OK, day three of suggestions on something to help wile away the hours.  I hope these are useful.

John van Stry has put a long list of his works on sale for 99 cents starting at midnight tonight.

J.E. Tabor has a space western serial up on his website, titled Once Upon a Time in the Heavens.

Melanie Nyles has her complete Luriel Cycle trilogy available for 99 cents.  Check out her website for more of her books and deals.

The world of Ahlias has a history of warfare between supernatural beings—daemons and luriel—which have nearly destroyed it at times. But ever since the Scientific Reformation, humans abandoned their beliefs in religious traditions, except for those who continue in secret to avoid persecution by daemon-controlled authorities. The luriel search for the power to end the war, while daemons hunt them down. Legends state that for either side to win, both must be destroyed. For millennia, the humans of Ahlias have been caught in the middle, and now, a mythical power has awakened in one of them. Daemons are relentless, but they have their weaknesses…

A reader suggested Black Hat Blues by Gene Kendall.

Meet Mr. Scratch. He’s an evil sorcerer, ruthless CEO, and diabolical weapons manufacturer. Scratch exists as drawings on paper, but he’s certain he’s better than you.

Meet Mark. He created Mr. Scratch. Never thought he’d meet him one day.

And Mark certainly never thought the fractured marriage of Jack and Gloria Power, fictional characters in his long-running comic book, would have dire consequences here in the real world.

In the 1970s, underground cartoonist Mark Lipscomb followed his muse and created, quite by accident, a merchandising phenomenon. The characters from his comic POWER & GLORIA penetrated the mainstream, becoming an action figure line, a syndicated action cartoon, and really anything else their images could be slapped upon.

Today, the audience is dwindling, and Mark’s adjusting to life with the new corporate owners of his creations. Arthritis has severely hindered Mark’s ability to draw, and his stories have a tendency to offend the modern taste makers, generating a routine series of social media outrages.

He does have one defender, though. His own creation, the villainous Mr. Scratch, who’s escaped a dangling plot thread from Mark’s final issue. The ingenious rogue has traveled the multiverse and found himself in Mark’s backyard. Truly, they were fated to become fast friends.

Except, Scratch isn’t as harmless in the real world as he is on the printed page. As the days pass, Mark can no longer deny what he’s created. Macular degeneration and arthritic wrists don’t lend themselves to old-fashioned slugfests, so Mark must get creative if he wants to stop the bloodlust of his destructive id.

If you’re looking for a tale to read on a dark night by the light of a fire, check out The Marchioly Project by P.A. Piatt.

Alexandru Statornik had everything – until it was all ripped away…

As his life spirals downward, Alex is recruited for a top-secret government research project at a secret prison in the heartland of America. He expects to find a most-wanted terrorist, but what Alex discovers is more horrifying than he could have ever imagined. The government has been holding a prisoner for over a hundred and fifty years – and that prisoner is a vampire.

When the project goes horribly wrong and the vampire escapes, it falls on Alex to hunt down and destroy the savage evil that has been unleashed on the world.

If he fails, eternal darkness will settle over all of mankind.

Treasure of the Black Hold, by S. Evan Townsend, looks like a really good detective story.

The Stuff that Dreams are Made Of . . . When private detective Rick Bailey is hired by the exotically beautiful and outrageously wealthy Princess Nora, he thinks it’ll be easy money. Escaping from her rebellion-torn kingdom, the princess has lost her handmaiden, Lores: the only person who knows how to find the hidden royal jewels. But when his search for the equally lovely Lores turns deadly, Bailey realizes that there is more to this case than it first seemed. When someone tries to kill him, he discovers that the roots of evil run deep. With his own set of values and sense of honor, Bailey must keep one step ahead of murderous mobsters, secret government operatives, and a genetically enhanced Lores as he races across the galaxy in search of the truth. The only things he knows he can trust are his eight-foot-tall ladybug-like girl Friday and a powerful weapon that responds to his thoughts. Will Bailey find the treasure of the black hole in time and will he survive long enough to discover why it is something worth killing for?

The latest volume of the Planetary Anthology Series is out, Uranus:

These are the stories of Uranus. Stories of new beginnings and creation. Stories of the mysterious seventh planet in our solar system and of the God of the sky that it was named after:

The Rising of Michael Reid, by Constantine Nakos – Michael Reid wasted his life. Now he has been given the chance to make amends. Every day he wakes up in the grave where he was buried and sets off for wherever Providence guides him.

Serendi-bunny, by Julie Frost – Alex Jarrett may be a mad scientist, but he’s a mad scientist on a mission to cure cancer. When he buys a pair of robot bunnies from the internet to help him accelerate his research, he gets more than he bargained for when they turn out to be assassin-bots sent from the future.

Forty-Two Years of Summer, by Karina Fabian – Forty-Two years of summer is a love story, an old woman’s reminiscing, and a peek at what the future could be. It reminds us that whatever the challenges, even the coming 42 years of Uranus winter, there is love and joy and the 42 years of summer.

Weather Witch of the West, by Ben Wheeler – Uranus is controlled by the Weather Witches. From their floating sky-palaces, they manipulate the weather, change the seasons and hold the lives and deaths of the countless inhabitants of the gas giants in their calculations.

Muddification, by Clint Hale – When human-like creatures are produced by advanced technology, they have no soul. They are a mere shell. What happens when mankind attempts to fuse the human soul and intellect with one of these uninhabited bodies? Is the body only a vessel, or does it also have some impact on who and what a person is?

The Last Human, by Richard Paolinelli – Anne Fontana needed a getaway, a vacation all to herself. But some vacations are just too short. The world has changed, and when she returns, she discovers that she alone holds the power to save humanity, or change it irrevocably.

Blue Ring Beginning, by Bokerah Brumley – Archibald wants a new start. A former detective, he lands on the Uranus station, desperate for work. Will a last-second offer from the station’s commanding officer give him the fresh start he needs, or dredge up the past he wants to forget?

Two Households, None Alike, by A.M. Freeman – Two worlds collide with an inharmonious clash at a ceremony meant to unite. The Princess of Uranus, full of pride for her society’s progress, must marry the Prince of Mars – and become queen of a rough and foreign land.

Creativity, by Arlan Andrews Sr. – Arlan was once criticized by a supervisor for being “too creative.” This is a wish fulfillment revenge story. “Sometimes management should not try to screw over a truly creative person.” (And never, never irritate a science-fiction writer)

Kashika’s Empty Nest, by Sarah Byrne – As the newly widowed dowager queen of an ancient kingdom, Kashika is looking forward to a life of retirement and freedom from her royal duties when she finds herself arrested for the murder of the late king. Only her young and inexperienced son, now king in his own right, believes in her innocence.

The Long Dream, by Caroline Furlong – The U.S.S. Andrew Jackson discovers an abandoned cryo-pod in orbit over Uranus, prompting questions about the first manned mission to the seventh planet in the Solar System – questions someone does not want answered.

The Morrigan, by Christopher Wilson – Civilization is dying, society falling apart, anarchic reavers and hungry gangs taking control now that no one is left to stop them. But an aging scout pilot, driving an old relic from a bygone era, may finally have an answer.

Cold Heart of Ouranos, by J.D. Cowan – Underneath Ouranos lies a hidden evil forgotten by those who live in the frozen wastes and the heated city. Mysteries from the past have revealed themselves once more.

Room to Breathe, by Marina Fontaine – Home. Family. Friends. Daniel knows those words used to mean something special. But not anymore. Not for him.

J. Trevor Robinson has a pair of short stories and a young adult horror novel up for free on his website.  As someone who’s spent the past week trying to keep a 11 year old occupied, young adult fiction is definitely something we need these days.

John Taloni’s The Compleat Martian Defense: Earth’s Defense Awakens looks like a great throwback to the golden age of science fiction.

With Earth left in shambles by the Martian invasion, Queen Victoria’s daughter Louise must lead the world through a dire emergency: The Martians are coming back.First she must rescue Cavor from his prison on the Moon in order to build a defense fleet. Even with Cavor their efforts would be for nothing without the genius of Nikola Tesla leading the way. And on Mars, unexpected allies fight a rearguard action to help Earth. Meanwhile the Time Traveler repeatedly appears, but is he friend or foe?

I have a weakness for noir served with a twist of magic, and Bad Dreams and Broken Hearts by Misha Burnett looks really good.

It’s hard to fight wizards and demons when all you have is a gun and a badge.

The use of magic in the Sovereign City of Dracoheim is regulated by the Lord Mayor’s Committee For Public Safety. From the licensing of magi, to the health and safety requirements for magical manufacturing, to the import and export of goods to the Realms of Nightmare, dedicated civil servants ensure that the metropolitan area stays safe from magical mayhem.

Most of the time, anyway.

My name is Erik Rugar. I’m an agent of the Criminal Investigation Division of CPS. We operate outside of the authority of Parliament and are answerable only to the Lord Mayor himself. We get involved when the regular beat cops are out of their depth. If a magic shop gets robbed by junkies, or someone gets vaporized by a fireball, or shapechanging creatures start infiltrating the city, I get the call.

But I’m not a mage; I’m just a cop. I face down magical threats with my keen investigative skills and a trusty revolver.

Welcome to my world.

Finally, a brand new, hot off the digital presses short story anthology featuring some of my favorite authors is out, When Valor Must Hold.

It is a time of high adventure! A time for noble men and women to say “No!” to the evils that will befall their families and friends if they don’t rise to the task at hand. If their valor doesn’t hold, civilization will fall.

Fifteen authors have spun fourteen tales of hateful wizards, treacherous seas, and scheming foes. Of times when ancient evils roamed the Earth, looking for souls to claim, and dark prophecies foretold what would happen if the Evil Ones were allowed to succeed. This anthology has all of this and more.

When Valor Must Hold focuses on heroes worthy of facing such enemies. A tiny brownie stands up to a massive ogre. A mother races to protect her children. A hunter chases raiders. A guardian serves his king. Heroes lead forces into battle against overwhelming odds. There’s even a goblin trying to save his people by stealing dwarven rum.

Inside are fourteen fantastic stories of enemies testing the valor of heroes great and small. If their valor should fail, they will lose far more than their lives.

Will their swords shatter shields? Will their magic shine forth? Or will they see their homes and families perish when they fail? Step inside and find out!

I hope everyone has either avoided climbing the walls or at least learned to do it with panache.  I’ve got a few more reading selections you might find interesting while we wait for the virus hordes to start roaming the freeways.

Three Ravens Publishing has several books for free right now:

First is Flux Runners, by William Joseph Roberts, which wins todays “Prettiest Cover” award:

What if tomorrow, you tasted freedom for the first time, but that freedom came with a cost… After a government-sanctioned privateering mission goes sideways, the crew of the Betty finds themselves fighting for their lives, light-years from home. Prepare yourself for an adventure with a lovable crew of degenerates and misfits as they dive into the dark unknown….

Next is Making Man, by John Drake.  From the description, it looks like an absolute hoot.

Cobble is a Neanderthal with itchy feet and the mind of an engineer, unlike anyone else in his old-fashioned tribe. Making Man follows his journey as he leaves the village of Boardom behind, taking him through mountains, underground animal lairs and into new landscapes. As with all good prehistoric comedies, there is a mysterious pendant and a healthy dose of talking insects. Fans of Douglas Adams and Sir Terry Pratchett may not enjoy Making Man as much as those esteemed authors, there are fewer elephants and no Vogons after all, but they should enjoy and remember it fondly nonetheless.

Also from John Drake, we have Cheating Death:

Even the Black Death has a lighter side. A street-side conman becomes embroiled in high politics when his scheme to relieve the doge of Genoa of a sizable portion of his wealth backfires. He is conscripted to deliver a message to The Cutler, a mysterious figure in the papal city of Avignon. Two English pilgrims are also making their way to the pope, seeking repentance for their sins. Their journey takes a debauched turn, however, and their arrival is one of a pair of wandering drunkards rather than pious pilgrims. Meanwhile, a Germanic woman leaves her homeland, intent on killing the pope as revenge for the church’s involvement in her brother’s death. There’s just one small problem; she’s not a natural murderer. Their worlds converge on the Palais des Papes amid the ravaging gloom of the plague as the shadows of the doge’s network are brought into the light to save the papacy and the brittle hope of the people.

Now, for something completely different, LoreLai Watson has the first book in her Atwood Legacy romance series, Ain’t Nothing But The Devil, available for free.  The author tells me that this book does have some adult situations in it, but it’s not too much for an adult reader.

Nothing about my life is as it seems. From the inside out it looks perfect, like a real-life fairy tale. But the truth is…it’s not.

Being married to a billionaire is not a one-way ticket to happiness like most people would think. Behind closed doors and away from the limelight he’s not the man he pretends to be.

My marriage is failing. My heart is nothing but broken pieces of pain and disappointment. My mind has become the battlefield of the war between me and the depression threatening to end my life.

I knew this day would come—the day I stood on the ledge, every fiber of my being urging me to jump. To end it all.

But there’s this tiny flicker of hope that’s keeping me from taking that fatal leap. His name is Adrian…and he’s my brother-in-law.

The Black Lily, by Mandy and G.D. Burkhead, looks as twisty and interesting as you could ask for:

Courtesan. Spy. Assassin.

Across the Kingdom of Arestea, the shadowy league of professional killers known simply as the Guild has long since earned its terrifying reputation. And none of its current members are more infamous than the Black Lily. No one knows who the Lily is, but everyone recognizes the efficiency with which he or she brings down even the most guarded targets. There is no one, it is said, who is safe from this fiend once they have caught the assassin’s attention.

Now Lily herself is about to discover if her reputation has been inflated or not, for she has just been assigned the most daunting mission of her career: infiltrate the royal palace and eliminate the entire Arestean line of succession to make room for the Guild’s puppet ruler. It’s a challenging job, but one that will secure her place in the history books should she succeed.

But when unplanned circumstances take the king from his country to help secure the front lines in his latest war of expansion, Lily is left trapped in her assumed persona behind the palace walls and forced to stall for time. And when a particularly bad stroke of luck reveals her cover to the king’s brother, Crown Prince Adrian, Lily finds herself ensnared in her own web, forced to use all her skills of subterfuge and manipulation if she is to stay one step ahead of the naïve but righteous young man and finish her mission — or die trying.

J.F. Holmes has put his post-apocalyptic story of a National Guard unit overrun by the ravening hordes, ZK: Falling, up for free:

When the world ends, where will you stand? Will you hold the center, or fall?

When his National Guard unit is overrun by the victims of the plague sweeping America, Sergeant First Class Nick Agostine struggles to keep his vow to defend against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and keep those he loves safe. Along the way, he discovers just how far he will go to survive, and the price of redemption.

The prequel to the best selling Post Apocalyptic series, Irregular Scout Team One. This is how it all began, and how America fell.

J.F. Posthumus has her novel, The Fae’s Amulet, up for sale starting tomorrow.  I do love a good supernatural detective novel.

In her younger years, Catherine Woulfe was known as the Lady of Death…but those days are long past. Now, at over 300 years old, she is older, wiser…and painfully dull. Instead of using her necromancy skills for things like killing people and taking over governments, she now works as a private investigator, helping people find their lost treasures.

But when a charismatic stranger walks through her door, searching for one of the most powerful artifacts ever created, she is drawn into a case where she must use all of her old powers—including several forbidden ones—if she is to find the missing amulet. When the last person to see the amulet goes missing, she realizes it’s time for the Lady of Death to summon her minions and go on the warpath.

Angels and demons are searching for the amulet, as is a mysterious dark elf about whom little is known. Everyone is stalking her, waiting for her to find it so they can grab it for their own; meanwhile, her client has awoken feelings long suppressed, which is proving to be…distracting. Can Catherine find the trail of the thief and recover the amulet before the thief uses it to summon a deity that will destroy the Earth? More importantly, if she gets it, will she give it back?

Finally, Simple Service, the first book in Laura Montgomery’s Martha’s Sons series, is an excellent read.

A lost starship. A lost colony.

Two factions. One expendable son.

When the colony’s governor requisitions the colonists’ personal weapons, Peter Dawe’s father sets him a simple task. Get their weapon back.

But the Marss have all the technology, and Peter, a second generation colonist, the youngest of ten, the expendable son, must contend with the guard, palace politics, and his biggest problem of all, Simon, his brother.

So, happy reading.  Again, if you have a suggestion for a book or audiobook you think others would enjoy, please leave it in a comment.  I’ll keep doing these as long as I have things to link to and folks need some way to wile away their social distancing hours.

While we all hunker down and wait for the COVID19 mess to die down, a good book just might come in handy.  And really, can’t we all just use a little escape while we spend a few days in the house?

I asked some of my author friends if they had anything to offer.

First, we have Jim Curtis’ latest, The Grey Man – Sunset:

Whoever said retirement was quiet never met John Cronin…

The old man may have retired for the final time from the Sheriff’s office, but there are still cows to run, court cases to testify at, and consultation calls to tap decades of experience. And that’s not even counting the cold cases he’s still trying to solve…

With his granddaughter Jesse running the gun store and managing the ranch books, and her husband leaning how to fill Cronin’s shoes on investigations and arrests, John is keeping busy training the next generation, while settling a few old scores!

Jim tells me that his ebooks will be on sale this week, so check out his author page for more deals.

Jonathan Sullivan brings us his collection of wisdom “What Have Those Idiot Organics Done This Time:  Everything I Need to Know About Life, I Learned From Science Fiction“. (Try saying that fast three times).  I just started reading this one the other night, and it makes you smile and nod a lot.

Since the beginning of time, humans have used stories to pass on knowledge, experiences, and insight.

Why should science fiction be any different?

Sure, it might all look like lasers and explosions and papier-mâché sets, but what about the deeper message?

Is there a deeper message? If there is, can it be called inspirational? Morbid? Exciting? Boring?

Who knows? Let’s find out!

Brigid Johnson’s memoir, True Course: A Life Aloft is an uplifting and thought provoking story.  It’ll definitely fill the hours and your mind:

The Amazon #1 Best Seller and 2019 N.N. Light Best Book of the Year Award. From award-winning, best-selling author Brigid Johnson comes the tale of how one woman’s life in the sky forged an unforgettable destiny.

Raised in a small factory town in the 1960’s, when aviation was predominantly a male profession, with parents who didn’t support her ambitions, Brigid nevertheless learned to fly. Hers was a busy life of setting limits and learning philosophies of growth and risk well beyond her years, even as she juggled two jobs, college, and a rescue Siberian husky whose wandering spirit put her own to shame.

From first solo to an airline career, and finally a decision to hang up her wings for another profession when her elderly father needed her care, Brigid captures with understanding, humor, and grace the moments that change the path of our lives.

With lyrical expression of her love for flight, she writes old and new stories of family, adventure, and the thrill of taking to the sky. True Course is more than a memoir or a story of the lure of aviation–it’s a story of learning to let the spirit soar and unfurling the wings of personal freedom, an inspiration to adventurers everywhere.

Cedar Sanderson has a free short story collection up on her website, Twisted Mindflow:

A collection of seventeen shorts, flash, and oddball stories, twisted as they flowed out of my head and onto the paper.

Some may seem familiar, others appear here for the first time.

Get into my head…

Dorothy Grant suggested Alma T.C. Boykin’s latest, Furiously Familiar:

Ah, the holiday season. Peace, quiet, rest, and . . . were-creatures?

The perfect Halloween and Christmas gift for a pair of shadow mages? A fat holiday pay-check and no excitement. Lelia Chan and her fiancé survived enough excitement already for the year. Unable to work magic, André needs time to rest and recover. Lelia just wants to survive the goth sales rush of Halloween through Christmas.

But a young man looking for a were-wolf belt leads Lelia and her Familiar Tay onto a dark and deadly road.

Winter brings darkness and shadow. Evil also walks the long nights, stalking innocents. Evil also watches Lelia, patient, waiting . . .

Returning Dorothy’s good turn, I’m suggesting her first book, Scaling the Rim:

Never underestimate the power of a competent tech.

When Annika Danilova arrived at the edge of the colony’s crater to install a weather station, she knew the mission had been sabotaged from the start. The powers that be sent the wrong people, underequipped, and antagonized their supporting sometimes-allies. The mission was already slated for unmarked graves and an excuse for war…

But they hadn’t counted on Annika allying with the support staff, or the sheer determination of their leader, Captain Restin, to accomplish the mission. Together, they will overcome killing weather above and traitors within to fight for the control of the planet itself!

Finally, I have to recommend Sarah Hoyt‘s short story collection, Dragon Blood. I’m about half way through it, and I’ve enjoyed every word.

From the trenches of WWI where the Red Baron just can’t help turning into a dragon, to the desert sands of a future world where humans have become something else, from a coffee shop between worlds where magicians gather, to a place where your worst nightmare can love you, let Dragon Blood take you on a series of fantastic adventures.

With an introduction by Pam Uphoff

This collection contains the stories: Rising Above, From Out The Fire, Yellow Tide Foam,
Hot, The Blood Like Wine,The Least Of These Little Ones,
Scraps Of Fog,Something Worse Hereafter,The Littlest Nightmare,Dragon Blood

There’s a little of something for everyone in this list, but if you have something you want to share, please leave a link to it in a comment.  It can be your work or just something you really enjoy and think others might, too.  If I get enough suggestions, I’ll do another post like this in a few days.

Like I said the other night, LawDog has published his first book, The LawDog Files. As the title suggests, this is a collection of the best stories from years of writing on his website.

Each chapter is a separate vignette from the author’s career as a deputy sheriff in rural Bugscuffle, Texas.  We meet the critters, both human and otherwise, that kept him on his toes, along with the folks he worked with.

Each story will bring laughter to your lips, tears to your eyes, and thought to your mind.  While this is a quick read, it’s not bubble gum.  Be wary of outbursts of laughter that will draw strange looks from family and co-workers, and enjoy the collection of outstanding yarns in The LawDog Files.

LawDog, one of the finest raconteurs I’ve ever read or met, has published his new book, The LawDog Files.

Here’s the blurb:

LawDog had the honor of representing law and order in the Texas town of Bugscuffle as a Sheriff’s Deputy, where he became notorious for, among other things, the famous Case of the Pink Gorilla Suit. In THE LAWDOG FILES, he chronicles his official encounters with everything from naked bikers, combative eco-warriors, suicidal drunks, respectful methheads, prison tattoo artists, and creepy silent children to six-foot chickens and lethal chihuahuas.

This is something I’ve literally been wishing for for years.  I just downloaded my copy of the ebook, and my reward for getting a couple things finished writing-wise is going to be a pot of good coffee and reading this book cover to cover.  Look for a review to follow.

Jim Curtis has a new story out, The Morning the Earth Shook.  

Here’s his description:

A year after Calexit, the last US bases in Southern California are under siege, with their power and water cut off. Their perimeters are under constant probes by a now hostile nation. There is intelligence the government of California is planning a final all-out action to overwhelm the last bases and claim the spoils of victory for their own…

But the men and women in uniform aren’t going to let their bases be overrun, especially after the murder of their dependents. This is their story, a novella of the last military withdrawal from California. And if there’s one thing the Sailors and Marines are not going to do, it’s go quietly!

I’m a couple chapters in, and I’m having to force myself to put it down because sleep.  Curtis is an excellent storyteller, and this promises to be a pageturner.  If you like military fiction that grabs you and doesn’t let go, give this one a whirl.