2011 Debut Author Challenge

On twitter the other day the always lovely @ParanoRomance asked if anyone had any reading challenges for 2011. I had decided to read at least one speculative fiction debut author (non-YA) per month in 2011. For me speculative fiction includes Urban Fantasy, Fantasy (High or Epic), Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction, SciFi Romance, Paranormal Mystery, Paranormal Thriller, Steampunk, and Historical Fantasy. There's more, but you get the idea.

Debut authors' books will be listed in a post on the first of each month. Please check each month's list to let us know if I've missed any debut authors. You can also let everyone participating know which book you will be reading in the comments to the post.

I've created a button for the challenge if you'd like to post it on your blog. It's not required of course. You can find the code at the top of the column on the right.

Happy New Reading Year!

Note: For the 2011 Debut Author Challenge for YA & MG books head to The Story Siren.

Wednesday Comics on Thursday - December 30, 2010

My favorite comics this week include issue 6 (of 6) of True Blood from IDW Publishing. There are 2 regular covers plus 2 retailer incentive variant covers. In addition there are several exclusive covers: Dynamic Forces, Hastings, and Jetpack in the US and Ikon in Australia. There may be more, but I haven't found them yet.

Cover A

Cover B

Sookie and Eric, Tara and Sam, Jason and Lafayette—they've all spilled their guts, revealing their deepest, darkest secrets—feeding the trickster spirit's need for shame; hoping he'll release them when they're finished. Now it's Bill's turn, and the 184-year old vampire's story of personal regret in post-civil war Louisiana is the most shameful of all!  But the sun is coming up, and it's up to Sookie to uncover the spirit's true intentions. Will she discover the monster's secret in time? IDW Publishing

Bluewater Productions released another comic in the Female Force series, this time featuring Betty White. I love Betty White. This is my favorite of the 2 covers.

And last but not least, Marvel is releasing many Tron variant covers for their comics. I particularly like this Iron Man variant. This was actually released last week, but I didn't get it until yesterday.

End of Year Giveaway 3 - The Fever Series 1-4 by Karen Marie Moning

I initially had a hard time picking the books for my last end of the year giveaway. Once I thought about my most anticipated reads for 2011, it became easy. As many of you know the final book in the Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning will be released on January 18, 2011. This is one of my all time favorite series. I loved her Highlander series, which is connected to the Fever series in ways I'm not all too clear about yet. I have questions upon questions, but like everyone else must wait until next month to get my answers. I'd like someone to join in the wait!

The Fever Series:

Darkfever
Format: Paperback, 384 pages
Publisher: Dell
Pub. Date: August 28, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-440-24098-3 (0-440-24098-0)

MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands….

From the Hardcover edition.


Bloodfever
Format: Paperback, 368 pages
Publisher: Dell
Pub. Date: August 26, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-440-24099-0 (0-440-24099-9)


NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

I used to be your average, everyday girl but all that changed one night in Dublin when I saw my first Fae, and got dragged into a world of deadly immortals and ancient secrets. . . .

In her fight to stay alive, MacKayla must find the Sinsar Dubh—a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over the worlds of both the Fae and Man. Pursued by assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she can’t trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and powerful men: V’lane, the immortal Fae Prince, and Jericho Barrons, a man as irresistible as he is dangerous.

For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them.
 
   
Faefever
Format: Paperback, 416 pages
Publisher: Dell
Pub Date: July 28, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-440-24439-4 (0-440-24439-0)


New York Times bestseller
 
He calls me his Queen of the Night. I’d die for him. I’d kill for him, too.
 
When MacKayla Lane receives a page torn from her dead sister’s journal, she is stunned by Alina’s desperate words. And now MacKayla knows that her sister’s killer is close. But evil is closer. And suddenly the sidhe-seer is on the hunt: For answers. For revenge. And for an ancient book of dark magic so evil that it corrupts anyone who touches it.
 
Mac’s quest for the Sinsar Dubh takes her into the mean, shapeshifting streets of Dublin, with a suspicious cop on her tail. Forced into a dangerous triangle of alliance with V’lane, a lethal Fae prince, and Jericho Barrons, a man of deadly secrets, Mac is soon locked in a battle for her body, mind, and soul.

 
Dreamfever
Format: Paperback, 512 pages
Publisher: Dell
Pub. Date: October 26, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-440-24440-0 (0-440-24440-4)

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

They may have stolen my past, but I’ll never let them take my future.

When the walls between Man and Fae come crashing down, freeing the insatiable, immortal Unseelie from their icy prison, MacKayla Lane is caught in a deadly trap. Captured by the Fae Lord Master, she is left with no memory of who or what she is: the only sidhe-seer alive who can track the Sinsar Dubh, a book of arcane black magic that holds the key to controlling both worlds.

Clawing her way back from oblivion is only the first step Mac must take down a perilous path, from the battle-filled streets of Dublin to the treacherous politics of an ancient, secret sect, through the tangled lies of men who claim to be her allies into the illusory world of the Fae themselves, where nothing is as it seems—and Mac is forced to face a soul-shattering truth.

Who do you trust when you can’t even trust yourself?


The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win Mass Market Paperback copies of Darkfever, Bloodfever, Faefever and Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning.

How:  Leave a comment telling The Qwillery whether you are Seelie (Light Fae) or Unseelie (Dark Fae)?  If you don't answer the question, your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1)  Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2)  Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3)  Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who & When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Wednesday, January 5, 2011. Void where prohibited by law.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*

Review: Taken to the Limit by Nico Rosso - 4 Qwills

Taken to the Limit by Nico Rosso
Format: E-book
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books (November 22, 2010)
Price: $5.50
Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-59578-771-2

Liquid Silver Books, Amazon.com, All Romance

Cover and Blurb:

"Welcome to the Limit War." E.R. Doctor Korina Antonakis thinks she has mastered the chaos of her work and life. In a flash of light, everything changes. A man appears, a soldier from another world. Sergeant Morrow is a Nightfighter, an elite soldier who always battles alone. But he needs an ally on Earth, a doctor. In the dark of night, he opens Korina's eyes to The Limit War. And Earth is on the front lines. More amazing than the interstellar war, is the soldier before her. He is strong and stoic, a veteran, but beneath the armor, Korina finds the heart of a man. And in Korina, Sergeant Morrow finds the soul of a warrior to match his own. Their lives had started light-years apart, but the attraction between them pulls like destiny. Their desire is real, but the enemy needs to be driven from Earth. Can Korina and Sergeant Morrow's passion survive in the Limit War?

My thoughts:

It's incredibly difficult to introduce a new series, world build, and provide action and romance in a novella of 68 pages. Yet this is what Nico Rosso has done in Taken to the Limit, the first novella in the Limit War Series. Taken to the Limit is a Sci-Fi Romance, and there is enough of both to keep both Sci-Fi and Romance fans interested.
 
The story almost literally opens with a bang as Sergeant Morrow, a Nighfighter, seeks out an emergency room to get help for a wounded fellow Nightfighter, Pynn. Sergeant Morrow had hoped to sneak into the ER cloaked and leave Pynn. Things to do not go exactly according to plan. Morrow ends up meeting Dr. Korina Antonakis. Her actions in trying to aid both Morrow and the wounded Pynn land her in the middle of an intergalactic war when the Dusk Warriors (the enemy) pop into the ER. The Earth is the latest battlefield.
 
Over the course of the novella we watch as romance quickly blossoms, but also learn about the history of the Limit War, the Dusk Warriors, alien technology, and Morrow's and Korina's individual histories. We are also treated to some well-written sex scenes including one at zero-gravity. The romance develops at light-year speed, but has to within in the confines of the novella's length. Both Morrow and Korina are mature adults so I don't find it impossible that they connected so quickly especially under the life-threatening backdrop of the war. The science fiction in the novella is well done. I'm particularly found of Morrow's weapon, SUZY.
 
Taken to the Limit is a quick, fun read. I have to say that I'm hooked and would love to read more about The Limit War.
 
I give Taken to the Limit 4 Qwills.

Read an guest post by Nico here.

Nico's Links:

Website: Nico Rosso
Follow on Twitter
Be a fan on Facebook

Please note the the author provided the e-book copy of Taken to the Limit for review.

Snow! - December 27, 2010

We had our first big storm of the winter (along with much of the East Coast) from yesterday into today. One of our stations names winter storms. This one is Adrianne. I'm still trying to find out why it's Adrianne. Last year they were named for scientists. Most everyone is calling it the Blizzard of 2010. I'm going with that.

Looking down the street

Front yard

Snowy bench

Blowing

My Plow Guy

Why I have a Plow Guy

15 inches 

My watering pig got blown on

Rhododendron

Bush tops

The View From Monday, Part 2 - December 27, 2010

As promised here are some of the YA releases for Tuesday, December 28, 2010. Non-YA were in the prior post.

Bloody Valentine
by Melissa de la Cruz,
Blue Bloods 7
Vampires have powers beyond human comprehension: strength that defies logic, speed that cannot be captured on film, the ability to shapeshift, and more. But in matters of the heart, no one, not even the strikingly beautiful and outrageously wealthy Blue Bloods, has total control. In Bloody Valentine, bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz offers readers a new story about the love lives of their favorite vamps -- the passion and heartache, the hope and devastation, the lust and longing. Combined with all the glitz, glamour, and mystery fans have come to expect, this is sure to be another huge hit in the Blue Bloods series.




The Lost Saint
by Bree Despain,
Dark Divine 2
The non-stop sequel to The Dark Divine delivers an even hotter romance and more thrilling action than Bree Despain's first novel. Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She gave her soul to the wolf to save him and lost her beloved mother. When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do. She must become a Hound of Heaven. Desparate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot - a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero. But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel begins to crumble. Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace becomes prideful in her new abilities - not realizing that an old enemy has returned and deadly trap is about to be sprung. Readers, raveous for more Grace and Daniel, will be itching to sink their teeth into The Lost Saint.

Sapphique
by Catherine Fisher
Incarceron 2
Finn has escaped Incarceron only to find that he must defend his right to the throne from another challenger. His life and Claudia's hang on Finn convincing the Court that he is the lost prince, even though he has his own doubts about being the true heir.




 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vampire Crush
by A.M. Robinson

I swear, my life was always totally normal.

Normal house, normal family, normal school. My looks are average, I don't have any superpowers, no one's showing up to tell me I'm a princess—you get the picture. But when my junior year started, something not normal happened. There were new kids at school . . . new kids with a wardrobe straight out of a 19th-century romance novel, and an inexplicable desire to stay at school until sundown.

And on top of that, James Hallowell showed up. James, who stole my sandwiches in fourth grade and teased me mercilessly through middle school. James, who now seems to have the power to make my heart race any time he comes near.

But something weird is going on. Because James rarely goes out during the day. And he seems stronger than your typical guy. And he knows the new kids, all of whom seem to be harboring some kind of deep secret. . . .

Once in a Full Moon
by Ellen Schreiber
Vampire Kisses 1

Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever.

Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves—Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything in the small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend or just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight.

Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run.

Psychic predictions, generations-old secrets, a town divided, and the possibility of falling in love with a hot and heroic werewolf are the perfect formula for what happens . . . once in a full moon.

Deadly Little Games
by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Touch 3

Camelia and Ben have discovered a powerful bond: They both possess the power of psychometry, the ability to sense things through touch. For Ben, the gift is a frightening liability. When he senses a strong threat or betrayal, he risks losing control and hurting people. Camelia's gift is more mysterious. When she works with clay, her hands sculpt messages her mind doesn't yet comprehend. Before either teen has a chance to fully grasp these abilities, an unresolved family tragedy resurfaces in Camelia's life, irrevocably changing everything she cares about ...

 
 
 
 
Fallen Angel
by Heather Terrell
Fallen Angel 1

Heaven-sent?

Ellie was never particularly good at talking to boys—or anyone other than her best friend and fellow outcast, Ruth. Then she met Michael.

Michael is handsome, charming, sweet. And totally into Ellie. It’s no wonder she is instantly drawn to him. But Michael has a secret. And he knows Ellie is hiding something, too. They’ve both discovered they have powers beyond their imagining. Powers that are otherworldly.

Ellie and Michael are determined to uncover what they are, and how they got this way . . . together. But the truth has repercussions neither could have imagined. Soon they find themselves center stage in an ancient conflict that threatens to destroy everything they love. And it is no longer clear whether Ellie and Michael will choose the same side.

In this electrifying novel, Heather Terrell spins a gripping supernatural tale about true love, destiny, and the battle of good versus evil.

The View From Monday - December 27, 2010

SNOW! Yes, we've got it. Pictures later if I decide to brave the wind chill. There are a lot of books being released on the 28th. I'm hopeful the roads will be drivable by tomorrow.  I'm listing the non-YA books in this post and will have an additional post for the YA books.

Depending on whether I get to a bookstore tomorrow, there may or may not be a New Release Tuesday Vlog. Wednesday will be the last of the End of Year Giveaways. The rest of the week will be a surprise for you and for me!

Eternal Prey
By Nina Bangs
Gods of the Night 3
A magnificent creature, Utah wants vengeance against the bloodsuckers who murdered his brother. Once the beast within him is unleashed, he won’t rest until every vampire is destroyed. But he never expected to encounter a leader of his immortal enemies who was so beautiful, bewitching . . . and mortal.

It is Lia’s destiny and her duty to stop the renegade vampires who are intent on annihilating the human and non-human races alike. But she never dreamed that Utah, once a deadly foe, would now become her ally and protector, or that loving him would be more dangerous than anything she’s ever faced before. For when Utah frees his predator soul, there will be no end to the carnage.

 

Killing Rocks
by DD Barant
Bloundhound Files 3

FBI profiler Jace Valchek’s ticket home from the twisted parallel universe where she’s been called to duty hinges on the capture of serial killer Aristotle Stoker—and an alliance with a sorcerer known as Asher. The problem: Asher has joined forces with some of the most dangerous creatures Jace has ever encountered. The solution: There is none, without Asher’s help…

Jace’s goal seems simple enough—to get her man, like always. But just hours after she arrives in Vegas, she’s abducted…and she isn’t even sure who the real enemy is. Now Jace has to wonder if she’s the predator or the prey in a very dangerous game that could change not only her fate, but the world’s…Meanwhile, a serial killer is still on the loose. And time has already run out…

Deep Kiss of Winter

by Kresely Cole & Gena Showalter
Immortals After Dark & Alien Huntress
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR KRESLEY COLE delivers a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time . . . and a Valkyrie aching for his touch.

Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela—the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can't be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Can they conquer an agony of frustration and slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?

NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR GENA SHOWALTER puts a daring spin on a tale of huntress and hunted . . . and concocts a sensual chemistry that is positively explosive.

With only skin-to-skin contact, Aleaha Love can change her appearance, assume any identity. Now she's an AIR (alien investigation and removal) agent on a mission to capture a group of otherworldly warriors. Only she is held captive when dangerously seductive Breean, a golden-skinned, iron-willed commander, threatens her new life—and for the first time, Aleaha wants only to be herself.

Ruthless Game
by Christine Feehan
Ghostwalkers 9

GhostWalker Kane Cannon's mission plunges him into a hot zone more personal than he anticipated: the hiding place of Rose Patterson-hunted fugitive, ex-lover, and a fellow GhostWalker desperate to save the life of her unborn child. Kane's Child.

 

 

 

Crimson Wind
by Diana Pharaoh Francis
Horngate Witches 2
THERE ARE GOOD GUYS. THERE ARE BAD GUYS. AND THEN THERE'S MAX.

Max knows what trusting the wrong person can cost you. Her former friend Giselle, a powerful witch, enslaved Max years ago, turning her into a Shadowblade—a deadly warrior compelled to fight for Giselle. But there's more at stake now than Max's thirst for revenge. The Guardians, overseers of the magical world, have declared war on humanity and on any witches not standing with them. Max and Giselle have come to an uneasy truce in order to protect what's left of Horngate, their coven's home. Max would do anything for Horngate—even give herself over to a mysterious otherworldly creature in the nearby mountains in exchange for his help. But first, she intends to save the mortal family she left behind. And Alexander, the Shadowblade warrior who could be her closest ally or her deadliest enemy, is going with her.

On a road trip into the unknown, Max and Alexander face wild magic, desperate enemies, and battles that bruise both body and soul. But the greatest challenge will come from unexpected revelations that test everything Max believes about who she is—and where her loyalties lie. . . .

The Presence
by Heather Graham
(Reprint)

The ultimate moneymaking plan—buy the ancient, run-down Scottish castle and turn it into a tourist destination. Toni Fraser and her friends will put on reenactments combining fact and fiction, local history, murder and an imaginary laird named Bruce MacNiall.

Just as someone arrives, claiming to actually be Laird MacNiall—a tall, dark, formidable Scot somehow familiar to Toni—the bodies of young women are found, dumped and forgotten in the nearby town.

But even stranger, how is it possible this laird exists? Toni invented Bruce MacNiall for the performance…yet sinister, lifelike dreams suggest he's connected to the recent deaths. Bruce claims he wants to help catch the murderer. But even if she wants to, can Toni trust him…when her visions seem to be coming from within the very eyes of the killer himself?

The Good, the Bad, and The Uncanny
by Simon R. Green
Nightside 10
John Taylor, the PI with a knack for finding things, gets a visit from Walker-the powerful, never-to-be-trusted agent who runs the Nightside on behalf of The Authorities. He tells John he's dying, and wants to offer him an important job: His....

 

 

 

Hellforged
by Nancy Holzner
Deadtown 2
A demon is stalking Vicky's dreams-just as several of Deadtown's zombies are viciously attacked and become really dead. And when Vicky realizes she is the only connection between the victims, she suspects that the demon is somehow working through her dreams to become Deadtown's living nightmare.

 

 

 

In Too Deep
by Jayne Ann Krentz
Looking Glass Trilogy 1
(Arcane Society 10)
If you don't belong here- you just don't belong...

The Bramford building's newest resident and small-town transplant Casey McCloy is adapting to life in the Big Apple and loving it. She's got the look, the attitude, and a delish new boyfriend, Drew Van Allen. But she's starting to have second thoughts as to whether the "New York" Casey is the real Casey. And she's not so sure she likes herself much anymore. She's not the only one.

Madison Macallister has always had her Manolo Blahniks firmly planted on the top rung of the social ladder-until that corn-fed cow Casey stole Drew away from her and made her look the fool. So what if Madison wasn't exactly dating Drew at the time? She wanted him. And everyone knows that Madison gets what she wants, like Drew-and a little revenge.

Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls
by Victoria Laurie
Ghost Hunter 5
When M.J. Holliday and the crew of her cable TV show, Ghoul Getters, venture to the haunted ruins of Dunlow Castle in Ireland, drawn by the legend of hidden treasure, they hope the road will rise up to meet them, that the wind will always be at their backs—and that the resident phantom won’t push them off a cliff. If they treasure their lives, M.J. and her ghost busters need to get the drop on the menacing phantom...

 

 

 

A Girl's Guide to Vampires
by Katie MacAlister
Dark Ones 1
(Reprint)
Joy Randall's Top 5 Tips for Vampire Hunters:  

• Location, location, location. Vampires won't be caught dead (ha!) in places like discos, ten-minute lube shops, or Switzerland. Remember, if you wouldn't be there, neither would a bloodsucker.
• Trust your eyes. You know the handsome, annoyingly arrogant, self-assured man in the shadows with long hair and a cleft in his chin? He's your vampire.
• No matter how tempting it might be, do not "accidentally" acquire a paper cut on your finger and suggest your vampire kiss it to make it better.
• Play it cool. Don't offer to accompany your prince of the night on the talk-show circuit, and whatever you do, don't offer him your heart!  
• Most of all, remember: being a vampire is nothing to laugh about.

My Fair Succubi

by Jill Myles
Succubus Diaries 3
IT SUCKS TO BE HER.

Living as a succubus has a bit of a learning curve, but with sexy fallen angel Noah to scratch her sensual Itch, Jackie Brighton is finally starting to feel ahead of the game. She almost doesn't miss her gorgeous vampire master Zane—or his sinful, teasing mouth. She's trying to convince herself of that, anyway.

But Jackie's past mistakes catch up with her, spinning her life out of control once more. Just as her friend Remy's inner demon comes out to play, Noah and Jackie are arrested by the angelic Serim Council. When Jackie seizes the chance to escape, she falls right into Zane's waiting arms. As she's pulled into a game of cat and mouse between vampires and angels, she finds she must also choose between the two men in her life. Can she decide between Noah and Zane, or will she lose everything she's ever wanted? Because there's more at stake than just her heart. . . .

Dark Waters
by Alex Prentiss
Lady of the Lake 2
TO FEEL THIS PLEASURE, FIRST YOU MUST SURVIVE THE DEEP.

DARK WATERS

By day, Rachel Matre runs a hip diner in downtown Madison, Wisconsin. By night, she slips naked into the waters of a lake whose spirits speak to her, caress her, and take her to a place of indescribable pleasure.

But now the machinations of a greedy developer have summoned another force from the depths—a strange, beautiful man with a dark agenda. Soon there is a murder by the lake. During the hunt for the killer, Rachel is pulled into a torturous limbo where all she can feel is her raging erotic lust—and never a release. A crime, an ancient curse, and a confluence of thoroughly modern relationships have plunged Rachel into the ultimate mystery: one whose solution will emerge only out of pain, desire, and a passion for the most forbidden truth of all.

Ascension
by Caris Roane
Ascension 1
Alison Wells is no ordinary woman. Born with supernatural powers, she can never make love to a man without putting him in grave danger. But when her special vision reveals a glorious muscled man soaring overhead on mighty wings, she feels an overwhelming attraction she cannot resist—even as he tells her: “I have come for you. Your blood belongs to me.”

Kerrick is a vampire and a warrior who has fought his hunger for a woman’s love for the past two hundred years. As a Guardian of Ascension, he is sworn to protect Alison from the death vamp armies who crave her blood and her power. But Kerrick has cravings of his own—a forbidden longing to open his heart and veins to Alison. To share his blood…satisfy his thirst…and seal their fates forever.


Arcane Circle
by Linda Robertson
Persephone Alcmedi 4
Even magic can't solve everything. . . .

After facing down the forces of Fairy in mortal combat, Persephone Alcmedi still must deal with the aftermath. Not only does Seph now possess deadly secrets she must hide from the arcane and mundane world alike, but the dozens of magical creatures who've taken up residence behind her cornfield need food and shelter, and there's still her foster daughter Beverly's tenth birthday party to plan.

And that's not all. . . . Seph's boyfriend Johnny has revealed himself as the wÆrewolf Domn Lup, and the ruler of the wÆre world is en route from Romania to make sure Johnny really is the "king" he claims to be. But Johnny's hiding a dangerous secret: his magic is locked in his mysterious tattoos. He and Seph must find a way for him to reclaim it—fast—despite those who have no intention of letting Johnny gain his full powers. Seph knows that, in the arcane world, strength is always a necessity and power must be constantly proven, but how far is she willing to go to succeed . . . and at what cost?

Soul Hunt
Margaret Ronald
Evie Scanlon 3
The hunter has become the hunted . . .

Without even realizing what she was doing, Genevieve Scelan has made a bad bargain. The Red Sox fanatic and supernatural tracker known as "Hound" for her extraordinary power of scent wishes she could leave magic behind now that she’s eradicated the evil cabal that oppressed Boston’s undercurrent for centuries. But now her talent’s fading, the local adepts’ squabbles are turning ugly, and worse, she’s just discovered that she owes a very large debt to someone . . . or some thing. And in the undercurrent, debts are taken very seriously.

Evie has until midwinter to pay up . . . or else. So when she gets a job that might save her—even if she’s breaking all her own rules to take it—she can’t pass it up. Now, with danger at her back and uncertain allies beside her, she’ll trace the very bones of Boston itself to protect both the city and the people she loves.


Captive Soul Windsor
by Anna Windsor
Dark Crescent Sisterhood 5
She’s definitely getting warmer.

Her flame power nearly extinguished in a battle against the dark forces attempting to control Manhattan, fire Sybil Camille Fitzgerald is down but not out. Joining a new squad of warrior witches, she hopes to reclaim her fighting spirit and, with luck, her pyrotechnic mastery. Two problems on that front: a new army of cannibalistic demons and her superheated lust for John Cole, an unholy blend of demon and U.S. Special Forces agent now working undercover for New York’s Occult Crimes Unit.

John knows he can’t be trusted—hell, he can’t trust himself. His warrior soul has entered a new, supernaturally fit body. Unfortunately, it’s a body belonging to the Sybils’ worst enemy, whose supernasty essence still lingers. But when John’s demon energy seems more alive than dead, it’s Camille whose scorching kiss keeps him human—for now. All he’s got to do is master his dark side and save Camille and the Sybils from an army of satanic hellboys planning their ultimate destruction.

January 2011 Release List Update - December 26, 2010

Just a couple of things so far for January 25, 2011 releases.

1)  I've added Joss Ware's Night Betrayed, Envy Chronicles 4.  The omission was brought to my attention by glitter. Thank you!

2) Cherie Priest's Bloodshot, Cheshire Red Reports 1, was mislabeled as YA. It's "very, very adult" per Ms. Priest. I appreciate that Ms. Priest cleared that up. So kids this book is not for you! The publisher lists it as: "Fiction - Fantasy; Fiction - Fantasy - Urban Life" so I'm going with UF for Bloodshot.


Here are the covers and descriptions of both books.

Night Betrayed
(Envy Chronicles 4)
by Joss Ware
The world they knew is ashes.

The world that remains is in peril.

And five extraordinary survivors are humankind's last, best hope.

The Change that devastated the earth did not destroy Theo Waxnicki. It made him something more than human—eternally young, eternally beautiful . . . but not immortal. When he dies on a mission against the Strangers, he is lost to the darkness . . . until a miracle lady brings him back.

Born during the apocalyptic storms and earthquakes that left the world in ruins, Selena has dedicated her life to easing the pain of others. But Theo is the first in her care to survive. Responding to Selena's tender touch, Theo starts to live again, to feel and desire again. But joined in a world of terrors, the secrets they can never share make them targets. And love could be the ultimate betrayal.


Bloodshot
(Cheshire Red Reports 1)
by Cherie Priest

Raylene Pendle (AKA Cheshire Red), a vampire and world-renowned thief, doesn’t usually hang with her own kind. She’s too busy stealing priceless art and rare jewels. But when the infuriatingly charming Ian Stott asks for help, Raylene finds him impossible to resist—even though Ian doesn’t want precious artifacts. He wants her to retrieve missing government files—documents that deal with the secret biological experiments that left Ian blind. What Raylene doesn’t bargain for is a case that takes her from the wilds of Minneapolis to the mean streets of Atlanta. And with a psychotic, power-hungry scientist on her trail, a kick-ass drag queen on her side, and Men in Black popping up at the most inconvenient moments, the case proves to be one hell of a ride.



Dear Readers,

As you know I only started adding genre the last couple of monthly lists. They are based on the information my database collects from many different sources. Sometimes both the database and I get it wrong. The genre classifications are sometimes the best pick out of the many genre and subgenres a book fits. Sometimes a genre classification will be incorrect if the database pulls incorrect information from the interwebs and I don't recheck. If you spot any additional mislabeling or if I've missed a book please let me know because I would like the release lists to be as accurate as possible. I sincerely appreciate it when a correction/addition is brought to my attention. Thank you!

Comments on the January 2011 release list can he left here.

January 2011 - New Releases

Here is my list of January 2011 releases. Again I've included the genre or subgenre that I thought fit the book. A key to the abbreviations is below. Covers for anthologies are below. If there is something that I've missed, please leave a comment. Also note that this list is always under revision.


January 1, 2011

I Dream of Genies	Fennell, Judi	PNR - Genies 1
Blood Maidens	Hambly, Barbara	UF - James Asher 3
Tempest's Legacy	Peeler, Nicole	UF- Jane True 3
The Water Wars	Stracher, Cameron	YA

January 3, 2011

Trickster's Girl	Bell, Hilari	YA - Raven Duet 1
Managing Death	Jamieson, Trent	UF - Death Works 2
My Immortal Assassin	Jewel, Carolyn	PNR - My Immortal 3
Flip This Zombie	Petersen, Jesse	UF- Living with the Dead 2
The Vyne: Mystery of the Hidden Ember	Walls, Daniel	SPF

January 4, 2011

Home for a Spell	Alt, Madelyn	PM - Bewitching Mystery 7
Restless Soul	Archer, Alex	PM- Rogue Angel 28
The Soul Mirror	Berg, Carol	EF - Collegia Majica 2
Shadowspell	Black, Jenna	YA - Faeriewalker 2
The Faeman Quest	Brennan, Herbie	YA - Faerie Wars
Blood Bound*	Briggs, Patricia	UF - Mercy Thompson 2
The Lost Gate	Card, Orson Scott	YA - Mither Mages 1
Awakened	Cast, P.C.	YA - House of Night 8
Lily of the Nile	Dray, Stephanie	HF - Cleopatra Selene 1
Demon Marked	Evans, Anna J.	PNR - Demon Bound 2
Indulgent	Fox, Cathryn	PNR - Eternal Pleasure 3
Skin Heat	Gray, Ava	PNR - Skin 3
A Hard Day's Knight	Green, Simon R.	UF - Nightside 11
Taken By Others	Haines, Jess	UF - H&W Investigations 2
Unearthly	Hand, Cynthia	YA
A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!*	Harry, Harrison	AH/SP
Through Stone and Sea	Hendee, Barb	HF - Noble Dead 8
Of Truth and Beasts	Hendee, Barb	HF - Noble Dead 9
Pandora Gets Heart	Hennesy, Carolyn	YA - Mythic Miss-Adventures 4
Angel at Dawn	Holly, Emma	PNR - Fitz Clare Chornicles 10
Mercy Blade	Hunter, Faith	UF - Jane Yellowrock 3
Nocturne	James, Syrie	PNR
Finding Destiny	Johnson, Jean	PNR - Sons of Destiny
Master of Smoke	Knight, Angela	PNR - Mageverse 10
March in Country	Knight, E.E.	SF - Vampire Earth 9
Soul Trapper	Lennon. F.J.	GN
Enter the Zombie	Lubar, David	YA - Accidental Zombie
Must Love Kilts	Mackay, Allie	PNR
Hexbound	Neill, Chloe	YA - Dark Elite 2
Boondocks Fantasy	Rabe, Jean (Ed)	RF - Anthology
Kiss at Your Own Risk	Rowe, Stephanie	PNR - Soulfire 1
Secrets of the Demon	Rowland, Diana	UF - Kara Gillian 3
Bloodlust	Smith, L.J.	YA - Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries 2
The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance	Telep, Trisha (Ed)	PNR - Anthology
A Werewolf in Manhattan	Thompson, Vicki Lewis	PNR - Wild About You 1
Frostfire	Viehl, Lynn	PNR - Kyndred 3
Blood Challenge	Wilks, Eileen	UF - World of the Lupi 7

*Reprint


January 5, 2011

The Naming of the Beasts	Carey, Mike	UF - Felix Castor 5
Vampyr?	Randle, Kevin	PM - Five Star Mystery
Hell's Horizon	Shan, Darren	UF - The City 2

January 6, 2011

The Steel Queen

Azinger, Karen

EF

January 11. 2011

All Just Glass	Atwater-Rhodes, Amelia	YA - Den of Shadows 5
Warped	Guibord, Maurissa	YA
Timeless	Monir, Alexandra	YA

January 15, 2011

Richard Matheson's Nightmare at 20, 000 Feet

Matheson, Richard

SF/H

January 18, 2011

The Witch's Daughter	Brackston, Paula	HF
Vampire Sheikh	Bruhns, Nina	PNR - Immortal Sheikhs 3
Pack of Lies	Gilman, Laura Anne	UF Paranormal Scene Investigations 2
Bonded by Blood	London, Laurie	PNR- Sweetblood 1
The Kensei	Merz, Jon F.	PT- Lawson Vampire 5
Shadowfever	Moning, Karen Marie	UF - Fever 5
Allison Hewitt is Trapped: A Zombie Novel	Roux, Madeleine	H
Taken	Saintcrow, Lilith	PNR
Third Time's the Charm	Silva, Linda Kay	TT - Across Time 3
Home Fires	Wolfe, Gene	SF

January 25, 2011

Brave New Worlds: Dystopian Stories	Adams, John Joseph (Ed)	Anthology
Drought	Bachorz, Pam	YA
Harbinger of the Storm	Bodard, Aliette de	F- Obsidian & Blood 2
Silver Borne*	Briggs, Patricia	UF - Mercy Thompson 5
Dark Goddess	Chadda, Sarwat	YA - Devil's Kiss 2
Dragon Warrior	Champman, Janet	PNR - Midnight Bay 2
Raziel	Douglas, Kristina	PNR - Fallen 1
Dragon Keeper	Hobb, Robin	F - Rain Wilds 1
The Charmed Return	Jones, Frewin	YA - Faerie Path 6
Play Dead	Levitt, John	UF - Dog Days 4
Crossed	Lewis, J.F.	UF - Void City 3
The Warlord's Legacy	Marmell, Ari	DF
Heart of the Exiled	Nagle, Pati	F - Blood of the Kindred 2
Death's Sweet Embrace	O'Hara, Tracey	UF - Dark Brethren 2
A Brush of Darkness	Pang, Allison	UF
Bloodshot	Cherie, Priest	UF - Cheshire Red Reports 1
Burning Darkness	Rush, Jamie	PRS - Offspring 4
Archangel's Consort	Singh, Nalini	UF - Guild Hunter 3
Blessed	Smith, Cynthia Leitch	YA - Tantalize 3
Night Betrayed	Ware, Joss	PNR - Envy Chronicles 4
Captive Heart	Windsor, Anna	PNR - Dark Crescent Sisterhood

*Reprint, Paperback


January 26, 2011

Murder in Vein

Jaffarian, Sue Ann

PM - Vampire Mystery 1

January 27, 2011

The Fallen Blade

Grimwood, John Courtenay

DF - Vampire Assassin Trilogy 1

AH = Alternate History
DF = Dark Fantasy
EF = Epic Fantasy
F = Fantasy
GN = Ghost Noir
H = Horror
PM = Paranormal Mystery
PNR = Paranormal Romance
PT = Paranormal Thriller
RF = Rural Fantasy
SF = Science Fiction
SP = Steampunk
SPF = Steampunk Fantasy
TT = Time Travel
UF = Urban Fantasy
YA = Young Adult