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Saturday, February 26, 2011

Google adds Books tab to the Android Market

Google added a Books tab to the Android Market early Thursday (Feb 24th, 2011) morning.  Located at the top of the page at https://market.android.com , the books tab allows Android OS phones and tablets to access Google eBooks readily and quickly.

Google eBooks are also available on PCs, Macs, iPhones & iPads, Nooks, Sony Readers, and more - supporting virtually every reading platform.

In addition to current popular books, Google eBooks added thousands of free public domain titles - spending the last few years involved in the Google Library Project wherein they scanned and converted thousands of public domain titles from large university and public libraries.

Perusing some of these free editions, I find that while the text block itself formats quite well to google's browser-based reader and looks well enough that I would consider reading a book at my computer screen, I find the legacy artifacts from the library notations on various pages to be distracting and annoying.  Yeah, Google preserved thousands of books and saved millions of hours by not re-typesetting them but using OCR and scanning technology instead.. but I find myself preferring a Gutenberg eTexts

For professionally formatted or restored books the Google eBooks format is great - fast, flexible, and attractive to look at on any device.  For scanned books - bleh.. but, in the cases where the book is available no other way, I guess you take what you can get...

Cataloging some great John D. MacDonald today.... All 10% off

John D. MacDonald was a prolific mystery writer and author of one of the most popular detectives in fiction, Travis McGee.  The Travis McGee series ran for 21 novels and won several awards, including the National Book Award in 1980 for The Green Ripper.

Macdonald's novels were mostly detective fiction though he made several forays into science fiction as well.  In short fiction formats, MacDonald wrote stories in virtually every genre, reportedly writing over 500 stories in a four-month period in the 1940s.

Presented here is a small selection of MacDonald's novels, mostly new arrivals that were cataloged this morning:

A Bullet for Cinderella by John D. MacDonald - Her veneer was big city … but one look and you knew that Toni Rassell’s instincts were straight out of the river shack she came from. I watched her as she toyed with the man, laughing, her tumbled hair like raw blue-black silk, her brown shoulders bare. Eyes deep-set, a girl with a gypsy look. So this was the girl I had risked my life to find. This was the girl who was going to lead me to a buried fortune in stolen loot.

The Deceivers by John D. MacDonald - Her name was Cindy, and she was his neighbor's wife - the woman next door in the kind of suburbia that didn't make headlines.  No cheap scandals here - no wife-swapping, no key games.  These were real people, nice people like Cindy and Carl who fought with the desperation of the damned to keep from wanting each other.

Had a perfect opportunity not presented itself, perhaps nothing would have happened.  But suddenly, it was the right time, the right place.  And there was no room left for pretense.  In that moment all innocence drained out of their lives.  Two real people, two nice people, became creatures of passion -- and guilt.

Nightmare in Pink by John D. MacDonald - Dark-haired and delicately built, she was a sweetly wanton career girl, living alone in a Manhattan walk-up.  Her name was Nina and -- in addition to companionship -- she offered Travis McGee the first clue, the first loose thread in the whole elaborate fabric of a swindle so gigantic that it took a small army of lawyers and financiers to keep it secret.

McGee, that amiable skeptic, that free-lance knight in slightly tarnished armor, sets out on a wild and tortuous chase that takes him into the decadent world of Cafe Society, the ruthless world of the really big money and the weird and terrifying world of hallucinatory drugs.

The Brass Cupcake by John D. MacDonald - Take a hard-boiled ex-cop named Cliff Bartells.  Take a beautiful girl with the unlikely name of Melody Chance.  Add the death of one Elizabeth Stegman of Boston, MA.  Plus her missing jewels, insured for seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars.  What have you got?  Murder for profit, of course.  Cold-blooded, premeditated murder.


The Long Lavender Look by John D. MacDonald - When Travis McGee swerves to avoid hitting a beautiful girl in the road, he lands in 10 feet of muddy water and 20 feet of trouble, as a guy in a truck takes a pot shot at him with a rifle. When McGee complains to the local authorities, they arrest him for murder. He should never have ventured off his houseboat, "The Busted Flush," where he's the only judge and jury. But in this 12th Travis McGee adventure he's at the mercy of the court.

The Crossroads by John D. MacDonald - A roadside motel, a restless bride, a sadistic chiseler, a musclebound lover-boy, and a quarter of a million bucks in cash within easy reach of grasping fingers.  A perfect set-up for robbery and murder.  And a perfect setting for this expert chiller by John D. MacDonald.

The Beach Girls by John D. MacDonald - Life at the Stebbins' Marina is sunny, warm and sweet. Tanned men and women enjoy the life others dream of. Many boats bring new guests to the party until one man arrives and causes an uneasy effect on everyone. What no one realizes is that the marina will soon be shattered by murder.

The Green Ripper by John D. MacDonald - In his 18th appearance ladykiller Travis McGee, finally loses his heart to a lovely lady named Gretel. But just as he begins to bear his soul, his confidant is gone. Killed by a mysterious illness, they say, but McGee doesn't believe it. Many women have come and gone from his houseboat, "The Busted Flush," but Gretel was special, and McGee won't give up until he learns the truth about her death.

No Deadly Drug - Signed & Inscribed by John D. MacDonald - SIGNED & INSCRIBED by both the author, John D. MacDonald on the half-title page but also SIGNED and inscribed by John Pete Schmidt (to whom Special Acknowledgement is given on the title page).  This is not a pristine copy - it was obviously read many times by its previous owner, Lt. Col. John Graham to whom it is inscribed.  There is an ex-libris sticker on the pastedown, the front hinge is beginning to crack and the boards are threadbare at the extremities.  With No Deadly Drug, MacDonald left mystery writing for a foray into True Crime, detailing the murder trial of Dr. Carl Coppolino.  Facsimile dust jacket in mint condition included.

We have many more of MacDonald's novels in stock and receive more often.  For a complete listing of our currently available stock of John D. MacDonald - click here.

The above titles are all 10% off our regular prices.  If you are using the link for our complete catalog of MacDonald, you'll see the discounted prices noted.  If you click on individual items, the page will show the original price but the discounted price will be displayed in the shopping cart.

Giveaway: The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady Advance Copy

This week we're giving away an advance bound galley of The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady by Elizabeth Stuckey-French.

"This lively, intricately plotted, laugh-out-loud funny, and surprisingly touching family drama combines the wit of Carl Hiaasen with the southern charm of Jill McCorkle.

 Seventy-seven-year-old Marylou Ahearn is going to kill Dr. Wilson Spriggs come hell or high water. In 1953, he gave her a radioactive cocktail without her consent as part of a secret government study that had horrible consequences.

Marylou has been plotting her revenge for fifty years. When she accidentally discovers his whereabouts in Florida, her plans finally snap into action. She high tails it to hot and humid Tallahassee, moves in down the block from where a now senile Spriggs lives with his daughter’s family, and begins the tricky work of insinuating herself into their lives. But she has no idea what a nest of yellow jackets she is stum­bling into.

Before the novel is through, someone will be kidnapped, an unlikely couple will get engaged, someone will nearly die from eating a pineapple upside-down cake laced with anti-freeze, and that’s not all . . .

Told from the varied perspectives of an incredible cast of endearing oddball characters and written with the flair of a native Floridian, this dark comedy does not disappoint"



To Enter:

"Like" our facebook page OR "follow" this blog

That's it.  We'll be drawing a random winner from all those who "like" our page or follow this blog on Saturday, March 5th, 2011. (Yes, if you do both, your chances would be doubled)


Thursday, February 24, 2011

R.I.P. YA Author L. K. Madigan

Lisa Wolfson, AKA L.K. Madigan announced on her blog last month that she had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.  She succumbed to the disease yesterday.  Her last post on her livejournal (http://lkmadigan.livejournal.com/) detailed her fight with the disease and she said 'goodbye' in as many words.  Hundreds of friends and fans have responded - offering support and comfort for her and her family.

Lisa is survived by her husband and son and leaves a legacy of two wonderful YA novels behind her as well. Requiescat in Pace, Lisa.

PW Examines File Size/Pricing Policies for Kindle and Nook

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/46244-kindle-we-have-a-problem-amazon-s-pricing-policies-affect-publishers-.html

An excellent and in-depth article on pricing strategies and file size issues with the Nook and Kindle ebook formats

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

2010 Nebula Award Nominees Announced

Novel

Short Story
  • ‘‘Arvies’’, Adam-Troy Castro (Lightspeed Magazine 8/10) 
  • ‘‘How Interesting: A Tiny Man’’, Harlan Ellison® (Realms of Fantasy 2/10) 
  • ‘‘Ponies’’, Kij Johnson (Tor.com 1/17/10) 
  • ‘‘I’m Alive, I Love You, I’ll See You in Reno’’, Vylar Kaftan (Lightspeed Magazine 6/10) 
  • ‘‘The Green Book’’, Amal El-Mohtar (Apex Magazine 11/1/10) 
  • ‘‘Ghosts of New York’’, Jennifer Pelland (Dark Faith) 
  • ‘‘Conditional Love’’, Felicity Shoulders (Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine1/10) 

Novelette
  • ‘‘Map of Seventeen’’, Christopher Barzak (The Beastly Bride) 
  • ‘‘The Jaguar House, in Shadow’’, Aliette de Bodard Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine 7/10) 
  • ‘‘The Fortuitous Meeting of Gerard van Oost and Oludara’’, Christopher Kastensmidt (Realms of Fantasy 4/10) 
  • “Plus or Minus’’, James Patrick Kelly (Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine12/10) 
  • ‘‘Pishaach’’, Shweta Narayan (The Beastly Bride) 
  • ‘‘That Leviathan, Whom Thou Hast Made’’, Eric James Stone (Analog Science Fiction and Fact 9/10) 
  • ‘‘Stone Wall Truth’’, Caroline M. Yoachim (Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine 2/10) 

Novella
  • The Alchemist, Paolo Bacigalupi (Audible; Subterranean) 
  • ‘‘Iron Shoes’’, J. Kathleen Cheney (Alembical 2) 
  • The Lifecycle of Software Objects, Ted Chiang (Subterranean) 
  • ‘‘The Sultan of the Clouds’’, Geoffrey A. Landis (Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine 9/10) 
  • ‘‘Ghosts Doing the Orange Dance’’, Paul Park (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction 1-2/10) 
  • ‘‘The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers beneath the Queen’s Window’’, Rachel Swirsky (Subterranean Magazine Summer ’10)

The Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation
  • Despicable Me, Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud (directors), Ken Daurio & Cinco Paul (screenplay), Sergio Pablos (story) (Illumination Entertainment) 
  • Doctor Who: ‘‘Vincent and the Doctor’’, Richard Curtis (writer), Jonny Campbell (director) 
  • How to Train Your Dragon, Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders (directors), William Davies, Dean DeBlois, & Chris Sanders (screenplay) (DreamWorks Animation) 
  • Inception, Christopher Nolan (director), Christopher Nolan (screenplay) (Warner) 
  • Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Edgar Wright (director), Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright (screenplay) (Universal) 
  • Toy Story 3, Lee Unkrich (director), Michael Arndt (screenplay), John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, & Lee Unkrich (story) (Pixar/Disney) 

Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy
  • Ship Breaker, Paolo Bacigalupi (Little, Brown) 
  • White Cat, Holly Black (McElderry) 
  • Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press; Scholastic UK) 
  • Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, Barry Deutsch (Amulet) 
  • The Boy from Ilysies, Pearl North (Tor Teen) 
  • I Shall Wear Midnight, Terry Pratchett (Gollancz; Harper) 
  • A Conspiracy of Kings, Megan Whalen Turner (Greenwillow) 
  • Behemoth, Scott Westerfeld (Simon Pulse; Simon & Schuster UK)

2/22/11 - New Releases in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal & more..

Great new stuff this week from Kim Harrison, Anton Stout, Amber Benson, Richelle Mead, and more...

Dead Waters by Anton Strout - Simon Canderous, of the Department of Extraordinary Affairs, is used to fighting vampires and zombies. But the strange murder of a professor has everyone stumped. And it's making some people crazy. Literally.

Serpent's Storm by Amber Benson - Calliope just wants to make it big in the Big Apple like any other working girl. But Callie is also Death's Daughter, no matter how much she tries to stay out of the family business. And now her older sister has made a deal with the Devil himself to engage in a hostile takeover of both Death Inc. and Heaven-once they get Callie out of the way.

Coyote Destiny by Allen M. Steele - "The best space colonization saga to come along in decades" (Rocky Mountain News) continues. The unexpected arrival of a ship from Earth after their long isolation from their home world leaves the inhabitants of Coyote both hopeful and wary. The lone passenger brings news-both good and bad. The good news is that there was a survivor of the long-ago explosion of the Robert E. Lee and he is living still on Earth, in the ruined city called Boston. The bad news is that the person responsible for that act of terrorism is also still alive-and somewhere on Coyote...

Directive 51 by John Barnes - The first book in a new post-apocalyptic trilogy from "a master of the genre" Heather O'Grainne is the Assistant Secretary in the Office of Future Threat Assessment, investigating rumors surrounding something called "Daybreak." The group is diverse and radical, and its members have only one thing in common-their hatred for the "Big System" and their desire to take it down. Now, seemingly random events simultaneously occurring around the world are in fact connected as part of Daybreak's plan to destroy modern civilization-a plan that will eliminate America's top government personnel, leaving the nation no choice but to implement its emergency contingency program...Directive 51.

Griffin's Way by K. J. Taylor - After promising his allegiance to the Night God, Arenadd Taranisaii escapes death for the second time and vows to free his people. With the dark griffin Skandar by his side, Arenadd begins to gather an army and prepare for war using the power gifted to him by the Night God to move through the shadows. But even as Arenadd's strength grows his nemesis sets out for the Island of the Sun, seeking the one weapon that can truly kill Arenadd, the man without a heart.

Xombies: Apocalypso by Walter Greatshell - A group of women have been discovered who are immune to the Agent X plague. The secret of their immunity can provide a cure for human and inhuman alike-unless the Xombies find them first.

A Dark Matter by Peter Straub - The charismatic and cunning Spenser Mallon is a campus guru in the 1960s, attracting the devotion and demanding sexual favors of his young acolytes. After he invites his most fervent followers to attend a secret ritual in a local meadow, the only thing that remains is a gruesomely dismembered body-and the shattered souls of all who were present. Years later, one man attempts to understand what happened to his wife and to his friends by writing a book about this horrible night, and it's through this process that they begin to examine the unspeakable events that have bound them in ways they cannot fathom, but that have haunted every one of them through their lives. As each of the old friends tries to come to grips with the darkness of the past, they find themselves face-to-face with the evil...

Alaska Republik by Stoney Compton - Alaska, 1989. In a world where Alaska was still a Russian possession, and North America contains nine separate nations, revolution has broken out in Alaska. The Russian yoke has been thrown off for the moment, but the Czar is not going to surrender his valuable possession without a fight. In an exciting alternate history novel filled with military action, Captain Grigorivich Plesnett and his allies must continue his fight to birth a new nation - and fight off an old tyranny, in battles ranging from the Southeastern Inside Passage to the frozen Yukon.

Grantville Gazette V edited by Eric Flint - The most popular alternate history series of all continues. When an inexplicable cosmic disturbance hurls your town from twentieth century West Virginia back to seventeenth century Europe—and into the middle of the Thirty Years War—you’d better be adaptable to survive. And the natives of that time period, faced with American technology and politics, need to be equally adaptable.

Here’s a generous helping of more stories of Grantville, the American town lost in time, and its impact on the people and societies of a tumultuous age.

  • Cardinal Richelieu, France’s insidious master plotter and power behind the throne, learns of his prominent role in Dumas’ not-yet-written novel The Three Musketeers (not to mention the several movie versions), and starts a search for the “real” D’Artagnan.
  • Grantville is selling crystal radio sets so that Europeans can tune in to the Voice of America broadcasts, but the technicians from the future are at wit’s end, trying to reproduce “primitive” early twentieth century broadcasting equipment by trial and error—until a trained library researcher shows up in town.
  • The Dalai Lama of the seventeenth century receives a strange gift: an image of the Buddha which glows by a strange mystical force called “electricity.”

And much more, including stories by the New York Times best-selling writers Eric Flint and Virginia DeMarce, in the latest installment of this best-selling alternate history series.

Rise of the Terran Empire (The Technic Civilization Saga) by Poul Anderson - Nicholas van Rijn, the most flamboyant member of the Polesotechnic League of star traders, could see dark times ahead. Fellow league members were using tactics verging on outright piracy, and others were all too eager to sell starships and high-tech weapons to alien barbarians. A planet not previously known for interstellar commerce suddenly revealed a secret fleet of armed starships, and started building an empire. Even if Van Rijn and his right-hand man David Falkayn could find a way to stop this blatant aggression, the glory days of the League were over. Hereafter, for its own protection against well-armed alien marauders the Earth must maintain a strong military fleet, and one charismatic man would found an empire that would learn nothing of the lessons history taught about the fates of other empires as it began annexing other star systems, whether they wanted to join the Terran Empire or not . . .

This is the third volume in the first complete edition of Poul Anderson’s Technic Civilization saga, and it includes a classic novella which appears here in book form for the first time. And the next volume begins the adventures of Poul Anderson’s other legendary character, Captain Sir Dominic Flandry.

Warhammer: Broken Honour by Robert Earl - The armies of Hochland are at breaking point. Beset on all sides by the feral beastmen, the safety and prosperity of the province is shattered. These are desperate times. Mercenary Captain Eriksson looks to capitalise on the conflict, buying the freedom of a group of prisoners to form a new free company. The criminals are delighted to be released, but this comes at a terrible price – to fight and die in the upcoming conflict. Eriksson must lead his makeshift company into one bloody conflict after another, putting his faith in those who gave up on honour long ago. On the battlefields of Hochland, either damnation or redemption awaits them.

Blood Gorgons (Bastion Wars) by Henry Zou - The Blood Gorgons Chaos Space Marines are called to one of their recruiting worlds as the populace is struck down by a plague of mutation. But the expeditionary force is decimated by a mysterious foe, and Sargaul is one of few survivors. The polluted world has become even more nightmarish than before, and Sargaul faces insurmountable odds if he is to save the savage planet. Facing a hostile environment, shadowy xenos enemies and treachery from within his own forces, Sargaul must dig deep into his hatred and determination to leave Haute Bassiq alive.

Savage Scars (Warhammer 40,000) by Andy Hoare - Dal’yth. The forces of the Greater Good have established a strangehold on the planet, and the time has come for the Imperium to move against them. The White Scars lead the ground assault against the tau, launching into combat with speed and fury, shedding blood as they gain ground against their enemies. Meanwhile, the members of the Crusade Council are determined to pursue their own agendas, and their politicking and back-stabbing will place the entire war effort in jeopardy. But little do they know that Inquisitor Grand has more extreme measures in mind, and the White Scars must achieve victory quickly or the cost to Dal’yth will be devastating.

Pale Demon (The Hollows #9) by Kim Harrison - Condemned and shunned for black magic, Rachel Morgan has three days to get to the annual witches’ conference and clear her name, or be trapped in the demonic ever-after . . . forever after.

But a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy in one car going across the country? Talk about a recipe for certain disaster, even without being the targets for assassination.

For after centuries of torment, a fearsome demon walks in the sunlight—freed at last to slay the innocent and devour their souls. But his ultimate goal is Rachel Morgan, and in the fight for survival that follows, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her.

Flirt by Laurell K. Hamilton - Anita Blake has been asked to raise the dead-but the results aren't going to make everybody happy...

Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Backlash by Aaron Allston - Locked in a war of wills and weapons, the Jedi Order and the Galactic Alliance must come to terms—before the Sith’s army of darkness enacts revenge.

Repercussions from the dark side’s fatal seduction of Jacen Solo and the mysterious plague of madness afflicting young Jedi continue to wreak galaxywide havoc. Luke and Ben Skywalker are in pursuit of the now Masterless Sith apprentice—a chase that leads to the forbidding planet Dathomir, where the Skywalkers will be forced into combat for their quarry and their lives. Meanwhile, Han and Leia have completed their own desperate mission, shuttling madness-stricken Jedi to safe haven beyond the grasp of Galactic Alliance Chief of State Natasi Daala. Yet no greater threat exists than Abeloth, a being of ravenous dark-side energy who calls out to Jedi and Sith alike. For some it may be the ultimate source of answers for survival. For others it could be the ultimate weapon of conquest. But for all, it is a game-changing encounter of untold magnitude with unimaginable consequences.

Rogue Oracle by Alayna Williams -  Tara Sheridan is the best criminal profiler around—and the most unconventional. Trained as a forensic psychologist, Tara also specializes in Tarot card reading. But she doesn’t need her divination skills to realize that the new assignment from her friend and sometime lover, Agent Harry Li, is a dangerous proposition in every way.

Former Cold War operatives, all linked to a top-secret operation tracking the disposal of nuclear weapons in Russia, are disappearing. There are no bodies, and no clues to their whereabouts. Harry suspects a conspiracy to sell arms to the highest bidder. The cards—and Tara’s increasingly ominous dreams—suggest something darker. Even as Tara sorts through her feelings for Harry and her fractured relationship with the mysterious order known as Delphi’s Daughters, a killer is growing more ruthless by the day. And a nightmare that began decades ago in Chernobyl will reach a terrifying endgame that not even Tara could have foreseen. . . .

Etched in Bone by Adrian Phoenix - More beautiful and powerful than any creature the world has ever seen, Dante Baptiste has become the supreme target of the three worlds that spawned him. The mortal agents of the Shadow Branch have tried to control his mind through psychological torture. The vampire elders who guide nightkind society have plotted to use him in their bloodthirsty bid for power. And the Fallen have waited for millennia for Dante to claim his birthright as their Maker. But Dante belongs to no one—except the woman he loves. . . .

Determined to face the Fallen and the world on his own terms, Dante hopes to piece together his shattered past and claim his future, with FBI agent Heather Wallace at his side. But in Heather’s human family awaits an unexpected enemy. One who could rip Heather from Dante’s heart and fill the holes with bullets. One who could force Dante to choose his darkest destiny—as the Great Destroyer. . . .

Cloneworld by Andy Remic - Junks, an evil alien scourge, are flooding Quad-Gal with terror and Combat K are sent on a mission to find an elusive alien retrovirus which can be used against the enemy. SLAM-dropped to Cloneworld - a planet ravaged by violent civil war - not only are Combat K hunted by elite junk assassins, but they get caught in a global conflict between augmented mechanised war machines and genetically modified humans who have the ability to clone themselves. Combat K must fight their way to victory to save the Four Galaxies. But how can they possibly succeed, when their main foe are their own elite and deadly clones?

Raven Queen by Jules Watson - She was born to be a pawn, used to secure her father’s royal hold on his land. She was forced to advance his will through marriage—her own desires always thwarted. But free-spirited Maeve will no longer endure the schemes of her latest husband, Conor, the cunning ruler of Ulster. And when her father’s death puts her homeland at the mercy of its greedy lords and Conor’s forces, Maeve knows she must at last come into her own power to save it.

With secret skill and daring, Maeve proves herself the equal of any warrior on the battlefield. With intelligence and stealth, she learns the strategies—and sacrifices—of ruling a kingdom through treacherous alliances. And to draw on the dangerous magic of her country’s oldest gods, Maeve seeks out the wandering druid Ruan, whose unexpected passion and strange connection to the worlds of spirit imperil everything Maeve thought true about herself—and put her at war with both her duty and her fate.

Grail by Elizabeth Bear - At last the generation ship Jacob’s Ladder has arrived at its destination: the planet they have come to call Grail. But this habitable jewel just happens to be populated already: by humans who call their home Fortune. And they are wary of sharing Fortune—especially with people who have genetically engineered themselves to such an extent that it is a matter of debate whether they are even human anymore. To make matters worse, a shocking murder aboard the Jacob’s Ladder has alerted Captain Perceval and the angel Nova that formidable enemies remain hidden somewhere among the crew.

On Grail—or Fortune, rather—Premier Danilaw views the approach of the Jacob’s Ladder with dread. Behind the diplomatic niceties of first-contact protocol, he knows that the deadly game being played is likely to erupt into full-blown war—even civil war. For as he strives to chart a peaceful and prosperous path forward for his people, internal threats emerge to take control by any means necessary.

The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge - In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day.

Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different.

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead - After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s–and to her best friend, Lissa. It is at long last graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives beyond the Academy’s iron gates to begin. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he’s out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. And this time he won’t rest until Rose joins him . . . forever.

Iron Crowned (Dark Swan #3) by Richelle Mead - Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham is the best at banishing entities trespassing in the mortal realm. But as the Thorn Land's queen, she's fast running out of ways to end the brutal war devastating her kingdom. Her only hope: the Iron Crown, a legendary object even the most powerful gentry fear. . .

Who Eugenie can trust is the hardest part. Fairy king Dorian has his own agenda for aiding her search. And Kiyo, her shape-shifter ex-boyfriend, has every reason to betray her along the way. To control the Crown's ever-consuming powers, Eugenie will have to confront an unimaginable temptation--one that will put her soul and the fate of two worlds in mortal peril. .

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton - Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.
Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Iron Fey Prize Package Giveaway - And the Winner is...

Lizzie T. of Morristown, NY won the Iron Fey prize package including a huge Iron Fey promo poster, bookmarks, and an Iron Queen Button.

Giveaway: My Bookish Ways Interview w/ Allison Pang + Giveaway!

Kristin over at My Bookish Ways interviewed Allison Pang yesterday about her new book - A Brush of Darkness.

In addition to a great interview, Kristin and Allison are giving away a signed copy of A Brush of Darkness to one lucky winner.  Read the interview and enter the giveaway here.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Website improvements, Goodreads integration & more..

It may be slow news day for the bookselling/publishing world (aside from Borders fallout,) but I've been hard at work on the website this week as well as some other fruitful endeavors.

First and foremost, this blog is now integrated both into the Notes section of my personal facebook page and into the newly-added blog section of the bookstore website.

We've also added facebook recommendation functionality to Kayleighbug.com so that if you see a book you like or want to recommend purchasing something from us, you can easily post the link to your facebook page - simply by clicking the "recommend" button above the description for any book on the website.

So, please, dear readers, recommend your favorites to your heart's delight.

On Goodreads.com, we've added purchase link integration as well - SO.. follow along here.. this is a bit complicated.. If you are a Goodreads user and want to help support Kayleighbug Books, you can integrate our purchasing links to your goodreads pages with a few simple clicks.


  1. Log in to your account on Goodreads.  
  2. In the dropdown menu under your name, select "My Account." 
  3. Select the tab that says "Book Links"
  4. In the Right Column, sort links "alphabetically" 
  5. You'll find "Kayleighbug Books" on page 3 or so of the list.
  6. Click Add to the right of it
  7. Sort your links over on the left by your preference
Now, if you are looking at a book that someone recommended or that you are interested in and you click "more" under Buy a Copy, the Kayleighbug Books search link will appear in the upper right hand column allowing you to easily search our new and used inventory for a copy of that book - either by title or ISBN.

We appreciate any and all social networking support we can get, so please, recommend books on our site, use our Goodreads integration, "share" our facebook page with your friends, link or share our blog posts if you find them interesting - enter our contests, browse our site, buy our books :)

Shopping from Kayleighbug doesn't just support a small local bookseller, it can save you money.  Our shipping rates are generally lower than the "big box" sites, we have a great selection, we accurately describe the individual flaws of used books so you know exactly what you are going to get, you can call us anytime with a question (or to order) as our phone number is prominently displayed on the website, and we don't route calls to an overseas call center.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Giveaway: My Bookish Ways is giving away 5 copies of Midnight Riot

Kristin over at My Bookish Ways blog interviewed Ben Aaronovitch, author of Midnight Riot.  In addition to the great interview, fill out the quick form to be entered to win one of 5 copies of Midnight Riot.

Giveaway ends 2/25/11.

http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/02/author-interview-ben-aaronovitch-author.html

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Midweek Mystery Giveaway

It's that time of the week again.. we'll be drawing a random name from our facebook fans to win an Advance Reading Copy of something (thus the mystery in this week's giveaway).  We have a small mountain of ARCs in the office just begging to find a new home - and tomorrow morning, one of them will.

To be entered, all you need to do is "Like" our facebook page

Also, in case you missed the post earlier this week, we're drawing for a Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey prize pack that includes bookmarks, buttons, and a promo poster on Saturday.  Same deal - just 'like' our page to be automatically entered in the drawing.

Borders posts list of 200 stores to close

Borders filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy this morning.  The complete list of the 200 stores set to be liquidated was filed with that paperwork this morning.  Publisher's Weekly obtained a copy of the list.

A PDF of the list of stores is available here.

A copy of Borders complete bankruptcy filing is available here.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The Guild's Felicia Day to star in Dragon Age web series


Felicia Day is set to star in an upcoming web series Dragon Age: Redemption in which she'll get to play an elf.

Day wrote an original story line around a character for herself, Tallis, an Elven assassin.

"Tallis is headstrong, she fights dirty, and she has a really sarcastic sense of humor," she says. "I wanted to bring a modern sensibility to a fantasy character in a fantasy world."
Full story - http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2011-02-15-felicia15_ST_N.htm

Little, Brown launches suspense imprint - Mulholland Books

Little, Brown, and Company has launched a new suspense imprint - Mulholland Books.  Not launching quietly, Mulholland made a big splash this morning with a dedicated issue of PW Daily from Publisher's Weekly.

The imprint is launching with heavy-hitting suspense authors including Mark Billingham, Lawrence Block, Lee Child (Editor), Marcia Clark, Charlie Huston, Joe R. Lansdale, Q.R. Markham, Thomas Mullen, Michael Robotham, Sebastian Rotella, Greg Rucka, Nick Santora, Michael Marshall Smith, Duane Swierczynski, and Daniel Woodrell.  They announced last night on their facebook page that they acquired a new horror suspense novel (Breed) by Scott Spencer.

Following the example of Tor books, their well-assembled website features detailed information on the books and authors, new original fiction being posted weekly from authors like Andrew Vachss, Charlie Huston, and many more.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Borders Nearing Bankruptcy Filing

The Wall Street Journal reports that Borders could file Chapter 11 as early as tomorrow.

Borders will be attempting to restructure in court, asking to close over 200 stores, lay off thousands, and attempt to reinvent itself to be competitive with Amazon and B&N in a rapidly changing marketplace.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

New Giveaway + Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series special offer




We have a limited supply of promo buttons and bookmarks from Harlequin to promote the release of Iron Queen, the third book in the immensely popular Iron Fey series from Julie Kagawa. From now until we run out, we're giving away an Iron Queen button and Iron Fey bookmark with any order that includes any title in the series.

For this week's giveaway, 1 lucky winner will receive an Iron Fey prize pack including a full-size promo poster for the Iron Fey series, courtesy of Harlequin Teen, an Iron Queen button, and Iron Fey bookmarks.  To be entered, you must "Like" our facebook page.  The drawing for the poster will be held on Saturday, February 19th, 2011.  Winner will be drawn at random from all facebook fans of Kayleighbug Books.

Friday, February 11, 2011

An Amazing video about The End of Publishing

For anyone who reads - particularly authors, booksellers and publishers:

http://www.wimp.com/entirevideo/

DK put this video together - it's WELL worth doing as it says and watching the ENTIRE video.

Thanks to Lynn DeWeese-Parkinson for the link.

Happy Birthday Jane Yolen!

Jane Yolen turns 72 today.  In her amazing career to date, she has published more than 300 books ranging from popular children's picture books to Young Adult fantasy and science fiction, short stories, poetry, and more.  Her career as a published writer began 50 years ago today.  In that time she has written more than 5000 poems and short stories.

Newsweek called her the "Hans Christian Anderson of America" - some of her series and characters have entered the popular mind of generations so pervasively that they are part of our collective mythology.

In her career to date, Ms. Yolen has won virtually every award in fiction, most of them twice; According to wikipedia and other sources, she has won the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, two Christopher Medals, theWorld Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, both first and second place in the 2007 Dwarf Stars Award, the Golden Kite Award, the Jewish Book Award, the Association of Jewish Libraries Award, and the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement.

Here's hoping that list continues to expand though I have little doubt on that matter.  Ms. Yolen's work wins awards and honors faster than she can update her website to list them.  She's already had at least 5 more new works published this year so far and there are many more on tap.

So raise a glass to Jane Yolen today, drop her a birthday wish on her facebook page, or send her a congratulatory email

Northeast Booksellers Take Back the Floorspace from Dead Chains

Two NE Booksellers Launch Network of Independents

Susan Novotny of Book House and David Didriksen of Willow Books are launching a netwoek of independent bookstores to take back dead floorspace left behind by dying chains.

Cross your fingers and do everything you can to support this idea people - this could be a game changer in the indie store vs chain battle - as well as keeping communities well-served with good bookstores when the chains pull out of underperforming areas.

Carbon dating shows the world's most mysterious document may be older than previously thought.

Carbon dating shows the world's most mysterious document may be older than previously thought.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Doodle 4 Google - Win $15k & a laptop in Google's Art contest

Google is asking kids to design their Doodle - and awarding some great prizes to the winners. If you are in grade K-12 or have school-age children, it's well worth your time to check this out.

Tor Authors to host monthly chats on Twitter

Tor Books has announced that they will be hosting monthly live chats with top name authors on their Twitter feed.

The chats will be hour-long moderated discussions on Tor's feed #Torchat and will take place between 4 and 5 pm. EST on the third Wednesday of every month.  The first chat will be hosted by Greg Bear, Steven Gould, and M.J. Locke who will discuss what "hard SF means, whose really doing it (and whose not...), and the science behind the fiction."

Diamond Comics Announces ebook platform for indie shops

Diamond, iVerse Team Up to Sell Digital Comics Via Comics Shops

What's great about this deal, as opposed to Google's ebook platform for indie stores is that the eComics are exclusive to brick and mortar shops for the first 30 days.

Big box online stores are likely to pitch a fit about this in the near future but, as announced, it looks like a great compromise between eComic availability and the protection of retail comic shops.

Free Fiction: Chenoire: Urban Fantasy by Suzanne Johnson

On Preternatura, Suzanne Johnson's blog, she has posted a complete novella set in the swamps and wetlands of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana.

The story is set in the same urban fantasy world as her upcoming novels from Tor Books. The first novel, Royal Street, will be available in April, 2012.

Preternatura: Free Read: CHENOIRE


Amazon wins Privacy/Taxation fight in North Carolina

N.C., Amazon.com court fight over : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

Our Mid-Week Mystery Giveaway Winner Announced

Congratulations to Meaghan Barker (no relation to either myself or my daughter also named Meaghan Barker) who won this week's Mid-Week Mystery Giveaway.

Her prize, an advance uncorrected proof of Walter Mosley's latest Leonid McGill mystery: When The Thrill is Gone, will be on the way to her shortly!

We'll be announcing a very cool new giveaway tomorrow (spoiler alert - we have promo posters!)

To be entered in any or all of our giveaways, just "like" our facebook page.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

ChiZine Press Review Contest

Review Contest :: ChiZine Publications

ChiZine is giving away copies of their ebooks to people that review their ebooks. The catch? - you need to give an honest review, good or bad.


Midweek Mystery Giveaway

Today we're giving away a limited distribution uncorrected proof copy of Walter Mosley's latest mystery - When the Thrill is Gone.

To be entered automatically, "Like" our facebook page

"Leonid McGill is back, in the third-and most enthralling and ambitious-installment in Walter Mosley's latest New York Times- bestselling series. 

The economy has hit the private-investigator business hard, even for the detective designated as "a more than worthy successor to Philip Marlowe" (The Boston Globe) and "the perfect heir to Easy Rawlins" (Toronto Globe and Mail). Lately, Leonid McGill is getting job offers only from the criminals he's worked so hard to leave behind. Meanwhile, his life grows ever more complicated: his favorite stepson, Twill, drops out of school for mysteriously lucrative pursuits; his best friend, Gordo, is diagnosed with cancer and is living on Leonid's couch; his wife takes a new lover, infuriating the old one and endangering the McGill family; and Leonid's girlfriend, Aura, is back but intent on some serious conversations... 

So how can he say no to the beautiful young woman who walks into his office with a stack of cash? She's an artist, she tells him, who's escaped from poverty via marriage to a rich collector who keeps her on a stipend. But she says she fears for her life, and needs Leonid's help. Though Leonid knows better than to believe every word, this isn't a job he can afford to turn away, even as he senses that-if his family's misadventures don't kill him first-sorting out the woman's crooked tale will bring him straight to death's door."

10 Bizarre Love Triangles in Science Fiction and Fantasy

10 Bizarre Love Triangles in Science Fiction and Fantasy

Charlie Jane Anders counts down the 10 most bizarre love triangles in SF&F.

Seeking North

Seeking North - Fantasy heavy-hitters Lynn Abbey, Jane Fancher, and CJ Cherryh have teamed up to create on online shared-world serial anthology with new stories monthly. As Ms. Cherryh says, "Admission is Free" - just click the link.


The Malcolm Gladwell Book Generator

The Malcolm Gladwell Book Generator

Absolutely hilarious web app guaranteed to waste at least 10 minutes.

Powell's Books lays off 31 employees

Union provides details on Powell's Books layoff of 31 employees | OregonLive.com

Citing a drop in sales, Powell's dropped 31 employees - mostly floor sales people and website staff.

Orion Books Ltd. Proof Giveaway for My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece

http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/competitions/win-one-of-five-limited-edition-proof-copies-of-my-sister-lives-on-the-mantelpiece

Follow the link above to enter Orion's contest to win 1 of 5 proof copies of My Sister Lives On The Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Google honors Jules Verne on his birthday

Today's Google doodle is a bit more involved than usual.  Instead of the usual flat (though incredibly creative) doodle that Google usually uses to honor an event or birthday, today's is a full-blown interactive animation.

Check is out here - http://www.google.com/

or, if you missed the post on Feb. 8th, hit their archive here. http://www.google.com/logos/

A Kindle for book-lovers

Newsbiscuit (The news before it happens) imagines a new Kindle designed for traditional book readers reluctant to move to the digital platform.

Full story here

Brian Jacques, Author of Redwall Series, dies at age 71

Sad news via Jane Yolen this morning.  Well-loved children's author Brian Jacques died Feb. 5th, 2011 at age 71.  Jacques Redwall series was first published in 1986 and since that time Jacques had written almost another book every year, totaling 22 titles in the Redwall series counting the latest which is set to be released in May of this year.

Jacques' novels were translated into more than 20 languages and have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide in the last 25 years.

An entire generation of young readers grew up to Jacques' Redwall stories.  Rest in Peace Mr. Jacques.

Monday, February 7, 2011

This week's New Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror Releases

It's rather a slow week for new genre titles but there's some big ones in the mix.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - Currently climbing the bestseller charts rapidly and being publisher-hyped like mad.  Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.

Thirteen Years Later by Jasper Kent - Historical Horror from Pyr.  While the Oprichniki's primary reason for journeying to Russia is to stop the French, one of them takes a different path. For he has a different agenda, he is to be the nightmare instrument of revenge on the Romanovs. Now the time has come: it is 1825.

The Scar-Crow Men (Swords of Albion) by Mark Chadbourn - The year is 1593. The London of Elizabeth I is in the terrible grip of the Black Death. As thousands die from the plague and the queen hides behind the walls of her palace, English spies are being murdered across the city. The killer's next target: Will Swyfte.

For Swyfte—adventurer, rake, scholar, and spy—this is the darkest time he has known. His mentor, the grand old spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, is dead. The new head of the secret service is more concerned about his own advancement than defending the nation, and a rival faction at the court has established its own network of spies. Plots are everywhere, and no one can be trusted. Meanwhile, England's greatest enemy, the haunted Unseelie Court, prepares to make its move.

A dark, bloody scheme, years in the making, is about to be realized. The endgame begins on the night of the first performance of Dr. Faustus, the new play by Swyfte's close friend and fellow spy Christopher Marlowe. A devil is conjured in the middle of the crowded theater, taking the form of Will Swyfte's long-lost love, Jenny—and it has a horrifying message for him alone.

That night Marlowe is murdered, and Swyfte embarks on a personal and brutal crusade for vengeance. Friendless, with enemies on every side and a devil at his back, the spy may find that even his vaunted skills are no match for the supernatural powers arrayed against him.

Deep State by Walter Jon Williams - By day Dagmar Shaw orchestrates vast games with millions of players spanning continents. By night, she tries to forget the sound of a city collapsing in flames around her. She tries to forget the faces of her friends as they died in front of her. She tries to forget the blood on her own hands. But then an old friend approaches Dagmar with a project. The project he pitches is so insane and so ambitious, she can't possibly say no. But this new venture will lead her from the world of alternate-reality gaming to one even more complex. A world in which the players are soldiers and spies and the name of the game is survival.

Zombie, Ohio: A Tale of the Undead by Scott Kenemore - A primarily non-fiction publisher makes a foray into fiction with Kenemore's zombie tale.  Publisher's Weekly was impressed: "Kenemore's debut is a darkly humorous depiction of one zombie's struggle for enlightenment and redemption. When college professor Paul Mellor recovers consciousness near the wreck of his car, he finds himself in an apocalyptic landscape populated by desperate survivors and the walking and hungry undead. Soon Paul discovers that he is a zombie himself, albeit an unusually intelligent one, and that the crash that killed him was orchestrated. Determined to track down his murderer while dodging resentful breathers, Mellor struggles against his yearning to eat the brains of the living. His lapses are epic, even for a zombie, but nothing compared to the excesses of the living who see the apocalypse as license to indulge their worst impulses. There's plenty to satisfy zombie fans who've come to expect some philosophy with their gore."

The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier - When Trei loses his family in a tragic disaster, he must search out distant relatives in a new land. The Floating Islands are unlike anything Trei has ever seen: stunning, majestic, and graced with kajurai, men who soar the skies with wings. Trei is instantly sky-mad, and desperate to be a kajurai himself. The only one who fully understands his passion is Araene, his newfound cousin. Prickly, sarcastic, and gifted, Araene has a secret of her own . . . a dream a girl cannot attain. Trei and Araene quickly become conspirators as they pursue their individual paths. But neither suspects that their lives will be deeply entwined, and that the fate of the Floating Islands will lie in their hands. . . . Filled with rich language, and told in alternating voices, The Floating Islands is an all-encompassing young adult fantasy read.

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan - Ryan's follow-up to last year's YA dystopian tale,  The Forest of Hands and Teeth.  Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She's content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry's mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother's past in order to save herself and the one she loves.

White Cat by Holly Black - "In this beautifully realized dark fantasy, which launches Black’s Curse Workers series, Cassel Sharpe is a talented con artist who works as a bookie at his snooty prep school. But skilled as Cassel is, it’s nothing compared to the rest of his family, who are curse workers, able to control people’s memories, luck, or emotions with the touch of a finger (curse work is illegal, and all citizens wear gloves to safeguard against being taken advantage of). Three years ago Cassel murdered a friend, the daughter of a crime lord, and now, not by coincidence, he’s having nightmares about a white cat (“It leaned over me, inhaling sharply, as if it was going to suck the breath from my lungs”) and sleepwalking on the roof of his dormitory. Complex plots unfold around Cassel, and he eventually realizes that he can’t even rely on his own memory. With prose that moves from stark simplicity to almost surreal intensity in a moment, Black has created a believable alternate America where mobsters are magicians and no one is entirely trustworthy." - Publisher's Weekly

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann - The small town of Cryer’s Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn’t that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain.

When a second student goes missing—someone close to Kendall’s heart—the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall’s not sure she can hold it together. When she starts hearing the voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she’s losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school—messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there—Kendall decides that crazy or not, she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t act on her suspicions.

Something’s not right in Cryer’s Cross—and Kendall’s about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

New Releases in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal & more..

HUGE amount of releases this week.. certainly something for everyone - we have hard SF, alternate history, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, epic fantasy, horror, and more.. about the only thing not in the new release batch this week seems to be Steampunk.

In Fire Forged by David Weber - Honor Harrington is arguably the most popular character in modern science fiction, but there are many other stories in the Honorverse besides those in which she has the central role. This fifth volume in the popular Worlds of Honor series explores some of those stories with the help of such top writers as best-selling author Jane Lindskjold, New York Times best-selling author Timothy Zahn, and more—including an all-new Honor Harrington adventure, set in her younger years, when a mob of space pirates made the mistake of tangling with Commander Harrington. That was a fatal mistake—for the pirates . .

Golden Reflections by Fred Saberhagen and Harry Turtledove - Mike Gabrieli's brother Tom has always had one talent: getting into trouble. But this time, Tom has disappeared after mysteriously gaining possession of a priceless Aztec artifact. Mike sets out to find Tom, never suspecting that he is about to be shuttled back and forth in time, and between alternate universes. The descendants of the Incas have a plan to keep Pizarro and his conquistidors from overthrowing their ancestors’ empire. In spite of Mike’s sympathy for their cause, he faces the possibility that, instead of creating an alternate world with the Incas ascendant, he may be wiping out the world he was born into, and himself along with it.In addition to Fred Saberhagen’s novel, The Mask of the Sun, seven top writers have contributed stories set in the same universe. The contributors include New York Times best-selling authors David Weber and Harry Turtledove, as well as Walter Jon Williams, John Maddox Roberts, Jane Lindskold, and more, expanding on Fred Saberhagen’s concept and bringing their own perspectives to this volume of exciting alternate universe adventure.

Jane Goes Batty by Michael Thomas Ford - Life was a lot easier for Jane when she was just an unknown, undead bookstore owner in a sleepy hamlet in upstate New York. But now the world embraces her as Jane Fairfax, author of the bestselling novel Constance—and she’s having a killer time trying to keep her true identity as the Jane Austen a secret. Even the ongoing lessons in How to Be a Vampire, taught by her former lover Lord Byron, don’t seem to be helping much. Jane can barely focus on her boyfriend, Walter, while keeping him in the dark about her more sanguine tastes.To make matters worse, Walter announces that his mother is coming for a visit—and she’s expecting Jane to be Jewish. Add in a demanding new editor, a convention of romance readers in period costume, a Hollywood camera crew following Jane’s every move, and the constant threat of a certain bloodsucking Brontë sister coming back to finish her off, and it’s enough to make even the most well-mannered heroine go batty!

Nightshade by Michelle Rowan - Jillian Conrad never believed in vampires-until she was unwillingly injected with a serum that was supposed to act as a deadly poison to them. Now, tormented half-vampire Declan Reese wants her blood to destroy the undead kingdom. Unfortunately, the serum has also made her blood irresistible to all vampires-including Declan, whose desire for Jillian is more than mere hunger.

Blood Wyne by Yasmine Galenorn - The New York Times bestselling author of Bone Magic presents the latest entry in her darkly bewitching Otherworld series, featuring the sexy and savvy D'Artigo sisters.

Raven's Quest by Anya Bast - Branna ta Cattia is the Raven, a high priestess who has come to Numia to defeat its tyrant. It's a journey made on the strength of her prophetic dreams, visions of ancient rituals, sacred spells, and of a handsome stranger destined to help her.

Halfway Hexed by Kimberly Frost - First, there are the local residents who form a scripture-spouting posse and kidnap Tammy to "defend" Duvall, Texas, against witchcraft. Next, someone saddles her with a secret package chock full of dangerous visions, just as the president of WAM-the World Association of Magic- arrives with his entourage to investigate her. And who worse to examine Tammy's entanglement with off-limits and drop-dead gorgeous wizard Bryn Lyons than his ex-girlfriend? Not to mention that the clash between the locals and the magical visitors leads to a series of unnatural disasters that may doom them all.While the fate of the town hangs in the balance, one thing's certain: this would-be witch is ready to rumble, Texas style.

Primal by Lora Leigh, Michelle Rowan, Ava Gray, Jory Strong - Four all-new stories of primitive desire- with a never-before- published novella of the Breeds.#1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh returns to her sensual world of the Breeds in an all-new novella that explores just how savage, and how far, a man is willing to go in the name of desire. Plus three other stories of irresistible passions from three masters of hot paranormal romance.

Forest Moon Rising by P. R. Frost - Tess Noncoiré, successful fantasy writer and Celestial Blade Warrior, has made a deal with the Powers That Be, forfeiting her own dreams in order to save those nearest and dearest to her. Having survived this unprecedented experience, Tess, along with her imp Scrap, is determined to hunt down a demonic intruder from another dimension, the Norglein, who seems bent on ravishing young women, leaving them pregnant, and waiting for the proper time to steal their babies away for his own purposes.

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch - Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.

Unseen (Outcast Season #3) by Rachel Caine - After Cassiel and Warden Luis Rocha rescue an adept child from a maniacal Djinn, they realize two things: the girl is already manifesting an incredible amount of power, and her kidnapping was not an isolated incident.This Djinn-aided by her devoted followers-is capturing children all over the world, and indoctrinating them so she can use their strength for herself. With no other options, Cassiel infiltrates the Djinn's organization-because if Cassiel cannot stop the Djinn's apocalyptic designs, all of humanity may be destroyed.

The Sworn by Gail Z. Martin - Summoner-King Martris Drayke must attempt to meet this great threat, gathering an army from a country ravaged by civil war. Tris seeks new allies from among the living - and the dead - as an untested generation of rulers face their first battle. Meanwhile, the legendary Dread are stirring in their burrows after millennia of silence and no one knows what hand wakes them and whom they will serve when they rise.Now, Drayke turns to the Sworn, a nomadic clan of warriors bound to protect the Dread. But even the mighty Sworn do not know what will happen when the Dread awake. All are certain, though, that war is coming to the Winter Kingdoms.THE SWORN is the beginning of a new adventure set in the world of The Chronicles of the Necromancer.

Sooner Dead (D&D Gamma World) by Mel Odom - Humanoid buffalo and armadillo bikers in post-apocalyptic Oklahoma! A bio-engineered super-soldier named Hella and her mutant buffalo sidekick Stampede clash with armadillo bikers and inter-dimensional mutants across the ragged landscape of Gamma-Oklahoma.This is a fast-paced story of adventure, mixed with liberal doses of humor, in a post-apocalyptic science-fantasy world unlike any other.

Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov - And he has assembled a fearsome horde; thousands of giants, ogres, and other creatures are joining forces from all across the Desolate Lands, united, for the first time in history, under one, black banner. By the spring, or perhaps sooner, the Nameless One and his forces will be at the walls of the great city of Avendoom.Unless Shadow Harold, master thief, can find some way to stop them.Epic fantasy at its best, Shadow Prowler is the first novel in a trilogy that follows Shadow Harold, a legendary thief in a land of grand thieves, in pursuit of a magic Horn that will restore peace to the Kingdom of Siala. Harold will be accompanied on his quest by an Elfin princess, Miralissa, her elfin escort, and ten Wild Hearts, the most experienced and dangerous fighters in their world…and by the king’s court jester (who may be more than he seems…or less). Not all of them will survive. Perhaps none of them will. Whole brigades of warriors and teams of wizards have failed before them. This band of outcasts, however, has something that can never be equaled: their extraordinary bravery, their fearsome skills, and the love they bear for their homeland and their comrades.

The Sea Thy Mistress by Elizabeth Bear - This direct sequel to Elizabeth Bear’s highly acclaimed All the Windwracked Stars picks up the story some fifty years after Muire went into the sea and became the new Bearer of Burdens.Beautiful Cathoair, now an immortal warrior angel, has been called back to the city of Eiledon to raise his son—Muire’s son as well, cast up on shore as an infant. It is seemingly a quiet life. But deadly danger approaches…the evil goddess Heythe, who engineered the death of Valdyrgard, has travelled forward in time on her rainbow steed. She came expecting to gloat over a dead world, the proof of her revenge, but instead she finds a Rekindled land, renewed by Muire’s sacrifice.She will have her revenge by forcing this new Bearer of Burdens to violate her oaths and break her bounds and thus bring about the true and final end of Valdyrgard. She will do it by tormenting both Cathoair and his son Cathmar. But Mingan, the gray wolf, sees his old enemy Heythe’s return. He will not allow it to happen again.

Trouble and Her Friends by Melissa Scott - Less than a hundred years from now, the forces of law and order crack down on the world of the computer nets. The hip, noir adventurers who get by on wit, bravado, and drugs, and haunt the virtual worlds of the Shadows of cyberspace, are up against the encroachments of civilization. It's time to adapt or die.India Carless, alias Trouble, got out ahead of the feds and settled down to run a small network for an artist's co-op.Now someone has taken her name and begun to use it for criminal hacking. So Trouble returns. Once the fastest gun on the electronic frontier, she had tried to retire-but has been called out for one last fight. And it's a killer.

License to Ensorcell by Katharine Kerr - Psychic Agent Nola O'Grady isn't sure returning to San Francisco, and living near her unusual family, is a good idea. Her job, with a psychic agency so obscure even the CIA doesn't know it exists, can be perilous, and she's afraid of the relatives getting involved.Then the Agency saddles her with Israeli secret agent Ari Nathan, and she has a bigger problem on her hands, because tact and compromise are not Ari's strong points. Their mission is to track down a serial killer obsessed with werewolves. He sees them everywhere and shoots whenever he thinks he has one in his sights. Ari assumes the man's psychotic, but in truth he's murdering actual werewolves. Nola should know. Her younger brother Pat, a lycanthrope, was the first victim.Can Nola's psychic talents and Ari's skill with guns keep them alive long enough to unravel the greater mystery behind the killings? Can they save the werewolves and the world while stopping Nola's family from running headlong into danger?

The King of the Crags by Stephen Deas - In his "utterly fascinating" (Book Smuggler) debut, The Adamantine Palace, Stephen Deas "restored [dragons] to all their scaly fire- breathing glory" (Daily Telegraph). Now, as the Realms teeter on the brink of war, the fate of humanity rests in the survival of one majestic white dragon.Prince Jehal has had his way-now his lover Zafir sits atop the Realms with hundreds of dragons and their riders at her beck and call. But Jehal's plots are far from over, for he isn't content to sit back and watch Zafir command the earth and sky. He wants that glory for himself- no matter who he must sacrifice to get it. The one thing Jehal fears is that the white dragon still lives-and if that is so, then blood will flow, on all sides...

Death's Sweet Embrace by Tracy O'Hara - After centuries of secret conflict, humans and parahumans have reached an uneasy truce. But unspeakable evil now threatens the tenuous peace.Teenaged shapeshifters are being slaughtered by a sadistic serial killer who rips their still-beating hearts from their paralyzed bodies. A task force forms to halt the madness, including the vampiric Aeternus Antoinette Petrescu, as well as Kitt Jordan and Raven Matokwe, members of enemy Animalian tribes . . . and forbidden lovers.A centuries-old blood feud has divided their shapeshifting peoples, and if their passion is discovered it will doom them both. But past hostilities must be put aside, for the killer they seek is but the first sign of the all-consuming nightmare of The Dark Brethren.

Blackveil (Green Rider #4) by Kristen Britain - Once a simple student, Karigan G'ladheon finds herself in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she cannot understand when she becomes a legendary Green Rider-one of the magical messengers of the king. Forced by magic to accept a dangerous fate she would never have chosen, headstrong Karigan has become completely devoted to the king and her fellow Riders.But now, an insurrection led by dark magicians threatens to break the boundaries of ancient, evil Blackveil Forest-releasing powerful dark magics that have been shut away for a millennium.

666 Park Avenue by Gabriella Pierce - What if your mother-in-law turned out to be an evil, cold-blooded witch . . . literally? Ever since fabulously wealthy Malcolm Doran walked into her life and swept her off her feet, fledgling architect Jane Boyle has been living a fairy tale. When he proposes with a stunning diamond to seal the deal, Jane can't believe her incredible luck and decides to leave her Paris-based job to make a new start with Malcolm in New York.But when Malcolm introduces Jane to the esteemed Doran clan, one of Manhattan's most feared and revered families, Jane's fairy tale takes a darker turn. Soon everything she thought she knew about the world—and herself—is upended. Now Jane must struggle with newfound magical abilities and the threat of those who will stop at nothing to get them.

Stations of the Tide by Michael Swanwick - From author Michael Swanwick—one of the most brilliantly assured and darkly inventive writers of contemporary fiction—comes a masterwork of radically altered realities and world-shattering seductions.The Jubilee Tides will drown the continents of the planet Miranda beneath the weight of her own oceans. But as the once-in-two-centuries cataclysm approaches, an even greater catastrophe threatens this dark and dangerous planet of tale-spinners, conjurers, and shapechangers.A man from the Bureau of Proscribed Technologies has been sent to investigate. For Gregorian has come, a genius renegade scientist and charismatic bush wizard. With magic and forbidden technology, he plans to remake the rotting, dying world in his own evil image—and to force whom or whatever remains on its diminishing surface toward a terrifying and astonishing confrontation with death and transcendence.This novel of surreal hard SF was compared to the fiction of Gene Wolfe when it was first published, and the author has gone on in the two decades since to become recognized as one of the finest living SF and fantasy writers.

Messiah (Apotheosis #3) by S. Andrew Swann - The last stand against the self-proclaimed God, Adam, has retreated to the anarchic planet Bakunin-a world besieged by civil war. Humanity's last hope lies with Nickolai Rajasthan, a Moreau who believes that the human race that created his kind is already damned beyond redemption.

Gods of Riverworld by Philip Jose Farmer - Thirty-five billion people from throughout Earth's history were resurrected along the great and winding waterways of Riverworld. Most began life anew--accepting without question the sustenance provided by their mysterious benefactors. But a rebellious handful burned to confront the unseen masters who controlled their fate--and these few launched an invasion that would ultimately yield the mind-boggling truth.Now Riverworld's omnipotent leaders have been confronted, and the renegades of Riverworld--led by the intrepid Sir Richard Francis Burton--control the fantastic mechanism that once ruled them. But the most awesome challenge lies ahead. For in the vast corridors and secret rooms of the tower stronghold, an unknown enemy watches and waits to usurp the usurpers . .

Battlestations edited by David Drake - When the Fleet is challenged by an alien armada from the other side of the galaxy, the Fleet constructs the Stephen Hawking, an enormous mobile base for thousands of soldiers and warships... and the overstressed crew prepares for a direct assault by a deadly insectoid race. But the pressures of combat and close quarters have taken their toll, threatening to turn the crew to the enemy's prime advantage. Stories by Katherine Kurtz, Mike Resnick, Steve Perry, Christopher Stasheff and more.

Zombiesque edited by Stephen L. Antczak and Martin Greenberg - From a tropical resort where visitors can become temporary zombies, to a newly-made zombie determined to protect those he loves, to a cheerleader who won't let death kick her off the team, to a zombie seeking revenge for the ancestors who died on an African slave ship-- Zombiesque invites readers to take a walk on the undead side in these tales from a zombie's point of view. Includes stories by Seanan McGuire, Nancy Collins, Richard Lee Byers, and more...

Road Trip of the Living Dead by Mark Henry - With her zombie gal pal Wendy and vampy sidekick Gil, celebrity party girl Amanda Feral is ready to take a big bite out of Seattle's supernatural nightlife. But what's a zombie chick to do when her "Mommie Dearest" gets sick? If you're Amanda Feral, you can either ignore the wicked old witch--or bury the past by visiting Ethel before she kicks it.Packing their stiletto pumps and plasma into a sketchy rattrap on wheels that used to be a Winebago, Amanda, Wendy, and Gil hit the highway. Of course, they'll have to navigate past some neo-Nazi skinheads, a horny dust devil, a hunky werewolf cop, and an unsightly horde of Kmart shoppers. But for this glamorous gang of ghouls, this trip is about to take a dangerous detour that could give road kill a brand new meaning. .

Autumn: The City by David Moody - From the author of the Hater trilogy... A new series of zombies and the apocalypse... In less than twenty-four hours a vicious and virulent disease will destroy virtually the entire population of the Earth. And that's before things get really bad... The first AUTUMN novel focused on those who escaped from the city; this sequel tells us the story of those who didn't.

Where Angels Fear to Tread by Thomas Sniegoski - The fact that six-year-old Zoe York has been kidnapped is disturbing enough, until Boston PI Remy Chandler sees her drawings-nightmare visions of everything leading up to her abduction and of the man with wings who would come and save her. A man who is an angel, just like Remy...

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I think that's all of them for this week. In case I missed any in the post, you can always find the new releases right on the home page of Kayleighbug Books.

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