Okay, the thread title feature is still free, and a random check of 5 of the other titles shows that they are still free, and people have been contributing their own backlist finds from authors they recognize (which I encourage, as I probably skip past a bunch of uninteresting-looking/hard to verify stuff [sf/fantasy, horror and romance are relatively easy as the Internet Speculative Fiction Database helps a lot and if a romance author doesn't have a paperback or e-book credential from a known press, they're probably lying about being a bestselling award-winner] and will probably miss out on someone's favourite obscure-to-me print-published author).
So I'm sticking the updates here (but if you've a Prime membership, remember to verify the freebieness of the older stuff), which includes a very nice set of essays by prominent sf/fantasy authors, plus some good backlist in the mystery & romance departments, and a bunch of nice things for the horror fans. And some possible Christian fiction and a children's book, for those who want a bit more variety in their freebie-getting.
Edited by Mark Morris, this book of essays apparently includes contributions by such sf/fantasy luminaries as Brian Stableford, Lucius Shepard, Joe R. Lansdale, etc. and was meant to go with the British Fantasy Convention in 2010:
Cinema Futura
Mike Lewis (
ISFDB entry) offers a collection of his short sf/fantasy stories, some of them previously published:
The Smell of Magic and Other Stories
Previously-featured Sylvia Haute offers a short sf story released by the Goldport Press imprint which apparently exists to e-print Baen author Sarah A. Hoyt and friends' stuff:
The Lady of Shalott
Previously-featured probably-Canadian Chester Burton Brown returns with a science fiction tale which does not feature his "legless aboriginal detective whose handicaps are his greatest asset":
Welcome to Mars!
Jory Sherman's collection has an introduction by Loren D. Estleman:
Shadows of Yesteryear: Western Short Stories
Donna Westover Gallup has a couple of novels small-press published by Cladach, who has a few other authors in their stable and looks like it might be a faith-based imprint from their other titles. She offers the 2nd in her Colorado-set western family saga series Mysterious Ways, published in 2008:
Rock of Refuge: A Frontier Novel
Chris F. Holm will apparently have a book out by sf small press Angry Robot, and he offers a short story collection including a tale which he says was printed in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine:
8 Pounds: Eight Tales of Crime, Horror, & Suspense
Previously-featured Adams Media/Tyrus-published Edgar nominee Craig McDonald offers his debut novel, 1st in the Hector Lassiter series about a crime novelist who has zany fun romps with the public figures of the day. This one is a caper mystery set in Mexico and has Prescott Bush (some kind of relation of the former US president), Orson Welles, Marlene Dietrich, and Pancho Villa:
Head Games
Toni Dwiggins had a 1995 novel paperbacked by Tor. This is not it, but Forensic Geology sounds kind of awesome:
Volcano Watch (The Forensic Geology Series)
Previously-featured Canadian mystery writer Mobashar Qureshi offers the short story:
The Red Sweater
Canadian-born Barbara Ann Derksen offers a faith-based mystery which was 2009-paperbacked by "Fundcraft", for who all I know might be one of those iUniverse/AuthorHouse-type vanity presses (they have a rather incoherent selection of titles in the search) but if you're interested:
Vanished (Wilton/Strait Mystery series)
Faith Mortimer had a 2009 novel published by Olympia Publishers, who appear to be a newbie small paperback press. She offers a collection of assorted mystery stories, some suspense, some romantic :
The Broken Mirror
Judith K. Ivie offers a New England-set cozy mystery that was 2009-paperbacked by small press Mainly Murder, which has a few other authors in its stable:
A Skeleton in the Closet (Kate Lawrence Mysteries)
Sean Black offers a 2009-Bantam-published thriller, 1st in the Ryan Lock series about an ex-military bodyguard:
Lockdown
Linda Prather had a 2006 small-press published novel which she helpfully indicates in the product info is now rights-reverted and re-published by herself. I like it when authors give the provenances of their books, so here's what one reviewer says is a "supernatural mystery thriller" (they also advise to start with the prequel book written later):
The Gifts, A Jacody Ives Mystery (Jacody Ives Mysteries)
Previously-featured Edgar and Bram Stoker Award-nominee Billie Sue Mosiman returns with the self-explanatory:
LEGIONS OF THE DARK (VAMPIRE NATIONS CHRONICLES) and
THE LONELY WALK-A Zombie's Notebook
Craig Saunders (
ISFDB entry) offers a short story collection of horror tales:
Dead in the Trunk
Bryan Hall (
ISFDB entry)
offers a collection of 14 spooky stories :
Whispers From The Dark
Carol Hightshoe (
ISFDB entry) edits this anthology:
Zombiefied! An Anthology of All Things Zombie
Dave Jeffery (
ISFDB entry) offers what looks like a tie-in story to his novel:
Splatoon (Necropolis Rising)
[Oops, mentioned above. Thanks to Britomart for sharing.
Cynthia Thomason offers a 1999-Zebra-paperbacked Carribean-set historical romance:
Windswept
Colleen Thompson offers a 1999-Zebra-published historical-looking western romance:
Touched by Fire]
Tina Gerow offers a 2007-Triskelion-paperbacked paranormal romantic suspense with a psychic serial killer which the blurb says was Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Small Press Contemporary Paranormal:
Into a Dangerous Mind
Previously-featured Kensington-published Lori Brighton offers a YA paranormal romance:
The Mind Readers If you missed any earlier, she still offers three assorted romance novellas:
free to all via Smashwords (if you don't see any results, click the "Deactive Adult Filter").
Ellora's Cave-published Eliza Knight offers "sizzling, hot, post-apocalyptic romance novella":
Apocalypse of the Heart
Kristen James, who appears to have a number of novels small-press-published by different small presses, offers the following novella:
The Fairy and her Giant: A Fantasy Romance
Anne Evans offers a 2000-Scholastic-published children's book (originally titled "Sealed Mysteries") that's aimed at younger readers (how young, I can't really tell from the blurb, but it's below YA level):
Fishing for Clues (Little Tyke Murder Mysteries)
Previously-featured Canadian writer Alex Carrick who says he's had a few short stories nominated for minor writing awards offers another collection of such, including "A Mathematical Proof Economists are Sexy", if you're interested:
Ten Tales of Frothy Play (Ten Tales Series)
J.J. Martin says she has had one short story published in a particular magazine, and given the names of both in her author blurb so anyone can google and verify, which I'm not bothering to. Since she's being upfront and hasn't been deliberately vague about being "a bestselling award-winner featured in many magazines" like a lot of newbie authors with only one catalogue listing do, I'm going to include her ghostly mysterious tragedy involving a politician's wife and hidden past secrets here:
Porter House
Tori Scott, who has Kindle-only offerings in her listings, claims to be a "best-selling and award-winning author" and finalist in many contests including the RWA's Golden Heart, which apparently really is their newbie-with-promising-manuscript award and "lists several publications among her accomplishments". Here's her contemporary western romance which is self-pubbed like all her other work, if you're interested:
Blame It On Texas
Here's a travelogue whose blurb claims praise from a number of writers who write for official travel guides, and whose author claims to have written travel articles for named UK newspapers on his website:
For Fukui's Sake: Two years in rural Japan
I am including this on the basis that the blurb makes it look like it could be cracktastically entertaining. "Ahhhhh! Vamps in Kilts! Run for the hills!":
Delivered to Eternity, An Alesta the Vampire Book The reviews are very mixed and indicate editing problems, but the author has looked to be reasonably gracious about thanking people for their constructive criticism and promising to fix the errors.
Happy reading, if indeed you spot something you think you might like.