25th August 2015 Releases

Happy Release Day to:

Melinda Braun
Stranded
Simon & Schuster Pulse (US, UK, CA, & AU: 25th August 2015)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)
Plagued with guilt after surviving the car accident that took her sister’s life, Emma ventures into the rugged and mysterious wilderness of the Boundary Waters in search of some much needed peace. But when a freak windstorm kills her guide, Emma and a handful of other campers are forced to fend for themselves. Lost, hungry, and exhausted, the small group must rely on their survival instincts as they travel through the forest towards Lake Superior. But the Boundary Waters is vast and unpredictable, and as the days drag on, it becomes clear that the group is no match for what Mother Nature has in store – and time is running out. As they continue to battle the elements, Emma realises that nature isn’t her only threat: there’s one camper who will do whatever it takes to make it out of the Boundary Waters alive. Even if he’s the only one…

Marie Lu
The Young Elites (The Young Elites, Book 1)
Penguin Speak (US: 25th August 2015)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)
Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumoured to possess more than just scars – they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites. Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all. Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen. Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fight a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

Richelle Mead
Succubus Heat (Georgina Kincaid, Book 4)
Kensington Zebra (US: 25th August 2015)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)
Seattle based shape-shifting succubus Georgina Kincaid gets her energy from seducing mortal men. Fortunately, she can have any man she wants – except the one she’s in love with. Because unfortunately, her lovers always pay – with their souls… Thanks to her foul mood over breaking up with bestselling writer Seth Mortensen, Georgina has been so wicked that Seattle’s über-demon, Jerome, decides to “outsource” her to a rival – and have her spy for him in the process. It’s a chilly proposition, since she’ll be exiled to the frozen north, aka Vancouver, leaving Seth and his new girlfriend to turn up the heat. But soon there’s a bright spot… When Jerome is kidnapped, all his immortals, including Georgina, mysteriously lose their powers – meaning there’s nothing to keep her from getting down and dirty with Seth. Except his girlfriend, that is. Georgina will just have to deal with it, plus rescue her boss, contend with Jerome’s amorous rival, and figure out if everyone involved is being played – or all hell will break loose…

Dawn Metcalf
Insidious (The Twixt, Book 3)
Harlequin Teen (US: 25th August 2015)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)
Joy Malone finally knows who she is, where she comes from and how to live in two worlds at once. And now she can introduce her family and friends to her mysterious boyfriend, Indelible Ink. But when Ink’s twin sister, Invisible Inq, calls in a favour, Joy must accept a dangerous mission to find a forgotten door between worlds – a door hiding a secret that some will kill to keep. Unseen enemies, treasonous magic and an unthinkable betrayal threaten both the Twixt and human worlds as Joy races to expose an ancient conspiracy and unleash the unalterable truth – some secrets cannot remain secret forever.

Amy Christine Parker
Astray (Gated, Book 2)
Random House Ember (US & CA: 25th August 2015)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)
Lyla Hamilton almost died escaping the Community. In her new life, the outsiders call the Community a cult. They don’t understand how easy it was to believe. How good it felt to belong. “Normal” life – high school and dating – is harder than Lyla expected. The Community is willing to do terrible things to bring her back to the fold. The members are still preaching Pioneer’s twisted message that the end of the world is near. Pulled in two directions and unsure which way to turn, Lyla risks everything to follow her heart, but can she uncover the Community’s plan before it’s too late?

August 2015 Releases

Done with July 2015 Releases? Here are August 2015 Releases. For future releases, check Reading Wishlist. If reading this in a feed-reader, the formatting may be off. Click on the title to see the post properly at WordPress.

Thursday Thirteen: 27th August 2009

The 1st 13 Books on My To-Be Read Pile
1. Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy (currently reading)
2. Kelley Armstrong’s The Awakening (library book)
3. Sophie McKenzie’s The Set Up (library book)
4. Claire Delacroix’s Fallen (library book)
5. Liz Jensen’s The Rapture (library book)
6. Amy Rench’s Fallen Rogue (ARC)
7. Kelly Gay’s The Better Part of Darkness (ARC)
8. Richelle Mead’s Succubus on Top
9. Richelle Mead’s Frostbite
10. Richelle Mead’s Storm Born
11. Richelle Mead’s Succubus Dreams
12. Richelle Mead’s Shadow Kiss
13. Richelle Mead’s Succubus Heat

August 2009 Releases

Done buying July Releases? Now onto August – here are my choice picks from the US, UK, Canada and Australia. As always, I don’t list EVERYTHING in the UF or futuristic genres – I’ll leave that to other bloggers. Instead, I just choose the ones I think are worthy. And yes, I play favourites 😉 Keep an eye on Reading Wishlist for release dates further into the future.

No purchase links as yet for Melanie Nilles’s Starfire Angels or Lexxie Couper’s Death, the Vamp and His Brother, but keep an eye on the authors’ websites and blogs.

NOTE: I own Kat Richardson’s Underground, and Rachel Vincent’s Pride, but haven’t read them yet.

NOTE: I have reviewed Rachel Vincent’s My Soul to Take, and Tracey O’hara’s Night’s Cold Kiss.

All other books listed here I’d be happy to read and review. If you’re willing to post a hard copy out to me in Australia, send me an email.

June 2009 Releases

Reading Wishlist has been updated with new release dates and titles. Done with May 2009 Releases? Now it’s time for June 2009 Releases. All covers, summaries and info were found on the websites of the authors, publishers and Amazon – so don’t shoot methe messenger 😉 US = USA. UK = UK. CA = Canada. AU = Australia. It’s all behind the cut…

Anya Bast
Witch Fury (Elemental Witches, Book 4)
Penguin Berkley (US & CA: 2nd June 2009)
Cover art by Tony Mauro
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
Sarafina Connell is having the worst week of her life. It takes an even darker turn when an infamous playboy kidnaps her and reveals a world she never knew existed…It’s a world where magick is real, and where Sarafina is given a chance to join a secret cabal that is bent on gaining absolute power. They could use a woman like her – a witch with an untapped gift for creating fire. But she isn’t about to get in league with the devil. Rescued from her captors, Sarafina is introduced to a coven that is duty-bound to fight the forces of darkness. She’s pleased that her savior is the imposingly seductive Theo – until the trust between them goes up in flames. However, as the war between good and evil is waged, Sarafina and Theo realize they have no choice but to unite in the battle for supremacy – that’s getting hotter by the minute.

Rachel Caine
Carpe Corpus (Morganville Vampires, Book 6)
Penguin Signet (US & CA: 2nd June 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
In the small college town of Morganville, vampires and humans lived in (relative) peace – until all the rules got rewritten when the evil vampire Bishop arrived, looking for the lost book of vampire secrets. He’s kept a death grip on the town ever since. Now an underground resistance is brewing, and in order to contain it, Bishop must go to even greater lengths. He vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants – the living and the undead. Claire Danvers and her friends are the only ones who stand in his way. But even if they defeat Bishop, will the vampires ever be content to go back to the old rules, after having such a taste of power?

Laurell K. Hamilton
Skin Trade (Anita Blake, Book 17)
Penguin Berkley (US & CA: 2nd June 2009); Hachette Headline (AU: June 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
Anita Blake’s reputation has taken some hits. Not on the work front, where she has the highest kill count of all the legal vampire executioners in the country, but on the personal front. No one seems to trust a woman who sleeps with the monsters. Still, when a vampire serial killer sends her a head from Las Vegas, Anita has to warn Sin City’s local authorities what they’re dealing with. Only it’s worse than she thought. Several officers and one executioner have been slain – paranormal style…Anita heads to Las Vegas, where she’s joined by three other federal marshals, including the ruthless Edward hiding behind his mild-mannered persona. It’s a good thing Edward always has her back, because, when she gets close to the bodies, Anita senses tiger too strongly to ignore it. The were-tigers are very powerful in Las Vegas, which means the odds of her rubbing someone important the wrong way just got a lot higher…

Caitlin Kittredge
Street Magic (Black London, Book 1)
Macmillan St. Martin’s (US: 2nd June 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
Her name is Pete Caldecott. She was just sixteen when she met Jack Winter, a gorgeous, larger-than-life mage who thrilled her with his witchcraft. Then a spirit Jack summoned killed him before Pete’s eyes – or so she thought. Now a detective, Pete is investigating the case of a young girl kidnapped from the streets of London. A tipster’s chilling prediction has led police directly to the child…but when Pete meets the informant, she’s shocked to learn he is none other than Jack. Strung out on heroin, Jack a shadow of his former self. But he’s able to tell Pete exactly where Bridget’s kidnappers are hiding: in the supernatural shadow-world of the fey. Even though she’s spent years disavowing the supernatural, Pete follows Jack into the invisible fey underworld, where she hopes to discover the truth about what happened to Bridget – and what happened to Jack on that dark day so long ago…

Cheyenne McCray
Demons Not Included (Night Tracker, Book 1)
Macmillan St. Martin’s (US: 2nd June 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
Meet Nyx. This half-human, half–Drow private eye investigates paranormal crimes by day and is an elite Tracker of demons by night. She prefers working solo – and playing rough. So when a terrifying force starts murdering innocent humans and paranorms, and leaving strange demonic symbols burned into their buildings, it’s a case Nyx takes very personally…Meanwhile, Nyx’s fellow Trackers are being killed one by one – and a sexy new Tracker named Torin is shadowing her every move. Torin has powers Nyx can’t read, and sometimes she wonders whose side he’s on. Nyx’s instincts tell her something’s brewing in the city’s meanest supernatural streets, and that it’s ready to unleash hell on Earth. Who can she trust? Now it’s five minutes to permanent midnight…and Nyx’s last chance means risking everything – even her own life.

Kat Richardson
Greywalker (Greywalker, Book 1)
Penguin Roc (US: 2nd June 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
Harper Blaine was your average small-time P.I. until a two-bit perp’s savage assault left her dead for two minutes. When she comes to in the hospital, she sees things that can only be described as weird – shapes emerging from a foggy grey mist, snarling teeth, creatures roaring. But Harper’s not crazy. Her “death” has made her a Greywalker – able to move between the human world and the mysterious cross-over zone where things that go bump in the night exist. And her new gift is about to drag her into that strange new realm – whether she likes it or not.

Neal Shusterman
Unwind
Simon & Schuster Children’s (US & CA: 2nd June 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would “unwind” them. Connor’s parents want to be rid of him because he’s a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev’s unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family’s strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can’t be harmed – but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away.

Jordan Summers
Scarlet (Dead World, Book 2)
Macmillan Tor (US: 2nd June 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
If you’re not afraid of the big bad wolf…you should be. Welcome to the near-future where prejudice is no longer tied to the color of your skin, but the purity of your blood. To be accused of taint is tantamount to a death sentence. Thrust into a world of creatures Gina ‘Red’ Santiago never knew existed, she does her best to fit in while trying to come to grips with the fact that she’s a werewolf. The transition from International Police Tactical Team officer to unpaid recruiter is not an easy one, especially when her new boyfriend, Morgan, is an alpha werewolf, the local sheriff of Nuria – and her new boss. Morgan Hunter is doing his best to ease Red into her new life. She’s only beginning to understand the ‘Others’ and the power that they yield. That’s why he hasn’t mentioned that he’s claimed her as his mate. Well, that and the fact he’s not exactly sure how she’d take the news. There are some things even an alpha werewolf fears. Their newfound happiness is about to be shattered by a past Morgan thought was long buried. Someone doesn’t want them to succeed at recruiting ‘Others’ for a rival tactical team. They will do whatever it takes to prevent a team from forming, even if that means killing off the new recruits and tearing the couple apart. Now along with trying to hold their relationship together, Red and Morgan must stop the killer before they strike again. If they survive, there is that little problem of a blood war looming on the horizon. Looks like it’s going to be a long, hot summer.

Richelle Mead
Succubus Heat (Georgina Kincaid, Book 4)
Random House Bantam (UK: 4th June 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
Georgina Kincaid has been a bad, bad succubus…which should be a good thing. But lately, thanks to her foul mood over breaking up with bestselling writer Seth Mortensen, she’s been so wicked that Seattle’s über-demon, Jerome, decides to “outsource” Georgina to a rival – and have her spy for him in the process. Being exiled to the frozen north – okay, Vancouver – and leaving Seth in the cozy clutches of his new girlfriend is unpleasant enough. Then Jerome is kidnapped, and all immortals under his control mysteriously lose their powers. One bright spot: with her life-sucking ability gone, there’s nothing to keep Georgina from getting down and dirty with Seth – nothing apart from his girlfriend that is. Now, as the supernatural population starts turning on itself, a newly mortal Georgina must rescue her boss and figure out who’s been playing them – or all hell will break loose…

Laurie Faria Stolarz
Project 17
Hyperion (US: 9th June 2009)
Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
High atop Hathorne Hill, near Boston, sits Danvers State Hospital. Built in 1878 and closed in 1992, this abandoned mental institution is rumored to be the birthplace of the lobotomy. Locals have long believed the place to be haunted. They tell stories about the unmarked graves in the back, of the cold spots felt throughout the underground tunnels, and of the treasures found inside: patients’ personal items like journals, hair combs, and bars of soap, or even their old medical records, left behind by the state for trespassers to view. On the eve of the hospital’s demolition, six teens break in to spend the night and film a movie about their adventures. For Derik, it’s an opportunity to win a filmmaking contest and save himself from a future of flipping burgers at his parents’ diner. For the others, it’s a chance to be on TV, or a night with no parents. But what starts as a playful dare quickly escalates into a frenzy of nightmarish action. Behind the crumbling walls, down every dark passageway, and in each deserted room, they will unravel the mysteries of those who once lived there and the spirits who still might.

Vicki Pettersson
City of Souls (Signs of the Zodiac, Book 4)
HarperCollins Eos (CA: 19th June 2009; US: 30th June 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
In Sin City, a little girl suffers from a strange and terrible malady. If she dies, the Light will die along with her. Joanna Archer has survived countless otherworldly terrors, and has found her rightful place among the agents battling the all-pervasive evil of Shadow…even as she struggles against the darkness within herself. A war is raging for the endangered soul of Las Vegas, one that catapults Joanna into a new world hidden from mortal sight in search of a cure to a devastating sickness. In this lethally seductive alternate dimension, the lines blur between good and evil, loyalty and treachery, and here lies the last hope for the Light. But Joanna’s price of admission is a piece of her own soul – and the odds of her escaping are slim…to none.

Diana Rowland
Mark of the Demon (Kara Gillian, Book 1)
Random House Bantam (US & CA: 23rd June 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
Cop and conjurer of demons, she’s a woman in danger of losing control – to a power that could kill…Why me? Why now? That’s what Beaulac, Louisiana, detective Kara Gillian was asking herself when an angelic creature named Rhyzkahl unexpectedly appeared during a routine summoning. Kara was hoping to use her occult skills to catch a serial killer, but never had she conjured anything like this unearthly beautiful and unspeakably powerful being whose very touch set off exquisite new dimensions of pleasure. But can she enlist his aid in helping her stop a killer who’s already claimed the lives – and souls – of thirteen people? And should she? The Symbol Man is a nightmare that the city thought had ended three years ago. Now he’s back for an encore and leaving every indication on the flesh of his victims that he, too, is well versed in demonic lore. Kara may be the only cop on Beaulac’s small force able to stop the killer, but it is her first homicide case. Yet with Rhyzkahl haunting her dreams, and a handsome yet disapproving FBI agent dogging her waking footsteps, she may be in way over her head…

Marjorie M. Liu
Darkness Calls (Hunter Kiss, Book 2)
Penguin Ace (US & CA: 30th June 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
Nomad born and bred, demon hunter Maxine Kiss has always relied upon herself to fight the darkness that surrounds her, the predators – human, zombie, and otherwise – who threaten the earth. But one man has penetrated her lonely life: Grant, the last of his kind. With music he is able to control any living creature…including demons. And now his life is in danger. Haunted by the past, determined to change the future, Maxine soon understands that to save Grant, she has only one choice – to lose control, and release her own powers of darkness…

Christine Warren, Marjorie M. Liu, Caitlin Kittredge & Jenna Maclaine
Huntress (Anthology)
Macmillan St. Martin’s (US: 30th June 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
Christine Warren: Devil’s Bargain – Supernatural bounty hunter Lilli Corbin made a pact with the Prince of Hell: She agreed to recover a book of prophecies. When she learns it could trigger the apocalypse, Lilli is forced to make the ultimate choice: save her soul, or the man she loves? Marjorie M. Liu: The Robber Bride – Welcome to a post-apocalyptic world where women are fed on for their life forces. Now it’s up to Maggie, one of the last female survivors, to hunt down and destroy an army of darkness…Caitlin Kittredge: Down in the Ground Where the Dead Men Go – Ava is a demon slayer who needs help from mage Jack Winter to reach the demon underworld – a place of dark seduction…and, maybe, one of no return. Jenna Maclaine: Sin Slayer – London 1889. Jack the Ripper is killing off the city’s vampire population, and now it’s up to Cin Craven to hunt him down – and save the infected Michael, the love of her undead life.

Kelley Armstrong
Made to Be Broken (Nadia Stafford, Book 2)
Hachette Sphere (AU: June 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (CA)
To the outside world Nadia Stafford is a smart, good-looking, law-abiding citizen. Well, two out of three’s not bad…An ex-cop with a legal code all her own, Nadia has a secret life as a world-class assassin. She works only for one New York crime family, who pay her handsomely to bump off traitors. But when a troubled teenager and her baby vanish in the woods near her home, Nadia’s old detective instincts – and the memory of a past loss – compel her to investigate. With her enigmatic mentor Jack to support her, Nadia unearths sinister clues that point to an increasingly dark and deadly mystery. As her obsession over the case deepens, Nadia realises that the only way she can right the wrongs of the present is to face her own painful ghosts – or die trying. And so she sets off on the trail of a young woman no one else cares about – and a killer who is bound to strike again…

May 2009 Releases

If you’re done with the April 2009 Releases, it’s time to move onto the May 2009 Releases for the US, Canada, UK and Australia. For titles and release dates even further into the future, check my Reading Wishlist.

May’s releases are behind the cut, to spare those of you not interested. I can is considerate, y’all! 🙂

Kelley Armstrong
The Awakening (Darkest Powers, Book 2)
Hachette Orbit (UK: 4th May 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
Chloe Saunders used to be a normal teenage girl – or so she thought. Then she learned the shocking truth – she is a walking science experiment. Genetically altered at birth by a sinister group of scientists known as the Edison Group, Chloe is an aberration – a powerful necromancer who can see ghosts and even raise the dead, often with terrifying consequences. Even worse, her growing powers have made her a threat to the surviving members of the Edison Group, who have decided it’s time to end their experiment – permanently…Now Chloe is running for her life with three other supernatural teenagers – a charming sorcerer, a troubled werewolf and a temperamental young witch. Together they have a chance for freedom – but can Chloe trust her new friends?

Eric Garcia
The Repossession Mambo
Scribe (AU: 4th May 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
In a near future when people live virtually forever, rarely dying of disease or old age, there’s big money to be made in the “artiforg” business – the buying and selling of artificial organs that promise to prolong life. Companies are only too happy to extend credit to anyone with the proper financial means. But buyer beware: if you fall too far behind in your payments, your artiforgs will be repossessed. Like many former US soldiers, Remy makes his living reclaiming organs from debtors who can no longer afford them. He’s one of the best, and business is good until Remy finds himself being hunted by the same people he once worked with, and quickly running out of places to hide. Now, he’s holed up in a deserted building, writing his life story on a beat-up typewriter in the hopes of getting it all down on paper before the Bio-Repo Man shows up to collect on his debts. And what a story it is…

Libba Bray
The Sweet Far Thing (Gemma Doyle, Book 3)
Simon & Schuster (UK: 5th May 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
It has been a year of change since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Having bound the wild, dark magic of the realms to her, Gemma has forged unlikely and unsuspected new alliances both with the headstrong Felicity and timid Ann, Kartik, the exotic young man whose companionship is forbidden, and the fearsome creatures of the realms. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test those bonds. As her friendship with Felicity and Ann faces its gravest trial, and with the Order grappling for control of the realms, Gemma is compelled to decide once and for all which path she is meant to take. Pulled forward by fate, the destiny Gemma faces threatens to set chaos loose, not only in the realms, but also upon the rigid Victorian society whose rules Gemma has both defied and followed. Where does Gemma really belong? And will she, can she, survive?

Lauren Dane
Relentless (Federated Universes, Book 2)
Penguin Berkley (US & CA: 5th May 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
Fifteen Families rule the Federated Universes – and Abbie Haws has spent her life battling the system. She’s always been too driven to pay much attention to love. But when she meets Roman Lyons, Head of House Lyons, who stands for everything she hates, Abbie’s attraction catches her off-guard…Their world, Ravena, revolves around born leader Roman, who dreads meeting this defiant – if stunning – rabble-rouser. But sometimes headstrong personalities that collide in public become hot-and-heavy, guilty trysts in private.

Kim Harrison
White Witch, Black Curse (Hollows, Book 7)
HarperCollins Voyager (UK: 14th May 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
The demon, Algaliarept, although banished back into the everafter has infected others of his kind with his interest in a witch who can channel demon magic. Rachel soon finds herself with not one but three hellions on her tail; and one of them is even crazier and more dangerous than all the fairy assassins, weres and vampires on the planet.

Lili St. Crow
Strange Angels (Strange Angels, Book 1)
Penguin (US: 14th May 2009; CA: 19th May 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re travelling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.) Then her dad turns up dead – but still walking – and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever – or whoever – is hunting her?

Rhonda Roberts
Gladiatrix (Timestalker, Book 1)
HarperCollins Voyager (AU: 20th May 2009)
Left for dead when she was two‚ Kannon Jarratt has no idea of her real identity. Now‚ twenty years on‚ she discovers that her mother might be US Time Marshal‚ Victoria Dupree. Kannon travels to ancient Rome where Victoria is investigating the Hierophant‚ mysterious leader of the Isis cult. To find her mother‚ Kannon becomes a gladiatrix in the service of Domitia Crassus‚ the only person who knows the Hierophant’s identity. Unfortunately‚ all paths are leading her to an epic battle to the death in the arena…

Jes Battis
A Flash of Hex (OSI, Book 2)
Penguin ACE (US/CA: 26th May 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
After a series of brutal murders, Occult Special Investigator Tess Corday is convinced the identity of the killer is locked in her own head. The only question is – how many rules is she willing to break to get to the truth?

Richelle Mead
Succubus Heat (Georgina Kincaid, Book 4)
Kensington (US: 26th May 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
Georgina Kincaid has been a bad, bad succubus…which should be a good thing. But lately, thanks to her foul mood over breaking up with best-selling writer Seth Mortensen, she’s been so wicked that Seattle’s über-demon Jerome, decides to “outsource” Georgina to a rival – and have her spy for him in the process. Being exiled to the frozen north – okay, Vancouver – and leaving Seth in the cosy clutches of his new girlfriend is unpleasant enough. Then Jerome is kidnapped, and all immortals under his control mysteriously lose their powers. One bright spot: with her life-sucking ability gone, there’s nothing to keep Georgina from getting down and dirty with Seth – nothing apart from his girlfriend that is. Now, as the supernatural population starts turning on itself, a newly mortal Georgina must rescue her boss and figure out who’s been playing them – or all hell will break loose…

A. J. Menden
Tekgrrl (Elite Hands of Justice, Book 2)
Dorchester Leisure (US: 26th May 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA)
When she was 12, Mindy asked to go to the School like other gifted girls. Her parents sent her to another planet. Today, Mindy’s back on Earth. She’s a mechanical genius with the Elite Hands of Justice, America’s premier superhero squad. She’s been having headaches, though, and not just because her long-time crush is flirting with a team-mate. It’s not because she’s pushing thirty. It’s also not because of the contrary actions of the new Secretary for Superhero Affairs, ex-ally Simon Leasure. No, what’s burning her brain is a past she can’t remember, a past that has been erased. It’s a memory surging closer – in flying saucers. Her worst nightmare is returning, big-time, and only she, her friends and her one true love can stop it.

Happy Birthday, Richelle Mead

It’s November 12th – Richelle Mead’s birthday. I was thrilled when Random House Australia bought the Oz rights for the Georgina Kincaid and the Dark Swan series. No word on whose bought the Oz rights for the Vampire Academy series, though. At present, I own the first two Succubus books, the first Vampire Academy, and the first Dark Swan. But greedy me naturally wants more 😉

Anyway, give the gift of royalties by purchasing Succubus Blues, Succubus on Top (Succubus Nights), Succubus Dreams, Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kiss and Storm Born.

[COVER ART] Succubus Heat (UK) – Richelle Mead

We know our time zones – the US is circa 5 hours behind the UK. Yep, America is living in the past, as Richelle Mead’s UK publisher, Random House, has revealed the cover art for Georgina Kincaid’s fourth adventure, Succubus Heat. The UK release date is 4th June 2009, and is already up for pre-order on Amazon UK. Meanwhile, word on the street is that the American publisher, Kensington, won’t have the cover art ready for another month, and no pre-order links are up yet.

That’s the UK for you – staying ahead of the [American] pack 😉