I’ve been saying for a while now that if publishers want to keep selling print books they should bundle ebook versions with them, be it a DVD with epub files in the book or, more practically, a code that can be used to download the book. This could be difficult to carry out in a bookstore — the code or DVD would have to be securely sealed in the book somehow to prevent theft of the information, or stored separately from the book. Say, behind the counter. But it’s pretty easy for publishers to do from their own website. Now ChiZine has announced they’re going to do just that. Here’s their release (and note the 30% discount more than covers the cost of shipping for print books):

CZP Offers Free eBook with Trade Paperback Purchases

Starting now, you will also receive the ebook for free when you order trade paperbacks via the CZP site. As always, we’re offering a 30% discount off the cover price of all trade paperbacks. Once you complete your order, you’ll have instant access to the ebook in EPUB, MOBI and PDF formats.

This might be the first publisher I start buying direct from.

I’ve got a new fantasy story up at Heroic Fantasy Quarterly. It stars a talking dragon, several bumbling knights, a confused bull and a young sheepherder in the role of princess — or rather, princess trap. Check out the video backgrounder I did below and then go read the story.

I was playing around with my iPhone and ran a Michael Kenna Ikea photo through some apps. The above is one of the results, which I quite like. I’ve posted the others over on G+, if you’re interested.

The Warhol Gang is a recommended Christmas purchase over at the Advent Book Blog. So if you’ve been naughty this year, now’s your chance to reward yourself.

At first read, Felix Renn is a familiar character: a wisecracking private investigator who has a troubled relationship with the authorities and who’s caught up in supernatural shenanigans in a noirish world. He’s a character that’s walked the pages of many other tales. But throughout Ian Rogers’ three chapbooks — Temporary Monsters, The Ash Angels and Black-Eyed Kids — Renn establishes himself as different from your usual, run-of-the-page private dick. For instance, he likes to name drop David Mamet and Blade Runner. And his taste in scotch is Canadian — you probably didn’t even know there is Canadian scotch, did you?

Rogers’ tales are different too. Very different. They’re mysteries where nothing is quite as it seems, and they’ll keep you wondering what’s going on until the last word. They’re also eerie enough to make even the most jaded reader get up and check the locks once or twice while reading them. They feature Renn trying to solve various mysteries involving The Black Lands, a parallel dimension that intersects ours and is home to all sorts of nasty creatures. There’s a touch of Lovecraft here, as Renn encounters situations and weird entities he can’t really beat by force, and he must use his wits not only to solve the case but also to survive.

Rogers has a nice style – hitting just enough notes with Renn to give him his own voice without going over the top into caricature, as too many other writers do. And Rogers is a hell of a plotter – good luck trying to figure out these stories before you reach their surprising endings.

Rogers has created an intriguing world in a relatively small body of work so far, and he’s continuing to flesh it out with each instalment – offering plenty of surprises along the way. I could go into more detail here, but really, you should just buy the whole series, pour yourself a scotch — Glen Breton — and sit down for a good read by the fire. Just remember to lock the doors.

Also, congrats to Burning Effigy for putting out some damned fine looking books. This is definitely a press to watch and support.

Sold two stories this week — a mystery set in Hell and a fun piece involving a dragon and a “princess trap.” I am now celebrating by buying Louis CK’s latest comedy special directly from him. Not that I have time to watch anything that long….

I’ll provide more details on the stories closer to their pub dates.

Sometimes I love the ads YouTube links to videos.