FREE/BARGAIN - Science Fiction, Fantasy - 2015

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

If you're subscribed to their email in your account settings, they send out an auto-notice. Or one can check manually on Wednesdays after 11 AM Pacific Time (Tuesdays for the front-page gaming bundle) for the new additions which are a regular thing for the 2-week bundles. IIRC, they also notify on their blog as well.

That said, as long as you paid more than the average price at the time you made your own purchase, you automatically get all the new stuff added to your account. (And if not, you can always top up your purchase from your account page if there's anything you really wanted.)

I'm not signed up for their news letters and that's all I can see to sign up for. It should be standard that if I have already paid more than the current minimum for new books that I should be notified. I don't want their news letters, so I guess they don't want my future business.

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

I'm not signed up for their news letters and that's all I can see to sign up for. It should be standard that if I have already paid more than the current minimum for new books that I should be notified. I don't want their news letters, so I guess they don't want my future business.

Personally, I wait for the bonus books to show before I make my purchase.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

I'm not signed up for their news letters and that's all I can see to sign up for. It should be standard that if I have already paid more than the current minimum for new books that I should be notified. I don't want their news letters, so I guess they don't want my future business.

Sorry for any confusion, the newsletter is what I meant by "signed up for their email". I guess they don't send out individualized notices because it's HB's standard operating procedure that they always add extra stuff to the pay-more-than-average tier during the 2nd week.

Although I can see how it can be annoying not to get an update notice if one was a casual customer of their site and weren't familiar with their conventions (especially if one already downloaded all the stuff from the 1st week and didn't expect to visit the site again for a while).

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

Personally, I wait for the bonus books to show before I make my purchase.

I just go ahead and get the top tier for any books bundles I'm interested in buying in the first place. Usually the pricing differential is less than $5 anyway and I usually get some nifty extras that are worth more to me than that anyway, even at morbid-curiosity-tryout-deep-discount-sale retail pricing.

That said, for their gaming stuff which I'm just now beginning to check out, I do pay just enough to check out the things which look interesting enough to me and then top-up later if I think the overall selection quality looks to be good enough to splurge for the lot, especially if there's a low mix of Mac-compatible items in the overall bundle.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

Personally, I wait for the bonus books to show before I make my purchase.

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Sorry for any confusion, the newsletter is what I meant by "signed up for their email". I guess they don't send out individualized notices because it's HB's standard operating procedure that they always add extra stuff to the pay-more-than-average tier during the 2nd week.

Although I can see how it can be annoying not to get an update notice if one was a casual customer of their site and weren't familiar with their conventions (especially if one already downloaded all the stuff from the 1st week and didn't expect to visit the site again for a while).



I just go ahead and get the top tier for any books bundles I'm interested in buying in the first place. Usually the pricing differential is less than $5 anyway and I usually get some nifty extras that are worth more to me than that anyway, even at morbid-curiosity-tryout-deep-discount-sale retail pricing.

That said, for their gaming stuff which I'm just now beginning to check out, I do pay just enough to check out the things which look interesting enough to me and then top-up later if I think the overall selection quality looks to be good enough to splurge for the lot, especially if there's a low mix of Mac-compatible items in the overall bundle.

There were already seven bonus books when I purchased. I didn't know they would add more, and I did pay to get the top tier. I never purchased from them before so I didn't know what to expect and I did already download the books. I don't see an easy way to download the new books - I have to search in my library and figure out which ones are new I guess. If I did know what to expect I wouldn't have bothered since their site is difficult for me to use anyway since it doesn't display well with high contrast turned on in Windows.

Oh well, lesson learned, and I did get a bunch of books too.

[AnemicOak]

Polity Agent (Agent Cormac Book 4) by Neal Asher - $1.99
Amazon US | Google | B&N

From 800 years in the future, a runcible gate is opened into the Polity and those coming through it have been sent specially to take the alien ‘Maker’ back to its home civilization in the Small Magellanic cloud. Once these refugees are safely through, the gate itself is rapidly shut down – because something alien is pursuing them. The gate is then dumped into a nearby sun. From those refugees who get through, agent Cormac learns that the Maker civilization has been destroyed by pernicious virus known as the Jain technology. This, of course, raised questions: why was Dragon, a massive biocontruct of the Makers, really sent to the Polity; why did a Jain node suddenly end up in the hands of someone who could do the most damage with it? Meanwhile an entity called the Legate is distributing pernicious Jain nodes . . . and a renegade attack ship, The King of Hearts, has encountered something very nasty outside the Polity itself.

[Rev. Bob]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

There were already seven bonus books when I purchased. I didn't know they would add more, and I did pay to get the top tier.

I could've sworn that when I looked at the bundle last week, the last icon in the book list display was a "more coming soon" note...

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by Rev. Bob

I could've sworn that when I looked at the bundle last week, the last icon in the book list display was a "more coming soon" note...

Yup, it was there.

My problem is that the transfer engine to move the books automatically to Kindle is broken-- only the primary batch of books is sent and it ends up getting sent two or more times, clogging up my library list.

... and I have to download and sideload the rest.

I can't complain too much, considering the deal I got on a bunch of really interesting books.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Rev. Bob

I could've sworn that when I looked at the bundle last week, the last icon in the book list display was a "more coming soon" note...

Obviously I didn't see that. I decided to buy on 2-19 after seeing what books were there a few days before. Their site does not work well with high contrast turned on so it's easy for me to miss things. I also would have thought I would be notified without having to accept spam.

[BearMountainBooks]

On behalf of publisher and authors everywhere, I can tell you that sending newsletters or notifications is NOT an easy business. I just went through this while setting up a list for "New releases only." Right after I set it up and a bunch had signed up, I did a giveaway because the new book was out. So I then got requests that the "new releases only list" also send notification for any giveaways I might be doing...uh, can't. I told all those signing up that it would be New releases only. If I poll to see who wants it changed, they might not see it because they only signed up for new releases only. I already have a list/email for new blog posts, but not everyone wants that much delivery.

So then it was suggested I also have a giveaway list...

And let me tell you, it becomes a headache to manage 3 or 4 lists, put them at the bottom for sign up and so on. I would imagine the publisher opted to go with the "If they want to know they will check back." and "If they want to know more about us in general, they can get the newsletter signup."

That's where I ended up. I have a "follow the blog list" and a "new releases only." There's no way to know what will make people happy and you simply can't guess and can't keep up with all the various methods someone might expect!!!

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

On behalf of publisher and authors everywhere, I can tell you that sending newsletters or notifications is NOT an easy business. I just went through this while setting up a list for "New releases only." Right after I set it up and a bunch had signed up, I did a giveaway because the new book was out. So I then got requests that the "new releases only list" also send notification for any giveaways I might be doing...uh, can't. I told all those signing up that it would be New releases only. If I poll to see who wants it changed, they might not see it because they only signed up for new releases only. I already have a list/email for new blog posts, but not everyone wants that much delivery.

So then it was suggested I also have a giveaway list...

And let me tell you, it becomes a headache to manage 3 or 4 lists, put them at the bottom for sign up and so on. I would imagine the publisher opted to go with the "If they want to know they will check back." and "If they want to know more about us in general, they can get the newsletter signup."

That's where I ended up. I have a "follow the blog list" and a "new releases only." There's no way to know what will make people happy and you simply can't guess and can't keep up with all the various methods someone might expect!!!

I am sure it isn't easy, but when you are purchasing something you should always be notified if there is a change to your purchase. It doesn't sound like your examples are purchases.

[Demingy]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

I am sure it isn't easy, but when you are purchasing something you should always be notified if there is a change to your purchase. It doesn't sound like your examples are purchases.

They probably have been assuming that people will either remember to check back on the date noted for the "more books to be added". They may not realize the problem associated with lower resolution. I'd contact them and let them know plus suggest that they create a method for emailing customers who have already purchased the bundle.

I've never had a problem seeing the link for the additional books to come and always note when to come back, but I haven't had to deal with the site on a small screen and/or one with lower resolution.

[koland]

Originally Posted by Dngrsone

Yup, it was there.

My problem is that the transfer engine to move the books automatically to Kindle is broken-- only the primary batch of books is sent and it ends up getting sent two or more times, clogging up my library list.

... and I have to download and sideload the rest.

I can't complain too much, considering the deal I got on a bunch of really interesting books.

Can't you send one at a time, from the "my ebooks" page?

[ATDrake]

Free from the author via KDP Select @ Amazon:

Flower of Scotland by Scottish-born Canadian-resident expat author William Meikle (ISFDB), a collection of his previously-published short stories, which is filed in the fantasy category, although IIRC he sometimes tends towards the more dark supernatural/horror side of the spectrum. Some of these have appeared in places as diverse as Nature magazine (the scientific one which sometimes runs sfnal shorts), as well as more standard outlets like Daily Science Fiction.

40 flash fictions from Scottish writer William Meikle, all previously published in magazines or anthologies. Perfect for a quick read.

Free from the authors via @ Smashwords and thence price-matched at various other stores:

Future City Blues: a tech noir collection by Simon Kewin (ISFDB), Neil Vogler, and Milo James Fowler (ISFDB), a mini-anthology of newly-written themed shorts. Kewin & Fowler have had stories appear in Nature magazine as well as other small press sfnal periodicals.

The Wrong Tom Jacks by Simon Kewin
Simms is employed to locate the genetic code of Tom Jacks. But not the rock star Tom Jacks, just an unknown namesake.

The job bugs Simms. Something about it is wrong. Someone is playing him. Problem is he doesn't know who or why. None of the illegal plug-in tech filling his brain is much damn use. And the one person who can help him is also the one person on the planet who never wants to speak to him again...

Tripler: The Beginning by Neil Vogler
In the near future an impossible virus is giving people the ability to summon two identical physical copies of themselves into existence at any time and in any situation – sending them violently insane as a side-effect. They call the infected 'Triplers'.

Harry Allwear is a specialist tracker, an experienced, highly-trained operative working for an international organisation dedicated to wiping out the Tripler menace. But after his latest mission goes badly wrong and a dangerous target gets the better of him, Harry regains consciousness to find his worst fear realised: he's been deliberately infected with the virus...

Doppelganger's Curse by Milo James Fowler
A woman stalked by her double. A detective in over his head.

In a city where the cops are on a mobster's payroll, private investigator Charlie Madison stands in the gap. When a wealthy young socialite asks him to help her catch a threatening stalker, he takes the case. But things aren't what they seem, and Madison has to act fast before he's framed for murder.

Kewin also offers a bunch of other freebie sf and fantasy shorts on his author page @ Smashwords, if you're interested, including an urban fantasy piece starring a Manchester rock band that tries to prevent the breakthrough of something evil, which originally appeared in the Spring 2005 issue of Here and Now: Guitar Heroes, and a near-future SF short that appeared in Albedo One #33: Live from the Continuing Explosion

[AnemicOak]

Agatha H. and the Clockwork Princess by Phil & Kaja Foglio - $1.99
Amazon US | Google | B&N

Intrigue! Subterfuge! Circus Folk!

In a time when the Industrial Revolution has escalated into all-out warfare, mad science rules the world… with mixed success.

With the help of Krosp, Emperor of All Cats, Agatha has escaped from the massive airship known as Castle Wulfenbach. After crashing their escape dirigible, Agatha and Krosp fall in with Master Payne's Circus of Adventure, a traveling troupe of performers dedicated to staging Heterodyne shows—dramatizations of the exploits of Bill and Barry Heterodyne and their allies—who are unaware of Agatha’s connection to the Heterodyne line.

Pursued by the ruthless Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, his handsome son Gil, and their minions (not to mention Othar Tryggvassen, Gentleman Adventurer), Agatha hides in plain sight among the circus folk, servicing their clanks and proving herself adept in performing the role of Lucrezia Mongfish, nemesis to—and later wife of—Barry Heterodyne. She also begins training under Zeetha, swordmistress and princess of the lost city of Skifander. Together, Agatha, Krosp, and the performers travel across the treacherous wasteland of war-torn Europa, towards Mechanicsburg, and the ancestral home of the Heterodynes—Castle Heterodyne.

But with many perils standing in her way—including Wulfenbach’s crack troops, mysterious Geisterdamen, savage Jägermonsters, and the fabled Storm King—it’s going to take more than a spark of Mad Science for Agatha to get through…

From Phil and Kaja Foglio, creators of the multiple WCCA and Hugo Award-winning webcomic Girl Genius, comes Agatha H and the Clockwork Princess, a gaslamp fantasy filled to bursting with Adventure! Romance! And Mad Science!

[Dngrsone]

Originally Posted by koland

Can't you send one at a time, from the "my ebooks" page?

Don't know... haven't tried to use that feature yet.