Wednesday, July 31, 2013

ParaCozyMysMo - Interview with Sunshine Meadows from the Fortune Teller Mysteries by Kari Lee Townsend - July 31, 2013


We're thrilled to have Sunshine Meadows here today to wrap up ParaCozyMysMo. Sunny is a psychic, lives in Divinity, New York and solves mysteries in the Fortune Teller Mysteries by Kari Lee Townsend.







TQ:  Hi Sunny. Welcome to The Qwillery!

Sunny:  Hi Sally. Thanks so much for having me. This is so exciting!



TQ:  How did you discover that you are clairvoyant?

Sunny:  I've always been different, I just didn't know it. I thought it was normal to get visions, but when I tried to tell my parents about the things that I saw, they were horrified. Suddenly I saw more doctors than anyone should have to in a lifetime as they tried to "cure" me. That's when I realized other people weren't like me, and that's when my relationship with my parents started to change for the worse. My Granny Gert is awesome, though. Sometimes I wonder if maybe we're more alike than she is letting on.



TQ:  As a psychic do you have control over your visions or do they sometimes pop up and surprise you?

Sunny:  I try to control putting myself in situations where a vision will surprise me. Using fortune telling tools to tap into my visions leaves me vulnerable to negative energies that might try to take over. But I have to admit, my visions can sometimes take on a life of their own, and often times are hard to fully understand at first. Then again, interpreting them is half the fun and certainly keeps life interesting.



TQ:  You live in Divinity, New York. Can you tell us a bit about the town and why you moved there?

Sunny:  It's still in New York which I love, but it's far enough away from the city to allow me to breathe. I passed through Divinity once and fell in love with its peaceful, tranquil old-fashioned qualities. That's when I knew it was the perfect place for me to break away from my parents and start my life over, doing what I was born to do.



TQ:  What is a typical day like at your fortune-telling business?

Sunny:  There are no typical days in my line of work. Especially with my Granny Gert and my cat Morty living with me. I'm not a morning person, but Granny is. So even if I wanted to sleep in, Granny always wakes me up, even if she doesn't mean to. And Morty pretty much does what he wants, which often includes tormenting my clients. Then there's Detective Mitch Stone who often has to seek my opinion as a consultant for the police even though he hates it. Yet neither one of us can deny we're attracted to each other. My life's total chaos most days, but I wouldn't have it any other way.



TQ:  Who is Detective Mitch Stone?

Sunny:  Detective Mitch Stone, aka Grumpy Pants as I like to call him, is a former big city detective who moved to Divinity to escape his own demons. He is stubborn and cynical and ornery most days, yet he is proud and loyal and honest to a fault. I know he always has my back. I would trust him with my life. It's my heart I'm worried about. And that fact that he and Morty simply do not get along.



TQ:  What has been your most challenging mystery to solve so far?

Sunny:  Every mystery I help solve has its own unique set of challenges. Then there's the mystery of who or what Morty actually is. But the biggest mystery for me has been in trying to find a way to help Mitch get over his own demons and learn to trust again. The mystery of figuring out if we're something more than friends. If we stand a chance of making it as a couple when he is a non-believer. That's the mystery I would most love to figure out.



TQ:  Thank you for joining us today and good luck with your business (and with Mitch).

Sunny:  Thank you so much. This has been a true pleasure. Don't hesitate to contact me again if you ever need my help with anything. And just between you and me ... I see great things in your future, so keep your eyes and ears open for some lovely surprises coming your way :)






Fortune Teller Mysteries

Tempest in the Tea Leaves
A Fortune Teller Mystery 1
Berkley, August 2, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

In the fortune telling business there are a lot of pretenders, but Sunshine Meadows is the real deal—and her predictions can be lethally accurate...

Sunny is a big city psychic who moves to the quaint town of Divinity, NY to open her fortune telling business in an ancient victorian house, inheriting the strange cat residing within. Sunny gives her first reading to the frazzled town librarian and discovers the woman is going to die. When the woman flees in terror, Sunny calls the police, only she’s too late. The ruggedly handsome, hard-nosed detective is a “non-believer.” He finds the librarian dead, and Sunny becomes his number one suspect, forcing her to prove her innocence before the real killer can put an end to the psychic’s future.



Corpse in a Crystal Ball
A Fortune Teller Mystery 2
Berkley, June 5, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

Psychic Sunshine Meadows makes a dark discovery in the woods...

After clearing her name as the prime suspect in a murder, Sunny Meadows hopes she can finally enjoy some serenity in the idyllic town of Divinity in upstate New York. She’d also like a second chance with Detective Mitch Stone. But when Mitch’s gorgeous ex-girlfriend Isabel Gonzales shows up, Sunny’s not sure she can compete. Then Isabel mysteriously disappears.

When the police turn to Sunny for help, her visions lead to the discovery of Isabel’s corpse in the woods. Before she died, Isabel scrawled a message in the dirt implicating Mitch in her murder. Now Sunny must help the man she’s falling in love with as she sets out to find the real killer. But this time Sunny’s clairvoyant abilities might not save her—as what she doesn’t see can hurt her...



Trouble in the Tarot
A Fortune Teller Mystery 3
Berkley, March 5, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

For psychic Sunshine Meadows, sometimes fortunes can be deceiving . . .

Lately Sunny has been experiencing a period of big opportunity: her business in Divinity, New York, is thriving, and Detective Mitch Stone has finally agreed to take Sunny on a date. But thanks to her clairvoyant abilities, Sunny knows better than anyone that life deals out bad cards along with the good.

When Sunny agrees to read tarot cards at the annual Summer Solstice Carnival, she meets her Granny Gert‘s “arch nemesis” Fiona Atwater, and is overcome by a vision of Fiona in a violent argument. Sunny knows trouble is brewing when Granny and Fiona start having squabbles all over town. But the fighting comes to a head when a local baker gets run over by a big white Cadillac—and Granny and Fiona are found at the crime scene.

Sunny knows she should step aside and let Mitch handle the investigating, but she’s not about to ignore her visions and leave her granny’s life in fate’s hands . . .





About Kari

National Bestselling Author, RT Reader’s Choice Award & Agatha Nominee Kari Lee Townsend lives in Central New York with her very understanding husband, her three busy boys, and her oh-so-dramatic daughter, who keep her grounded and make everything she does worthwhile…not to mention provide her with loads of material for her books. Kari is a longtime lover of reading and writing, with a masters in English education, who spends her days trying to figure out whodunit. Funny how no one at home will confess any more than the characters in her mysteries!

Kari writes fun and exciting stories for any age, set in small towns, with mystical elements and quirky characters as Kari Lee Townsend. Kari also writes romantic comedies and women’s fiction with the same sense of humor and quirky characters as Kari Lee Harmon.

To find out more about Kari and all her books go to www.karileetownsend.com

Website  ~  Twitter @karileetownsend  ~  Facebook  ~  Goodreads





The Giveaway

What:  One commenter will win a Mass Market Paperback copy of Trouble in the Tarot (A Fortune Teller Mystery 3) by Kari Lee Townsend from The Qwillery.

How:   Log into and follow the directions in the Rafflecopter below.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59 PM US Eastern Time on August 10, 2013. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules and duration are subject to change.*


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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

2012 Debut Author Challenge Update - Part 12


What are the 2012 Debut Author Challenge Authors up to in 2013 and beyond?  This is the twelfth in a series of posts.


See Part 1 here.
See Part 2 here.
See Part 3 here.
See Part 4 here.
See Part 5 here.
See Part 6 here.
See Part 7 here.
See Part 8 here.
See Part 9 here.
See Part 10 here.
See Part 11 here.



Anne Lyle

The Prince of Lies
Night's Masque 3
Angry Robot Books, October 29, 2013 (US/Canada)
Mass Market Paperback and eBook

Elizabethan spy Mal Catlyn has everything he ever wanted – his twin brother Sandy restored to health, his family estate reclaimed and a son to inherit it – but his work is far from over. The renegade skraylings, the guisers, are still plotting – their leader, Jathekkil, has reincarnated as the young Prince Henry Tudor. But while he is still young, Mal has a slim chance of eliminating his enemies whilst they are at their weakest.

With Sandy’s help, Mal learns to harness his own magic in the fight against the guisers, but it may be too late to save England. Schemes set in motion decades ago are at last coming to fruition, and the barrier between the dreamlands and the waking world is wearing thin…

File Under: Fantasy [ Princes in the Tower | Revenger's Tragedy | Much Ado | Boys Will Be Boys ]




Megan Powell

No Love for the Wicked
Magnolia Kelch 2
47North, August 13, 2013
Trade Paperback and Kindle eBook, 268 pages

It’s taken six months, but supernaturally gifted Magnolia Kelch finally seems to have her surging powers under control. Then she arrives home to find a group of strangers in her beloved farmhouse, and that control is immediately put to the test. Magnolia quickly learns that her “guests” are actually part of the Network—not from the task force headed by her mentor, Thirteen, but a second group, led by British agent Colin St. Pierre.

Unfortunately, Theo, a Network agent who shares an intimate connection with Magnolia, doesn’t trust Colin as a new commander. When team missions collide, Magnolia finds herself in the middle of Network infighting, asking herself who among those closest to her truly has her best interests at heart.

But an even greater threat lies on the horizon. Intent on tracking down the source of Magnolia’s powers, a familiar enemy resurfaces with a plan—one that is far more sinister than the Network has ever seen.




Cecy Robson

A Cursed Moon
A Weird Girls eNovella
Signet, December 3, 2013
eNovella

Bren is a cocky, brash hound of a werewolf who loathes the idea of belonging to Aric’s pack—much less finding a mate. But Bren’s hotheaded behavior lands him in the doghouse when he defies Aric’s authority in front of his pack, bringing up a sore subject that’s bound to make the Alpha wolf’s blood boil…

Luckily for him, no one can stay mad at Bren and his wild charm for long. And when some frightening ghosts launch a hostile paranormal takeover, Bren will team up with Celia Wird to take down the evil ghouls before they hurt someone they both love…

Includes a preview of the upcoming Weird Girls novel Cursed by Destiny!



Cursed by Destiny
Weird Girls 3
Signet, January 7, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 368 pages

Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other 20-something girls—with one tiny exception: they're products of a backfired curse that has given each of them unique powers that make them, well, weird…

Celia’s a girl in trouble. Her heart is bound to Aric, but he is a pureblood were who must deny her or risk condemning his species to extinction. And that’s just her love life. She’s also been called to take down a group of demon terrorists looking to overthrow the paranormal world. (No pressure.)

In order to bring them down, Celia must ally herself to Misha, the master vampire who has made no secret of his desire for her.

And if that weren’t enough misfortune for one girl, a clairvoyant’s prediction could destroy Celia and Aric’s love for good. The only way to protect the world from unbridled supernatural terrorism is for Celia to bind herself to her destined mate. And that doesn’t appear to be Aric…




Simone St. James

Silence for the Dead
NAL Trade, April 1, 2014
Trade Paperback and eBook, 368 pages

“Portis House emerged from the fog as we approached, showing itself slowly as a long, low shadow....”

In 1919, Kitty Weekes, pretty, resourceful, and on the run, falsifies her background to obtain a nursing position at Portis House, a remote hospital for soldiers left shell-shocked by the horrors of the Great War. Hiding the shame of their mental instability in what was once a magnificent private estate, the patients suffer from nervous attacks and tormenting dreams. But something more is going on at Portis House—its plaster is crumbling, its plumbing makes eerie noises, and strange breaths of cold waft through the empty rooms. It’s known that the former occupants left abruptly, but where did they go? And why do the patients all seem to share the same nightmare, one so horrific that they dare not speak of it?

Kitty finds a dangerous ally in Jack Yates, an inmate who may be a war hero, a madman… or maybe both. But even as Kitty and Jack create a secret, intimate alliance to uncover the truth, disturbing revelations suggest the presence of powerful spectral forces. And when a medical catastrophe leaves them even more isolated, they must battle the menace on their own, caught in the heart of a mystery that could destroy them both.





Joan Swan

Shatter
Phoenix Rising 4
Kensington Brava, December 31, 2013
Trade Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

For seven years, Halina Beloi has been in hiding. But she's never forgotten Mitch Foster, the long, lean man she had to leave behind. Until, that is, Mitch shows up with a list of questions and a 9mm in his hand.

All Mitch knows is that Halina broke his heart and disappeared. But new information has surfaced implicating her as a player in the deadliest game of Mitch's life. This time, he's not letting go without answers. Now terror, danger and heat will fuse them together or shatter the future. . .




David Tallerman

Prince Thief
Tales of Easie Damasco 3
Angry Robot, September 24, 2013 (US/Canada) and eBook
Mass Market Paperback and eBook

Altapasaeda, capital of the Castoval, is under siege by its own King.

Far to the north, rebels have set a bastard prince up as a figurehead.

Yet again, Easie Damasco finds himself roped into a desperate scheme to preserve the Castoval, And kidnapping the Prince seemed like such a good idea at the time…




Michael R. Underwood

Celebromancy
Ree Reyes 2
Pocket Star, July 15, 2013
eBook, 400 pages

Fame has a magic all its own in the no-gossip-barred follow-up to Geekomancy. Ree Reyes gets her big screenwriting break, only to discover just how broken Hollywood actually is.

Things are looking up for urban fantasista Ree Reyes. She’s using her love of pop culture to fight monsters and protect her hometown as a Geekomancer, and now a real-live production company is shooting her television pilot script.

But nothing is easy in show business. When an invisible figure attacks the leading lady of the show, former child-star-turned-current-hot-mess Jane Konrad, Ree begins a school-of-hard-knocks education in the power of Celebromancy.

Attempting to help Jane Geekomancy-style with Jedi mind tricks and X-Men infiltration techniques, Ree learns more about movie magic than she ever intended. She also learns that real life has the craziest plots: not only must she lift a Hollywood-strength curse, but she needs to save her pilot, negotiate a bizarre love rhombus, and fight monsters straight out of the silver screen. All this without anyone getting killed or, worse, banished to the D-List.





On The Qwillery's radar:

Shanghai Sparrow by Gaie Sebold out in April 2014

and

Cateveiro (The Osiris Project 2) by E.J. Swift out later this year.


ParaCozyMysMo - Interview with Liz Cooper from the Mind for Murder Mysteries by Rochelle Staab - July 30, 2013


Please welcome Liz Cooper from the Mind for Murder Mysteries by Rochelle Staab. Despite investigating mysteries that all have occult elements Liz is still a skeptic!







TQ:  Hi Liz, welcome to The Qwillery

Liz:  Thank you! I’m thrilled to be here for Paranormal Cozy Mystery Month.



TQ:  After your first three mysteries are you still skeptical of ghosts and all things occult?

Liz:  An odd night with a voodoo spell book, and then two eerie coincidences with tarot cards and Santeria coconut divination shells gave me a momentary pause, but the mind is glorious tool and a nasty trickster—isn’t it? Similar to a Rorschach test, we see what we need to see. I’m certain there’s a logical reason those predictions came true. I never believed in paranormal activity or superstition, and recent events haven’t changed my opinion.



TQ:  What is an average day for you as a psychologist, when you're not solving mysteries?

Liz:  (Laughing) All talk! I counsel three to five clients at my Studio City office from morning to early afternoon. In the fifty-minute sessions we discuss whatever the client chooses. Body language tells me a lot. I’ll call him or her out if I sense a lack of connection or if I know they’re purposefully avoiding a painful issue. Arguing is fine, crying is good, and laughter is wonderful therapy.



TQ:  What is it like working with Nick Garfield, an occult professor?

Liz:  He can be frustrating, but he’s always interesting and often fun. His knowledge base is provocative. I admire Nick’s passion for his work and I enjoy spending time with his, um, unique group of friends. At least the ones not lusting for him (I’m on to you, Horus.) I don’t even mind when Nick pontificates—the man is brilliant. I depend on his strength of character and the balance he brings to our relationship. We tackle mysteries from opposing viewpoints, supernatural versus science. Did I mention how sexy he is?



TQ:  What has been your biggest case so far?

Liz:  My best friend Robin’s plight in Who Do, Voodoo? took the most out of me because we’ve been such close friends since childhood. The criminals in Bruja Brouhaha were the most dangerous group Nick and I encountered. But clearing myself of the murder charge in Hex on the Ex had to be the scariest challenge to my sanity. And when the truth came out…wow.



TQ:  Have you ever thought you might need counseling after some of your adventures?

Liz:  All the time! I don’t seek professional help (at least not yet) but I do talk out my concerns and anxieties with my friend Robin, a wonderful sound post and great cook. And of course, Nick and I rehash our experiences. Talking—whether with a professional, with family, or with a good partner or friend—is the essence of therapy.



TQ:  What do you do to relax?

Liz:  Nick is on a mission to educate me on classic old movies. He brings the DVDs and I make the popcorn. We stretch out on the couch, my head on his shoulder and my cat Erzulie on his lap. We already finished the Tracy/Hepburn collection and now we’re on to the John Huston classics, starting with 1941’s The Maltese Falcon. Alone I listen to music and I recently developed an urge to read Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot series. I love curling up under the covers with a good mystery. A busman’s holiday maybe?



TQ:  What went through your mind when you were accused of killing your former friend Laycee?

Liz:  A horrible, sickening moment. I had already felt guilty when I heard about Laycee’s murder—I hated the woman and, at times, wished her dead. But kill her? Detective Pratt’s accusation jarred the living hell out of me.



TQ:  What piece of advice would you give our readers who wanted to follow in your footsteps?

Liz:  To become a psychologist, select a good school and find a wise mentor. To investigate murders with an occult twist? Well, it definitely helps to hook up with a strong, intelligent, and opinionated religious philosophy professor with a wicked cute smile and a taste for the absurd. Whichever you choose, make your decisions with confidence and keep an open mind.



TQ:  Thank you Liz for joining us at The Qwillery.

Liz:  Thank you for a fun interview and for introducing your readers to the Mind for Murder Mysteries!






Mind for Murder Mysteries

Who Do, Voodoo?
A Mind for Murder Mystery 1
Berkley, November 1, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

WHO DO, VOODOO? the first novel in Rochelle’s thrilling new Mind for Murder Mystery series features no-nonsense Liz Cooper, a Los Angeles psychologist forced to embrace the occult to clear her best friend of murder...

When Liz Cooper’s friend Robin Bloom finds an unusual tarot card tacked to her front door, Liz writes it off as a prank. Robin refuses to ignore the omen—her late husband drew the same card, the three of swords, in a reading the night before he was killed in a car accident. As more cards and darker threats appear, Liz realizes someone very dangerous is upping the ante.

Liz turns to her brother’s ex-college roommate, occult expert Nick Garfield. As Nick leads her into the voodoo community to locate the origin of the deck, she can’t ignore their attraction to each other. Then a woman is found murdered and Robin becomes the prime suspect. Determined to clear her friend, Liz joins forces with Nick to unravel otherworldly secrets and seek help from beyond—or risk being outwitted by a cunning killer...



Bruja Bruhaha
A Mind For Murder Mystery 2
Berkley, August 7, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

Practical psychologist Liz Cooper and occult professor Nick Garfield are enjoying the sixteenth wedding anniversary celebration for their charming hosts Paco and Lucia Rojas, devout Santeria practitioners who own the historic Botanica Rojas near MacArthur Park. But the small group of friends is left horrified and confused when the evening ends in tragedy.

Devastated by loss, Lucia, a Santeria priestess, blames the locals for the escalating crime in her beloved community. She casts a vengeful hex on the neighborhood, leading strangers and friends alike to dub her bruja—Spanish for witch—and turn on the elderly woman. Lucia may be in harm’s way, and it’s up to Liz and Nick to unravel a mysterious disappearance and solve a murder before more lives are lost...



Hex on the Ex
A Mind for Murder Mystery 3
Berkley, May 7, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

From the author of Bruja Brouhaha and Who Do, Voodoo?--the new Mind for Murder Mystery!

When her ex-husband encounters a mysterious death omen, psychologist Liz Cooper turns to occult professor Nick Garfield for help in solving an all-too-real murder…

At a Dodgers game to celebrate her father’s birthday, Liz is forced to watch her ex—star player, Jarret—on the pitcher’s mound. To make matters worse, her former best friend, Laycee, is in the stands as well. Having betrayed her trust by having an affair with Jarret, Laycee is the last person Liz wants to see.

But when the appearance of a white pigeon—an omen of death—sets the superstitious Jarret off balance, it’s a game changer both on and off the field. Because the next morning, Laycee is found dead in Jarret’s home—and Liz is on deck as the prime suspect…





About Rochelle

Rochelle Staab, a former Los Angeles radio programmer and music industry marketing executive, blends her fascination with the supernatural and love for mystery in the bestselling Mind for Murder series featuring L.A. psychologist Liz Cooper and occult expert Nick Garfield. According to Library Journal, “Staab sets her fairly sophisticated blend of the occult in a flashy West Coast locale for great escape reading." Her debut, Who Do, Voodoo? garnered Agatha, Anthony, and Eureka! Best First Mystery nominations; the follow-up, Bruja Brouhaha, won the Left Coast Crime Watson award for Best Sidekick and was nominated for the 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award. Hex on the Ex, the third Mind for Murder Mystery, was released in May.



Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter @rochellestaab  ~  Goodreads






The Giveaway

What:  One commenter will win an autographed Mass Market Paperback copy of Hex on the Ex (A Mind for Murder Mystery 3) by Rochelle Staab from Rochelle.  US/CANADA ONLY

How:   Log into and follow the directions in the Rafflecopter below.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a US or Canadian mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59 PM US Eastern Time on August 10, 2013. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.


*Giveaway rules and duration are subject to change.*



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Release Day Review: Three (Legends of the Duskwalker 1) by Jay Posey - July 30, 2013


Three
Author:  Jay Posey
Series:  Legends of the Duskwalker
Publisher:  Angry Robot,  July 30, 2013
Format:  Mass Market Paperback and ebook, 421 pages
Price:  $7.99  (print)
ISBN: 9780857663634 (print)
Review copy:  Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley

The world has collapsed, and there are no heroes any more.

But when a lone gunman reluctantly accepts the mantle of protector to a young boy and his dying mother against the forces that pursue them, a hero may yet arise.

File Under: Science Fiction [ Three For All | Apocalyptic Wasteland | A Journey Home | Fear the Weir ]



Melanie's Thoughts:

This post apocalyptic story starts with the enigmatic Three minding his own business when he is approached by a beautiful woman and her young son. The pair are looking for a way out of a desperate situation. Little did he realize that how fateful this meeting would really be and where it would take him. Its not long before realizes what is in store for him when he agrees to help Cass escape from the malevolent Asher who wants to hurt her and capture Wren, her son. A flight for freedom soon turns into a fight of their lives.

The story unfolds as the trio make a perilous journey across a barren and dangerous country. Each of the lead characters tell parts of the story but it is largely told through Three's eyes. Something happened decades before that destroyed the world and left the Weir to destroy those that survived. I wasn't entirely sure what the Weir were but they sounded a bit like mechanized zombies but with electric blue eyes. Some of those that survived had special abilities and were augmented with networks so they could communicate electronically, like Cass and Wren. Three, however, was human but with exceptional skills as a gunfighter. He had been a loner and bounty hunter prior to meeting Cass and Wren.

Posey has created a gritty and detail rich world for his characters. The characters however, are just a tad one dimensional especially, Cass and Wren. I also missed having the back story as to what brought humanity to its knees and how the Weir were created. Three was interesting and I appreciated that Posey didn't explain everything about why he was different and how he came to be a bounty hunter. Posey also created some truly evil baddies, if not perhaps a little too obviously evil. Asher, the main antagonist was just a little too Dark Vader for my liking but there is an excellent twist in store in regards to this character.

While I thought there was a few flaws in the story and perhaps one too many escapes from Asher and his crew, it was an ambitious tale for a debut novel. Posey, created an interesting environment, conflicted heroes and some great twists and turns for all of the characters. Kudos to Posey on his debut novel. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Monday, July 29, 2013

2012 Debut Author Challenge Update - Part 11


What are the 2012 Debut Author Challenge Authors up to in 2013 and beyond?  This is the eleventh in a series of posts.



See Part 1 here.
See Part 2 here.
See Part 3 here.
See Part 4 here.
See Part 5 here.
See Part 6 here.
See Part 7 here.
See Part 8 here.
See Part 9 here.
See Part 10 here.
See Part 12 here.




Myke Cole

Breach Zone
Shadow Ops 3
Ace, January 28, 2014
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

The Great Reawakening did not come quietly. Across the country and in every nation, people began “coming up Latent,” developing terrifying powers—summoning storms, raising the dead, and setting everything they touch ablaze. Those who Manifest must choose: become a sheepdog who protects the flock or a wolf who devours it…

In the wake of a bloody battle at Forward Operating Base Frontier and a scandalous presidential impeachment, Lieutenant Colonel Jan Thorsson, call sign “Harlequin,” becomes a national hero and a pariah to the military that is the only family he’s ever known.

In the fight for Latent equality, Oscar Britton is positioned to lead a rebellion in exile, but a powerful rival beats him to the punch: Scylla, a walking weapon who will stop at nothing to end the human-sanctioned apartheid against her kind.

When Scylla’s inhuman forces invade New York City, the Supernatural Operations Corps are the only soldiers equipped to prevent a massacre. In order to redeem himself with the military, Harlequin will be forced to face off with this havoc-wreaking woman from his past, warped by her power into something evil…





Tina Connolly

Copperhead
Ironskin 2
Tor Books, October 15, 2013
Hardcover and eBook, 320 pages

Set in an alternate version of early 1900s England, Copperhead is the sequel to Tina Connolly's stunning historical fantasy debut.

Helen Huntingdon is beautiful—so beautiful she has to wear an iron mask.

Six months ago her sister Jane uncovered a fey plot to take over the city. Too late for Helen, who opted for fey beauty in her face—and now has to cover her face with iron so she won’t be taken over, her personality erased by the bodiless fey.

Not that Helen would mind that some days. Stuck in a marriage with the wealthy and controlling Alistair, she lives at the edges of her life, secretly helping Jane remove the dangerous fey beauty from the wealthy society women who paid for it. But when the chancy procedure turns deadly, Jane goes missing—and is implicated in a murder.

Meanwhile, Alistair’s influential clique Copperhead—whose emblem is the poisonous copperhead hydra—is out to restore humans to their “rightful” place, even to the point of destroying the dwarvven who have always been allies.

Helen is determined to find her missing sister, as well as continue the good fight against the fey. But when that pits her against her own husband—and when she meets an enigmatic young revolutionary—she’s pushed to discover how far she’ll bend society’s rules to do what’s right. It may be more than her beauty at stake. It may be her honor...and her heart.





Elspeth Cooper

The Raven's Shadow
The Wild Hunt 3
Tor Books, March 11, 2014
Hardcover and eBook, 640 pages

[cover may not be final]
The desert of Gimrael is aflame with violence, and in the far north an ancient hatred is about to spill over into the renewal of a war that, a thousand years ago, forged an empire. This time, it may shatter one.

Wrestling with his failing grip on the power of the Song, and still trying to come to terms with the horrifying events he witnessed in El Maqqam, Gair returns to the mainland with only one thing on his mind: vengeance. It may cost him his life, but when everything that he had to live for is being stripped away from him, that may be a fair price to pay.

Old friends and old foes converge in a battle of wills to stem the tide of the Nimrothi clans as they charge south to reclaim the lands lost in the Founding Wars. If they succeed, the rest of the empire may be their next target. And with the Wild Hunt at their head, the overstretched Imperial Army may not be enough to stop them.





Alexa Egan

Unleash the Curse
An Imnada Brotherhood Novella
Pocket Star, September 2, 2013
eNovella, 100 pages

Only available as an enovella, the prequel to the second novel in the dark and sexy Imnada Brotherhood trilogy about shapeshifters in Regency-era England.

Neither actress Sarah Hayes nor London’s most eligible bachelor Sebastian Commin, Earl of Deane, has ever forgotten their one and only scandalous night of white hot passion or the differences in their social positions that make a future together impossible. So when they discover that they’ll be fellow guests at a house party, they vow to keep each other at arm’s length. A vow broken when they find themselves caught up in a mystery involving a brutal attack on an Imnada shape-shifter and an unexplained entity known as the Naxos.

Each clue they uncover reveals more about the ancient Imnada enemy—monstrous soul-feeders with the power to devour worlds. Each fiery encounter between the aristocrat and the entertainer underscores the raw desire that crackles the very air between them until Sebastian is convinced to make Sarah his wife, no matter the cost to his reputation. He just needs to convince Sarah, who cares for him too much to allow his future to be ruined by marrying a low-born actress. It’s only when the sinister Naxos strike again and Sebastian’s life is threatened that Sarah realizes she’s willing to risk a little scandal in order to save the world…and the man she loves.


Look for Vanquish the Curse (An Imnada Brotherhood eNovella) and Warrior's Curse (Imnada Brotherhood 3) in 2014.





Rhiannon Held

Reflected
Silver 3
Tor Books, February 18, 2014
Trade Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

[cover may not be final]
Falling in love in a werewolf pack leads to some very bad choices in this new novel from the author of Silver

Rhiannon Held continues the secret lives of the werewolf packs that live and hunt alongside human society in Reflected, the third book of the series that began with her debut novel, Silver. Silver and her mate Andrew Dare are pack leaders of the entire North American werewolf population, and that makes the more traditional packs in Europe very nervous indeed. It’s getting hard to hide from human surveillance.





Tes Hilaire

Prince of Shadows
Paladin Warriors 3
Sourcebooks Casablanca, December 3, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook,  320 pages

It’s forbidden for a warrior of the Light to love a creature of the Dark…

Valin has never quite fit in with the rest of the Paladin warriors. His power to manipulate shadow has always put him at odds with their purpose of using heavenly Light to eradicate evil. His warrior brothers have no idea how close he is to being lost to his dark nature.

But maybe he was never all that Light to begin with

When Valin meets the vampire Gabriella, she awakens within him something he thought long buried. But as he watches Gabriella’s need for vengeance threaten to drag her down into the same dark hell that he’s living, he knows his only chance at redemption is bringing her out of the dark…




On The Qwillery's radar: 


From Delilah S. DawsonThe Damsel and the Daggerman (Blud eNovella) and Wicked After Midnight (Blud 3) both out in 2014.


From Sharon Lynn FisherThe Ophelia Prophecy coming February 18, 2014.



Guest Blog by Kait Ballenger - The Specialties of the Hunters of the Execution Underground - July 29, 2013


Please welcome Kait Ballenger to The Qwillery as part of the 2013 Debut Author Challenge Guest Blogs and the Twilight Hunter Blog Tour.







The Specialties of the Hunters of the Execution Underground

What is the Execution Underground? The Execution Underground is a covert organization comprised of elite men, hunters of the supernatural, who fight to protect humanity from all the monsters that threaten our existence.

What is the Rochester Division? The Execution Underground includes one main Headquarters with thousands of divisions scattered across the globe. All cities with an abundance of supernatural activity have a division present that covers the extent of those individual cities hunting needs. For example, a city which is infested with vampires and werewolves will have hunters who specialize in that field. The Rochester division is the division which serves the greater area of Rochester, New York. The Rochester division is made up of six elite hunters, regular men, some of whom have trained all their adult lives for their job, who with the help of a serum injection provided by the E.U Headquarters are capable of fighting creatures with supernatural strength and healing from often near fatal wounds from battle.

The following hunters are the members of the Rochester division:

Jace from Twilight Hunter (Book 1) RELEASES AUGUST 27, 2013

Name: Jace McCannon
Occupation: Werewolf Hunter
Height: 6’4
Eye Color: Emerald
Hair Color: Auburn, chin length
Hunting Characteristics and Specialties: Increased strength, speed, and healing capabilities—above that of what the EU has already gifted him with—courtesy of his half-wolf bloodline, which he keeps secret from his fellow hunters. Jace is a great shot and intelligent when it comes to tracking the monsters he loves to hate.



David from Immortal Hunter (Book 2) RELEASES JANUARY 28, 2014

Name: David Aronowitz
Occupation: Demon Hunter/Exorcist
Height: 6’6
Eye Color: Dark Brown, near black
Hair Color: Black, very short/near buzz-cut
Hunting Characteristics and Specialties: Has the rare ability to not only hunt and kill them, but exorcise them, allowing the victim of the possession a chance to live. David is well versed in all religious rituals capable of causing hellspawn pain and also harbors minor knowledge of the occult—yeah, that’s right, demons sometimes dabble in witchcraft.



Shane from Midnight Hunter (Book 3) RELEASES LATE JUNE 2014

Name: Shane Grey, Ph.D
Occupation: Occult Specialist/Witch Hunter/Professor at the University of Rochester. He is also in charge of the security systems and technology needs of the Rochester Division
Height: 6’3
Eye Color: Honey/Golden Brown
Hair: Light Brown, just long enough for a ponytail
Hunting Characteristics and Specialties: Deep knowledge of the occult. Shane’s intellect is a force to be reckoned with, and though he’d never admit this to his fellow hunters, his knowledge of the occult runs deeper than what he’s learned from his E.U training.



Ash from Book 4

Name: Ashley (Ash) Devereaux
Occupation: Ghost Medium/Poltergeist Hunter
Height: 6’3
Eye Color: Grey
Hair Color: Golden blond
Hunting Characteristics and Specialties: Powerful ghost medium with the power to lay the wandering dead to rest.



Trent from Book 5

Name: Trent Garrison
Occupation: Hunter of Shapeshifters (Non-Werewolf)
Height: 6’4
Eye Color: One blue, one green
Hair Color: Black
Hunting Characteristics and Specialties: A previous career in the military serves Trent well in his hunting for the E.U. His time serving



Damon from Dark Hunter (Book 6)

Featured in Shadow Hunter, an Execution Underground prequel novella inside the After Dark anthology

Name: Damon Brock
Occupation: Vampire Hunter and Leader/Founder of the Rochester Division
Height: 6’4
Eye Color: Ice Blue
Hair Color: Black, military buzz cut
Hunting Characteristics and Specialties: Coming from a long line of vampire hunters, Damon has trained to kill bloodsuckers his entire life and that extensive amount of training shows in his ability to easily massacre vampires who are thousands of years old.






The Execution Underground

Twilight Hunter
Execution Underground 1
Harelquin HQN, August 27, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

Hunters of the supernatural, the Execution Underground are an elite group tasked with protecting humanity...but what happens when danger collides with desire?

Jace McCannon has one loyalty: the Execution Underground. Despite his mixed blood, his hatred for the werewolves he hunts is legendary. But in his search for a sadistic killer, Jace finds himself face to face with a stunningly seductive packmaster…and longing for a night with his mortal enemy.

Nothing can stop Frankie Amato from defending her kind--or catching the rogue responsible for killing women in her territory. For that, this alpha female needs Jace’s skills more than she wants to admit. But as their investigation exposes evil truths, need burns into a passion that dare not be fulfilled. For to do so will have deadly consequences for them both…



After Dark
Gena Showalter and Kait Ballenger
Lords of the Underworld and Execution Underground
Harlequin HQN, June 25, 2013
Trade Paperback and eBook, 336 pages

A Timeless Seduction

A Unique Temptation

And a Whole World of Dark Desires...

From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter

The Darkest Angel

Winged warrior Lysander has been alive for centuries, and yet he's never known desire-until he meets Bianka. Spawned from the bloodline of his enemy, the beautiful but deadly Harpy is determined to lead the untouched Lysander into temptation. He may try to evade her attempts, but even the most iron-willed demon assassin can resist for only so long....

And from debut author Kait Ballenger

Shadow Hunter

Vampire hunter Damon Brock's newest assignment with the Execution Underground is Rochester, New York, a city crawling with the undead. But he isn't the only hunter in town gunning for vamp blood. Tiffany Solow is fierce and ruthless when it comes to slaying the monsters that destroyed her family-and she works solo. But being alone is no longer an option when she meets the mysterious hunter who wants more than just her turf. Forced to unite against the local covens, the line between good and evil blurs when they must decide between their lifelong beliefs...and their newfound desires.




And coming in January 2014

Immortal Hunter
Execution Underground 2
Harelquin HQN, January 28, 2014
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

Hunters of the supernatural, the Execution Underground are an elite group tasked with protecting humanity…but at what price?

As an exorcist, David Aronowitz grew up the target of demonic assassins. Now he's a member of the Execution Underground and hellspawn everywhere fear his name. But when a demon slips into the seductive body of the only woman he's ever loved, David must confront the heartbreak of their past to save her.

The piece of her heart Allsún O'Hare gave to David so long ago left her trapped between two worlds: the Fae and the human. And when David comes to her rescue, fate reunites her with her greatest temptation—and her biggest mistake.

Now, as they're swept together into a wicked game with the demon who controls her, David must decide if saving Allsún's life is worth sacrificing his own—and the future of humanity itself.





About Kait

Kait Ballenger is a full-time paranormal romance author, wife, bellydancer, graduate student, and soon-to-be-professor. She is the multi-published, award-winning author of the Execution Underground paranormal romance series. With a B.A in English from Stetson University, Kait is currently earning an M.F.A in Writing. Kait believes anything is possible with hard work and dedication. One day, she hopes to be a bestseller and to see her novels on the big screen. Look for the next two books in her page-turning Execution Underground series: Twilight Hunter, book one (August 2013) and Immortal Hunter, book two (January 2014), and don’t forget to check out Shadow Hunter, a prequel novella to the series featured in the After Dark anthology along NYT Bestseller Gena Showalter—now available in trade paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats. For more information, please visit www.kaitballenger.com or follow her on Twitter @kait_ballenger.

Website  ~  Twitter @kait_ballenger  ~  Facebook  ~  Goodreads

The View From Monday - July 29, 2013


Happy last Monday in July. I can't believe that 1/2 the summer is gone. It's been productive on the home front, but not as productive reading-wise as I've hoped. I have been able to read a bit - The Big Reap (The Collector 3) by Chris F. Holm. Fantastic book! More about that later. I'm in the middle of The Darwin Elevator by Jason M. Hough. Enjoying it immensely. It's the first novel in his Dire Earth Cycle.

I went to a small local Comic Con yesterday and will share some pictures from that this week. I'll also post the August monthly release list and the Debuts for August later this week.

There are a many books out this week. You'll find a printable PDF shopping list here.





Debuts this week:

The Darwin Elevator (The Dire Earth Cycle 1) by Jason M. Hough; and 

Three (Legends of the Duskwalker 1) by Jay Posey.


From former DAC Featured Authors:

The Thing About Weres (Mystwalker 2) by Leigh Evans;

The Big Reap (The Collector 3) by Chris F. Holm;

King of Thorns (Broken Empire 2) by Mark Lawrence is out in Mass Market Paperback; and

A Conspiracy of Alchemists (Chronicles of Light and Shadow 1) by Liesel Schwarz is out in Mass Market Paperback.




July 29, 2013
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
The Monsters in Your Neighborhood (e) Jesse Petersen UF - Monstrosity 2



July 30, 2013
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Magic Rises Ilona Andrews UF - Kate Daniels 6
Dancing With the Devil (ri) Keri Arthur UF - Nikki and Michael Book 1
Night's Mistress Amanda Ashley PNR - Children of the Night 5
Harbinger Philippa Ballantine F - The Order 4
The Hunger and Other Stories (ri) Charles Beaumont Su/Weird - Collection
Satan's Reach Eric Brown SF - Weird Space 2
The Traitor Queen (h2mm) Trudi Canavan F - Traitor Spy Trilogy 3
The Great White Space (ri) Basil Copper H
The Twelve (h2mm) Justin Cronin Ap/Th - Passage Trilogy 2
Pile of Bones Bailey Cunningham UF - Parallel Parks 1
Fallen Masters (h2mm) John Edward Meta/Su
The Thing About Weres Leigh Evans UF - Mystwalker 2
The Scarletti Curse (ri) Christine Feehan PNR - Scarletti Dynasty 1
Plastic Christopher Fowler H/Th
The Ocean at the End of the Lane Deluxe Signed Edition: A Novel Neil Gaiman F
Heart of Briar Laura Anne Gilman PNR - Portals 1
Carpathian David L. Golemon Th/Su - Event Group 8
The Night Is Alive (h2mm) Heather Graham M/PNR - Krewe of Hunters 10
The Mammoth Book of Angels and Demons Paula Guran (ed) F/UF - Anthology
Assignment in Eternity (ri) Robert A. Heinlein SF - Collection
The Big Reap Chris F. Holm UF - The Collector 3
The Darwin Elevator (D) Jason M. Hough SF - Dire Earth 1
The Old One (e serial) Jonathan Janz H - Savage Species Part 5
Phoenicia's Worlds Ben Jeapes SF
Hellfire Jean Johnson SF - Theirs Not to Reason Why 3
Kill City Blues Richard Kadrey UF/H - Sandman Slim 5
Rise of the Gryphon Sherrilyn Kenyon
Dianna Love
F - Belador 4
King of Thorns (h2mm) Mark Lawrence F - Broken Empire 2
Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish Morgan Llywelyn Myth/Hist
The Book of Truths Bob Mayer SF - Area 51: The Nightstalkers 2
Angel Exterminatus Graham McNeill F - Horus Heresy 23
Scent of Salvation (e) Annie Nicholas PNR - Chronicles of Eorthe 1
Ice and Shadow (tp2mm) Andre Norton SF - Ice Crown and Brother to Shadows
Last Blood Kristen Painter UF - House of Comarre 5
Blood Warrior Lindsey Piper PNR - Dragon Kings 2
Three (D) Jay Posey SF - Legends of the Duskwalker 1
Eric (ri) Terry Pratchett F - Discworld 9
Moving Pictures (ri) Terry Pratchett F - Discworld 10
Reaper Man (ri) Terry Pratchett F - Discworld 11
Witches Abroad (ri) Terry Pratchett F - Discworld 12
Queen of Wands (h2mm) John Ringo UF/Th - Special Circumstances 2
A Conspiracy of Alchemists (h2mm) Liesel Schwarz SP - Chronicles of Light and Shadow 1
The Darkest Craving Gena Showalter PNR - Lords of the Underworld 10
Storm Glass (ri) (tp2mm) Maria V. Snyder PNR - Opal Cowan 1
Blood Red Dawn (ri) Karen E. Taylor UF - Vampire Legacy 7
The Master of the Macabre (ri) Russell Thorndike H - Collection
Kitty in the Underworld Carrie Vaughn UF - Kitty Norville 12
From History's Shadow Dayton Ward SF - Star Trek: The Original Series
Midst Toil and Tribulation (h2mm) David Weber SF - Safehold 5
I Don't Want to Kill You (h2mm) Dan Wells H/M - John Cleaver 3
Night Pilgrims Chelsea Quinn Yarbro HistF - Saint-Germain 26



July 31, 2013
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
The Dark Domain (ri) Stefan Grabinski H
Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz Garth Nix F - Short Stories



D - Debut
e - eBook
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
ri - reissue or reprint


Ap - Apocalyptic
F - Fantasy
H - Horror
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
M - Mystery
MR - Magical Realism
Myth - Mythology
PNR - Paranormal Romance
SF - Science Fiction
SP - Steampunk
Su - Supernatural
Th - Thriller
UF - Urban Fantasy