Only two weeks after its debut as October’s WOWIO Free Book of the Month, Brian James Freeman’s The Painted Darkness has already shattered the all-time download record for the free eBook download program, which began back in 2006.

WOWIO readers and other fans of the book have been showing their appreciation of what Publishers Weekly calls “fast-paced, satisfying horror” by telling their Facebook and Twitter friends about the free download and by snapping up signed collector’s copies of the hardcover print edition.

This WOWIO-exclusive eBook edition (with bonus extras including an audio reading of the book’s first chapter by Pod of Horror host Mark Justice) is only available through October. If you haven’t already downloaded your free PDF of The Painted Darkness, get it now!

We’re ready for Halloween here at WOWIO, now that we’ve posted our spooky Book of the Month for October, The Painted Darkness. We’re excited about teaming up with Cemetery Dance Publications and author Brian James Freeman to offer this newly released novella that’s been compared to classic Stephen King and described as “elegant and haunting” and “dark, terrifying and deeply moving.”

This edition also includes bonus extras, including an interview with Ray Bradbury and, exclusively in this WOWIO edition, a reading of the book’s first chapter by Pod of Horror host Mark Justice.

Get your free download…

Howard Pyle’s tales of adventure and heroism are perennial favorites, so we wanted to share our all-new, remastered edition of The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood as the August 2010 WOWIO Book of the Month.

The Robin Hood legend has been told and retold, evolving over the centuries as it moved from ballads and books to the 30s-era Errol Flynn swashbuckler, various television incarnations and more recent Hollywood-style blockbusters. In this WOWIO Classics edition, we wanted to step back a bit and celebrate the original medieval flavor of Pyle’s story. To complete the retro feel, we’ve also included the complete first episode of the 50s television series, The Adventures of Robin Hood (you’ll need Adobe Reader version 6 or later to watch the video).

So take a step back with us to a simpler time of adventure, and get your free download now…

As many of you know, we’ve been offering a free download every month since the earliest days of WOWIO, and we always do our best to pick intriguing titles that will pique the interest of our readers and new visitors.

This month, in honor of our site relaunch, we’re doing something really special — we’ve teamed up with publisher ChiZine Publications to offer one of their critically acclaimed fantasy novels — The Choir Boats by Daniel A. Rabuzzi — as our July Book of the Month.

Described as “vibrant” and rich with “verve and wit,” it’s a seagoing fantasy yarn that is like “Gulliver’s Travels crossed with The Golden Compass and a dollop of Pride and Prejudice.”

This WOWIO-exclusive edition also includes a bonus insert with previously unpublished artwork for The Choir Boats by Deborah Mills.

UPDATE
The July 2010 Book of the Month period is ended, but The Choir Boats is still available for preview and purchase on WOWIO. Take a look!

This month’s free Book of the Month download is Washington Irving’s classic scary tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Aside from being a great story that never gets old, this particular eBook is also a nice example of a remastered WOWIO Classics title. If you were to download the pdf and load it onto your iPad (via reading apps like GoodReader or the free CloudReaders), you’ll see immediately how much care went into this book’s editing, typography and custom layouts. While some gnash their teeth at the bland, look-alike appearance of some eBooks, you’ll immediately see that this title is a unique piece of book-making art. We love these works, and we lavish our editions with the same care and attention to detail as the best you’ll find in print.

See for yourself — download it now…

This month’s free Book of the Month — The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie — is like reading a classic game of Clue. As Christie’s first novel, we first meet the iconic Hercule Poirot and the story sets the tone for mystery novels and whodunit board games alike for generations to come.

Download it now!

This month’s free download is Jane Austen’s third novel, continuing her exploration of the themes of money and marriage, of choices and consequences, of appearance and reality.

Download it now!