Happy New Year!

Wishing a peaceful and prosperous new year to you and yours!

SFR Brigade December Showcase and Giveaway!

I write science fiction and fantasy, and I often include a love story or two in my books. I like to set stories in the far future so that I can create societies and technologies that don't exist, but one reason I like to include romance is that love stories are timeless. There are plenty of other writers who do similar stories. In fact, there's a whole Science Fiction Romance Brigade, and the group is hosting a giveaway. December 15 through 19, just in time for the holidays, a bunch of SFRB authors are offering free books and other stuff, and I am participating.

The book I'm giving away is Saronna's Gift. You can win your choice of a free paperback copy or a free Kindle copy.

What Amazon reviewers have said about Saronna's Gift:

"It’s definitely an interesting SciFi/Romantic storyline. The contrasting backgrounds of both individuals make for a very complex relationship. Not only did I like reading about how Saronna handles her struggles, but also how Duncan handles his struggles as he tries to court her. I give it five stars for creativity because I have never read a SciFi romance set in a future world with the oppression solely based on gender. It’s a very feministic but still romantic storyline. I was definitely not disappointed for another one of Buxton’s books."

"I can probably best express my enjoyment of this book by saying that I was surprised when I came back to write a review and saw that it had 475 pages. I whipped through it so fast that it seemed much shorter."

"I found this book in a fit of disgust over giving up on another book with a weak female lead and an "alpha male" love interest (read: demanding, creepy, controlling). I had searched for "feminist romance paranormal" with very little hope and miraculously, not only did I get results but several! This book was on the top, was offered on kindle unlimited, and looked interesting. It actually gives all of those things. " [nb: this book no longer in Kindle Unlimited]

A brief excerpt to pique your interest:

Science Fiction Romance Brigade

If you're interested in mixing romance with your science fiction (or vice versa), head on over to the SFR Brigade page to see who else is participating and check out what they have to offer. Don't wait! December 19th is the last day.

You must enter to win!

If you want a chance to win a copy of Sarnonna's Gift, just leave a comment below and tell me whether you prefer a Kindle copy or a paperback. If your name is drawn, you will need to provide an email address to receive the Kindle copy, and a US mailing address to win the paperback. I will 3 draw names and give away a total of 3 copies!.

Everyone gets a free book!

If you like a sure thing, you can also check out my free ebook The Sixth Discipline. It's more science fiction than romance, but it does have a sort of slow motion love story. And it's free in most online ebook stores.

Happy Holidays!

Google is now making web cards for books!

A recent post on The Digital Reader blog (also on Facebook, if you prefer to follow it that way), describes how Google is creating "knowledge panels" (I always just called them web cards, although I suppose they are a special kind of web card) for books when you search on the book title.

See below for examples from two of my books, the first being one with both print and ebook formats and the second for an ebook-only title.

Naturally enough, the "Preview book" link takes you to Google Books. This is true whether there is a print version or not. There is no mention that I can find of Smashwords, Amzon/Kindle or any vendors other than Google, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, except that the GoodReads site is owned by Amazon and always includes their links.  

The only title I don't have on Google Books is Where Magic Rules, and its web card doesn't get a preview link at all. Maybe I need to load that one onto Google Books, too?