Welcome back to WordFire Weekly! We have some exciting updates for you this week. Whether you're looking for a bargain or eager to dive into the latest releases, we've got something for everyone. Let's get started!
WordFire Wednesday 99 Cent Deals
Unnatural Acts: Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. by Kevin J. Anderson
“Wickedly funny, deviously twisted and enormously satisfying. This is a big juicy bite of zombie goodness. Two decaying thumbs up.”—Jonathan Maberry
To be dead, or not to be dead…
In the Unnatural Quarter, golems slave away in sweatshops, necromancers sell black-market trinkets to tourists, and the dead rise up—to work the night shift. But zombie detective Dan Shamble is no ordinary working stiff.
When a local senator and his goons picket a ghostly production of Shakespeare in the Dark—condemning the troupe’s “unnatural” lifestyles—Dan smells something rotten. And if something smells rotten to a zombie, you’re in serious trouble….
Before his way of life, er, death is destroyed, Dan wants answers. Along the way, he needs to provide security for a mummified madame, defend a mixed-race couple (he’s a vampire, she’s a werewolf) from housing discrimination, and save his favorite watering hole, the Goblin Tavern, from drying up. Throw in a hairy hit-man and a bank robber who walks through walls, and Dan Shamble’s plate is full.
Maybe this time the zombie detective has bitten off more than he can chew…
“A darkly funny, wonderfully original detective tale.”—Kelley Armstrong
“Sharp and funny; this zombie detective rocks! Loved it!”—Patricia Briggs
“An unpredictable walk on the weird side. Prepare to be entertained.”—Charlaine Harris
Dangerous Worlds: The Short Stories of Brian Herbert edited by Brian Herbert
The fantastic collection of bestselling author Brian Herbert’s short fiction, a volume packed with highly imaginative, intriguing stories and ideas.
This is the first collection of Brian Herbert’s short fiction, a volume that is packed with highly imaginative, intriguing stories and ideas. In the previously unpublished “Death of the Internet,: Under Burning Skies,” the internet is wiped out—forever!—leaving hundreds of millions of people unable to function without a technology that they have become addicted to, and totally dependent upon. Another previously unpublished story, "Earth Games" describes an alien world where Earth people are kept prisoner and forced to perform competitions with hotrod automobiles. Those games strongly resemble rush-hour commute experiences in major U.S. cities, where drivers compete for lane space and make rude hand gestures to one another. A slight difference: the cars in this story have machine guns on the fenders, and cannons on the rooftops!
Two of the stories in this collection—“Earth Games” and “The Stakeout”—were edited by Brian’s father Frank Herbert, the famed author of DUNE, in the early 1980s, and rewritten by Brian, with those expert comments in mind.
A New York Times-bestselling author, Brian has written many works of fiction and non-fiction. Brian is best known as the coauthor of 14 new Dune-series novels, written with Kevin J. Anderson. In his solo books, Brian is known for addressing important social issues, such as the environment, politics, and religion. In his highly original novel OCEAN, the ocean and its sea creatures declare war on human civilization, in retaliation for pollution and other human-caused abuses that are fouling the waters of the planet.
In DANGEROUS WORLDS, the characters find themselves in an ocean of deep, deep trouble, and must try to get out of seemingly impossible situations. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don’t!
X Marks the Spot: An Anthology of Treasure and Theft edited by Lisa Mangum
Set sail on the high seas with this collection of 21 unforgettable short stories featuring dashing rogues, daring rebels, and wily pirates searching for treasures of all kinds, including a forgotten journal, a heavenly sword, a young girl’s lucky sock, and even the Fountain of Youth.
Some pirates are familiar—complete with parrots, peg legs, and eye patches—but most are unique: a twelve-year-old computer hacker, a heroic rabbit on an unusual quest, a clump of cancer cells, and an alien setting sail among the stars.
X Marks the Spot: An Anthology of Treasure and Theft is about those men and women who live on the fringes of society, who are beholden to no man, no law, and who always have one eye on the horizon.
So grab your map and set your headings. There are adventures to be had, mateys, and treasures to be found.
This anthology is the fifth volume produced by the alumni of the Superstars Writing Seminars, and all royalties benefit the Don Hodge Memorial Scholarship Fund.
New Releases
Feisty Felines and Other Fantastical Familiars edited by Kevin J. Anderson and Allyson Longueira
About the book:
When the witches and wizards are away, the familiars will play!
Gifted adventurers across time and space often travel with an animal familiar—usually a cat, but possibly other fuzzy, scaly, or prickly creatures. These magical companions lead their humans into mischief, help them out of sticky situations, or offer opinionated commentary along the way.
We're familiar with familiars ... or are we?
Compiled by New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson and award-winning editor Allyson Longueira—and their Publishing graduate students at Western Colorado University—Feisty Felines and Other Fantastical Familiars features 26 never-before-published short stories and poems crafted by Mercedes Lackey, Heather Graham, Jody Lynn Nye, John Hartness, Steve Rasnic Tem, and many others.
You’ll love this collection kitty-littered with surprises at every turn. Some stories are whimsical, some are sad, some will tug at your heartstrings—and some will stay with you long after you close this book.
From mischievous cats to cunning ravens, skittering spiders to—a cow?—these feisty familiars will take you on a magical trip to places even wizards don’t tread.
About the author:
KEVIN J. ANDERSON has published more than 175 books, 58 of which have been national or international bestsellers. He has written numerous novels in the Star Wars, X-Files, and Dune universes, as well as many original works. He has edited numerous anthologies, written comics and games, and the lyrics to two rock CDs. Anderson is the director of the graduate program in Publishing at Western Colorado University. Anderson and his wife Rebecca Moesta are the publishers of WordFire Press. His most recent novels are Clockwork Destiny (with Neil Peart), Dune: The Heir of Caladan (with Brian Herbert), and Double-Booked.
An award-winning writer, editor, and designer, ALLYSON LONGUEIRA has worked in fiction and nonfiction in multiple media, including newspapers, magazines, and books for twenty years. While a newspaper editor she leds her newspaper to three general excellence awards in three consecutive years. After she transitioned to fiction editing. Allyson launched Fiction River Presents published by WMG Publishing, for which she serves as series editor. Allyson is the publisher and CEO of WMG Publishing, Inc.
Red Hunters and the Animal People with Original Foreword by CMarie Fuhrman by Ohiyesa
About the book:
An ancient land, a timeless people…
From the author of Indian Boyhood and The Madness of Bald Eagle, comes a collection of twelve gripping tales inspired by Native American folklore and culture.
Who can save a starving village? What does it take to change foe to friend? What is the cost of triumph?
Learn of the people found beneath fur and feather. Each of these short stories opens a door into the world of the animals that roam this earth. Read the wisdom of nature as it was told for thousands of years before being written down.
This new edition highlights the importance of native knowledge with a new foreword by award-winning poet and author CMarie Fuhrman. The mysteries lost to the westward expansion are preserved here once more.
Turn back the page of time and hear the call of the past.
About the author:
Following the Santee Dakota (or Sioux) tradition of taking a new name after a major life event, Ohiyesa became known as Charles Alexander Eastman when he was fifteen and became more involved in European-American society. He graduated from Dartmouth College and Boston Medical School and treated survivors of the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890.
In 1901, he published Indian Boyhood, a collection of stories from his experiences growing up among the Santee in Minnesota, USA and Manitoba, Canada. He went on to publish twelve more books on Native American legends, autobiographical works, and political treatises. These included: Red Hunters and the Animal People (1904), Wigwam Evenings: Sioux Folk Tales Retold (1909), The Soul of the Indian: An Interpretation (1911), and Indian Heroes and Great Chieftains (1918).
He gave lectures on Native and European-American cultural cooperation and was involved in helping youth groups. He designed and helped set up youth camps and was a founding member of the Boy Scouts of America. He died in 1835.
About the editor:
An editor, writer, and overall creative, Tammy Lewis received a BA in English from Brigham Young University and went on to write and edit articles, papers, and technical documents with aerospace scientists and engineers. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree from Western Colorado University.
Whether in fiction or non-fiction, Tammy is always focused on the stories around her and in how to present those stories to the world so they can be learned from and enjoyed. Her latest projects include the republication of Red Hunters and the Animal People by Ohiyesa (Wordfire Press, July 2024) and Feisty Felines and Other Fantastical Familiars (Wordfire Press, July 2024).
Coming Soon
Blood of the Cosmos: Saga of Shadows 2 edited by Kevin J. Anderson
About the book:
“Kevin J. Anderson is one of the best plotters in the business.”—Brandon Sanderson
The titanic conflict continues between galactic civilizations and the life-destroying force of sentient shadows…
After the events in the Hugo-nominated The Dark Between the Stars, the humans and Ildirans have narrowly escaped annihilation by the Shana Rei and their alien robot allies. But civilization in the Spiral Arm is at the risk of extinction from the deadly black clouds that absorb all life.
The last few survivors of the mysterious Gardeners, whose worlds were smothered by the Shana Rei millennia ago, raise countless questions of their own, and these alien refugees may be a disaster in disguise. What is their true intent?
A desperate alliance among empires tests a provocative new weapon that may be powerful enough to combat the deadly shadows … but its horrible failure could bring the human race and its allies to the brink of annihilation.
An epic space opera filled with intertwined plots, colorful ideas, a large cast of characters, and dozens of solar systems, alien races, and strange creatures.
“A gripping story that’s sure to keep SF fans riveted until the very end.”—Booklist (starred review)
About the author:
KEVIN J. ANDERSON has published more than 175 books, 58 of which have been national or international bestsellers. He has written numerous novels in the Star Wars, X-Files, and Dune universes, as well as many original works. He has edited numerous anthologies, written comics and games, and the lyrics to two rock CDs. Anderson is the director of the graduate program in Publishing at Western Colorado University. Anderson and his wife Rebecca Moesta are the publishers of WordFire Press. His most recent novels are Clockwork Destiny (with Neil Peart), Dune: The Heir of Caladan (with Brian Herbert), and Double-Booked.
Blood of the Cosmos: Saga of Shadows 2 edited by Kevin J. Anderson
About the book:
“Kevin J. Anderson is one of the best plotters in the business.”—Brandon Sanderson
The titanic conflict continues between galactic civilizations and the life-destroying force of sentient shadows…
After the events in the Hugo-nominated The Dark Between the Stars, the humans and Ildirans have narrowly escaped annihilation by the Shana Rei and their alien robot allies. But civilization in the Spiral Arm is at the risk of extinction from the deadly black clouds that absorb all life.
The last few survivors of the mysterious Gardeners, whose worlds were smothered by the Shana Rei millennia ago, raise countless questions of their own, and these alien refugees may be a disaster in disguise. What is their true intent?
A desperate alliance among empires tests a provocative new weapon that may be powerful enough to combat the deadly shadows … but its horrible failure could bring the human race and its allies to the brink of annihilation.
An epic space opera filled with intertwined plots, colorful ideas, a large cast of characters, and dozens of solar systems, alien races, and strange creatures.
“A gripping story that’s sure to keep SF fans riveted until the very end.”—Booklist (starred review)
About the author:
KEVIN J. ANDERSON has published more than 175 books, 58 of which have been national or international bestsellers. He has written numerous novels in the Star Wars, X-Files, and Dune universes, as well as many original works. He has edited numerous anthologies, written comics and games, and the lyrics to two rock CDs. Anderson is the director of the graduate program in Publishing at Western Colorado University. Anderson and his wife Rebecca Moesta are the publishers of WordFire Press. His most recent novels are Clockwork Destiny (with Neil Peart), Dune: The Heir of Caladan (with Brian Herbert), and Double-Booked.
The Dark Between the Stars by Kevin J. Anderson
About the book:
“A space opera to rival the best the field has ever seen.”—Science Fiction Chronicle
Beginning a new trilogy set in Kevin J. Anderson’s beloved Seven Suns universe, and a horrific new danger threatens the entire Spiral Arm.
Two decades after the end of the horrific Hydrogue War, a group of independent gypsy clans, the Roamers, operate giant floating skymines in the clouds of gas-giant planets, where they harvest stardrive fuel at great risk, and great profit.
On the planet Theroc, capital of the vast Confederation, humans live inside a gigantic worldforest whose towering trees are all interconnected in a single mind, which telepathic “green priests” can use for interstellar communication.
The stagnant alien Ildiran Empire once ruled the entire Spiral Arm, but they are unprepared for human politics and ambitions.
Upon this galactic canvas, a large expeditionary ship goes off to explore farther than any human or Ildiran has ever ventured. Beyond the edge of the Spiral Arm, they encounter a mysterious and ominous dark nebula, a huge black cloud so opaque that even starlight cannot penetrate it. The explorers are horrified when the dark nebula begins to expand exponentially.
The races of the Spiral Arm will be faced with an evil so ancient that knowledge of its very existence has been obliterated, but it will threaten all life, all planets, and even the fabric of the universe itself.
HUGO AWARD NOMINEE
About the author:
KEVIN J. ANDERSON has published more than 175 books, 58 of which have been national or international bestsellers. He has written numerous novels in the Star Wars, X-Files, and Dune universes, as well as many original works. He has edited numerous anthologies, written comics and games, and the lyrics to two rock CDs. Anderson is the director of the graduate program in Publishing at Western Colorado University. Anderson and his wife Rebecca Moesta are the publishers of WordFire Press. His most recent novels are Clockwork Destiny (with Neil Peart), Dune: The Heir of Caladan (with Brian Herbert), and Double-Booked.
Stay Connected
Don't miss out on any updates from WordFire! Follow us on our social media channels for the latest news, exclusive content, and more:
Facebook: WordFire Press
Twitter: @WordFirePress
Instagram: @WordFirePress
Join our readers list to receive special offers, sneak peeks, and early access to new releases. Sign up to stay in the loop!
Thank you for being part of the WordFire community. Happy reading!