I started this new release list back in May of 2009. Hello. I always say this list will probably grow, but then I never add to it. Other books come that I have to have as much as the ones below, yet I do not tack them onto the list. So this list has become particularly important to me, my prognostication of the titles that I feel in my bones will blow me away and/or just plain entertain me in the way I like to be as a reader (Hmm, I see no Fall releases there, might have to add some in later. So much for my sentence prior.). I might be wrong about some of them. It’s a gamble. I’ve found over the last couple of years that I usually win though.
I’ll be adding it to my 2010 Reads page soon and will keep track there of all the books I read in 2010, as I did for 2009, crossing titles off the list below as I read them. Found that this came in very handy actually. And now, the books!
- Kismet by Monica Burns January 5, 2010
- Shadow Blade by Seressia Glass January 26, 2010
- Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione February 2010
- Archangel’s Kiss by Nalini Singh February 2, 2010
- Steamed by Katie MacAlister February 2, 2010
- The Reckoners by Doranna Durgin February 2, 2010
- The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke February 23, 2010
- Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison February 23, 2010
- Blood of the Demon by Diana Rowland February 23, 2010
- Rebels and Lovers by Linnea Sinclair February 23, 2010
- The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin February 25, 2010
- Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver March 2, 2010
- A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire March 2, 2010
- Except the Queen by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder March 2, 2010
- Naked Edge by Pamela Clare March 2, 2010
- The Line by Teri Hall March 4, 2010
- Sing Me to Sleep by Angela Morrison March 18, 2010
- Mind Games by Carolyn Crane March 23, 2009
- The Devil’s Playground by Jenna Black March 23, 2010
- The Gaslight Dogs by Karin Lowachee March 30, 2010
- Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder April 2010
- Darker Than Night by Kim Lenox April 6, 2010
- Hell Fire by Ann Aguirre April 6, 2010
- Bewitched and Betrayed by Lisa Shearin April 27, 2010
- Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran April 27, 2010
- Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey May 3, 2010
- Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris May4, 2010
- His at Night by Sherry Thomas May 5, 2010
- Glimmerglass by Jenna Black May 25, 2010
- The Demon’s Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan May 18, 2010
- Shade by Jeri-Smith Ready May 18, 2010
- Sing Me to Sleep by Angela Morrison May 18, 2010
- Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead May 18, 2010
- Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews May 25, 2010
- Kiss It by Erin Downing June 15, 2010
- Forget You by Jennifer Echols July 2010
- Nevermore by Kelly Creagh August 31, 2010
- An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire September 2010
- Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews September 2010
- Killbox by Ann Aguirre October 2010
- Married by Morning (Hathaway series) by Lisa Kleypas date TBA
- Love in the Afternoon (Hathaway series) by Lisa Kleypas date TBA
This week’s Giveapalooza comes to you once again courtesy of my overflowing reading shelves. They’ve gotta go folks! One winner will get all the books shown below.
The selection this time is: The Becoming by Jeanne C. Stein (1st in her Anna Strong series; slight water damage from a bedroom ceiling problem); Storm Born and Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead; Stargazer by Colby Hodge (which is actually futuristic romance); Deadtown (extra mass market version via publisher) by Nancy Holzner; Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman (ARC version).
Giveaway Rules
Contest opens today and ends January 1 at noon, eastern time. I’ll announce the one winner later that day. Open to U.S. residents only.
There are two ways to enter (giving you two total entries/chances to win):
1. Leave a comment here, any comment.
2. Share the contest info on Twitter (@KMont Fantasy/Scifi Giveapalooza + contest link, etc.); in a separate comment here, leave me a link to your tweet or I may not see it and count it as a second entry. (If you don’t see your Twitter link entry pop up in the comments below, it might be caught by my spam filter. I will check it regularly to make sure all entries get through.)
And that’s it! Good luck.
Hope everyone’s been enjoying a wonderful Holiday. It’s time to announce the winners of two contests.
The winner of Lurv’s own YA Fantasy Giveapalooza is comment #27:
Monica!
Congrats, Monica! You’ve won slightly used but still in great condition copies of Fallen; Hush, Hush; The Forest of Hands and Teeth; and Wicked Lovely.
And the winner of one signed copy of The Phoenix Charm is comment #14:
Roxy!
Congratulations, Roxy! Thanks to everyone that stopped by to enter these contests, and to author Helen Scott Taylor for donating her book for a prize. I’ll be doing another Giveapalooza, this time a different theme to the set. Check back tomorrow or Monday for those.
Nancy Holzner
Deadtown
ACE
ISBN-10: 0441018130
ISBN-13: 978-0441018130
Urban fantasy
December 29, 2009
They call it Deadtown: the city’s quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders — but Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer, isn’t exactly human…
Vicky’s demanding job keeping the city safe from all manner of monsters is one reason her relationship with workaholic lawyer (and werewolf) Alexander Kane is in constant limbo. Throw in a foolhardy zombie apprentice, a mysterious demon-plagued client, and a suspicious research facility that’s taken an unwelcome interest in her family, and Vicky’s love life has as much of a pulse as Deadtown’s citizens.
But now Vicky’s got bigger things to worry about. The Hellion who murdered her father ten years ago has somehow broken through Boston’s magical protections. The Hellion is a ruthless force of destruction with a personal grudge against Vicky, and she’s the only one who can stop the demon before it destroys the city and everyone in it.
Based on a mass market edition provided by the publisher.
Considering the cover, which is completely kick-ass, the book’s atmosphere and characters weren’t as dangerous as I expected. And that’s not to say the book wasn’t enjoyable as a result, just means I should know better than to rely on expectations. I’ve had to think about Deadtown for a few days now and have come to the conclusion that, while not without some drawbacks, it is overall a very decent and pretty enjoyable read. It certainly shows great potential for more books down the line. read more…
Last year I listed out and briefly described my reactions to every single book I reviewed. I’m not doing that this year. Instead, I’ll just talk briefly about some of my most favorite reads in the form of Best Of blah blah, and if it tickles my fancy, I might talk about what didn’t work for me. Honestly, I feel as if I didn’t get enough read for the year, but that’s an old violin tune. Still, would have been nice to have a larger sampling of each genre from which to choose favorites. And that’s why they say things like 2010 is another year!
Best of Year of the Category
Year of the Category was my pet reading challenge experiment, where I learned just how hard I sucked as a reading challenge host. Through those particularly sooty ashes, I did manag to discover some great cataegory romances, and I owe that enjoyment to author Sarah Mayberry and her book Anything For You. This one sparked a love affair with her books, so much so that I might as well have just renamed the challenge Year of the Mayberry. I went on to get a great set of answers out of the author in an interview, so check that out if you’ve ever been curious about category romance.
Review here.
Best Historical Romance
Sherry Thomas made a good impression on me with Delicious, but Not Quite a Husband moved me. Towards the tissues. And some sweet snackie things. And my keyboard so I could pile onto all of you how wonderful the entire thing was from beginning to end. Most readers want to connect with what they read on an emotiona level, whatever that emotion may be. I wasn’t quite expecting the emotions this book wrangled out of me, but I sure as hell enjoyed them. Not only did I connect emotionally with it, but the subject matter connected to my heart. I keep waxing mushy with this book every time I talk about it, but it’s the truth. Not Quite a Husband stayed strong from the time I read it in July and is still a touching book to think back on.
Review here.
Best Contemporary Romance
I didn’t get a whole lot of contemporary romance read this year, but one thing was clear when I read Going Too Far: a young adult title blew them all out of the water. I cried, gripped the book in anticipation, turned pages faster than I thought possible. And I laughed and I cheered on Meg and Johnafter and I sighed in utter bliss. All the good talk about this one is true. It is right. I. loved. it.
Review here.
Best Paranormal Romance
The Psy/Changeling books have been staying strong since book 1, Slave to Sensation. Between the every growing and great characterization, to the ever intriguing worldbuilding, this series continually sticks to the forefront of what I get excited about reading in romance. It’s hard to keep a series strong, and after six books, I feel that Singh has more than proved her mettle in producing great reads. The Psy/Changeling series continues to be a landmark stop in the road to satisfying paranormal romances.
Review here.
Best Fantasy
I’m so glad I went with this series after seeing rave reviews for the first couple of books over at The Book Smugglers. It’s in my top tier of favorite series now and waiting for each book is slowing becoming more torture than I can quite bear. It’s funny, highly adventurous, very opportunistic romance-wise and I love the world Shearin’s built. I go through these books way too fast. Oh yeah, and – go Team Tam!
Review here.
Best Urban Fantasy
It might be still be one of my least favorite covers for the year, but On the Edge merely smirks at me and reminds me that it’s what’s inside that counts in the long run. I’m a huge fan of this author partnership’s Kate Daniel’s series, and I loved this year’s installment, but On the Edge ended up edging out Magic Strikes just enough. From beginning to end, I didn’t want to put it down. It’s worldbuilding was awesome, enabling me to just delightedly sink into it as I imagined what the authors cooked up. This was like that recipe you have to push up your sleeves for, dive into it with bare hands and mold all the ingredients into something yummy. Pure, magically delicious fun, every bit of it. I was hoping for the next book to continue Rose and Declan’s story with them as the lead protags, but I will eagerly scarf up Bayou Moon (September 2010) regardless.
Review here.
Best Read of 2009
In a year where more than one of my most favorite series took a nosedive with me for the first time, I’m more a fan of the Hollows series than ever before. This is my numero uno, my most favorite series and I loved White Witch, Black Curse. The entire journey with Rachel Mariannna Morgan has been wonderful, fun, exciting and unexpected. I love the good guys, I love the bad guys. I love where the series is going. God I want to go hug this book, see yall later…
Review here.
Honorable Mentions
The Nobel Dead saga, series one, wasn’t a perfect series of books. The end even let me down a little bit, but there’s something to be said for everything else. Fantasy on an epic scale can be so much damn fun to sink into, and when you get to read it back-to-back like I did these, it’s all the more fun. So much fun, in fact, that I got that feeling as if I wished I could start it all over again, like I’d not read them yet, just so I could experience again the wonderful feeling of completely escaping while reading. The saga continues with series 2, and stars a different set of main protagonists, and I look forward to continuing the adventure. A girl’s gotta get some answers somehow.
Reviews here, here, here, here, here and here. And yes, that’s in order.
I fell in absolute love with this short story. So much so that I wanted immediately to read another such contemporary romance by Ione. I settled for reading Snowbound over again. So sweet, this story was a real heart warmer. Highly recommended if you’re looking for something quick yet romantic.
Review here.
I haven’t read a whole lot of dark fantasy, and I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy this one for that one idea alone. I’m not usually into reads that border on depressing. I was pleasantly surprised by Street Magic, though, and not depressed in the least. Kittredge penned an astoundingly awesome murky, dank and unrepentantly nasty side of London – and I loved it. The book is really all about the main characters, and it’s got a very decent plot to house them in, but Pete and Jack feed off of and balance each other out perfectly in this book. Loved it. Now I jsut need to play catch up and read the second book, Demon Bound.
Review here.
Talk about a great voice. Rosemary and Rue caught my eye cover-wise and the author was great in sending me a copy. I was wholly impressed with this first in a new series and completely drawn in as a result. I’m really not big on the fae as the central character type in my fantasy reads, but I loved how the author spun her particular use of mythology and made it her own. A Local Habitation, book 2, comes out in March 2010 and I’ll be getting to it soon!
Review here.
I’d seen Chase’s books in the stores, of course, but it wasn’t till I’d heard the wild ravings of her books via the Book Smugglers that I gave the author a serious look. So I bought the book. And it sat around. And sat and sat and sat and it moved from book pile to pile till I finally picked it up several months later. It was one of those things where I wanted to slap myself for not reading it sooner. The main characters are fun and hilarious. The end kind of disappointed, but the overall reading experience was overwhelmingly positive, enough for me to add another Chase to the TBR pile.
Review here.
And that’s a wrap, folks (no griping after all!). These were my most memorable reads of 2009 and I hope to make the list longer in 2010. Happy Holidays and may your 2010 be full of great reads.
See below for a giveaway!
I haven’t had the chance to read The Magic Knot, but it’s been on my wish list for a while now. So when the author wrote me asking if I’d be interested in posting on some of her upcoming sequel, I jumped at the chance. Here today to talk to us about The Phoenix Charm (December 29, 2009) and some background on its world, author Helen Scott Taylor:
HE’S PURE TEMPTATION.
Cordelia has sworn she’ll abstain from looking into Michael’s future—particularly when the image in the gilded smoke of her divination mirror shows him half naked. Yet she can’t resist watching the sexy rascal slowly running his hand down his ribs, over his abdomen, flicking open the button on his jeans with a little flourish like a magician performing a trick.SHE’S TRYING TO RESIST.
Respectable wise woman Cordelia restrains her secret water nymph sensuality with the Celtic symbols painted on her skin. But Michael’s powerful fairy glamour leaves her breathless, off balance, struggling for control. When Gwyn ap Nudd, the Welsh King of the Underworld, steals away Michael’s infant nephew, Cordelia must work with him to save the child. But how can she trust her instincts with Michael tempting her to explore the hidden elemental depths of her nature and insisting that she believe in the power of…The Phoenix Charm.
Thank you to Kenda for having me as a guest today. I’m delighted to be here. My current series is contemporary fantasy and one of my favorite parts about writing fantasy is creating the world and especially the characters who populate the world.
In the Magic Knot Fairies world, each fairy embodies the qualities of one of the elements. The leprechauns and Cornish piskies are Earth elementals, the Welsh Tylwyth Teg are Air elementals, and the noble old blood Tuatha Dé Danaan can be either Fire, Air, or Water. This gives them their powers, strengths, and weaknesses.
In the second book in the series, The Phoenix Charm, the heroine Cordelia is half Cornish pisky and half water nymph. It is the water nymph qualities inherited from her mother that have manifested, making her a water elemental. The sensual water nymph allure that attracts males has so far caused her nothing but trouble. When she reached puberty, her grandmother bound the power by covering the energy centers on Cordelia’s body with Celtic symbols. But the water nymph energies are also the source of her healing power so she has never reached her full potential.
The hero of the story, Michael, is an Earth elemental. He is a storyteller and has the gift of glamour, which makes him attractive, and silver tongue, which makes his words persuasive. As the story progresses he discovers a greater power he has inherited from his father, and he gains more control over the energy he channels from the Earth.
We all exhibit characteristics of the four elements, but we tend to favor one. Here is a brief description of the elements’ qualities.
Earth is the mother, the element of birth and renewal. Earth elementals are steady, grounded, and generous, with their feet firmly on the ground. Confident and steadfast, Earth elementals have an instinct for survival, which makes them excellent protectors.
Air elementals are intelligent with great imagination, and can be very persuasive. They are good at conceiving new ideas and seeing changes coming. They have an affinity to music. They may ‘have their heads in the clouds’ and be difficult to pin down. Their spiritual beauty is reflected in the intricate formation of snowflakes.
Water elementals are the nurturers, the calm center that supports loved ones to help them conquer problems. Sensual, graceful, and often very beautiful, Water elementals have strong emotions, and love deeply.
Fire elementals embody passion, enthusiasm, and desire. They are quick and bright, but often emotionally volatile. Forceful and highly opinionated, Fire elementals think they know best. They are considered to be ‘hot blooded’.
To find out which element you are, go to my website and take my elements quiz. Then come back and tell us which element you are!
I also have a novella linked to my Magic Knot Fairies series called The Feast of Beauty in The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance due out on Jan 26.
The anthology includes stories by: Jenna Maclaine, Jennifer Ashley, Roberta Gellis, Claire Delacroix, Sue-Ellen Welfonder, Cindy Miles, Ciar Cullen, Helen Scott Taylor, Shirley Kennedy, Margo Maguire, Susan Krinard, Pat McDermott, Nadia Williams, Dara England, Kathleen Givens, Sandra Newgent, Cindy Holby, CT Adams & Cathy Clamp, Penelope Neri, Patricia Rice.
To read my free fantasy-romance short story, Jack’s Garden, visit the Dorchester website.
Dorchester is having a Stocking Stuffer Sale on their website at the moment with some books only $2.99. My book, The Magic Knot, is included in the sale, and so are other popular books such as The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox and Stolen Fury by Elisabeth Naughton.
For more information and to read book excerpts go to Hellen Scott Taylor’s wesite.
Did you do her quiz on elementals? Turns out my element is water. Too bad it’s winter here and I can’t go frolick in the pool! Feel free to ask any questions of the author. Ms. Scott will be by off and on today. Many thanks, Ms. Taylor, for sharing some info about your books.
Giveaway Time!
Ms. Taylor is giving away one signed copy of The Phonix Charm. Just leave a comment below and remember, feel free ask the author anything. Contest ends December 24th at midnight and we’ll announce a winner either Christmas Day or the day after. Open to everyone worldwide. Bombs away, people!
This may just be me, but here lately I find books with paranormal creatures that try to include the entire menagerie of said paranormal creatures to be a little distracting. They’ve got vampires, werewolves, harpies, demons, lupi, witches, sorcerers, mages, zombies, zompires (or vambies if you like) ligers, werepickles – everything. If you’ve heard of any paranormal creature, said book of the moment has them in it.
There are no laws of physics or fiction that say kitchen sink type scenarios can’t work in a book or series. Plenty do. Sometimes though, and I feel more and more lately, I like for a good urban fantasy read to just focus on whatever creature the hero or heroine is. Sure, have the other supes in the periphery, but keep them in the periphery and with good reason. Sometimes it’s starting to feel as if some supernaturals are mentioned only to give a cursory glance at worldbuilding. A kind of, now you see ‘em, so there the worldbuilding is. They don’t necessarily add anything, but rather feel gratuitous.
How do you feel about your paranormal reads when it comes to every paranormal creature under the sun…or moon? Feel free to vote in the new poll on the right.
This will be the first in a series of giveaways from my shelves. That is, if it continues to get a decent response.
Today’s giveaway comes to you courtesy of my reading pile. I’ve got to make room on my shelves, and what better way to do so than to give you a shot at them first.
Today’s selections are young adult fantasy titles, all in very good condition (Fallen, The Forest of Hands and Teeth both ARC versions; Fallen has a few folded down page corners.) and will all go to one winner.
Giveaway Rules
Contest opens today and ends December 24, 2009 at midnight. I’ll announce the one winner either Christmas day or the following day. Open to U.S. residents only.
There are two ways to enter (giving you two total entries/chances to win):
1. Leave a comment here, any comment.
2. Share the contest info on Twitter (@KMont YA Fantasy Giveaway + contest link, etc.); in a separate comment here, leave me a link to your tweet. (ETA: If you don’t see your Twitter link entry pop up in the comments below, it might be caught by my spam filter. I will check it regularly to make sure all entries get through.)
And that’s it! Good luck.
Jill Shalvis
Instant Attraction (Wilders Adventures #1)
Kensington
ISBN-10: 0758231237
ISBN-13: 978-0758231239
Contemporary romance
March 2, 2009
Accountant Katie Kramer is a quintessential good girl – working hard, recycling diligently, all the while trying to ignore the feeling that she doesn’t fit in anywhere. That’s all she wants. Well, that – and amazing sex, and the kind of daredevil escapade she can look back on when she’s crunching numbers in a dusty cubicle. Which explains why she just took a job in Wishful, California, working for Wilder Adventures and Expeditions. Waking up to find a magnificently built stranger towering over her bed – that part defies explanation…After wandering the planet for months following a life-changing accident, Cameron Wilder has come back to the only home he knows. Under other circumstances, he might be thrilled to find a gorgeous woman sleeping in his cabin, but now, while he’ll risk his body taking clients on adrenaline-drenched excursions, his heart is off limits. Still, Katie’s killer smile triggers something deep in his gut…among other places. Showing her how exhilarating it can be to stop balancing her life as if it was a check book is the biggest rush he’s ever felt – and an adventure Katie’s wishing would never end…
If I’m remembering this correctly, I won this last year from The Book Binge. I remember there being quite some excitement for the book. To say the least, happy readers abounded when it cam to Instant Attraction. I don’t get to too many books outside of the paranormal realms these days, but I do occasionally enjoy a realistic contemporary romance. So I tugged this one down to the beach with me in November and I fully expected a sweet, possibly even a hot love story. read more…
Releases July 20, 2010. I’ve seen this one a couple of times already around the Blogosphere, but how can we not pimp it one more time. Look at that lineup of authors. This is definitely a must for me in 2010.
To read a snippet from the Ilona Andrews story, go here.
Carrie Vaughn talks briefly about her story here.
Scroll down on this page from Jim Butcher’s site to see a brief description of his story.
Releases May 1, 2010. Not much info yet that I was able to find, but there was a little bit on the author’s blog:
The story is about a CPA in San Diego who finds out she’s next in line to a fairy godmother, and with the onset of her powers, her simple life disappears.
Releases May 11, 2010. It is what it is, several short stories, and I do mean short if they’re anything like the mammoth of whatever books I’ve seen so far.
Releases May 18, 2010. First in a new trilogy.
Sonea, once the despised commoner in the Magicians’ Guild, is now a Black Magician of Kyralia. Though she is now part of the establishment, she comes to find that the past is not so easily left behind…
Lorkin, Sonea’s rebellious son, has volunteered to join the formidable Lord Dannyl in his new post as Guild Ambassador to Sachaka – a land ruled by cruel, slave-owning black magicians. There is suspicion that some of the Sachakans still harbor dreams of conquest, so when word comes that Lorkin has gone missing, Sonea is desperate to find him. However, Guild law states that if a Black Magician leaves the city he or she will be exiled forever.
As she fears for her missing son, Sonea dedicates herself to helping her old friend Cery. For some time, there has been fear and paranoia on the streets of Imardin. Leading thieves have been dying under irregular circumstances. The need to discover who has been picking off the leading thieves of the city is now a very personal crusade – one that Sonea must aid, for the killer appears to be using magic.
Either a member of the Guild is leading a double life as a hired killer, or there is – once again – a rogue magician on the streets of Imardin . . .
I’ve been wanting to read this author’s work for a while now and I may just start with this series. Unholy Ghosts had a different cover before, but I’m liking the face lift they gave the whole series. Unholy Ghosts releases May 25, 2010; Unholy Magic June 22, 2010; City of Ghosts July 27, 2010.
Blurb for Unholy Ghosts:
THE AFTERLIFE IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.
The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen and constantly attack the living. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Consequently, there are many false claims of hauntings from those hoping to profit. Enter Chess Putnam, a fully-tattooed witch and freewheeling Debunker and ghost hunter. She’s got a real talent for nailing the human liars or banishing the wicked dead. But she’s keeping a dark secret from the Church: a little drug problem that’s landed her in hot and dangerous water.
Chess owes a murderous drug lord named Bump a lot of money. And Bump wants immediate payback. All Chess has to do is dispatch a very nasty species of undead from an old airport. But the job involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and crossing swords with enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls. Toss in lust with a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump’s ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, yeah.
Releases May 4, 2010. Visit the author’s site.
They are the Others — the vampires, mages, and werewolves once thought to exist only in our imaginations. Now they’re stepping out of the shadows, and nothing in our world will ever be the same again…
IN A TOWN LIKE THIS, BEING A P.I. CAN BE MURDER
Shiarra Waynest’s detective work was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm — if it doesn’t kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York’s most powerful vampires.
As soon as Shiarra meets scary, mesmerizing vamp Alec Royce, she knows her assignment is even more complicated than she thought. With a clandestine anti-Other group trying to recruit her, and magi being eliminated, Shiarra needs back-up and enlists her ex-boyfriend–a werewolf whose non-furry form is disarmingly appealing–and a nerdy mage with surprising talents. But it may not be enough. In a city where the undead roam, magic rules, and even the Others aren’t always what they seem, Shiarra has just become the secret weapon in a battle between good and evil–whether she likes it or not…
Releases January 5, 2010. Visit the author’s site.
For centuries, in the The Witch City, human magick has thinned the veil between the planes to a permeable mist, forming a portal into Salem, allowing more and more magickal supernatural ancients–time travelers and chameleons of the universe–to enter there.
Bastian Dragonelli, once a Roman warrior turned dragon, is the first of his legion to be returned to earth, a man. There, so his brothers can also be saved and sent back, he must recover the magick of the sorceress Andra, Goddess of Hope, who gave her powers to transform him. To do so, Bastian must seek his heart mate at the sign of the crowned dragon and make her quest his own. But the dark and powerful Killian, Sorceress of Chaos, who turned his legion into dragons and skewed his transition back into a man, is lightning-hot and hailstone-swift on his heels.
McKenna Greylock, the last non-magical descendant of Ciarra McKenna, a witch who survived the hanging times, needs a jack-of-all-trades to help turn her dilapidated Victorian into a bed and breakfast in time to pay her mortgage and meet the building inspector’s approval, or she will lose her home and her family’s centuries-old legacy.
Enter McKenna’s cousin, Vivica Quinlan–a highly evolved witch with the power of centuries behind her. Owner of the Works Like Magick Employment Agency, Vivica has a gift for matching human employers with magickal employees. Like her High-Priestess ancestors before her, Vivica knows when the magickal supernatural ancients are about to arrive, so she greets and acclimates them to life, and to making a living, in Salem.
Releases February 16, 2010. Visit the author’s site.
After centuries of calm, the Nameless One is stirring.
An army is gathering; thousands of giants, ogres, and other creatures are joining forces from all across the Desolate Lands, united, for the first time in history, under one, black banner. By the spring, or perhaps sooner, the Nameless One and his forces will be at the walls of the great city of Avendoom.
Unless Shadow Harold, master thief, can find some way to stop them.
Epic fantasy at its best, Shadow Prowler is the first in a trilogy that follows Shadow Harold on his quest for a magic Horn that will restore peace to the Kingdom of Siala. Harold will be accompanied on his quest by an Elfin princess, Miralissa, her elfin escort, and ten Wild Hearts, the most experienced and dangerous fighters in their world…and by the king’s court jester (who may be more than he seems…or less).
Reminiscent of Moorcock’s Elric series, Shadow Prowler is the first work to be published in English by the bestselling Russian fantasy author Alexey Pehov. The book was translated by Andrew Bromfield, best known for his work on the highly successful Night Watch series.
This one was featured recently in a giveaway at Dear Author and I loved the sound of it. Releases January 5, 2010. More on the author here.
In a kingdom on the verge of a grand renaissance, where natural science has supplanted failing sorcery, someone aims to revive a savage rivalry…For Portier de Savin-Duplais, failed student of magic, sorcery’s decline into ambiguity and cheap illusion is but a culmination of life’s bitter disappointments. Reduced to tending the library at Sabria’s last collegia magica, he fights off despair with scholarship. But when the king of Sabria charges him to investigate an attempted murder that has disturbing magical resonances, Portier believes his dreams of a greater destiny might at last be fulfilled.As the king’s new agente confide, Portier – much to his dismay – is partnered with the popinjay Ilario de Sylvae, the laughingstock of Sabria’s court. Then the need to infiltrate a magical cabal leads Portier to Dante, a brooding, brilliant young sorcerer whose heretical ideas and penchant for violence threaten to expose the investigation before it’s begun. But in an ever-shifting landscape of murders, betrayals, old secrets, and unholy sorcery, the three agentes will be forced to test the boundaries of magic, nature, and the divine…
Apologies for the extended wait on announcing the contest winner. Time is simply passing way too fast with too many things to shove into said time.
Last week Author Sarah Mayberry was gracious enough to not only answer my questions but provide two copies of her upcoming January print release. Our two winners are:
Meaghan and Jill Sorenson!
Congratulations to the both of you, and thank you to everyone that stopped by, commented or entered. Thanks again to Ms. Mayberry for the prizes and great interview answers.
And stay tuned for another contest coming soon. Hopefully someone will help me get some of these books in my TBR pile to a good home.
This’ll probably be the last Cover Spotlight I do geared toward YA fiction before 2010, and oh me oh my, what a lot of goodness we’ve got in store…
Releases March 16, 2010. Visit the author’s site for more info.
Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her “power” to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world… and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he’s claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay’s intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she’s falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer… and becoming his prey herself.
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Releases January 5, 2010. Visit the author’s site here.
Restless souls and empty hearts
Brooklyn can’t sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe’s ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn’t Lucca visiting her dreams.
Nico can’t stop. He’s always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca’s ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.
As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they’re being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.
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Releases May 1, 2010.
Ten years ago, Alaric, leader of the Shadowmen, killed most of the Keepers–teachers of ancient knowledge that threatened his barbaric rule. Young Kit was captured, but his twin sister, Nyssa, escaped. Only later will she learn that both she and her lost brother bear the secret words of their people: three lines each of strange, unintelligible writing tattooed on their scalps. Now the Shadowmen are on the attack again, determined to quell a growing rebellion. Nyssa must find her brother, and together they must unlock the meaning–the power–behind the mysterious words.
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Releases April 12, 2010. For more info, click here.
What happens when a single moment changes everything? For seventeen-year-old Cheney, life on earth exists only in history books. The life he and over one thousand other people know is aboard the Plexus spacecraft: self-contained, systematic, and serene. But that was before the radiation wave.Now Plexus has suddenly turned on them, becoming a terrifying and unrecognizable force. As the crew dwindles under attack, Cheney and his friends need to fight back before the ship that’s nurtured them for so long becomes responsible for their destruction.
Releases August 31, 2010. Follow the author on Twitter. There’s not a whole lot of info yet, except:In NEVERMORE, cheerleader Isobel falls for Poe-fan Varen–but will she be able to save him from the madness taking hold of his mind?
Releases April 13, 2010. Visit the author’s site.Maxwell Unger has always loved the night. He used to do brave things like go tramping through the forest with his gran after dark. He loved the stories she told him about the world before the Destruction—about nature, and books, and the silver owls. His favorite story, though, was about the Owl Keeper.According to Max’s gran, in times of darkness the Owl Keeper would appear to unite owls and sages against the powers of the dark. Gran is gone now, and so are her stories of how the world used to be. Max is no longer brave. The forest is dangerous, the books Gran had saved have been destroyed, and the silver owls are extinct. At least that’s what the High Echelon says. But Max knows better.
Maxwell Unger has a secret. And when a mysterious girl comes to town, he might just have to start being brave again.
The time of the Owl Keeper, Gran would say, is coming soon.
Releases May 4, 2010. This is the third book following The Princess and the Hound and The Princess and the Bear. No description yet. Visit the author’s site for future info.
This one released previously in hardback last year, but I thought it sounded interesting enough to share anyway. The paperback version releases May 1, 2010. Follow the author on Twitter.From riches to rags, Milena is growing up in the city of Prague at the turn of the 20th century. Her parents’ once prosperous theater lies in disrepair, and her life seems to be in ruins since the fateful night her father died in a tragic accident and her beautiful, talented mother went missing. Milena has never lost hope that her mother will come back. The day she meets the flamboyant Puppet Master and his menacing twin protégés, Zdenko and Zdenka, under the shadow of Prague’s famous Astronomical Clock in the Old Town square, is, coincidentally, the date of her mother’s birthday. It’s also the day Milena’s grandmother chooses to reveal to her the story of her ancestors—and of her legacy. Perhaps it’s not such a coincidence? Joanne Owen’s debut novel, long-listed for the Carnegie Medal, skillfully mingles the legends of Bohemia in a story rich in the traditions of circus, theater, and magic, all set in a city waiting to lay bare a myriad of secrets.
Releases May 13, 2010. Visit the author’s site.The year is 2041, and for Molly McClure, her life is pretty much the same as it’s always been. She was only six when the Collapse of ’31 happened, ending life as the world’s population knew it. When she is forced to leave the comfort of her home and small island in British Columbia to travel down to Oregon, Molly discovers how hard the Collapse has been on the rest of the world.
What starts out as a quick trip to the U.S. to convince her grandfather to return to Canada and be the island’s doctor, turns into a rescue mission, a test of Molly’s strengths, ingenuity, and sheer determination. Will a farm girl like Molly survive in this upturned world? Will she be able to return with her grandpa in time for him to help her ailing mother? And just how much will she have to compromise to succeed in getting back to B.C.?
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Releases March 4, 2010. Reminds me of The Village. I’m actually intrigued. For more info, visit the author’s site.
An invisible, uncrossable physical barrier encloses the Unified States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It’s said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line.Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel’s dad died in the last war. It’s a safe, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help.
Who sent the message? Why is her mother so protective? And to what lengths is Rachel willing to go in order to do what she thinks is right?
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Releases January 19, 2010. For more info, click here.
Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark—a glow around certain people reminiscent of candlelight. But the one time she mentioned it, it was dismissed as a trick of the light. Until the day she watches a man awash in the mark die. After searching her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person’s imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today.
Armed with a vague understanding of the light, Cassie begins to explore her “gift,” seeking those marked for death and probing the line between decision and destiny. Though she’s careful to hide her secret—even from her new philosophy-obsessed boyfriend—with each impending death comes the temptation to test fate. But so many questions remain. How does the mark work? Why is she the only one who sees it? And finally, the most important of all: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them?
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Releases February 9, 2010. Visit the author’s site.
Cooper Blake has everything going for him—until he wakes from a car accident with his football career in ruins and a mysterious, attractive girl by his side. Cooper doesn’t know how Samantha got there or why he can see her; all he knows is that she’s a ghost, and the shadows that surround her seem intent on destroying her.
No one from Cooper’s old life would understand what he can barely grasp himself. . . . But Delilah, the captain of the cheerleading squad, has secrets of her own, like her ability to see beyond the physical world, and her tangled history with Brent, a loner from a neighboring school who can hear strangers’ most intimate thoughts. Delilah and Brent know that Cooper is in more trouble than he realizes, and that Samantha may not be as innocent as she has led Cooper to believe. But the only way to figure out where Samantha came from will put them all in more danger than they ever dreamed possible.
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Releases March 16, 2010. Not much info yet, but check out the author’s site for more in the future.
Carrie’s first young adult novel is just your typical “girl meets dragon” story. With bonus rock climbing and jet fighters!
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Releases June 22, 2010. No blurb yet, but it’s a pretty cover to drool over and the author’s site is gorgeous as well. Check it out later for more info.
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In this new stand-alone fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie—blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic—can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen’s true love to kiss her awake.
But who is her true love? The irritating Digby? The happy-go-lucky Prince Andreas, who is holding a contest to find his bride? The conniving Clarence, whose sinister motives couldn’t possibly spell true love? Joined by one of her father’s guards, Liam, who happened to be out of the castle when the sleeping spell struck, Annie travels through a fairy tale land populated with characters both familiar and new as she tries to fix her sister and her family . . . and perhaps even find a true love of her own.
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Releases May 18, 2010. And it’s steampunk! Visit the author’s site for more info and the full blurb.
It’s huge! It’s huger than huge! It’s the juggernaut Worldshaker, a mobile city as big as a mountain. Ruled by Queen Victoria the Second and commanded by Sir Mormus Porpentine, it moves on rollers over land and across sea.
Queen Victoria the Second you ask? Yes, history has followed an alternative track ever since Napoleon actually dug his planned tunnel under the Channel and invaded England in 1804. A century and a half later, after revolution and repression, after the Fifty Years War, after ruthless steam-age industrialisation, Europe has become a wasteland. Now the juggernauts of the great powers roam the face of the globe in a very different Age of Imperialism.
Col is the grandson and nominated heir of the Supreme Commander. He’ll become the most powerful person on the juggernaut when he’s completed his schooling and training. But one night, a girl Filthy from the engine rooms down Below tries to hide in his bedroom. The Filthies are dirty and ragged, never spoken about in polite society—but this one is on the loose and running free. ‘Don’t let ‘em take me,’ she pleads.
Every rational thought in Col’s head tells him to call the officers and hand her over. Yet there’s something about her …
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