My goodness, there are a lot of freebies out there! Free or cheap. I downloaded the Instafreebie app because Tansy Rayner Roberts was giving away stuff to everyone on her mailing list and one was via IF. So was Simon Haynes. IF send you an email daily, with a new set of freebies. Some are samples from new books by the contributing authors. Some are short stories or novellas or prequels to existing series. I haven’t heard of most people on the list, and found, with a couple, that I had been added to the author’s mailng list. Must be careful there! Still, a freebie is a freebie, and a chance to check out their work, before deciding to buy other of their books from iBooks or Amazon. And fair enough - they do want to promote, after all.
Tansy Rayner Roberts is giving away stuff regularly. The most recent was her entire Mocklore series; she has gotten back the rights to a lot of her out of print stuff and not long ago did a huge Kickstarter to republish her Creature Court series, both in print and ebook, as well as some new stuff. There are also pretty pins and limited edition soft toys(have to be, as they’re being made by hand by the author and friends!) I went for the ebooks and audiobooks and a pin. I will have to wait till the end of the year for the ebooks, which have to be put together, after all, but plenty to read meanwhile and she is giving away stacks of earlier books.
Simon Haynes: I used to work with him on Andromeda Spaceways. He has been published by one of the Big Four, after starting out self-published, then decided to return to self-publishing. He hasn’t said why, but I’m guessing it’s because he knows what he’s doing and self publishing gives him control - it means he can put out one book after another, if that’s what he wants, and that does seem to be what he wants! Big publishers have to take time. I was very lucky with my only novel, which only took a year to come out. It was already slotted in because it was replacing another book that was on their list that was not bring published. Otherwise, it could take two or more years. But Simon can publish as quickly as he can finish and put together his ebooks. And he has an audience who know his work and enjoy it, and a mailing list.
Both writers do funny. I’m just discovering Tansy, but Simon’s books are funny space opera, mostly about the adventures of a klutzy space delivery man - basically a truck driver - called Hal Spacejock, and his robot sidekick Klunk.
Most recently, I’ve started reading the first of his new Harriet Walsh trilogy. You look at the cover with a kick-ass woman holding a blaster, but so far, it feels a bit Douglas Adams or Robert Sheckley in style. I’ll finish and hopefully report back to you.
Tansy Rayner Roberts is giving away stuff regularly. The most recent was her entire Mocklore series; she has gotten back the rights to a lot of her out of print stuff and not long ago did a huge Kickstarter to republish her Creature Court series, both in print and ebook, as well as some new stuff. There are also pretty pins and limited edition soft toys(have to be, as they’re being made by hand by the author and friends!) I went for the ebooks and audiobooks and a pin. I will have to wait till the end of the year for the ebooks, which have to be put together, after all, but plenty to read meanwhile and she is giving away stacks of earlier books.
Simon Haynes: I used to work with him on Andromeda Spaceways. He has been published by one of the Big Four, after starting out self-published, then decided to return to self-publishing. He hasn’t said why, but I’m guessing it’s because he knows what he’s doing and self publishing gives him control - it means he can put out one book after another, if that’s what he wants, and that does seem to be what he wants! Big publishers have to take time. I was very lucky with my only novel, which only took a year to come out. It was already slotted in because it was replacing another book that was on their list that was not bring published. Otherwise, it could take two or more years. But Simon can publish as quickly as he can finish and put together his ebooks. And he has an audience who know his work and enjoy it, and a mailing list.
Both writers do funny. I’m just discovering Tansy, but Simon’s books are funny space opera, mostly about the adventures of a klutzy space delivery man - basically a truck driver - called Hal Spacejock, and his robot sidekick Klunk.
Most recently, I’ve started reading the first of his new Harriet Walsh trilogy. You look at the cover with a kick-ass woman holding a blaster, but so far, it feels a bit Douglas Adams or Robert Sheckley in style. I’ll finish and hopefully report back to you.
2 comments:
AWESOME post, Sue! I haven't heard of these writers, and must really investigate! Especially Simon Haynes. I LOVE humor in science fiction. Star Trek TOS and the Star Wars movies have both incorporated humor in their plots. And a sidekick named "Klunk"? HILARIOUS!! I need to get these books beamed over right away! Lol.
I will also be checking out Tansy Rayner Roberts. I really like that she's giving away so much free stuff!
I get the IF emails myself, but now that you've mentioned an app, well, one more thing to check out!
And hey,you have a published novel yourself, plus you worked with Haynes on "Andromeda Spaceways"? TERRIFIC! Now I want to know where to get your book! I checked Goodreads and found the title -- "The Sea's Secret", but couldn't find it on Amazon. No cover or blurb on the GR page, either.
As for "Andromeda Spaceways", it's not available on Amazon, but there is a listing on Ebay. It's issue No. 13, published in Aug./Sept. 2004. Here's the link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Zara-Baxter-Andromeda-Spaceways-Inflight-Magazine-Issue-13-Aug-Sept-2004-2004/112974974281?hash=item1a4dd54d49
I've added this magazine to my Ebay watch list, and will be getting it soon!
Cheers!! <3 :)
Hi Maria!
The Sea’s Secret is a children’s chapter book I wrote for an education publisher. I don’t know if it’s still available. I think the US publisher is Sundance Books, but they did a dreadful job of editing - apart from changing characters’ names, they changed one character’s gender - halfway through the book!
My one and only full-scale novel is Wolfborn, a YA mediaeval werewolf fantasy inspired by Bisclavret, a mediaeval romance by Marie De France. You can get it on line, either in print or ebook.
Andromeda Spaceways should be on Amazon, but if not, you can get it from the website, www.andromedaspaceways.com. It’s only in ebook now, but they do have some back issues they are trying to dispose of in print copies.
Tansy and Simon are both on iBooks and probably also on Kindle. Enjoy!
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