Hot New Releases from Pocket Books

A little big I know...but little PJ has a new look and she wanted to show it off. And of course to tell you what pocket books releasing this August...

Night Falls on the Wicked

Author: Sharie Kohler
ISBN: 9781451611410
On Sale: 8/30/11
Price: $7.99/$9.99 Can

Sharie Kohler returns to the shadowy world of the Moon Chasers, where a seductive witch stalked by demons finds protection in the arms of a lycan on a mission of blood vengeance.


To know more about Sharie  and your favorite romance authors visit: http://pocketafterdark.com

The Hour of Dust and Ashes

Author: Kelly Gay
ISBN: 9781451625479
On Sale: 8/30/11
Price: $7.99/$9.99 Can

Now that Detective Charlie Madigan knows the off-world drug ash makes humans the perfect vessels for possession, she’ll do anything to save her addicted sister Bryn. But as New Year’s Eve approaches and ash victims began taking their own lives, Charlie is out of time. And worse, every exorcist in Atlanta has fled, leaving no one able to "see" who among the addicted are possessed and in danger. Desperate for help, Charlie turns to an ancient race of beings—creatures of mist and smoke, and embarks on a journey into hellish Charbydon with her siren partner Hank and the Revenant Rex to save Bryn and make it back before the creatures exact their deadly price. But one of them isn't coming home....

To know more about Kelly and your favorite urban fantasy authors visit: http://pocketafterdark.com

Blood Sacrifice

Author: Maria Lima
ISBN: 9781451612691
On Sale: 8/30/11
Price: $7.99/$9.99 Can

The fifth book in Maria Lima’s critically acclaimed urban fantasy series.

War has been declared by the fae against the Kelly Clan. Keira, her vampire lover Adam, and all the Wild Moon residents must leave the ranch as possession of it and all clan lands are in contention. Taking up residence in a historic San Antonio hotel, Keira, her family, and allies must strategize on how to win and reclaim for their land—a situation made even more difficult by the convoluted wordings of the ancient Challenge that has been invoked. As they research possibilities strange things begin to happen back in Rio Seco: the old cemetery is vandalized, fires break out at the strip center...and Minerva Kelly, clan leader and matriarch is missing. Have the Faery captured her? Should Keira risk breaking the Challenge rules and return to the Wild Moon or is it best to allow events to play out? Either way, she may lose everything.

To know more about Maria and your favorite urban fantasy authors visit: http://pocketafterdark.com

Dark Taste of Rapture

Author: Gena Showalter
ISBN: 9781439175781
On Sale: 8/23/11
Price: $7.99/$9.99 Can

Beautiful Noelle Tremain has just completed AIR (Alien Investigation and Removal) training and successfully navigated her first mission. Life is perfect.  Until her best friend is turned into a vampire, destroying her day life, and she’s partnered with Hector Dean, destroying her nightlife.  He’s the sexiest, most powerful man she’s ever met, able to atomize his arm and punch through anything – but he’s also an emotionally distanced hardass willing to do anything to avoid her.  To stay on top of their case, she might just have to find a way on top of him.  But oh, the naughty things a girl will do for her job . . .

To know more about Gena and your favorite romance authors visit: http://pocketafterdark.com

Enemy Mine

Author: Karin Harlow
ISBN: 9781439177877
On Sale: 8/30/11
Price: $7.99/$9.99 Can

The second book following Enemy Lover in Karin Harlow’s new series featuring vampires and a black ops team called L.O.S.T.

To know more about Karin and your favorite romance authors visit: http://pocketafterdark.com

Book Birthdays: April 19, 2011

Books releasing today, April 19th 2011 in the Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance and Young Adult paranormal, horror and science fiction genres. Enjoy and Get Reading!!

Synopsis taken from Goodreads.com

Mercy Burns (Myth and Magic #2) by Keri Arthur
Purchase on Amazon

Mercy Reynolds is a reporter in the San Francisco Bay area, but she’s also more—and less—than human. Half woman, half air dragon, she’s a “draman”—unable to shift shape but still able to unleash fiery energy. Now something will put her powers to the test.


Mercy’s friend Rainey has enlisted her help to solve her sister’s murder. Then a horrible accident claims Rainey’s life, leaving Mercy only five days to find the killer: If Mercy fails, according to dragon law, Rainey’s soul will be doomed to roam the earth for eternity. But how can Mercy help when she herself is a target? With nowhere else to turn, she must join forces with a sexy stranger—the mysterious man they call “Muerte,” or death itself, who’s as irresistible as he is treacherous. But can even Death keep Mercy alive for long enough to find her answers?


Forever Vampire by Michele Hauf
Purchase on Amazon


Vail the Unwanted is a pure-blooded vampire. But raised by Faery, he has neither home nor peace, and when his aid is sought in the recovery of a priceless diamond gown, his price is information. Specifically the whereabouts of his accursed father. His goal is revenge, and the supernaturally sexy Lyric, the icy blond vampiress with whom he must work, is a distraction he can't afford.

Outwardly as cold as the diamond dress in which she was kidnapped, Lyric has her own secrets. Desperate to break free from her criminal family, she aligns herself with the brooding Vail. Together they seek justice while each secretly works for freedom and a fresh start. For Lyric that means holding herself apart, even from the smoldering blue-eyed Vail. For Vail, it means a battle to the death for revenge—and for a temptress he can't deny.



The Goddess Test (Goddess Test #1) by Aimee Carter
Purchase on Amazon




It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.



The Restorer (The Graveyard Queen #1) by Amanda Stevens
Purchase on Amazon


My name is Amelia Gray. I'm a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I've always held fast to the rules passed down from my father. But now a haunted police detective has entered my world and everything is changing, including the rules that have always kept me safe.
It started with the discovery of a young woman's brutalized body in an old Charleston graveyard I've been hired to restore. The clues to the killer—and to his other victims—lie in the headstone symbolism that only I can interpret. Devlin needs my help, but his ghosts shadow his every move, feeding off his warmth, sustaining their presence with his energy. To warn him would be to invite them into my life. I've vowed to keep my distance, but the pull of his magnetism grows ever stronger even as the symbols lead me closer to the killer and to the gossamer veil that separates this world from the next.



The Black (Morpheus Road #2) by DJ MacHale
Purchase on Amazon

Cooper Foley always had a knack for finding trouble, but nothing he’s ever experienced could have prepared him for his latest adventure: He has landed square in the middle of a border war between the worlds of the living and the dead.

At the end of The Light, Book One of the Morpheus Road trilogy, Marshall Seaver learned the truth about what happened to his missing best friend, Cooper. Now, the mystery continues to unfold, only this time through Cooper’s eyes.

What did Marshall’s terrifying encounters with Gravedigger have to do with spirits from another existence? Who is Damon, and what role did he play in Cooper’s dilemma? Most importantly, what is the mysterious Morpheus Road? It’s time to learn, as bestselling author and master of thrilling suspense D.J. MacHale delivers another fast-paced, fantastical story that has all of existence hanging in the balance.


Skeleton Crew (Underworld Cycle #2) by Cameron Haley
Purchase on Amazon


Bodies are hitting the pavement in L.A. like they always do, but this time they're getting right back up, death be damned. My mobbed-up outfit of magicians may be the strongest in the city, but even they aren't immune to the living dead.
And I've yet to develop a resistance to Adan Rashan.

If I don't team up with the boss's son, we won't just be at each other's throats over control of the outfit. We'll be craving hearts and brains, as well.

Because as long as this nasty spirit from the Between is stopping souls from finding peace, I'm facing the biggest supernatural crisis to ever hit the City of Angels.
Zombies, it's time you feared me.


Defiance (Strange Angels #4) by Lili St. Crow
Purchase on Amazon 

The heart-stopping fourth novel in New York Times bestselling author Lili St. Crow's Strange Angels series.

Now that sixteen-year-old Dru's worst fears have come true and Sergej has kidnapped her best friend Graves, she'll have to go on a suicidal rescue mission to bring him back in one piece.
That is, if she can put all of Christophe's training to good use, defeat her mother's traitor, Anna, once and for all, and manage to survive another day . . .


EBOOKS:

Anchor by Jorrie Spencer
Genre: Paranormal, Shape-shifters, Ghosts and Psychics
Series: Northern Shifters
Purchase for $3.60 (limited time)

She follows her dreams into his arms…and danger is not far behind.

Children are supposed to outgrow night terrors. Mala is the rare exception. At night she dreams of wolves, ones who attack, and the ones her dream-self protects. The effort costs her–one dream often leads to a week of missed work.

After a months-long reprieve, the dreams are back with a vengeance. Her defense of a young wolf from his abusive father is rewarded when the boy mentions the name of a real town. Finally, the chance to learn if her dreams are just as real. She never expected to meet an honest-to-God alpha wolf, much less develop an instant, embarrassing crush on him.

Angus MacIntyre, the de facto alpha of Wolf Town, is determined to see every fugitive wolf employed, educated and well-adjusted to life in the open. The arrival of a young wolf on the run isn't all that unusual, but the human woman hard on his heels is beyond extraordinary.

The dark-eyed beauty stirs his mine instinct in a way he's never felt before. She possesses a dream-wraith ability that challenges everything he thinks he knows about his world, and makes her vulnerable to those who might try to use it–and her–to their advantage.

Product Warnings: Wolf towns, bad guys, dreams and non-alpha alpha wolves, as well as an overabundance of family, and, of course, a healthy dose of romance and sex.



I was only able to find books that were prominently listed on publishers sites, so if I didn't find you book, or one that you know about releasing, please let me know in the comments.

August 2010 New Releases Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance Part I

and some Science Fiction & Fantasy to keep it spicy...

Aug 3, 2010

The Demon Hunt: A Dark Storm Novel by Kris Greene Soul-sucking demons. Half-human killers. Doomsday prophesies. No, this isn’t a late-night movie on cable TV. This is Gabriel’s life—or least, what’s left of it—ever since he discovered his true destiny as a warrior knight in the battle against darkness. Once an ordinary college kid studying lost legends in books, Gabriel now finds himself face to face with actual demons. As a warrior, he has no choice but to fight them. And if he screws it up, the world is toast… A dimensional rift has opened between worlds. Which means more demons—and more death—than you could shake a proverbial stick at. Luckily, Gabriel has just the stick for the job, an ancient trident that gives him awesome demon-bashing powers. To watch his back he has the butt kicking half Demon De Mona and several unlikely heroes who he’s picked up along the way. To make matters more complicated two of Gabriel’s college buddies wind up dead and he finds that the demons aren’t the only ones who want a piece of his hide. The cops want him too—for murder…

Dream Called Time: A Stardoc Novel by S.L. Viehl Dispatched to investigate an unidentified ship that has emerged from a mysterious rift in space, Cherijo discovers technology far more advanced than anything she's ever seen. Before she can unravel the alien ship's mystery, Cherijo's own ship is sucked into the rift and transported through time. Unless she can find a way to reopen the rift, they will remain trapped in another time. And Cherijo will never see her family-which she's only just been reunited with-again...

Elminster Must Die!: The Sage of Shadowdale (The Elminster Series) by Ed Greenwood Elminster Returns! Elminster Must Die! is the debut 4th edition appearance of one of the Forgotten Realms® world’s most iconic characters, written by the creator of the original Forgotten Realms campaign setting. An instant classic, and a must-read for every Realms fan. When the goddess of magic was murdered, Elminster’s world shattered. Once the most powerful wizard in the world, immortal, beloved of the goddess of magic, and the bane of villainy, he is now a tired old man. He is powerful but mortal, and with all the enemies a man who makes a habit of saving the world tends to accumulate. To make matters worse, Elminster has needs—feeding powerful magic items to the Simbul, his lover, is the only thing that keeps her sane—but their increasingly risky collection leads his enemies right to him.

Kiss of the Rose: The Tudor Vampire Chronicles by Kate Pearce Desperate to defeat King Richard III and gain the crown, Henry Tudor made a pact with the Druids binding him and his heirs to the Druids' struggle against vampires. Ever since, the Llewellyns, a vampire- slaying family, have been in the king's employ. Now Henry VIII reigns, and his father's bargain has been almost forgotten-until bloodless corpses turn up in the king's bedchamber. To save the king, Vampire hunter Rosalind Llewellyn must form an uneasy alliance with Druid slayer Sir Christopher Ellis. But soon, Rosalind must face an unthinkable truth: that her sworn enemy may be her soulmate...

Labyrinth (Greywalker, Book 5) by Kat Richardson Harper Blaine was your average small-time P. I. until she died-for two minutes. Now she's a Greywalker, walking the line between the living world and the paranormal realm. There are others who know about her new powers-others with powerful tools and evil intentions, and now that the man who "killed" her has been murdered, the police are also paying close attention. That means Harper has to watch her step while searching for the ghost of her "killer"-who could be a valuable clue in the puzzle of Harper's past and her father's death, as well as a key to figuring out who's trying to manipulate her new powers and why. But with her growing powers pulling her into the Grey, Harper might not be able to come back out...

Omnitopia Dawn: Omnitopia #1 by Diane Duane In an increasingly wired and computer-friendly world, massive multiplayer online games have become the ultimate form of entertainment. And the most popular gaming universe of all is Omnitopia, created by genius programmer Dev Logan. For millions of people around the world, Omnitopia is an obsession, a passionate pastime, almost a way of life. But there's a secret to Omnitopia, one that Dev would give his life to protect-the game isn't just a program or a piece of code. It's become sentient-alive. And it's Dev's job to keep it that way...

The Questing Road by Lyn McConchie With the spirit and excitement that have thrilled readers for more than two decades, Lyn McConchie has crafted a totally original fantasy of two lands in deadly conflict. Acolytes to a dark god have crossed the gulf between worlds to abduct an innocent tariling, not even a year old, dooming it to become a sacrifice in a ceremony that will unleash an army of supernatural creatures upon an unsuspecting kingdom. Yoros and Kyrryl know that this is no mere animal, but to its own (felinoid) kind is a cherished child. With their warrior niece, Ashara, they follow its trail through a dimensional gate, little realizing their simple quest will become a desperate fight for survival in the middle of an all-out war. They can't know of the atrocities that decimated the plains tribes of the strange world beyond the gate. Nor can they know of the massive revenge that threatens an entire civilization. If they are to save themselves and their lost tariling, they must follow its magic through the unknown terrors of a bizarre world of alien creatures and mortal perils beyond their wildest imagining. With the apocalyptic ceremony looming ever nearer, the trio of seekers find others who may help them -- or whose treachery could spell doom for them all. As mortal and supernatural armies mass and secret pacts reveal ancient evils, only one thing is certain: death follows their road, and their only hope is to cheat the gods that seem to curse them...

Search: A Novel of Forbidden History by Garfield Reeves-Stevens A nine-thousand-year-old conspiracy. Three families. One secret. The epic race to uncover history’s greatest mystery has begun. Beneath the sparkling blue water of a remote Pacific atoll, a merciless killer stalks an underwater archaeological dig. His goal: to bring his employer---billionaire industrialist Holden Ironwood---an impossible artifact that proves a lost civilization’s knowledge of astronomy was thousands of years ahead of its time. At the same time, in the Armed Forces DNA Identification Lab in Maryland, haunted young researcher David Weir risks his freedom to identify a handful of people with nothing in common except their nonhuman genes---genes that he shares. While in the Arctic tundra, a deadly airborne assault on a pipeline crew propels young paleogeologist Jessica MacClary into the innermost circles of her staggeringly wealthy and powerful family as she learns the astonishing secret her ancestors have defended since the beginnings of recorded history. Now these three strangers on their separate quests to unlock their pasts are unexpectedly driven into violent collision, only to discover that together they hold the key to answering the ultimate question of humanity’s origins---provided the U.S. Air Force doesn’t stop them first. . . . Acclaimed New York Times bestselling novelists Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens once again bring their unique blend of relentless suspense and cutting-edge science to a page-turning story of adventure that spans the globe and millennia of human history, racing from long-buried ruins in Cornwall and the casinos of Atlantic City to the forgotten caves that protect a shocking revelation that will tear the veil off the true history of humankind. With a mystery more profound than Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, and scientific speculation more provocative than Michael Crichton’s Next, Search is an adrenaline-fueled, action-packed thriller that goes beyond wild theories of ancient astronauts and sunken empires to suggest a startling new vision of the birth of human civilization.

Shades of Gray: A Sholan Alliance Novel by Lisanne Norman A new alliance has formed among the feline Sholans, the humans, and the Valtegan Primes. Determinedto retake the Valtegan planet that is the seat of the empire, the alliance seeks to reinstate the rightful heir to the throne and restore peace in the galaxy. Branded as a traitor by his own people, Sholan telepath and warrior Kusac must join forces with a former enemy, but now they have become true allies in the campaign to reclaim the empire-or die trying.

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal The fantasy novel you’ve always wished Jane Austen had written Shades of Milk and Honey is exactly what we could expect from Jane Austen if she had been a fantasy writer: Pride and Prejudice meets Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. It is an intimate portrait of a woman, Jane, and her quest for love in a world where the manipulation of glamour is considered an essential skill for a lady of quality. Jane and her sister Melody vie for the attentions of eligible men, and while Jane’s skill with glamour is remarkable, it is her sister who is fair of face. When Jane realizes that one of Melody’s suitors is set on taking advantage of her sister for the sake of her dowry, she pushes her skills to the limit of what her body can withstand in order to set things right—and, in the process, accidentally wanders into a love story of her own.

Siren's Call: A Dark Tides Novel by Devyn Quinn {reviewed by PJV} A new paranormal romance series that follows desire into the depths of the ocean Lighthouse keeper Tessa Lonike savors her solitude on Little Mer, an island off the coast of Maine, guarding her true identity as a mermaid. But when Tessa spots a man thrashing around in the ice cold waters during a storm, she must use her ability as a mermaid to pull him to shore. And a year later, when Kenneth meets her again, he's determined not to let Tessa slip away. But when Tessa'a archaeologist ex-lover comes back to town with a clue to her heritage, she may be forced to leave her happiness behind...

Taint of the Black Brigade: Chronicles of Abraxis Wren, Book 2 by Paul Crilley The last one alive takes the treasure . . . unless Abraxis Wren gets there first. When a woman from his past turns up looking for help in clearing her name, Abraxis Wren must set aside his memories of their past encounters to unravel the mystery of the Black Brigade. An elite and deadly squad from the Last War is being murdered one by one. The trail of blood leads to untold treasure—if Wren can only reach it before the murderer does!

Total Eclipse (Weather Warden, Book 9) by Rachel Caine Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin, her husband, the djinn David, and the Earth herself have been poisoned by a substance that destroys the magic that keeps the world alive. The poison is destabilizing the entire balance of power, bestowing magic upon those who have never had it, and removing it form those who need it. It's just a matter of time before the delicate balance of nature explodes into chaos-and doom.

Unsympathetic Magic: An Esther Diamond Novel by Laura Resnick Acting jobs don't grow on fire escapes, so struggling actress Esther Diamond is outraged when her guest role as a hooker on controversial TV drama The Dirty Thirty is jeopardized by zombies, angry spirits, and a voodoo curse. But will Esther's courage backfire and end up leading her to become a human sacrifice on the altar of the sinister supernatural powers that are taking over New York City?

Blood & Sex: Michael: A Ravenous Romance by Angela Cameron This is an original -- spine-chilling and sexy -- a tale of a Mafia vampire and the detective who is determined to bring it to justice...Detective Victoria Tyler is investigating Collins Bay's new serial killer, one of the city's vampires. Since they have marked her as a human to be killed or conquered, Tori knows that Michael is her only hope for survival. But she hasn't spoken to him since the night she tried to kill him. As the enforcer for the Italian vampire cosca, Michael expects a certain amount of cooperation from his boss. That amount has been shrinking ever since their leader took a new sadist lover. So when the detective requests his help, it's just the excuse he needs to take control of the city -- and the delicious human. Risking it all, Tori agrees to let Michael take her neck and lead her on a journey through a world of bondage, domination and blood to stop the killer. But can she resist the dark lusts he sparks? Or will her weakness get someone else killed?

Aug 5, 2010

Makers by Cory Doctorow {eBook} Perry and Lester invent things: seashell robots that make toast, Boogie Woogie Elmo dolls that drive cars. They also invent entirely new economic systems. When Kodak and Duracell are broken up for parts by sharp venture capitalists, Perry and Lester help to invent the -New Work,- a New Deal for the technological era. Barefoot bankers cross the nation, microinvesting in high-tech communal mini-startups. Together, they transform the nation and blogger Andrea Fleeks is there to document it. Then it slides into collapse. The New Work bust puts the dot-bomb to shame. Perry and Lester build a network of interactive rides in abandoned Walmarts across the land. As their rides gain in popularity, a rogue Disney executive engineers a savage attack on the rides by convincing the police that their 3D printers are being used to make AK-47s. Lawsuits multiply as venture capitalists take on a new investment strategy: backing litigation against companies like Disney. Lester and Perry-s friendship falls to pieces when Lester gets the fatkins treatment, which turns him into a sybaritic gigolo. Then things get really interesting.

Aug 6, 2010

The Scarab Path by Tchaikovsky, Adrian {available in eBook} The war with the Wasp Empire has ended in a bitter stalemate, and Collegium has nothing to show for it but wounded veterans. Cheerwell Maker finds herself crippled in ways no doctor can mend, haunted by ghosts of the past that she cannot appease, seeking

Aug 17, 2010

The Last Page by Anthony Huso The city of Isca is set like a dark jewel in the crown of the Duchy of Stonehold. In this sprawling landscape, the monsters one sees are nothing compared to what’s living in the city’s sewers. Twenty-three-year-old Caliph Howl is Stonehold’s reluctant High King. Thrust onto the throne, Caliph has inherited Stonehold’s dirtiest court secrets. He also faces a brewing civil war that he is unprepared to fight. After months alone amid a swirl of gossip and political machinations, the sudden reappearance of his old lover, Sena, is a welcome bit of relief. But Sena has her own legacy to claim: she has been trained from birth by the Shradnae witchocracy—adept in espionage and the art of magical equations writ in blood—and she has been sent to spy on the High King. Yet there are magics that demand a higher price than blood. Sena secretly plots to unlock the Cisrym Ta, an arcane text whose pages contain the power to destroy worlds. The key to opening the book lies in Caliph’s veins, forcing Sena to decide if her obsession for power is greater than her love for Caliph. Meanwhile, a fleet of airships creeps ever closer to Isca. As the final battle in a devastating civil war looms and the last page of the Cisrym Ta waits to be read, Caliph and Sena must face the deadly consequences of their decisions. And the blood of these conflicts will stain this and other worlds forever.

Prospero in Hell by L. Jagi Lamplighter The search of a daughter for her father is but the beginning of this robust fantasy adventure. For five hundred years since the events of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Miranda has run Prospero, Inc., protecting an unknowing world from disasters both natural and man-made. Now her father has been taken prisoner of dark spirits in a place she could only guess. Piecing together clues about her father’s whereabouts and discovering secrets of her shrouded past, she comes to an inescapable conclusion she has dreaded since Prospero was lost. Prospero has been imprisoned in Hell, kept there by demons who wish to extract a terrible price in exchange for his freedom. As the time of reckoning for Miranda draws near, she realizes that hundreds of years of their family’s magic may not be enough to free her once-powerful father from the curse that could destroy them...and the world.

Stars and Gods by Larry Niven Niven returns with the sequel to his most recent collection, Scatterbrain, which gathers an equally engaging assortment of Niven's latest work, all in one captivating volume. Here are choice excerpts from his most recent novels, including Ringworld's Child, as well as short stories, non-fiction, interviews, editorials, collaborations, and correspondence. Stars and Gods roams all over a wide variety of fascinating topics, from space stations to conventional etiquette. Give yourself a treat, and feel free to pick the brain of one of modern science fiction's most fascinating thinkers.

The Unwritten Vol. 2: Inside Man by Mike Carey and Peter Gross Tom Taylor's life was screwed from go. His father created the Tommy Taylor fantasy series, boy-wizard novels with popularity on par with Harry Potter. The problem is Dad modeled the fictional epic so closely to Tom's real life that fans are constantly comparing him to his counterpart, turning him into the lamest variety of Z-level celebrity. In the final novel, it's even implied that the fictional Tommy will crossover into the real world, giving delusional fans more excuses to harass Tom. 32 When an enormous scandal reveals that Tom might really be a boy-wizard made flesh, Tom comes into contact with a very mysterious, very deadly group that's secretly kept tabs on him all his life. Now, to protect his own life and discover the truth behind his origins, Tom will travel the world, eventually finding himself at locations all featured on a very special map -- one kept by the deadly group that charts places throughout world history where fictions have impacted and tangibly shaped reality, those stories ranging from famous literary works to folktales to pop culture. And in the process of figuring out what it all means, Tom will find himself having to figure out a huge conspiracy mystery that spans the entirety of the history of fiction. In this volume, Tom arrives at Donostia prison in Southern France and falls into the orbit of another story: The Song of Roland. Unfortunately for Tom, it's a story that ends with a massacre. .Tom discovers the true meaning of "out of the frying pan" after his escape from Donostia jail takes him to Stuttgart in 1940, a ghost city inhabited by the master liar of the Third Reich, Josef Goebbels, and a tortured soul who's crying out for rescue - or death...

Aug 24, 2010

Elemental: Destiny's Embers by Bradley Wardell At a frontier outpost on the fringes of the civilized world, an orphaned messenger named Xander witnesses the destruction of all he knows at the hands of the Fallen, the great enemy thought vanquished during the War of Magic. Abruptly, Xander’s life is changed forever. Now he must seek out an ancient artifact of legendary power in the hopes that it can stop the Fallen hordes from destroying the entire kingdom. Little does he realize that the hope of all mankind rests on his young shoulders, as powers of unimaginable might set out to stop him at all costs. Aided by his friend Genica, a mysterious thief named Vreen, and a crafty Sion of unknown loyalty, Xander journeys into the heart of the world, where long-hidden secrets will be revealed that could shatter the delicate balance established by the great Cataclysm a thousand years earlier.