July New Releases in Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy

July 1, 2010

Tracking the Tempest (Jane True series, book 2) by Nicole Peeler Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and Ryu - Jane's bloodsucking boyfriend - can't let a major holiday go by without getting all gratuitous. An overwhelming dose of boyfriend interference and a last-minute ticket to Boston later, and Jane's life is thrown off course. Ryu's well-intentioned plans create mayhem, and Jane winds up embroiled in an investigation involving a spree of gruesome killings. All the evidence points towards another Halfling, much to Jane's surprise...

Zombie Moon by Lori Devoti Caleb Locke lived for one thing–killing zombies. And this man–this legend–was exactly what Samantha Wagenr needed. In mist-shrouded alleys, hunted by zombies, haunted by fear, she vowed to find Caleb and convince him to help her. But she hadn’t counted on falling in love…. Caleb kept his own secrets–like the one he couldn’t hide when the moon was full. But his wolf was drawn to Samantha, recognizing her as his mate. With her in his arms, Caleb reveled in passion…and rued his deception. Would she still love the man who fought by her side if she realized that zombies weren’t the only monster? Samantha would have to make a choice–and she only had till the next full moon.

Be Mine Forever by Rosemary Laurey  Six months ago Angela Ryan woke up from a mysterious attack with no memory, no ID, and no idea why what had once been girlish about her suddenly seemed...ghoulish. Being rescued by a clan of vampires is strange enough, but nothing compared to the fact that one of them is the kind of man she's always fantasized about. Tom Kyd has smouldering eyes, a sculpted body, and supernatural staying power. True, Tom is sure he knows best about everything, including how to figure out who she was before her life turned into an episode of Dark Shadows. But when his kisses are so dark, so sinful, and so damn good, Angela is tempted to say yes to whatever he wants...

Wolf Tales 10 by Kate Douglas A Life For A Life The Chanku are gifted with more power--of mind, body, and soul--than the most superior of humans. Yet even these exceptional beings cannot change the laws of nature. . .or destiny. And when one loses his human life mate to a tragic accident, he is shattered by grief he never imagined possible. . . The only thing worse than losing his love is knowing that her death was caused by the incompetence of a goddess supposedly possessed of timeless wisdom. The justice dealt for the goddess's horrible mistake is a demotion--from immortal to human--and the charge of filling the missing space in the Montana pack. But while some accept her quickly, not all are so willing. . . It is time for Anton, Stefan, and Adam to test the newcomer: to see if she can withstand the heights of ecstasy these Chanku men will show her--and to discover whether, when faced with the ultimate sacrifice, she will make the right choice. . .

July 5, 2010

Insatiable (Phantom Corps series, book 1/Federation Chronicles, book 3) by Lauren Dane Desire is the most dangerous sensation of all. With tensions between the Federation and Imperial ‘Verses rising, one woman may hold the key to victory. The dangerous mission to smuggle her out of Imperial Territory falls to Daniel Haws and his team, the ultra secret Phantom Corps. This elite squad of the Federation Military is the only one trusted and skilled enough to remove her from under the watchful eye of her father, the Supreme Commander of the Imperial ‘Verses. Carina is used to wearing a mask. Her father and his men think her little more than a pretty prize to be won by a man more ruthless than the rest. When he announces his intention to marry her to one of his henchmen, a man known for his cruelty, Carina knows she has to move as soon as possible to get out. But getting secret information to the Federation has served her well for years and she appeals to them for help. She expected rescue from a man who’d been her enemy. But she wasn’t prepared for just how intense her attraction to Daniel Haws would be. Born as adversaries into different ranks, and on the run for their lives, they now need each other to survive—by holding on to the only thing they have in common: a growing desire that is dangerous, irresistible, and insatiable...

July 6, 2010

Bonds of Justice (PsyChangeling series, book 8) by Nalini Singh Max Shannon is a good cop, one of the best in New York Enforcement. Born with a natural shield that protects him against Psy mental invasions, he knows he has little chance of advancement within the Psy-dominated power structure. The last case he expects to be assigned to is that of a murderer targeting a Psy Councilor's closest advisors. And the last woman he expects to compel him in the most sensual of ways is a Psy on the verge of catastrophic mental fracture.

A Devil in the Details: A Jesse James Dawson Novel (Jesse Dawson) by K. A. Stewart Every lost soul needs a champion. Jesse James Dawson was an ordinary guy (well, an ordinary guy with a black belt in karate), until the day he learned his brother had made a bargain with a demon. Jesse discovered there was only one way to save his brother: put up his own soul as collateral, and fight the demon to the death. Jesse lived to free his brother--and became part of a loose organization of Champions who put their own souls on the line to help those who get in over their heads with demons. But now experienced Champions are losing battles at a much higher rate than usual.  Someone has changed the game. And if Jesse can't figure out the new rules, his next battle may be his last...

A Glimpse of Evil (Psychic Eye Mysteries, No. 8) by Victoria Laurie Professional psychic Abigail Cooper is about to discover that some cold cases are better off dead... As the FBI's newest Civilian Profiler, Abby Cooper is using her powers of intuition to help solve a backlog of the bureau's cold cases. But when she's the only one who's convinced that several separate cold cases are related, she'll have to call on every intuitive bone in her body before she's the one put on ice...

Twice Bitten: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel by Chloe Neill Merit, Chicago’s newest vampire, is learning how to play well with others. Other supernaturals, that is. Shapeshifters from across the country are convening in the Windy City, and as a gesture of peace, Master Vampire Ethan Sullivan has offered their leader a very special bodyguard: Merit. Merit is supposed to protect the Alpha, Gabriel Keene—and to spy for the vamps while she’s at it. Oh, and luckily Ethan’s offering some steamy, one-on-one combat training sessions to help her prepare for the mission. Merit must accept the assignment, even though she knows that she’ll probably regret it. And she’s not wrong. Someone is gunning for Gabriel Keene, and Merit soon finds herself in the line of fire. She’ll need all the help she can get to track down the would-be assassin, but everywhere she turns, there are rising tensions between supernaturals—not least between her and a certain green-eyed, centuries old master vampire.

Undead and Unfinished (Queen Betsy, Book 9) by MaryJanice Davidson Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor is fed up of trying to decipher the strange things prophesied in The Book of the Dead. At the end of her tether, she strikes a deal with Satan who promises to help - if she and her half-sister Laura pay a visit to Hell. Hell, it would seem, is more terrifying than Betsy could have ever imagined - a waiting room with bad carpeting, re-runs of 70s TV shows and ancient Good Housekeeping magazines. But when Betsy and Laura find themselves catapulted back and forth through time, they realize they could seriously screw everything up for good...

The Season of Risks: An Ethical Vampire Novel by Susan Hubbard Ari continues her quest in the turbulent landscape in which competing sects of vampires and their vulnerable mortal counterparts must coexist.

Red Hood's Revenge (PRINCESS NOVELS) by Jim C. Hines Wars may end. But vengeance is forever. Roudette's story was a simple one. A red cape. A wolf. A hunter. Her mother told her she would be safe, so long as she kept to the path. But sometimes the path leads to dark places. Roudette is the hunter now, an assassin known throughout the world as the Lady of the Red Hood. Her mission will take her to the country of Arathea and an ancient fairy threat. At the heart of the conflict between humans and fairies stands the woman Roudette has been hired to kill, the only human ever to have fought the Lady of the Red Hood and survived-the princess known as Sleeping Beauty.

July 13, 2010

Tongues of Serpents (Temeraire series, book 6) by Naomi Novik Exiled to Australia, Laurence and Temeraire must navigate treacherous political waters to protect three dragon eggs.

July 20, 2010

Dark and Stormy Knights - Anthology featuring Jim Butcher, Ilona Andrews, Carrie Vaughn, Vicki Pettersson and others. They’re the last defenders of humanity, the lone wolf bad boys— and girls—who do dark deeds for the right reasons. Modern day knights who are sexy, funny, mad, bad and dangerous to know because they do what most of us only dream about…and get away with it. In this all-star collection, nine of today’s hottest urban fantasy authors bring us original stories of supernatural, modern day knights that will have readers clamoring for more!

Imager's Intrigue: The Third Book of the Imager Portfolio by L. E. Modesitt Jr. In Imager, the first book of the Imager Portfolio, we met Rhennthyl, an apprentice portrait artist whose life was changed by a disastrous fire. But the blaze that took his master’s life and destroyed his livelihood revealed a secret power previously dormant in Rhenn; the power of imaging, the ability to shape matter using thought. With some trouble, he adapts to the controlled life of an imager. By Imager’s Challenge, Rhenn has become a liaison to the local law forces. He finds himself in direct conflict with both authorities and national politics as he tries to uphold the law and do his best by the people of his home city. Now, in Imager’s Intrigue, Rhenn has come into his own. He has a wife and a young child, and a solid career as an imager. But he has made more than one enemy during his journey from apprentice painter to master imager, and even his great powers won’t allow him to escape his past.

Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker by Syrie James The bestselling author of The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen has crafted her most powerful novel yet, in which she uncovers the thrilling untold story of Mina Harker and her forbidden love with Dracula.

All That Lives Must Die: Book Two of the Mortal Coils Series by Eric S. Nylund Eliot and Fiona Post are twins caught up in an epic custody battle between their mother's and father's families.  Their mother is the immortal goddess Atropos, the eldest Fate, and their father is Lucifer, Lord of the infernals, a diabolical fallen angel.  The families have put them through rigorous, life-threatening challenges, and together they've risen to combat them in amazing ways.  But now they are facing the greatest trial of all—high school. Paxington Unviersity is no normal high school—it's a place where gods and goddesses, warriors and socerers learn to harness their power, where a debate in class can end in a duel, and your classmates aren't simply friends or enemies, but allies in battle or threats to your life.  To flunk is to die--only the toughest graduate.  As Fiona and Eliot struggle to keep up their grades by surviving the rigorous training, both families are watching.  High school is bad enough, but imagine being caught in the midst of an immortal/infernal war...

Revolver by Matt Kindt REVOLVER is a tale of two worlds, and how the both test a man to his limits... Almost thirty and living in Seattle, Sam shuffles to his bed after a night out at the bars. The next morning he wakes up and catches the bus into the city, starting another day of his dead end life. But today on the radio he hears that the stock market has crashed, news of a bird-flu epidemic erupting in Asia pushes past a report of "radioactive-material-gone-missing-in-Russia." Did Sam really wake up this morning? The world has gone crazy--turned on its head. Sam thinks about riding the bus full loop, going home and pretending that the day hadn't started. This terrible day is capped with the destruction of Seattle... But when Sam wakes up in his small studio apartment the next morning he's confused. On the bus ride to work he listens to the radio. The world is fine... Realities begin to bleed into one another as Sam jumps between his dull-drum, everyday life and a dark apocalyptic society...but which is the real one and which one will he have to live with forever? And the most important question: does he have a choice?

July 27, 2010

As Lie the Dead (Dreg City, Book 2) by Kelly Meding  Evangeline Stone, a rogue bounty hunter, never asked for a world divided between darkness and light… …or the power to die and live again in someone else's borrowed body. After a murder plot meant to take her out leaves an entire race of shapeshifters nearly extinct, Evy is gnawed by guilt. So when one of the few survivors of the slaughter enlists her aid, she feels duty-bound to help—even though protecting a frail, pregnant shifter is the last thing Evy needs, especially with the world going to hell around her. Amid weres, Halfies, gremlins, vamps—and increasingly outgunned humans—a war for supremacy is brewing. With shifters demanding justice, her superiors desperate to control her, and an assassin on her trail, Evy discovers a horrifying conspiracy. And she may be the only person in the world who can stop it—unless, of course, her own side gets her first.

Bring On the Night (WVMP, Book 3) by Jeri Smith-Ready  WHAT’S BLOOD GOT TO DO WITH IT? Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin seems to finally have it all. A steady job at WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock ’n’ Roll. A loving relationship with the idiosyncratic but eternally hot DJ Shane McAllister. A vampire dog who never needs shots or a pooper-scooper. And after nine years, it looks as if she might actually finish her bachelor’s degree! But fate has other plans for Ciara. First she must fulfill her Faustian bargain with the Control, the paranormal paramilitary agency that does its best to keep vampires in line. Turns out the Control wants her for something other than her (nonexistent) ability to kick undead ass. Her anti-holy blood, perhaps? Ciara’s suspicions are confirmed when she’s assigned to a special-ops division known as the Immanence Corps, run by the Control’s oldest vampire and filled with humans who claim to have special powers. To a confirmed skeptic like Ciara, it sounds like a freak fest. But when a mysterious fatal virus spreads through Sherwood—and corpses begin to rise from their graves—Ciara will not only get a crash course in zombie-killing, but will be forced to put her faith, and her life itself, in the hands of magic.

City of Ghosts (Downside Ghosts, Book 3) by Stacia Kane IT’S A THIN LINE BETWEEN ALIVE AND UNDEAD. Chess Putnam has a lot on her plate. Mangled human corpses have started to show up on the streets of Downside, and Chess’s bosses at the Church of Real Truth have ordered her to team up with the ultra-powerful Black Squad agency to crack the grisly case. Chess is under a binding spell that threatens death if she talks about the investigation, but the city’s most notorious crime boss—and Chess’s drug dealer—gets wind of her new assignment and insists on being kept informed. If that isn’t bad enough, a sinister street vendor appears to have information Chess needs. Only he’s not telling what he knows, or what it all has to do with the vast underground City of Eternity. Now Chess will have to navigate killer wraiths, First Elders, and a lot of seriously nasty magic—all while coping with some not-so-small issues of her own. And the only man Chess can trust to help her through it all has every reason to want her dead.

Shadow Chase by Seressia Glass  In a job like this, one mistake can cost you everything. As a Shadowchaser, Kira Solomon has been trained to serve the Light, dispatch the Fallen, and prevent the spread of chaos. It’s a deadly job, and Kira knows the horror of spilling innocent blood. But now she has a new role, as the Hand of Ma’at, the Egyptian Goddess of Truth and Order, and an assignment that might just redeem her.A fellow Shadowchaser has gone missing, and so has a unique artifact imbued with astonishing magic. Unless the Vessel of Nun is returned, it will cause destruction beyond anything the modern world has seen. Kira’s got a team at her back, including Khefar, a near-immortal Nubian warrior who’s already died for her once. But as complicated as her feelings for him are, they’re nothing compared to the difficulties of the task she faces.And the only way to defeat the enemy is to trust in a powershe can barely control, and put her life—and her soul—on the line.

Wait for Dusk: The Fifth Dark Days Novel by Jocelynn Drake There is no sanctuary in the night… Feared even by her own kind for her mastery of fire, the Nightwalker Mira is summoned by the Coven to take her rightful place as Elder. But with this honor comes grave responsibility—a commitment to the annihilation of the unleashed naturi. For now the foul creatures walk the earth—and neither vampire nor human will survive their horrific onslaught. A tide of blood is sweeping relentlessly across the European continent, as Mira is dispatched to Budapest for the most devastating test yet of her astonishing powers—and falls into a well-laid trap. With the dark secrets that haunt her growing darker by the hour, she must confront the terrible truth of her past and protect her fragile sanity in the face of unanticipated treachery—a betrayal by her ally, her enemy, her lover…the vampire slayer, Danaus.

Waking the Witch (Otherworld series, book 11) by Kelley Armstrong The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at 21 she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency. So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town as a favor to one of the agency's associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes. Soon Savannah is in over her head. She's run off the road and nearly killed, haunted by a mystery stalker, and freaked out when the brother of one of the dead women is murdered when he tries to investigate the crime. To complicate things, something weird is happening to her powers. Pitted against shamans, demons, a voodoo-inflected cult and garden-variety goons, Savannah has to fight to ensure her first case isn't her last. And she also has to ask for help, perhaps the hardest lesson she's ever had to learn.

A Wild Light (Hunter Kiss, Book 3) by Marjorie M. Liu  For too long Maxine Kiss has felt an inexplicable darkness inside her-a force she channels into hunting the demons bent on destroying the human race. But when she finds herself covered in blood and crouched beside her grandfather's dead body with no memory of what happened, Maxine begins to fear that the darkness has finally consumed her.

Dark Warrior Untamed by Alexis Morgan He questions everything. No one thought Chief Talion Greyhill Danby would report to work so soon after wrapping up his affairs in London. Then again, he didn’t expect to find a beautiful spy with a major attitude in his new office. Clearly the Kyth’s Grand Dame doesn’t trust him to do his duty—to protect her. She fears the truth. Piper Ryan isn’t keen on the arrangement, either. Matching wits with an ancient warrior isn’t in her administrative job description. But sharing space with the red-hot head of security could have unexpectedly tempting benefits . . . if he doesn’t dig into her secret past. Opposites always attract. When threatening e-mails result in danger, the fiery sparks between Piper and Grey grow scorching hot. They must defend the throne from a deadly invisible attacker, but will their raging desire keep them together . . . or will their burning suspicions tear them apart?

The Chamber of Ten by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon From two masters of dark fantasy comes a chilling tale of magic and possession, set in—and beneath—fabulous Venice, a city slowly being swallowed by the very waters that have made it one of the wonders of the world.  Geena Hodge is an American archaeologist working to salvage Venice’s past from the encroaching Adriatic Sea. When she and her lover, Nico, discover the lost library of Petrarch under the Piazza San Marco, they rejoice not only at the historical significance of the find but at the opportunity to bring worldwide attention—and much-needed funding—to their endeavors. But that find soon leads to another, a room buried more deeply still: the fabled Chamber of Ten, where centuries ago the secret rulers of Venice, in their quest for absolute power, met to plot betrayals and murders. After entering the Chamber, Geena and Nico are thrust into the midst of an ancient feud, a deadly battle of wills and black magic that threatens to poison the city’s future with the evils of its past.

Face Off (Laura Blackstone, Book 2) by Mark Del Franco Laura Black is a druid who can change her appearance. She is both the Fey Guild's public relations director and a secret agent for the International Security Agency. And now she'll have to choose where her loyalties lie when a political war breaks out between the fey and human populations...

Heroes Return by Moira J. Moore Being a hero is a recession-proof job-from the author of Heroes at Risk. The Emperor has personally selected Shield Lee Mallorough and Source Shintaro Karish to protect the duchy of Westsea-Taro's ancestral lands. But Westsea is suffering from deadly earthquakes that resist Lee and Taro's magic and political unrest that is stoked by their arrival.

Rise of the Poison Moon (Jennifer Scales) by MaryJanice Davidson and Anthony Alongi Jennifer Scales is a were-dragon with a fiery temper-but a warm heart. Jennifer's ex-boyfriend, werarachnid Skip Wilson, is out of control. His powers have grown as strong as his hunger for revenge, leaving her little choice but to confront him-hopefully without giving in to her own dark side...

Wolf's Cross by S. Andrew Swann Maria lives a simple life in a small Polish village, working for the lord of the nearby fortress. Motherless since her birth, Maria has been raised by her father and stepmother. Around her neck she wears—as she has always worn—a silver crucifix: to protect her from the Devil. Or so her father tells her. But when a contingent of badly mauled Teutonic Knights, including a handsome and gravely wounded young man named Josef, ask for succor at the fortress, Maria’s quiet and comfortable world shatters. For the knights are Wolfjägers, an order dedicated to the extermination of werewolves. And Maria, unknown to her, is one of the creatures they hunt. Only the crucifix about her neck prevents her body from changing into a lethal killing machine. When Maria meets Darien, a wolfbreed bent on exacting a terrible revenge on humans, she will learn the truth about herself. And find her loyalties–and her heart–torn in two.

July 28, 2010

The Reluctant Mage by Karen Miller Nine months have passed since Rafel disappeared in the expedition over the mountains. Deenie, now eighteen, starts having disturbing dreams about her brother. She comes to believe he's not dead after all, but is in trouble and needs her help. She enlists the aid of her friend Charis, and the girls hatch a plan to escape from Lur. They succeed and survive the hazardous journey round the coastline past the mountains. But to their dismay, they discover that the lands beyond Lur are blighted with lawlessness and chaos. The remnants of Morg's consciousness that survived his death splintered at his downfall and sought refuge in whatever bodies could be found to host them. Throughout their travels and adventures they get some answers about the other lost expeditions, and keep hearing about one fearsome mage whose stronghold is in the blighted near-mythical land of Dorana. Deenie knows this is her brother - and that Rafel is not only in danger, but has become dangerous. If he's not stopped he could become a threat to the whole world. Perhaps even another Morg.