Editor Mike Allen writes: “Just before New Year’s, I received a generous invite from Erin Underwood to participate in the Free Fiction Sampler at her Underwords site. The sampler contains prose from 38 different books by 27 different authors, including Terry Brooks, Tobias Buckell, Mary Robinette Kowal, Ellen Kushner, Jack McDevitt, Vera Nazarian, Sherwood Smith and Tad Williams.
“I have no sample chapters from a novel to share (yet!) but, in order to participate, authors from Clockwork Phoenix 3 agreed to take part, and so I’ve now made three more stories from that volume available to read, bringing the total number of sample stories online up to four. You can find them at Erin’s site, along with tons of other goodies.
“The project also gave me a great excuse to update the Clockwork Phoenix website with more links and reviews.
“This link will take you to the menu for all four stories at the Clockwork Phoenix site. The individual stories are: “The Gospel of Nachash” by Marie Brennan; “Braiding the Ghosts” by C.S.E. Cooney; “Surrogates” by Cat Rambo; and “Lineage” by Kenneth Schneyer.”
In addition to the Clockwork Phoenix stories, the others in Underwood’s free sampler include:
Running with the Demon: The Word and the Void Trilogy, Book 1 by Terry Brooks
Crystal Rain by Tobias Buckell
Ragamuffin by Tobias Buckell
Sly Mongoose by Tobias Buckell
Pride of Carthage by David Anthony Durham
Acacia: The War with the Mein by David Anthony Durham
Walk Through Darkness by David Anthony Durham
the prologue of The Gathering Dark, The 4th Peter Octavian Novel by Christopher Golden
Sticklebacks and Snowglobes by B.A. Goodjohn
Possessions: Poessessions Series, Book 1 by Nancy Holder
The Evil Within: Possessions Series, Book 2 by Nancy Holder
Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
Wicked 1: Witch & Curse by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
Wicked 2: Legacy & Spellbound by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
Wicked: Resurrection by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
License to Ensorcell by Katharine Kerr
the first two chapters of Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner
the first chapter of Green by Jay Lake
the prologue of Time Travelers Never Die by Jack McDevitt
the prologue of Diana Comet and Other Improbable Stories by Sandra McDonald
Silicon by Carlos Meza
Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons by Vera Nazarian and Jane Austen
Mansfield Park and Mummies by Vera Nazarian and Jane Austen
Dreams of the Compass Rose by Vera Nazarian
Shorn by Larissa Niec
His Majesty’s Dragon: Temeraire, Book 1 by Naomi Novik
The Waking: Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall
Chasing the Dead by Joe Schreiber
Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith
A Stranger to Command by Sherwood Smith
A Posse of Princesses by Sherwood Smith
Boarding Instructions by Ray Vukcevich
Blood Born by Matthew Warner
Paranormalcy: Paranormalcy Trilogy, Book 1 by Kiersten White
Awesome Lavratt by Ann Wilkes
Shadowheart: Volume Four of the Shadowmarch Series by Tad Williams