The fourth annual Smashwords End of Year Sale kicked off December 18 – one week earlier than normal – and runs through January 1. Discover thousands of deep-discounted ebooks from the world’s best indie authors and publishers.

Visit the sale now

These exclusive deals disappear after January 1!

We started the sale a week early this year so customers of the Smashwords Store can use our convenient ebook gifting feature to purchase their favorite authors’ ebooks for their friends and family. Digital gifting will be more popular than ever this year due to the pandemic.

To purchase an ebook as a gift, simply click the “Give as Gift” button instead of the “Add to Cart” or “Buy” button.

Under the Smashwords End of Year Sale tab on the home page, you’ll find these shelves:

• Featured Smashwords End of Year Sale Deals – Highlights
• 25% off – Featured books, all…

Anything can happen behind the scenes in the malls and stores at Christmas time. But do we ever hear those stories?

Out of Character

by Cathy Cade

Christmas ads had been filmed and it was time for live appearances in department stores, handing out samples of Glint children’s toothpaste as the jolly, padded, fur-clad Eva Beaver. Children seemed to like her. The feeling was not mutual.

They reminded her of school, which had sapped what little confidence she had to begin with. If her parents had not given her such a stupid name, maybe teachers—and later her classmates—would not have sniggered at the contrast it raised with this mousy beige child with a mouthful of teeth. Her classwork was unexceptional. She was the last to be chosen for teams in sports lessons but, thanks to a sympathetic drama teacher, she participated in every school play. On stage, she could be…