You are very likely buying people you love (and maybe some people you're just ambivalent about, but hey, we'll keep that between us) gifts this season ... and unless you've managed to completely avoid all commercialism (which, considering you are viewing this on the internet, I find highly unlikely) you are most likely also being bombarded with all the different things that you can buy for those people ... or for yourself ... seems like everyone and their mother is trying to sell you something these days ...
And because I also have things I want to sell you, I have put together this awesome list of things you can buy from me!
Namely books.
Because that's what I write. Books (and the occasional ill-advised, snarky blog post, but those do not make good stocking stuffers).
(note this post includes Amazon affiliate links, because authoring hasn't been the gold-mine that whole "J. K. Rowling owns a castle" thing might lead people to believe it is for me and if you're going to buy the books anyway, I like it when Amazon gives me an extra cut.)
So without further ado, here is a handy gift giving guide for those of you who want to buy my books this year:
Do you have a niece who insists that she is in fact a cat?
Do you have an aunt who calls her cats her babies and likes to share excessive cat photos on Facebook?
Do you know me or someone like me?
Then you need to get them a cat-themed book for Christmas. (... And yeah, I realize part of that sales pitch involves me suggesting to you that you buy me one of my own books ... I may need coffee.)
Three selections:
A collection of three short stories about cats who help their humans find love: Match Cats: Three Tales of Love
A humorous middle grade story about a kitten who befriends a dragon and saves a princess: Thaddeus Whiskers and the Dragon.
An epic collection of cat-themed short stories by 16 awesome fantasy authors (this is your variety pack of cat stories): Paws, Claws, and Magic Tales.
Does your spouse frequently tell you, “As you wish”?
Are your children playing rhyming games and talking with a Spanish accent?
Do you believe in Twu Wuv?
Then you need to get them (or yourself) some of these fairy tale romances with quirky humor, perfect for fans of The Princess Bride.
Three Selections:
A roguish knight who is a little too “Han Solo” for his own good finds himself forced to compete for the hand of a fairy queen: To Court a Queen.
A collection of tongue-in-cheek stories sending up romance and fantasy romance tropes with good-natured humor and a little bit of snark: How to Catch a Unicorn.
A tale of an all-too ordinary knight who gets swept into an adventure of a lifetime when he befriends a princess on the run from vengeful fairies: An Ordinary Knight.
Is there a boy in your life who constantly tries to take things apart?
A girl who asks a thousand questions?
A teen who spends hours on Wikipedia researching obscure facts about ancient cultures and/or fictional multiverses?
They need books that celebrate ingenuity, creativity, and curiosity!
Three Selections:
A treasure hunt worthy of National Treasure or Sherlock Homes set in a magical theater, with a side of snail circus: Heart of the Curiosity.
A reformed cat-burglar turned electrician’s apprentice must brave the booby-trapped halls and solve the puzzles of an “abandoned” mansion that used to belong to an eccentric inventor: Nyssa Glass and the House of Mirrors.
A pair of rival magicians with deeply different approaches to life and magic must brave the dangers of the Feylands to save someone they both love: Spellsmith & Carver: Magicians' Rivalry.
Is there a woman in your life who you’ve always admired? A leader? A heroine? A fighter? Or do you know guys who like to read about such women, because … I have some books for that.
For the ones who inspire you, here are …
Three Selections:
In a world of audible magic, where classes are separated by how well they can hear the music around them, a girl with common level magic must fight to right a wrong and save a people who won’t even listen to her: Beggar Magic.
A teen with an incurable lung disease must take a perilous journey to save the last plant that can possibly bring relief to those who suffer like she does: Spice Bringer.
A princess who knows what she wants journeys to a faraway land where the sun never shines. Once there, she must choose between her duty and her heart … and maybe fight a dark lord while she’s at it: Daughter of Sun, Bride of Ice.
Do you know someone who just loves a good love story?
Loves to be in love?
Watches proposal videos online just so they can dawwwwwwwwwwww?
Treat them to a sentimental feelz feast with these romantic titles filled featuring starry eyes and loving hearts.
Three Selections:
A princess falls in love with a prince who is pretty much perfect … except for the whole “cursed to turn into a giant snake anytime someone looks at him” thing: Coiled.
Kit and Bryce know they are meant to be together … the whole “his family is trying to murder her for political reasons” problem is just details: The Green Princess: Flower.
When a knight offers to slay a dragon in return for Shannon’s hand, Shannon decides she’d rather take her chances with the dragon. An unlikely friendship ensues and changes everything: Dragon's Curse.
Whether the people on your lists are children, have children, or act like children, here are some titles for the young at heart on your list.
Three Selections:
There's no such thing as a Pacific Tree Octopus, and gullible is not in the dictionary. Eight-year-old Liesel sets out to prove her know-it-all big brother wrong and find the mysterious cephalopod of the Olympic Rainforest: Absolutely True Facts about the Pacific Tree Octopus.
Twelve-year-old Cora has two things she wants in life: to be a dragon jockey when she grows up and to have a pet dragon now. When a mysterious dragon egg lands in her life, Cora finds herself thrust into an adventure like nothing she'd ever imagined: Cora and the Nurse Dragon.
A broken rule, a mechanical fox, and missing chickens ... student magician Jericho Carver's life just got a lot more complicated: Jericho and the Magician's Daughter.
So that is my completely motivated by self-interest guide to gift giving this year. If any of the titles sound like something your loved ones would like, I'm grateful for every new reader. I should probably do a follow up post of books written by other people I would recommend (and I'll be doing my "top ten indie books of 2019 post soonish ... I want to get a few more books read before I commit to the list) ... so if you love to give and receive books, stay tuned!