarely seen in English-language fiction is actually also published by St. Martin's Minotaur (and has previously KDP-freebied a Japan-set sleuthy mystery). So here's the final book in her trilogy if you picked up the first one: Dust Before the Wind (Hollow Reed)

Patti Frazee's bio says she has received an honourable mention from a specified lesbian foundation's emerging writer prize fund and she teaches creative writing at some specified higher education institution down in the States. In 2006, long-running notable LGBT specialty print house Alyson published her historical literary fiction debut novel set among traveling performers in the: Cirkus

Minor ISFDBed Lee Moan returns with a mini-collection of horror shorts and some kind of whimsical sfnal sleuthy mystery set in an AU 1920s which actually looks kind of interesting: Linkage for them both

James Bibby repeats his 1996 Gollancz-paperbacked fantasy spoof: Ronan the Barbarian

ISFDBed Iain Rowan repeats his collection of sf/fantasy/horror shorts: Ice Age

Harlequin-pubbed Carol Grace offers another romance: The Prince's Nanny

Laura Leone has not only been published by Harlequin, her bio also claims that she's the pen name of an award-winning fantasy writer, and IIRC, this is in fact the pen name of previously-title-featured Laura Resnick. Here's a romantic comedy previously-pubbed by Harlequin's Silhouette line: Untouched By Man: Mastersons in Paradise #1

Probably self-pub fellow Canadian Cindy Bouchard repeats a volume of her BC-set historical family saga if you've been collecting it: Dream Castles 1913 (Princes of the North)

Annette Blair repeats a 2003-Zebra volume of her historical Regency romance series: Unmistakable Rogue (The Rogues Club, Book Three)

Scottish writer John McKenzie's 1986 small pressed apocalyptic disaffected youth-turns-to-weird-crime novel was adapted for BBC Radio, and he's also got a self-pub YA children's sf/fantasy adventure book: Linkage for them both, watch out for the Prime "free" lending thing.

Zebra-published Kate Silver returns with a contemporary romance: Three Times a Bridesmaid

Bill Crider, whom I seem to remember having included earlier, offers a mini-collection of two shorts, one of which he says was nominated for an Edgar award from the Mystery Writers of America: Raining Willie & Cranked: Two Texas Tales

Valerie Douglas who writes as V.J. Devereaux for Ellora's Cave offers a fantasy siege warfare probably-romance: Song of the Fairy Queen

I seem to recall including Judith K. Ivie earlier, as her publisher Mainly Murder looked like a small imprint with at least a few authors in its stable. If I recall incorrectly and it's yet another made-up self-pub name, well, this was in the pile anyway if you're interested: Waiting for Armando (Kate Lawrence Mysteries)

Minor ISFDB-ed Mark Edward Hall offers another supernatural/horror short: The Comfort of a Stranger

Dark Continents is an aspiring newbie horror small press with a tiny handful of entries in the ISFDB. This their mini-collection of shorts from aspiring newbie unknown Autumn Christian: A Gentle Hell

Minor ISFDB-ed Marilyn Peake repeats three volumes of her self-pub YA ocean-going fantasy adventure series for which she quotes praise from Piers Anthony in the blurb: Linkage for the lot

Minor ISFDBed John McDonnell repeats his collection of speculative/horror shorts: Big Chill

Minor ISFDBed Jane Toombs offers another in her California-set historical drama with maybe-romance: Golden Chances Book 4 - The Rebel

John R. Maxim returns with two thrillers, one a conspiracy-looking 2002-Avon spinoff from his popular Bannerman series, the other looks like a self-pub: Linkage for them both

Little Prince Publishing looks like a tiny newbie imprint with a few different genre authors in its stable, though they could all be friends who banded together. In any case, they just paperbacked Leslie DuBois' historical drama/thriller involving interracial tensions, so: Shadows of St. Louis

Some more of IIRC-theatre-related-personage-who-had-his-autobio-reviewed-by-Time-Magazine Donald Newlove's wacky probably-litfic stuff has shown up, including what looks like a book of collected essays on persons such as sf/fantasy artist Frank Frazetta, playwright Samuel Beckett, and 15-minute-of-famer Andy Warhol: Linkage for the lot

ISFDBed Aaron Polson returns with another collection of horror shorts: Keeping the Dead

Stoker/Edgar-nominee Billie Sue Mosiman offers a macabre short: McMurdo Sound

Previously-included Romantic Times Award-nominee Tina Gerow repeats her contemporary romance via Books We Love/BWLPP, who've also got another bunch of freebies you can find via keyword search: Hansel & Gretel's Real Estate Ventures

Big 6-published Cheyenne McCray writing under her erotic pen name Jaymie Holland offers another f/m BDSM erotic romance novella (maybe a repeat): Losing Control (Taboo)

This self-pub cookbook's blurb starts out with the assertation that "Compared to erotic games in the village bath, brewing opium and shoplifting live turkeys in your bloomers, immigrant life in Canada is beyond boring." Speaking as a Canadian, I don't disagree with this assessment, though admittedly I cannot speak from personal experience in any of those matters. And thus I include: Baba's Kitchen: Ukrainian Soul Food With Stories From the Village which contains such "wild-but-true stories" as "Baba is village berry-picking expert. I put berry stain on lip and say to Nazi, 'Come here, you.' Baba take him into forest to pick mushroom. He pick wrong mushroom. Oop, is dead Nazi." (Followed by exquisite mushroom recipes)

Should you happen to find some especially nice mushrooms, you may prefer to use the recipes in: The Cookbook of North American Truffles: Recipes for Forest Treasures, which is provided by the North American Truffling Society.

Happy reading, if you think you see something in there you might like.

[Synamon]

The link for John R. Maxim's books is wonky, here's the link for those.

Thanks for the Ukrainian Soul Food.


ETA: The formatting on the Maxim books is horrible.

[Dr. Drib]

Picked up two this go-around.

Thanks!



Don

[Joykins]

I have to get the Ukrainian Soul Food one...I learned to cook in part from my Ukrainian grandmother.

[ATDrake]

Even if one doesn't cook, it's got fantastic comedy value (and I'm not just saying this because I generally agree with the sentiment that "Some idiot on 'YouTube' be happy to show you.").

I had a quick skim, and the recipes are hilariously written "in character", which is the sort of thing that's usually fun to see. I don't normally put non-backlist non-sf/f/mystery stuff from the slushpile on my main account, but I've added this one for the lulz.

* I still hope that the original Criterion collection version of This is Spinal Tap where the actors provide a bonus DVD commentary while playing their characters from the film "looking back" will one day get a re-release or at least be incorporated into a future MGM special edition so I can finally experience something which I have been assured is sporfle-licious.

[Joykins]

Oh, I also love cookbooks like this. My mother bought it back in the 1960s, I have it now, and it's full of anecdotes, amusing patter, and recipes given conversationally. Plus of course detailed instructions on how to brew beer in a trash can.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by Joykins

Plus of course detailed instructions on how to brew beer in a trash can.

Why is this not still in print?!

I freely admit to being a lousy, lazy cook, but my personal favourite set of surprisingly useful "funny" cookbooks is the late James Barber's (he used to have a cooking show on the CBC) trio of shorts which I was lucky to find on the sale table at Chapters at one point.

Sadly, Amazon.ca has no Look Inside feature for these, but if one ever happens to come across any of the volumes in this boxed set: Ginger Tea Makes Friends et al. in the used bookshop, be sure to snag them.

They've got nicely done easy recipes (1 side amusing cartoon illustrated ingredients/instructions, the other text with commentary/stories about/tips on varying/upgrading the dish) and there's some fun stuff like how to construct a freaky 8-legged roast chicken for a dinner party with lots of friends.

My 2nd-favourite seems-like-it-would-be-surprisingly-useful-but-I-haven't-tried-it-because-I-don't-drive fun to read cookbook happens to be this one, which is also sadly out of print whee! found out it was back in print in the updated edition (I have the 1st edition bought from an ancient remainder table somewhere) by doing the linking lookup. I know what else I'm using that BookDepository 10% off coupon on now!

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Why is this not still in print?!

I found out it is still available here in hardcopy, but this is the kind of book that should be just a little bit food-stained.

[Synamon]

I freely admit to being a lousy, lazy cook, but my personal favourite set of surprisingly useful "funny" cookbooks is the late James Barber's (he used to have a cooking show on the CBC) trio of shorts which I was lucky to find on the sale table at Chapters at one point.

Lucky you. The Urban Peasant is perfect for lazy cooks.

Sadly, Amazon.ca has no Look Inside feature for these, but if one ever happens to come across any of the volumes in this boxed set: Ginger Tea Makes Friends et al. in the used bookshop, be sure to snag them.

I have a couple of his books but I've never seen that trio, I'll keep my eyes peeled for them.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by Joykins

I found out it is still available here in hardcopy, but this is the kind of book that should be just a little bit food-stained.

Awesome, thanks! And they use part-proceeds for their student scholarship fund. If they're willing to ship to Canada and the shipping doesn't cost too much, I think I'll buy one from them once I've got some break time to figure out the logistics of asking/ordering/payment.

Nothing like having cracktastic potentially-useful entertainment reading and supporting higher education for the lowly masses at the same time.

[Joykins]

I just learned from Baba's Kitchen that sour cream in borscht is Soviet and I'm going to get smacked for doing it

[ATDrake]

Maybe it'll be a fun smacking, like the "erotic games in the village bath" which we sadly don't have in Canada?

[Joykins]

[Connallmac]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

But I don't know who'd bother with paying for fictional pseudo-incest when you can get fictional "real" incest for free just by hitting up the Supernatural tv show fandom, which tangentially has provided me with surprisingly quality entertainment over the years for a show I'll never ever watch, even though it's filmed in Vancouver, via the antics which make it to Fandom W*nk, which are best described in paraphrase as being about as sane as guano and probably more fun to watch than the actual series.

As a long time fan of the show I was horrified to discover that fan fic writers had been having a field day with the Winchester brothers. The show itself has even gone so far as to write characters into the plot from the fan fic world, as it's own kind of in joke.