I love the Icelandic tradition of giving books on Christmas Eve and spending the night reading, a practice known as Jolabokaflod, or the “Christmas Book Flood.” What a great idea! Just to make sure that you have something to read for Christmas Eve, I have pulled together a collection of free, $0.99, deeply discounted, or Christmas-themed books for your Christmas Eve or holiday season reading!
Whether you read them on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, I hope you’ll pick up a few of these books and have a wonderful time.
Free!
You can pick up series one books Ruby, Mito, or Deviation for free on my website:
Winner of Top Ten Books for Teens award by In the Margins Committee, 2015.
If you asked Ruby, she’d tell you she’s happy with her life. She’s tough and independent and doesn’t depend on anyone else. The road that has led her here has not been easy, and she’s blocked a lot of it from her memory.
But things aren’t as rosy as she would have everyone believe, and the road ahead of her is filled not only with gangs, drugs, and depression, but other challenges that Ruby hasn’t even imagined.
 |
 |
Gabriel has dealt with mysterious medical issues his whole life. Just when he finally thought that they had all of the answers and he was on the road to good health, he is apprehended by DFS on the grounds of medical neglect.
At first, he thought that he would be back home in a few days, once the misunderstanding was cleared up. But when Renata tells Gabriel her crazy conspiracy theories, Gabriel feels the first pangs of doubt. Is there really a conspiracy? Will he ever be able to get well and go back to his mother, or is he doomed to be another guinea pig for Doctor De Klerk?
|
|
Deviation, Breaking the Pattern #1
“You’re a good kid, Henry.”
Everyone knew that he was a good guy; geeky, responsible, hard-working. Henry has had a lot to deal with in the past. Now, as he should be focusing on his schooling and preparing himself for the future, he is hindered by abuse, the challenge of raising his baby brother while dealing with his mother’s deep depressions, and the return of a ghost from the past Henry has tried his best to forget.
But it seems that Henry can’t avoid the nastiness of life. As hard as he tries, it’s one more disaster after another as his life spirals out of control.
Can Henry escape the darkness, or is he doomed to be consumed by it?
| |
|
And more!
Mismatch, by Tracie Delaney
New Release!
When playboy Rupe Fox-Whittingham wakes up in bed next to a dead woman, he’s charged with murder. His best friend, ex-tennis ace Cash Gallagher, arranges for frosty but brilliant lawyer, Jayne Seymour, to represent him.
Jayne swore off men after her husband’s terrible betrayal. She’s far too bright to make the same mistake twice.
Rupe wants her—and he always gets what he wants. Winning her heart won’t be easy. Still, he thrives on challenge.
The Witch Who Saved Christmas, by Katie Penryn
Mpenzi Munro and her shapeshifting bodyguard Felix are once again called upon in the fight of good against evil. This time it is Christmas Eve. A vile and evil monster is trying to sabotage Santa’s delivery of Christmas presents to the children of the world.
Penzi wants to stay home and have a family dinner, but Felix reminds her that a witch has to do what a witch has to do. Of course, Penzi does what she has to do with the help of the High Council of the Guild of White Witches.
This story is not a who-dunnit like the other stories in the series, but is rather a tale of how-to-do-it to a nasty monster. It is a stand-alone novella and is a story suitable for reading to or with children. However, the vocabulary is set at an adult level so children may need some simplification, which in itself leads to interaction between parent and child at Christmastime.
A Very Carrie Christmas, by J.J. Green
Something strange is happening in Lapland. The Northern Lights haven’t shown up for months, which means tourist numbers are down and the livelihoods of the local Sami people are under threat.
Only aliens can be responsible, and as a Transgalactic Intercultural Community Crisis Liaison Officer, it’s up to Carrie Hatchett to find out who they are.
But as Carrie and her bestie Dave try to sort fact from fiction in the frozen Arctic wastes, they uncover more questions than answers.
What mysterious creatures are roaming the countryside at night, reaching up to the stars?
Is the reindeer pee story really only something the Sami like to tell tourists?
How much longer can Dave take it before Carrie’s messy habits make his head explode?
Dreaming of Dillon, by J.L. Heritage
Sophie loves her job as Assistant PA to Marcus Dillon, even though he’s been starring in her dreams for the past few months.
It’s the end of the year… Christmas always fills Sophie with dread. Calamity ensues when she has to run festive errands for her boss, and plan a Christmas party she’s forgotten she’s in charge of!
Marcus is a successful and wealthy entrepreneur. After being viscously betrayed, he’s been single for so long that he doubts he’ll ever find someone who wants a real relationship, rather than just the accolade of having him on her arm.
The more he gets to know Sophie, the more he realises just how real and endearing she is. It’s coming up to Christmas, his favourite time of year, and he’s planning on making his move.
Angel in the Whirlwind, by Melinda R. Cordell
$0.99
Angel in the Whirlwind is a short story collection about loneliness and change, and the angel in the middle of it all, waiting to guide you to a better life.
The Impossible Quest of Hailing a Taxi in Christmas Eve, by George Saoulidis
$0.99
In this modern retelling of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” Scrooge is looking for a taxi to get home on Christmas Eve. But he will get the ride of his life, as he is walked through his past, his present and his future to end up a changed man.
Set in modern day Athens, this science-fiction version of the classic ghost story is guaranteed to bring shivers down your spine and a smile to your face.
The Reluctant Detective, by Tom Fowler
Free to KU Subscribers
Three weeks in a brutal prison—that was hacker C.T. Ferguson’s punishment for helping Americans and dissidents evade the Chinese government. Deported home, C.T. uses his digital skills as a private investigator.
Suspecting her husband is cheating on her, Alice hires C.T. to investigate. He soon learns that Alice has her own problems, namely a ruthless adversary squeezing her for money. Even the suspicious death of her husband can’t buy Alice a break.
Enchantment, by Tanya Dawson
$0.99
One girl. Two bloodlines. One pledge to be made.
When Olivia Whitby’s mother vanishes, a cryptic letter left at her door leads her to a family she never knew – a family of Fae.
But the secrets run even deeper and Olivia soon finds herself trapped amongst the power struggle between the Fae and the Sabean Vampires, whom she is thoroughly warned to stay away from. However, the possibility of finding out the truth about herself is too captivating, as is Henry, an enigmatic Sabean vampire. To make matters worse, she is also falling for her Fae guardian, Will.
Christmas Kisses, by Mlissa Snark and others
Free (Adult)
A shifter’s mate is in the stars… but sometimes that rugged alpha hero or sassy heroine is waiting under the mistletoe for his or her one true love.
Christmas Kisses is a boxed set of ALL NEW short stories set in Zodiac Shifters, a collection of books with an astrological spin on love. From Aries to Virgo… discover all-new tales of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Our world features New York Times, USA Today, and other bestselling authors.
Craving Love & Death, by Haven Cage
$0.99 (Adult)
She may play the role of a quiet, docile nightclub singer and waitress for her friends and family, but, behind closed doors, Vivienne gives into an insatiable lust and hunger no man can escape.
She just wants to ignore her disturbing temptations. However, when Vivie’s best friend convinces her to join an impromptu double-date with two handsome sailors, her plan gets blown to bits.
The Genesis of Evangeline, by Rachel Jones
$0.99
Evie Callahan is positive there’s something strange going on in Seaton Falls, her new home. The locals are bigger, stronger, and faster than most. That includes Nick, the boy next door who’s become her silver lining in this godforsaken town.
She wants to trust her instincts–about Nick, about what she suspects in Seaton Falls–but rumors of wolves and dragon shifters makes it hard to tell what’s real. With a history of odd dreams and the nagging sense that she’s never belonged, Evie fears she’s losing touch with reality. Her concern only grows when someone who’s haunted these dreams is suddenly tangible… and claims to hold the key to unlocking her true identity.
Pirate Princess, by Catherine Banks
$0.99
As the daughter of the Pirate King, Tilia Swanson has an unusual upbringing learning skills that aren’t often available for women. As the heir apparent for the Kingdom of Crilan, her skills set her apart as she is trained by the best in the land and taught to harness her magic. However, piracy is in her blood, and draws danger to her in the way that treasure draws pirates. Some treasures are more valuable than others. Will this lesson be learned in time or will the betrayal of those around her be her undoing?
The Ash Park Series, by Meghan O’Flynn
Three books, one low price!
From book 1:
Ash Park, a run-down suburb of Detroit, might not be the most idyllic place to live, but for Hannah Montgomery, it’s safe. At least, it feels that way until a serial killer starts dicing up women from the shelter where she volunteers.
Despite the ever-present tingling at the nape of her neck, Hannah manages to convince herself that the killings have nothing to do with her brutal past–until her boyfriend is murdered in the same ruthless manner as the others. It doesn’t help that the police think she might have done it.
But the cops are right about one thing: Hannah is responsible. Because she knows who the killer is. Now she must face the fact that she brought a monster with her to Ash Park–and his appetite for blood is insatiable.
Enlightened, by Samantha Britt
$0.99
Darcie Abernathy leads an unusual life. At seventeen, she spent the past two years living abroad while her father studied ancient cultures throughout the Mediterranean. Monotonous days filled with dusty libraries made her count the days until she returned to Maine.
Finally back at her childhood home, Darcie is eager to reconnect with friends and prepare for her future. Normalcy ends the moment she runs in to them… The Immortals.
Mistaken as the soulmate of an immortal, Darcie is taken from her home and thrown into a world of intrigue and rebellion. Forced to remain under the protection of her abductors or risk being killed by their enemies, Darcie learns of mythical beings and centuries old conflicts while the rest of the mortal world is left in the dark.
12 Days of Christmas, by Craig Anderson and Others
$0.99; profit goes to charity
From fairy tales to superheroes, and reverse harem to sci-fi thriller, there’s something for everyone.
The stories in this collection are based off prompts from the 12 Days of Christmas song and don’t necessarily have an overtly Christmas theme.
- Partridge in the P.E.A.R by Skye MacKinnon & Arizona Tape (Sci-fi Reverse Harem)
- Friday, the 13th Day of December (A Satirical Modern Fairy Tale)
- Three French Hens by Troy McLaughlan (Science Fiction Thriller)
- Four Calling Byrds by Joynell Schultz (Fantasy/Superhero Fiction)
- Five Gold Rings: A Sisters of Hex Prequel by Bea Paige (Paranormal Fantasy)
- Six Geese A-Laying: A Murder Most Fowl by Holly Geely (Cozy Mystery Fairy Tale)
- Clipped by Laura Greenwood (Paranormal Fantasy Fairy Tale)
- The Quest by Paula Harmon (Victorian Paranormal)
- When Stars Align by Gina Wynn (Light Sci-Fi)
- 10 Lords a Leeping: Framed by Jenny O’Brien (Paranormal Romance)
- The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Liz Hedgecock (Cozy Mystery)
- 12 Reasons by Craig Anderson
All Profits from 12 Days of Christmas will be donated to Bookbus.
Tears of Glass, by David Lake
Free on Kindle Unlimited
A failed quarterback, failed husband and failed human being, finds redemption through the music of a failed songwriter.
This darkly humorous thriller is based on real events, including the ‘ Accidental ‘ deaths of twenty two UK scientists all working on US missile systems.
Morgan, a drinking, smoking, womaniser, is drawn to the iconic music of the seventies – Dylan, Carole King, Neil Young, Led Zep – but when he acquires a rejected demo tape by a bluesy pianist, his friends start to meet with bizarre, ‘ Accidental ‘ deaths. It eventually dawns that HE is the target . Running to the Californian desert, picking up the inevitable girl en-route, he has no idea that he has stumbled. literally, upon the biggest conspiracy the Intelligence Services have tried to hide since The Wall came down.
Alexander Memoirs, by May Freighter and others
$0.99
Alexander lives his life for two reasons: to protect his mother and keep his one-sided love for Katharine hidden. He is a servant, incapable of reaching the top of the social ladder without help. Chances like that come at a cost, and he is more than willing to pay for it.
All does not go according to plan. The woman he loves marries another, the man who tried to kill him becomes his rival, and the fate of his mother changes for the worst. Alexander knows one thing for certain. He cannot turn the time back, just as he cannot become human again.
The Hundred Year Wait, by Amelia Price
Free in US and UK
It’s been one-hundred years since Watson died and Mycroft still doesn’t understand what Sherlock saw in having such a companion, but after so long alone and somehow still as young, he is starting to wonder what it might be like to have a disciple of his own.
Life for Amelia Jones is dull, she’s spent all her years writing about the adventures other people have, and then she meets the Holmes brothers. Can she persuade the most intelligent person in the world to trust her? And if she does, can she survive the danger that surrounds them?
Hat Check, by David Berens
$0.99
Troy Clint Bodean had everything he needed for some peace and quiet: a good fishing pole, a pickup truck, and a beach house on a small island in South Carolina.
All was right with the world… until he found the hat… a straw cowboy hat with a peacock feather stuck in the band and it looked good on him, really good – like, Matthew
McConaughey with a beard good, so he kept it. But that’s when everyone started trying to kill him… redneck strippers, not-so-professional hit men, and a shady corporate boss and he had no idea why.
Girl Fights Back, by Jacques Antoine
Free!
A military-genetics experiment gone missing captures the attention of every intelligence agency in the world, and they will stop at nothing to find it. Meet quiet, unassuming Emily Kane. Her only passion is the martial arts, and her only friends are the boys from the dojo.
Not until a trained assassin attacks her on a college visit, does she realize the danger her family secrets pose to everyone she cares about. Now, using the skills she learned from her father, she takes the fight to her enemies, and discovers an alarming talent for mayhem. The only thing more terrifying than the men hunting her is what she may discover about herself.
What Four, by Margaret Lashley
All Val wants is a quiet holiday away from her oddball family. But that just ain’t gonna happen.
After a close brush with a crazy cousin in St. Pete, Val and her boyfriend Tom arrive at her mom’s house in Hicksville to find the annual Family Fruitcake Frenzy competition is already well underway. And there’s more than a few fruits and nuts in the running….
But the biggest contest is between Val and her mom.
As their battle of wills heats up, unexpected ingredients get thrown into both women’s batter. It may be time to call in a game warden….
Rising Storm, by Kyla Stone
$0.99
Eighteen-year-old Amelia appears to have it all. In a devastated world, she’s a privileged heiress aboard the lavish Grand Voyager–a luxury liner reserved for the powerful, corrupt elites.
But beneath her flawless façade, she’s haunted by secrets. Controlled by her ambitious father, she lives in fear–until she finds herself drawn to Gabriel, a dangerously charming ship’s officer hiding secrets of his own.
When rebels hijack the ship, the passengers are plunged into a deadly nightmare. Trapped and hunted by enemies, enigmatic Gabriel is Amelia’s only chance for survival. But who is he really? And can she trust him?
The Christmas Switch, by Laura L. Walker
$0.99
For schoolmarm Rachel Ambry, Christmas Eve means getting through the special program she and her pupils have put together for the townsfolk in Langdon. And even though she has vowed to not set eyes on handsome Calvin Hunsaker, it becomes inevitable when his incorrigible son needs her help. Calvin is the only person who seems to see past her ugly birthmark, yet Rachel senses that he also sees her as the spineless, helpless socialite she used to be.
Calvin Hunsaker is determined to ignore the feeling of attraction stirring inside him for the beautiful schoolmarm, even though he isn’t doing a very good job. He isn’t ready for another wife, especially one who is ill-suited for the harshness of prairie life. And besides, Rachel is trying to pick up the pieces after her brother and sister-in-law’s untimely deaths and raise their three youngsters, not bedazzle him with the same frivolous charms his first wife possessed. Better to bundle up and head out of the one-room schoolhouse the second the Christmas program ends.
Other, by Karen Kincy
Free
Shapeshifting can be a beautiful and deadly secret. Gwen craves the forbidden rush of leaping from her bedroom window and transforming into an owl, but she could lose it all if anyone caught her. Most Americans don’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for Others. In the small town of Klikamuks, Washington, coming out as a person with paranormal abilities means staring down the barrel of a shotgun. Gwen hasn’t even told the truth to her boyfriend, Zack.
When a pack of werewolves claims the national forest behind Gwen’s house as their territory, the tensions in Klikamuks escalate–into murder. Prejudice slows the police investigation. It doesn’t take Gwen long to realize a serial killer is targeting Others. On the hunt for clues, she meets Tavian, a sexy Japanese fox-spirit who rivals Zack and challenges her to embrace her shapeshifting. Can she find the killer before he finds her, or will her secrets be the death of her?
Stone and String, by Stephanie Flint
$0.99
In the world of “The Wishing Blade,” everyone is born with two strings of magic. One strand is life, and the other is death. Very few can manipulate them.
Among the Cantingen Islanders, children are tested for this ability during their first rites of magic, a ceremony which determines what magic they have and their future as a mage. But when Edyli’s little sister, Akymi, dies in an accident before those rites can occur, Edyli does the unthinkable. She uses magic to return Akymi to the living. As a result, she finds herself in a land of weblike strings… the afterlife.
Edyli refuses to give up seeing her sister’s first rites. With the help of a mysterious immortal and sheer determination, she has every intention of seeing her sister once more, even if it means incurring the wrath of Madia, the goddess of the dead.
Angel Charmed, by Raquel Lyon
$0.99
Between one of her students pushing her buttons and the prospect of facing Christmas alone, Beth is having a tough week.
Her troubles increase when she attempts to discover the reason behind an empty seat in her classroom and bumps into a familiar face. Detective Sam Williams is everything she should want in a man, and there’s something about his dark, brooding nature that has her contemplating him filling the void in her life, until she remembers he’s human. Exposing her magic outside the supernatural community would invoke the kind of trouble you don’t recover from.
But avoiding Sam seems impossible. He’s everywhere she turns, and a casual comment raises suspicion that he may be keeping a secret of his own. So, when his investigation takes a deadly turn, Beth fears she may have no option but to reveal herself to save him.
Snow King, by Kate Grove
After losing a battle to his nemesis, demigod Edur was cursed to a century-long sleep in a small town located in North Wales. When he is awakened from his slumber by a beautiful woman, he wakes with a cold desire for vengeance. But time has left him behind, and he has a great deal to learn about the modern world, leaving him a ta disadvantage against his foe.
Struggling artist Gwen Morgan didn’t expect to stumble upon an ancient being sleeping in a cave on her daily walk. After accidentally waking Edur, she reluctantly takes on the responsibility of teaching him about the modern world. Though he is arrogant and frighteningly powerful, she soon learns there is a softer side beneath his icy surface.
Valandra, by Tristan Vick
$0.99
The wraith knight Ashram and his army of the dead march on the holy city of Sabolin. Queen Sabine to leads a massive army to engage the black knight in battle. But when Sabine’s best warrior, Arianna, is whisked away by the toilsome mage Zarine in the middle of the fight, it’s up to Sabine to confront the Wraith Knight herself. However, without her best warrior, will she prevail? Or will he? The fate of Valandra hangs in the balance as Queen Sabine faces off with a seemingly unstoppable force of evil.
Out of Time, by Warren Court
$0.99
Armour Black is a broken man. Reeling from the death of his wife, Armour seeks refuge in the past and chooses to live “out of time”. His fantasy world of Model T’s, snappy cocktails and the jazz age is shattered when a skull is discovered on a construction site. A clue which raises questions about an infamous murder case from the roaring twenties, one for which Armour believes an innocent man was executed.
1924, Hamilton Ontario. Richard Krantz; solicitor, veteran of the Great War, caught in a love triangle with his wife and “one of her fellas”, winds up dead, His mutilated corpse, minus the arms, legs and head is found on the Hamilton escarpment. His wife Evelyn, the underage seductress, quickly turns on her lover and blames the whole thing on him. He swings for it. Case closed.
80 years later the discovery of what Armour believes is Krantz’s skull on a farm outside of Hamilton throws the whole confession by Evelyn out the window.
Final Enemy, by Dan Petrosini
$0.99
Like all reporters, Jack longs for a breaking story but is stuck writing obituaries for a small-town rag. As his frustration mounts, it hits him that no one has died in over three days. Jack’s odd observation becomes something far stranger when he connects a meteorite to the bizarre phenomenon.
Seizing the opportunity, Jack breaks the story and after a struggle to control the meteorite’s power is resolved, a swelling population begins to create havoc. With the survival of the human race hanging in the balance, politicians enact increasingly horrific measures and desperate citizens take matters into their own hands.
Jack’s in a position to not just report the news, but change it, and his decisions and observations creates an epic thriller that pits the potential of human immortality against a force designed to change – or obliterate – humanity itself.
Only one man might stand in its way … the man buried in the obits department.
Dashing, by Sandy Rideout
Dorset Hills is known for two things: its passion for dogs, and its passion for Christmas. So when Mim Gardiner’s beloved pooch, George, goes missing on December 20th, it’s a major event. That a dog could be stolen and held for ransom in “Dog Town” is an insult to everything that makes this community special. As a workaholic nurse and single mom to a sullen teenage son, Mim seems an unlikely target for crime.
But there’s a side to her sweet George she didn’t know, and at least one neighbor who isn’t sorry to see him gone. Gorgeous and abrasive Carver Black makes no bones about his distaste for George. The more she digs, the longer the list of suspects grows. Can she solve this mystery in time to bring George home for Christmas? DASHING is a novella of approximately 100 pages 32,000 words.
Pingback: Free and 99 Cent Books for the Holidays | Stephanie Flint - Author and Artist