Happy Holidays from the team at Free Book Friday! We are taking the next two weeks off to celebrate and catch up on some reading, but we’ll be back on January 2nd with some great updates to the site, many amazing authors and of course… more free books!

We hope you enjoy the holiday season and have an amazing New Year Celebration… Here’s to an exciting 2016!

Best wishes,
Your FBF Team

Genre: Children’s Books

Alexander is a seven-year-old boy who is teased at school for being different. He soon realizes that different means he is multiracial.

Sign up here: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/165178-alexander-what-are-you?

A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens

In October 1843, Charles Dickens ― heavily in debt and obligated to his publisher ― began work on a book to help supplement his family’s meager income. That volume, A Christmas Carol, has long since become one of the most beloved stories in the English language. As much a part of the holiday season as holly, mistletoe, and evergreen wreaths, this perennial favorite continues to delight new readers and rekindle thoughts of charity and goodwill.

With its characters exhibiting many qualities ― as well as failures ― often ascribed to Dickens himself, the imaginative and entertaining tale relates Ebenezer Scrooge’s eerie encounters with a series of spectral visitors. Journeying with them through Christmases past, present, and future, he is ultimately transformed from an arrogant, obstinate, and insensitive miser to a generous, warmhearted, and caring human being. Written by one of England’s greatest and most popular novelists, A Christmas Carol has come to epitomize the true meaning of Christmas.

RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER by Rick Bunsen

Children ages 3-6 will love to read this Little Golden Book retelling of the classic 1964 holiday TV special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. All of the other reindeer make fun of Rudolph and won’t let him play in their reindeer games because he’s different. But when Christmas is almost cancelled because of a huge snowstorm, Rudolph comes to the rescue with his wonderful shiny red nose.

A COLD CREEK CHRISTMAS STORY by RaeAnne Thayne

Sparkle In The Snow Leads To So Much More 

Celeste Nichols has always preferred to keep to herself in her hometown of Pine Gulch, Idaho…until she becomes an instant celebrity! When one of her children’s stories becomes a major success, she’s suddenly the talk of the town. Celeste should be gloriously happy…but something, someone, special is still missing from her life. Could the return of her childhood crush be the answer?

Flynn Delaney has moved back home for his daughter’s sake. Yet all the millionaire’s resources can’t help the little girl heal from the tragic loss of her mother. Shy librarian Celeste and her stories do hold some indefinable magic, though. Flynn came home looking for support—can he find that, and true love, in the one who got away?

Giveaway info:

1 copy of A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens, 1 copy of RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER by Rick Bunsen and 1 copy of A COLD CREEK CHRISTMAS STORY by RaeAnne Thayne will be given away on Friday, December 18, 2015 (winners and books paired at random).

PLEASE NOTE: If you already follow us (or the author) on Twitter, or Like us on Facebook, there is no need to unfollow/refollow or unlike/relike to get your entries. Just follow the directions in the widget to verify you already follow/like us and it will count your entry.

3 autographed copies will be given away on Friday, December 11, 2015.

A relationship in need of renovation…

Bess Fitzgerald is thrilled to be overseeing the expansion of her family’s B and B. Working with Daniel Forester, not so much. After one wild night, they agreed to stay out of each other’s lives. The attraction still sizzles between them now, but Daniel’s need to be in control and Bess’s impulsive nature continually drive them apart.

Keeping their relationship professional is harder than Bess anticipated. And it’s not long before they give in to temptation. Suddenly it’s clear Daniel needs her in a way she never thought possible. This may be the year Bess finally gets her Christmas wish!

Exclusive interview with the author:

1) No matter how many books you write, I’m sure each one has it’s own challenges. How was this book more challenging to write than your others?

I had drafted this book several years ago–when I was a pretty clueless writer. When I went to work on this book, I used some of what I’d written before, but really added a lot of material. A lot! My first contract was for 85K words and assumed that was the case for this book. And it wouldn’t end! The first draft came in at 116K words. Cutting is a killer – but I got it down to about 86K by the time I sent it to my editor.

2) What book are you currently reading or what was the last book you read?

We had Darynda Jones as our speaker for our Fall Harvest workshop and I’ve been devouring her Grave series. It is like crack! I only have one more to read (Brighter than the Sun) and I’m having problems getting it to load on my Nook!

3) What’s up next for you?

A SAVANNAH CHRISTMAS WISH is the second book in the Fitzgerald House series. (Don’t worry if you haven’t read SOUTHERN COMFORTS, Book 1 – they stand alone.) Fitzgerald House is a B and B in Savannah. The book I just sent to my editor is Dolley’s, the third sister. Her love interest, Liam Delaney, an Irish photographer and documentary maker – is pretty swoon worthy. And I’m drafting Cheryl’s book, a secondary character from SOUTHERN COMFORTS – Book 1 in the series. Boy do she and Nathan, her love interest, have some problems.

4) Let’s talk about your main character, Daniel. How did you think him up and is there any of you in him?

Daniel is a character from SOUTHERN COMFORTS. He’s the contractor hired by Gray to work on converting warehouse space into condos. And Daniel is a good family friend to the Fitzgeralds. All except Bess. Bess had a crush on him when they were young, always following him around. Daniel’s incredibly organized. (You can read that as anal.) My family might think that Daniel got his need for To Do lists and organizational tools from me. But who doesn’t love a good spreadsheet?

5) Is it hard to keep writing books with the same character? Or easy because you’ve come to know them so well by now?

I love finding out more and more about each of my characters in the cast. By staying in the same world, I can expand on their flaws and virtues. And if I can plant the perfect little seeds for when their book is finally written, I really love that!

About the author:

Nan spent her formative years as an actress, singer, dancer and competitive golfer. But the need to eat had her studying accounting in college. Unfortunately, being a successful financial executive didn’t feed her passion to perform. When the pharmaceutical company she worked for was purchased, Nan got the chance of a lifetime—the opportunity to pursue a writing career. She’s a five-time Golden Heart® finalist, lives in the Midwest and is active in her local RWA chapter and on the board of a dance company. She has five children, three sons-in-law, one grandchild, a husband and one neurotic cat.  Visit Nan online at www.nandixon.com.

Giveaway info:

Title: A SAVANNAH CHRISTMAS WISH
Author: Nan Dixon
Publisher: Harlequin SuperRomance
Author website: www.nandixon.com

3 autographed copies will be given away on Friday, December 11, 2015.

Can’t wait? Order a copy now!

PLEASE NOTE: If you already follow us (or the author) on Twitter, or Like us on Facebook, there is no need to unfollow/refollow or unlike/relike to get your entries. Just follow the directions in the widget to verify you already follow/like us and it will count your entry.

Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Paranormal

A man discovers a plot by US officials to attack America, but no one will believe him except the psychiatrist treating him as delusional.

Sign up here: www.booksbyreallaplaine.com/giveaways-and-discounts.html

When Caleb McGraw sweeps Snow Cameron off her feet, she never expects their whirlwind romance to lead to a Vegas wedding chapel. Before she can catch her breath, Caleb starts talking kids and college funds while his wealthy parents make their disapproval painfully clear. Convinced she was blinded by lust, not love, Snow takes off for Ardent Springs, Tennessee, two months into the marriage.

Heir to a media conglomerate, Caleb never experienced struggle or rejection, until Snow sends him on a wild hunt for his runaway bride. When he finally finds her—managing a curiosity shop beloved by the quirky locals—she agrees to give the marriage another chance, but on one condition: no sex for a month. Can their love stand the test, or will they give in to their attraction?

In this humorous and heartwarming Ardent Springs romance, two lost hearts start over in a town where everyone deserves a second chance and love always wins in the end.

Exclusive interview with the author:

1) Your characters seem so alive and real…what’s your secret?

Not sure it’s my secret, but I do my best to create characters who feel like people I’d want to know and spend time with. My characters have cookouts and bad hair days and, like most of us, want to be happy and loved. They’re ordinary, but as is often the case, the ordinary people have the most interesting stories to tell.

2) What scene or bit of dialogue in the book are you most proud of and why?

Early in the story, Snow (the heroine) is insistent that she and Caleb (the hero) aren’t compatible and don’t really know each other. Caleb disagrees, but she’s quite stubborn on the subject. In a rare instance in which a man wins an argument, Caleb rattles off very specific details about Snow’s likes and dislikes, including things she didn’t even realize he knew or paid attention to. I love that speech and had a lot of fun writing it.

3) When you set out to write a book, are you usually sparked by a story idea or a character?

Definitely a character. My stories all start with a character or two walking into my brain, giving me vague details about their predicament, and then expecting me to fix the problem and get them to a happily ever after. That’s when the work starts.

4) What techniques or tools do you use to keep yourself (and your story) organized?

Every book seems to be a little different, but the one consistency is the story calendar. I usually know how much time the story will cover, but I need to know what day I’m on and how many days I have to go for both my benefit and the readers. Keeping the reader engaged in the action and the relationship is what makes a book a satisfying read. If something as simple as what day it is pulls the reader out, their experience with the book can be less than positive. Keeping a calendar helps me make the book a smooth, seamless read.

5) What’s up next for you?

2016 is going to be a very busy year with two more books in the Ardent Springs series and several translations of my previous Anchor Island series into German, Italian, and Spanish. I’ll also be releasing a sensual short story soon (which was included in the Small Town Summer box set during the summer months) and part of at least one if not two anthology collections of stories early next year. Which basically means that the one thing not up next for me is sleep.

About the author:

Author of the bestselling Anchor Island Series, Terri Osburn writes small town contemporary romance with heart, hope, and lots of humor. Her new Ardent Springs Series launched in April with HIS FIRST AND LAST, and this month she’s celebrating the release of OUR NOW AND FOREVER, the second book in the series. Terri lives on the coast of Virginia with her teenage daughter, three frisky felines, and two high-maintenance terrier mixes. To learn more about Terri, check out her website at TerriOsburn.com.

Giveaway info:

Title: Our Now And Forever
Author: Terri Osburn
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Author website: TerriOsburn.com

5 autographed copies will be given away on Friday, Dec 4, 2015.

Can’t wait? Order a copy now!

PLEASE NOTE: If you already follow us (or the author) on Twitter, or Like us on Facebook, there is no need to unfollow/refollow or unlike/relike to get your entries. Just follow the directions in the widget to verify you already follow/like us and it will count your entry.

THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, “The Hunger Games,” a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT by Whitney Otto

An extraordinary and moving reading experience, HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT is an exploration of women of yesterday and today, who join together in a uniquely female experience. As they gather year after year, their stories, their wisdom, their lives, form the pattern from which all of us draw warmth and comfort for ourselves.

WHAT ALICE FORGOT by Liane Moriarty

A “cheerfully engaging” novel for anyone who’s ever asked herself, “How did I get here?”

Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child.

So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! She HATES the gym) and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over — she’s getting divorced, she has three kids, and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes. Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over…

Giveaway info:

1 copy of THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins, 1 copy of HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT by Whitney Otto and 1 copy of WHAT ALICE FORGOT by Liane Moriarty will be given away on Friday, November 27, 2015 (winners and books paired at random).

PLEASE NOTE: If you already follow us (or the author) on Twitter, or Like us on Facebook, there is no need to unfollow/refollow or unlike/relike to get your entries. Just follow the directions in the widget to verify you already follow/like us and it will count your entry.

Genre: Young Adult
Action and Adventure, Urban Fantasy

Story of an average teen boy and his adventures with the extraordinary including magical women, detectives, and assassins.

Sign up here: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/160291-average-joe-and-the-extraordinaires

Lakshmi, a bright student who grew up in poverty, marries and immigrates to the United States from India to provide a better life for herself and her family. Clinging to her cultural realities, she forces her American daughter, Pooja, into an arranged marriage, creating a rift of resentment. Pooja’s daughter, Deepa, is an out lesbian to everyone but her family. The woman Deepa loves presents an ultimatum—come out to Pooja or break up—and Deepa is forced to confront her greatest fear.

Three generations of Indian and Indian-American women navigate the harsh slums of Chennai to the bustle of New York City, struggling through a cathartic generational collision to try to come together as a family.

Exclusive interview with the author:

1) Since becoming a writer, what’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to you?

The media coverage of my book has been an exciting experience. I’ve been on the front page of The Advocate, USA Today, Curve Magazine, and The Animal, among others. Between coverage for the book and my work with the UN, I am contacted by a journalist at least a few times of month about topics I think have relevance to the modern world. It’s wonderful to know my opinions on these matters are valued.

2) This would make a great film. Any talks of turning your book into a movie? If your book were turned into a movie, who would your dream cast be?

Yes, I’ve had very informal talks with a few screenwriters on a movie adaptation for The Paths of Marriage. My author friends who are negotiating a movie deal warn me that it is an intensive and acrobatic process with the number of pieces that need to come together. I have consistently heard from a diverse audience that my book would make a great movie, however, so I am hopeful that is the horizon for The Paths of Marriage. I’ve been approached for a theater adaptation, and I am hoping to connect with Mira Nair and Deepa Mehta for the possible movie adaptation.

One of the reasons I’d love to see my book turned into a movie is because there are not a lot of roles for South Asian actors, especially in the States. I would thus guess a lot of the starring cast has yet to be major productions. Of course big names do come to mind; I could see Mindy Kaling playing the character of Pooja. I think Nandita Das would be excellent as the character of Lakshmi.

3) Your characters seem so alive and real…what’s your secret?

I get (some version) of this question a lot. I think I have the strong ability to take a few soundbytes and fill in the gaps to construct a story. A lot of the characters in The Paths of Marriage are very loosely based on someone I have met, be family or friend. In the case of the major characters, I was able to take minor anecdotes, attributes or traits and wind that up into a fictitious character. Like a good lie, fictional characters that seem real are based in some truth. The trick is know what to keep true and what to vary from reality.

4) What scene or bit of dialogue in the book are you most proud of and why?

I really love the scene in which Laskhmi reveals to her granddaughter, Deepa, that she knows and accepts Deepa is gay. In a matter of four sentences, the three powerful stories of the main characters come together and reveal to the reader how racial, caste, LGBT, gender and socioeconomic discrimination are all rooted in bias, fear and ignorance.

5) Thinking back to the way beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?

It’s really hard to sell books.

About the author:

Mala Kumar, the author of The Paths of Marriage, is an international development and ICT4D practitioner based out of New York City. She has held innovative jobs with institutions including the United Nations. Visit Mala online at PathsOfMarriage.com.

Giveaway info:

Title: The Paths of Marriage
Author: Mala Kumar
Publisher: Bedazzled Ink Publishing
Author website: PathsOfMarriage.com

3 autographed copies will be given away on Friday, Nov 20, 2015

Can’t wait? Order a copy now!

PLEASE NOTE: If you already follow us (or the author) on Twitter, or Like us on Facebook, there is no need to unfollow/refollow or unlike/relike to get your entries. Just follow the directions in the widget to verify you already follow/like us and it will count your entry.

In this gripping legal drama, rising Denver prosecutor Jaime Munroe resigns her post to represent Ashleigh Roberts, a mentally challenged young woman whose mother and legal guardian is seeking to have forcibly sterilized. Although she comes across as strong and confident, the case opens old wounds for Jamie, who is struggling with tragic events from her past. The passionate arguments from both sides of this complex situation keeps readers guessing at the outcome until the last page.

Exclusive interview with the author:

1) Thinking back to the way beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?

Write about what you know. Bad advice. A writer once told me that and I couldn’t disagree more. I like to say write about what you’re interested in. I have been curious and interested in many things. Being a reporter for more than 25 years has helped to satisfy my curiosity and interest. The more interest I have in something, the more likely I am to want to research and then write about it, whether it is a book or a newspaper article.

2) When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer? Have you had other jobs along the way?

I have known I wanted to be a writer since I was in the seventh grade when I wrote a poem about the rain standing at my mother’s bedroom window. I have been blessed to be a journalist since 1989, which is what I went to college to study. I have worked as a reporter and editor at newspapers in Denver, Seattle and Albuquerque. I did work at JC Penney to pay my way through college. It was a great job! I also worked as a gate agent for Continental Airlines my first year out of college, as I thought it might work into a position at the corporate offices in their public relations department. But I worked a flight from Denver to Boise one snowy day November in 1987 that crashed on the runway, killing 28 on board, including a 12-year-old boy travelling alone. As the gate agent for that flight, I was one of the agents who went out to the wreckage on the runway to help the “walking wounded” get away from the airplane. I decided that doing PR for an airline wasn’t something I wanted to do. I was also a disc jockey for a country and western radio station in Southern Colorado for two years. I really enjoyed playing music and being on air, but decided then (as I was also working as a reporter at my first newspaper) that I loved the written word more than I liked hearing the sound of my voice going out over the airwaves. The written word has a much more lasting impact.

3) Do you follow any specific rules or guidelines while writing?

The only rule I can say I follow with any conviction when writing is just to write, write, write. I read that in Stephen King’s book “On Writing Well” yeas ago. He said just keep writing. I have found that to be true — as it is always a lot easier to go back and rewrite and edit once you have something down on paper. I have found that even if I am not pleased with how my writing is going at that particular moment, I just keep writing. When I return later to write, edit and revise, I can always find many ways to improve what I’ve written.

4) How did you get the idea for the novel?

I was working at a newspaper in New Mexico when I met a woman, Brenda, who had a severally handicapped daughter, Jenny. In addition to being severally disabled, Jenny had an extremely bad and rare form of epilepsy. I became friends with Brenda and became Jenny’s Special Olympics coach. One day Brenda and I were having a conversation about sterilization of people with disabilities and Brenda told me that when Jenny was old enough, she was going to her sterilized. I remember thinking at the time, “you can’t do that.” I started to think of a storyline that involved forcibly sterilizing a young woman, who had a mild disability, and what could possibly happen because of it. “An Invincible Summer” is that story.

5) Which came first, the title or the novel?

In this case, the book. “An Invincible Summer” had many working titles —all bad— before I finally settled on the title. The title comes from the quote by Camus, “In the midst of winter, I finally learned there was within me an invincible summer.” I have always loved that quote. The more I wrote, revised and edited AIS, I found that my main character, Jaime Monroe, was all of that saying and more.

About the author:

Betta Ferrendelli is the award-winning author of the Samantha Church Mystery Series featuring reporter Samantha Church. Many of Church’s adventures come from Ferrendelli’s own experience since 1989 as a prize-winning journalist for newspapers in Denver, Seattle and Albuquerque. Visit Betta online at BettaFerrendelliBooks.com.

Giveaway info:

Title: An Invincible Summer
Author: Betta Ferrendelli
Publisher: CreateSpace
Author website: BettaFerrendelliBooks.com

5 autographed copies will be given away on Friday, Nov 20, 2015

Can’t wait? Order a copy now!

PLEASE NOTE: If you already follow us (or the author) on Twitter, or Like us on Facebook, there is no need to unfollow/refollow or unlike/relike to get your entries. Just follow the directions in the widget to verify you already follow/like us and it will count your entry.