Category: books

A Whole New World, by Liz Braswell

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Disney Press.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Disney Press.)

Liz Braswell was born in England but now lives in New England. She produced video games for a decade, but now writes full-time. She used to write adult horror stories, but now writes young adult books (not horror). Her newest book, A Whole New World, is a re-imagined fairy tale and hits shelves September 1st.

Most people know the story: Aladdin is a street rat in the city of Agrabah, living on the streets and stealing food to get by. He meets the—disguised—Princess Jasmine and rescues her, but gets captured by the guards and thrown in the dungeon. While there, a mysterious old man makes a deal with him: he’ll get Aladdin out of prison if Aladdin will dare the Cave of Treasures to bring him the lamp. A double-cross ensues from the old man, really the evil Jafar in disguise, and Aladdin ends up with the lamp and the genie, and wants to become a prince so he can marry Jasmine.

That’s not what happens in A Whole New World. Aladdin lives in an Agrabah wracked by poverty, starvation, and despair. When he meets Jasmine and is thrown in the dungeon, he agrees to bring the old man the lamp in exchange for his freedom. Aladdin procures the lamp, but the man abandons him in the cave. When Aladdin frees himself, he discovers that Jafar is now the most powerful sorcerer in the world, and rules Agrabah.

Desperate to make the people and Jasmine love him, Jafar’s grip on the city tightens, aided by monstrous magical creatures. Jasmine must lead the people in rebellion to try to free them from Jafar’s tyranny.

A Whole New World is not the Disney tale readers remember, but it contains elements of it. This tale shows the true story of life in Agrabah, and what could have happened, in a world where the good guy doesn’t necessarily win.

(Galley provided by Disney Press via NetGalley.)

Hickville Confessions, by Mary Karlik

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to GPK Publication LLC.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to GPK Publication LLC.)

Mary Karlik is a native Texan with an MFA. Though she lives in New Mexico now, her heart still belongs to Texas. Her book Hickville Confessions is the second book in the Hickville High series.

Ryan Quinn is new to small town life. She wants a fresh start, far from the darkness of her past, and will do anything to get it. Including joining the conservative Purity Club, a far cry from her “old” self. However, when the members of the Purity Club discover her secret, their vicious attack leaves Ryan helpless.

Good thing Justin is there to rescue her. But Justin is everything Ryan thinks she needs to avoid, harboring secrets of his own. Justin is the only one who understands Ryan, and she needs that, as the secrets of her past threaten to surface. Justin’s own secrets terrorize him, and he’s not sure he can trust Ryan with them. Will the two of them be able to overcome the shame of their past to heal for the future?

Hickville Confessions is filled with difficult issues, but the characters face them with courage and strength, becoming an example to others. The book is not light reading, but the relationships between all of the characters make it a worthwhile experience. The setting captures all the good—as well as the bad—things about living in a small town.

Left to Darkness, by Craig Saunders

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to DarkFuse.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to DarkFuse.)

Craig Saunders is an English author who writes dark fiction and horror. His latest novel, Left to Darkness, hits shelves today.

“Death by meteor” is an epitaph that only a few people ever imagined, but now it is the future for the entire planet. A meteor is coming. Large enough for catastrophic, world-ending destruction. And even knowing about it in advance doesn’t give humanity any chance of escape. But the end of the world takes an unexpected turn. Darkness holds sway, with cannibalistic cult members wearing barbed wire crowns, led by their king, James Finley. Not to mention sadistic siblings Sid and Silvia.

Paul Deacon is a long-time police officer who ends up blind after the meteor hits. Dawn Graves is a very pregnant woman whose husband was recently murdered. And Frank Liebowicz is a hit man out for revenge. Dawn is desperate to find a safe place to have her baby. Paul needs help to survive. Frank is gravely injured but still looking to defeat his enemy. The three must survive the end of the world and avoid the Little Kings if they are to reach safety and security. But they don’t realize that the cult is after Dawn’s baby, and will allow nothing—or no one—to stand in their way.

Left to Darkness is a dark, disturbing novel about the end of the world and the evil that results. Graphic violence shares space with a fight for survival in this novel filled with unexpected heroes facing a menace with a thirst for cruelty.

(Galley provided by DarkFuse via NetGalley.)

Wild in the Hollow, by Amber C. Haines

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Revell.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Revell.)

Amber C. Haines is a Southern girl, mother to four sons, and a Christian writer who isn’t afraid to speak the truth about her life, the good and the bad. Her book, Wild in the Hollow, is now on sale.

Growing up in a Southern country family, Amber spent time in church, with people who believed in God, yet she always felt a yearning for something more in her life. Desperate to find what she was seeking, Amber looked for it in all the wrong places, and ended up broken and hurting. In the blackest of moments, she sought God, and found Him. But even knowing God doesn’t mean life will be perfect. After Amber meets Seth, her husband, her life takes a turn she never expected and she becomes a mother to four boys, still searching for more.

Wild in the Hollow is a painfully honest, raw accounting of one woman’s search for fulfillment. Ms. Haines is brutally honest about her life and her choices, but this honesty shines brightly when she meets God and shifts the focus of her life. The compelling truths in this book will have the reader drawn into the pages and unable to put it down.

A beautiful book.

(Galley provided by Revell via NetGalley.)

Awake, by Natasha Preston

(I do not own this image. Image courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire.)
(I do not own this image. Image courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire.)

Natasha Preston is the English author of Silence and The Cellar. Her newest book, Awake, hits shelves today.

Scarlett has a normal life: parents, brother, school, friends. But she doesn’t remember anything before the age of five. Her parents have told her of the fire that took her memory and almost took her life, and she accepts their tales of her childhood. Until a car accident causes unexplainable memories to re-surface, and Scarlett starts asking questions her parents won’t answer.

Noah, her new boyfriend, supports Scarlett in everything. He’s polite, respectful, and everything that other boys her age are not. He’s also determined to shelter Scarlett from the horrors of her past, because Noah knows the truth of what happened. And he’s been sent to bring Scarlett home.

Awake is a young adult novel with an intriguing premise: a girl, raised in a cult, who has no memory of her early life amidst fanatics. Everyone around her has lied to Scarlet for years, and when she starts sensing that, her confusion is merited. The relationship between Noah and Scarlett isn’t a typical teenage romance. These two characters are too different for that, but their loyalty and love will be tested to the limits.

(Galley courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)

Avoiding Alpha, by Aileen Erin

(I do not own this image. Image property of Ink Monster, LLC.)
(I do not own this image. Image property of Ink Monster, LLC.)

Aileen Erin is a self-professed nerd—from Star Wars to Star Trek—and all things elvish, courtesy of J.R.R. Tolkien. She writes the Alpha Girls series. The second book is Avoiding Alpha.

Tessa McCaide’s life has changed dramatically in a short time. In California, she was “freaky Tessa” who saw visions and had no friends. In Texas, after one brief encounter with a cute guy, she is now a werewolf at St. Alibe’s, learning about things she never knew existed. Witches aren’t news to her, since her mother’s family are all powerful brujas, but vampires? And what’s this whole thing about magic, mates, and curses? Thankfully, she has her new best friend Meredith at her side to help her navigate the dangerous waters of her new world.

But when Meredith suddenly falls ill, Tessa realizes she can no longer just dabble in her new reality. The curse that suppresses Meredith’s wolf is now killing her, and Tessa will have to defy her pack leader and tradition, as well as make a deal with her black-magic-wielding aunt if she’s to save Meredith’s life. But returning to the family circle means Tessa will lose even more of herself than she already has. Can Tessa break the curse without turning her back on her werewolf side?

Avoiding Alpha is full of conflict, both internal, as Tessa wars with herself and her fears, and external, as she fights everyone around her in her efforts to save Meredith. Her relationship with her mate, Dastien, deepens, but Tessa’s fears stand in the way of her fully embracing her werewolf side. Through this book, Tessa battles the fears that threaten to trap her in a circle of doubts and worry, as she tries to beat an unbreakable curse to save her best friend’s life.

Dragon Fall, by Katie MacAlister

(I do not own this image. Image property of Hodder & Stoughton).
(I do not own this image. Image property of Hodder & Stoughton).

Katie MacAlister has over thirty books to her credit, mostly romances, but paranormals and young adult books as well (as Katie Maxwell). Her newest release, Dragon Fall, is the first book in the steamy Dragon Falls series. It hits shelves today.

Aoife Dakar thinks an outdoor fair will be a fun change of pace. Little does she know that meeting a cute stranger, witnessing a supernatural murder, and having everyone think she’s crazy are really on the agenda. After recovering from her “mental breakdown,” Aoife returns to the scene of the murder looking for proof that she’s not crazy. Instead, she finds a smart-mouthed dog who’s really a demon, and a hot, naked man with an attitude.

Kostya is very attracted to Aoife, but he doesn’t have time for romance. He has bigger fish to fry, namely the curse that has put the dragon clans at war and is slowly killing them off. Breaking the curse is his only concern…until he realizes there may be more to her than meets the eye,

Dragon Fall is a light-hearted story about a woman who discovers that sanity is relative and that the world is a far different place then she ever imagined. The relationship that grows between Aoife and Kostya is charged with tension and marked by sparks of attraction that everyone around them can see, even if they themselves refuse to admit it. The demon-dog will have the reader laughing, even as his antics get on the nerves of Aoife and Kostya.

(Galley provided by Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley.)

Spore, by Tamara Jones

(I do not own this image. Image property of Tamara Jones and Samhain Publishing.)
(I do not own this image. Image property of Tamara Jones and Samhain Publishing.)

Tamara Jones has written the Dubric Byerly Mysteries series, forensic murder mysteries in a fantasy setting, as Tamara Siler Jones. However, these dark and gripping novels are not hallmarks of her personality at all. In addition to writing gory murder scenes, Ms. Jones also likes quilting and cats. Her newest book, Spore, is a departure from the fantasy setting, but it keeps the mysterious and creepy vibe that Jones does so well.

When Sean Casey wakes up that morning, he has no idea the entire world is about to change. It’s a normal day, and he plans to spend it working at his normal job, artist for the comic Ghoulbane. Until the first naked person wanders into his back yard from the cemetery next door.

The ten people are naked, confused…and they used to be dead. Now they’ve regenerated and want to reclaim their old lives. One of them, Mindy, stays with Sean while they try to figure out what’s going on. Her ex-husband prefers that she stays dead, and will do anything to make that happen. And Sean’s nightmares, relic of childhood terror, grow worse, spilling over into his waking world. A world now inhabited by the spreading Spore People and all of the horrors from the past.

Spore is a fast-paced novel filled with action, a bit of gore, and haunting terror from bygone days. Sean falls headfirst into the new world created by the awakening of the Spore People. As he tries to help them, and others desperate to bring back the past, he becomes a target for the fear and anger of those surrounding him. Spore is tightly written, compelling, and will appeal to readers who love mysteries, a touch of horror, or even zombies (though this is not a zombie story). Definitely a must-read for anyone looking to liven up their reading list!

Side note: Tamara Jones was a member of the first crit group I was ever a part of, way back when I started writing, something like 15 years ago. I read part of her original version of the first Dubric book, and loved it. Fantasy and forensics? How cool is that? Spore is pretty different from the Dubric books, but the writing is definitely on par. Ms Jones is a writer you should definitely read.

The Insect Farm, by Stuart Prebble

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Mulholland Books.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Mulholland Books.)

Stuart Prebble is a British TV producer and director. He has written thrillers and comedies, including the Grumpy Old…series, as well as the television shows. His new novel, The Insect Farm, is a murder mystery/family drama.

Jonathan and Roger were inseparable. Jonathan was the adventurous, outgoing younger brother. Roger was the mentally handicapped older brother who adored Jonathan and was happy to be at his side. But all that changed when the brothers got older. Jonathan discovered girls, Roger discovered insects, and the two boys slowly grew apart.

Jonathan is away at school with his girlfriend, Harriet, when he gets the call that his parents’ house has burned down, with them inside. The police are suspicious of Roger, who was furious over their father’s threat to destroy his beloved insect farm, but Jonathan believes Roger is innocent. He quits school and moves home to care for Roger, leaving the life he’d hoped for behind. But his new life isn’t all he expected. Soon he realizes there is more going on than he ever imagined, with Roger, with Harriet, and with Roger’s fantastical world filled with insects.

The Insect Farm is a fast-paced story that stretches from childhood to old age. The relationship between the two brothers is ever changing yet static, and Jonathan is not as aware of things as he thinks he is. Filled with unexpected twists, betrayals, and rage, The Insect Farm is a thrill ride down an unexpected road.

(Galley provided by Mulholland Books via NetGalley.)

Rebel Mechanics, by Shanna Swendson

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Farrar, Straus and Giroux.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Farrar, Straus and Giroux.)

Shanna Swendson has been making up stories for years; first as a little girl playing with her Barbie dolls, now as the author of the Enchanted, Inc. series and The Fairy Tale series. Her newest book, Rebel Mechanics: All is Fair in Love and Revolution, hits stores today.

In Verity Newton’s world, the British upper class possessed magic, so the American Revolution never happened. These magisters have always ruled the colonies, and magic runs most things. But an underground society wants to change all that, inventing machines that run on steam and water instead of magic.

When Verity arrives in New York and lands a job as a governess with one of the most influential families in town, she has no idea what’s in store for her. The guardian uncle isn’t what she expected at all: he seems sympathetic to the rebels, he often comes home bloody and bruised, and he’s much younger than a guardian uncle should be, close to Verity’s own age. Soon Verity finds herself involved with the rebellion, with her job giving her a unique position to spy for a handsome young inventor who fights for the rebellion. Verity wants to help the cause, but to do so, she’ll have to reveal her own dangerous secret, and put the family she cares for at risk.

Rebel Mechanics is an intriguing look at a historical what-if: what if there had never been an American Revolution because Britain possessed magic the colonies couldn’t fight? Verity is smart but scared, wanting more from her new life than she’d ever dared dream of, but her secret could be enough to end her life. Rebel Mechanics is fast-paced and filled with adventure, along with romance, intrigue, and fun.

(Galley provided by Farrar, Straus and Giroux via NetGalley.)