Dive into Wednesday Reads: 99 Cent Deals & Exciting Releases!
Welcome, book lovers! It’s that time of the week again where we bring you the best deals and the latest buzz in the book world. Our weekly Wednesday 99-cent deals are here, along with a spotlight on a brand-new release and a sneak peek at some exciting upcoming books. Grab a cup of coffee, find a cozy spot, and let’s dive in!
This Week's 99 Cent Deals
1. Weird Tales: Best of the Early Years 1926-27 edited by Jonathan Maberry and Kaye Lynne Booth
Spectral visitations…
World-conquering spiders…
An ancient feud with an enchanted forest…
Demonic paintings…
Zombies, mummies, vampires…
… and more.
Founded in 1922, Weird Tales is an iconic publication of fantasy, science fiction and horror stories. Weird Tales is the forerunner to today’s pulp and speculative fiction genres.
Within these pages you’ll find some of the best of the classic stories originally published in Weird Tales during the years 1926 and 1927, collected into a single volume. Featuring stories by legendary authors such as Seabury Quinn, E. Hoffman Price, Greye La Spina, Edward Hamilton, Frank Belknap Long Jr., H. Warner Munn, August W. Derleth, A. Merritt, and H.P. Lovecraft.
2. Missing White Girl by Jeffrey J. Mariotte
Terror in the borderlands…
Lulu Lavender’s mixed-race family has been slaughtered, and she has been taken. But with the high-profile case of a missing white teenager from a wealthy family occupying the attention of law enforcement and the media, it’s left to sheriff’s lieutenant Buck Shelton and his small, rural office to find Lulu, if he can.
To Buck’s growing horror, his quest leads him into a world he never knew existed, where the tendrils of an ancient evil reach right into the torn-from-the-headlines present.
On the US/Mexico border, supernatural forces using vigilantes, drug dealers, and innocents as pawns clash in a bloody showdown—and not everyone will survive…
3. Lava by Kevin O’Donnell, Jr.
Third book in the rollicking, galaxy-spanning SF adventure series that will make your imagination spin!
McGill Feighan is able to “fling”—or teleport—himself or anything else as far away as he can imagine. As such, he makes a rather substantial living by flinging anything and everything, for a fee, to the far corners of the universe.
His real quest, though, is to find the Far Being Retzglaran, who has meddled in his life since birth.
Oh, and he’s trying to avoid the dread Organization, which is trying to kill him at every turn. They’ve had a contract out on his life since he was four days old, but they’ve been unsuccessful. So far.
Now McGill teams up with an Actuni plant-monk—who is not your everyday sentient cactus—as they flee the PsychSection of the Flinger Network and seek an encounter with the most ancient of all mysteries.
It is a thorny dilemma indeed.
New Release Highlight: The Watcher and Other Weird Stories with Original Foreword by Sam Knight by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and edited by Bailey Finn
About the book:
A captain on the run from his demons…literally!
A trapped countess fights for her life in an unfamiliar estate.
A love-struck painter searches to save his love against the mysterious suitor that stole her.
And more!
The Watcher and Other Weird Stories contains six Victorian cautionary tales. Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu shines the light on not only the shadows in the cobblestone alleys but the shadows in the human soul. This is a fine new edition to the classic collection by one of the early masters of supernatural horror with a new foreword by Sam Knight!
Bring your lantern, check your windows and paintings.
You’ll love diving into these old haunts!
About the author:
Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu was born in Dublin in 1814 and passed away in 1873. He is regarded as one of the founders and forerunners of the Victorian Ghost Story genre. His work with atmosphere and balance between occult and natural explanations of mystery was highly regarded in his time. He later even earned the admiration of authors like M. R. James! His story Carmilla leaned more heavily on the occult than some of his earlier works and popularized the alluring vampiress.
If you think the anxious author and dreaded rewrites are a new phenomenon, think again! Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu demonstrates how timeless and human this struggle is for authors and was known for his revisions and expansions as much as he was known for his atmosphere. Many of his larger works are refinements of earlier shorts and serials.
About the editor:
Bailey Finn is an author at heart. She has a few short stories in circulation including Never Cheat a Witch (WolfSinger Publications 2022), Tails From the Front Lines: The Thin Blue Line (WolfSinger Publications 2023), and Journeys Into Possibility (Pikes Peak Writers 2023).
In her growing publishing career, she was the assistant editor for Particular Passages: Autumn Breezeway (Knight Writing Press 2023). She was also an intern with WordFire Press while she obtained her Master's in Publishing from Western Colorado University. During this time, she helped to publish the Feisty Felines and Other Fantastical Familiars (WordFire Press 2024) Anthology and this classic reprint of The Watcher and Other Weird Stories by James Sheridan Le Fanu (WordFire Press 2024).
When she is not writing, editing, or publishing. She is supporting various authors' groups such as the Pikes Peak Writers by donating her time to keep conferences running and accessible to local authors and doing her part to make the industry a safe and welcoming place to share and make stories for all authors of fiction.
Upcoming Releases to Watch Out For
1. Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women by George MacDonald and edited by Joshua Smyser
Set to be released on July 2nd, 2024
About the book:
“Whatever the book you are reading now, you simply must get this at once.” —C. S. Lewis
Shun the Ash and the Alder…
Sing to the Marble Lady…
Enter the door of the Timeless…
After Anodos is visited by a fairy on his 21st birthday, his bedroom transforms into a forest, leading him to Fairy Land. With the guidance of fairies and knights, he must navigate ethereal and fantastical landscapes, face threats of evil trees and giants, search for a lost love, and conquer his own haunting shadow.
One of the earliest works of portal fantasy and an inspiration to the great fantasy authors of the twentieth century! Transport yourself into a tale of love and self-discovery with this fine new edition of Phantastes by George MacDonald, with an additional foreword by author Paul Di Filippo.
About the author:
George MacDonald was a Scottish writer and minister who lived from 1824 to 1905. He wrote sermons, poems, and works of Christian theology, but his most influential work has been his pioneering fantasy literature and fairy tales.
These seminal works laid the foundation for fantasy authors such as C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Lewis Carroll. He was a friend and mentor to Carroll and urged the writer to pursue publication for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
With his theological upbringing, MacDonald explored themes of faith, imagination, and the human spirit. His allegorical tales such as Phantastes and Lilith delved between the spiritual and the fantastical.
MacDonald's writings continue to enchant and captivate readers, marking him as a visionary in the genre.
About the editor:
Joshua Smyser is a teacher, writer, and editor. He holds a BA in English Education from Colorado State University and teaches English literature and composition at the high school level. His current studies at Western Colorado University will earn an MA in Creative Writing and Publishing. Working with Wordfire Press, he has concurrently released two books as editor in 2024. The first is a brand-new edition of Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women by George MacDonald. As part of an editorial team, the second is the short story anthology Feisty Felines and Other Fantastical Familiars.
2. The Food of the Gods by H.G. Wells and edited by Emilie Thiessen
Set to be released on JUly 9th, 2024
About the book:
The groundbreaking science fiction classic by H.G. Wells
Imagine a food…that could change the course of human history.
In The Food of The Gods and How it Came to Earth, legendary science fiction author H.G. Wells provocatively chronicles this very idea: a food so powerful it transforms society as we know it.
Two young scientists, Mr. Bensington and Professor Redwood, begin their study of “growth” on a whim, then proceed to develop Herakleophorbia IV, a growth serum quickly named “The Food of the Gods.” The serum is tested on chickens, who quickly grow to six times their size. It’s deemed a success, but after the serum makes its way into the local food chain, the gigantism spreads—giant plants, earwigs, wasps, and even rats. English villages are terrorized and ransacked.
But the scientists have yet to learn their lesson, administering the serum to numerous young children. “Boomfood” has now taken the entire country by storm, forcing all of England to reckon with the recklessness of the scientists. Will the giants find peace among the common citizens, or will they be forced to shed blood to ensure their own survival?
“If any writer could overcome the hurdles inherent in humanizing giants, that writer would be H. G. Wells, the fellow who practically pioneered all the major tropes of science fiction.”—Paul Di Filippo, Hugo-nominated author of The Steampunk Trilogy
About the author:
H.G. (Herbert George) Wells has long been considered the father of science fiction. Born in England in 1866, Wells authored more than 50 novels and dozens of short stories before his death in 1946.
His earlier work included some of his most famous science fiction novels, including The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898). Later in life, Wells shifted from science fiction to cross-genre work, including the comedy The History of Mr. Polly (1910) and the politically charged, antifascist warning The Shape of Things to Come (1933), which was soon made into a film heralded for its pioneering special effects.
As World War II broke out, Wells’ pessimistic worldview became increasingly apparent in his book Mind at the End of its Tether (1945), in which he outlined his speculation that an advanced species would soon replace humanity. By the end of his life, Wells was a worldwide celebrity for his outspoken views on science, politics, and social equality. Wells died in 1946 at the age of 79 in his London flat.
About the editor:
Emilie Thiessen graduated from St. Cloud State University with a bachelor's degree in French language and literature and print journalism before becoming a full-time writer, editor, photographer, and layout artist for various local newspapers in central Minnesota.
Emilie has since honed her editing skills with multiple prestigious certifications, including Aces Certificate in Editing and Knowadays Becoming a Proofreader.
In the spring of 2023, Emilie self-published her first picture book, inspiring her to enter academia again. Soon thereafter, Emilie started working toward her master's degree in creative writing and publishing at Western Colorado University, where she is currently operating on the editorial board for the upcoming anthology Feisty Felines and Other Fantastical Familiars. Emilie is scheduled to graduate in the summer of 2024.
Conclusion
There you have it – your weekly dose of literary delight! From bargain 99-cent deals to fresh new releases and highly anticipated upcoming books, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Happy reading, and don’t forget to check back next Wednesday for more fantastic book deals and news!