Free Book (Kindle) - The Great Frustration

The Great Frustration: Stories, an anthology by Seth Fried, is free in the Kindle store, courtesy of Soft Skull Press (Counterpoint).

Book Description
Channeling Steven Millhauser by way of George Saunders, The Great Frustration is a sparkling debut, equal parts fable and wry satire. Seth Fried balances the dark—a town besieged, a yearly massacre, the harem of a pathological king—with moments of sweet optimism—researchers unexpectedly inspired by discovery, the triumph of a doomed monkey, the big implications found in a series of tiny creatures.

In “Loeka Discovered,” a buzz flows throughout a lab when scientists unearth a perfectly preserved prehistoric man who suggests to them the hopefulness of life, but the more they learn, the more the realities of ancient survival invade their buoyant projections. “Frost Mountain Picnic Massacre” meditates on why an entire town enthusiastically rushes out to the annual picnic that ends, year after year, in a massacre of astonishing creativity and casualty. The title story illuminates the desires and even the violence that surges beneath the tenuous peace among the animals in the Garden of Eden.

Fried’s stories suggest that we are at our most compelling and human when wrestling with the most frustrating aspects of both the world around us and of our very own natures—and in the process shows why he is a talent to be watched.

Free Book (Kindle/nook/iBooks/EPUB) - Winning the Wallflower

Winning the Wallflower, a novella by Eloisa James, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Sony.

Book Description
A delightful ebook original novella from New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James. Winning the Wallflower introduces Lucy and her best friend Olivia—who just happens to be the heroine in Eloisa’s next book, The Duke Is Mine, on sale 12/27. Includes lengthy bonus excerpts from 4 other titles.

Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from iTunes.
Get the free ebook from Sony.

Free Book (Kindle) - Bernhard Schlink on Writing ...

The Kindle Edition with Audio/Video of Bernhard Schlink on Writing The Weekend and the Short Story "The Little Fling", by Bernhard Schlink and Shaun Whiteside(Translator), is free in the Kindle store. The non-enhanced edition listed as an alternative is actually the novel, The Weekend, not a non-enhanced version of this same title. Keep in mind that all Kindle devices and apps can read a Kindle Edition with Audio/Video, but only iThings will have access to the enhanced content.

Book Description
Bernhard Schlink is the bestselling author of "The Reader." His new book, "The Weekend," tells the story of a group of people involved in the political upheaval in Germany in the 1970s and how it affects their lives today. In this Vook, he reflects on terror, politics and his writing process. Bernhard's reflections are paired with chapters from the novel to give insight into the history behind the story. As a special bonus at the end of this Vook, read Bernard Schlink's short story "A Little Fling."

The plot of "The Weekend" revolves around a group of old friends and lovers who reunite for a weekend in a secluded country home after spending decades apart. They excavate old memories and pass clandestine judgments on the wildly divergent paths they’ve taken since their youth. But this isn’t just any reunion, and their conversations about the old days aren’t your typical reminiscences: After twenty-four years, Jörg, a convicted murderer and terrorist, has been released from prison. The announcement of his pardon sends shock waves throughout the country, but before the announcement, his friends—some of whom were Baader-Meinhof sympathizers or those who clung to them—gather for his first weekend of freedom.

Free Book (Kindle) - Abandon Changes

Update: 12/20/11 Now free in the US Kindle store.

Abandon Changes (US/UK), by John M. Cusick, is free to pre-order for UK customers in the Kindle store (it should be free for US customers in the Kindle store by morning). This short story is set in the same world as his debut novel Girl Parts (US/UK) and includes a sneak peek at the first few chapters.

Book Description
Rei’s a runner—fast, smart, doesn’t ask questions, and keeps her mouth shut about the errands she runs. She doesn’t know what’s in the packages she delivers and she doesn’t care. It’s simpler that way. But Rei’s soon-to-be-ex, Sam, has gotten under her skin, and she’s started thinking about the effects of her errands. Can Rei be close to someone and do her job—and can she make a choice before it’s too late?

Free Book Update (Kindle/nook/EPUB) - Only Us

Update: 12/19/11 Now free once again from Sony and from Harlequin.

No longer free from Sony, Only Us: A Fool's Gold Holiday, a novella in the Fool's Gold series by Susan Mallery, is now free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble.

Book Description
Pet groomer Carina Fiore wants nothing more than to confess her feelings to the man she loves. She's drawn to veterinarian Cameron McKenzie's good looks, caring nature and especially his devotion to his young daughter. But he's also her boss and a good friend. Putting her heart on the line could cost Rina both her job and their friendship forever.

Since his divorce, Cameron hasn't been willing to trust his heart—or his daughter—with anyone else. For months he's pushed away all thoughts of taking Rina in his arms and kissing her, unwilling to risk their friendship for a single night of pleasure. But when a kiss under the mistletoe unlocks the simmering passion between them, Rina and Cameron may just find love for the holidays after all...

Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from Harlequin.
Get the free ebook from Sony.

Free Book - 11:15: The Making of a Halfling (K/N/E)

Update: 5/1/12 Now free from Kobo & Sony.
Update: 12/21/11 Now free from ChristianBook.

11:15: The Making of a Halfling, by Heather Burch, is free in the Kindle store, courtesy of Christian publisher Zondervan. This is a short, prequel story for her upcoming series for young adults. The first title in the series, Halflings, is now available for pre-order.

Book Description
In this illustrated story, Mace and Raven are given a mission to stop a catastrophic event. With his halfling abilities still untapped, Vine is allowed to join the mission, but only as a spectator. The clock is ticking and the tragedy is proving difficult to stop. Will Vine be able to sit back and watch, or will the power of heaven unleash just in time?

Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from ChristianBook.
Get the free ebook from Kobo.
Get the free ebook from Sony.

Free Short Story (Kindle) - Six Geese a-Laying (UK/EU)

Six Geese a-Laying (Main/UK/DE), a holiday short story by Sophie Kinsella, is free for UK and EU customers only in the Kindle store.

Book Description
A special Christmas gift for fans of Sophie Kinsella, available to download for free! Includes a mini short story, Six Geese a-Laying, and sneak peak at the first chapter of Sophie's fabulous new novel, I've Got Your Number.

In Six Geese a-Laying, Christmas is approaching, and Ginny is looking forward to the birth of her first baby. It's a pity her partner Dan is so useless, and she has to keep reminding him where he's going wrong. Luckily she's enrolled into the most exclusive antenatal class going - all the highest achieving, smartest mothers-to-be aspire to be taught by the legendary Petal Harmon. Like the other five women in the class, Ginny already knows exactly what she wants, and how she's going to handle motherhood.

But when they turn up for the final class it isn't quite what they expect. As Ginny discovers what parenthood is really going to be like, she begins to realize the things that really matter...

Free Audiobook - Christmas Short Stories

LearnOutLoud and ChristianAudio have teamed up to give you a free download of Christmas Short Stories, by Charles Dickens, narrated by James Adams. You'll need a (free) account at LearnOutLoud for this one. It's an interesting site, with a mix of their own content and links to other sites (be sure to check out their Free Stuff page, which links to content at many sites, some audio and some video, such as a colloquium at MIT by Dr. Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind: Genius, Madness, Reawakening).

Book Description
Charles Dickens is known for writing the greatest of all Christmas stories ... A Christmas Carol, but few know that he wrote a number of other short stories for that holiday season. Here in one wonderful audio collection are six short stories about Christmas--A Christmas Tree, What Christmas is as We Grow Older, The Poor Relation's Story, The Child's Story, The Schoolboy's Story and Nobody's Story.

Free short Story (Kindle) - Tinseltown (UK)

Tinseltown (Main/UK), a short story by Victoria Fox, is free for UK customers in the Kindle store. I don't expect to see this one for US readers, as the publisher is UK only and I don't see a US edition at all for it.

Book Description
Fox is ‘giving Jackie Collins a run for her money’ – That’s Life ‘Victoria Fox…puts the bonk back into bonkbuster!’ – Lovereading “a heady mix of corruption, glamour, lust and power...get your scandal fix here!” – Closer on Hollywood Sinners Dom Judd is the hottest man in Hollywood. He'll do anything to get out of being a sexy Santa in Hollywood’s famous Tinseltown parade…but can he persuade his brother to take the reins? Waitress Clare has just been dumped. Playing Rudolph is hardly going to help her single status - until she sees how drop-dead gorgeous Father Christmas is! Laney Allen has shot to fame, but hates the limelight - and it seems only Santa can help her overcome her stage-fright... As the snow falls and sleigh bells ring, whose Tinseltown dreams will come true

Free Short Story (Kindle/nook/EPUB) - Haunted Love

Update: 12/13/11 Now free (finally!) in the Kindle store and from Sony.

Haunted Love ($0.99 Kindle), by Cynthia Leitich Smith, is free from Barnes & Noble. This short story is a part of her Tantalize series.

Book Description
Spirit, Texas, is a town of secrets, and as the new owner of the local haunted movie theater, Cody Stryker is juggling more than his fair share. When a mysterious new girl comes to town and runs afoul of the ghost that lives in his theater, Cody’s caught in the middle and needs to figure out exactly who he can trust.

Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from Sony.

Free Short Story (nook) - One Night in London

One Night in London ($0.99 Kindle), by Ian Whates, is free from Barnes & Noble. This short story was originally published in the collection The Gift of Joy.

Book Description
Set in an uneasy future where Britain cosies up ever closer to China. Kyle is ex Special Forces and now earns a living as a freelance courier for those who want to know their parcels are well protected. Picking up a delivery from a seedy man in one of London's seediest clubs may just be the biggest mistake of his life. Bio-enhanced thugs and a seductive femme-fatale are determined to ensure that the package never reaches its destination. Once Kyle learns what the package is said to contain he can understand why, but he's not about to let that stop him...

An explosive short story of the near future, featuring intrigue, sex and violence.

Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.

Five Free Pre-Orders for Australians (Kindle)

Five more free pre-orders for Australians in the Kindle store (at least, until Harper catches it and fixes the prices). All of these are also discounted for those in the US, so I'm including the US price for anyone that wants to grab them. I don't expect any of them to end up free in the US or for them to remain free for long for those Down Under.

Every Which Way But Dead with Bonus Material ($1.99 US), by Kim Harrison

Book Description
For a limited time and at a reduced price, catch up with Rachel Morgan and the Hollow Series with Every Which Way But Dead at a special price! Also included is an exclusive sneak peek at Kim Harrison's new novel, Perfect Blood, available February 21st.

In Every Which Way But Dead, witch and former bounty hunter Rachel Morgan's managed to escape her corrupt company, survive living with a vampire, start her own runner service, and face down a vampire master.

But her vampire roommate Ivy is off the wagon, her human boyfriend Nick is out of town indefinitely and doesn't sound like he's coming back while the far-too-seductive vampire Kisten is looking way too tempting, and there's a turf war erupting in Cincinnati's underworld.

And there's a greater evil still. To put the vampire master behind bars and save her family, Rachel made a desperate bargain and now there's hell to pay--literally. For if Rachel cannot stop him, the archdemon Algaliarept will pull her into the sorcerous ever-after to forfeit her soul as his slave. Forever.

A Dream of Stone & Shadow ($1.99 US), a novella by Marjorie M. Liu, 2006 Nominee for the PRISM award, originally published in the anthology Dark Dreamers.

Book Description
There are those who do terrible things in this world, and those who simply watch. Charlie would do neither. Imprisoned, his only release is through his own destruction—or through Aggie Durand. Sweet as a kiss or a rescued child, she is the one dream he does not dare desire. As an agent of Dirk & Steele, she could be his salvation. Today, Charlie's dream is waking.

Devil's Bride with Bonus Material ($0.99 US), by Stephanie Laurens

Book Description
Where it all began. . . The Cynsters!

When Devil, the most infamous member of the Cynster family, is caught in a compromising position with plucky governess Honoria Wetherby, he astonishes the entire town by offering his hand in marriage. No one dreamed this scandalous rake would ever take a bride. And as society mamas swooned at the loss of England's most eligible bachelor, Devil's infamous Cynster cousins began to place wagers on the wedding date.

But Honoria wasn't about to bend society's demands and marry a man "just" because they'd been found together virtually unchaperoned. No, she craved adventure, and while solving the murder of a young Cynster cousin fit the bill for a while, she decided that once the crime was solved she'd go off to see the world. But the scalding heat of her unsated desire for Devil soon had Honoria craving a very different sort of excitement. Could her passion for Devil cause her to embrace the enchanting peril of a lifelong adventure of the heart?

Now with special bonus material, including Q&As with the author and a sneak peek at other books by Stephanie Laurens!

Sharpe's Christmas (n/a US), by Bernard Cornwell

Book Description
A Richard Sharpe short story, featuring scenes of action and adventure at Christmas.

Christmas, 1813, towards the end of the Peninsular War…

‘You’ll like Irati,’ Colonel Hogan said. ‘It’s a nothing place, Richard. Hovels and misery, that’s all it is and all it ever will be, but that’s where you’re going for Christmas.

’Because maybe the French were going there. The garrison planned to march at Christmas in the hope that their enemies would be too bloated with beef and wine to fight, but Hogan had got wind of their plans and was now setting his snares on the only two routes that the escaping French could use. One, the eastern road, was by far the easier route, for it entered France through a low pass, and Hogan guessed it was that route that the French would choose. But there was a second road, a tight, hard, steep road, and that had to be blocked as well and so the Prince of Wales’s Own Volunteers, Sharpe’s regiment, would climb into the hills and spend their Christmas at a place of hovels and misery called Irati.

There would be no getting bloated with beef and wine for Sharpe and his regiment this Christmas.

Steve Jobs: American Genius ($4.99 US), by Amanda Ziller

Book Description
Book description to come.

Four Free Short Stories by Joe R. Lansdale (Kindle/iBooks)

Four free short stories by Joe R. Lansdale are free in the Amazon store and from iTunes, courtesy of small publisher Gere Donovan Press. This US publisher specializes in bringing backlist titles back as ebooks, scanning paperbooks into ebook form for authors who don't have electronic editions (including at least two read-throughs to check for OCR errors). It looks like they are also publishing some short stories, as well as full novels, such as Dana Stabenow's backlist (two of which are still free Fire and Ice and Second Star).

Incident On and Off a Mountain Road (Kindle/iTunes)

Book Description
"Easing her back against a tree trunk, she sat and listened, watching for that strange face, fearing it might abruptly burst through the limbs and brush, grinning its horrible teeth, or worse, that he might come up behind her, reach around the tree trunk with his knife and finish her in a bloody instant."

“Incident On and Off a Mountain Road” is one of Joe Lansdale’s most popular and terrifying short stories. Adapted for television, it appeared as an episode of Showtime’s Masters of Horror series.

Bullets and Fire (Kindle/iTunes)

Book Description
"Dad told me once, that if people don't care about where they live, the way they act, people they associate with, they get lost in the dark, can't find their way back cause there's no light left. I had taken a pretty good step into the shadows tonight." It's payback time, in this short story by Joe R. Lansdale.

The Steel Valentine (Kindle/iTunes)

Book Description
“Even before Morley told him, Dennis knew things were about to get ugly. A man did not club you unconscious, bring you to his estate and tie you to a chair in an empty storage shed out back of the place if he merely intended to give you a valentine. Morley had found out about him and Julie.”

A short story in the tradition of Fleming or Dahl, “The Steel Valentine” is a gem, exemplifying the suspense writing of Joe Lansdale.

Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man's Back (Kindle/iTunes)

Book Description
They did it — they launched the damned nukes and the world went pretty much straight to hell. Not many survived, but some of those who did emerged twenty years later, to a world where mutant whales heaved themselves across the blackened, dry seabed of the Pacific, and the roses… oh God, the roses.

“Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man’s Back” is a chilling post-nuclear short story by Joe R. Lansdale.

Free Short Story (Kindle) - Socs and Greasers

Socs and Greasers: Behind The Scenes of The Outsiders, by Rob Lowe, is free to pre-order in the Kindle store. This is a single story from his upcoming autobiography, Stories I Only Tell My Friends.

Book Description
A scene taken straight from Rob Lowe’s New York Times bestselling memoir, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, a wryly funny and surprisingly moving account of an extraordinary life lived almost entirely in the public eye.

In Socs and Greasers, Lowe tells us what it was like to work on the set of The Outsiders, a film that helped launch the careers of many of today’s biggest stars, including Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, Ralph Macchio, C. Thomas Howell, and Rob Lowe himself.

Free Book - Harlequin Holiday Collection (K/N/E)

Update: 12/10/12 It's back to being available in the Kindle store and once again it's free. Seems to still be free elsewhere, as well.
Update: 12/16/11 Still missing from the Kindle store, this is now free on the Harlequin site.
Update: 12/2/11 Apparently there are formatting errors with the Kindle edition; if they get it fixed in time, it should be back. In the meantime, it's now free from BooksonBoard and from AllRomance -- unfortunately, both are DRM'd EPUB's, so there still isn't a solution for Kindle owners, other than to read the individual stories on the internet (see this post for links).
Update: 12/2/11 No longer available on Kindle (may have been pulled for formatting issues, as it is still free elsewhere).
Update: Also free from Sony.

I had the Harlequin Holiday Collection: Four Classic Seasonal Novellas: And a Dead Guy in a Pear Tree\Seduced by the Season\Evidence of Desire\Season of Wonder, by Leslie Kelly, Debra Webb, Merline Lovelace and Marta Perry, on my bargain roundup yesterday, but today you can get it for free on both Kindle and from Barnes & Noble. Those that pre-ordered, check your receipts and see if you were charged. If you were, you can ask for a refund (use the Support menu item on any Kindle page, then Contact Us button on the right side of the screen). Once the refund is processed (which takes them a couple of hours, usually), just repurchase as the current, free price.

Book Description
A struggling B&B owner scrambles to hide the dead body wrapped in her Christmas tree from a visiting camera crew—and from her still-irresistible reporter ex. A waitress and a sexy FBI agent mix business with pleasure while investigating a crime over the holidays. A crime lab worker finds herself in danger six days before Christmas...and only her off-limits but oh-so-attractive coworker can help. And two childhood friends rediscover their sense of wonder—and love—when reunited for the holidays.

Discover these four classic seasonal novellas:

And a Dead Guy in a Pear Tree by Leslie Kelly
Seduced by the Season by Merline Lovelace
Evidence of Desire by Debra Webb
Season of Wonder by Marta Perry

Get the free ebook from AllRomance.
Get the free ebook from BooksonBoard.
Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from Sony.
Get the free ebook from Harlequin.

Free Book (noDRM) - Cat Snips

Cat Snips ($0.99) Kindle, a collection of short stories by Cat Johnson, is free over on AllRomance, where it is rated 4 out of 5 on the steaminess scale.

Book Description
Black Cat
Lar has existed as a cat for a thousand years, with all the discomforts and indignities that go along with it. But when he’s adopted by Belinda and wakes up no longer a cat, but as a man and in her bed, can his curse finally be at an end? For more about the characters of Grace and Donna from Black Cat, look for Just Desserts by Cat Johnson.

Friends With Benefits
Meg thinks she’s getting the best of both worlds when she and her friend Jeff decide to start having sex with no strings attached, until Meg suddenly finds that, strings or not, she’s become attached to Jeff. The question is, does Jeff feel the same, or is there a new woman in his life?

Fireworks
The last thing Brad wants to do is attend leadership school over the 4th of July holiday. How could the Army think it was a good idea to schedule training in Georgia in July? When his roommate Joe suggests they go see the fireworks and they run into Mary Jo, Joe’s first love there, Brad soon realizes things are only going to get a whole lot hotter. Especially once he discovers that Joe likes to share.

The Soldier and the Siren
After having his heart torn out by a Dear John letter while deployed, David returns home without much hope of things getting better. Then he heard her voice and his whole world changed.

The Rookie (a Studs in Spurs series deleted scene)
This 2,500 word deleted scene from Bucked (Studs in Spurs, Book 2) features Mustang, Chase and one lucky woman who gets to know them better. It’s not a complete story, nor is it a happily-ever-after romance, but it is a smoking hot threesome scene fans of the series, and readers of Bucked will love.

Eight Second Ride (a Studs in Spurs series short story)
Young pro bull rider Chase Reese learns a lesson about women the hard way, but makes a friend in the process in this high energy, action packed 3,000 word single scene. Written as a "thank you" to the fans of the Studs in Spurs series who requested more of Chase. See more of Chase and his fellow bull riders Slade and Mustang in the Studs in Spurs series by Cat Johnson and don’t miss Chase’s book Ride (Studs in Spurs, Book 3).

Get the free ebook from AllRomance.

Nine Free Books for Australians (Kindle)

HarperCollins AU has entered another set of books with free prices for Australians. Several of these are relatively low-cost pre-orders for those in the US, so I'll add the US price out next to each one. There are some short stories and novellas included, but a few are full length novels.

1. All the Pleasures of the Season, by Lecia Cornwall ($1.99 US)
2. Hot Secrets: A Dangerous Lover Novella, by Lisa Marie Rice ($0.99 US)
3. The Moonlit Mind, by Dean Koontz ($2.99 US)
4. Sandman Slim, by Richard Kadrey ($7.99 US)
5. Kill the Dead, by Richard Kadrey ($7.99 US)
6. The Dead, the Damned, and the Forgotten: A Novella, by Jocelynn Drake ($0.99 US)
7. Claws and Effect: A Diaries of an Urban Panther Novel, by Amanda Arista ($3.99 US)
8. The Fall of Rogue Gerrard: From It Happened One Night, by Stephanie Laurens ($0.99 US)
9. Chaotic: A Novella, by Kelley Armstrong ($0.99 US)

Free Short Story (Kindle) - Going Down to Lucky Town (UK)

Going Down to Lucky Town (Main/UK), by Douglas Smith, is free for UK customers in the Kindle store.

Book Description
Charlie the Pearl--con man, gambler, and ever absent father--is about to catch the dream that he's chased his entire life--the secret of good luck. But it's a secret that could cost Charlie the only thing in the world that he loves more than a winning streak--his daughter.

Free Book (Kindle/nook/EPUB) - Finding Christmas

Update: Also free from Sony.

Finding Christmas: Stories of Startling Joy and Perfect Peace, by James Calvin Schaap, is free in the Kindle store and from Barnes & Noble, courtesy of Christian publisher Revell.

Book Description
A gift. The baby. The pageant. The parties. The worship. The afterglow. The story. These are the elements of almost every Christmas. In Finding Christmas, award-winning author James Calvin Schaap takes a look at each of these elements through seven stories that show how imperfect people can find joy and grace in an imperfect world.

His eyes turn on an outgoing bus driver, a passionate mother, a daughter reluctant to return to church, and even his own assumed-mediocre performance at a Christmas pageant. Along the way, readers see how the amazing message of Christmas can be found in the oddest of places. This heartwarming read is both moving and magical and will help readers usher in a joyful Christmas season even amidst the howling winds of winter.

Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from Sony.

Free Short Story - The Burned Tower (K/N/E/I)

Update: 4/7/12 Now free from Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo and Sony.

The Burned Tower, a short story by Sergey Dyachenko and Marina Dyachenko, is free in the Kindle store.

Book Description
A truck driver on a lonely stretch of road, a hitchiker, and an ancient curse— a brilliant and moving tale, steeped in folklore, by the masters of modern Fantasy. In 1999 "The Burned Tower" was awarded the "Interpresscon" as the best short story of the year on the international SF-convention in St-Petersburg. Now, for the first time, in English.

Get the free ebook from Barnes & Noble.
Get the free ebook from iTunes.
Get the free ebook from Kobo.
Get the free ebook from Sony.