Updated 18 September: I realized I had some bad links to some of the ebooks. It’s all fixed now. Sorry about that!
Since I signed up with Smashwords to publish my writing I’ve become an avid ebook reader. It seems every day there are new ebooks published that I want to read and I keep meaning to share what I find with everyone so starting today I’m hoping to publish a weekly list of the ebooks I’ve found on Smashwords that I’ve really enjoyed. Since this is the first time I’m writing this list I’m going to include the ebooks I’ve loved since first joining the site.
- Rene Velez – Painted Words
The book I finally read yesterday, and the impetus for this post, a collection of poetry that I’m sorry I didn’t read sooner. The second collection the author has written contains some really beautiful poems, some sweet some humorous, all of them will make you glad you got it. There’s even a great look at how God might be able to do some of the things He does. - Mercedes King – Before the Proposal
A peek at the author’s “O! Jackie,” about the life of John and Jackie Kennedy. If you have fond memories of pair you may be interested to read this excerpt from the full book. Most of us would never know they had doubts before he proposed to her. - Ashyboyfire AC – R.I.P. Common Sense
A delightfully snarky look at the lack of common sense in the world today. The writer’s first language isn’t English and it makes this little book a little hard to read at times but it’s well worth the effort. This books is no longer available on Smashwords. I’m unable to find out why. - Robert Wiley – Know Your Rights: A Legal Guide For Waiters, Bartenders, And Service Industry Employees
An important look at what the law says about tips and other financial issues for people working in the service industries. Is your employer paying you enough? Are you getting cheated on overtime? Are you having to share your tips with people who shouldn’t get them? I was surprised at what I found in this ebook from an employment lawyer. It may be a variation on ambulance chasing but anyone who gets tips on their job needs to read this. - Craig Falconer – Funscreen
A look at a world that has privatized welfare and allows people to augment their income with a Funscreen. Think of it as a cross between cable television, the ability to recognize the viewer’s actions like anXbox Kinect, and the extremely targeted ads that are all over the web. But there’s more to it, and it’s not all a happy home. If you end up liking Funscreen you may want to check out the author’s “Sycamore,” and an excerpt is included at te end of this ebook. - K.E. Robiscoe – So Five minutes Ago
Using Halloween at a strip club as a backdrop this short story pokes fun at trends in the world today. Despite the setting this isn’t a “dirty” book and while some may be offended at some of the scenery Robiscoe uses to make you feel like you’re a part of the story I still recommend it. This writer goes on the list of authors I want to read more from. - R. Curtis Venture – Kudos
A sci-fi look at the problems with trying to stay on the sharp edge of fashion and tech, and what can happen when someone goes farther with the two than you’re willing to go. Definitely not a downer, and it includes an excerpt from the author’s “Steal From The Devil.” You’ll be hooked on the way Venture writes and like me you’ll want to read more of his work. - Del Herring – Second
Another sci-fi, this time less than 5,000 words of exploring where no man has gone before. If you’re into sci-fi you have to read “Second.” - E.J. Sinclair – Two For Coffee
I already shared this short story but it’s worth mentioning again. An older couple has a standing date for coffee every week and the wife continues the tradition two years after her husband has passed. She’s thinking about ending the tradition, even though it’s a way to honor and remember her late husband, because she starts to dislike sitting alone at the table at Starbucks, until she meets an older gentleman that could become a friend. - Tess Mackenzie – Something About Love (This Is Not Erotica)
I shared this one on Facebook but it’s so good I have to include it here. Tess can write some really good erotica but this story is a fantastic tale of two women who meet at a bar and how one woman’s attraction gets past a wall of privacy to find out an important truth about her new girlfriend. However you feel about gays and lesbians, you’re only cheating yourself if you don’t read this story. - Grayson Queen – Hostile Takeover
Battling office politics can be tough, but when you want a promotion you may simply need to hire a ninja assassin. A humorous look at the office that any lover of “Office Space” needs to read. - J. Vergara – The Writer
Dean Koontz write a great story about a writer who has a doppelgänger who is a killer, and Vergara adds to the great stories about writers. What would you do if you find the characters of your story coming to life, especially if the character is a killer. I’d love this book even if I wasn’t writing a mystery as a follow-up to “He’s With the Band.” - A.M. Clark – The Promise
A retired couple that has been soul mates finds things getting rough when a terminal illness prompts the woman to force her husband to make a promise to her, and makes him lie to her for the first time in his life. As the author says it’s a quick read that will be just what your lunch break or commute needs. - Ian Bussell – StarMan
The front man for a David Bowie tribute band finds that sex, drugs and rock and roll isn’t all it’s cut out to be, even with adoring fans. It’s especially hard when it starts seeming like extraterrestrials are trying to contact you. - Sara Walker – Sky Tube
Love is added to the panoply of man-made disasters in this 5200 word tale of science fiction and romance. A great tale written from the viewpoint of one of the victims of a major problem with a commuter tube. - Steve Matthew Benner – Nothing New
More science fiction with the tale of a bored desk jockey that finds miscalculations in the work of a well-respected physicist that he falls for, and the miscalculation could result in a disaster. - Flash Fiction 40 – Flash Fiction 40 Anthology – July 2009
If you’re into flash fiction (really short stories) you should check out this anthology co-sponsored by Editor Unleashed and Smashwords. More than 280 writers submitted stories for consideration and the best forty of them are in this free ebook. Since it’s from Smashwords you can get it in any format you prefer, even in a PDF file or rich text, or even plain text. And since it’s DRM-free you can print out any or all of the stories so you can take them with you to read when you’re away from your screen.